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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[Soldat shakes their head, a little apologetically.]

I don't remember. I still don't have very many memories of him. I know there was something wrong with his lungs. And. Maybe his heart? And he was very thin, couldn't keep weight on. A hundred pounds, even after a good meal, at five foot four. But none of my memories put names to any of those things.

( He frowns a bit, concentrating on the description, and what it could mean. )

Perhaps I could make some inquiries. It's not as if I have anything better to do. I need to learn more of the ways of medicine anyway. It wouldn't be much trouble.

( He doesn't know how he got talk into teaching first aid lessons. He's not a doctor, and what little experience he does have is self-taught, but it's his duty. He will learn it. After a moment's pause, he asks, )

What was the other memory?

[It probably doesn't matter, it's not like Steve is going to show up here, Soldat's sure of it. (Please, please don't let Steve come here.)]

When we were younger. Different apartment. After a fight. I was patching him up, because he was bleeding. And then he saw I was bleeding and did the same. It felt good, kind of. Reciprocity. Taking care of each other.

( Does he not want to know more about his friend? If it were Valjean, Javert would want to know more about him, but Javert's a little bit obsessed. It's probably not the same. He listens, though, and considers the memory. )

He is important to you?

[Oh, Soldat wants to know more. They want all the happy memories of Steve. (At least, right now. They're gonna get some soon here that will make it a little more painful.) They just don't want him here, skinny Steve, subjected to this place. Subjected to what his former friend has become. That would be a nightmare come true.]

Very. I think. I feel like. He was my best friend. Maybe my only real friend.

[They look down at the opal again, now a little sad, and finally tuck it away in a left-hand pocket, where the metal hand can't accidentally activate it.]

He doesn't need to see what happened to me. I think that would hurt him.

Be grateful, then, that he does not know.

( It's one of the few comforts Javert had taken from his own death. He never had anyone who cared for him, so no one would care should he take his life. His affairs were in order, and he had little by way of possessions. Doubtless, his landlady had already sold them.

Friendship is still a new thing for him. He still has a difficult time comprehending it. Listening to others speak about their friends, however, makes it easier. )

Given his poor health, he would not be well suited for this place.

I'd protect him.

[It's automatic to say. Even the Sergeant agrees. They waver after a beat, though, and add,]

Though I couldn't protect him from everything. Cold air in his lungs or hallucinations. I'm glad he's not here.

( Perhaps it is fortunate that he doesn't have such a weakness here. God only knows how it would be used against him, by the green-eyed spirits or the others living in Beacon. He falls silent, finishing his meal before setting the plate to the side. )

Then his memory will have to be sufficient. Perhaps you may discover more of them.

[Oh, Javert. Soldat has so many weaknesses like that here. ~~You're one of them.~~ Still, they smile a bit at the words.]

That's what I'm hoping.

[They'll collect the plate, getting back up again. That seems like the natural end of that line of conversation, and they're just happy to have another memory back.]

Are you interested in our game of chess today, sir?

If you wish.

( He isn't going to admit that he is. In truth, he's been going more than a little stir-crazy, sitting here with nothing but Rosalind's books to keep him company. He doesn't enjoy reading, and there's only so much he can do stand before giving up on it. )

[People keep suggesting Soldat get into reading-- again?-- but they've resisted so far. Not entirely sure why, just... not ready, maybe. So they absolutely understand needing a distraction other than books. Particularly Miss Lutece's books, which might be all science things.

Chess is fine, though.]

Wouldn't have suggested it otherwise.

[They set the plate in Javert's kitchenette sink, collect the board and pieces.]

Sir, did you. Before. Did you have friends?

[He almost never talks about his life before, and when he does it's only work and sometimes Valjean. They're... curious. And this has been such a good conversation, it feels safe to ask.]

( What is there to say? Javert doesn't seem upset by the question, but perhaps a little bit surprised. He answers plainly, his tone gruff and uncaring. )

No.

( He doesn't believe himself worthy of pity. Javert has never wanted nor needed anyone, and he always believed that to be a strength, until it wasn't. He levels a stare at Soldat, his expression even as he says, )

You of all people should know why. A dog of the state has no need for such things.

[Soldat of all people. They frown a little, thoughtful, as they set out the board for their game.]

I couldn't have them because it wasn't allowed. Because. Connections. People I cared about. Might make me disobey. Doesn't mean I didn't need them.

[The Asset made connections even then. The kids it trained. The ones who trained it. Even handlers, to an extent, though Soldat knows how very, very bad those connections had been, compared to what they have with Javert and Misty.]

( Javert has never made any such connections. The only person that he has ever had prolonged, meaningful contact with is Valjean, and even then, Javert would not consider him a friend, nor would he him. He has denied himself the chance to get close to anyone, until now, where such a thing is nearly impossible. )

Would you say the same of yourself before?

( It seems a forgone conclusion that Soldat would need them now, broken as he is. But what of his life before that? Did he need Steve? )

[There's a moment of thoughtful silence as Soldat sets out the pieces.]

Steve was important. Family was important. Maybe I needed them. Or.

[They frown at the knight they're setting down, chasing a thought that doesn't want to manifest. They finally give up and shake their head.]

I don't know. There's still so much I'm missing.

( He considers the thought for a moment, looking up at him and then away. Whatever it is that Soldat knows about friendship, about bonds and connections, Javert seems to know even less. He wants to understand, though, even if he doesn't know where to begin with it. )

I have never needed anyone.

( He admits, and it's not as much a point of pride as it used to be. )

The only thing that has ever mattered to me was my duty. Once I forsook it, I had nothing left.

[Soldat wonders vaguely if that's why Javert focused so strongly on Valjean: he had nothing else.]

That sounds lonely. When all that mattered to me was my duty. I was miserable.

[Of course, Soldat was also being routinely tortured and forced to kill people at the time, but. Details. Maybe it would have been more bearable, and they would have come out a little more human, if they'd had more people to actually love.]

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EVENT LOG: THE NIGHT WE MET

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cw: suicide mention

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