logsinthenight | EVENT LOG: THE NIGHT WE MET

EVENT LOG: THE NIGHT WE MET

characters: everyone.
location: the path from downtown beacon to the harbor; all over town.
date/time: february 16-21.
content: the forest spirits send off their friends to join the aurora. memory opals drop from the eerie green lights above.
warnings: n/a.

i had all and then most of you, some and now none of you.

For most of the day on February 16, all of the town's forest spirits can be found along the stretch of road between downtown and the harbor, clearly setting up for, uh, something. They're piling snow onto the pathway, creating a miles long sled trail that starts outside the Landmark Inn and ends at the very end of the harbor's dock. Not only that, but the forest spirits are also not super willing to explain what they're up to! They're busy, you lantern-havers.

By the time evening rolls around, the spirits have set up wooden railings alongside the snowy path, as well as a warming tent, hot chocolate booth, and announcer stand outside of the Landmark. Oh, and a starting banner for the race! It's dogsled time!

Throughout the event, Beacon's downtown and harbor areas will be completely overrun with forest spirits, all there to bear witness to this holiday celebration—this holiday is for them, though, not you weirdos with your naked faces. Point is, none of the spirits will be hostile at this time! They're more interested in interacting with each other than with Beacon's residents, though if pressed, a kind spirit might be willing to explain what's going on:

The aurora arrives in Beacon for about a week each year, and the forest spirits believe it to be "friends in the sky". The lights are old friends of theirs, it seems! And each night while the aurora shines above the town, the forest spirits send off a handful of friends to join the aurora! The spirits ready to join the aurora build sleds of their own and assemble mighty sled teams, sometimes comprised of dog spirits and sometimes... other stuff. Then, when the aurora is at its peak in the wee hours of the night, the sled teams will ride off one by one, racing down the snow-covered path all the way down to the harbor, where they'll finally rocket off the dock and out over the lake, picking up more and more speed as each team gallops wildly over the water before arcing up into the sky. Once the spirits are barely a speck, they'll hit the aurora and burst into a shower of light. Beautiful stuff!

See, since the aurora is made of light, forest spirits launched into it are killed on impact! Isn't that wonderful! The forest spirits seem to think so! What is death to a dead thing!

All of this information can be learned through handwaved/played-led interactions with the forest spirits during the event. They'll all be focused on saying goodbye to their friends and cheering them on as they stream through the sky, but they're happy to welcome lantern-havers to join in the celebrations. The hot chocolate is free and only tastes a little bit like mud, so. Enjoy!

•••
For the entire duration of the event, the aurora will dance in beautiful silence overhead, lighting up the whole town with its eerie green glow. Every so often, handfuls of opals will rain down like meteorites from the lights above, and these opals each contain the memory of someone currently in Beacon! They can be found all over town, landing on paths and atop buildings and maybe even rocketing straight through your ceiling to crash into your living room. Perhaps a forest spirit decided to hide some shiny rocks in your cereal box or under your pillow... Better hope the Postmaster General doesn't find your opals before you do, though. That spirits sure does love their rocks. Point is, who knows where the opals might turn up?

On that note, if you signed up for a random event, we'll be RNGing characters to receive these random events throughout the event! The event may happen in response to a toplevel on this event log, or we might turn up in your IC inbox... 👀 These events will be entirely random, meaning we could dole out any number of them at any time, so it'll be a fun surprise for all of us.

If you missed signups and would still like to toss your name in the ring, go right ahead! Signups will remain open throughout the event, though we can't promise everyone who signs up will get something.

And finally... Each day, we'll post a list of the forest spirits joining the aurora! What, did you want to know in advance? The forest spirits have never been a particularly organized bunch, so they're winging this—which means more surprises for you. :)

Enjoy the races and the lights and the opals, residents of Beacon, and remember: WHAT IS DEATH TO A DEAD THING!

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I'm not even certain that's what it is.

( He answers with a huff, his tone slightly annoyed. He's never experienced such emotions before, and trying to identify them has been nothing short of frustrating, but still, )

I can think of no other explanation. I find myself wishing that he were here, at least so that I may speak to him.

( That's something of a recent development. It used to be that Javert didn't want anything to do with him. He didn't wish to think of him, or what happened to him, but after his talk with Kol, he's not so sure anymore. )

Edited 2020-03-02 02:25 (UTC)

Duster sighs. Beacon hasn’t been outwardly cruel to him, apart from the hallucinations, but the worry that his friends were worse off will never leave until he escapes Beacon or if they appear here. If the World Eaters are something more powerful than the Dark Dragon, they might even wipe out the true afterlife.

Then, an aide a. “I wonder if any of these have memories I lost before I came to Tazmily.”

[It's a development, all right.]

What would you ask?

[She can think of no one like Valjean in her own life. Booker, perhaps, but even then, her initial reaction towards DeWitt would be disgust, not a desire to talk.]

. . . he may yet arrive. Or the prostitute. People seem to arrive in clusters from the same world.

"These stones? It's possible," Riku replies, and for a moment his eyes dart away from him thoughtfully, as if he's considering that exact scenario. But there's also...

No. Her abilities seem to be intrinsically linked to those with a connection with a particular person. It seems both wrong to involve her without her permission, or to use the other party just to make sure her powers would work on him. That isn't right. Once, maybe even again, Riku would use others to achieve a compelling enough outcome, but he's trying not to be that person anymore.

"I guess we won't know unless we find some. If I can't identify who any stones belong to, I'll bring them to you, see if they ring any bells."

"You told me, first," they point out, head tilting a little, torn between a smile and a frown. It was the right thing to say, wasn't it? That's happy? They think that's happy. "Should've heard it back ages ago."

"Doesn't make this less of a moment for me. The opposite, actually - it might be more special for the wait." It's very happy, Soldat, worry not. "I'd have waited ages more, believe me, this is a great feeling. And it's not going anywhere. Not ever."

Hard to tell if this wakes her up or makes the lazy, warm allure of sleep all the more powerful. Hm.

Soldat isn't sure that's a surprise or not-- they remember enough of their time in the military, now, to know freedom wasn't a thing much of the time, either. But... there was some. And there was camaraderie, there were friends made, people to care for and protect. They'd hated the job, but liked the people. The way Rosinante is bringing it up might well mean something more than the typical schedule and orders of his marines, and it's surprising to hear him open up on his own, express an actual feeling.

So Soldat takes it as important, and looks Rosinante's way, a cautiously curious expression on their face. "Your military?" they ask. "Was it that controlling?"

They smile, just faintly, but it's warm. "Me, neither." Look, when Soldat attaches to someone, it's for life. And they're very attached, here.

They're gonna make an executive decision here, though, and err on the side of "sleepy Misty". She looks sleepy, and anyway, now they're feeling... shy. Or something. Not being looked at sounds nice. "Go to bed, Misty. I'm going to make myself a snack and make another attempt in a little while. You shouldn't have to lose sleep while I settle the rest of the way."

"Hmmmmmmmmm."

It wants to be argumentative, but turns up conceding for the lack of energy. It wants to be rallying, bracing for the sit-up and walk up stairs, but turns up resigned for the lack f energy. Sleep in chair. Yes good. Much sleep. Eyes are shutting.

"Don't say it just to be nice, real sleep, mister."

"I wouldn't say it was controlling," he responds. "But I've been a part of the Marines almost my whole life. Even as a kid and not really enlisted since, like I think I mentioned, my father was an admiral. So I basically grew up knowing duty, and discipline, and wearing a uniform. It wasn't bad," he adds quickly, and earnestly. He knows it all did him a lot of good. Kept him focused, turned a lot of his anxiety and fear around. "Just different."

There are still certainly things he can't bring up. The last four years might have looked like freedom, but in reality he was even more restricted. He had to act a certain way, affect certain mannerisms and play a certain role while on the longest and most terrifying undercover mission he'd ever taken. And of course, there was always the looming specter of his own origins which - well. He still can't mention that here even if it would probably be okay to do so. The deep dread in him, the anguish he went through as a child resulting from it, prevents him from even mentioning it. Nobody here would turn against him but fear isn't rational.

[Sora shakes his head. ]

That's the difference between us. I wasn't meant to do anything. Sure, I feel like I'm supposed to be someone, but that person wasn't meant to do anything either. [ Except love a universe that's been dead for years and years, yearn for people who will never come back to him, but that's more of a doom than a destiny. ]

If being dead is what it takes for destiny to stop guiding you, then I can choose to fix destiny. Or tell it to take you back. [ Sora looks up into the aurora. ] I'll turn back time or whatever. I'll make it so you never died.

[ Then there's him, a seeming outcast who's being beckoned toward the cell in his afterlife, of all places. This isn't the first time she's mentioned his brother's unfortunate predicament. It feels like a reminder for him to be merciful in his assessment of what his brother's become.

After what he set out to do, Somnus really can't talk. ]

And yourself? [ He angles his head to the side with his gaze still trained on Lunafreya. ] I imagine the Oracle is no less bound to the prophecy. What do you make of your own imprisonment?

[ Sora is perfectly willing to jump up there himself, but he's so tempted to let her pull him up. Hey, getting carried is super fun! He lets Jason take him flying even though they both know he can fly too. Flight is nice, but there's a difference between floating and being carried. It's the support!

Eventually, though, he shakes his head. ] Nah, don't want to make you work. Let's sit!

[ And without further explanation, he jumps his own height and a half into the air, then pushes off in midair to land on the roof. He lands, then looks down at Xayah. ]

I think t's okay to not think about the people you like a lot, sometimes. Sometimes it hurts if you're far away. I get that. [ He hums. ] I still want to hear about Rakan, though. That way, he'll stay with me, too. If I can't meet him, then this is the next best thing.

Oh, that is the wildest thing to Sora. He does have a soulmate, someone he's destined to have a relationship with, but being in Beacon has made him realize he will never be with her. He's been flung so far outside of the boundaries of his own universe that no one was able to follow. In death, he discovered that just thinking that he had a relationship with someone from the place he remembered as home - not a romantic one, just anything at all - wasn't the same as having it in reality.

He's no longer entitled to the people he loves. Arguably, he was never entitled to those relationships at all. So, not destiny, really. Just a series of coincidences that railroaded him into being who he is.

He sure is a fidgety kid. Since he's come to Beacon, he's ruined the sleeves of every sweater he owns.

"You were in another world before this one, right? Like, not your world. You were stuck somewhere else." He bites his lip. Out of everyone here, this is the only person Sora could probably talk to about this one very specific question, but he doesn't want to put this in context with what Maes would understand. Not in the context of a relationship, anyway. "Were other people from your world there with you?" He blinks. Actually. "Are there people from your world here?"

"That's good." Sora's never been really concerned about whether Soldat's ever been out to feel more or less human - again, his conception of personhood has always been very, very flexible - but good feelings? Being around siblings, annoying each other? That's a connection. That's important. And promises? Promises are way important.

"You made that promise. That was something you did. Now you two are connected by that promise. Especially if it was a pinky swear." Sora grins. "Promises, connections, bonds - those make your heart strong."

[ Sora turns to Jason, keyhole eyes wide and blinking. ]

Wait, not just toys - I was a toy too? [ ... RAPIDFIRE QUESTIONS. ] Was there a toy named Woody there? And Buzz? Was there, um, a green dinosaur, and a piggy bank named Hamm, and a bunch of toy soldiers, and a bunch of plastic aliens who talked really weird?

[ Sora's physically standing now, and Jason's probably never seen him look quite this hopeful or desperate. Pathetic? Yeah, that's there somewhere too. He's clutching that sock to his chest like it's something very precious. ]

Sora's eyebrows are disappearing behind his bangs in his disbelief. "Better how? Was everyone else in on it too? Did you agree to that? Like, was it your choice?" This sounds... alarming to Sora. For someone with a Swiss cheese memory, making an exchange like that sounds unimaginably cruel.

He isn't sure why Thalia left, but if it was in reaction to all of this, he doesn't blame her. He can't imagine how painful it must be to lose a brother like that, only to get him back in such a convoluted way, like he was a pawn or a toy who just happened to be in the same place at the same time. What a way to realize that your destiny was out of your hands, that it was up to people who you've never met and didn't really have your best interest in mind. The more distance from that, the better, as far as Sora's concerned.

Aaand all of this concern is not getting voiced, but it's definitely showing. He's not exactly paying attention to what he's telegraphing, but he's at least trying his best to not seem, like, pitying. He's just... not happy for Jason's sake, and he's not bothering trying to hide it.

[Nobody meant to watch anything. Somnus understands that's it necessary to look, anyway, if the opals are to be returned to their rightful owners. He folds his arms and looks off to the side.]

It's as you saw. The land was beset by a plague that made monsters of men. In order to protect the people, I took the bodies of those afflicted to the flames.

[ His eyes narrow. Useful? ]

We were brought here to prevent the collapse of this world, not to chase dreams suited for an afterlife of peace. That duty is paramount, and I shan't rest until it is fulfilled.

[ In life, he dedicated himself to protecting the people. When he considers that, he hasn't changed at all since his death, so he says nothing of that. ]

Tools are incapable of thought while animals are capable. Somnus is loath to discredit Soldat's contributions and won't go there. It would be demeaning, and no man should be made to feel so little.

The response he receives is a concession, and he accepts it with a nod as well a measure of appreciation. "Till then."

Orders. Yeah, he gets that. A lot of the things he's done were based on orders. Well, halfway. It wasn't like he had any objections to anything. It was all very much in line with his own agenda.

He gets the feeling that isn't the case here.

"You were an assassin?" He already knows the answer to that, obviously. Killing on orders is sort of the definition. "For whose interests?"

If Soldat seems uncomfortable with answering, he'll drop it, but it's just his nature to ask whatever questions he's got.

Soldat hadn't had an agenda, by that point, beyond completing the mission and going back to cold storage where nothing hurt them and they didn't hurt anyone else. Pretty shitty existence, they've come to realize.

But there's no hesitation in answering, at least. "Yes. Group called HYDRA. Formerly the Nazi science division back in World War II. Captured me sometime near the end of the war, don't remember the details anymore. This memory happened." They consider, trying to work out what the timelines could be, based on what little detail they have about mission dates and how old Howard seemed to be. "Thirty or forty years later, maybe."

No, I don't think I would.

[Just uhhh brushing that excuse right aside. This doesn't seem like a harsh interrogation, at least. In fact, he kind of thinks this is funny.]

So, was it personal, or are you just very strongly anti-Catholic?

Vanitas doesn't give up the space, not just yet. There's vehemence in Masaomi's voice, despite how tightly wound he is. The bubble of darkness in him simmers just under the surface; he's barely restraining himself from action. The tension is physical between them, it could probably be cut with a knife; but Vanitas won't do anything but coax.

"You think everyone that dies comes here? This place would be much fuller." His eyes go heavy, and he cants his head so his voice is near the other boy's ear again, near enough his breath stirs his blond hair. "Sometimes there are worse things than death."

He knows, from experience. Living can be the worst pain imaginable.

Is that because you're dead?

[ It's mean, but Vanitas is rarely anything but, and he can't really figure why else Jason would have given up on his revenge. That much hatred and anger? It doesn't just go away. Vanitas would know. Either way, he's giving the other guy a look of appraisal. ]

I didn't know you had it in you.

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EVENT LOG: THE NIGHT WE MET

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all good 8^)

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