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]

i; well (well well, what have we here)

[ It's cold and damp and utterly, utterly miserable conditions, physically. Hardly anything befitting an emperor, especially one as perfect as herself. ]

Have I truly been summoned in such awful conditions? This is a disgrace! An outrage!

[ She looks up, and then puffs her chest in and out in a huff. It's not the actual act of getting out of the well she's concerned about. Nero is a Servant, after all. She could be thrown into the well and tossed through it and still be all right. Jumping those heights, wall to wall, is nothing to her.

...She's just a loud complainer. ]

ii; mirror mirror

[ Nero is not particularly fazed by her reflection showing some of her more unpleasant tantrums, yelling at those around her for inane reasons such as criticizing her art, or demanding more and more of the senate that she held no love for, or locking in a mass of people so that they're forced to hear her (awful) performances in her gilded theater. Such is the life she lived as emperor.

But as for her death, that's also reflected in the mirror that keeps following her around. The reflection's voice is raspy, desperate, in a bloody mental haze, and the figure itself is faded, save for the tattered remains of barely-visible red clothing covering its top and bottom. ]

...Oh...I can hear it...The call from the capital...

What a fool you are! Have you grossly misunderstood your cue? The curtain has fallen. Do not refuse it! The ending cannot be changed.

[ And her ending...was a poetic one. She is fond of it, of the lone soldier who showed such fidelity in her last moments, of the deus ex machina of a human touch. The thing in the mirror only sullies it, in her opinion.

Nero approaches the closest person, with a relatively subdued expression on her face, and mirror in hand. She does not want to break it out of denial or anger at her true self being shown; she has long accepted her death. But the concern that breaking it might lead to that ghost being unleashed on the populace is what she cares more about. ]

Do you know if breaking this [ She lifts it up, gesturing lightly. ] will free the spirit inside?

iii; network

Is there a bathhouse here???

[ It sounds like it'd sure hit the spot in this weather. Yes, this is what she's concerned about. ]

wildcard;

[ Got another idea in mind? I'm game for anything. Or if you don't have anything in mind, comment here and I'll try to write something up. I can be contacted at chlorophylls for anything! ]

ii

[organfarm]

[ It's been about a day since these mirrors showed up, and he ... doesn't really like them. Without any real way of dealing with them, he's resorted to just ignoring his mirror as much as possible, trying to stay busy and keep his thoughts away from that depressing reflection.

So when he's passing by and a young girl (?) stops him to hold out her own mirror, he can't help wincing slightly. He catches a glimpse of bloodied clothes and quickly averts his gaze. ]

Uhhhhh. [ That's basically a 'no.' ] To be honest, I dunno if it's even a spirit inside it. I mean, it might be! But I'm not sure, sorry.

[neronian]

Hm...

[ Depressing is one way to put it. Instead of being depressed about this situation or pointedly ignoring it however, Nero is angry at it. Angry at the spirit(?) inside. It is not anger born out of denial, but of indignation, as she thinks she already dealt with this exact "ghost"! Unlocked a new skill after dealing with it, even! ]

What else could it be besides a spirit, then?

[ She recognizes it very well, so it's either that exact ghost, or a...very good fake...? Maybe everyone else has reflections of themselves, and dead people like her get their ghosts??? That's her line of thinking for now. ]

[organfarm]

[ Jion, having no idea that she's dead, of course, is incredibly confused by Nero's 'obvious' conclusion. And it shows in the way he gives a slight cant of the head, wearing a puzzled frown. ]

I mean -- this place has magic and stuff. I don't really know anything about magic, so I don't know for sure, but ...

[ A brief pause as he tries to puzzle it out in his head. ]

Sorry, I don't know much about spirits, either, but. How could it be a spirit if you're, uh, here? Like, you're talking about spirits as in ghosts, right?

wildcard because i'm special

[espritdecorpse]

[ Whenever Nero finds her house, she'll find it's already occupied. Seated by the hearth is a person clad in a black and red Hanfu robe. His hair is waist-length, and some of it is swept into a topknot secured with a red string. He's whittling a piece of wood and is making a godawful mess, with little splinters scattering everywhere. Still, there's a fire burning merrily in the hearth, which lights up the room in a bright glow. Too bad the firelight is white and cold, even though it does warm the room up, temperature-wise.

Nearby, on a modest little table is a mirror, placed face down. It's continuously chattering: ]

Hey! Hey, pick me up! Pick me up and let's talk! Oooooooh, it's so boring in here all alone. It's so boring, I think I might die. Oh! Oh! Oh! Come on, pick me up. You know it'll be fun. Pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, pick me up, PICK ME UP! I'm funny, I'm smart, I'm the best! You know you want to, come on! It'll be fun, it'll be great—

SHUT UP!

[ A knife tumbles across the room, embedding its tip in the table, next to the mirror. And THAT is when the whittler notices there's someone standing in the doorway.

...

...

His hand is still outstretched from the knife-throwing. Yeah, he's going to pull it back and, uh, wave at her with it. ]

Um, hello. Looking for shelter?

the specialest

[neronian]

[ Nero steps into the house, from the doorway, metallic heels muffled by the floor. That's a chatty mirror, alright. She gazes at the mirror, the knife, and then to the man of the hour himself. Knife. Mirror. Man. And so on.

After a few moments, Nero pulls out the letter she received, notifying her of her housing arrangements, and tilts her head. ]

Not quite. Have I arrived at an inopportune time?

[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? ]

iii.

[messianic]

( Color! )

Nope, not yet. But there was definitely some talking about setting one up recently, so maybe eventually...? Sorry, I'm sure it'd be a lot more useful right now.

[neronian]

[ What!! He has text color! And she doesn't! Nero doesn't know why this is, but she wants it. Color, that is. Not his, specifically. Although she's disappointed to hear of the lack of bathhouse, she nevertheless brightens up at the news. ]

So there are plans? Better than nothing, of course.

There is no need to apologize for being the messenger! Unless you are more than that. The one who is responsible for the lack of such structures here.

[ ...Is he??? ]

Are you a magistrate of this town?

iii

[troubadamsel]

Actually, we recently started plans to create one, so kudos on your timing, I suppose.

[neronian]

[ Though Maribelle can't hear her out loud of course, she lets out a satisfied "umu", nodding her head. Of course her timing is impeccable. Nero Claudius must be here for a reason. ]

Truly? Then I will be more than glad to assist! Why, I weep at the thought of the citizens here unable to enjoy the gentle warm waves caressing the body, cleansing flesh and soul. There are few things in life that are better.

[ Also it's just not hygienic if the people don't get their clean on. ]

ii

[theshowsover]

[Akira looks up from whatever he's doing, glancing at the mirror. He can't help his curiosity about these things, even if he finds his own a bit annoying; it's nearby, though he doesn't touch it, preferring to let it get around by its own accord.]

Not sure. But you're probably better off leaving it alone.

[He just has a bad feeling something bad will happen...]

[neronian]

[ Something something breaking mirrors is bad. She knows that much, and she's getting a bad feeling about touching it too, but... ]

...I can't simply leave it alone. Though I have only very recently been summoned, I have no intention of letting this ghost fester and disturb the citizens of this town.

[ For you see, she has already done this (or thinks she has). Driven her blade into it, and said her goodbyes to the girl who never went back to being "her". And that is why she can't simply leave it to haunt her, because she fears it will lead to a repeat of a ghost haunting the town and disturbing the citizenry.

Underneath the blanket she has draped over herself like a cape, Nero points to the mirror again. The figure is still faded, almost transparent, and it quietly yet desperately wails yet again, "...I have to...love...", dagger in one hand. She shakes her head, her hair curl swaying with the movement. ]

To see it return after I have already laid it to rest and bid my farewell is an insult! A slap to the face!

iii

[allweather]

(it's #CC3300 here to zero in on Baths)

Not yet. Would you like to volunteer to help get one set up?

[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!! ]

i!

[noholdsbard]

[ Of course he’d rush over the moment he’d heard that there were people stuck under the well this time around. And in this freezing cold? He’d better get to them fast.

But…that voice…

He peers over the frozen lip of the well, actually cracking his eyes open just so he can be absolutely sure. And, in a voice of absolute trepidation, he calls out: ]

Is that you, Saber?

[neronian]

[ All he has to do to confirm that Nero is Nero is to hear the tell-tale "umu" of confirmation. She looks up at the voice, surely a little shaky from the cold and not her presence, right??? It already knows that she's a Saber, so it must be a Servant or Master. And it's not the last remaining human Master, because that doesn't match their voice. So it must be a Servant, especially since she can sense his presence. But which one??? ]

Yes, it is! The most elegant and best of the Servant classes! Is that...

[ ...Give her a moment to put a face to the voice. There are a lot of male Servants, okay. One moment. Two moments. Three moments. Four. Five. (The ice isn't helping with the voice quality, but thank god for enhanced Servant senses.) ]

...Archer?!

ii

[queenofminiskirts]

...I'm not sure there's even anything inside. It's probably just another way this place is trying to screw with us.

[Kaoru looks at the mirror thoughtfully. Her outfit doesn't look practical in the weather but she doesn't look cold at all.]

You're better off not breaking it. It's probably a test.

[neronian]

[ Ah!! Such a cute outfit. Yes, that's what Nero cares about more. She might have some sort of ability to heat herself in this cold, which would be extremely handy right now. Maybe she's a being similar to a Servant?

When Kaoru peers into the mirror, the figure is quite see-through, an obvious ghost, and of course resembles Nero herself, with blond hair and green eyes, save for the bloody dagger in her hand and the tears running down her face. It wails, but its cries are too quiet to be heard properly. ]

A test? Of what?

[ Pa..tience? Because she sure feels like it's being tested right now. Nevertheless, the resemblance between the mirror reflection and her own ghost, which she has dealt with in the flesh (hah), is uncanny, and the one thing that makes her think she can't discount it entirely. ]

II

[inheritance]

[Though Izuku had perked up with his usual, warm smile when he noticed her approaching, the smile falters when she drags his attention to her mirror. Quickly, he averts his gaze to avoid looking into it, keeping his eyes on her instead.]

I don't think it's a spirit--it's most likely an illusion or some kind of magic in the mirror. Um. [He pauses.] It's probably better if you leave it alone.

[neronian]

[ Nero is angry yes, but it is a simmering, bitter anger as opposed to the fiery passion she'd display in her worse moments. She is not angry at the mirror speaking truths, far from it; she is all too aware of that particularly bad aspect of her, the lingering end of her mortal self who refused to leave Rome alone, and she accepts it.

But hasn't she already sent her own ghost to rest? Hasn't it suffered enough? When Izuku speaks, she listens. ]

How do you know for certain it is not a spirit? The resemblance is utterly uncanny.

i

[provostsdog]

Ain't none of us are havin' much fun [It's cold and dark, and Beka is trying to wrestle a wet and miserable scent hound onto her shoulders to climb the well. To say she doesn't have much patience for someone else's complaining is an understatement]

[neronian]

[ A hound? That's what catches her attention more than the woman addressing her (although to be fair, it's dark and damp and that makes dog smells stand out more). ]

True, true. It is not only a dreadful way to summon me, but all of those here!

[ It's just to her, it's more of a disgrace that she in particular is involved because she's got quite an ego. She crosses her arms and pulls her lips into a pout for a moment. Well, that's enough bitching for now. She can do that properly once they're all out of here. ]

Do you need assistance?

ii

[expulsions]

Not sure. [This is maybe not the best question to ask someone like Percy who has been very tempted to break his own mirror. Said-mirror is following after him and the reflection shows him battered and bruised and angry. He's apparently been arguing with his own mirror and he's pretty ready to throw in the towel on it.]

You think it's a spirit if they look like us?

[neronian]

[ Her gaze slides over to the mirror for but a moment; even if it weren't for the strange urge cropping up, she's curious by nature and usually indulges in such. But the sight she sees is a sorry one, and most likely one that the young man doesn't want anyone to view without his permission. ]

The one in my mirror resembles my own, so it is not a far-fetched conclusion to make. Is it?

[ She's already dealt with her own ghost, so naturally, the first thing she thinks of when seeing glimpses of her acting like she did in her mortal life (with all the shortcomings, all the outbursts and tantrums) and a wailing spirit she said farewell to long ago, is to assume that that it is a ghost. But the fact that there are living people who also have mirrors says otherwise. Hm. ]