Event Thirteen.

[awashmods]

To love a human face was to discover The cracks of paint and varnish on the brow; Soon to distrust all impulses of flesh That strews its sawdust on the chamber floor, While at the window peer two crones Who once were Juliet and Jessica.

t's a regular morning here in the Town. The sun isn't shining at all, snow is falling like crazy, and...there may be the sounds of shouts coming from the well, thoroughly muffled. Okay, so it's not a regular morning at all, but you'd better go help those people! The newcomers are here again. Of course, once you get to the well, you'll notice that there's actually no real help you can offer -- it's totally frozen over. As for the newcomers, well... hopefully being suddenly dumped into freezing cold water in the middle of November in a dark, damp well is your idea of a good time, because that's your life now! And that's not even taking into account the mirrors in everyone's homes that are about to wake up and start chattering... Welcome to Awash's thirteenth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. Please keep in mind that while this is a general event log, it is also an intro log; be sure to pay plenty of attention to our newcomers! If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[neronian]

[ She tugs at the blanket wrapped around her self, taking care that it doesn't touch the ground (for she is a tiny woman). ]

It's fine, you don't need to thank me for every little thing.

[ But. Well. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't nice. Her expression quite obviously conveys that. ]

I am sure that when it comes to the weight of a heel against your eyewear, it is the latter you should worry about.

[ He doesn't need to worry that much about glasses hurting someone via stepping (probably)...more like the other way around... ]

[fineprinted]

[ oh, the blanket is more than welcomed! tsumugi eases into the soft blanket, taking his glasses back and putting them on. there we go. ]

N-No, they've dried off a while earlier. I think I was scrambling in the cold for hours?

[ why is he saying this so casually ]

But thank you so much! I still don't know my way around this place though, so any help will be appreciated.

[scooptimistic]

[ Maya just-- stares at him for a minute, face unreadable. Is she surprised? Offended? Amused? Who knows!

But just when she's stared long enough for any sensible person to get incredibly uncomfortable, she smiles serenely. ]

It's come up once or twice. If that's the most interesting part about me, though, I've clearly got my work cut out for me!

[ No, Maya. It's weird. ]

mirror vriska. i mean iii.a

[appraiser]

[ Perhaps it's a little selective hearing at work, but Ryoji had missed the actual words coming out of the reflection's mouth, catching only the inflection in its voice- the confidence and amusement, jeering if he knew any better, but he doesn't and as he approaches, all he sees is Vriska sitting there alongside her mirror and barely paying it any mind. ]

You're not going to talk to it?

[ he asks tentatively, knowing the answer would be "It's best not to engage in any of the demons in this town," but his heart still bleeds a little for it. ]

Being ignored can be a bit lonely, after all...

[fineprinted]

[ squiiiints into the blurred text. sure, let's go with that. ]

I think so! It should be a lot safer there than here, which is probably why someone placed a letter on my person.

[ THOUGH WHO GAVE IT TO HIM... ]

Let's get going. Uh, my name is Aoba Tsumugi. I'm very sorry for that first impression I've given you.

iv.a

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji absolutely did not drop that mirror, but he takes it from her hands anyways, turning it around so that the glass side faces him and blinking back at what he originally assumes to be a picture frame and not a mirror, at least until the image moves. He turns it back around to face Astrid, but he does not give it back. ]

Can I really keep this?

[ He gets to keep a picture of a pretty girl?? YEAH, HE'S FINE WITH THIS. ]

[regrede]

[ reim is handsome if she allows herself to entertain the thought… but she doesn’t, not for more than a second, because she’s feeling vulnerable and she is not going to do that to herself. ]

You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.

[ she says, and she rests her head on his shoulder. ]

[neronian]

It's fine, it's fine. You do not need to apologize for your ignorance. Disappointing, yes, but hardly a sin.

[ So he's not a magus. That puts her at ease (magi were fickle things, she holds neither love or hate for them), and at the same time doesn't. A magus would be more qualified as to tell her whether it was a ghost, her ghost, in the mirror. ]

As for how it could be a spirit while I am right here, that is because the ghost in question would simply be...what became of my mortal self. The one that refused to rest.

[ She has little qualms with telling people that she's dead; it's a fact of life (hah) for Heroic Spirits. The entire reason that they are as such is because they died (save for...the exceptions to the rule like certain Casters or Rulers...), ready to be summoned once again to fight on behalf of the living. She is indifferent, her voice calm for the explanation. ]

[espritdecorpse]

[ FORTUNATELY he's mostly immune to shame. Mostly. Mostly. It takes him a second, but he recovers.
He stands, brushes the splinters from his lap, and strides over to her, beaming. ]

Not at all!

[ He recognizes the housing letter at once. Of course, she's looking for her house. ]

Ah, I think one of us might have made an error. I'm supposed to be staying with somebody named... [ he pulls his own letter from his sleeve ] ...named "Nero." That's not you, is it?

[ A grin and a wink. He's teasing; there's no way, right? ]

[allweather]

[never before has a grown man been less certain of what to do with his hands. this doesn't feel like something he should draw overly much attention to, so he doesn't, merely shifting slightly so that the (frankly, vast) difference in their heights is not so uncomfortable.

because this is comfortable, if he's pressed to admit it. man cannot live on selfless acts alone, so this is not entirely that.]

One day, certainly. [...] I suppose you'll be stopping by my new home sooner or later.

[scooptimistic]

...

Isn't that kind of a really jerk thing to do??

[ Please don't say that so calmly. ]

[organfarm]

[ He's highly uncomfortable with this subject, to be honest, but he also gets that just ignoring the problem won't make it go away. So he gives a small sigh, scrunching his face up in thought. ]

Well, mine was saying things like -- 'I'm stupid, I don't know what to do unless I have orders, all I want to do is please people.' Stuff like that. So different from yours. But I guess they're both pretty depressing ... maybe we're supposed to cheer them up?

[ Jion glances at the mirror version of Valvatorez once more, reluctantly curious. His first impression of Valvatorez had been so pompous and confident, it's a little weird seeing that lonely mirror version. ]

[scooptimistic]

A-- seriously? There's an entire school just for idols? Idol-specific curriculum only?

[ WHAT. ]

[organfarm]

[ Hey now, straight out saying it's disappointing is a little rude?! Jion purses his lips at that, but he's not miffed enough to actually say anything about it -- especially when Nero's talking about ghosts and her 'mortal self.' ]

Wait -- wait, wait. You're talking like ... Are you saying you are dead?

[ Jion looks concerned as he says it, his gaze briefly flickering towards Nero's mirror before looking back to her. ]

I mean, I don't think the mirrors are spirits in that way then, because I'm pretty sure I'm not dead and I still have a mirror yelling at me, but [ gesturing with his hands ] that's that and this is this, so. Um, are you okay?

[appraiser]

It kind of is... I wonder who did it?

[ Who has a grudge against him?? ]

1/2

[espritdecorpse]

[ This guy is trying to do the comedy side-step tiptoe out of here, but when this helpful guy finds the mirror he's already tried multiple multiple multiple ways already to get rid of (including making it a little coffin, burying it, and saying rites over it), he twitches, galvanized, as though somebody poked him in the ribs. ]

Uh.... Not mine, sorry.

[ smooth ]

iii

[doublecrowss]

[ Akechi wasn't particularly fond of the idea of going out today given the weather, but he has errands to run, so he has bundled up to the best of his abilities and set foot outside, ready to punch this chilly day in the face!!

Speaking of faces, though, that one is surely familiar, even though he hasn't seen it in several months. Isn't that-- ]

Ah, Mochizuki-kun...?!

2/2

[espritdecorpse]

[ And that's sort of believable because the person in the mirror actually doesn't look all that similar to Mr. CringeyMc Cringeperson. He's looks to be about fifteen and he wails immediately: ]

Nooooooooo, don't give me back to him! He's no fun at all! Come talk to me, it's so lonely in here! What's your name, who are you? Where are you from? What do you like to do for fun? Are you a cultivator? What sect are you from? Have you ever been to Yungmeng? You should come with me, it's fun! Be my friend, okay?

[ And so on, and so forth, just a steady stream of chattering nonsense. ]

[whereabout]

We've been through this song and dance a few times, so we've learned to be prepared.

[ Sometimes Ignis makes everybody french fries. Everyone's gonna be stuck in the jamjar, might as well show them a good time on the way in. ]

- well, the ice is new, though.

[fineprinted]

Well, there are other courses outside the idol ones -- they've also implemented the Producer course just this year too -- but yes! There are other idol schools in my city, but Yumenosaki's been around for a lot longer and a lot of famous idol alumni have graduated from there.

[ so, you know. normal stuff. ]

Is it that strange?

[neronian]

[ B a t h s, and he even has color too!! She wants color!! Although Reim can't see or hear her of course, Nero lets out a confident noise of affirmation, nodding. Forgive her netiquette. ]

Of course, of course! My heart breaks for the citizens here, as they have no place to experience the pleasure of wonderfully warm waves lapping the day's fatigue away! Thermae are simply incredible, and I am quite fond of tepidariums as well.

[ Her Roman is showing. ]

What is it that you need? I am sure I can come up with a few blueprints already.

[ Don't take them!! ]

V-a because who needs successful quests??

[doublecrowss]

[ Excuse?! Akechi is a taken man!! ]

Oh, um--

[ Oh, wait, this... isn't a face he has seen before. Could this guy be a newcomer? That would explain this completely ineffective way of finding a quest partner-- assuming this is what that was about, of course. ]

I'm afraid I'm not a Blue. Is that what you're looking for?

[organfarm]

Oh geez -- [ The mirror suddenly starts talking at fifty miles an hour, and Jion almost drops it; he fumbles it in the air, making a grab for it before managing to catch it. ] -- god, this one talks a lot, huh?

[ He's still holding it at armslength, looking from that youthful mirror version, to the real Wei Wuxian, then back again. They do look kind of similar? But then there's also the age difference, and their demeanors are so different that he finds himself hesitating. ]

Um. [ He has to speak up a little loudly to be heard over the mirror. ] Sorry, is this really not yours?

[ Surely, nobody would lie about this. RIGHT??? ]

[neronian]

[ Nero thankfully closes the door behind her as he strides over confidently, blocking off the cold air that's trying its damndest to writhe its way into the warm home.

It's only when he says her true name out loud that ironically, she freezes up, the thoughts racing in her mind. How does he know? The letter, of course. Does the letter have the rest of her true name too? Nero Claudius. Does he recognize her? Does he know her as the insane tyrant who emptied Rome's coffers? He wouldn't be greeting her so warmly if he did, right? She scans his (pretty) face for any sign of recognition, her expression briefly twisted into a frown...before putting her hands on her hips and staring him in the eye with a neutral expression on her face. ]

That would be me, yes. What is that look on your face for? Were you not expecting someone like me?

Not Yu that's what

[izanyagi]

[Don't worry Akechi, Yu isn't looking for dating, just cuddling under blankets.]

Yes, that's right! I'm still not sure how to know someone's color, that was going to be my next question. But I figured if you needed warmth, I have some blankets I found.

[The way he says it, it doesn't seem like he has any underlying intentions? He just wants to help someone out.]

I'm Yu Narukami. It's nice to meet you.