Intro Log: February

[faileas]

Intro Log: February

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, even so close to the new moon as it is. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "There's always a right lot of you coming in, aren't there." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, or for us to summarize an answer. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon under the same header! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. Faiolleach From the 1st to the 3rd of Feoveuer is the holiday of Faiolleach, a time of spring-cleaning and purification in preparation for the new solar year, of rebirth and youth. It comes at a fitting time, after the dark happenings of the previous month - happenings that most natives are not willing to discuss, except in hushed, sympathetic voices. It was horrible, you know, best to cast that negative energy out. They won't discuss the details, not being privy to them; that's for Mirrorbound to clue the new arrivals in on. Many who have been here longer, though, will notice that Mirrorbound do not receive such a negative response in the wealthier areas of town as they did before. The vast majority of citizens, wealthy elites included, are, at the very least, polite. Despite the storm cloud of the Rathmores' trial on the 3rd hanging over the city, citizens are trying to put on their cheerful faces to celebrate Faiolleach. Originally celebrating the arrival of the sun, it was represented by a daughter of heaven whose name has been lost to ages - many still leave small offerings of food and drink out to this mythical figure, believing it bad luck not to do so. This is mostly done by older natives; the younger generation brushes it off as superstition. They're much more excited about speed-dating parties set up around the city, and blind dating, encompassing the traits of good luck and fertility traditionally held by the holiday. a. Speed-Dating The popular Faiolleach trend among the youths of Aefenglom is speed-dating, normally held in small to mid-sized gatherings of similarly-aged humans and Monsters both. The parties are all independent, usually held at small restaurants or bars, or other local shops rented out for the occasion, and many try to out-do the others - different themes, costumes or dress codes, and magical gimmicks are present at different bashes. They all hold to a similar mechanic: party participants are encouraged to make the rounds and spend just a handful of minutes with each person, sharing information about themselves in order to determine compatibility, but the level of structure (casual to organized) and the types of icebreaker games differ wildly. Revelers in the streets are out to pull walk-in participation in whatever bash is going on nearby, but they back off easily if the person isn't interested. It's certainly not a required part of the holiday, but they're eager to see people having fun. Whatever a person's tastes or interests, it's probable they'll find a gathering to their liking; some are skewed more toward finding someone to Bond with or making a new friend rather than finding someone to date, while some held in the Red Light District are a little spicier, with lingerie or kink themes to their parties. Participation is all optional, but meeting new people, regardless of how, is highly encouraged. b. Bonfires After dark, on all three nights of Faiolleach, bonfires of different sizes are held, scattered around the city, the flames magically contained in circles of runes (to avoid more possible fire damage, with repairs still ongoing from last month). People gather around them to dance, sing folk songs, and share warming drinks with one another. Like the speed-dating parties, they vary wildly from area to area; some are folksy, all-ages affairs where grandmothers tut and offer hot chocolate to ward against the evening chill. A common children's and young adults' activity at these bonfires are decorating wands of white birch wood with ribbons and baubles, and using them in the group dances to create mesmerizing swirls of color and sparkle. Others, especially those in the Entertainment District, feature beautiful dancers of all species in fine silks and satins, performing dances that are a little more sultry. At the obviously-adults-only bonfires, the favorite drink passed around is alcoholic in nature, and lightly spiked with a potion to help the drinker lose some of their inhibitions and help them loosen up. These effects will be readily disclosed to anybody who is offered a cup, to let them choose for themselves - but hey, where's your sense of adventure? c. Light a Candle The 2nd of Feoveuer brings with it a more minor, but still well-loved tradition. As dusk falls, all candles in the city are lit, casting a warm glow from every window and on every street corner as the dark of night sets in. The flickering lights lining paths and shining in homes lend a more metaphorically-magical air to Aefenglom, bringing with it a sense of renewal and shared joy. Light a candle with loved ones and new bonds alike, and it's said to bring good fortune to your friendship or relationship. As the candles burn, several food vendors can be found selling a particular festival dish, a thin pancake topped with fruits, nuts, and cream, meant to be shared with someone by feeding it to them. For couples (or those pretending to be couples), often the vendors will offer the sweet treats for free with well-wishes for their future together.

V. Inkchanted For some time already this has been hailed as the opening day for Inkchanted, a Mirrorbound led tattoo parlor in the Harbor district that offers… well tattoos, but not normal tattoos: these are enchanted. It’s not a popular use of enchantment school, but it works nevertheless. With the use of special ink, runic spells are weaved into the tattoo’s design, which allows for various effects. For Witches, this can mean instant activation of spells without the need for chanting or gestures. Just run your magical energy through the design and the effect is instantaneous! For Monsters... that’s where things become interesting because Monsters also are granted use of that specific tattooed spell. The caveat is that the tattoo must be charged with Witch magic, or draw on magic stored in a sort of ‘battery’ they also have in the store. Said batteries are made of various jewelry or pendants, ranging from simple materials like copper and glass to more expensive made of silver and opals. Ink in the tattoos does not last forever, though; they will fade away entirely after reaching the limit of their use (which is said to be anywhere between 15-30 hours of continuous use, depending on the design’s size). A cheaper alternative to the tattoos are painted spells, with similar specialized paint to help them stick to the skin. Instead of a time limit, these have a limited number of uses and will disappear afterwards. That’s what it says on the paper, but a keen eye will notice that despite opening on the advertised day, there must have been some complications quite recently. There are signs of fire around the building, and any help with painting over them is greatly appreciated. Likewise, windows seem particularly new, and there are still shards of glass that could be found outside; anyone willing to help with this particular detail will be compensated by an old sailor named William who is renting the space to the young Mirrorbound, If asked what happened here recently, he becomes serious but tries to brush off the questions. When it becomes apparent that new Mirrorbound have appeared, the owners of the parlor scramble to find something for them to do, and thus end up encouraging a simple activity meant as practice for Witches and Monsters, both old and new. They offer a vast amount of magical energy batteries and encourage the Mirrorbound to form pairs, where one person fills the battery with magic, while the other attempts to siphon it out, cycling the energy this way. The only thing they ask is to have the batteries left fully filled. Soon, it turns out that the exercise might come with some side-effects, from getting memory-flashes of another person that used the battery, to sharing their emotional state or even simple thoughts. And should someone try and steal the magical battery… they might find themselves chased by one of the owners or… knocked right into the harbor’s water by a magical ward placed on the entrance if they don’t have a way to counter it! Note: More on this player-run business and its owners can be found on the Locations page! Big thanks to Shuu and Lena and co. for this prompt!

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While new characters will have to get settled in, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the February's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[lucubrates]

Business minds all think alike. [ She grasps it quickly, though this is probably because Zelda's mind is open to the possibility. It is incredible to consider, that there would be a world where something like the Slate was readily available. Perhaps she's lucked out here in her choice of subject. ] I know what a clock, watch and time are, but the advancements... They're fascinating, aren't they?

[ Keeping her wrist still, she regards the device with an inquisitive gaze, tilting her head. ] I had something similar, but it was one of a kind. The idea of using this to communicate with other people is... nothing short of exhilarating! Instant messaging across miles and miles. The proximity could be closed so easily...

[ Not too subtly, Zelda snaps a picture of him without asking. ] It seems it doesn't use Runes to operate as well!

[coherer]

(zelda grasps the new-old concept of text messages and phone calls, while jonas feels privileged to watch; her mood's contagious, which comes as a great relief to someone who's been struggling with his own.)

I've never thought about it, because for us things like this are so... everyday. But you're right.

(raises his own to take a look, turning his own wrist this way and that–) Like, the longer you think about it the more amazing it... gets. (–which is why his picture is going to turn out super fucking dorky, eyes squinted, mouth half-open, motion blur making his arm look like a strange blob or defect.)

...

Did you just– oh, I see, I'm on Candid Camera.

(ah, well, he can't even pretend to stay mad. plus this is a good opportunity to check out the selfie mode on this bad boy, something zelda might be familiar with since the sheikah slate knows what's good.) Here, I've got a longer arm; I'll get a pic with both of us in it. Sound good to you?

[lucubrates]

[ It is a silly picture. He's immortalized forever on her watch, mid-thought, as he considers the wonders of technology. Truthfully, the thing is precious to her. She can almost feel a kindred spirit in this boy, when she looks at this dorky, candid image. Science really brings the goof out of everyone, doesn't it? But that's why you have to keep working at it. It's all about working hard towards the pay off.

Zelda almost apologizes for being over-eager. Almost, but he catches her first, but offering to take a picture with her. Perhaps that's the proper etiquette, then? There's still something that surprises her about it. That someone wants to take their picture with her... and suggests it so easily. If this were someone from Hyrule, she can't imagine it being this smooth. She wouldn't have minded it, but this... a girl could get used to being treated normal. ]

Alright, then.

[ She agrees without a second thought, the surprise melting from her expression as easily as ice cream melts on a hot day.

Except. She stands there.

Help me Obi Wan Kenobi
You're my ho ]

[coherer]

(

if jonas were privy to her inner thoughts, he'd encourage her overeagerness and normalcy. it's comforting and she should embrace it while she has the opportunity to.

but he isn't, so they stare at each other until jonas starts to awkwardly shift his weight from one foot to the other.)

... Shouldn't we use– uh... (no, it's not worth it. he rifles in his pocket for the small device, wiggling it before raising it high to capture their most flattering angles.) I'll just use mine. Then I can send you the pic and you can have a copy. All we gotta' do now is look at it and smile, or... pull goofy faces. Whatever you like. Ready?

(there's a shutter sound after a moment's pause.)

Wanna' take a look? See if you blinked?

[lucubrates]

[ The Zelda in the picture stares back at her with an expression like a deer caught in the headlights, but there's something terribly organic about the smile she wears. A thought strikes her quickly upon looking at the picture; the first is that Jonas is quite good at this. He knows how to handle the device much better than she does in this... mode of use? She's not sure what it's called.

She's so caught up in it that she realizes belatedly he wanted her to take the picture, but now she's quite glad she had him do it. ]

...I've only ever had my portrait done with my father or mother in it. Or both, once upon a time.

[ An idle admission, though she hasn't told him the state of her family. Still, her wording points to a world where selfies weren't exactly common, and being royal, she's quite used to her image being something that people want to record, as opposed to just... have, as a memento. ]

It's remarkable. You're an artist.

[coherer]

(he's listening, even if that doesn't seem like the case. his head is ducked over the watch, drafting the picture message he needs her username for. guarded, unused to compliments, jonas figures out what he wants to say before straightening. to be able surprise her with something he considers so simple is endearing to say the least.)

Alright, no singing my praises when you're gonna' get way better at it than I am. Trust me, all pupils overcome their teachers. (aims a rare smile at her, one of the first relaxed expressions he's worn since arriving.) I'm Jonas, by the way. I'll need your name too, if I'm expected to send this to your watch.

(now, onto the matter he's been neglecting. jonas' mind doesn't immediately jump to "royal," but noble would be his closest guesstimate. most certainly wealthy, if commissioning portraits is a common enough occurrence for her. zelda looks conflicted, maybe a little distracted, so he does the only thing he can think of:

gently nudges her right in the side with an elbow.)

Did you have to pose while they painted you guys, or what? It must've been hard to keep still for all that time. I'd scratch my nose like, a billion times.

[lucubrates]

[ The casual way he approaches the subject is nothing short of infectious. It is, admittedly, strange to go from having everyone recognize exactly who you are based on what you're wearing or recognizing you from something else. Jonas coaxed the topic into the conversation like he's poking fun at it and she feels a little less strange. She returns the smile after a moment of recollection. ]

Yes. However... to be truthful, I tried my hardest to be as still as a statue. I enjoyed being good. [ She had not heard much praise as a child, after her mother's passing. Perhaps that encouraged her behavior. ] This is much easier! It's nothing short of incredible, Jonas.

[ But he asked her name, and she realizes belatedly that her excitement over the picture got the best of her. If her ears had the ability to convey mood, they might droop a little with embarrassment. ]

I am Zelda. I do wish to get better at using the Camera function on this device, but I will always... treasure this picture. [ In other words, even if she may get better at it than him (And she doesn't deny it, because she wants to do just that!), this will always be something she considers above matching. ]

[coherer]

For the record? You're still nailing the "being good" thing. (a little laugh, honestly charmed.

he'd sign an affidavit for her parents—and their portrait artist—to review in a millisecond, convinced zelda's the salt of the earth after what amounts to a five-to-ten minute meeting. this chat is taking the edge off of a very crazy day, arriving dizzied and disoriented and afraid.)

I'll hang onto it too, just in case you lose yours, alright? (deflates a little, letting his head tilt to the side. his attempt to level with this strange, strange girl who's just said one of the nicest things he's ever heard.) Listen, thanks for– ah, man... I don't know...

Do you wanna' get outta' here? Take some pics and look around or something?

[lucubrates]

[ Oh, no. That's a delight to hear and it's clear from the way her face lights up with a flush that she is both caught off guard and relieved. In one conversation, the two of them have managed to say the nicest possible thing to the other— it's remarkable what happens when you make friends! ]

Oh, yes! I would greatly enjoy that.

[ She pauses, and part of her wants to ask what he was thanking her for, but... Perhaps it is best left unsaid. She likes him, thinks of him as someone to call a friend already: There will be other chances to talk. ] I have grown fond of traveling with a companion. Perhaps I am no tour guide, but the sights are more interesting that way.

[coherer]

(zelda's pretty well blinding him, both of them caught up in an endless barrage of surprises. the sun would be envious of her if it were high in the sky instead of the moon, jonas is convinced; however, he's gotten all flustered and has to look away, having limited experience with people his age and even less with women.

he's never made a friend this quickly... his head might as well be spinning like a top.)

Amen to that, sister. Getting lost in a new place is, like, half the fun of even winding up in one. (shrugs his shoulders, proud he's said something so profound for how big of a dope he is, holding the door to the courtyard open for zelda—like a gentleman.) ... maybe the watches can track our location. I didn't think to check, but that'd be super convenient.

What'd they say about your– you know. Are you a witch or a monster?

[lucubrates]

[ continued here!]