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!

QUICKNAV
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Threaded | Flat

Each day, we'll post a new toplevel here with a list of spirits departing to join the aurora! We won't be threading out interactions, but if you'd like to have your character say goodbye/offer a gift/etc. to any of the racers, you're welcome to post it under the toplevel!

Rosinante already has a habit of picking up interesting stones. They're something he's always kind of liked - little bits of the land where it touches the sea, holding the washed up pieces of other people's lives. Beachcombing is more than a way to kill time, it's meditation. It's something he doesn't take for granted the way most do in his world, for he wasn't born by the sea and had to come down a great distance to experience it and the unity it brings.

The opal isn't by the water, but it still draws his eye, and he finds it remarkable how a stone can look so much like water. He bends down to collect it, and is plunged into a memory belonging to someone else. When it has played out, he realizes he's no longer standing, but flopped backward into the snow, and the cold helps bring him back to his senses.

This is familiar, isn't it? Last had been those graves. Now he has little crystalline windows into the lives of the people here and it isn't an opportunity he's going to waste.

While he'll be just about anywhere keeping an eye out for opals and collecting them, he's also certainly going to stop and admire the aurora from the harbor, and in the pale cold lighting he'll be easy to find there.

Alternatively, he might come up to you and say "Hey. I'm sure you've seen those strange new stones by now. Did you find any of mine?" He'll be fairly direct about it, because he would sure like to have them back.

((Feel free to pick up more than one of his own memories if you like! There are many copies of the three not specially marked. If you want to write your character reacting to one but don't necessarily want a full blown thread afterward, feel free to just respond to one of the memory posts with a reaction.

Also note that Rosinante will be actively looking for and collecting opals but may not necessarily be giving them back or even saying anything to your character if he saw a memory of theirs. If this is a problem, please let me know! I'm happy to hash things out in pm, on plurk at

tinylongwing, or at my ooc plotting comment.))

I. Opal Hunting
[It was difficult to miss the light show, but Jason couldn't help but be drawn out to get a better view. The aurora was breathtaking, something he had never seen in person back home but had always thought about. He misses the first one that falls from the sky, but it's hard not to notice as more continue to drop out of the upper atmosphere.

He tries not to think about them being parts of spirits -- he'd seen them throwing themselves into the sky earlier -- but they seemed to have ceased races for the day. Jason notices a few shiny rocks poking out of the snow and leaps off of the roof of the Invincible.

The light glints off of the rocks and Jason bends over to pluck one out -- only to black out for a second as he's delivered a strange memory. He blinks it away, rocking on his feet.]

Woah! What was that!

[He looks around and then down at the rock. He thought he recognized the name in the memory. He slips it into his pocket, taking off to find them, but stops occasionally as he spies others.]

II. Points of Memory: Wild Card -- open to anyone who didn't ask for a memory already
[Jason's memory opals are scattered around Becaon, just like everyone else's. Should you pluck one up, you will find anything from good times with friends to heated battles against monsters and giants. You may even get to fly. Does his opal catch your eye? Pick it up and find out.]

III. Points of Memory: Plot Generated
((ooc: Find below the top level for the memory we discussed in the plotting post. You can either post a reaction or we can thread something out if you prefer))

I. Discovery

It's hard to miss the activity that the spirits are up to, and Soldat watches with interest while on their patrols or when moving between buildings for various other tasks. Pausing to ask polite questions with a combination of Morse Code and what spirit language they can sing garners an interesting explanation, and they make sure to be out by the docks once the races start, to watch the conclusions with amiable curiosity.

When the spirits start launching into the sky, however, they're... unsure. Is that actually merging with the light? Or is it, er, actually dying...? Not that they think the spirits would mind their own second death, exactly, given their conversation with Owl Friend, but it's still a little disturbing.

Even more disturbing to start finding the shiny little stones all about, after watching them fall as if they were... pieces of the missing spirits.... Picking them up in the metal hand does nothing, but tossing them to the flesh hand brings... a vision. A memory.

Soldat stands in the snow for a long time staring at the opal in their hand, after that. Might even be some tears running down their cheeks, in the almost-bright-as-day light.

II. Hunting

While they don't let it interrupt their necessary activities-- patrols, sleep, meals, and checking in with their handlers and people on their personal "watch over" list-- things like arm maintenance and cleaning the cabin fall to the wayside as Soldat starts spending their free time hunting down memories hidden inside opals. It's too great a temptation, finding things from their own mind that they've lost, and too great a risk, letting people-- children, even!-- find pieces of the Winter Soldier. Not safe for Soldat, and not pleasant for whoever finds it. Besides, that name might be in them... the fewer people start trying to use that, the better. Preferably no one.

So Soldat can be found for a couple hours in the "morning" and a couple hours in the "evening", prowling around in the snow, one ear on the spirits' celebrations and the other alert for threats (as always), eyes largely on the ground. There's a small bag dangling from their metal hand, full of scraps of fabric and found opals, whether to keep for themselves or for return to their rightful owners.

III. Delivery

When discovering a memory that doesn't belong to them, Soldat is as respectful as they can manage. Because they do, in fact, find a lot of memories that don't belong to them. That just kinda happens when you're picking up every opal you come across, hoping it's something new for your own patchwork brain. When it's not, well, they wrap the opal up in a spare scrap of fabric to keep its appearance private, carry it in the metal hand so that they can't accidentally relive the memory a second time, and seek out the proper owner immediately.

"Found one of yours," they'll say, after knocking on a door, approaching in a public place, or even finding someone at another task. "I'm sorry. You should have it."

The frankly rude invasion of other people's privacy doesn't stop them from seeking out more, though, no matter how badly they feel about it. They can't convince themselves to stop looking for the missing pieces of themselves, just because they found pieces of someone else along the way.

IV. Return

Of course, Soldat isn't the only one out hunting for memories, and they're definitely not the only one finding their own. Other people can easily come across small, rounded matrix opals, silvery white with sparks of blue and red in them, buried in pieces of ordinary sediment rock. Should people wish to return the memory-opals, Soldat is at least easy to find at various times of day, given their routine almost never varies.

(People might also notice a new addition to their usual tac gear and/or layers: a smallish hand-made charm, attached to the braided wire and twine of their lantern, with dangling glittery owl feathers. Not their usual style, but still wearing it anyway. It's a gift and they love it.)

Edited 2020-02-17 00:12 (UTC)

The Aurora

[What is death to a dead thing, indeed.

To say that Minimus was not the least bit surprised when the sledding spirits vanished from existence would be a lie, but then he supposes that the residents of this planet have their own customs he must respect. It feels unbecoming to ask the spirits about their philosophy regarding this passage from death to final death.

He does worry if he'll see the bedsheet spirit among the soon-to-be-departed.

The light is quite lovely, and it gives him a better view of the dirty corners of Beacon. Without the need for a lantern or torch, Minimus walks through the village and downtown area sorting opals and straightening supplies.

Near the end of each day, however, he sits alone in view of the sled teams, working on his tablet.]

Memories

[Perhaps you find a green and blue opal on the ground and are transported into a memory of a robotic alien society. It's easy to tell to whom it belongs unless you see one centered on a massive blue robot. Odd.

Will you keep them, or will you return them to their owner?]

Wildcard!

[Come up with your own prompt or request a different memory that your character can interact with! Reach me a

mutanthairything for plotting.]

Edited 2020-02-17 02:02 (UTC)

I. Weird customs are weird

"I knew a groundling culture once that assigned people their homes without consulting anyone's opinions," Stone comments with a shrug, once he discovers about the spirits' strange tradition of dog-sledding to the sky. "And another one who staked their loved ones out to be eaten by birds to try and send them to their gods. Culture is weird."

He's really more concerned with the whole can actually see shit thing. With the light from the aurora, his vision is in fact much, much better. He can see distances again! He can look out into the murk and actually see something! It's amazing!

Stone actually shifts up to his winged form eventually, finds a patch of ground that's not too cold, and spreads his wings to attempt to bask. It's one of his favorite passtimes, and he hasn't been able to do it, with no light to bask in.

II. Pelted By Memories

Of course, being a very large creature with wide-open wings and a long tail splayed out means he actually gets opals landing on him. It actually stings a little, and his head comes up and swivels around, spines all standing on end and teeth showing a little bit. Between the sting and the sudden vision of someone else's life, he's absolutely startled.

He shifts down to try and find the damn thing, and so can be found patting the snow and growling under his breath. "Hey! Hey, get over here and help me, something hit me and now I can't find it." Because he still can't see worth shit up close.

III. Rest of the Time

Stone is not particularly worried about finding his own memories. There's nothing in his life he's particularly embarrassed about or ashamed of. But he's available to try and return things that he stumbles upon, and to try and return his own to him, usually around the Invincible or the harbor with the spirits.

1. Found
[While the new light source was much appreciated and the spirits' shenanigans were stranger than usual, it was hard for a man so concerned with information NOT to immediately start searching for opals once he learns what they contain.

It's not that he really wants to violate other people's memories, but it could be an interesting look into the people he has been helping survive this place for so long and honestly anything that helps him forget that encounter in the woods is a blessing. He spots one buried in the snow and while he knows he could end up with worse images, plucks it up anyway.]

2. Lost
[Maes's opals are scattered everywhere, usually a deep blue with hidden depths inside. It's risky, Maes has seen combat that he never talks about, but you're just as likely to stumble across a memory of a sleeping child or smiling wife. Do you take that risk? Just say you pick on up, and I'll write you a memory.]

3. Locked
[Closed top levels to follow.]

Watching the Aurora - OTA

[ Minato isn't really disturbed by the dogsled event leading to the spirits essentially killing themselves by flinging themselves into the aurora. Despite all that he has come to learn and love about the world and humanity, death itself still doesn't bother him that much. Besides, spirits were spirits and if this is what they enjoyed then who was he to disturb? He found his Answer to Life, others would have to figure theirs out on their own.

So, Minato instead bundled himself up and simply sat out on the sidelines, cradling his hot chocolate and merely smiling at any spirits cheering their brethren on and watching them burst to light upon hitting the aurora. A kind spirit had told him what was going on, so he sat to watch the show, headphones hooked to his tablet and listening to music from the new application on it (yes the soundtrack is, in fact, canon to the game itself don't question it). ]

Changing Seasons - Wild Card

[ List of memories are here, although if you are familiar with Persona 3 and want a memory not listed, go for it! Just let me know before hand so I know what I'm getting :3 ]

Memories of You - Pre-Planned

[ Top Levels below! If you want one, let me know at the OOC post above or contact me at

mossflowered! ]

Edited 2020-02-17 00:43 (UTC)

i;; and you're one year older. (a childhood memory.)

[ it's so bright.

that may be the first thing the person experiencing this memory will think when the memory kicks in and the summer sunshine pierce their vision, especially with how long it's been since they've been in direct sunlight. but when the over brightness fades and scenery takes place, this is what they'll see:

it's summer, wherever they are. the skies above are bright and blue, the scent hot and full of promise with sugar and spices mingling in the winds. every time a gust of cool air comes down the street, bright blue flower petals from the flowers strewn up and down the street will waft about, drifting and dancing in the air.

at the end of the street is a cul de sac and a street party happening at the moment, a small but lively group of individuals - humans and galateions alike - mingling and laughing with one another as they drank and ate themselves merrily. tables have been set up, the surfaces almost filled to the brim with foods and sweets and lots and lots and lots of presents for the celebrant. music is being played from somewhere and the song is cheerful and loud, crooning about how they hope the person of honour will stay alive long enough to see twenty-five.

and a banner, one that reads 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAY!', hangs on the front of a house that is grand and proud despite signs of age and weather getting the best of it at times. ]

Kiddo! Come over here!

[ the little bitty, the size of a human child, looks at the direction of whoever is calling him. his budding winglets perk up upon seeing who it is. he kisses the lady in the wheelchair that he was talking to on the cheek and rushes off, holding the comically large sketchbook to his chassis as he scurries towards the lady.

he pushes through the teeming crowd - but allows hands and large, large servos to fondly pat his helm as he hurries past them all - and is quick to practically launch himself into the open arms of his beloved auntie. ]

Auntie Laura! [ day squeals in excitement as he scooped up, curling into auntie laura's hold as she and a beaming uncle leeds lean forward to affectionately pepper his helm with kisses. he wiggles back to hold up his gift, excitedly babbling away as auntie laura and uncle leeds move to somewhere more private to have a talk with their nephew. ] -and Auntie Chris promised to make sure I get one every year, so I always have stuff to practice art on!! Auntie Laura, Uncle Leeds- Do you think mom and dad would have gotten me a present too today? I think they would and it would have been so cool!! Like like like maybe a dinosaur drone! That would be awesome!

[ a strange and tense smile comes and goes on auntie laura's face and uncle leeds looks so sad as daylight obliviously babbles away, imagining all the things his parents would have gotten him if they were still alive.

in the end, auntie laura kisses day's helm again, murmuring a soft: ] Yeah. I like to think they would have, kiddo.

ii;;; and you're walking on air. (a happy memory.)

[ daylight isn't on earth anymore. that much is clear from the fact he's the same size and appearance that the others know him at this point. and the fact he's surrounded by violet and white crystalline trees, the setting orange sun causing them to twinkle and sparkle in the dyling light of day.

he's not alone in this memory too. another mechanoid is with him, built bigger and stronger than him and twice daylight's size, standing at a whooping twenty feet tall and with a gatling gun bolted to their shoulder.

but he carries daylight in his arms with such a tenderness that that, and the way they gaze at each other adoringly, makes it clear there's something special between them. the way the mech will lean down, allowing the battlemask to retract so he can affectionately nuzzle his face against day's now and then only adds fuel to the obvious fire. ]

Heck of a way to end a day, huh? [ daylight laughs, kicking up the scrapped and dented leg of his for emphasis. ] Sorry for ruining the date, Emer. Just wanted to impress you back there.

It's fine, Sunshine. [ 'emer' shifts daylight into one arm and he seems to be looking for something on his side, though there are no visible pockets or pouches there. ] You're not going to walk for a while but back there did allow me to get something.

What? Footage to showoff to Dialup and Nightbreak? [ daylight's snort of self-derision stops halfway when, suddenly, emer pulls out a glass-like flower, the blue of its glowing in the sunlight. daylight practically melts into emer's hold when the flower is placed behind his audial. ] Oh, Ems... This is beautiful.

Not as beautiful as you. [ emer and day share a quick kiss between each other, laughing at the cheesiness of his words and out of genuine affection they clearly have for each other. ]

iii;;; and shadows settle on the place that you left. (a bittersweet memory.)

[ the sun is setting in this memory. it looks like daylight is in a quiet park and someone else is with him as they approach the paired statues of a human woman and something that can be best described as floating shapes lit on fire. it looks like they're holding hands.

day and his companion make for a strange pair- this one towers over him at twenty-five feet and their face is hidden by a steel domed mask that's been welded shut to their face. not to mention their arms stop at their elbows and a golden disc floats behind their back, humming with power.

the mech addresses day with surprising softness as they stop in front of the statues: ] Are you sure about this?

Yeah. I'm sure, Nightbreak. [ daylight begins to climb up on the base, strangely grim in his determination. the friend - nightbreak, apparently - heads over to a nearby console, the disc glowing faintly as eight transparent arms, coloured a glowing gold, emerge from the haze of light. ] Just- Punch in the settings, okay? The ones I told you.

[ the mech does as they're asked, their arms opening the console's setting to type something in.

above, the statues begin to shift and move thanks to mechanics and gears embedded in them, pulling their hands apart, palms open forward. daylight quickly slips his servos into the now open ones of his parents, fingers curling over theirs as the mechanisms soon close around his. his expectant, hopeful expression gives way to something... that can be best described as sad but readied to be sad.

it just doesn't feel right. he always wanted to know what it's like to hold his parents' hands but this isn't it. not by a long shot.

the memory ends with day thanking nightbreak for indulging him, trying to mask his disappointment with a forced and cheerful sunniness that he's used to making up on the spot for others. ]

iv;;; and so you can follow the trail back to a burning house. (a shocking revelation.)

[ it's so dark.

it's nighttime. daylight - a toddler, the size of a human child and looking very lost and distressed - is approaching an office that's door has been left ajar, allowing light to spill into the dark hallways. and allowing the voices of two women and a man to be heard the closer day approaches it. day stops right at the edge, and leans forward, peering in to see what's going on inside:

it's an argument between three adults: auntie laura and uncle leeds on one side of the room and a woman with silver hair and impossibly blue eyes on the other side of the room. the woman - mommy!, daylight whispers in excitement, isn't saying or doing much at the moment, merely allowing auntie laura to yell herself hoarse and pace back and forth, all the while gesturing with sharp and angry jabs. ]

Are you proud of yourself, Lore? Are you? [ auntie laura is practically shouting at his mom, who looks at her friend with passive, cold eyes. ] How can you sleep at night? There are days that Leeds and I can't look Day in the eye, knowing what we know. How can you do this to me? How can we do this to him? [ she stops pacing and turns to 'lore' with an angry expression on her face, kept at bay by uncle leeds holding her arm. ] Well! Do you have anything to say?

We've had this discussion before and my answers are the same: I don't regret a thing. Radiance and I did what we had to do. We needed to have him-

To what? So he could die? Is that it? So he could be sacrificed?

Yes.

[ the blunt answer knocks the winds out of his relatives and day, leaving them all gobsmacked. it allows his mom to press on, her voice firm and cold and sure: ] You know the prophecy too, Laura. You were there.

Ashes from the dead choking the air for those unfortunate enough to still be live. Destruction and death tearing through the worlds as punishment to those considered the uncalled. It can only be prevented by the union of two worlds that will ignite the stars ablaze. The life spilled is the saviour.

[ auntie laura and his mom stare at each other for a few long seconds before auntie laura looks away, staring at the ground as she balls her hands into tight, shaking fists.

his mom sighs and pulls back, unhappy that she won that argument. ] It's hard to accept, I know, but this is the only way. Radiance and I will do anything to keep the peace we worked so hard on. We have done everything. And if it means sacrificing him for the greater good than so be it.

[ that's not right. that can't be right. daylight pulls back, letting out a scared keen as he presses his servos to the door, pushing it open and alerting the others to his presence and not caring one bit because no no no no-

no!

day pushes through the room, trying to run to where his surprised mom is. even when uncle leeds scoops him up in his arms and pulls him close, he still tries to reach out for his mom, making desperate grabbing motions with flailing arms. ]

Mommy! [ even as uncle leeds reluctantly carries him away, even as auntie laura calls someone named 'system shock' for 'another round', day has only his optics on his mom. ] Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! I'm sorry, Mommy! I'm sorry! Please don't let me die! I'll be good, mommy! Please! Mommy-!

[ she never responds to him. his mom merely looks at him with an unreadable expression on her face, lips thinned into a line and her eyes hard and cold.

then she looks away, turning her back to the distressed child as she flatly states, ] System Shock should have the room set up by the time you take him there.

Hurry up and get this over with.

[ and just before the memory ends, the person will suddenly feel pricks at the back of their neck and the feeling of something being torn out from their heads. ]

iv;;; wildcard!!

[ want to do something else? feel free to do it here! also, you’re welcome to hit me up/plot with me via my plurk prognostic if there’s something specific you want. ]

Death to a Dead Thing

[Throughout the duration of the race, Mary can be found in the square, drawing by the light of the fire. She doesn't seem interested in hunting for Opals: instead, focused on the task at hand. Each sheet that she tears from her sketchbook has a picture of a different spirit that's been chosen to race up into the aurora. Sometimes, she draws them as if she's a good friend, and other times, she draws them looking happy and triumphant as they fly away into the colorful sky.]

Wildcard

[I'll be posting a couple of memories below this, but feel free to make your own starter or otherwise send me a message at

ddsapphire to plot something out with me!]

Bon Voyage, Amigo

[A soulful farewell to the spirits who plan to ascend to a higher plane of existence doesn't sound right with one instrument, but seeing how excited everyone turned out to be, an emotional song wouldn't work anyway.

Time to practice some pieces. Duster has placed his lantern on a nearby stump and set up his double bass near one of the larger gatherings of celebrators, fighting the cold to play an old warmup]

Memories

[When you pick up certain opals, a memory starring a certain musician plays. There's happiness tinged with slight melancholy throughout these events, but ultimately are reassuring.]

Wildcard

[Hit me up with your own prompt or request another memory featuring either the DCMC or the main party. I'm at

mutanthairything for plotting.]

Edited 2020-02-17 02:00 (UTC)

Aurora
[ Kylo is sitting quietly, watching the spirits crash into the aurora, effectively ending their existence. Death isn't something Kylo is a stranger to, in fact, frequently forcing it upon the beings in his own galaxy and lending a hand in the destruction of five planets and the death of billions. He thinks about watching the beams from Starkiller split across space from the bridge of the Finalizer, the planets disintegrating into spectacular bursts of light. It was breathtaking, in his opinion, but most likely didn't feel the same.

Who is he to disturb the spirits if this is what they want to do? He's just taking it all in, quietly, his lantern sitting at his side and lightsaber clipped on to his belt. ]

Memories
[ Kylo's opals, like everyone's, are scattered about. They're black and red, most of them cracked and jagged like the blade of his lightsaber. Pick one up and you're likely to see something happy from his childhood, troubling from his youth, or terrifying from recent memory. He's experienced a lot in his 30 years of life. ]

If you pick one up, I'll write a memory for you, just let me know what type you're interested in!

Aurora

[Hux feels no grief or any kind of emotion aside from a detached admiration of the view while some of the forest spirits hurl themselves into the light. They weren't really alive, were they?

It's still cold so he's bundled up wearing his greatcoat and a thick black scarf as he headed towards downtown, his gaze on the sky above.]

[ooc: if there is a particular memory you would like your character to find, hit me up at

illuminations]

Duster finds a stone streaked with gold, beige and dark brown. Holding it shows a memory of a stranger meeting a perhaps slightly familiar young boy.

Cao Pi finds a dark opal flecked with red, turquoise and gold. Although it gives a memory, only one of the names mentioned in it matches anyone in Beacon. Who are these assholes? (stop at 5:05)

Quentin discovers a white stone full of pearlescent flecks. What a strange vision it offers when held. What could it mean, and is that really..? (stop at 3:05)

Daylight locates a dark blue opal slashed through with paler blue and peppered with bright flecks. Inside is a pep talk from a talking mouse? (stop at 2:10)

Bruce uncovers a glittering opal that's shot through with dark streaks in a criss-crossing pattern. Holding it reveals a scene of hopelessness against insurmountable odds, the sacrifice a friend makes for someone precious. (stop at 8:20)

Prompto finds a yellow opal glittering with large flecks of gold and orange, holding it reveals the scheming of a man with the power to transcend time.

Vanitas locates a sparkling, almost neon-blue stone mottled with tan. A younger form of his Master can be seen when it's held, with another familiar face. (stop after "Your abyss awaits")

Jason discovers a sky blue stone streaked with white and flecked with grey. Touching it shows the heroic last stand of a very unlikely character. (stop at 4:26) ***SPOILERS from the recent DLC***

Namine finds a fire opal, red and orange, flecked with sparkling gold. Within is the memory belonging to a foolish apprentice (stop at 31:10 "You will. Trust me.")

[OTA prompt for reactions/opal trades]

The aurora is a spectacle all by itself, the world looks so strange and different with so much unprecedented light glowing eerily over everything. Of course all the activity has drawn a crowd, Riku is no exception. Curiosity has pulled him in at first, later, it's the discovery of the opals and the hunt for those who might appreciate their return. It's incredible, not just the aurora shimmering across the sky, but the sheer number of spirits gathered there... even ones that Riku, with a chill, recalls fighting against. None of them appear to be hostile, there's a celebratory mood that permeates the masked crowd.

All heads seem to turn to follow the arrival of a kind of sledge pulled along by... he's not sure what those are and only a few of them seem to resemble dogs. Riku, from a tiny island world that never sees this amount of "winter", is as mystified by this as he is by the rest of the festivities, and as to be expected from another human, is stunned to silence when he sees the sled and team go rocketing up into the sky, only to shatter into countless glittering motes upon contact with the aurora.

As if they hit a kind of ceiling...

Shocked, Riku stares, and then, a few moments later, he raises his voice in a shout to join the cheering.

He's known for months that the spirits don't share in their concepts of death. They're following their hearts, this isn't to fit in somewhere different, rooting for someone as they follow what their heart tells them to do is the right thing to do. What is he to thrust his own mores and priorities on forest spirits? This is their time. Some of them have made compromises for the sake of the other Beacon residents.

So Riku becomes a regular sight at the event, bringing along his ocarina to stumble through rudimentary conversations with spirits while warming himself with a hot drink, cheering himself hoarse - easy, since his throat was pierced months ago. It's actually one of the few times lately that one can see Riku actually smiling regularly, though that might easily have something to do with the extra illumination they've been getting. The only hiccup there is once Riku finds his first few opals and starts to realize what's actually raining down from the aurora; from then on, he's often searching the crowd for people he recognizes from the opals he's found. The hope is he can reunite people with these memories, or at least give them the option to decide for themselves what should be done with them.

As usual this winter, he's dressed in his black bomber jacket, some jeans, boots, a pair of black gloves and a blue knit scarf with a yellow R embroidered into one end, his long hair tied back in a low tail. The only change to his appearance is a small scar in his bottom lip.

Edited 2020-02-17 02:16 (UTC)

Most of Xayah's memories can be found around the greenhouse, where she now lives. She will be either on the roof of the building, watching Aurora carefully, or inside, tending to few plants that she planted. The greenhouse is lit up with two torches so it's not as dark, especially with aurora blasting the light at them.

If you find her stones, come see her here.

Memories will be listed below, or poke me at

WindsongWitch if you want something specific!

[closed prompts will come below. Open prompts are as follows, CR and newcomers alike welcome:]

A A montage of scenes of Lady Zhenji, sashaying at his side, standing beside his throne in Xuchang while he holds audience, and playfully trading quips with him. Her choice of titles for him, waga kimi, hits the ear as "my beloved lord," and he in turn calls her "my Lady Zhen."

B A selection of seemingly innocent moments around Cao Cao, taking orders from him, watching him dole out orders to others, beholding his anguished expression as they all watch the ships burn at Chi'bi and know their utter defeat, and standing witness as he cajoles the Emperor into letting Cao Cao take care of him. The young Emperor seems to be the only one swayed by such honeyed words, everyone else - especially Cao Pi - knows that it means Wei will soon control the Emperor like a puppet, all thanks to Cao Cao's persistent charm and delivery of results.

C A conversation with Ishida Mitsunari, an officer from a different time and place. They have a snappy back and forth, sarcasm upon sarcasm, the likes of which few have seen. Alternately, it may be a memory of Ishida standing up for him in front of Da Ji, stepping in to lie to her face in order to protect him, forcing her to believe that both were telling her the truth of how Sun Ce escape them. Cao Pi turns curious eyes to the Wa strategist, wondering. Is he really Da Ji's pet, or is he, after all, a fellow conspirator?

D A quick flash of a vision of Orochi, a seven-foot-tall serpent demon who has been the bane of Cao Pi's existence for a while. In the darkness, torchlight reflects off all the sharp, silvery edges of his body armor and the immense scythe in his hand. A battle is about to begin, and those mismatched eyes display nothing but hatred for Cao Pi facing him.

[ A - Memories. ]

[ Lunafreya's opals come in a variety of colors, ranging from a vibrant white streaked with gold, to an iridescent black. They can be found scattered about the town.

The first, a soft white and yellow in color, can be found by the bonfire.

The second, which is a grey with a shimmery black, is found closer to the Invincible.

The third is a dark brown that's flecked with gold, can be found close to the water down by the dock.

The fourth is a dull black, though if shifted, it does shimmer ever so slightly in various colors. Found close to the Library. [warning: death.]

Number five is a pale blue in color, streaks of silver sparkle through it. Like one of the others, this one, too, can be found down by the dock, though it can be seen glimmering in the water. [ warning: blood, stabbing. Starts at :007, ends at 2:47. ]

And finally, the final stone, a flat, deep blue, can be found by the church.

Lunafreya herself can be found watching the Aurora, though she will be getting up and finding Opals as well after a while so that she can return them to their respective owners. ]

[ B. Wildcard ]

[ Okay, these prompts are kind of lame, but I am on hiatus and still wanted to try my hand at this, lol. Have at me with any prompts or ideas you may have, I very much want Luna to find and see other people's memories as well, so hit me, friends. ]

( his opals are that of petrified wood, split and cracked and filled to the brim with beautiful stone. they're scattered about, but javert's not able to get around easily enough to collect them all. he is moving a little better, after having his leg partially healed with magic. he spends much of his time outside, watching the aurora on a bench or a stump of wood.

as an ooc note, please don't handwave your character having seen a memory of mine without discussing it with me first. if you'd like to plot something, feel free to hit up my plotting comment, or pm me! )

mother

( He's little more than four years old, with wide blue eyes and a mop of curly brown hair. He takes after his father, or so his mother tells him. The little boy has never known him, and the mother hardly speaks of him, but he knows that he is a galley slave, sentenced to life in the bagne. His mother is a fortune teller, with darker hair and a darker complexion. Sometimes, she will take his tiny hand in hers and read the etchings of his palm, tracing them gently with her fingertips. He asks what they mean, but his mother only smiles at him sadly.

It's as if she knew. His life would not get better than this. Prison is not a place for a child to grow up, but it's the only life the boy has ever known. She teaches him how to sew, how to clean, and when the night falls and the stars appear in the sky, she teaches him of the constellations. One day, he thinks, as he lays own next to his mother, curled up on a thin pallet, he will see them from outside the prison's walls. He's determined to make it so. )

24601

( He's twenty three, one of the youngest guards of the penal colony of Toulon. His hair is cropped short, his expression stern, and his youthful innocence is gone. It's not hard to recognize him as the man as he is today — authoritative, haughty, and most importantly, watchful.

He knows the faces of every convict in the bagne, though there's one in particular he pays close attention to. The prisoner himself is brute, with a muscular physique and superhuman strength. Like all prisoners, he is garbed in a hideous red shirt, canvas pants, and he speaks very little. He never laughs. Jean Valjean is his name, but here, he is only known as 24601.

They are in the rock quarry in the hills surrounding Toulon. Javert is there, keeping watch on the convicts as they work. An accident happens. One of the red-garbed prisoners is trapped beneath a boulder. As guards and convicts alike scrabble for help, the prisoner 24601 appears, saying nothing, and without hesitation, he takes the boulder beneath his back and lifts it. Jean le Cric! the convicts cry out, and soon, the man beneath boulder is pulled from under it, his legs broken, but intact. Javert watches the other convict steadily, but the man doesn't notice his stare. He returns to work with his head down, and so too does Javert. )

madeleine

( At forty, he's named inspector of police at the town of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Each day, Javert makes his report on the police patrol to the mayor. Today, he is running late, due in part to the weather, which has transformed the streets of Montreuil into rivers. His trousers and coat are completely soaked through, and he apologizes profusely for it when he reaches the mayor's office.

The mayor himself is a man he knows from before, but whose identity he cannot prove. He is Jean Valjean, but here, he is only known as Madeleine. He receives Javert kindly, insisting that he take his coat off and warm it by the fire. He is insufferably kind, in a way that Javert almost believes to be taunting, but he doesn't protest. He removes his greatcoat, his hat, and sets his club aside atop the pile. The mayor insists on making tea, and the inspector's jaw clenches, but he says nothing. Madeleine's eyes are warm, and he looks nothing at all like the brute that Javert knew in Toulon, listening intently as his chief of police delivers his report, stiff and calm. )

valjean

( He's fifty-two, and this time, there's no pretense between them. They're not strangers as they were in Toulon, nor are they cautious as they were in Montreuil. Jean Valjean is covered in muck, and in the stench of the sewer he just climbed out of, but Javert is respectful toward him all the same. He addresses him formally, delivers him and the boy that is nearly dead in Valjean's arms to their respective homes. Javert sits next to him in the carriage, stewing in his thoughts and in silence as they pull up to the Rue de l'Homme Armé. He pays the driver out of his own pocket, 80 francs for the ride, and for the upholstery that is soaked through with the boy's blood and Valjean's muck-covered clothes. Javert walks him to the door, and tells him to go on up. )

I will wait for you here.

( He says, with some difficulty. It's the first lie he's ever told. Valjean seems to hesitate as well, as if he knows there's something wrong. This way of doing things is hardly like Javert at all. But he concedes, and there's a painful twist in his chest as Javert watches him turn away. He knows it's the last time he will ever see him, and he knows, too, that it is only for the best. )

Edited 2020-02-17 17:02 (UTC)

I. Aurora

Fjord has never seen lights in the sky like that before. He's heard stories, while he was sailing, about how if you sailed north for long enough, you'd see green flames in the night sky like a dragon's breath. He'd always wondered if he'd see them during his lifetime, if only so he could see it for himself and say that he had.

The memory stings a little, as he watches from his post, leaning against the outside wall of the Invincible. So much for that, really.

He stays watching them there, for a little while; it won't be hard to startle him back into paying attention to the rest of the world, but for now he's distracted by his own little world.

II. Spirits

He spots them while he's on patrol, passing through the downtown; all the spirits, more than he's ever seen in one place and the majority of which he doesn't recognise, crowding around and making their little walls down to the harbour. It's curiosity, of course, that has him following the excited spirits, watching them play, and build, and clearly having a good time.

With a bit of difficulty, he manages to wave one down, and kneels so he can talk to the spirit with a lopsided design to its mask. "Excuse me, but I have to ask - what are all y'all doing, exactly?"

The excited whistles and cricks he gets back are entirely unhelpful: he doesn't understand that language at all. He doesn't know what he expected.

"...I see."

Wildcard - Memories

Fjord's opals tend towards black, with striking sacramento green striations throughout. They're often mixed with other colours - cobalt blue and navy blue seem to be his most frequent finds - but he has gems struck through with nearly every other colour of the rainbow; red and orange in striking fiery contrast, teasing yellow, reserved indigo, vivid purple and a pleasant, floral pink. Members of the Mighty Nein, past and present.

He has more difficulty finding the ones streaked with golden brown and deep, oceanic blue - memories of Vandran, his former captain. And he avoids touching the ones that match his lantern at all; the green-rimmed, bitingly yellow ones, shattered in such a way that a clean cats-eye cut is visible, making the pieces match the eye of Uk'otoa glowing inside his lantern.

[[Pick a character, any character! If you can't decide on the M9, pick a random colour too! CW for drowning and some body horror re: Uk'otoa.]]

ooc - I'll be doing some open and custom starters, please feel free to reach out to me via pm or pp to

wollstonecraft, or check out my plotting comment over here.

[THE AURORA]

[ The dancing lights in the sky are enough to make Eliot want to loiter outdoors. He hasn't been here nearly as long as some other people and he's already welcoming the extra light, he can't imagine the relief everyone else must be feeling.

And if he isn't just sitting around, admiring the aurora (he's never actually seen one, only heard about it), he's watching the bizarre display of the spirits. He wonders if they know they're actually dying and not transcending, but he obviously isn't going to be the one to bring it up. His gaze follows one sled it slides down, then lifts off over the lake, then explodes into it's beautiful dust. ]

That's one way to go.

[ii. WILDCARD]

Want to watch the aurora together? Or watch the sledding happen? Go for it. Also, if you have a memory you'd like Eliot to find / if you'd like to see one of his, let me know and I will gladly give you one based on your preferences!

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FOREST SPIRIT SEND-OFFS

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