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

[troubadamsel]

It's worth a try... And it's better than my current idea.

[expulsions]

[He wonders if her current idea is smashing the mirror entirely, but he just flashes her a grin and gestures for her to follow along and bring her mirror.] If we find a lot of heavy cloth to cover it we might be able to get it to stop moving, too.

The mirror, on the other hand, doesn't seem to like that.]

"Dude, your ideas suck. This is why you're not a great leader anymore."

[troubadamsel]

[That was her EXACT idea.

She sighs, trying to ignore his mirror.]

How about some heavy blankets? Sometimes we give them to the horses when the weather is very cold.

[expulsions]

[He's here for team wrecked tbh. He's also ignoring his mirror but he perks up a little.]

Horses? [He's. Been here for month, how had he missed that?] That might work. Maybe I should be letting you lead instead.

[troubadamsel]

I'll take you to the stables, follow me. They'll probably enjoy the company anyway.

[expulsions]

They might even have some ideas if we ask. It can't hurt. [Is he implying he's going to talk to the horses? It's possible. But sure, he'll follow along and his mirror dutifully follows before it chimes in.]

"When I said to take action, that's not what I meant and you know it."

[troubadamsel]

[She chuckles, assuming he's just kidding. At the stables are Maribelle and Tonbikiri's horses, both of them very good horses. Mari's horse lifts its head to see her, making a quiet sound.]

Yes yes, darling, sorry for the bother. You're looking all right, so maybe we can borrow the blankets.

[She affectionately strokes its hair, earning a happy snort.]

[expulsions]

[They enter the stables and those are definitely horses. He lingers back a moment to get a look at both of them and there's a small, fleeting thought of what Blackjack, his pegasus, would think of a place like this. (It's something he doesn't think about long though considering he knows Blackjack would just talk about the lack of donuts.) Eventually he approaches closer, trying to concentrate and see if he can pick up on anything the horses are saying.

It'd be easier if he just explained that, but alas.]

Your horse was waiting for you here when we first showed up? [Much like Mrs. O'Leary then.] How often do you let it out?

[troubadamsel]

[Maribelle's horse lovingly nuzzles into her hand. Not that Maribelle has any idea, but her horse is speaking along the lines of...

'Take what you need, mistress. May I have another treat today? Will this person pet me too?'

In other words, it's pretty spoiled, but nice and well-meaning... just like Mari herself!]

I try to walk mine several times a week, weather permitting. My horse is a war horse, and thus suited for long distance travel and speed.

[expulsions]

[Sounds about right, and perhaps the horse won't have any insight they could use...but he does hold out a hand for the horse to examine anyway. Sure. He'll offer pets until they can bribe blankets off of it.]

Blackjack's like that, too. He's traveled plenty of miles with us and seen a lot. It's kind of why I was hoping maybe the horses here might have picked up on something we haven't yet.

[troubadamsel]

[Yay pets!!! Maribelle's horse nuzzles into him.]

... You think so? You have a special way with animals?

[expulsions]

[What a sweet animal? He's actually fine with this and he suddenly seems to get why people react to Mrs. O'Leary the way they do.]

Sort of? Equine animals and sealife mostly. My best friend Grover's the one who can really communicate with animals.

[troubadamsel]

I see... Well, my steed does seem taken with you. You may not speak with it, but some things can be communicated solely with the heart.

[expulsions]

And telepathy. [He raises an eyebrow.] It wants more treats, by the way. [The horse gets another pat on the nose at least.] If it won't mind us borrowing the blankets we can see how much they'll work against the mirrors?

[troubadamsel]

[...wait-]

Hold on, are you actually able to literally understand my horse?!

[expulsions]

Uh. Yes? [Ahah...] It's kind of one of my abilities thanks to my dad.

[troubadamsel]

That's incredible! Can you understand all animals?

[expulsions]

[There's a brief chuckle.] I'm not a satyr, so no. But I can understand anything that lives in the water and anything like horses, zebras, pegasi...stuff like that.

[troubadamsel]

Fascinating... It's a shame we didn't have you when the sirens attacked, maybe that could have helped in some way. Still, you're here now, and I'm certain those talents will come in use.

[expulsions]

[There's a half-smile. The sirens were...an interesting time. He did what he could to help and his own experiences with sirens in the past made it a little more complicated but he didn't seem to mind.]

We'll see. [The mirror, having followed them, doesn't stay silent for this though.] "Not if he's not using them right."

[There's an annoyed huff, but whatever. Back to the task at hand though.] Think we need a blanket for your mirror, too?

[troubadamsel]

[She glances at her horse, then sighs heavily.]

... Let's just use it for yours.

[As much as she loathes her mirror, she doesn't want to make her horse chilly. She won't say it, but she loves the damned thing.]

[expulsions]

[He follows the path with his eyes and he grins a little.]

I'll try to make this fast. Promise. [He'll go ahead and move to grab a blanket.] Sorry about this. [Is he apologizing to the horse? Yeah. Covering the mirror is a priority here.]

"You can't hide forever, dude."

[troubadamsel]

[The horse snuffs.

"Sure thing. Just more treats later, okay?"

Maribelle then hesitates a moment.]

... May I ask you a silly question?

[expulsions]

[What a good horse? For the sake of not sounding crazy though, he replies via telepathy a promise of more treats as well.

Still, Maribelle actually asks if she can ask him a question and it surprises him. Most people just ask, and maybe that alone is the reason he nods.]

Sure. What is it? [He's also going to start trying to wrap up his mirror to officially shut it up.]

[troubadamsel]

You can understand horses... Can they understand you?

... Could you... tell them something, if I asked?

[She seems very embarrassed to even be asking. Not about him, but for herself, and what she has in mind.]