songerein | { mirror mirror }

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{ mirror mirror }

MIRROR MIRROR

With the sleepwalking curse over, everyone will have some time to rest and recuperate—until Jack Frost comes barging in with news of a clue on how to help his beloved Ice Queen who still remains asleep. The clue was the mirror shard that was in her chest, and there are theories that it may have been a fragment of a much stronger, powerful mirror she had been given some time ago. Problem is, he can't find it nor can he remember who gave it to her. He does, however, have a magic incantation that will allow people to enter mirrors and hopefully find a trace. Unfortunately, this horrendously backfires and we have mirror chaos instead. Dammit, Jack.

More details on everything can be found here. We will request any thread submissions for certain prompts during AC .

I. REVEREIN

II. MIRROR WORLD

COMMENTS

I. REVEREIN

It all begins in Reverein, where there's a strange shift in the air upon Jack's attempt to cast the spell. But instead of affecting just one mirror, it reflects off the surface and spreads out to the entire town, hitting every reflective surface instead. Ripples can be seen before the surfaces still, but it's too late. Every reflective surface—glass, mirror, window—is under a different effect because of the botched spell.

And some are being unwittingly pulled into them.

Fortunately It is possible to communicate and even watch people from the other side of the mirror, but it's only through certain mirrors and at certain times. It also will be temporary, so while one mirror might work one time, it may not work again.

A. Strange Reflections. While some mirrors may still reflect proper images, many will have…unusual changes.

🪞 You are what you see. Whether it's an odd hairstyle, change in skin color, or style of clothing in the reflection, suddenly the viewer will look exactly like what's reflected. The most extreme is a different form entirely.
🏡 Glimpses of home. Everyone will have a rare glimpse of their home world, and these can be instances from the past, present, or even a limited future. They are just reflections and cannot be interacted with, and future reflections may be blurry to prevent the person from seeing too much. For those who have memory issues, such visions will also be blurry, but perhaps they can help stir some things…
🔮 Most desired. Mirrors that have a bit of a pink hue to them will reflect the viewer's most desired "thing." It could be an object, person, place, or even a general idea. However, if not careful the viewer may become trapped in a trance and will need to be removed or smash the mirror.

B. Clone Wars. Mirrors that do not show any kind of reflection are to be quickly taken away and covered as it will begin to create duplicates in Reverein of what is reflected within it. Yes, even people, and they will be very obviously fake: wrong colors, different voices, odd behavior, etc. and will usually be harmless. These "clones" will continue to appear and multiply until the mirror has been covered, and will need to either be destroyed or captured and shoved into the mirror, where it will lose its "no reflection" status and become a proper mirror again…only for them to appear on the other side in Mirror World.

C. Mirrorsnatched. A mirror with a black rim has the chance of absorbing a significant personality trait or memory of the one looking into it, and when this happens, the person will walk away feeling very muddle-headed and off. The mirror will "keep" this part of the person and someone from the Mirror World side must find their essence and "shove" it back out onto any mirror surface so that the original owner can break the mirror and retrieve it. The downside of this method is that breaking a mirror means one less mirror those on the Mirror side can use, so they need to choose carefully.

D. The Unknown. Appearing in both the Mirror World and Reverein will be a strange mirror masked, black cloaked figure called "The Unknown." It traverses through the mirrors and through the walls, seeking those with happy reflections and will try to corrupt them with nightmares. People on both sides of the mirrors will be able to confront and try to stop the Unknown, though beware its chocolate attacks.

II. MIRROR WORLD

Everything in this "Mirror World" is, in a word, chaotic. Imagine an AI-generated monstrosity based off of Picasso, Escher, and Dr. Seuss, where everything seems to be upside down, backwards, colors everywhere and nowhere, and everything feels so fragmented that one step feels like walking towards the edge of a cliff. In a way it's nightmarish in an unusual sense, and those inside can feel that touch of "madness" that seeps through the cold air.

Beware the strange creatures in the Mirror World. They are grotesque monstrosities, many of them looking as if they were stitched together from different parts. Fortunately they are susceptible to weapons and dreamotion and those inside the Mirror World will find they are able to use different abilities, especially those with reflective properties.

A. Fragment of their old self. In order to get out of the Mirror World, those inside will need to catch a small fragment of themselves that has escaped and is running around. This fragment is actually a piece of their old self prior to arriving in Songerein. For some, this self may not be so different, but for long-time residents, they may seem a lot more different. To make things more interesting, this self can be from any point of the character's past. It just has to be a version of the character from before entering Songerein. This version will also appear "homesick" and "want" to return to their original home, regardless if the character actually feels that way. Thus the fragment will seek out mirrors that will reflect anything of their home world. Shattering these mirrors will weaken the fragment until it can be caught. But that's only half the challenge. If the fragment is injured, the original will also feel the damage but to a lesser degree. If the fragment is destroyed, then the original will be "knocked out" for a few seconds before a new fragment appears. However, this fragment will be much more distorted and worse than the one before.

B. Distorted Memories. At random points while traversing, characters may come across strange pockets of the world that they will feel drawn to. Following said instinct will lead them to a shifted landscape that will reflect images of home from different points in time (past, present, maybe even future) as if they've just walked right into it, but just like everything else, they are distorted. The changes can be as subtle as the wrong color of clothes, having too many limbs, to something major like the sky now being the ground. The only way out will either be destroying the anomalies or correcting them, and they will be rewarded with a mirror shard that will aid in their escape.

C. Warped Sense of Self. The longer a person stays within the Mirror World, the less "coherent" they will feel, and sometimes sound. Their memories will slowly become more disjointed, their personality feeling a bit "off", and they may even forget who they are or where they are from. Even their physical selves will start to twist and change, starting with something subtle (e.g. eye color) and then growing more drastic as time goes on (where did those extra fingers come from? Or why are they suddenly much shorter?) Finding those reflections of home will help with these anomalies, but those weak of heart be warned: the distortions may only exacerbate the issue and make them believe that they are the truth instead. Help anyone who might be caught in fixing these so that they can recover.

D. Finding an exit. To leave the world, those inside must find a mirror that will connect back to Reverein, and those on the other side can also try to help by posing as "anchors" for those inside to recognize. Otherwise, there are many mirrors in the Mirror World that will lead to different places within Songerein—presumably. However, perhaps due to the magic or needing something else, they will be unable to pass through any mirrors that are not connected to Reverein. This is where players have the fun opportunity to make up whatever kind of location or place the characters may see reflected on the mirrors. They could be existing locations in the game, or new ones that could be explored in the future. One unique place we can mention will be reflections of a city covered in night.

Only upon finding a mirror that leads back to Reverein, but they will also need help from the outside. Someone from within Reverein must also be there to physically reach in and pull them out—while hopefully not accidentally be pulled in themselves.

I. REVEREIN

II. MIRROR WORLD

COMMENTS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I-A: Most Desired

Given his profession and general desire to look well put together, it's not all that unusual to see Gabriel Agreste looking into a mirror. It is a bit strange, however, to see him staring into one for an extended period. Especially one that seemed to be tinged pink. But he's definitely staring into one now, smiling fondly at what he sees. Which would be all well and good, except he doesn't seem to really hear it when someone addresses him, which is... concerning. Maybe someone should take a look at what he's staring at to figure out what's going on? Or better yet, try and pull him away from the mirror before he zones out any further.

I-B: Clone Wars

Those out and about in Reverin might be treated to an unusual sight, namely Gabriel Agreste in a very tacky, very orange suit. And if that wasn't unusual enough, a short time later, Gabriel Agreste comes by yet again, wearing his normal clothes and a concerned expression, though this time he doesn't just pass by. Instead he comes over and asks, "Excuse me, but have you seen... well, me? Or rather a duplicate of me dressed all in orange? It's very urgent that I find him."

Dream Board- Sweet Child O Mine

If there was one thing Gabriel Agreste knew, it was fabric. And thus when asked to help prepare cashmere wraps for a basket of orphaned kittens, he was more than up to the task. Upon finding out he was supposed to help rock them to sleep afterwards however, the task suddenly became much more daunting. His attempt is clearly well meaning but ends up awkward at best, and isn't very effective in helping the kittens settle into sleep. Someone lend this man a hand, maybe?

While Naminé certainly wasn't nearly so well-equipped where working with cloth was concerned, she seemed to be doing a perfectly acceptable job with the latter part of this assignment. Still cradling a dozing puppy, the lass took a few moments to look on from a polite distance at poor Gabriel's efforts before finally electing to try to put him out of his misery-- that is, to offer some... perhaps-needed advice.

In a few careful steps, the young lady drifted close enough to speak. When she did, it was in a hushed voice, careful not to wake any of their nearby charges. "It helps if you're calm, too."

The advice was indeed much needed. As Naminè addressed him Gabriel offered her a somewhat sheepish smile as he attempted to take her advice. "Ah yes," he said, equally quietly. "I'm afraid I haven't done anything like this since my son was a baby. And even then I wasn't especially good at it."

Gently, the lass smiled back at him. It widened slightly with silent gladness at the mention of his son; it was always nice for Naminé to hear about those dear to someone else's heart - to know that they weren't alone in the world, in whatever form that took.

"Well, they do say that it's never too late to learn." Even if he might no longer have as much need of the skill. Evidently there was still some use for it in Reverein, if today was any indication. "This can be your second chance. It-- sort of is for me, too."

A beat, after which she deemed this statement to require explanation; she was careful to keep her voice quiet despite her momentary hurry to clarify and a cautious glance down at her temporary ward, now properly asleep in her arms. "That is - I don't have any children." She hardly looked to be out of childhood herself by much if at all, clearly young as she was. "But there... have been times that I regretted not being better at comforting people when they needed it. So you could say that we have that in common...!"

He was briefly startled when she claimed that this was a second chance for her too, looking somewhat concerned until she explained. "Ah," he said, equally quietly. "Well I suppose we can learn together then. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in this, at least."

He looked down at the small, blanket wrapped creature in his arms. As he was an unusually tall man, it looked even smaller than usual resting in the crook of his arm. "They're so tiny..." he added softly. "I think that some part of me is concerned that I'm going to hurt them by accident. Or perhaps frighten them."

"You aren't," the girl confirmed, hoping to encourage. "And I'm sure there must be more people like us, too. Not everyone learns how to be kind right away." She'd met her fair share of cold fish, after all. (Been more or less raised by them, in fact.)

Watching Gabriel consider the bundle in his arms, Naminé found her own eyes drawn to it as well. The look on her own face was naturally fond as she nodded in response to his statement, and when she looked up at his further words, it softened yet more with a hint of sad understanding. "I think I know what you mean. It can be so easy to make a mistake with someone who's as delicate as they are."

Physically, mentally, emotionally - the first of those types of fragility might have been easier to perceive than the others, yet they functioned similarly in this case all the same.

"But I think caring whether or not you do might just be the first step to looking after them properly. As long as it doesn't make you too afraid to act - it can help remind you to be gentle."

He nodded. "My world has... something of a steeper learning curve than most in that regard, apparently," he said. "Reverin seems like such a kind place by comparison, for all its strangeness." A scene like this, two people working together to help orphaned baby animals, would be illegal under the Supreme's rule, which only made him cherish such experiences even more.

"Yes, so I'm learning. Holding my son for the first time... it was amazing and terrifying in equal measure. I didn't dare move, at first. But for his sake, I had to move past that. To learn to be gentle, no matter how awkward I felt doing so."

A frown flickered over the girl's face at the description of his world, her head tilted faintly with a concerned curiosity. Nevertheless, she held her tongue for the moment, opting instead to allow her smile to return in earnest as Gabriel's son was mentioned. Though she didn't say as much in quite the same words, the honest joy her expression might have made it clear how sweet she found such a notion.

"I hope he knows how much he means to you," she found herself saying - though she grew briefly shy thereafter. "That is - you seem like a kind father." And it'd be a shame for someone's heart not to be known by those they cared for, no matter how challenging they might have found it to express themselves.

But matters of guardians and children were hardly Naminé's forte, lacking parents as she did. Shifting in place for a beat, the lass let her eyes fall toward her own still-sleeping charge, then come back up again, growing more serious in the process.

"By the way, your world... I hope you don't mind me asking, but - what is it like?" Because she had to wonder, after a comment like that.

"I hope so to," Gabriel said, half to himself, before addressing Naminé more directly. "And thank you. I try to be." As much as he could, anyway.

The puppy in Gabriel's arms had also finally drifted foo to sleep by the time she asked him about his world; that was one of the many things- if not the only thing- that kept him from startling slightly at the question. Though he mentally scolded himself for such a reaction; it was him who'd mentioned it, after all. Her question was natural.

That didn't make the answer any easier or more pleasant, however. "My world is ruled by an evil being known as the Supreme," he said. "He rules the world with an iron fist, and under his rule any form of mutual aid is a crime. Even something as simple as what we're doing now would be illegal. It's a harsh, cold place, and has been so for so long that most have difficulty even conceiving of anything better."

Offering a nod by way of, 'you're welcome...!' the lass smiled gently in response. That was usurped soon enough by the raise of her brows at his reaction to her inquiry; it might have crossed her mind then to retract the question, though she did ultimately elect not to.

But hearing the response only lifted her brows higher, then pressed them down with her perplexed frown. "That sounds--" Blinking as she realized it might be rude, Naminé nearly bit back her instinctive response, but-- shaking her head, in the end she finished her, "... awful."

He didn't seem the type to approve of such a situation, necessarily, so perhaps it wouldn't go amiss. Still frowning to herself, Naminé took a moment to try to process the repercussions of such a system. "In a place like that, wouldn't you get in trouble just for having friends...? So-- why would anyone want to live that way?" As Supreme overlord or otherwise.

He nodded solemnly at her assessment of his world. It was, as she'd described, awful in a great many ways. "I doubt that most people want to live that way," Gabriel said. "I certainly don't. But as I said, it's difficult for most people to conceive of how things could be different. And even those who can are afraid; the Supreme and his agents are powerful... and merciless."

"It is a bit more complicated than simply not having friends however." He considered a moment. How to describe it in simple terms? "Relationships that are necessary for society to continue exist, such as commerce, marriage, families to raise children, and yes, friendships. But nothing is meant to be done purely out of affection, kindness, or altruism. Any favor, any gesture of goodwill, is meant to come with strings attached. Whether it actually does, of course, can get somewhat muddled, but that's the basic idea."

Eyes lowering, the girl considered this home of his as he described it further, her features sad despite the adorable view of the creature sleeping in her arms. Relationships still existed there, then, but in a twisted sense. The very notion made her feel ill just imagining it; to her, positive connections between people with true affection for one another were more or less sacred. "I knew that sometimes cruel people could gain power, but to make a whole world treat each other like that..."

What terrifying authority. Shaking her head contemplatively, "I don't understand what the... 'Supreme' would gain from it. Unless - it was some way of keeping power...?" That would certainly make some kind of sense, in her experience; fear did tend to keep people in line, as she knew well enough.

"It's exactly that," he said solemnly. "Those conditions make it extremely difficult to foment rebellion. When everyone is on edge and even the most innocuous gatherings can be suspect, organizing any kind of resistance would be challenging at best." As he knew from personal experience. "Divide and conquer. The Supreme relies on fear and despair to maintain his rule. And they are, unfortunately, rather effective."

"Still, even in such a world, I still managed to find a measure of happiness with my wife and son," he said, smiling a bit, solemnly. "And this world gives me hope that perhaps a better world is possible, even for one like mine." The kind of world his son deserved.

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lethechained - 2024-07-03 04:03 (UTC) - Expand

"Oh!" she said, when asked that. "Was that a Shapeshifter?" She'd studied those! "Or a Decoy?" Those she had more personal experience with, of course.

Gabriel shook his head. "Not to my knowledge," he said. "But apparently people all over town have been having mirror related magical troubles and I'm no exception. That double of me emerged from a mirror, and I've been trying to track him down and return him to it for hours now."

"Oh..." she touched her now very long and pointed ears, self consciously. "Like how one made me an Elf?" she asked. Then she considered. "Is he hurting anyone?"

"It's most likely part of the same phenomenon, yes," he said. "And so far as I know he hasn't harmed anyone." That outfit may have seared itself into a few people's retinas, but that was likely only painful to his sense of aesthetics, so it didn't really count. "If he had, I would be more cautious about approaching him. As it stands, I don't want to see him brought to harm, merely returned to his own world on the other side of the mirror." Because that was apparently a thing in this place.

"But if he isn't hurting anyone... why force him to go back?" she asked, pulling on one of her diamond ear studs. "Maybe it's not good over there... Maybe he ran away to here for a reason."

"I'll certainly take that into account if he mentions anything when I catch up to him," Gabriel said. "I've no intention of forcing someone into a dangerous situation. But even if we need to come up with some other arrangement, I can't simply leave him wandering around wearing my face."

"Why not? You never wanted a brother? I just got one recently, it's fun having a brother."

"Not especially," Gabriel said. "And I don't suspect that any I might have had would have enjoyed the experience themselves; there are reasons that I've largely cut ties with my parents. But there's a great difference between a relative- biological or otherwise- and a duplicate that suddenly emerged from a magically influenced mirror."

She couldn't imagine ever doing that. If her dad had.... she shook her head drawing a deep breath. She'd do anything to have her parents back. And that included Leia now, even if Leia would yell at her for doing dangerous things.

"Why? I mean... we all came into this world by magic, so why can't we make friends with others who also arrived here by magic?"

Gabriel found himself getting frustrated with the girl's insistence. Not that he disagreed with her in principle, but principle and the reality of the fact that they were speaking of a duplicate of himself were two very different things, and if he wanted to catch up to his wayward doppelganger he didn't really have time to engage in a philosophical debate with a teenager who seemed to have overly simplistic ideas about friendship.

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "In short, because the difference is that whatever else he may be, he's a duplicate of myself," he said, "not an entirely separate individual. Having him wandering around would inevitably cause problems and confusion regardless of his intentions or friendship potential and I mean to nip that issue in the bud. If you're willing to help, I'll gladly accept the assistance, but if not, than I'd best move on before I lose track of him entirely."

"I can go with you while we talk, but if he means no harm and just wants to have a good life out here... I'm going to help him," she said, firmly. "I'd do the same if it was a duplicate of me, My Master, Goligan, Zeneth..." she shuddered. "Well, maybe two of Zeneth might be a little too much," she said weakly. The strong punch of feelings as she went from stubborn determination to the very weird but strong mix of feelings around Zeneth. Worrying about what he would do if he showed up in that he's a danger, but worrying about what he would do if he showed up because what if more bad things happened to him here? Her new but constant circling doubts about why he turned out the way he did and how would she have turned out if everyone just hared her on sight too? And feeling badly for him. And scared of him. But also grateful. Small bit of awe. Endless frustration... Simultaneously feeling like he needs a hug and like he needs a punch in the face. It was a weird tangle she was still trying to unknot for herself.

That was definitely quite a collection of emotions the girl had for this 'Zeneth'. Perhaps he might try to untangle them in his own mind later, once things were more settled, but for the moment, the suggestion of walking and talking seemed the best option. "Alright," he said. "Come along with me then."

As they set off in pursuit again, he at least made an effort not to out pace the girl with his longer stride, despite being in hurry. "I don't disagree with you in principle, just so you know," he said. "And if sending him back would put him in danger, I'd definitely be willing to find another solution. But there have been too many incidents with mirrors recently for me to trust that he won't cause trouble- intentionally or otherwise- until I can confirm his reasoning and what he's capable of. And to do that, we'll need to find him and talk with him."

{ mirror mirror }

Gabriel Agreste | Miraculous Ladybug

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Re: Gabriel Agreste | Miraculous Ladybug

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