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

[noholdsbard]

I won’t argue.

[ But he absolutely disagrees with that assessment, though he’s too tired and really, too nice to try and contradict his guest of sorts any further. Let the mirror taunt him as it will; he’s never disagreed with that one. ]

But you need rest. It is not good for you to expend so much energy like this.

[espritdecorpse]

Hahaha! All right.

[ He's sufficiently self-aware that he knows this is a polite way of telling him to stop bouncing around and chattering. He also knows enough of despair to realize that Archer's broken heart won't be healed in one night. Still he resolves to hang onto Archer's mirror; its malign influence is unmistakeable. He will stuff it under the mattress this time, and hopefully it will stay put. ]

Come on, let's get you tucked in!

[ If he doesn't push Archer to go to bed, he has the idea that the man will stay up all night seated in that chair, brooding. ]

[noholdsbard]

[ That mirror’s gonna appear wherever it wants anyway, so he doesn’t even bother trying to get it off Wuxian. At least his own music doesn’t cast enchantments in the same way as Wuxian’s does… ]

If I must. [ How did Wuxian just know he was going to brood all night??? It’s like he can read into the very depths of his soul…!

But anyway, he does obligingly let Wuxian lead him around, because he’s the guest here and apparently knows what he’s doing. ]

[espritdecorpse]

[ He doesn't go so far as undressing Archer, although the thought does cross his mind. The man's armor is off, at least, and that will have to do for now. It's surprisingly easy to coax him to bed and unfurl the covers over him.

What a strange person, he thinks to himself, after closing the bedroom door. To be so strong, and yet so unmanned by his mirror.

What burden must he be carrying? Clearly he'd died before—that wound was surely mortal—yet even his life wasn't enough of a price to pay. Wei Wuxian stands there, thinking, his hand over his chest.

...

A little while later, he too goes to bed. When he closes his eyes, he can see the wolf from the forest, its fangs gleaming. It's terrifying. But a little while longer, and he can hear a harp's plucked strings sounding all around him and he feels safe. The mirror (still in his lapels) plays its somber melodies; but to him, it doesn't sound sad. Somehow the harp merges with the refined sound of a guqin, as he drifts off to sleep. ]