logsinthenight | EVENT LOG: ENTER MR. SANDMAN (DREAMERS)

Entry tags:

EVENT LOG: ENTER MR. SANDMAN (DREAMERS)

characters: all characters that signed up as a dreamer for the event.
location: dreamland feat. beacon of the past.
date/time: november 16-29.
content: the dreamers investigate beacon as it once was.
warnings: psychological/existential horror. further cws will arise depending on the location; mods will cw tags appropriately, and you will too!

say your prayers, little one.

Hello, dreamers. Welcome to Beacon.

Below, each group has a toplevel ready and waiting for the investigation to begin. Feel free to tag in however to establish a tag order, and mod responses will begin once each character has tagged in. If you need a refresher on how the event will work, give the OOC info another read!

As for those of you in the ~~sin bin~~ opt out area...

The Beacon of the past isn't all too different from the Beacon of the present, frankly, except for a few notable exceptions. For one, it's far better lit: daylight leaves everything feels a lot brighter and more sensible than eternal night does. Several advertisements for community theater in the Invincible are hung up (Tryouts for the Ice Man Cometh! Cometh try your luck!) and minor lost and found posters are tacked to a community bulletin board nearby. Oh, and a merry little tune is playing on loop from a record player set up outside the Invincible.

It's cheerful, if not a little off-putting. But the signs of life are clear, even if the forest still looks darkly oppressive over yonder.

Additionally, since investigation threads 1) rely on mod responses, and 2) will likely move on the slow side given the nature of the event/size of the groups, if you would like to have your characters "mingle" in their assigned location, please feel free to write your own toplevels! We ask that you post them as separate toplevels not in response to the mod toplevels (so our inboxes don't get super flooded/we don't accidentally miss stuff). Remember that groups may only interact with each other during the event, but you're welcome to assume timey-wimey shenanigans to excuse why your characters are mingling instead of searching for clues—they do have two weeks in this dream, technically, and dreams are not always linear. If your investigation thread has not yet progressed to a point in which you've got enough of a handle on the setting to write a separate mingle starter, ask the mod you're working with! We'll fill you in on some OOC details so you can mingle accordingly while still allowing for characters to discover those details ICly in the investigation thread.

If you're still jonesing for more threading action during the event, we encourage you to check out the TDM!

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[Buildings have a feeling, as everyone knows. Certain places just exude an atmosphere of oppression the instant you walk in (a DMV being a good example). Creepiness is another common one. It's not any one thing, but rather just a sixth sense feeling, and one that you'd often do well to pay mind. Your unconscious mind knows more than your conscious one, and when you feel as though you shouldn't enter a place, well, maybe you shouldn't.

The library feels loved.

It's overwhelmingly soothing, and yet it's hard to say why. Are the shelves cleaner? The darkness less oppressive? One can see at least one remarkable change: it's brightly lit. Someone clever had set multiple torches around the place and amplified their light through cunning use of glass and mirrors, so the library almost feels as though it's lit up by daylight.

It isn't, of course, but still.

The reason for these changes remains to be seen. But at odds with all this cheer, a note of dissonance: a sobbing, loud and ugly, coming from the distance.]

[ Elizabeth hasn't been in Beacon for that long, comparatively, but she thought she'd had the general measure of the place by now. Seeing the town in stark daylight, having it feel somehow alive in a way that it hadn't in the dark both intrigues and exhilarates her.

And it's a little frightening, if she's honest. But she's never let that stop her before.

It's not any wonder that she drifts toward the library. Her whole life has been about books, and books have given her nearly everything she knows, they're familiar and comforting. The feeling of the library, when she touches the door handle and steps just onto the threshold, she wants to take that feeling of it being loved and carry it around with her for so long as she is in Beacon, day or night.

But she lingers on the steps of the library building, turning this way and that, brushing her brown hair back in curls behind her ears, trying to locate the exact source of the sobbing. It's so out of place that it can't be ignored. ]

Do you hear that as well?

[ even in life, elektra had always taken better to the dark and the night, and in an odd way the town's been easier to navigate in the darkness. beacon suddenly being fully illuminated is disorienting and her eyes have to adjust to it, metaphorically and literally. she stands out among the bright background, dark hair and dark clothing setting her apart. as her vision adjusts, trying to take in the details all at once, the torches still in place around the library end up drawing her attention, especially as she sees another woman approaching its steps.

and there's something more, something that shocks her into full alertness as she becomes aware of it - the sound of crying. her posture tenses and her eyes narrow; this place has tricked her with that sound before.

she stands, walking brusquely to meet the woman on the steps, and she nods in response to her question. ]

Yes. If you're trying to find it, you're gonna need backup.

[ which it looks like she's volunteering as. hi elizabeth, nice to meet you. ]

[ Coraline can’t See. Not like usual anyways. So many blind spots, so many unknowns. It’s honestly slightly terrifying to think how much she’s grown to rely on her… other way of sight to navigate Beacon, and now it’s been significantly diminished. All because of this… this light. How the fuck did she even get here? She was at the feast… right?

She blinks, her eyes slowly adjusting to the sudden brightness, 2 silhouettes slowly coming into focus. Kind of. She’s definitely squinting through her sunglasses… she doesn’t really recognize them? Seen them around, but that’s about it. And is… is one of them crying? Or is it laughter?

She shuffles out of the shadows she found herself in, towards the 2. ]

Uh… are you guys ok? What’s going on?

[It's most definitely sobbing, long and broken up by the occasional gasp. Whomever it is either doesn't realize they're being overheard or doesn't care, because the cries are ugly, full of sniffling and soft whimpers of words.]

. . . -t fair it's not fair I didn't do anything I didn't do anything--

[It seems to be coming deep between the shelves.]

[ If Elizabeth is put off at all by Elektra's blunt statement that she needs assistance, she doesn't show it. She doesn't recognize the other woman, but the whole situation is strange enough that offered help is welcomed regardless of the source, and Elektra will get an appreciative smile. ]

Thank you, miss. I'd like that.

[ The beginning of their search is briefly waylaid by the arrival of Coraline, and Elizabeth can't help but take note of the skittish body language. ]

Yes, we're all right. [ She glances at Elektra for confirmation before returning her attention to Coraline. ]

The crying, it's coming from someone inside the library. We were just about to go in and see if we can help them. Would you like to come? Whoever it is... they sound so distressed. I'm sure there's something we can do.

[ she shouldn't be; it's not meant to imply incompetence, just matter-of-fact. she doesn't know how new the woman is to beacon, but based on their very brief introduction (and what she's just said), she's definitely altruistic enough to want to help someone in distress, which she knows the more malevolent spirits will use to their advantage.

she nods to her and seems about to say something else when another woman approaches them from the shadows, and the struggle with the brightness immediately catches her attention. she doesn't know this woman, either, but the struggle she seems to be having with the town's sudden brightness looks familiar. ]

Yes, we - [ - and then she's cut off by the sudden clarity of what the person crying is saying, their insistence that they didn't do anything. her attention's immediately drawn inside and she narrows her eyes. ]

It may be a trap. [ her eyes fall on elizabeth again as she speaks, then coraline. ] The spirits have done that kind of thing before.

Oh…

[ Well that’s embarrassing. Now that she’s closer… yeah. It’s definitely not either of them making the noise. She fidgets, looking between the two strangers and the source of the sobbing. On one hand, she really doesn’t want to have another encounter with hostile spirits. On the other hand, if someone actually did need help…

Also fuck being left alone in this weird new Beacon. ]

I’ll come along… I mean… if it is a trap, the more the… [ Merrier is not the right term. Shit. ] Better?

[The crying grows louder once they enter into the library. And it's odd, because they open the door, right, and close it behind them-- but the instant they do, there's a pile of furniture there. It's applied haphazardly, but it's clearly meant to stop anyone from getting in.

The sobbing continues. But as they look, sooner or later they'll find a source: a hunched over figure with dark hair, curled over and sobbing into their knees. They're gaunt in a sickly way, skin hanging off them in such a way that suggests they've lost a lot of weight fast.

The figure sniffles and glances up as the three approach.]

Hello . . .?

[Their eyes narrow. They don't seem to see the three.]

[ Elizabeth... really hadn't considered the possibility that it was a trap, and that speaks volumes to her lack of worldly experience. Even with the hazard of it brought up, she has a hard time wrapping her mind around the thought that someone would use such genuine sounding distress to trick them. But she quells whatever misgivings she has and puts as much confidence and assurance into her voice as she can, sounding confident in her words. ]

That's true, but... it's a risk we'll have to take, I believe.

[ Once they're inside the library, she starts a little at the sudden appearance of the furniture blockade against the door, exchanging an uneasy glance with her fellow explorers. Spirit trickery indeed? ]

Oh! How did...? But we just came in through there...

[ But the sobbing hasn't abated, and that's what they're here for, isn't it? The library isn't massive, and when they eventually find the huddled figure, Elizabeth feels both relief at the fact that it is indeed a person, and unease at their sickly appearance. For the moment, it doesn't register to her that the unknown woman doesn't seem to actually be able to focus on the trio. ]

Hello, miss? Are you injured? My name's Elizabeth, and this is...

[ She trails off so as to let the other two introduce themselves and get their reactions on the tableau. ]

I'd have gone with 'strength in numbers', but that works, too.

[ said to coraline just before they enter - and by the looks of the blockade they walk past as they step through the threshold, that's something they shouldn't have been able to do. definitely not a good sign, and elizabeth's wary glance is met with a grim nod that she also exchanges with coraline, though she's not sure whether the latter is able to see it or not.

it's irrelevant as they come across the source of the sobbing, a sickly young woman hunched over, dark hair obscuring the features of her face. the outline of her bones stick out through her skin, visible even through her clothing, and elektra's stomach tightens as they approach her, keeping in mind that this could be a trap, that whatever happened to the woman could also happen to them.

her first companion introduces herself, and elektra looks toward her, her expression a little aghast. forget matthew, this woman's altruism puts captain america to shame. ]

...Elektra. [ she's not sure about this, but if something goes sideways she at least has confidence in her ability to get her companions out of the way. ] What happened to you?

[ it's then that she notices that the woman isn't quite looking at the three of them, just in their general direction. her eyes don't seem to be focused on either her or elizabeth as they speak. elektra takes a careful, slow step back from the figure, stopping in a defensive stance. ]

Edited (wording) 2019-11-23 17:25 (UTC)

Oh yeah! That works wa…. What.

[ She stares at the furniture barricade, wanting to stop and just… stare at it for a hot second. Unfortunately, the other 2 were already moving on, and like hell she’s being left alone in this weird ass place. So she continues, trailing behind them as the crying gets louder and louder.

Please don’t let it be a monster. Please. ]

Oh…

[ Before she could ask if the woman’s okay, Elizabeth is already introducing them. ]

Uh… Coraline…

[ Okay. Now’s her chance. You can follow up Elektra’s question. ]

Are you ok?

[ She asks, unsure why the other’s moving away. ]

[The sniffling doesn't abate, but nor does the figure respond. They stand after a moment, take a slow step forward . . . and pass right through Coraline, breezing through as though she's nothing more than an illusion.]

Hello?

[Nothing. No answer. Or at least: no answer this person can hear. They blink, and their mouth trembles, and it seems as if another round of tears will begin.

And then something . . . odd happens.

It's as if some higher being has suddenly hit fast-forward: the scene changes rapidly, the figure rushing off and disappearing. Lights blink rapidly; if the ladies turn, they'll realize a day-night cycle is happening, over and over, the sun appearing and then disappearing, four, five, six times, eight, ten, twelve . . .

Til it's night again, and there's the sounds of screams, and the figure lies on the ground.

They're gaunt, their cheeks hollow and their eyes sunken deep into their skull. Bones jut out as flesh hangs uselessly, their clothes too big and their lips cracked. Their knuckles are thick and swollen, and there's plenty of books scattered around them. Pages are torn free, ripped and half-destroyed.

The figure stares at nothing. And the longer the ladies watch, the longer they'll realize that what they're looking at isn't a person, but a fresh corpse.

A noise, shuffling and low-- and something turns from around the corner of a shelf. It waddles, a fat, white creature that moves with shocking speed. At least ten feet long and five feet high, it approaches the corpse with a low noise.

And it begins to eat . . .]

[ Watching the figure right there, but unreactive to their presence, was so eerily like watching through one of her Tears that Elizabeth reflexively checked to make certain she hadn't accidentally opened one. It was still disconcerting to watch the figure walk through Coraline, and a soft gasp escaped the young woman, moving toward Coraline in concern to make sure she was all right. ]

Oh... that was...?

[ But then the figure calls out before dashing off, and then suddenly the lights are running amok. Elizabeth whirls toward the window, trying to parse what's happening, when the sudden scream makes her jump and she nearly lets one out herself, choking it off at the last second into a squeak instead.

But then.

For a moment, she doesn't understand what she's looking at. The stillness of the figure on the ground, the slackness of the skin and the absolute sense of wrongness. It's not until the white creature comes and... and... and...

Elizabeth clamps a hand over her mouth, her face going bloodless with alarming speed, but she seems frozen to the spot in abject horror, unable to look away. ]

Edited 2019-11-27 01:30 (UTC)

[ the woman walking through coraline confirms elektra's suspicions that she's not hearing or seeing them, that they're viewing something that's already happened. before she can reach out to either of her companions, the scene changes, light and dark shifting in and out so fast it makes her head spin. and then, just as suddenly as it begins, it stops. and then there's the scream.

the girl from before is lain out on the ground, barely more than a skin covered skeleton now, mouth slack and eyes staring at nothing. and elektra has seen enough death to know what she's become. ]

We need to leave. Now.

[ but before she can make the move to grab either of them and run, the creature comes from out of nowhere, huge and quicker than it should be able to move. and then it starts to feast.

elektra grabs for elizabeth's shoulder, turning her away from the gruesome scene, and takes her hand, running towards coraline to grab hers as well. the fact that the creature is eating the corpse of the girl and hasn't moved towards any of them suggests that it's in the past, too, but she doesn't want to press their luck. ]

Run!

[They race away, and for the moment, the creature doesn't seem intent on chasing them. Which is good! Because now they've got to contend with the shelves.

No matter which way they run, the women will sooner or later find themselves skidding to a halt at the same gory scene they just fled. Take a left, take a right, double back, try to climb the shelves . . . it doesn't matter. They always, always end up stumbling onto the creature, awful wet noises bubbling out of its mouth as it tears at flesh and snaps bone. Until the person's torso is emptied, their intestines slurped down, their lungs torn, their heart chewed upon . . .

And then, just as swiftly as it came, it leaves: heading past one of the shelves and ducking to the left, and then it's just gone.

Best not to go where it goes, huh?

The next time they turn, though, they'll find they actually get somewhere: three, four, five shelves, and then they run into someone. Another spirit.

The creature tears the books off the shelf, frantically opening them and tearing pages out, just to shove them beneath their robes. The frantic noises of eating fill the air.

The Librarian's always hungry, after all.

Edited 2019-12-04 07:46 (UTC)

[ It's a good thing that Elektra has a firm grip on Elizabeth's hand because the younger woman's good senses seem to have completely fled. Especially when it turns out that they cannot escape the scene of the white creature feasting, and the sight and sound are too much for her. Elizabeth sinks to wobbly knees, coughing on bile that burns her throat, a breathy whimper escaping her. Some logical part of her knows that she should pull herself together, that this is such a dangerous situation and she's not helping, but the tableau is so gruesome that it overrides all sane thought in the moment.

When it finally leaves, she's left shaking, shivering, the sour taste of adrenaline staining her tongue. ]

Please... let's go... I want to leave.

[ The shelves, mercifully, oblige this time.

The new spirit does not.

Strangely, the site of the books being desecrated spurs Elizabeth to ire, of all things. ]

No! You're ruining the books!

[ they turn the corners and run down the aisles enough times that elektra loses count of how many. the scene doesn't want to let them leave until they bear witness to all of it, and elektra has received and doled out enough bloodshed that this shouldn't affect her as much as it is. but there's a difference between brutality and savagery; there's a difference between eating to survive and gorging yourself to relish in your prey's suffering. elektra follows elizabeth down, both to help and to not look anymore, steadying her hands on the other woman's shoulders as she retches, focusing on a spot on the floor until the roiling in her own stomach quells.

she helps elizabeth stand once she's finished, glancing up at coraline as she straightens, eyes somehow both wild and focused. the creature disappears, leaving what was once the young woman desecrated on the floor. ]

Let's go. [ if they can. and they seem to be fortunate enough to be able to now that they've seen what the spirits want them to.

unfortunately, they now have another to contend with, just when they think they're getting somewhere.

elizabeth shouts at the creature tearing apart the books, somehow missing the more pertinent sound of something feeding filling the room. ]

Forget the books, go! Run to the exit!

[ Coraline, who had been stunned into silence, simply let herself be dragged. Her mind races as she repeatedly stares in horror at the scene reappearing scene. Is this… did the spirits just appear and eat the townspeople? What the fuck happened to this place? Is this their fate too? She can’t help but feel like she’s missing something. Shouldn’t she be feeling sick right about now?

She nearly screams when they run into the Librarian, surprised at their sudden appearance. Yet, she’s also slightly relieved, because… they know the Librarian right? At least kind o--… Nevermind best to get out of here. ]

We- we can check on the books after!

[ In hindsight, days from now, Elizabeth will feel a bit silly having expressed concern for the books. In the moment however, it seems like the only safe thing to focus on that's not monsters, corpses, or other horrors. Books are familiar and safe to her. This is a blow.

Her boots clatter across the floor toward the exit, which thankfully seems to have lost its furniture barricade somewhere in the chaos of the shifting scenes they've been forced to witness. Even still, her hands are shaking as the grabs the handles to tug the doors open. ]

What if there are more spirits outside now...?

[The good news: there are no more spirits outside! The bad (?) news: this is where the dream ends. The second Elizabeth grabs the doors, they burst open. The women get a split-second moment to see what lies outside: the area outside the library all lit up in the pre-dawn light, with absolutely no one outside, despite all those noises of before.

It barely lasts. Soon enough, their vision goes black and they'll wake up.]

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EVENT LOG: ENTER MR. SANDMAN (DREAMERS)

THE LIBRARY

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I am so sorry

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im so sorry again

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