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

Comments

[lunchbreaks]

"I don't know how that could be possible. I mean, we didn't get a good look at the cart-- there was... Um, copper, and a single glove I think. And blood. Ah, perhaps it was that the grasshopper was ghostly?

"Or-- or perhaps the spirits were us, once. Humanoid. We didn't see a sign of the minecart's owner, after all..."

[worthallthis]

The Soldier is still iffy on these even being proper spirits. They only have a vague concept of such a thing, anyway, but that concept doesn't really apply to things that bleed and die like any other creature. Transformation is possible, though, either way. "My contact among the spirits. They say that some of them are dangerous, and might try to eat us. Didn't say anything about being like us. I can ask."

They pause, and frown down at their soup. Which is almost gone. "If they come back. I couldn't find them, during the attacks."

[lunchbreaks]

"Then they're not the ones who've attacked? They're different spirits!" He doesn't know whether to be surprised, relieved, intrigued, or what. Why wouldn't the church spirit have let him know when he asked? None of this made any sense.

[worthallthis]

"Yes. The ones with green eyes directed the others, the ones that make the hallucinations. But all the ones we know were gone. Didn't recognize any of the ones attacking." They don't know why, and won't know why until they can find their owl friend and ask. They're just desperately hoping they're all right. "They can die. At least. I killed a lot of them."

[lunchbreaks]

"Yes, but do they return as we do? Have they gone back into hiding?" he asks. "I think we must speak to Rastus and ask him what the meaning of all this is. I know we won't get help from either Robin or Ingram. --Apologies, Dr. Ingram." He clearly doesn't like Dr. Ingram.

[worthallthis]

The word "doctor" gets a quick but very visible flinch from the Soldier, which they try (badly) to hide a little behind finishing up their bowl of stew. "Rastus is like us, not them. He. Might not know. I'll keep looking. Now that we're not under attack."

[lunchbreaks]

Aziraphale considers it a moment. "The church spirit thinks that Rastus might know something. But the church spirit also suggested I ask Robin, and I'll do no such thing. I don't trust either Robin nor Ingram."

[worthallthis]

"But you trust Rastus." Which isn't to say they disagree, but they're curious what makes the distinction of Rastus as different.

[lunchbreaks]

"Yes, because he brings us things and is quite nice to talk to. And he is helpful! And very polite," he says. And he has wing-like things which means that Aziraphale likes him better, of course.

[worthallthis]

Those are kinda subjective reasons, there, Az. The Soldier accepts them for now, though. "And the church spirit pointed you in his direction. When was that?"

[lunchbreaks]

"Oh, just about after the-- the ferry thing, so I never got around to asking Rastus." Out of embarrassment. Because it had taken a month just to ask him to help with supplies again, and that was really just for christmas decoration.

[worthallthis]

The Soldier absolutely understands that. They haven't spoken to Rastus since then, either. (Not that they spoke to him much before, mostly out of shyness, but now it's an active avoidance.) "You could try again," they offer. "If he knows. Now is the time to gather intel. If the attacks have stopped."

[lunchbreaks]

"I'll have to find some time to do it," he says. He still feels uneasy about it, considering that he feels selfish doing this. But he knows that he wants to do the most he can to help everyone. Hopefully he can do just that.

[worthallthis]

"I can watch the church, if you want," the Soldier offers. "If you tell me what Crowley will need me to do." They'll have to herd Aziraphale home now and then, too, so the angel can get some sleep if this takes the full two days and change it too kthe Soldier to come back. So they ought to know what Crowley might need, anyway.

[lunchbreaks]

"I... no, I should be there," he says. "The last time he came to a church for me, he burned his feet. I can't-- can't let him do that again. You understand, don't you?" he asks, seeming slightly bewildered by all this, still.

[worthallthis]

Their shoulders sink a little, but they nod. They know wanting to do something one's self, make sure it's done right, because you care. "I understand. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

[lunchbreaks]

"No, I... I'll be alright, dear. But that's very sweet, thank you." He worries his hands and then looks off into the distance for a bit, lost in thought.

"And you're sure he'll be back?"

[worthallthis]

No, they're not sure. But there are a few things the Soldier can lie about: their own feelings, their own name, and things they don't want to admit even to themselves. The possibility of Crowley not coming back is absolutely something they don't want to admit even to themselves. So they say: "If I can be put back together from a grenade to the face, Crowley can be put back together from falling. He'll be back."

[lunchbreaks]

He gasps. "Oh my dear." And then he inspects Bucky's face as if he might see that it hadn't been put together correctly.

But he seems satisfied. "And you're not hurt?" he asks. "Anymore, I mean."

[worthallthis]

They duck their head a little shyly at the scrutiny. "I'm okay." There's a few healing wounds here and there, under clothing and well-bandaged, but nothing that impedes function. And certainly nothing like anything that might be left over from being exploded. "That group of spirits were made out of rock. So bullets and knives didn't do any good."

[lunchbreaks]

"So... explosives. Smart, except for the part that got you killed. I'm so sorry, dear."

But he's very happy to see that he made it back in one piece. And unhurt.

"I can only hope everyone heals so nicely."

[worthallthis]

"Couldn't get far enough away to throw it." The Soldier shrugs. "It worked. Kept Rosinante and Mary and the Invincible safe." That's all that matters.

[lunchbreaks]

"Oh," Aziraphale responds, looking at Bucky so sweetly.

"Thank you," he says. "For saving them. I'm glad you were there to protect them."

[worthallthis]

"It's my job." The Soldier tilts their head a bit. Crowley hadn't understood, maybe because Crowley always hated his job. Maybe Aziraphale will. "I haven't been able to really do my job since I died. It felt. Kinda good."

[lunchbreaks]

"Oh." Well Aziraphale understands that, because his job was to protect the humans and to spread peace and the word of God. Crowley's was to make trouble, so he very much likes to do that, still.

"While wonderful, I still hope you can do so without grievous injury. I know it's your job to ensure we don't get hurt, but we don't want to see you hurt either."