ǣfenglōm (main comm)

Name: Momo
Date: Jan 10th
Format: Video (with a text element at the end)

[It's been a few months since Momo made a video post, but he starts off as brightly as ever, waving a red-nailed hand from where he's sitting on the couch in his cottage. He has his legs crossed on the seat, so his equally red toenails are all just as visible.]

Hey, so it's taken me a while to follow up on this, but a couple of months back I was asking around about the idea of getting together some kind of comprehensive resource on monster changes! Since I've met a lot of people who've been really blindsided by stuff, and while some of it hasn't been so bad, some of it is definitely the kind of thing that'd be super nasty to go through without any warning. So I'm asking for any monsters - or Witches who've seen a Bonded or close friend go through the changing process enough to have details - who are willing to answer a couple of questions on what kind of changes you have or know about!

[He holds up a written sheet - this particular one is written in Aefenglom's common language, in the standard alphabet rather than the runic one some books use.]

I'll leave a text copy of the answers on here so people can respond here, but I'll read them out too just in case there's people who can't read any of the three languages I know - I'll have the form in Aefenglom common, Japanese and English, but if you'd rather not read or write you can just answer here in voice or video and I can ask you the questions that way! But the questions I've got at the moment are:

What monster type are you?

What physical changes have you gone through?

What abilities or powers have you gotten from your change?

Have you had any mental or emotional changes as this type of monster?

Are there any weaknesses or allergies your monster type has?

Is there anything else about your monster type or the changing process that you think would be useful for someone changing into it to know?

I don't need paragraphs or anything, if you prefer to just dot point or list the basic stuff then that'll be helpful too! I had some people last time say they'd be interested in helping me compile the information, but it's still probably going to take a bit of time. Oh, and if you want a physical copy, you can either pick one up from me or I'll be figuring out a couple of places to leave them for easy access. And if you're a Witch answering on behalf of someone else, just let me know that in the first question.

Anyway, thanks in advance! [He makes a heart shape with both his hands.] If you have any questions or want to help out in another way or anything like that, feel free to ask. I might need some people to help me ask local monsters for types we don't have a lot of among the Mirrorbound, like arachne.

[[As Momo mentioned, there is a text form in three language options that can be filled out posted immediately after the initial video post, containing the listed questions plus a bonus one: "If you have completed your changes, how long did they take?"

If your character would prefer to answer the questions verbally, you are also welcome to handwave this if you prefer and simply post the answers they would have given in response to the form comment! Just note that they would have answered in audio/video form so I know if Momo would recognise their voice/face later.

If characters would prefer a physical copy to more easily ask someone to hit with a translation spell or otherwise, the initial locations given will be Momo's cottage and just inside the Looking-Glass House where they usually hold orientations.]]

Name: Momo
Date: September 2nd
Format: Video

[It's somewhere around mid-morning on full moon day when this post goes up, Momo doing his best to look somewhat professional-ish while obviously sitting himself half up in bed with his head resting on one curled hand. He looks extremely awake and restless like he's been wanting to get up for a while, but the suspiciously tentacle-looking charcoal grey thing barely in frame wrapped around his waist is probably a giveaway as to why he's having to make the post from this position.]

I've been thinking about this for a little while, but with everyone sharing information on here about stuff that's happened before some people arrived or what Monster changes to expect and so on, has anyone tried to get that kind of "relevant to everyone" information into one place? I was originally thinking about the collective dreams we kept having, since those seem to be important but it's kinda hard to get details on the ones that happened before you arrived unless you know who to ask. But I've also talked to certain Monsters who seem to have had real trouble researching their Monster type, and having a proper resource with changes or abilities that don't come up in books as often seems like it could be really useful for people going through that.

[As he talks, another tentacle creeps into frame and tries to poke at his face. Without even faltering in his speech, he pushes it right back out of frame with one red-nailed finger. And then flicks another one that barely even makes it past the edge of the frame before recoiling at the reprimand.]

So I'm wondering what people think about trying to put together more information in one collected place like that! I think it could really help some people out, but it'd take a lot of work to put together, so it'd be good to know whether there's interest in both having it and helping out with it. Especially with Monster details some people might not know until they meet someone who's gone through that change already, since that's probably a little easier to gather...like, if you're a Monster, what was the thing that surprised you most about your change? Or was there anything you couldn't find out about before it happened? That question goes for Witches living with Monsters if you got blindsided by something too!

[There's a sound of movement and a grumble that sounds something along the lines of "sleep", as a human arm with blue nails drapes itself over Momo's side. Momo turns his head with an all too sunny smile.]

Ah, darling, are you awake enough to let me out of bed now?

[Silence. Momo turns back to the Watch screen with a worryingly innocent grin that reveals his long canines.]

Well, I guess I'm answering from here...and you know, it's so much easier to have a conversation like this over video or audio call! Just make sure you speak up nice and loud, I think being stuck in bed this long has done something to my ears.

[He says that in a very deliberate, faux worried tone, winking as he mimes clearing his ear with a pinky. Sure, it's an actual serious inquiry, but might as well make a petty attempt at gaining freedom by making sleep impossible.]

Name: Momo
Date: July 19th
Format: Video

[Rather than a person, this video opens on an image from the Underground - heavily infected veins through the earth where the Red Death algae seems to begin, and the signs of a less virulent pink moss beyond if one looks closely enough at the image.]

So I know everyone down here is gonna be pretty busy trying to figure out how to deal with this Red Death problem, but it looks like these infected veins are a big part of it and I want to try to deal with them. If we can purge them kinda like that leyline through the forest a few months ago, I think it'd help, but I'll need a lot more Witches than just me and we'll also need Monsters to back us up while we work. Don't worry if you're new, I did this in my first month here, just let me know and I can show you how to do it. It's pretty much about pushing clean magic in to force the infection out, so even someone who's recently gotten in touch with their magic can throw in with us and it'll make a bigger difference the more people we can get together!

[Momo finally turns the camera on himself, looking pretty serious for him but also with...some kind of weird semi-transparent pink bubble shield over his mouth and nose. The joys of trying to bash together a consistent anti-spore shielding spell through trial and error.] I'm sending a message to the Matriarch too and I hope we can get some locals, but anyone who can help, whether you need a bit of guidance on it or not, is totally welcome! This is gonna be a big job, but I think it'd really help to strike at the source of the problem, even if you can only be here for a little while. Every bit would count. If you've got any questions before you come, I can answer them here, otherwise we can organise things when you get down here! I'll be in the circled tunnel.

[Attached to the post is a hand-drawn, seemingly recent "map" with the problem tunnels marked in red, all smaller ones, plus one in a fairly central position circled. It's essentially more of a marker of where the tunnel entrances are relative to other tunnels and what edge of the city they're on, but it's at least enough to position oneself.]

[[Feel free to go pretty wild with this if your character would help - you're welcome to run with it in your own TLs without responding here, though Momo's event TL has a prompt if your character would need in-person help. Other experienced characters are welcome to help show the method to newcomers as well, Momo just wants enough people to be able to do a decent attempt at a purge! You can also let me know OOC if your character would be involved so I have an idea of what kind of numbers he'd end up with, via Plurk/PM/game Discord depending on your pref. The main thing to know is that this is targeted particularly around where the Red Death begins in the tunnels since purging entire tunnels wouldn't be possible in this amount of time.]]

Name: Momo
Date: July 6, the day after eclipse shenanigans
Format: Video

[It's been a little while since Momo's had to network post about anything, but the video opens on him leaning against what appears to be the back door of a cottage, with a wide grin that reveals his sharp canines.]

Hey everyone, I've got a weird question, but before that, I want to answer a couple of other people's weird questions! Since we just got a bunch of newcomers, I was thinking of doing a PSA kind of thing on my radio show tonight - answering questions people might still have that haven't come up yet or they might feel awkward asking in person. So if any of you new guys have any questions, even if you want to ask them anonymously, ask them here and I can give you an answer before I roll it into the show tonight! And oldbies, if there are any useful things you took a little while to learn that you think might be good to know for a newcomer, let me know! It'll all be here too, but the show will let me put it all in one place so you all don't have to dig through a bunch of conversations for the useful stuff, and maybe find some more detailed answers for anything I'm not sure about.

It'll be at 10 tonight, so you know. I do mean any questions! [His wink at that is innocent enough, but he's definitely implying that since it's late night, the nature of the questions doesn't matter so much.]

And now for my question... [He turns his phone around to show his backyard, which is fairly large since he lives in a cottage, but currently entirely occupied by garden stuff.] Does anyone know what options I have for getting a water feature or something that a merrow can comfortably fit in? I've got a fair bit of space to work with like you see here, but I don't think they have like...portable pools in this time, and I actually haven't seen much of how they build proper ones here and how long it might take. So if anyone knows a little more about construction and timing for that kind of thing, I'd be really grateful! Or if there's any weird magical alternatives I don't know about that I should look into.

Anyway, that's it for the moment, so let me know, okay? [He turns the camera back towards himself to wave with one red-nailed hand before the video ends.]

Name: Daenerys Targaryen
Date: Iuneril 1st
Format: video

[ It was an... honest attempt to be professional. To be queenly. In the farmlands away from Aefenglom, in a dimly lit bedroom that looked as if it had seen better days, Daenerys is visible independently from a "selfie" style of video. She's propped her device up and sits in a small lounge chair next to the window to catch the light outside – what's left of it as a large stormcloud begins to overtake the farmlands. ]

Forgive me, it has been some time since I have come to such network to seek aid. [ The last time didn't work out too well! ] Recently, many of us on the Mirrorbound Council had begun to propose an initiative to improve the quality of life in the Outer City, where the residents are most vulnerable. It seemed, unfortunately, such actions were not... supported by the Parliament. Many of us have made efforts to improve the lives of those there, but we are still but strangers here – still under a wheel not our own.

[ There's an underlining bitterness there. ]

I am asking for help to take this mission on without the need of Parliament growing involved, then. We would like to begin cleaning the area up and treat those who have early stages of the Cwyld infection. The farmlands I have partial ownership of has diverted crop shipments from the city guard to the poorest and hungriest citizens, but that simply will not be enough.

[ Or, wise. ]

Fishermen, hunters, medics, builders – if we are able to begin putting clinics in more accessible areas for early-stage treatments... we could improve the quality of life for those suffering and stop the risk of spreading further. It is dangerous and time-consuming, I know... but –

[ Daenerys flinches, a washing view of disappointment on her face. Guilt clear. ]

We can not rely on Parliament to assist us there. Their efforts are strained between so many aspects of their city and I wish to take this responsibility on if possible. If anyone has skills to better help with this, please... I will be in your debt for your assistance.

Name: Yona
Date: 6/1
Format: Text

[ Considering how long she's been here now and how... enthusiastic her Coven mentors have been about her finding a Bond, Yona's finally worked up the courage to try and use this strange device for herself and ask for some advice. ]

How did those of you who have made Bonds know that your partner was right for you? Was it just something casual and easy? Was it something deeper than that? Did you have a hard time finding someone when you first arrived?

[ Was that too intrusive? Insecure? She hopes not... ]

And those of you who haven't yet... what is it you're looking for?

Name: Mikasa Ackerman
Date: 18/05
Format:voice

Has anyone noticed if the people who arrived the other week have started going back yet? [Very blunt. So blunt, it almost sounds like she can't wait to be rid of them. But she's just wondering how long she has until Jean just disappears and she's alone again.

Then as an after thought.]

What happens when people return? Has it always happened out of sight?

Name: Momo
Date: March 5th
Format: audio radio!

[After the expedition last month wrapped up, in the next few days, radio listeners of Aefenglom may have noticed a newcomer to the airwaves. Despite being a fresh voice, there's an air of experience to how he takes his programs, upbeat and cheerful but professional, talking with other hosts and guests and drawing out the interesting and comedic things about them for a good fun show.

And now he's here to get some talk show comedy out of the locals and Mirrorbound, wrapping up an informative little segment about local music to transition into that most loved and dreaded of call-in shows--

--the advice column.]

...Now we're back to just Momo, and you know, I've been in a real bind since I got here last month...I had all these juniors running around to give advice to, and now I've come to another world all fresh and inexperienced, my advisory skills as a weathered old-timer are getting rusty! [He's...26...] I've got to keep that stuff sharp like any good mother does, so if you need advice or a sounding board on anything that doesn't need me to know the deepest lores of this place, call in - or send a text in if you're shy, anons welcome too - and I'll help you out with it! Maybe someone else is having the same worries as you, so everyone benefits, you know? Send your daily quandaries, your work problems, your sordid love triangle stories...though not too sordid, we're still on daytime radio!

If you've got a question I can't answer, like monster or magic problems or something, then I'll put that to the audience and maybe we'll get some interesting answers from them, too! But whether we're talking it out or I'm reading it out for the audience, I'm sure we can solve some people's problems today. Even the weird ones. [Read: he welcomes the possibility of outright silly and questionably true responses.

The watch connection he gives for the calls isn't his own device, but rather one the radio station owns, because he's not here to tango with questionable calls after the show is over. He does enough of that at home. As for the texts, he puts up a post for those alongside the opening of the segment, so he'll both be talking and texting in response to those (and non-radio listeners can spot it even if they weren't listening to the segment).]

[[Tag-ins will be presumed as chronological, e.g. the first tag-in would be the first call/message and so on, so reacting to stuff from before your character sends their response is valid. Any question Momo puts to the audience will be open to threadjacking from when he does.]]

Name: Prompto Argentum
Date: 2/8
Format: video

[In the background of this video, there's the (relatively) hushed sounds of a certain Sun King's voice, trying to get someone to stop and rest, as she should. He's being met with growls of "I'm busy!" along with some pots and pans clanging and chopping as she’s clearly trying to make Something. It might be a stew? There's still the remains of a varied breakfast and food packages that were just set on the table. Pointing this out does not appear to be much of a deterrent.

While all that’s going on, Prompto just sort of. Gives the camera a Look.]

So, I was going to let everyone know that hey, I'm back, Insomniac Delivery is back up and running, please do not try to eat my chocobo, photos will be back soonish, et cetera et cetera, but Caren dropped some interesting information at breakfast this morning and that takes priority. So.

[Pause for effect. An effect that is likely somewhat spoiled as more extreme measures of putting things on higher shelves is met with highly vocal protests decrying it as an unfair move.]

Apparently Dorchacht used to be a monster city.

[Yet another pause for further effect. And also a drink of coffee because boy, does Prompto need the (sugary, creamy, mostly everything but coffee) caffeine this morning.]

So, according to Caren's...contact? Before Drummond or whoever came around, witches lived in a separate part of the city because they were considered the dangerous ones. They said they treated the witches fairly and I'm pretty sure it'd be hard to treat people worse than how Dorch was when we got there, but, uh, maybe take that part with a grain of salt?

[And of course, in the midst of Prompto trying to explain, he’s interrupted by the menace in the background.]

This also could have been centuries ago so- no, I don't want tea. I don't feel like being drugged today, thank you!

That's not what-- [He lets it go. It's not that important right now. He plucks a ladle away from Caren.] It sounds as though they avoided the consequences of full moons without Bonds, but still engaging with one another.

[Prompto is just gonna ignore all that going on in the background. This is important. And also Ozy can handle Caren better than he can, let’s be real.]

They also told Caren about where Monsters and Witches came from, according to Dorchacht's lore, and what the Cwyld is...sort of. At least why it's a thing.

It's different from what they tell us here. According to their story, the Sisters freed the monsters from the True Fae and...Ozymandias! Don't put my knives there!

[And there she goes, back into the background. Specifically, onto the counter to save her knives. Her efforts are near-immediately spoiled as Ozymandias loops an arm around her middle and tosses her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.]

You're only going to confuse everyone worrying about something like that right now. If you’re not going to rest, at least focus. [He brings Caren back into view, setting her down, but keeping a firm arm wrapped around her. It would probably be a very nice hug under other circumstances.] What Caren was trying to say is that the True Fae then angered the Sisters by teaching humans magic. Thus, they created the Cwyld as punishment for their insolence.

Prompto, I trust you can manage from here. I'm going to remove the temptation to continue trying to cook.

[He barely waits for an answer before opting this time to at least princess carry Caren.

Prompto, meanwhile, stares in utter bafflement as they go off because that sure is a Witch princess carrying a freaking Chimera. Just for a moment, though, before he turns back to the watch.]

Yeah, what Ozy said. Anyway, uh. That was a lot, but there were other things Caren’s contact mentioned, but this is already pretty nuts so...any questions?

[[Prompto, Ozymandias, Caren. All three are available for questions!]]

Name: Momo
Date: Feb 9th
Format: Video

[Despite the cutesy username, this video opens on a man visibly somewhere in his mid-twenties, muscular arms crossed over his knees and a cheerful smile revealing canines about as sharp as you'll find outside of the monsters here.]

Hey, so, I'm one of the newcomers that showed up at the start of the month - nice to meet you all. [He waves one red-nailed hand before resting it over his left, slightly concealing the black ring on it.] I was asking the lady who explains what's going on to everyone whether she knew anything about what people being here means for where we came from, and she told me she'd heard some stories about Mirrorbound who saw stuff going on in their worlds through their mirrors. So if that's happened to any of you guys, could you let me know a little more about it? At this point I'm kinda crossing my fingers people aren't freaking out about me being gone back home. Or hey, if you showed up at an awkward time and want to commiserate about it, I'm here for you.

[The "freaking out" is honestly an understatement, considering the depths his partner has dropped to after losing people in the past. But to offset the more serious question, he reaches a hand offscreen and holds up...well, it's the right shape and size to be a soccer ball, even if it hasn't quite reached the modern style of them yet.]

And for anyone old or new - I'm looking for some people to play soccer with. If you don't know it, it's a sport where you split into teams and try to kick a ball into goal defended by the other team. Obviously it's more fun with more people, but if anyone wants to learn to play or just get a bit of a workout, we can go one-on-one.

[A brief pause after that, and then:] I think that's it for now, so let me know, okay?

[He's still not quite enough out of public image mode to openly ask for someone to practice fistfighting against. Maybe another time.]