logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: october 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. scavenger hunt prizes are awarded. the ferry capsizes in a blaze of glory.
warnings: n/a.

welcome to beacon.

It's dim, and the room won't stop swaying, gently rocking you back and forth. A loud sound startles you fully awake, a deep, moaning call: a foghorn. As your eyes adjust, you note faint red light streaking through the room from a tiny, round window.

You've found yourself in a private room, lying on a bed. The last things you remember are the events that led up to your death. Beside you is a folded tablet and a lantern that glows steadily with a healthy flame.

You're on a ship. And that ship is docking.

Making your way to the deck, and eventually the pier, you find only moonlight to greet you, and a dark forest beyond. There are other people here, each with their own unique lantern, and many of them look just as lost as you are. On the ferry you've just disembarked from, the speaker system begins to play a song.

In the distance, across the waters of the lake, you can see the tall silhouette of a lighthouse, its red light slowly turning.

•••

Luckily for all the newcomers, the tablet and the town have some resources available for playing catch up! In fact, as soon as they're prompted to enter a network username, an app containing all sorts of useful welcome information will launch. Newcomers can always check out the weekly bulletins and the records in town hall as well, and everyone's welcome to get in touch with the NPCs through their inboxes.

When the ferry docks, it seems as though you've been spared from any weirdness this month! It's good to have a break now and then, isn't it? And if you participated in the scavenger hunt, you're probably eagerly awaiting your promised prize—

But, ohp, what's that sound? Is that the ferry's engine firing up again? The ship roars to life again as some brave mutineers overthrow its autopilot system. Crowley and the Winter Soldier man the ferry's control room while Aziraphale flits between the cargo hold and the deck, attempting to assuage any accidental kidnapees with reassuring words and cake.

Unfortunately, the joyride is shortlived. Between the ferry's complex control panel and the haphazard attempts to override it, all the group manages to do is send the boat charging full speed ahead—which would be great if it wasn't facing the beach. The ferry jolts forward and careens smack into the dock, tearing down the entire structure and punching a sizeable hole in the ferry's hull.

Well, that could've gone better. But there's no time to dwell on the mistakes of the very recent past! The ferry is sinking, and quickly! Looks like you'll have to scramble if you want to save what's left in the cargo hold before the whole thing goes under... And that's gonna be awfully tricky without a dock.

Oh, and maybe save the new arrivals? Make sure they don't drown? But, then again, if they go down with the ship, they'll just show up again in the church... The same can't be said for the restock for the general store!

As smoke billows from the damaged ferry and the last the harbor disappears into the lake, the Lighthouse Keeper appears on the network with a pretty straightforward question. Also, the ferry's song changes, so. That happens.

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! For this intro log, you are officially without a chaperone. Rastus is back at the bonfire, Will is characteristically elusive, and Robin is, well, you know where she's at. It's up to the veteran residents to fill in the new folks.

And regarding the ferry disaster... Well, you have some options. Here's what you need to know:
This is a player plot organized by MJ, Xy, and Gail! A big thank-you to them for providing us with this intro log event!

Whether or not your character and any packages addressed to them are affected by this plot is up to you! If you would like to assume your character avoids dealing with this chaos and somehow grabs their delivery without issue, go right ahead!

Similarly, if you're looking for an opportunity to make your character's life harder, injury and death are always on the table! Or maybe it's your package that takes the abuse, lost forever to the lake's depths or washing up all waterlogged a week or two down the road. In short: How you engage with this plot is entirely up to you.

What happens to the ferry and the dock? Within a couple of hours, the ferry will sink completely, and anything on board when it goes down is lost forever. Which bodes super well for the ferry, huh? Sure hope the next batch of newcomers has some strong swimmers. Oh, and the dock is gone, too. If you want it back, you'll have to rebuild it.

As for Crowley, Aziraphale, Bucky, and anyone else on the ferry or dock during the collision... Hope you boys like concussions, bruised ribs, and a broken bone or two, because you've got 'em! The exact injuries are up to you, but they're the equivalent of a semi-serious car accident.

One last thing: The fate of the shop restocks, including all of the food for the month, depends on you! Let us know if your character will be participating in the rescue attempt. In exchange for letting us beat up your character, you can save a portion of the month's supplies! We'll let you all know on October 3 what the rations for the rest of the month will look like.

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

The monthly store restock
For Daylight: A variety of gardening tools piled into a wheelbarrow, as well as packets of seeds for the following plants: Boneset, dogtooth violet, starflower, Carolina springbeauty, pipsissewa, bloodroot, red columbine, narrowleaf blue-eyed grass, harlequin blueflag, and purple pitcherplant; he will also receive a translation for the following: An invitation to join the speaker as company
For Aziraphale: A record player, the complete discographies of a variety of bands (Abba, Rob Zombie, Tool, Hanson, Eiffel 65, and Spice Girls), a two-tiered wedding cake, and packets of seeds for the following plants: Strawberry, cherry tomato, cucumber, blackberry, carrot, potato, raspberry, and pumpkin; he will also receive a familiar copy of a familiar book: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, along with a blue ribbon that reads "BEST IN SHOW"
For Bruce: A handheld metal detector and a rechargeable battery for it, a chisel, a climbing harness (that, according to the packaging, is the #1 Safety Rated!) and a 50 ft. coil of rope
For Cao Pi: A go board
For Rosinante: A sextant, and 3 cartons of cigarettes; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Danger! Run and hide!"
For Kuai: A basket of 16 mooncakes, as well as incregredients for more
For Javert: 3 pairs of handcuffs, a greatcoat in Javert's size, and a trunk full of swords in varying styles and conditions; he will also receive an electric chainsaw
For Kol: A record player, the complete discographies of a variety of bands (New Kids on the Block, Weird Al Yankovic, Sound Garden, Ke$ha, INXS, and Spinal Tap), a cooler full of blood bags and ice packs, and an assortment of stamps; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "I'm lost" or "Need directions"
For Elena: A journal; she will also receive a portable generator (powerful enough for a single power tool or small appliance; can be charged through a typical wall outlet)
For Xayah: A thick journal and a glass vial of black ink; she will also receive a sizeable roll of barbed wire, as well as a stuffed animal
For Ignis: A spice restock (with a few new ones mixed in!), 3 paired of leather gloves, and... 12? pairs? of glasses? They're all in slightly different prescriptions, though. A variety pack!; he will also receive a power drill (runs on a rechargeable battery or can be plugged directly into a wall socket)
For Riku: A wood stove, a set of paints, and 5 canvases; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Looking for water" or "Thirsty"
For Matt: A rosary and a Braille Bible... which is more of a collection of volumes, really; he will also receive a translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Looking for food" or "Hungry"
For Noctis: Two complete sets of the Lord of the Rings series (except, wait a minute... they appear to be the novelizations of the movies); he will also receive an SD card that, when plugged into a tablet, will upload GPS directions to a new location...
For Rosalind: A crate of basic all-purpose lab equipment, a fancy microscope, an emergency eye wash station, a mortar and pestle, a lab coat, a Lite Brite, and... the things she needs to make things float, whatever those are; she will also receive a pair of dousing rods (that will actually point in the direction of water, checkmate atheists)
For Jason: A translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Sympathy" or "I'm sorry"
For Coraline: A translation for the rough equivalent to the following phrase: "Teach me"
For Eliot: A bottle of hospital grade painkillers (it contains 10 doses and functions similarly to Vicodin)
For Allie: A bottle of strong antibiotics (it contains 10 doses and can fight off most any infection)
For Vanitas: A portable camping stove (runs on a portable battery or can be plugged directly into a wall socket)
For Hope: A soldering iron (runs on a portable battery or can be plugged directly into a wall socket)
For Quentin: A cannister of foaming bandage (can be used 5 times to immediately close a wound/stop semi-severe bleeding)
For Mary: An SD card that, when plugged into a tablet, will upload GPS directions to a new location...

If you submitted an item request last month and we've missed it here, let us know!

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[When he was twelve, Bruce used to sink to the bottom of his parents pool and hold his breath for as long as he could- to get used to not just the burning in his lungs and the quiet, the weightlessness, but also to the sense of panic that would rise up in him. To increase his endurance and teach himself how to push past the instinctive, animal urge to look for air.

He wonders if Selina would still call him weird for it, all things considered. And then thinks, probably.

He'd been diving into the lake to try and retrieve as many boxes as he could- to tie them to one another like a chain that they could fish up and bring to shore. And then after reaching land again, he'd begun trip after trip of carrying those same supplies from the beach, to the bonfire. They'd need not just heat but light to know how much they could salvage- and now that it's all done, it's hard to find the next thing. The place to turn his attention to.

Bruce's clothes are still saturated with water. His shoes dangle from two fingertips and thick droplets roll from his trousers to the floor, thud from the seams around his wrists. It's a long walk back still, to get to the museum where he's staying. But there's no fire there. And he's not sure his legs really want to go. So he sinks into a chair instead, feet stretched out ahead of him and legs akimbo- feeling the notches of his spine begin to loosen in inches at a time.]

I'm glad to see your sense of priorities didn't sink to the bottom of the lake too.

Hey, I am mourning everything else as well but I'm just a little sad that my regularly scheduled coping mechanism might run out soon. I might have to take up knitting.

( the absolute horror. )

Are you all right?

Do you have yarn? I wouldn't object to a new sweater.

[You opened this door Ambrose, time to start walking through it.

Bruce's eyes close and stay that way. His breathing begins to even out, to slow.]

I might skip leg day.

Oh, I think that went down with the ferry. Nuts to that. I guess I'll have to learn to knit later.

( he's not that broken up about it and it's probably very obvious. )

How bad is it? Should I be concerned that your legs are going to fall off?

Ordinarily I would say 'I hope not.' But I'm ready to make an exception.

[Instead of lacing together and resting over his stomach, Bruce's hands continue to dangle at his sides.]

I'm trying to figure out if I should feel insulted instead.

You don't look at all worse for wear.

I wasn't close enough to really take that much damage and I was able to get a shield spell up before things started getting very bad.

( paid to be magical sometimes. )

Tried to use it to block as many people as I could but it was very quickly done so it wasn't as strong as it could have been.

[Every conversation Bruce has had with every person has been different- his inflection, his demeanor, his interests. They're tailored to suit particular needs and a particular dynamic the way another man might select shoes.

With Ambrose he is almost at his more cavalier.]

Could you explain that in smaller words?

I'm going to keep my eyes closed and picture your heroics.

Really?

( bruce, are you putting him on or do you really want a story? but ambrose obliges, explaining what he'd done with more detail and smaller words, trying to remember everything that happened up until right now. )

I'm pretty sure I ended things here with a big bruise on my side that's going to have me whining for days.

All that magic and no bag of frozen peas.

[It's unmistakably a tease.

Bruce has had experience with magic before- at least that's what everyone else in magic had called it. The unexplained. The impossible. He suspects that it isn't so different from anything else, not simply good, not simply bad.

Selina had been ready to end her own life before that miracle cure.
But she isn't the same person anymore either.

These stakes are significantly lower and the danger has already passed. There are only the consequences now- like Ambrose's bruised side and Bruce's mangled right hand. The wreckage of the ferry. The corner of his mouth flickers, the suggestion of a smile.]

Dark days ahead.

Is that intuition or do you have the gift of clairvoyance?

( or maybe bruce is making a joke considering this town is literally nothing but darkness. )

Or are you making a funny?

[He snorts, an almost laugh, but it comes out garbled as one of his hands comes up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. His left hand. This is because his right is black and blue, hanging empty at his side.]

In my defense I've never been very funny.

Well, never too late to start because that was funny.

( ambrose flicks a glance down to his hand, the one that he's not using and frowns. )

So, that looks nasty.

It can't be that funny.

[His hand lifts just enough that thumb and first finger expose one eye- and the eyebrow that arches skeptically over it.]

You didn't laugh.

[With his legs still stretched out ahead of him he's doing a very good impression of a spoiled hungover teenager. In his defense, he has had plenty of experience and how dissimilar are the experiences really?]

And I did say you didn't look worse for wear.
Maybe I should amputate and replace it with a hook.

I was laughing on the inside.

( that wasn't even a lie, bruce! he was amused. )

I'm surprised you went right for hook and not prosthetic. Looking for a handy weapon in a fight?

Oh I'm useless in a fight.

[It isn't hard to believe. Bruce is lean where many of his opponents are broad. He carries muscle differently and has learned to rely on speed and endurance instead of brute force. He's careful about the clothing he wears, choosing soft, harmless looking knits- high collars and long sleeves. It's the reason he'd seem more at home on a yacht than even a sporting event.]

But who could forget a man with a hook? Talk about a memorable first impression.

Useless? No one's completely useless. I bet you have some qualities that would help you in a fight. Not that I'm going to test that but I bet they're there.

( just use your sense of humor, bruce. )

A hook would make quite the first impression but it would also be a pain, wouldn't it? Imagine having an itch and you go to scratch and you end up cutting your face.

[Changing the subject might be the only way to disentangle himself from the association, and Bruce has been careful about the way he frames himself while he's been here. To be perceived with less scrutiny. The last thing he wants is to start a dialogue about personal abilities. He suspects that Ambrose is very good at getting people to talk about themselves.

He lifts his other hand instead, wiggling the fingers demonstratively.]

Well I wouldn't have two hooks! Though I suppose I'd have to become ambidextrous.

Maybe it's too much work after all.

I could probably create you some sort of magical appendage. I don't know if it would work well or if it would be particularly attractive but I bet I could get something going on.

( just say no to that idea, bruce. )

Or we could just go with you not losing any limbs at all. That might be the best bet.

[He likes control too much to sign off on something like that, so maybe that's in everybody's best interest. Bruce's hands lower once more in a theatrical, whole body sigh.]

You have no sense of adventure.

Oh, I have plenty of adventure but I'm also not a fan of lost limbs.

( ew gross. )

And I think you like your appendages all in one place as well. Call me crazy but I think you do.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

INTRO LOG: OCTOBER

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