Eh-oh and uh-oh. (open RP / ongoing event)

[ugly-old-hat.livejournal.com]

There had been only the most obscure and private of warnings. There were beings who could have predicted the event, with runes or through oracular visions, or by whatever arcane powers they brought with them to Hogwarts -- whatever powers had not fallen prey to the castle's unpredictable field of interference. But how might they have prevented it? And how could they banish it, now that its inevitable advent had begun?

It rose in the sky, bloody and shrieking, three weeks short of All Hallows' Eve. Having risen, it radiated visible rays of unclean light, a light which carried no warmth and lent a cast of jaundice-yellow to the objects thus illumined. Going outdoors was like trying on a new outfit in a fluorescent-lit fitting room. Everything looked subtly wrong.

Mostly its shrieks heralded nothing. They were disconcerting, and raised the hackles on the backs of animals; they caused a mild dyspepsia in some who heard the shrieks, though by no means all. Indeed, some sentient creatures remained unaffected altogether.

But then there were the rarer moments when the shriek of the Baby Sun signified the beginning of something strange. Phenomena that could best be described as Fortean.

The first of these, beginning with the sun's shriek at noon of the day it first rose over Hogwarts, was a rash of spontaneous fires afflicting inanimate and nonsentient objects. This took place not only on the grounds, but also within the castle. Students might reach for their books only to find the book beginning to smolder, then abruptly flaring into a tower of flame. A plate of food in the Great Hall might go to greasy ashes before the first forkful could be taken. The house elves seemed to be spared, at least for now. Pets were safe. But no inanimate object, no matter how cherished or sacred or essential, was immune.

The Baby Sun giggled its loathsome amusement and lolled in the sickly sky. The whole of the grounds lay bathed in its bilious light. Once a student stepped off the grounds, the normal and benevolent sun of Earth was the only sun visible. Yet all of Hogwarts remained under the Baby Sun's mysterious sway, and none could say why or wherefore.

Perhaps some intrepid students might seek to find an answer.



(( OOC: As usual with these kinds of events, you can opt out. Your stuff doesn't need to get burnt; you don't need to get caught outdoors in a rain of fish or blood, or whatever subsequent phenomena take place between now and Halloween. If you want, your character can be unable to detect the Baby Sun or the weird quality of light at all. The mods will banish the Baby Sun through certain mysterious IC means once Halloween has come to pass. ))

Comments

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Boukensha reached the door first, clawing at it until Kusuriyuri opened it before him. He bolted in as soon as there was room for his nose to fit through.

Kusuriyuri looked over his shoulder, feeling Kurama's approach. "Itoshii?" he said, holding out his hand. He needed to know that Kurama was all right. He also needed to formulate a plan.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"I'm starting to think my skepticism over the 'baby sun' thing was misplaced," Kurama said, trying to sound funny but managing only mild panic. He took Kusuriyuri's hand and did not stop going until they were both in the room and the door was shut firmly behind them.

Belophoebe was stalking back and forth on the bed, yowling, with Boukensha huddling underneath her, puffed out like he'd been given an electric shock. "Gods, that awful thing. I think it set part of my greenhouse on fire." At least, the part that Nny hadn't already taken care of. "Are you all right?"

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"I am unharmed," Kusuriyuri said, though he fully understood how Boukensha felt. "He warned me before the bush caught fire by running out from under it." Still holding Kurama's hand, Kusuriyuri went to the bed to reassure the cats. "This one does not know what can be done..." he admitted softly.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"I think we aren't the only ones at a total loss," he murmured, catching a glimpse of someone unidentifiable fleeing, screaming, from the Newborn Sun. He squeezed Kusuriyuri's hand. "Is it too much to hope that any of your charms protect against... pseudo-sentient astrological phenomena?"

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri kept hold of Kurama's hand, returning the pressure, as he sought to pet the cats with his other hand, reassuring them, though he wasn't sure how much reassurance he could truly offer. "It is possible, perhaps. I do not know," he admitted. "It is not mononoke. Perhaps a ring of salt?"

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"Or some holy water," he murmured, watching a bit of ball lightning amble aimlessly over the grounds before disappearing into the forest. "Gods above, this is just weird."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"Weird would be something of an understatement, Itoshii," Kusuriyuri said, his eyes following Kurama's gaze as he pet the cats. "Weird is that purple thing. This...is much worse than weird."

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

How much worse was the question Kurama didn't want to have to ask, but did anyway. It seemed to fall on dead air, and he had the sinking feeling that he was just waiting for things to turn from bad to hell. With no fear of death in this place, what other tortures could be dropped on the denizens of Hogwarts?

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

As if in response to Kurama's question, the exterior of their home exploded in sickly orange flames. Reflexively, Kusuriyuri brought up wards, though he wasn't sure what good they'd do against the fire. He released Kurama's hand and moved into a better offensive position, aware and not aware of the cats darting under the bed with an unholy yowl.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama, completely unprepared for the fire and the awful wave of nausea it brought, almost fell to his knees, managing to catch himself on the bedframe. Ojigi... did he still have some Ojigi? would he have to summon it all the way from the greenhouse? No, there were a few seeds still clinging stubbornly to his hair. he summoned them to his hand as Kusuriyuri brought up the wards, ready to back them up if he was needed.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Every ward around the apartment flared to life, turning a sickly blood red color, threatening to give under the assault.

"Itoshii?" Kusuriyuri asked, not having the concentration to finish the question. He'd seen this level of activation of his wards before, but it had been some time and that had been a very angry bakeneko, though upon learning the truth, he couldn't blame the bakeneko.

Just before the wards started dissolving, they began to react as if the flames were retreating.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

The Ojigi grew, slithering over his arm to the wall and out the window, snapping up the remaining fire with big, savage gulps. Kurama watched, horrified, as the plants died almost instantly after ingesting the orange flames. But, the fire was dying too. That was something.

"I have never in my life, he said, fighting off another swoon, "encountered anything like this." Under the bed, he could hear Belophoebe snarling like a hellcat, and Boukensha yowling pitifully. It must have been many times worse for them.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri watched until the wards were at a state of watchfulness. "There are wards to keep your energy contained," he said softly, apologetically as he turned to Kurama, offering his hand again. His eyes, though, remained on the wards around the room, watchful, lest they change again.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama nodded, but made no effort to speak for a moment. His stomach was trying to stage a revolt, and he wasn't going to have any of that from his own organs.

The cats, still looking twice their regular size, crawled out from under the bed to twine around Kusuriyuri's legs. For his part, Kurama took Kusuriyuri's hand, holding on until the nausea left.

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri squeezed Kurama's hand gently. He hummed gently, trying to soothe the cats and Kurama with the sound. "Perhaps this one should seek out the purple thing, to see if there is a way..." The thought of seeing that thing again, though, was revolting.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"No," Kurama held up his free hand, stopping that thought in its tracks. "No, I think this time I'll be the one seeking it out. Remember, I had to deal with Yuusuke's brand of retardery on a daily basis for years. I think that's got me well prepared for the Purple Thing." He smiled, his head finally beginning to clear. "Besides, I don't want you jumping out of any more windows."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri had the grace to blush slightly at the last. "I was not prepared," he admitted. "It will not occur again." He sat on the bed, still watching the wards, but it gave the cats a chance to join him, to be petted properly.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

Kurama laughed softly, but said no more on the subject. He was quiet for a long time, and then, "I wonder what the hell its mother is."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri made a face at Kurama. "Would you summon that, as well?" he asked sharply.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," he mused. "If the mother would take it away. Besides, to know one's enemy, one must know where it came from." He glanced out the window, catching the glare of light from one chubby baby cheek. He scowled and stood, slightly losing his balance from the vertigo, and then went to the window, pulling the curtains closed. "As long as it isn't an age-old moon and that thing leaves every night, I'll be happy."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"Itoshii?" Kusuriyuri said, his voice laced with concern. "Perhaps salt will be enough to allow the wards affecting you to be removed?" He rose, to the cats' protests, and went to hold Kurama. He tried to sense past his own wards, but it was a confusion of sensations.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"I don't... think it's the wards. I feel better with the curtains closed. I think it's that." He gestured in the direction of the sun, now blessedly out of sight. "It makes my ears hurt. Like some damn... kid's television show. Ugh."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

"A kid's television show?" Kusuriyuri asked, having no frame of reference to work with. He wrapped his arms around Kurama. "It is bad," he said, agreeing with the tone of voice. Looking up at Kurama, he asked, "Are you sure? It can be done, removing the wards."

The cats refused to move closer to the walls, remaining on the bed, protesting the situation in general, sounding miserable.

[serrulata.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure," he nodded, squeezing Kusuriyuri tight. Then he loosened the embrace with an apologetic smile, went back to the bed and flopped face down on it. He really was starting to feel better now that the curtains were closed, and he was half-convinced that if Kusuriyuri dared take down the wards, they'd find not only half of their belongings on fire, but the cats would mutiny. Said cats were now curling up against him and fear-purring loudly, trying to soothe themselves after the trauma of the 'newborn sun.'

Kurama reached out his hand to Kusuriyuri, beckoning him to come lay down too. "It's better to be safe."

[edomedpeddler.livejournal.com]

Kusuriyuri joined Kurama, moving to be on the other side of the cats, stroking them with one hand while his other went to Kurama's cheek. "This one apologizes for not understanding that thing better," he said softly, mostly to the cats. "And, if you are sure," he said to Kurama. Though, he truly did not want to leave the apartment to ring it with salt, he would have if there was any indication that it was desired.