In the Night Moderators (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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logsinthenight2019-10-30 05:46 pm
inthenightmods) wrote in logsinthenight2019-10-30 05:46 pm
EVENT LOG: LOSE YOUR SOUL
EVENT LOG:
LOSE YOUR SOUL
characters: everyone.
location: bonfire square, around town.
date/time: october 30-31.
content: the spirits stage a play! and then the thefts begin...
warnings: none. just mischief.
you're gonna lose your soul tonight, tonight
It's probably something you're used to by now: waking up to some new, strange thing suddenly appearing somewhere around town. This time it's a ramshackle stage sitting prominently in the center of the square. It's complete with benches and a haggard-looking red curtain, and it's clear by the amount of forest spirits milling and fussing around it that they're the ones responsible. For most of the day, the spirits seem concerned only with attracting as many people as possible, trying to herd them into the seats. But as the moon rises, the performance finally begins.
There's an awkward shuffling behind the curtain before it lifts, revealing a very crude set made of actual branches used as trees. Various pieces of junk have been shined up and stuck to the back wall to serve as the night sky. In the midst of it all stand several spirits holding very small torches taken from the Bonfire. Sticks, really, placed inside empty cans with holes punched in them and rusted wires for handles. These spirits wave their "lanterns" about for the benefit of the audience before miming the act of walking across the stage without actually going anywhere. From somewhere above them, a pair of long arms descends to shake the "trees" on either side; seems the Postmaster General wanted to lend their talents to the cause.
The protagonists of this pantomime talk amongst themselves, in the chirps, hoots, and whistles that make up their language. They motion to one another, pointing at things and conferring before finally nodding and, apparently, continuing on whatever "journey" they're supposed to be on. This goes on for a few minutes before another set of players enter the stage— or at least reveal themselves.
Perhaps a few eagle-eyed viewers have spotted them already, but the second group of spirits pops out of the set itself. One detaches itself from a "tree", one drops from the poorly-painted sky, and two more emerge from where they've been hiding behind the foliage. These spirits are holding prop lanterns, too, though theirs are shielded, giving off very little light. But their most notable feature is that they're wearing animal masks; a deer, a fox, a raccoon, and a rabbit for the tallest one. These aren't the masks that make up their faces, they're extras, seemingly tied on over their own.
As the second group jumps up, the first reacts with emphatic shock, and then a brief scuffle ensues. In the chaos, the animal-masked spirits make off with the others' lanterns, dashing away and off the stage. The original few begin to wail, to writhe, to clutch at their throats, and then, ultimately, to fall very over-dramatically to the floor. Other spirits sneak out to drag them out of view, but that isn't quite the end of the performance.
A spirit dressed in a cloak and garish feathers stomps onto the stage with a wooden beak affixed to its face. In one hand it holds a full-sized torch as it waves its fake wing-arms around and tries to squawk. Suddenly, the masked— double masked? spirits arrive again, grabbing the feathered creature, snatching the torch, and tossing the poor feathered spirit to the ground. Victorious, they hoot loudly, and then rush offstage once more. (Probably to return those torches before Rastus has a fit.)
Finally, the Postmaster General, done with their role as the entire set, unfurls a banner from the eaves. Clearly courtesy of the Librarian, it reads, in smeared black paint: BWAR FIRE SNACTHERS!!! with two X-ed out bonfires on either side.
And... that's it, apparently. The forest spirits all gather back on stage to bow before starting to dismantle the set. But their strange cautionary tale isn't over, oh no. It's time for a more personal demonstration. They've got to send home the message. Literally.
Throughout the night and the following day, things start to go missing. Perhaps even out of their owner's hands. Chase the spirits down for your stuff, hold someone else's things for ransom, or just break down and cry in your room because life is unfair— the choice is yours! Just let this be a reminder to heed what the spirits said: beware the Fire Snatchers.
Whatever those are.
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no subject
Small, maybe this high. Long legs. Lots of spines, all over, like a mane or a coat.
[It doesn't know the word for porcupine or it would say that.]
Thought stealing a grenade was funny. That shit's dangerous.
no subject
... I know you are not talking about a porcupine.
[But okay. He can work with that.]
Be careful with the gernade. Got it.
no subject
Noctis gets a curious side-eye.]
What's a porcupine?
1/2
[But right now he has some rascally forest spirits to go hunt down.]
no subject
Of course when he comes back he. Might have a few twigs sticking out of his hair. Maybe some dirt on his face. And is that a cut on his cheek?
Oh well. Because as soon as he finds Bucky he randomly starts pulling things out of Armiger.]
Couldn't find the grenade but pretty sure all these are yours. [He hands over five different knives - and honestly even if they're not yours, just keep them.
But most importantly, he pulls out the tablet and offers it up.]
I had to warp into a tree and then pounce on the poor guy to get this back. Pretty sure it's scarred for life now.
no subject
And recovery of the first knife makes it hard to keep back and out of sight. It wants that knife. (How is this kid better at finding our shit than we are? Shut up and be glad we're getting our shit back, Sergeant. If Noctis wants to find it for us, we can let him. Rather we found it ourselves.)
It does lose track of the kid a time or two, particularly when he does that warping thing. It's hard to track people who don't leave footprints. By the time Noctis has decided he's finished, the Soldier is back where Noctis found it, looking less disgruntled. Maybe even a little eager. Just a little.
And then it stares at things popping out of literally nowhere.]
How are you doing that.
no subject
As to where he's suddenly pulling all of these things from;]
It's kind of hard to explain.
no subject
That doesn't sound like an awkward explanation, maybe just a difficult one. The Soldier resists the urge to snatch the knives, resists the additional urge to actually hug the damn tablet. It wants to do both those things, though.]
Magic, then?
[The Soldier has no magic, but it does swiftly make those knives disappear in various places around its clothing.]
no subject
[Like to store fishing gear. And camera equipment. And apparently vegetables if you're Ignis.]
no subject
[A magical place to store knives, guns, and extra ammo. That would have made the Soldier even more deadly in the field. Wow.
Kind of terrifying to imagine, actually.
Knives all put away, tablet securely tucked into its clothing as well, it can finally relax a little. Noctis can probably even discern that some of the grumpy air, the tension in its shoulders, dissolves away. Which means it can finally do the polite thing and say,]
Thank you.
no subject
No problem. [There are certain things he absolutely couldn't bear to lose. And if any of them were taken, he'd want someone to do the same for him.] What are friends for?
no subject
Is that what I am? To you?
[Friends are rare things. Aren't they? You don't just decide to be friends with someone because you got them a pirate costume and they told you they crashed a ferry. Do you?]
no subject
Yeah. What else would you be?
no subject
[The Soldier looks a little lost, this time, looking away.]
Aren't friends. Special?
[When you hadn't had a friend for seventy years, and only remembered one from before that... they did take on kind of a special feeling to them.]
no subject
[Okay, so he only ever really had one that wasn't picked out for him.]
But I think of you as a friend.
no subject
It finally says,]
I'm still learning what that's like. Being a friend. But I'll try to be a good one.
no subject
I think you'll do fine.
no subject
Do I need to remind you that I am not fun.
[This is the Soldier's attempt at a joke.]
no subject
no subject
[True, several of them actually belong in various hiding places around the house, but still. The Soldier has a lot of knives. And now that it has some back, and its music, it's feeling a lot better about life. Enough to joke a little more.]
You're the first person I've met who thinks knives are fun.
[A pointed pause, then it adds,]
Besides me.
no subject
Yeah, well. Most people are pretty boring.
[And then, because he just can't help himself.]
You should show me what you can do with them sometime.
no subject
One of the knives come back out, flipping once in its hand, and then it flies neatly to the Soldier's left, spins three times in the air, and buries itself halfway to the hilt in the wood of one of the A-frame beams of the cabin the Soldier shares with Aziraphale and Crowley.]
That. Among other things.
no subject
Impressive. But can you do that with a sword?
no subject
[The closest thing it has is the narrow knife almost as long as its forearm, but that's still not a sword. Also not really great for throwing, though it could in a pinch. It heads back over to the porch to collect the knife.]
no subject
[Said like he hasn't been extensively trained on how to use firearms. He just prefers magic and blades.
Speaking of blades, the one that he pulls out of Armiger is insane.]
Want to give it a go?
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