awashlogs | Event Thirteen.

Entry tags:

Event Thirteen.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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??? ]

[ Which one of them is the "real" Wei Wuxian is debatable (this canon!!!), but before the non-mirror one can reply, the mirror version shouts: ]

PAY ATTENTION TO ME!!!

[ Was he that annoying? Was he truly that annoying as a teenager? He's surprised Lan Wangli didn't strangle him with his guqin strings a long time ago. Even Jiang Cheng's forbearance must have been...

...and that's a sad train of thought so he doesn't go down it. ]

Let me just take that off your hands.

[ He reaches for the mirror. ]

[ The shout earns a hard cringe, and Jion cranes his head as far away from the mirror as possible. Jeez, and he thought his own mirror was kind of a pain to deal with.

He’s all too happy to hand the mirror over when Wei Wuxian decides to take it, though he’s careful not to break it. With how weird this town tends to be, he gets the sense that it might not be good to break it. ]

So it is yours, huh? I guess I can kinda see why you were trying to stay away from it. [ He holds up his bundled sweater, the handle of his own mirror just barely poking out from the folds of thick knit. ] Did you try covering it up? It kinda quieted down for me that way, and if you carry it around it won’t, uh, keep showing up!

[ He doesn't answer, but by way of demonstration, sticks his mirror deep into his lapels. Immediately the mirror starts protesting, loudly: ]

AAAAAAAA! I can't see in here! I can't breathe! Stuffed up against a man's chest, ooooooh! I don't like men, not like that! You smell! Take me out! I don't want to be in here anymore! It's dark, it's lonely, take me out and talk to me, don't leave me here like this! Go ahead and break me if that's what you want! Just do it!

... oh. [ Jion wilts a little, looking embarrassed. And here, he'd been so excited thinking he could present some helpful information. ] I guess that might not work for everyone, then.

[ He paws through the bundle in his arms, sneaking a very brief glance at his mirror before wrapping it up tight once more. ] I guess these mirrors are really different for everyone, huh. I mean, I haven't seen a bunch of them, but the ones I did see seemed kinda depressing. At least yours looks like it's in a good mood ... ?

[ Maybe they can look on the bright side of things? ]

[ His eyes flick from the man to the bundle, to the man, and back to the bundle again. ]

Is that so?

[ He darts forward and reaches for the tight bundle, attempting to get at the mirror wrapped within. A sudden impulse spurred him to look, and somebody here isn't at all good at impulse control. Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian's mirror is happily prattling: ]

That's right, that's me! I'm always in a good mood! I'm always happy! Why wouldn't I be happy, being ME!!!

[ Jion's trying to think of anything else useful he might be able to say, and he's completely unguarded -- so Wei Wuxian manages to snatch the bundle from him pretty easily. Jion gives a startled shout when he realizes what's going on and tries to make a grab for it, but speed isn't exactly his forte. ]

Wh -- hey! [ Rude?! ] You can't just do that! And that's kinda dangerous, it might be bad if you dropped it or something ...

[ He's actually quite nervous about the mirror breaking, which makes it hard for him to try and grab it back, leaving him just fretting nervously at the moment. ]

I won't drop it, I promise! I'm just curious about other mirrors. It might be a clue to what they are or what they're for.

[ He gets the bundle open, retrieves the mirror, and tosses the messy bundle back to the other man. ]

It's important to look past the immediate problem these mirrors pose, and attempt to figure out their purpose.

[ He twirls the mirror handle in his hands and finally gazes into it. ]

[ He stumbles forward to catch his sweater when it's tossed his way, looking uneasy at everything Wei Wuxian's saying. ]

But ...

[ Aaaand then the mirror does its thing.

It's a marginally younger version of Jion reflected in the surface, imploring, 'Would you tell me what to do?' He looks desperate and forlorn. 'Please, I just want to help. I want to be useful to you so you'll remember me. But I'm an idiot, I'm useless unless you tell me what to do, please give me orders ...'

The real Jion has his face buried in that sweater, giving a prolonged groan of embarrassment. ]

[ He stares at the mirror intently, touching the glass with his fingers, and even examining the carvings around it. He seems really quite engrossed. ]

This one seems similar to the others I've been able to — huh?

[ He's looking up, past the mirror, at Jion, his mouth open in evident astonishment. ]

Say, what's the matter?

... n-nothing.

[ He raises his head from the sweater just a touch, though his face is still red all the way up to his ears, and he can't quite meet Wei Wuxian's gaze. ]

It's just. Y'know. [ Mortifying. ] I don't really like that mirror. S'why I've been trying to ignore it ever since it showed up.

Whyyyyy? There's nothing wrong with it!

[ He holds it up, turning it over. ]

Nice wood, good weight, lovely carvings, smooth glass...

[ He winks—and then abruptly drops his lilting, jokey voice. ]

Really, I don't see anything to be embarrassed about. Don't all kind people want to helpful? Doesn't everyone want to know what they ought to be doing? Doesn't everyone want to be remembered?

[ On that last word, does his expression flicker just for an instant? Nah! ]

[ He actually starts dropping his guard, wondering if maybe something is 'wrong' with his mirror? Does this guy not hear or see the reflection? Is that a good thing? Or bad thing? Or -- ]

Aaah! You don't need to say it all again!

[ Jion promptly looks flustered, holding out one hand like he can physically stop himself from hearing those words, the other still holding the sweater close as his voice drops to a mumble. ]

I mean, it's not like you're wrong, but I'm not ... [ 'Wanting to be useful is all I know. It's all I can do until I die,' the mirror says morosely, and Jion groans. ] I'm not that desperate? Or gloomy? I think? I don't know ... Can I have it back now?

Sure!

[ He chuckles, handing the mirror back into the boy's outstretched hand. He steals a head ruffle too, for good measure. This is a good kid. ]

You think nobody ever gets desperate or gloomy? You think it's only you? Ah, by the way, since we're talking about you — what's your name?

I mean, it's not like it's a bad thing to be desperate or gloomy, but I don't think I'm like that, and I shouldn't be like that ...

[ He hurries to cover the mirror back up as soon as he has it, muffling that pathetic version of his voice against the thick fabric of his sweater, looking up awkwardly when he feels the ruffle against his hair. ]

... I'm Jion. [ He's clearly still a little guarded after having his mirror shown off like that, but not enough to withhold his name. That'd be rude, after all. ]

[ He.........kinda looks desperate and gloomy saying all that. People really do resemble their mirrors, he thinks to himself, with some measure of chagrin. ]

Fine! You're not like that! Young master Jion, I've been looking desperately... er, I mean I've been looking all over for a wine shop, but everyone tells me there isn't one. I refuse to be so easily discouraged, however! Surely you must have heard of somewhere like that around here?

Wine shop? [ Having something else to talk and think about as a distraction, and Jion cants his head, frowning slightly. ] Well ... I think everyone else is right, there aren't any real shops here. Maybe you can find some wine in the old houses? But if it's colorless it'd probably taste gross, and I don't know if I've ever seen any.

[ He hums in thought for a moment, glancing towards the streets, before looking back to Wei Wuxian. ]

And, um. You can just call me Jion? I'm not really a master of anything ... What's your name?

Wei Wuxian.

[ He folds his arms and tilts his head and fixes Jion with an imperious look. ]

Young man, are you suggesting I resort to robbery? What do you take me for?

[ He's kidding, of course, but Jion is so earnest, he can't resist teasing him a little. ]

It's not robbery!

[ Jion, of course, falls for it hook, line and sinker, looking a little flustered. ]

I mean ... maybe it is, technically? People must've lived here before, so, yeah, but they're not here now, and it's not like we're taking anything for profit, so. [ Now he feels a little guilty, but he tries not to fret about it too hard. ] But I guess if it really bothers you, you could try to make some? We do have fruit in the communal garden, so if you know how to make liquor ... ?

I don't know.

[ Even on Burial Mound, there were others to do that for him. ]

But...how hard can it be? Fruit's a good start, I've had fruit wine before.

[ See "Burial Mound" above. It wasn't good, but it didn't matter, back then. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event Thirteen.

no subject

1/2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject