logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: JULY

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: july 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. winters, will, and rastus introduce themselves and explain the situation.
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.

•••
Winters and Will are waiting for you on the beach. Winters flags you down from where he's standing atop a large rock, surveying the gathering crowd. Will stands next to him, though he's monkeying with his tablet and looks rather bored. He barely looks up as Winters speaks:

"First thing's first: I'm sorry you're here. There's no easy way to break this news, so let's just get it over with, hm? You're dead. Or, ah, you've died. Call this the afterlife if you want, or don't if that ain't your thing, but point is, you're here 'cause you died. Those are the facts.

This world's dead, too. You've noticed by now it's pretty dark, yeah? That's 'cause there's no life here, not anymore. And that lantern you've got? That's your life, so to speak. The flame goes out, you die, and vice versa. Keep it close. Should be easy enough to remember on account of how the sun don't rise. You'll need something to see by.

This place is called Beacon, and that's Lake Red Jacket. Town's 'bout a mile down the road, and we've got a bonfire there, but that's the only other light you'll see in this place. Save for the moon and all, though the sky won't do you much good out in the woods. I'll let Rastus explain the bonfire to y'all.

Ah, right. I'm Ben Winters—Winters'll do—and this here's Will Ingr— What? For christ's sake, Dr. Will Ingram. Likes to think he's the brains of the operation, as you can see. If you've got questions about these tablets, he's your guy. Rastus tends to the fire, and you'll find him in town. He's married to his job in a way. And you may never've seen a person like him back wherever you came from, but don't make a big fuss over it. He's a nice fellow. Mind your manners.

The three of us are leftovers from past resets. We came here on that ferry just like you, but it's just us left now. 'Sides the Lighthouse Keeper, but it'll be a bit before you get to meet her. She's got control over the town, see, and if she ain't satisfied with a group's performance, they get the axe. Town gets reset. If she pulls a reset on you folks, a couple of you might end up like me and Will here, giving this speech to the next crop."

The red beam of the lighthouse pulses over the group, over the trees. Winters glances up to watch it swing out over the bay.

"But don't hold it against her. Ain't her fault we're in this mess, and we've all got a job to do, including you.

For now, concentrate on accepting your lot, yeah? We're here to answer your questions, but we ain't gonna tell you all there is to know just yet. Some things are best learned on your own, and some of it we just don't want to saddle you with yet. There's a limit to how long we can stay here safely, that's true, but thing is, we do got time. Time enough to play this smart. Do better than the folks before us did. Settle in, make peace, explore a bit if you're up for it. Use these first couple weeks to come to grips. You ain't gonna be any good to the town if you don't sort yourself out before worrying about what comes next.

So listen up: You're dead. You died. Whatever your old life was, it's done now. None of us can go back, so all we've got is forward. Welcome to Beacon. Could be worse, yeah?"

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! For this intro log, all three NPCs will be available for chatting with, whether your character wants to make casual conversation or ask questions about all this. The headers on each NPC toplevel are there for easy reference as to what each of them are responsible for, but you're welcome to go to any NPC for whatever reason. You're welcome to assume your character has overheard any NPC conversation to learn more about the game. After the NPC threads have died down, we'll compile the info learned ICly and add it to the game history page. If your character would contribute something specific to the game history records, let us know!

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

The monthly store restock

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of what?

( Javert almost wants to throw his hands out like, it's too dark for you to see anything, you fool. But the man is a master of himself, who usually doesn't let his emotions get the better of him. So he just squints back at the younger man instead, his disbelief and suspicion palpable. Being sassy only makes Javert think even more strongly that Nate's got something to hide. )

I truly doubt you could see anything up there, in this darkness.

[ Having encountered a number of policemen in his lifetime with various questions as to his doings, Nate has acquired a certain manner of speaking with them that one might categorize as "cheeky." His habits in this regard have not changed since he was fifteen, and they never will. ]

I don't know if you're aware-

[ Nate begins conversationally, closing the distance between them in what can only be construed as amusement. ]

But being at a higher elevation lets you see more regardless. [ Lanterns and lamps and the great bonfire. ] What'd you think I was doing up there, burgling?

( Javert crosses his arms over his chest, disapproving of Nate's amusement, and wanting to make himself look more stern and closed off as the other man steps forward. As for what he thinks Nate was doing, )

The thought did cross my mind, yes. I also thought you might have been trying to peep into some lady's window.

( He'll give Nate a chance to deny that assumption, but either way, seeing him climb up a building was pretty suspicious. )

[ Javert does an excellent impression of a brick wall, one Nate might commend if not for the fact that he is suddenly blindsided by the accusation that he was scrambling around on rooftops for the express purpose of being a Peeping Tom.

He isn't so hard up for action quite yet. ]

Are those my only options? Stealing or voyeurism?

( Well, there is one other option, but it's not as exciting — to Javert. )

I suppose you could have been up there to stargaze. Or sight see. Or whatever fool reason you mentioned earlier.

( He still seems a little suspicious, but seeing as he has no real evidence against Nate, it doesn't seem right to keep tormenting him about it. Which is a shame, because Javert does so like interrogating people. )

Next time, why don't you just take the stairs.

Get a better view?

[ He supplies helpfully, because apparently the only sheriff in town - barring Raylan, whose "enforcement" is by comparison very lax - is intent on making sure that Nate knows police presence is a constant.

Fine with him - it's more fun to be a pain where there's someone there to yell at you for it. ]

Besides, most of these buildings weren't constructed with roof access. [ He adds, reaching back into the bag at his hip. ] I was drawing. You need proof?

Perhaps there's a reason for that.

( This man is going to be an incessant thorn in his side, Javert can already tell. Normally, he wouldn't have any interest in what anyone does during their free time, but since Nate is offering, and Javert is intent on gathering whatever information he can about the man, he nods. His arms unfold from his chest and he extends his hand. )

I will take you at your word. Though I would still like to see what you have drawn.

[ Nate shrugs a little, in mild resignation, as he pulls out the black leather sketchbook. He flips a couple dozen pages in to some of the material he's written and drawn on Beacon, and passes it over to him. ]

Knock yourself out.

( He's not going to go through the whole thing, at least. Just whatever pages he has on Beacon, which he stares at for several moments, committing them to memory before handing it back over. )

You sure are quite intent on gathering information.

( The comment's not meant to sound judgmental. Javert's actually secretly impressed, he just doesn't want to admit it. )

I mean it, though. You should be more careful.

[ Nate's shoulders rise and fall in another shrug, acknowledging his proclivity toward the gathering of information. It's a habit at this point, something he does on instinct and impulse rather than by explicit choice. ]

I can be detailed-oriented.

[ When the mood strikes. ]

And, uh...I'm not gonna promise to be more careful, but. Does it help knowing I've been doing this since I was a kid? Kind of an old hat at it, now.

That behavior is hardly unusual for a child. The fact that you have yet to grow out of it just goes to show how foolish you are.

( And he doesn't mean it in a mean way. His tone actually makes it sound more exasperated than anything. It is foolish, but not illegal, so Javert doesn't have any reason to scold him further about it. )

I should get back.

( He says, looking back down the street, off in the direction where he was patrolling before he saw Nate climbing the building. )

Edited 2019-08-13 21:56 (UTC)

INTRO LOG: JULY

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