INTRO LOG: DECEMBER

[inthenightmods]

INTRO LOG: DECEMBER
IF I HAD A HEART

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: december 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. robin posts a bulletin.
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 glowing 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.

•••
The ferry has barely docked when everyone's tablets will ping: A new weekly bulletin has been posted!

...Aaaaaanyway, luckily for all the newcomers, the tablet and the town have some resources available for getting acquainted with their new situation! In fact, as soon as they're prompted to enter a network username, an app containing all sorts of useful welcome information will launch. Newcomers can always check out the weekly bulletins and the records in town hall as well, and everyone's welcome to get in touch with the NPCs through their inboxes.

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! You've happened to come at a chaotic time, as we've just wrapped up a rather large event. Half the town was stuck in a dreamland version of past Beacon, where they explored for clues about the town's history. The other half stayed awake and defended the town from a brutal onslaught of green-eyed, hallucination-inducing forest spirits. The town's pretty haggard after all that, so hey, there's a conversation starter! It'll be good to have some fresh faces around to help with the recovery process.

You can check out the various Enter Mr. Sandman event posts in the OOC and log comms if you're curious, and plenty of the details will likely come up ICly, as well! The aftermath is just beginning, and we're so glad to have you along for the ride. :)

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

• The monthly store restock
  
• For Eliot: A carton of cigarettes
  
• For Prompto: 17 pairs of reading glasses
  
• For Eleven: A pair of walkie-talkies, and enough batteries to last for 3 months of casual use
  
• For Aziraphale: 12 drums, 11 lead pipes, 10 pairs of shoes, 9 wilting corsages, 8 bottles of milk, 7 taxidermy swans, 6 goose eggs, 5 stale onion rings, 4 bins full of duck armies, 3 dead chickens, 2 turtles, and a whole tree, though it's long dead... and strung with lights and garlands and holiday ornaments!
  
• For Kol: A book
  
• For Crowley: Peppermint extract, cream of tartar, a candy thermometer, a tin of cocoa, graham crackers, a generic bottle of red wine, a t-shirt with a crown logo on it, a book of love poems, and the goods
  
• For Eleven: An assortment of wrapping paper, gift tags, ribbons, bows, and gift bags.
  
• A lot of medical supplies. The supplies are plentiful enough that everyone may handwave finding common first aid supplies that will help to triage injuries sustained during the Enter Mr. Sandman event. The supplies won't immediately cure wounds, but they will help to prevent infection and ensure proper healing. There's even an assortment of painkillers, ranging from over the counter pills to IV morphine (though, hm, it seems each character will only be able to find one dose of the hospital-grade stuff, no matter how hard they search)

If you submitted an item request last month and we've missed it here, let us know!

QUICKNAV
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Comments

[worthallthis]

[It's okay, she doesn't have to ask. Between the Soldier not particularly wanting to be alone either, and their wide breadth of experience in reading body language and tone, they just say,]

I'll come and help. If you don't mind.

[The only other option is finding a corner somewhere and going to sleep. They've been banned from trying to help with the ferry, Aziraphale is haunting the house waiting for it to be soon enough for Crowley to come back, and they're too tired to patrol. Who'd have ever thought it: too tired for a damn patrol. Dusting, or at least walking a companion home, seems easier.]

[featherknives]

[She appreciates that- both the escort thing and the fact that she doesn't have to ask for it.]

...thanks.

[At least she can say that. Maybe there's something in that hut of hers that she can give him, but she hasn't been there in a week. Who knows in what kind of state is that place now.]

It's Chapell Rock number 3, in the Village.

[worthallthis]

I'm staying with Crowley and Aziraphale. Also in the village.

[They push back to their feet, suppressing a groan, and offers her the metal hand to stand with, if she wants it. It's polite. And maybe they're too tired to flinch at someone touching them. (Helps when it's the metal one, anyway.)]

So it's halfway home, anyway.

[featherknives]

[She accepts the offered hand and stands, her legs shaking a bit. His grip is firm enough to keep her from stumbling and falling over.]

I appreciate it.

[She already said thanks, didn't she? Well, it doesn't matter. He deserves it.]

[worthallthis]

[She gets a small smile for that, then they head for the bridge to the village. It's a good thing there aren't any more spirits waiting to attack: they're really too worn out to stay on high alert for a while, and they aren't even looking around much as they normally would.

It takes a few steps before they muster up words:]

I'm glad you stayed to help at the Invincible.

[featherknives]

[Compared to what people believe back in her world, she's not that heartless. She cherishes all life and magic. True, she thinks some are undeserving of having such but here- it's a bit different story. These people are not people from her world and she's ready to put differences to the side and lend a hand when needed. Otherwise, she will be stuck here forever.

Xayah knows how to prioritize.]

Mm. It was the best we could do on such short notice. You're quite good in battle, I'll give you that.

[worthallthis]

[They shrug a little. That's not a surprise to hear. The one thing they are unshakably sure of is that they're one of the best out there, in their extremely specialized field.]

Lots of training, programming, and experience. But thanks.

[Even not a surprise, they're still polite. Thanks is merited for that kind of a comment.]

I thought we did okay. For being surprised. And not sure of our enemies' abilities. We'll do better next time.

[featherknives]

[Programming... that's an unknown word to her, but it doesn't sound all too pleasant. But if it is a type of training and he managed to endure through it, then it's good.]

I am not a builder but back home we didn't need it. Here, I wish we do have resources to build human structures.

A nice, tall lookout tower would be good. We used for that extremely tall Vastayan trees. But nothing here is that tall.

[worthallthis]

Some people here know things about building. I know some things. We rebuilt the dock, and it's fine. I think a new person is going to build another house. But there's the Invincible, for tall things. Or are your towers taller?

[That's kind of the Soldier's version of a ramble. A sleepy ramble. Even if it comes out all halting and full of strange stops, it's still a lot of only vaguely connected words rolling out all at once.]

[featherknives]

[She shakes her head]

We didn't have towers. We used trees as a lookout. Here, I think we would benefit if we could build one.

Invincible isn't enough. This tower would be a bit deeper inside the forest. Maybe have some kind of bell to alert others if forest spirits try to attack.

But that's not really possible. We have no resources. And we need to restore Invincible.

[worthallthis]

[Tree, right. Trees used as towers.]

The spirits might not like us building in their forest, anyway. We would have to ask. Very nicely. And find a safe place.

[They drift a little to one side, then blink and course-correct with a little shake.]

Invincible first. Yes. Not a lot of external damage, actually. We did okay keeping it safe. Mostly just the windows, the furniture.

[featherknives]

[That's true. They probably shouldn't cause even more ire in them. But honestly, she doesn't care much. They are already set out to kill them over and over again, for whatever reason. She's not going to just let it be.

She furrows her brows at his swaying from side to side and places a hand on his shoulder briefly, to steady him.]

You should get more rest. Invincible can wait, there's no attack right now. And if they don't like the boards, they can pull them out themselves.

[worthallthis]

[The Soldier rubs at their eyes, then makes a frustrated sort of frown.]

I'm fine. I'm fine. I can at least walk you home. It's halfway to Aziraphale and Crowley's anyway, like I said.

[They're pretty sure they said that. It's annoying, they want to be helping.]

[featherknives]

[He is helping. That doesn't mean she can't worry.

Huh... that's an odd feeling she has towards a human. She raises her hands in surrender.]

I never said you couldn't. Just suggested what to do after.

[worthallthis]

[They eye her a second, but then their shoulders slump back into their own surrender, tilting their head with an apologetic sort of expression.]

Sorry. I just don't like being. Useless.

[featherknives]

[She shakes her head-]

It's fine. I know the feeling.

[Watching something crumble in front of you and the only thing you CAN do is watch. It's terrifying.]

You're not useless.

[worthallthis]

[Their smile is wry, but at least there.]

Right now, I kinda am.

[Useless, they mean.]

At least I'm pretty sure it'll pass, this time. Talking helps. It helped with Elle, earlier.

[featherknives]

Right now, we all kind of are. We have to rely on those that were asleep for a moment.

[Until they are healed all up properly and ready for things to come.]

It definitively will. Give yourself some credit and time. You did great work.

[worthallthis]

[That takes the Soldier by surprise, and they blink over at her. Praise for actual missions was a rare thing, and while Misty is always carefully generous with praise for small tasks, nobody else really has been. They actually find themselves a little overwhelmed by it, looking both hesitant and vaguely bewildered. (Probably because of the tiredness. That's it.)]

Oh. Um. Thank you. Did I?

[featherknives]

[And she rarely dishes out praise herself, especially to a human. But she's as honest as it gets and she doesn't get her tongue all tied up. If someone did a good job, she'll praise them. If someone fucked up (Crowley) they'll definitively hear about it.]

You did. I don't say nice things just for small talk. It's not in my nature.

[worthallthis]

[That's... that's a relief, actually. The Soldier had enjoyed the past two weeks more than most people (which is to say, at all, probably), because they had felt useful and helpful and like they could actually do this mission. Everyone else's stress and unhappiness had made them less certain. There's an uncomfortable feeling of guilt at their pleasure at work they were suited for, while the rest of the village was so upset and angry about it.

But at least one person thinks they did well. That's bolstering.]

Good. That's good. That kind of thing is what I'm made for. Trained for.

[featherknives]

[When he says that it's what he's made for it kind of makes her gut twist a little. Is that all he sees, all he saw for his life? It's kind of sad... Sure, she lived and loved fighting, but she had Rakan with her. She saw all the highs and lows with him. If it weren't for the humans ravaging their lands, she would've just settled down with him and enjoyed blissful days by the rivers.

The guy is dead, though, so she can't blame him for seeking solace in one thing he's good at.]

I am sure others appreciate it as well.

[worthallthis]

[It's just kinda what happens when you have no life outside of killing, sabotaging, and otherwise destroying lives and property for seventy years, on top of having your memories wiped away every few days and spending long chunks of time in cryofreeze. They're learning, though.

They smile a bit again.]

Crowley actually tried to make me stop. After I died for a couple of days.

[featherknives]

[Xayah rolls her eyes]

He ought to learn to stop himself first before doing something stupid.

[She warned him. Maybe she should get a leash for him. But she's glad it makes Bucky smile. So she nods,] He cares about you. It's been a while since I saw humans take care of each other and not chase the power.

[They stop at the crossroads where one path leads to her house and other to his.]

I'll be heading this way. Thanks for making me company.

[worthallthis]

He's not human. And I'm... a very weird human.

[Look, they might not be a person, but they can at least claim the species. It's a step. Kind of.]

But there are some good ones here. Better than where I come from.

[They stop when she does, and offer,]

I can walk with you the rest of the way. Talking helps.