EVENT LOG: LOSE YOUR SOUL

[inthenightmods]

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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Comments

Elizabeth ; closed prompts

[isochrone]

for Javert;
She hadn't had the charm on her necklace for very long, but what it represented - the first thing she'd been able to get for herself, a pretty symbol of her brand new freedom - was important to her. But it was small, and easily overlooked, so in addition to searching for it herself, she was also asking others.

"Excuse me sir," she greeted Javert. "You haven't by chance come across a blue and white necklace, have you?"

for Eliot;
Of all the things to lose, her boot was definitely one of the most aggravating. Her thimble and her necklace, they were personal to her and she wanted them back, but not having them didn't hamper her in any way. Her missing footwear on the other hand (or other foot).

And it was cold. The ground was damp, the temperature of Beacon chill, and she was seriously contemplating finding a stand-in shoe and hobbling around with mismatched gear until she could find it. But for the moment, she was standing unevenly in the front of the Invincible, wracking her brain for anywhere else she could go to search for her missing items.

for Kol;
The little fox ocarina was perfectly darling, and she'd never seen anything like it before. Turning it carefully over in her hands, Elizabeth finds herself smiling and tracing the curves of the instrument. It was almost like something you'd give a child, she thought. But there weren't very many children here in Beacon (she was glad, for that) so that wasn't a reliable search parameter.

So she started carrying it around in the little bag she'd fashioned, hoping to find it's owner. Those she ran across got the same question: "Excuse me, are you missing anything still?"

[policier]

"So it would seem." Javert may be able to recognize most of the people in Beacon by appearance, but when it comes to clothing, and jewelry, he pays far less attention than he should. He had found the necklace while he was out on patrol. It had shimmered in the glint of his lantern light, and he's been keeping it safe ever since.

He reaches into his greatcoat, and draws the necklace out for her to see. It looks just as it was when it was taken from her, without an additional scratch or tarnish on it.

"I assume the spirits took it from you?"

[isochrone]

In deference to Javert, the population of Beacon seemed to be constantly changing and growing every month, so keeping tabs on everyone's small details like that surely has to be a moving goalpost, as it were.

When he withdraws her necklace, Elizabeth's expression brightens like a sunrise. "Oh, you found it! Yes, one moment I was wearing it and then it was just gone like it hadn't even been there!"

[policier]

Javert hums in response, his face as impassive as ever. In an undertone, he says, "Perhaps the spirits are more clever than I thought."

And then he offers the necklace out to her, holding it in his gloved hand as he wonders, "Or perhaps you were preoccupied, and did not notice?" There's no harm in daydreaming — Javert does it plenty enough himself.

[isochrone]

"They're certainly more cheeky," Elizabeth agrees lightly, smiling at him.

When he asks if she was otherwise distracted, she's gracious enough to accept that as a very real possibility. "I certainly could have been," she admitted. "It's easy to get lost in your thoughts here."

[policier]

"Because it is dull?" He doesn't know if that's what she means, but that's certainly the case for Javert. There isn't enough for him to do, even with all the patrolling and surveillance that he does, there's still far too much time for him to be lost in his thoughts.

He grumbles, "That seems to be a problem of mine, as well."