ioduanlogs | [EVENT] 4th Wall

Entry tags:

[EVENT] 4th Wall - SHADOW WALKERS

Characters: Everyone
Date: July 16-31, 2018
Location: Aifaran and the rest of the archipelago.
Situation: 4th Wall! Temporary Dreamfolk have begun appearing in Aifaran.
Warnings/Rating: None. Though please warn for things in the headers at your own discretion.

Khu Ioduan's first 4th wall event is here - so we'd first like to extend a warm welcome to anyone newcomers to the game. We're excited to have you here and hope you enjoy your time in Khu! For everyone, this is a great opportunity to try out new characters and bounce around ideas - we hope everyone has fun!

And the silence of short days, the silence of the year, the shadow...

ANOMALIES

July had already been a strange month for the inhabitants of Aifaran. The Narrakra returned with more questions than answers about its crew, and the thick fog and and the oppressive heat lingered like an awkward and unwanted houseguest who couldn't take a hint to leave. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, or perhaps it was just the torrid weather getting to people, but some could swear to seeing shadowy figures in the persistent haze.

By the 16th, the sanity of these individuals is no longer in question. The shadowy figures had become abundant for all to see, wandering the city as though in a daze before fading into obscurity.

ARRIVAL

The strange shadows that had appeared throughout the city have manifested… people. Perhaps even people other Dreamfolk recognize. As they step into existence, the obscure phantasms have taken on a sinister countenance. They peer at the world with blank, hollow eyes, and bare a mouth of invisible teeth with malevolent grins. They are otherwise indistinguishable from other shadows save for these alarming features, and they are attached to the newly-arrived Dreamfolk, marking them as somehow...different. Hovering at these visitors' heels, following them around at every step, impossible to banish.

The citizens give them a wide berth, some even crossing the street or outright fleeing in terror to avoid these new arrivals. There have been so many bad omens of late, none are keen to take any chances.

The shadows can't physically affect anything, but boy do they have personality; there's a lot of sinister grinning going on, and they tend to mimed mockery, sometimes going so far as to mimic the emotions of the person they're attached to -- sometimes even those emotions that person might not wish were shown. The extent of this is, of course, within your discretion to play with.

FESTIVAL

The arrival of these especially transient Dreamfolk is usually met with celebration, an impromptu festival that aims to give them a condensed experience of Aifaran in the short time that they're here. The grinning shadow companions that come attached to this particular batch of Dreamfolk has put a slight damper on the usual festivities, but some people are determined to make the best of it.

In order to help make the new Dreamfolk feel more at home, some enterprising individuals have taken it upon themselves to paint the town… greyscale. Instead of the usual riot of color, a small area around the Dreaming Bridge is quickly decorated in greys and blacks. An few enterprising confectioners start selling candied versions of the grinning phantasms; some of them are true to nasty form, but others have been made to look much cuter than the actual shadows attached to people. All, of course, are delicious. In the same fashion, some tailors have conspired to provide plushies in similar form.

It's not all fun and games. A theatrical troupe takes over a shopfront for rent and turns it into a haunted house featuring spooky legends from around the archipelago. The troupe makes a serious effort at being scary, including a convincing representation of the Night Fisher lurking in the building - although if anyone comments on this creature, the staff will only give them confused looks and insist that wasn't one of the attractions.

OOC Notes:

4th Wall visitors are going to be arriving with a maniacally grinning shadow dogging them for their stay in Aifaran. These specters cannot be banished or destroyed, but nor can they interact with anything physically, including the visitor themselves! They make up for it in BIG PERSONALITY though, because they're kind of shitheads.

* * *

Just a quick reminder that anyone is welcome to the 4th Wall event whether they play or have ever played in Khu Ioduan or not, and that both canon and original characters, as well as CRAU and canon OCs are allowed. If you are unsure whether your visiting character falls under these categories, check out our Application FAQ for more detail!

Please note that we do not accept AU characters like genderbends/Rule 63 characters, crack versions (like fandom Abridged series), etc. If you have any questions, please ask us!

The newcomers are Dreamfolk and will ICly be referred to as such by the native residents of Aifaran, but there are a couple of important differences between them and the Dreamfolk who live in the city long-term, namely:

Fourth-wall characters will not have Talent tattoos. In a nutshell: Dreamfolk usually get a magical tattoo with that provides them with a new ability upon arrival. This tattoo is also what keeps Dreamfolk anchored to Aifaran's world, Konryu.

Fourth-wall characters will be able to reply to network posts, but not create their own. This will be explained as a Dreaming glitch -- the consoles and yimos will register their names, but not let them make their own broadcasts, similar to how a real-life forum distinguishes between someone being logged-in and someone being logged-out while still labeling their replies with a nickname. Fourth-wall characters can also reply to character's IC inboxes using this same reasoning. Similarly, due to the way the community’s posting/membership allowances work, fourth-wall characters will not be able to make their own logs but are encouraged to make use of the mod-posted or catch-all posts made by members of the game. (Catch-all posts are essentially those made to cover a great length of time or a particular setting.)

We'd like to remind everyone that this is a "live" 4th wall, meaning that what happens during the event will be completely remembered after the event ends, and any setting impact/changes/decisions that occur because of the 4th wall characters will be upheld.

If you are bringing a character back that you've played during a previous 4th Wall event in our legacy game Tu Shanshu, you are welcome to have them remember that previous time! Or, if you'd prefer to bring them in "fresh", that's fine too. And of course, any characters who were previously played in game (either Tu Shanshu or Khu Ioduan) can retain those memories.

Don’t forget the Setting page is available here as well, for your setting-related needs as the event progresses. Please note that while powers are typically not nerfed in the Khu Ioduan setting, we do limit world-or-game breaking powers as a matter of course. We welcome everyone to try out the game’s setting, but characters who are brought in solely to disrupt or "break" the game will be asked to leave.

For organization purposes, we'd greatly appreciate it if logs and network posts involving 4th wall characters could be tagged with the %4th wall comm tags. Your mods thank you!

CHARACTER SIGNUPS & POSTING

Our 4TH WALL EVENT CHECK IN comment for characters wishing posting access for the duration of the event is open! Remember that you can request new characters to be added even after the beginning of the event, up until July 31st, the last day of the event and the day when the fourth-wall characters will ICly disappear from the city.

After that point, posting access will be maintained for any guest characters up until August 8th, to allow any threads still being played out to finish up. However, we do request that no 4th wall characters tag any posts dated August 1st and onward, as ICly their characters would have left the city by that point.

If you have any questions regarding these rules for the 4th wall, please ask them in the OOC Questions comment below.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A: Arrival]

[This is...not the Heavens, and not Earth either. The idea of worlds outside what's known is a somewhat disturbing one to Bishamon, but as a god, she can't afford to appear cowed by circumstance, or the creature that appears to have attached itself to her. Even in a long white party dress and a fur-collared black coat, the statuesque woman with catlike purple eyes cuts a threatening figure as she marches into the streets of Aifaran, blonde hair trailing just above the ground behind her.

As soon as she spots someone who'll spare her eye contact, she approaches without hesitation.] You. Explain what's going on here.

[Her tone isn't callous, but it is authoritative - it's clear she's largely just impatient with the situation and wants some actual answers rather than being actively hostile.]

--

[B: Festival]

[Once things are explained, Bishamon is...not exactly at ease, but more prepared to take things as they are. If the talk of the town is any sign, they won't be displaced to here long anyway - she has work to take care of at home, but this is also a rare opportunity. It's uncommon that she walks among those from outside the Heavens, since she usually travels to the Near Shore to fight ayakashi anyway. But she does have a certain fondness for humans and their crafts, and the unusual beings of this world do seem to share that ability of humans to cultivate instead of just provide.

As she observes an Igheeri woman's stand of impressive plush dolls with a slight smile, the stallholder's daughter emerges shyly from behind the stand, young and clutching onto a doll of her own. It's not expertly made like her mother's, but it's impressive work nonetheless, and Bishamon appears briefly surprised when the girl explains it's her own contribution.

Then she smiles, the expression surprisingly soft on someone with such an imposing presence.] It's beautiful, child. I'm sure your mother is very proud.

Edited 2018-07-17 05:38 (UTC)

[ Unfortunately for Bishamon, the one she’s cornered doesn’t have answers. The only reason there’s been any eye contact at all is because Ilda’s been staring, absolutely enamored by this stranger’s beauty and grace and... power. The blonde little girl isn’t big on the whole gods thing — despite hailing from a land so entrenched in religion, and actually being on a first-name basis with a certain god of calamity — but she’s ready to believe Bishamon’s a cut above the rest of them poor unfortunate souls.

Oh, and she likes the outfit, too. ]

Are you a goddess?

[It's highly unusual for someone who appears to be a normal human to notice Bishamon so easily, but her brow furrows for only the briefest moment before she inclines her head. Talking to Hiyori has given her a bit more experience in interacting with people that aren't shinki, but it's still an odd thing to have to do considering what her presence on the Near Shore normally entails.]

Bishamonten, of the Seven Lucky Gods. What is this place and how did I come to be here?

[She'll try being more straightforward with her questions to get the kind of answers she's seeking.]

[ Perhaps it's because Ilda's not as normal as she thinks she is (or appears to be). Or maybe it's simply because of her frequent contact with Yato. Either way, she's noticed Bishamon now, and that attention's probably going to last a while. At least up until someone more awe-inspiring arrives.

At the introduction, Ilda's eyes widen slightly. So this is what a real goddess looks and feels like.

So cool. ]

They call this world Konryu, and this city Aifaran. But I prefer to call it Magical Turtle City! [ She's not making fun of you, Bishamon. She's just a chipper little thing, and she can't quite restrain herself, try as she might. ] Someone explained to me this whole situation before, but I really don't remember much, it all seems so complicated. Something about what they call the Dreaming and us being Dreamfolk... sorry, I'm just not a philosopher. I can give you a tour, though!

[ Then, as an afterthought: ] Or if you want to talk to other gods, I know someone!

[It's a good amount of information, and put rather more excitedly than Bishamon is used to, but she's listening attentively to it. The names are completely unfamiliar - so it appears that beyond not being on Earth, she's not on any planet humans or gods are familiar with either - which presents a few more problems, but not ones she expects a mortal to be able to answer to her satisfaction.

She's about to dismiss the offer of a tour in favour of asking for somewhere she might perhaps be able to get more information, but that afterthought of a comment gives her pause.]

Are they a god from this world, or another of these "Dreamfolk"? [A god from this world might be more useful than one from outside of it, but perhaps it might be a name she's familiar with.]

[ Ah, the coincidences that are about to unfold. Ilda’s reply is enthusiastic as ever, but there’s also an undeniable fondness in her tone. ]

He’s from a world called Japan! But he’s really cool, his name is Yato and he grants wishes and helps people! I’m contacting him now so he can come and answer all your questions!

[ In the time she’s said all that, she’s fished out her yimo and sent a barrage of texts to the aforementioned god. ]

Edited 2018-07-20 13:14 (UTC)

[For a brief moment, Bishamon looks surprised - though not hostile, thankfully, since she and Yato passed that enmity a while ago from her point of view. Yato is hardly an ideal conversational partner for this sort of thing, but...well, he'll likely be more of a help than gods from places and pantheons she's completely unfamiliar with.]

I see. Hopefully he's learnt a little more tact since our last opportunity to speak, but some things never change...

[She sounds faintly exasperated, but is open enough to waiting for him to arrive. They are allies, at least, even if he likes to make himself frustrating to deal with.]

[ Ilda nods distractedly as Bishamon speaks, as most of her attention is on her exchange with Yato over the yimo. Her device beeps in quick succession, and while there’s a fair amount of notifications related to the Valdis’ Xa Xa fan account, some of the notifs are for Yato’s texts.

She looks up at the goddess for a moment. ] Oh, you know him? That’s great! I think he knows—

[ She very suddenly stops, her eyes wide in surprise and... fear. She’s not sure why — text messages are hardly expressive, and they haven’t been using emojis — but the change in Yato’s “tone” and his last text fills her with dread.

She takes a step back. ] I-I’m sorry. [ She’s inexplicably tense now, looking like she’s right about to bolt. ] I... I-I have to go.

[Bishamon looks slightly concerned at the sudden change in demeanour - the fact that it might be due to Yato's contact doesn't initially occur to her, considering where she's coming from. Still, in her position she can't allow it to faze her for long, and she shakes her head as if to try and brush it off.]

There's not something wrong, is there? [She's tried to get into the habit of asking her shinki about that, so asking a human about it is only natural. The sudden change between a moment ago and now is a little too obvious for Bishamon to let it pass by unremarked on, and there's only one likely instigator that she now comes around to.] I know Yato has a lower opinion of me than most, but surely he's willing to meet with me at this point.

N-No, nothing’s wrong! [ Ilda says that a little too hastily, and she resists wincing, because then she’ll be admitting that it’s a lie. She puts on a smile instead — kind of like how Bishamon’s shinki would pretend that everything’s alright. ] Something just came up, and I really have to look into it. I’m sorry.

[ She feels bad at the thought of just leaving Bishamon there, though, especially when she’s just arrived and still trying to figure things out. The goddess’ comment about Yato also gives her pause, so despite his orders to get away, Ilda actually lingers a while longer. ]

Well, I... I’ve told him you’re here, and he can actually appear wherever and whenever he wants, so he should come see you sooner or later... [ She’s taken a moment to text him back, asking why he’s telling her to run... but as soon as she sends the message, the strange feeling returns. She finds herself starting to step back again. ] Um... the Sentry should be able to help you, too. You can ask for someone named Valdis. I’m really sorry!

[ She finally turns and makes a run for it, Yato’s message repeating over and over in her mind like a steadily beating drum. ILDA GET AWAY FROM HER NOW. ]

[That's a false enough smile that Bishamon can't help but question it internally - it's all too familiar from her experiences back home. However, the woman has at least given her some information to be getting on with, so while she does look a little concerned at her hurried flight, she doesn't attempt to pursue. She's not one of her shinki, and she has no personal connection to this woman, so while she may worry, it doesn't feel urgent enough to intercede.]

How strange... [She can't hang around here too long, though, if she wants her questions answered. Ultimately, she ends up heading in the same direction Ilda fled a few minutes later, purely out of coincidence and the assumption that she was probably headed back towards further civilisation, and thus people who might give her some proper answers.]

[The woman with the long blond hair catches Valdis' eye as a figure of power. The woman moves with authority and skill, enough to easily rival her own, making her an instant curiosity.

Valdis pauses to let the woman approach, resting her hand casually on the hilt of the divine blade she always carries with her.]

I'm afraid you must be more specific, my lady.

[The shift of someone reaching for a weapon is impossible to mistake for someone of Bishamon's experience, but as a god, she doesn't allow it to trouble her visibly. She stops a comfortable distance away, easy to talk across but not close enough to impress upon personal space - or be within easy reach of a blade.]

I was in my own world a moment ago, and this doesn't seem to be anywhere on Earth. Not to mention this disgraceful thing. [She taps a heel on the toothily grinning shadow stretching out on the ground behind her.]

[The shadow's disturbing grin doesn't phase her, and Valdis meets the woman's gaze with calm indifferent.]

We are not on your world. As such, shouldn't it stand to reason that things would be different?

[Bishamon returns an equally level, somewhat unimpressed look. This woman doesn't appear stupid, so the main other possibility is that she's being intentionally unhelpful for her own reasons.]

So shall I take it that you have no idea of how yourself or I ended up here and move on to someone else, then?

[This one may not have run away, but Bishamon highly doubts she's the only person in this world who wouldn't. There's no great need for her to waste her time on one particular person.]

Oh, see, that I can answer.

[Being specific is far more helpful when it comes to being able to answer questions and Valdis offers a smile. She knows she's being difficult, but it's more entertaining.]

There's a magic tied to the Dreaming that calls people here from their worlds. How the magic works is unknown, but it can no longer be controlled. I wouldn't worry too much though, unless you've suddenly gained a tattoo, I'd suspect you'll be on your own world in a week or two.

[All it's really doing is mildly inconveniencing Bishamon, considering the lack of reaction beyond merely the unimpressed looks. But it appears this woman isn't completely unwilling to explain, so Bishamon listens while the opportunity is there.

It's an unusual explanation, but it sounds as if it's typical for this world.]

I see. I don't think I've seen anything of the sort, so hopefully I'll return before too long. [She taps her foot against the moving shadow again, which grins toothily and makes a much angrier stomping motion with its foot.] I presume these things aren't a normal part of arriving here, since you don't have one yourself.

[The commanding woman seems reasonable enough, and Valdis senses power behind her, which means amiability may be her best path.]

From what I've heard, those summoned here usually receive a tattoo that denotes where their talent will come from, not malicious looking shadows. I do not believe they are harmful, merely an annoyance. Though they do seem to be causing concern among the natives.

[So, no tattoo that she can see - though she'll have to check herself over more thoroughly when she gets the chance - but tied to one of these strange shadows. Bishamon can't help but figure she isn't the only one this particular scenario is an unusual circumstance for.]

I've noticed. They keep running away before I can get near them, which makes it difficult to ask. Though if they are the natives and this is a known phenomenon in this world, they may have seen it before and have reason to fear it.

[Humans and other living things can be surprisingly resilient to the monstrous and terrifying. She can't imagine they'd be fleeing so indiscriminately if there wasn't something more to the presence of the shadows.]

Cue one flying tackle leap, because there's absolutely no other way for Kofuku to greet anyone, ever. "Bisha! You're here too!"

Thankfully for everyone involved, Bishamon manages to identify the flying pink object in time to not duck. She does look rather more surprised than usual at Kofuku's shenanigans, though.

"Lady Kofuku. I didn't realise you'd been pulled here as well," she remarks, while...basically waiting for Kofuku to let go of her. She has to eventually.

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[EVENT] 4th Wall - SHADOW WALKERS

Bishamonten | Noragami

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GUESS WHO

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