INTRO LOG: FEBRUARY

[inthenightmods]

INTRO LOG: FEBRUARY
GRAVEYARD WHISTLING

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: february 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. rastus gathers the town for a debriefing meeting.
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.

•••

On February 3, after the newcomers have had a chance to settle in, everyone's tablets will ping with a message from @rastus!

Come tob onfier squae.Pl eaas , we wikll disucss our orogress sincereeluy rastuaas I am th ebonfire keeeeeeepr.

...Followed by another message a few minutes later, this time from @keeper

Omg will everyone head down to Bonfire Square for Rastus' town meeting please? He wants to recap what you've all learned so far!!!

And can someone please teach him that he can record an audio message and then send it to everyone instead of looping the whole dang town in on a group text?? 😂😂😂😂

Assuming you do indeed head down to Bonfire Square after all that, what you'll find is this: a series of benches and tables have been set up surrounding the bonfire, and there's enough seating for all of Beacon's residents. As people take their seats near the fire, the barkeeper forest spirits from the Invincible toddle through the crowd with trays of hot chocolate and warm cider, along with a sampler tray of acorns and pinecones, if that's your thing.

Once everyone's here and settled, sipping on hot drinks and maybe busting a tooth on an acorn, Rastus hobbles forward to address the crowd:

"Crrk. Hello. I am Rastus. I tend to the bonfire. I have tended to the bonfire, mrawk, for years and years. You are doing, rmmm, well. Good."

He nods to emphasize the point. Yes, you are doing good.

"Talk. To each other. Share what you have learned. Yes. Crarrk. It is important."

He nods again, and then... shuffles back over to his post near the bonfire, waiting for anyone who might come by with an interest in torches. Seems it's up to you all to get each other up to speed?

Luckily for all the newcomers who may find themselves confused by their sudden arrival here, their tablets 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! We're thrilled to welcome so many new faces into the community, and you've come at a great time! Alongside this intro log, we have our very first cat herd, which is essentially a recap of the plot thus far, as well as a rundown on a ton of great info to help get you started in the game.

But don't feel like you have to read it all right this second! ICly, Rastus will call everyone together for the town meeting on February 3 to give new characters (and players) a chance to get their bearings before smacking them in the face with all the plot. This log will cover both the ferry arrival and the cat herd meeting, so feel free to bounce around in time in your toplevels.

Remember, too, that all of the plot info available in the cat herd can now be considered common knowledge! Newbies and oldbies alike, feel free to assume that your character learns as much of that plot info as you like at this meeting, regardless of whether or not you thread it out.

And of course, go ahead and introduce yourselves on the OOC intro, as well!

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

• The monthly store restock
  
• For Sora: A gameboy(?), 3 CPR/AED kits, a dozen CPR/first aid training manuals, two packages of capiz shells, a set of candy molds, a caldero, and 3 gameboy games: 3-D World Runner, Decapathon VII, and Sheep It Up!
  
• For Crowley: A variety of clockwork equipment, a large clock face, and the goods
  
• For Jason G: 2 bulletin boards with materials for mounting, 3 packs of pushpins
  
• For Lucius: A manual sewing machine
  
• For Castiel: A dozen flasks of holy oil and a pillowcase-sized satchel of various natural spell components
  
• For Duster: A double bass, complete with a case
  
• For Prompto: A polaroid camera with enough film for 50 photos and a folding sword, which is cruder than the example he gave but roughly the same size
  
• For Aziraphale: A large crate of snowshoes, jackets, and coats in various sizes, a bottle of wine, and a bouquet of red, white, and pink roses tied together with an elegant bow
  
• For Javert: A large crate of various fencing gear and 3 fencing handbooks

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

clark kent / superman | dc | open to all

[uplifters]

freezing cold! (arrival)

[ Having just arrived, Clark looks around with scared eyes and his lower lip trembling. He pushes his glasses up on his nose, but the rocking of the boat keeps making them slip again; he thinks he's going to be sick, but he's never been good with boats to begin with.

It's a scary thing, this. Both his tablet and his lantern are held close to him, but only because they seem important, and his knees are wobbling when he gets off the boat and steps on the deck.

Never one who was good at crowds, the people that flood around him overwhelm him. There's a whole litany of 'ope's and 'sorry's and 'pardon me's, and given the fact Clark wasn't all that steady to begin with, he finds himself close to one of the edges of the deck like nothing. And knowing Clark Kent's horrid luck... ]

Oh, oh no--! [ By some miracle, when he slips off the deck, his tablet flies out of his hand and lands on the edge. The rest of him, though, isn't quite so lucky, and Clark lands with a splash in the water, the waves glowing with the light from his lantern. It's freezing, and Clark panics, and while the splashing of the waves might not be very loud, perhaps his squeaked attempts at shouting would be. ]

Help! [ Is the water deep, or is the panic making it seem deep? Oh, goodness. ] S-Someone help me!

notice me. (3rd feb)

[ In all honesty, the fact nobody notices him is par for the course.

The bonfire burns and Clark has been approaching people left and right, only for a) their attentions to divert elsewhere; b) his voice being too soft for them to pick up and Clark assuming he was being ignored; or c) they heard him, certainly, only for his words to make them decide the conversation isn't worth their time.

For all this rejection, however, it seems he has yet to lose hope. The look on his face is determined, his tongue peeking out from the corner of his mouth as he glances about. The first person he sees unoccupied is the one that he decides to amble towards, hunched over and shuffling and his glasses slipping a little down his nose as he goes. Fortunately, he pushes them up before they fall off entirely. ]

H-Hello? [ Ah, hopefully his voice wasn't too soft there. He'll try again. ] Hello! I'm really sorry to bother you, but um, I was wondering if you could-- if you could maybe help me? If you had the time?

powerfully. (3rd feb)

[ There is something about the bonfire that Kal finds fascinating. He hasn't had the time to consider it before, not when his arrival had been heralded by a blizzard, but now that he has the time to look at it, it reminds him a little bit of a friend he's left behind.

You know, if you think of the sun as a friend.

He stands in front of it and it feels like he's being charged-- like warmth and energy are crackling along his skin, all the way in his veins and arteries and pumped along with the beat of his heart. Kal, while no-one is looking, reaches his hand out and brushes the flame, which tickles his fingers but doesn't hurt even a little. The corners of his mouth pull into a smile.

Inadvertently, Kal's feet have started hovering over the ground. He doesn't seem to notice it, but given he's got his hand in the fire while dressed in bright blue and red tights (cape included), he's probably quite the sight. ]

wildcard

Catch-all for anything I've missed, or if you'd rather write a starter of your own. If you'd like me to make a starter for you specifically, feel free to PM me or hit me up on Plurk at howletts. :)

notice me

[dadandgone]

[For the most part, the information conveyed at the meeting was all stuff Maes was already aware of. There were a few threads of course that he'd failed to pick up on along the way, but honestly he was just pleased he'd kept tabs on most of the bigger things going on. It helped that he red up on the log book on a daily basis and kept his own notes at his cabin. He compared and wrote down EVERYTHING.

It didn't mean he had connected all the dots and the nice thing about this meeting was he was getting a clearer picture of which threads to pull at next. He forgot how much he enjoyed a good puzzle to solve, even if the last big puzzle had resulted in his death.

He doesn't hear Clark until the second hello and then he turns and looks over. He listens to Clark make his request, glances back at the proceedings and then returns his gaze to Clark.]

Sure. I can try to help. What do you need?

[uplifters]

Well, [ looking down at his tablet where he’s put in all his notes from this decidedly excessive information overload, Clark’s brows furrow ] there was something that caught my eye about, um, the map.

[ The map which he switches over to, but not without a little flinch at how quickly the screen turns. Oof. He’d still had a flip phone back when he was living. ]

So we have a, a path that goes around here, [ and he points it out with his finger, drawing a rough oval that passes the church, the post office, the bikeshop and museum and so on ] but… the middle, this small part here surrounded by landmarks, is uncharted territory? Unexplored?

[ When he glances back up at the man, his mouth has tilted slightly in a line. ] Are there more of those spirits in there?

arrival

[meridio]

[ A lone tablet is a worrying sight, but the cry for help and the splashing of water altogether make for alarming sounds. Crouching down, Somnus reaches for the tablet—it disappears under his fingertips, pocketed in an extradimensional space for safekeeping—then leans forward to grab at Clark with an outstretched hand. ]

Take my hand.

[ Or at least flail this way. While his voice is soft, the request is issued like an order. Once he's got a hold, he'll attempt to drag the adrift (and panicking) fellow back onto the deck. ]

[uplifters]

[ It's not the hand that Clark sees first, but the light attached to this figure that dips lower than everyone else's.

Flailing is difficult. Clark keeps as steady a grip on his lantern (which is so small it fits in his fist, glowing between his fingers) as he can manage, but has decidedly stopped shouting now that he has something to focus on.

A hand... Clark sinks a couple of times back underwater, but comes back up every time with one goal in mind. Their fingertips brush and Clark is ready to panic when he sinks again instead, but the grip around him is firm and he's pulled up like nothing, and he lands quite unceremoniously on the wood, drenched and chilled and coughing out water. ]

Oh... [ He sounds exhausted, his eyes teary as he slams a fist into his chest and coughs himself raw. Maybe he should turn over, but he stays on his back, pathetic and dripping and feeling his face. Somehow, for some reason, his glasses stayed intact. Thank God. ]

Thank you. [ He slides a look his saviour's way, uncurling his fist and revealing his lantern still in one piece, even if it's the size of a coin. Clark's eyes slide shut. ] I wouldn't have... can you d-die, when you've already died before?

powerfully

[worthallthis]

[Okay then. We've got more fliers. That's probably a good thing. That outfit, though. Reminds them of something (of what?). Soldat eyes the outfit a little, somewhere between thoughtful and skeptical, from where they'd paused in their prowl through the square on their way back to the cabin to take in the sight of hovering caped dope. Then they edge close enough for actual conversation. Just barely.]

Not sure if it's a good idea to stick your hand in the fire, pal.

[Maybe if it was made of metal, like theirs, but. Even then, it's kinda magic fire, so who knows? Maybe that's not good for the fire, either.]

[uplifters]

[ Kal turns his head with a chipper little, ] Why not?

[ But the lack of recognition on this person’s face tells him enough. It tells him they don’t know him, that Superman isn’t common knowledge here, and that standing like a fool with his hand in fire should… probably be painful for him somehow, shouldn’t it? ]

Oh—don’t worry about me. I’m fine. [ He chuckles, pulling his hand back, and true enough there isn’t any damage on it at all. It looks good as new, skin intact and fingernails cut neatly, and he curls all his fingers in before uncurling them slowly.

Turning, he regards the bonfire with warm eyes, his feet landing gently on the ground below. ]

…unless you’re trying to tell me this fire isn’t as benevolent as it feels.

help me obi wan whoever u are

[evulsed]

[ This guy is significantly taller than Vanitas, but what he doesn't have in height he makes up for in everything else. When he turns to look up, his yellow eyes are wolfish and intense, but more than that the aura coming off him is one that even a regular person would notice as a tingle of innate dislike. Vanitas, made entirely of Darkness, isn't a natural thing.

There's a moment, where just for a second, Vanitas thinks he sees, or feels something more under the demure behaviour. A shining Light, the kind that exists in the hearts of the Princesses his Master coveted what feels like ages ago.

His eyes narrow just a little, calculating. ]

Speak up, loser.

[uplifters]

[ “Loser” is one of the most familiar terms in the entire world to him. Clark brightens as he’s acknowledged, and whatever aura this gloomy young man might be giving off seems not to bother him in the least. ]

Sorry! [ This one comes a bit clearer, and he presses the side of a curled fist to his mouth to clear his throat. ] R-Right. They always tell me my voice is too soft…

[ But that’s not the point. ] Um—yes. I was just wondering, erm, how does one get to encounter. [ A moment. ] How do you find— [ Another one. ]

[ And then he just goes ahead with what he hopes is a concise enough: ] Have you ever seen a g-green eyed spirit?

powerfully

[notthatjason]

[For Jason, the bonfire was also a symbol of home. Camp Jupiter hadn't done bonfires, but they'd been a nightly occurrence at Camp Half-Blood. Jason would find himself at the bonfire at least once a day, if not more, to just sit and think about his friends or watch the people coming and going around Beacon. It was...a comfort, but also a good way to meet new people.

Jason exited the Invincible wearing a comfortable amount of layers -- the spirits had left knitwear everywhere a few weeks ago and Jason had snagged a few things in his favorite purples and gold. He was feeling better now that his lantern's light had reverted to its normal glow though as soon as he sees the red and blue figure near the fire he has to make sure it hasn't gone green.

It's like he stepped out of a comic book and Jason freezes for a second to watch. Surely, it's just someone in the costume, right? Jason shakes his head, but sees that the man in the cape is indeed hovering a few inches off the ground.

Okay. Be Cool Jason. He crosses over to the fire.]

I don't think I've seen anyone so happy about the bonfire before.

[uplifters]

[ Kal doesn’t miss a beat, turning his head with his feet still off the ground and a grin on his face. ] ‘Happy’ might be an understatement.

[ Happy doesn’t account for the life he feels thrumming in his veins—for the energy that he’s suddenly filled with, for the fact that every cell in his body feels like it’s living instead of dwindling away as it had since he’d arrived in this town of perpetual darkness. Of course, these are things he imagines this young man probably wouldn’t understand, and so he doesn’t mention it.

He does, however, turn the rest of his body, hovering neatly over towards the young man’s way before landing with the soft sound of his boots on the dirt. The hand that’d been in the fire rests on his hip; the other one is outstretched in a greeting handshake. ]

You look like you recognise me, son. [ A fact that has Kal tilting his head slightly in simple curiosity. ] Is that right?

What’s your name?

arrival

[punctually]

[ peter picks up on the shouting first and the splashing second, but he's on the edge of the deck in a few heartbeats. the shine of the lantern is hard to miss, and peter sets down his lantern and his tablet before wading into the water, reaching out to him. ]

Hey, hey, it's okay. [ he keeps his voice calm, steady, scooping up clark beneath his shoulders. ] It's okay, I got you.

[ peter doesn't know what will happen if he strays too far from his own lantern and he's not too keen on discovering that just yet. once he's sure clark has a solid grip on his own, he'll start pulling him back towards the dock, or at least until clark can get his feet under him properly. ]

[uplifters]

[ Perhaps Clark should feel more embarrassed about his apparent inability to stand in shallow water, but all he can think is to reach his hand out and curl his fingers over the wrist of his apparent hero. He does not, in fact, manage to get his feet in order, ending up instead with his legs limp entirely when he realises he is not in any way going to end up standing until they stop moving.

When he's lowered, though, he's coughing out water, pounding a fist against his chest with tears dotting his eyes. ]

I'm sorry, [ is the first thing he says, because how humiliating is that, right? ] I probably... I couldn't feel the sand u-under me.

[ It's evident in his tone of voice that he's terrified, though whether it's of this incident alone or some other reason is up in the air. Clark wheezes, looking behind him at the other man with an attempt at a smile (probably unseen, too, with how dark it is). ] ...thank you. Thank you for s-saving me.

[ Even if now he's starting to shiver. ]

notice me

[freetobe]

[ Castiel has so far kept quiet and to himself. It's not that he mistrusts everyone here or that he doesn't intend to share information equally. Rather, he's been trying to take the measure of the gathered people.

He's been standing rather still with his arms crossed off to a side, when someone approaches him.

Castiel turns, looks.

Slowly, his head tilts to the side, eyebrows drawing together. He doesn't respond, not initially, just looks at Clarke with a gaze that feels like the weight of the universe rests inside of it, that feels like it gos right past clothes and skin and flesh and pretense.

He beholds a soul like a sun contained within a body that looks human and yet isn't. Not angel, not demon, and those are the only important initial things that Castiel checks off. ]

What do you require?

[uplifters]

Well, this... [ Clark reaches into his shirt pocket, exposing his lantern. It's roughly the diametre of a coin, of all things, and fits neatly in the palm of his hand. It seems to emit the same amount of light as any other lantern, though, tiny and Doing Its Best. ]

Why is m-my light blue?

[ Because, apparently, no-one else's is.

The corners of his mouth are pulling up like he's trying not to laugh, and the tremble that runs along Clark's shoulders is subtle, but not any less there. ]

powerfully;

[antiwhat]

[ People dress in a lot of very different outfits in Beacon. But bright blue and red tights? No, not so much. Ellever almost hadn't come to meet the ferry — and, by extension, the new people — out of discomfort from the previous ten days of her lantern shifting color, but she's back to what passes for normal now. It had seemed rude to skip it.

And now she's really glad that she hadn't. She's trying not to snoop, given it looks like the guy's having A Moment, but whoever said that curiosity kills the cat had clearly met her.

She raises a brow, smiling slightly. ]

Warming up okay?

you are noticed clark

[catholicisms]

( well, that's a little unusual. most people wouldn't admit it outright, but, the blind guy is not usually the first option when you need a hand. Matt doesn't exactly mind, though this might be a bit embarrassing for both of them if it involves something that needs his eyes. )

Sure. I'll try, anyway. What do you need?

( he can hear all the anxious cues this guy is giving off, but Matt doesn't give much indication of it. he's as calm and soft spoken as he usually is. )

freezing cold!

[savingthrows]

[ It's a reflex to throw out her hand, fingers splayed and gaze focused. By any measure, she should have given up on the reflex, the void faced creatre having robbed her of her powers for two months, but Eleven has never lost it, that muscle memory. And this time, when she throws out her hand, things move - as they should.

Clark's lantern is yanked up, first, safely away from the water. Eleven stares, dumbfounded for a moment at the return of her powers, and then quickly remembers why she reacted to help in the first place.

Remembers Gordon, briefly, who saved her from drowning. She pushes the memory aside stubbornly. Instead, she raises her second arm. For a moment, the waters churn around Clarke quite badly - and then he is lifted up into the air too. Not held in place, just lifted by an invisible force.

And it's easy to see that on a pier nearby, there is a 14 year old girl, arms outstretches, and focused very much on him. ]

I have you.

[ It's meant to be reassuring, but sounds more triumphant. ]

arrival!

[nekrosmanteia]

[Gregor sees the guy go over, but he's not close enough to do anything about it. Although, assessing the situation while making his way over there, he's not convinced he could've done anything about it in the first place.

This guy is, uh, large. And he himself is decidedly not.

He knows he won't be able to haul this man out of the water like a rescue diver, so he'll have to come up with a better plan.]

Here, give me that. [He kneels on the edge of the dock and reaches for Clark's lantern. He doesn't know exactly what the significance of these things is, but they're clearly important. If for no other reason than "it's dark", probably shouldn't let them go out.]

Now, take a deep breath and try to stand up. You're gonna be fine. [He tries to speak evenly, but keeping a commanding edge. The water doesn't look all that deep, this guy just needs to calm down enough to notice.]

powerfully

[fjorgedinfire]

[Fjord is very good at people watching. And at not getting caught when he's staring at someone, working out their mannerisms to see what he can emulate himself later in his own life.

But that doesn't prepare him for the moment of alarm when the man just goes and sticks his whole-ass fuckin' hand in the fire, and Fjord nearly steps forward at the sight of it to stop him; it takes a moment to realise he's perfectly fine.

...and then another to realise the man's started floating, and that just seems excessive, so he steps forward then, putting on a charming, if faintly concerned, smile as he approaches the man in his bright-ass onesie.]

I'd, uh. Recommend not doin' that while people are watching. [He's got a pleasant, mild Southern drawl to his voice, but the concern is very real.] You're only gonna concern folks.

notice me

[legalcy]

[Minimus Ambus looks down from his tablet, where he reviews his pages of notes and ideas for implementing paperwork into Beacon. His red optics glow bright, illuminating his metal face and the edge of his facial insignia - his mustache, really. There's a lot of work to be done, especially in regards to the haphazard bridges.]

Yes?

[As he towers over almost everyone in Beacon, he supposes he was one of the first this human had noticed.]

powerfully

[withsadness]

[Kal's minding his own business, having a great time levitating and playing with fire...when suddenly, a little girl comes rushing at him, letting out a shriek of horror. Mary tries to tackle him, and you can imagine how well that would go considering their difference in size and stature.]

No, don't! Don't burn yourself!

closed to paraskeptic

[uplifters]

[ It's a little difficult to find Dana around all the people, but when he does Clark has a mug of hot chocolate for her to take and the most sheepish smile on his face. ]

Hey. [ It's not a very smooth greeting, but Clark's not meant to be. ] Um... do you want some? It's, uh, very good.

[ The last time he saw her had been the time she patched him up-- quite expertly, in fact, with a calm bedside manner and a soothing enough voice that Clark didn't panic at all. His side is nicely patched up now; he's even wearing a shirt that isn't torn up any more. ]

I was hoping to find you tonight. Just, um... I just wanted to say thank you again. [ A moment. ] And to see if you've been okay. It gets, uh, pretty dangerous around here, huh?

Notice me;

[maisel]

[ Midge has a lot on her plate. The thing of it is, she genuinely enjoys this level of busy: it's all things she can at least handle. She's a Type A personality through and through, organized, careful, concise. Planned. When things go according to plan, it gives her a boost. The only other thing that could come remotely close is making people laugh, and while she does a fine job of doing that, there's not exactly a club where she can perform her stand up around here.

So Miriam Maisel, dead as everyone else, gets up and makes sure she's picture-perfect with her hair curled and her makeup on and her 50s dresses and runs a tight, concise ship in the kitchen of the Invincible. She thrives off of it--she doesn't have superpowers and she can't help out on patrols for shit (she doesn't have the shoes for it), but she can cook. She can help out that way, and so she does, and if people don't like it then they can damn well wait for her brisket to be ready before they start making a fuss. It's the Jewish housewife in her, really, it just sort of jumps out. ]

All the time in the world, sweetie. No, wait, I lied-- [ She checks her watch. ] --five minutes and then we're just gonna have to walk and talk. How can I help? [ Her smile's almost as bright as her lantern. ] Oh--jeepers, you're a new one, aren't you?

Freezing cold

[bunny_suit]

[Hana hadn't seen what had happened exactly, but she noticed the tablet fly. Thankfully it didn't get damaged, but the person who fell was now in some pretty cold water. Sure it was probably going to be cold, but if he couldn't swim, that was going to be a problem. What luck to come from death, only to drown right after..?]

Hold on! I'll come and get you!

[Taking off her coat so that it didn't get wet when going for him, she hurried in to help him out. And just like that, she felt her body shivering, but she could worry about warming up after she's helped him out. After a little bit of time, she's managed to assist him onto shore. Ignoring the chill she felt, she turned towards him.]

Are you okay? You should really warm up. [There was the bonfire, but it might be more beneficial to go into The Invincible so they weren't still outside. So if he'll allow her to, she'll help lead him to The Invincible after grabbing her coat.]