EVENT LOG: LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

[inthenightmods]

EVENT LOG:
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT

characters: everyone.
location: around town.
date/time: november 5-7.
content: use that bonfire!
warnings: n/a. please cw tags appropriately.

maybe we can bring back the light

Shortly after Robin's network post, a magnificent display of fireworks will start to launch from the lighthouse! They're odd-looking, though, given that they glow but don't cast light. But still cool to watch! The best place to view the show is at the beach, but some of the bigger explosions can be seen just over the treetops from town, and they can certainly be heard from all over Beacon. Exciting! Maybe! Robin sure thinks so! The fireworks will continue for a couple of hours before a very colorful grand finale, after which the lighthouse beam will shine red again for the duration of the event.

Meanwhile, back in town, Rastus has set up a magnificent display of his own. Torches are set up in a wide circle around the bonfire (which looks a bit less bright, given how many torches he's pulled from it), ready for the taking. You don't even have to talk to him first! He's lingering nearby, though, and... has looked more excited about things in the past. This is gonna be a bookkeeping nightmare, he can tell.

In any case, the torches are free for the taking, but do remember to report any torch movement to the event header on the item requests page. Don't let Rastus's fears become reality!

QUICKNAV
comms	|	network • logs • memes • ooc
pages	|	rules • faq • taken • mod contact • player contact • calendar • setting • exploration • item requests • full nav

Comments

Bucky/Soldat | OTA (CW for first prompt: PTSD, minor WW2 flashbacks)

[worthallthis]

I. Not A Fan Of Fireworks CW: PTSD, minor WW2 flashbacks

The word "fireworks" doesn't actually bring up any obvious associations for the Soldier, so they wander down to the beach at the requested time, curious.

Turns out that's a bad idea. The fireworks may not generate any actual carrying light, but they are still basically explosions, and they make both a lot of noise and a lot of smoke. Veterans of various wars often don't mix well with that sort of thing. Even the colors, in this case, make things worse.

The first bloom of fireworks gets a flinch, the second a low-pitched but wordless whine of both voice and servos in the metal arm, and the third has the Soldier covering its head with both arms, metal and flesh. When one explodes in blue, the Soldier outright bolts back for the nearest building, which in this case is the church. And there they'll stay until the show is over, huddled on the floor between the pews, mentally reliving disjointed pieces of several battles in swift succession.


II. But a Fan of Light

Given some time to calm down, and the end of the show, the Soldier takes it slow on their way to the bonfire to collect a torch. Robin said it would help to spread the light around, and Aziraphale does like to read.... It smiles just faintly at Rastus, then carts its prize back across town to Miner's Castle circle, and installs the new light in front of Aziraphale and Crowley's house, where it can shine through the front window into the living room and kitchen.

Not inside, of course. That would make it a lot harder to see out, and clock any potential threats. But this is still more light than they had before.

After that, satisfied that their housemates will have better light for reading and working and making out or whatever else they do, it circles the village and surrounds, not quite a patrol, to see what everyone else has done with the torches.

1

[callada]

The fireworks are stunning, Rosinante thinks. Not like anything he's seen before. He's perfectly familiar with explosives - well-trained in them, uses them regularly on assignments, and is a little bummed out he only has the one grenade remaining in his pack. He's always thought them to be dramatic, but never beautiful. Not like this.

But he catches movement out of the corner of his eye while watching the display. Is that - yes, that's Soldat, bolting for the church. Concerned, he lingers a moment longer at the shore, but then follows. On arriving at the church, he sees the figure barely visible among the pews, and knocks on the frame to announce his entry. He's familiar enough with the difficulties of soldiers to have a feeling as to what's going on, and doesn't want to take him by surprise.

"Hey. It's Rosinante. You all right?" he asks quietly as he steps forward into the room.

[worthallthis]

There's a clank of metal on wood as the Soldier twitches in surprise and the arm bangs onto a pew, but then the familiar head peeks up over the back of the pew, takes in who it is and where he is, then sinks back down to put its head in its hands, still sitting on the floor. (Not even thinking about pronouns at the moment. There are still explosions playing in its brain. That's too distracting.)

"Not really. Will be later." A pause, then a little more quietly, "Probably."

[callada]

He takes stock of the situation. Soldat is cowering, looking for cover in the nearest safe place even though there's logically no threat. The explosions bringing back waking nightmares aren't new to him in concept and rather than ask what he can do, he simply does.

With a muttered "Silent" and a snap of his fingers, a faintly blue-tinted bubble emerges, centered on his hand, which then expands to fill the room. The explosions, the chatter and oohs and aaws, all sound outside the church itself ceases. Rosinante sits on top of a pew with his feet on the seat and looks toward the altar, rather than staring at Soldat.

"Better?"

[worthallthis]

There's a pause, then another peek above the pew a moment later. The Soldier still looks a little wild-eyed, but at least mostly present. Things are still shaky inside its brain, but there's nothing outside making it worse. "You. Yes. What did you do."

[callada]

"Sound barrier. Everything outside can't get through it," he says, casting a sideways glance toward Soldat for a brief moment as he moves.

He's sparing with his ability, but after months here, he's no longer so secretive about it. It has come in useful a good few times to shelter private conversations, or to help him and Mary sleep through whatever passes for night here. It feels good to be able to use his abilities openly, to help someone suffering.

ii

[onlyeverdoubted]

Edgy himself but as collected as he ever gets, Bodhi is taking himself on a bit of a tour. He's entirely too shy to move any torches himself. No doubt the instructions were for people who've lived here a while (is lived the right verb?) and know what they're doing. But the town does look just a little different by the light of more than his little lantern. Knowing full well he doesn't care much for fireworks, he's been staying busy on a slow, ambling stroll, focusing hard on just taking in the landscape.

Soldat already registers as one of the few verifiably friendly presences, which says a lot about Bodhi, perhaps. He's comprehensible and seems to have only good intentions. And the arm is sort of intriguing. No one would wear such an obvious prosthetic openly at home. Cybernetic augmentation is so widely perceived as... icky. He has to admire the confidence it must take. So he looks up in the soldier's direction if not exactly in the eye and nods. "Hello."

[worthallthis]

See, this is why you're considered a relatively safe guy, Bodhi. No eye contact right off the bat. Good job. The Soldier glances his direction, right back, from where they're making sure the torch they placed is at a good angle for lighting up both the living room and kitchen of Aziraphale and Crowley's cabin, and even has a little smile in greeting. (Not a big one; big smiles are like big guns, and only come out when absolutely necessary-- usually on accident.) "Hey. Did you get a torch?"

Not everyone did, but it's worth an ask. Also, what is small talk? Getting straight to the point is better.

[onlyeverdoubted]

Bodhi's not an easy smiler, and he doesn't return that one at the moment. "N-no, I didn't think I... I've been fine." Clearly it'd make life easier, but it's just as clear that things are fine as they are for him. He's already got a house and there seem to be plenty of those. He certainly doesn't need some of a finite quantity of usable light.

[worthallthis]

It's okay, smiling isn't necessary. The Soldier only really started figuring them out a month in, or so. "You can still take one if you want," they say. "Share it with your neighbors. Which house are you staying at?" Because they remember he'd chosen a house near the trees. Sharing a torch with the house to either side would be easy, and might make Bodhi feel less like he's taking something selfish. (Case in point, the Soldier taking one for Aziraphale and Crowley, not itself.)

[onlyeverdoubted]

"Um, it said... Miner's Castle on the street?" He's completely innocent of the fact that he's so near Soldat. He hasn't exactly settled in confidently, and the little one-room cabin hasn't changed much from when it was empty. Bodhi is not very good at occupying spaces in a way that makes them his own.

Rosinante | OTA

[callada]

1. Clumsy

"Want to come for a walk?"

Rosinante is hefting a torch, and gives it an experimental toss. It sure would be cool if he caught it by the lower half, as if practiced in torch-juggling. Instead, he reaches to catch it and the burning side strikes him in the palm. Alarmed, he jerks his hand back and squeaks with pain as the torch falls to the ground.

Reassuring, isn't it?

2. Fireworks

The show is absolutely stunning. Nothing like he's ever seen before. Rosinante lies on the pebble-covered shore with his hands behind his head and a cigarette in his mouth, staring up at the sky.

"How do you suppose they make them so colorful?" he asks to whoever is nearby.

2

[scarsolderthanyou]

Stone hasn't seen anything like it, either. He's sitting, rather than laying, because the ground is cold and he's a frail old man (damn aging), but he's watching fairly avidly himself. It's far enough away that he can actually see it clearly, which is amazing these days. Occasionally one of the louder ones will make his hands twitch, like they might have claws and might want to swipe at something, but mostly he's just enjoying the show.

"Magic?" he guesses. "That's what they'd do on my world. If they did anything like this anywhere on my world. We have fire guns and flying boats, but not colored explosions, that I know of."

[callada]

"Mm." He's thoughtful a moment. It's not the response he had hoped for, but admittedly it's one he had expected.

"Is that how things are in your world, then? Enough magic where if you don't know how something works, 'magic' is a good answer for everything?"

After months here, he's becoming sort of torn on this particular topic. Magic is interesting, but it's also kind of a letdown when used to explain anything at all, as if no deeper understanding is needed. It seems dismissive, rather than engaging.

[scarsolderthanyou]

"I'm a shapeshifter, my people live in a giant sentient tree, and I've sired two mentors who regularly got visions of the future," Stone says, sounding vaguely amused. "There was a magister I knew who could make people invisible, and another who could make rocks open like flowers. Magic is a perfectly reasonable answer."

[callada]

Yeah, okay, fine. He can't really argue, even though he finds himself frowning in the dim lantern light.

"Yeah, I guess. Not sure if it's the same here or not. These must have come in on the ferry. Could've been made in another world."

Which is wild to think about, but it's what Robin had confirmed in her latest series of messages to them all. Everything they ask for comes from some other distant corner of the universe. It would be hard to accept if he hadn't already come to terms with being dead and now reanimated with his soul, or something like it, trapped in a lantern.

"Have you asked Rastus to deliver you anything since you've been here?"

[scarsolderthanyou]

Damn right, he can't argue. Stone doesn't know much about science, sadly, but he's seen a lot of magic. The only science he's really been involved with had been designed to destroy an entire species, and had been falling apart anyway, it was so old.

"No, there's not really anything I need. Besides fresh meat, and that comes anyway." He can't very well ask for live animals to hunt. Even though that would be great. He glances aside at Rosinante, brows up. "Have you?"

1

[lunchbreaks]

Aziraphale is laughing along with Rosinante up until the point where he isn't.

"Rosinante!" he exclaims, coming over to inspect his hand. "Do be careful, please. Are you alright?" If allowed, he'd take Rosinante's hand into both of his and apply a little healing, which wouldn't heal him all the way but at least get him through the painful bits of a burn.

[callada]

"Fine," he says almost automatically, but before he can continue to brush it off as nothing, he watches, mystified, as Aziraphale takes his hand and the bright red mark of the burn fades slightly, taking some of the sting with it.

"That's... Wow. Thanks," he comments, as he turns his hand to inspect it, then stoops to pick up the torch. "Just like that, huh?" Not fully fixed, but obviously better. Magical healing! From an actual angel!

"You know, used to burn myself all the time at home. Harder to do that here. I coulda used your help," he says, smiling. Never in his life would he have thought an actual guardian angel might be a real kind of thing.

[lunchbreaks]

"Yes, well, I wasn't really allowed to do this kind of thing at home," he responds, shyly. He won't tell Rosinante that he used to be much better at it-- fixing broken bones, getting rid of burns. Bringing anything back from the dead was honestly quite trivial to do.

"It would have upset God's plans, I think. So... I like to use them here as much as I can," he answers. "To help." He inspects Rosinante's hand one more time and then smiles up at him -- all the way up -- and goes to retrieve the torch.

[callada]

"Well, I appreciate it," he says, then turns to resume walking and gestures for Aziraphale to follow. He has plans for this torch, but they can talk about mysterious god plans along the way.

"Good to know, too. It seems we've been short on medics and doctors of any sort since we lost our first two."

[lunchbreaks]

"Did we? Who were they?" he asks, blinking. "And I'm-- really not a doctor by any stretch of the imagination. Used to be a better healer, it's this place," he explains.

He keeps going, wanting to see where Rosinante wanted their walk to go.

Jo Harvelle | OTA

[knifecollecting]

Headed to the beach/At the show
[Jo isn't completely sure she wants to see what kind of thing is waiting for them at the beach, but when the fireworks start before she reaches the sand, she smiles and takes off running.

Yes, she went out in an explosion, but she's always loved fireworks. There's too many happy memories for her to not enjoy the show, even if this version of fireworks is weird.

She keeps looking at the crowd instead of the fireworks, expecting to see everyone's faces.]


After the show
[Jo has been hesitant to take torches for herself because of how the fire seems to work here, but if they're being encouraged to distribute the torches...

She ends up taking two, one to leave along the path to the Village to make it easier to travel between the areas, the other for her small cabin.

Sometimes the dark feels so oppressive despite her small lantern. She hopes the torch will help. It won't make her feel less lonely, but she'll enjoy being able to see in her house.]

after the show

[hext]

[ wanda has already lit some candles in her room at the inn, but she feels heartened to know that even more light distribution is encouraged — if concerned about the finite nature spoken of the bonfire, itself. still, if the 'authorities' feel it's safe, perhaps they can go with it, for now. she takes an extra torch for the practice grounds, and one for her home, the latter of which she can easily take into the forest as needed.

just up ahead, walking back, she spies someone else with two torches — like minds, perhaps. the extra light reveals blonde hair and a familiar figure, for once. she speeds up, just a little. ]

Jo, isn't it?

Re: after the show

[knifecollecting]

[Jo isn't used to hearing her name here, but she pauses to look back, smiling after a moment.]

Hello. [She searches her memory for a moment and squints.]

I'm sorry. I can't remember your name.