INTRO LOG: APRIL

[inthenightmods]

INTRO LOG: APRIL
MAN ME A SAND

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: april 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. explosive sand bottles send everyone careening into the dreamy past. some forest spirits learn a couple unhelpful lantern-haver words.
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.

•••
Scattered throughout the ferry are colorful bottles of sand! They're sitting atop packages in the cargo hold, lining the railing of the deck, even rolling around on the deck itself or nestled in bed in the newcomers' bunks. They're all over the place, and they're pretty! You feel compelled to pick them up, to check out those neat sandy patterns or take one home as a souvenir. Heck, maybe you just want to kick the rolling bottles out of the way so no one slips.

But when you get too close to the bottles, they burst like little firecrackers, showering everyone in the vicinity with sand. Contact with the sand doesn't seem to do much at first! But whether the effects hit you after a few minutes or a few hours, you'll start to feel in desperate need of a nap. And hey, a quartet of forest spirits has made their way onto the beach to sing along... in their best approximation of lantern-haver speech! Pretty cool that these forest spirits have picked up a couple of genuine words instead of hoots, but, uh, attempts to talk to them will just get them riled, and they'll croon about man door hand hook car door more loudly. They're singing in your weird language, what more do you want?

Anyway, once you've come into contact with the sand in the bottles, you'll need to lie down and sleep soon or run the risk of passing out on your feet.

Once asleep, you'll find yourself in the sunshiny Beacon of the past! This may feel familiar to some of you, but don't worry, the spirits don't seem to have any nasty tricks up their sleeve this time.

You're welcome to spend as much time in dream Beacon as you like, but once you're ready to head back to the waking world, all you need to do is hail a cab.

•••
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.

please turn on your sandy hands.

BONFIRE SQUARE

It's winter in Bonfire Square, but though the path underfoot is caked with snow and a gentle breeze whistles through barren trees, the sun shines bright overhead with only the occasional cloud to interrupt its warmth. It's chilly, but pleasantly so, and it seems you're already wearing the appropriate outerwear for the occasion! How thoughtful.

Real, live people meander around through the square, though they all seem to be wearing gas masks—unless they're one of you, of course. The dreamy extras don't seem to know you're there, even if you shove them or scream in their faces. They just go about their business, carting grocery bags from the general store or ordering another pint in the Invincible. At least they're not bothering you.

The bonfire crackles in the center of the square, magnificent as ever, and someone's laid out a whole table of goodies to roast over the fire! Marshmallows and s'more supplies, hot dogs, chestnuts, pie irons... If you've got a wintery snack in mind, you'll find the supplies to make it at the table. There's even a hot cocoa stand set up next to it.

DOWNTOWN

Downtown Beacon is bustling on this lovely autumn afternoon. There seems to be some sort of outdoor festival happening! Booths line the street, selling handmade goods and treats as musicians and street performers entertain the mask-wearing crowd. None of the residents seem to notice you're there, but that could be a blessing given that you don't have any cash to exchange. Instead, you're welcome to pluck woven bracelets and hand-painted ceramics right off the tables. Enjoy them while you can, as they can't leave the dream with you.

Food trucks sell tacos and bar food and pasties, and Kickaxe Brewing Company has an outdoor booth selling craft beers, including root and birch beer for those not interested in a buzz. If you'd like to get out of the brisk autumn air, you're welcome to catch a movie at the Delft or grab lunch at the soda fountain.

THE VILLAGE

The village is alive and experiencing a breezy, peaceful spring. The odd elderly can be seen on their porch, lazing in a rocking chair. Children scamper along the road, laughing muffled cries of joy. Although they don't notice you, following them will lead you right to the main source of fun: Boneset Park has come alive! Outdoor sports equipment of all kinds are available in different bins, the baseball field trimmed and chalked. Families dot the bleachers, sporting cracker jacks, hot dogs, and ice cream. Get a whiff? The familiar ice cream stand is stocked as a full-blown snack bar, and all available flavors and condiments are surprisingly, well, normal!

The library is appropriately quiet, but lively, with townsfolk bent over a good book or quietly studying as a group. Happy readers of all ages can be found around the village, and the collection is pristine in its maintenance. The rec center is bustling with activity, indoor sports equipment available for use in the gym, spectators on the basketball court just as they are outside. There's plenty of room to grab a seat or join in for yourself!

THE HARBOR

Down at the harbor, it's summer! Mask-wearing beach-goers are sunbathing on the sand or splashing around in the waves, taking full advantage of this warm summer day. Kayakers and the ferry tour the southern cliffs, with the ferry stopping by the dock every now and then to pick up tourists. Take a ride, if you like! The boathouse is also equipped with extra kayaks, canoes, fishing gear, and any sort of beach necessities you might need to enjoy a relaxing day.

The massive ore dock looms near the mouth of the river as masked children play along its foundation, some carrying ice cream cones from the ice cream stand on the dock. How they're eating it is a mystery, but it doesn't seem to melt despite the hot sun. None of the masked beach-goers seem to notice you, but you're more than welcome to join in the festivities.

On the cliffs to the north, the lighthouse gleams, its bright white pain shining in the sunlight.

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! We're thrilled to play with you.

If you haven't already, you might want to check out the April gameplan and the recent mod announcement to get acquainted with the game! There's also the game history page to check out, where you can find all the plot info that's been uncovered so far. The game history page is due for an update, and we'll be getting the March update posted as soon as we're able!

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
  
• A lot of medical supplies. The supplies are plentiful enough that everyone may handwave finding common first aid supplies that will help to triage injuries sustained during the Wild Heart event. The supplies won't immediately cure wounds, but they will help to prevent infection and ensure proper healing. There's even an assortment of painkillers, ranging from over the counter pills to IV morphine (though, hm, it seems each character will only be able to find one dose of the hospital-grade stuff, no matter how hard they search)
  
• For kidnapped characters: A small package containing a bottle of over-the-counter painkillers, a bag of rice to be used as a hot/cold pack, a week's supply of Xanax, a coloring book and markers, a blank journal, a bag of Epsom salt, a lavender-scented bath bomb, a plush blanket in their favorite color, and a book titled PTSD SURVIVAL GUIDE
  
• For Sora: Three crates full of assorted breakable pottery, four large tarps, and a pallet of large, flat sheets of plywood
  
• For Matt: Three 12-packs of various brands of ginger ale, a braille scanner, a bouquet of orchids, and a very soft blanket that seems to somehow be made of smoke though it's very touchable and warm
  
• For Carmilla: A cooler full of individual human blood packages, a personal-sized telescope, a box set of the entire Series of Unfortunate Events, and a crate of Zoobooks

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

Senri | +Anima

[bear_necessities]

On the Pier

[So waking up on a strange boat, heading for some unknown destination would be confusing for anyone. Senri is hardly an exception, but there's something else that's even more confusing to him. After a brief exploration of the boat, he disembarks and settles down near the pier to inspect the lantern and the.. other thing... he found when he woke up. The lantern is easy enough to understand. It's dark. Lanterns make light. Perfect sense.

The other thing is... what is this thing?

He pokes the tablet several times, sniffs it.... and is he going to...? Yeah. He just licked it. A few more pokes and he nearly drops it when it finally turns on.

It wants him to put in a user name. Not that he knows that. Maaaybe some kind soul could help him out?]


Bonfire Square

[Perhaps it's because he was born in a mountainous region, but Senri quickly gravitates toward the more wintery climate in the bonfire square. The masked people are... strange. But they don't seem to bother with him and he isn't too interested in bothering them, so.... that's fine.

More importantly, they seem to be very generous about sharing their snacks. Senri is not going to turn down free food, and is particularly fond of anything sweet, so he is all about roasting some marshmallows. And he's never heard of s'mores before, but they are delicious. After making a few more for himself, the next s'more is being silently offered to you.

Why? Who knows. Maybe you looked sad. Or bored. Or hungry. Or maybe he just wanted to share the joy of s'mores. It's... hard to tell.]


Wildcard

[Want to just run into Senri in some other location? Have a different idea? Maybe your character just wants to help out a newcomer that looks even more lost than usual. Because, seriously, he is so lost. Anyway, I am more than happy to roll with whatever you've got.]

Pier

[worthallthis]

[The big guy with the metal arm pauses at the edge of the dock to peer in the direction of a boy crouched on the sand, poking blankly at his tablet. ... licking it. Well. Somebody clearly doesn't know about modern technology. Soldat wipes at their face one more time, to get a little more of the weird sparkly sand off, then heads over, setting their current load of boxes down and crouching just out of arm's reach, so as to be a little less threatening to the kid.]

Hey. Everything okay?

[It's Soldat's default question, these days. It's a good starting point.]

Bonfire Square

[arsarcanum]

Huh? Oh, um. [ Senri caught Sora in the middle of staring deep into the bonfire, thinking about things, so the offer of food would have startled him if it hadn't been so... unintrusive? It's appreciated. Sora's been kind of jumpy lately.

Sora looks down at the food, then back up at this guy, then back down at the food. ]

Is that for me? [ Well... it doesn't seem to be moving away. With one more check-in with the new face, Sora reaches out to take it, a rather sheepish smile on his face. ] Hey, thank you. Did you get to make one for yourself?

bonfire square;

[mellowyellow]

[Masaomi has been staring longingly at the parade of sweets for a solid twenty minutes now. Just sitting on the opposite side of the bonfire. Staring from across the way. Drooling from the wafting smells. As you do.

And yet, when this thoughtful stranger offers him a s'more out of the goodness of his heart, Masaomi nearly jumps out of his skin. Partly because everyone else around has ignored him since he fell asleep. Partly because, well... Actual food this close to his face is triggering some serious nausea.

It takes all of Masaomi's willpower to slowly, awkwardly, reach out and gently push Senri's offering back toward him.]

Uh. No, thanks. You should enjoy it while you can. You're gonna miss it real fast.

Pudding Charlotte | One Piece | New Player | Keeping TDM CR is great!

[flangirl]

i. [ The Ferry ]
(cw: gunshot wound mention / non-graphic image of bullet hole on fabric in bolded link)

Pudding, of course, doesn't particularly notice the swaying. She's lived her entire life on and around boats, after all - perhaps more so than others in her world, being that her home "island" is an archipelago. It's the foghorn that wakes her, the sound unfamiliar. As she eases into consciousness, sitting up and looking around the unfamiliar room, it takes her a moment to remember. In fact, it takes until she picks up the strange device next to the lantern, realizes it responds to touch, and inputs a name, and the welcome address tells her she's dead. It feels like her heart stops - appropriately. Her palm goes to her chest reflexively, and then she glances down: her chef's outfit has a neat, slightly dirty-looking hole directly over her heart. (Not that she knows, but there are matching holes in the back of her dress and her cloak.)

Oh.

She folds up the tablet before getting much further, tucking it into a pocket and reaching for her lantern. Even if the message hadn't told her, it would be obvious it's hers: old-fashioned, looking like it's made of chocolate and pink-and-white fondant, motifs of hearts and candies, it's the only thing in the room that looks even a little familiar. She can deal with strange interactive books later. For now - after checking her pockets and the room thoroughly for anything else, and finding a few not-at-all-surprising but vaguely distressing personal items - she wanders out of her cabin and onto the deck, one hand on her lantern, the other curled close to her chest and surreptitiously hiding that little hole in her bodice.


i-a. [ Sorry, But You're Dead ]

It's in the middle of a conversation. Whether awkward introductions, something sober and halting, or a turn to friendlier subjects, the fact that they're dead inevitably comes back up. Pudding pauses mid-sentence, eyes going a little out of focus.

Then she starts to laugh.

It's nervous laughter at first, unsettling, before ramping up quickly to hysterical. But even that lasts only a few moments: soon the sound is giddy, pure unfiltered glee, and she rocks back on her heels, clutching the stand of her lantern in both hands as she ascends to belly laughter.

She's free!


ii. [ Mr. Sandman ]

Her toe catches one as the ferry pulls up to the pier, rocking a little more as its speed shifts. It looks like a parfait, all pinks and chocolates and lavenders with pastel "sprinkles", pretty as anything, and she stoops immediately to pick it up.

It explodes right at her fingertips and two feet from her face.

Her yell of surprise is a shriek, high-pitched. It takes her a moment of wiping sand off her face - off her lips and eyelashes, for heaven's sake! - to realize she somehow didn't get covered in glass. Just sand. Lots and lots of glittery princess-colored sand. Sorry if you got caught in the crossfire; you probably look like a set of pink-toy-aisle craft kits exploded.

"Ow, ew. Pfflptha - oh, it's in my mouth! Pffla! Eck!"


ii-a. [ Bring Me a Dream ]

Of course, a few hours later...

"Oh... oh I don't feel so well."

Pudding looks, perhaps suddenly, like she hasn't slept in days. There are no dark circles, but she looks almost ghost-white with how her already porcelain skin pales. She turns toward the nearest person without thought, abruptly much too sleepy to care whom.

"Excuse me, please?" Her voice is gentle, kind, sleepy but unerringly polite. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but - " she presses the back of her hand over her mouth, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry!" Her pale face flushes, little dots of tears of exhaustion welling at the corners of her eyes. "Can you perhaps tell me where there might be someplace to rest? I can't... I can't recall the last time I slept, and I'm just so sleepy..."


iii. [ Winter (Bonfire Square) ]

"Hello! Nice to meet you! Would you like some cocoa?"

Pudding is in her element here.

The hot cocoa stand is... well, it's fine. The cocoa being set out by the unresponsive vendor certainly isn't bad, but it's very much nothing to remember. At the table, however, are a set of mugs resting on a wire rack, itself set over a camp griddle filled with hot embers from the fire to keep the mugs warm. The cocoa in these mugs is a rich, decadent brown, the liquid itself thicker with an almost velvety sheen in the sparkling winter sun. The near part of the table is spread with bars of chocolate and a plate of shaved pieces, cut-up marshmallows, a few bottles of thick cream, and a dozen other various ingredients. The smell coming from the mugs is divine.

"I've also made chocolate coffee if you like!"


iv. [ Spring (The Village) ]

While old-Beacon masked villagers and displaced new-Beacon residents alike seem content to run around, to explore, whatever else, Pudding has parked herself right by the snack stand.

She's not "competing" this time: She's watching, raptly, as customers come and go, writing away on her tablet with a "pen" that's really a branch from a cherry tree, blossoms still vivid on the end, with the tip filed to a smooth point. If you catch a glimpse over her shoulder, all three screens are taken up with notepad files: cooking methods, ingredients, flavors, combinations of condiments or toppings customers request, what drinks are be ordered with what snacks, what snacks are ordered together. It's impressively organized, and her pen whips beautiful cursive (actually gorgeously-rendered kana calligraphy in pretty, swishing strokes, for those who can recognize it), written as quickly and easily as anyone's chicken scratch. Someone is in Research Mode.


x. [ Wildcard ]

( Feel free to throw me anything! Prose preferred, but I'll match format! Pudding's bangs cover her forehead constantly, even in a strong breeze, no matter how she moves, which is maybe weird? It's weird. She'll start any conversation unerringly polite, kind, and candy-sweet. It does not in any way, shape, or form appear to be an act: she is absolutely an earnest and likable darling! unless your Sense Motive is like. Max Ranks at L20. Even then she's... probably only Kind of Weird Amounts Of Nice. Probably.

She is from a world without combustion engines, so uh, anyone want to explain her what a cab is? )

ii-a here we go

[pure_havoc]

What a time for a dashing young lord in his classy armor to sweep by. At least he's not here because of girl radar like certain people, it's just coincidence. "Mm? A place to rest? Ah, I see, you're new here, my lady. We are not far from the Invincible, though I do not know the current status of taken rooms."

i.

[fjorgedinfire]

When she walks out onto the deck, there is a strapping man with green skin and a golden-eyed lantern hanging from the leather belts on his waist. He's also carrying a large-ish crate; and while he doesn't seem terribly shocked to see Pudding (but he certainly takes a moment to take in her outfit), he does give her a sympathetic look.

"Welcome to Beacon," he says, in a thick Southern accent. "And my sincerest apologies that y'all had to end up here too."

i-a.

[arsarcanum]

Sora actually jumps back a bit as she begins to double over, then moves toward her again, hoverhanding as he inspects her for anything particularly off. Is this hysterics? Spirit shenanigans? Did he have something on his face and she's just noticed it now? It could really be anything.

"Hey, uh." He's already asked if she's all right. Hm. "Was it something I said?"

iii

[reposer]

"Oh, hi!"

It's the heavy smell of chocolate in the air that draws Ventus near initially, unable to help himself when the sweet scent reminds him so strongly of some of the things Aqua would bake in the kitchen. It's the enthusiastic greeting, however, that gets him to properly come to stand before the table to check it out with an eager and obviously impressed gaze.

Her cheer works infectious and welcoming and just seeing the way everything on the table is laid out is too inviting to resist even though he's been snacking on too many marshmallows already.

"Y'know, I've never had coffee before. Is it better than just hot cocoa?"

ii

[callada]

Quite distracted by what the spirits are attempting to sing (what was that about a hook hand?), and nowhere near as agile right now as he usually is, Rosinante fails to stop in time as the bottle of sand explodes and showers him in pink. He staggers stiffly, belatedly, to the side on the pier, rocking dangerously backward as his lantern rattles in his hand, but he manages to catch himself before he can actually fall. Being so close to the water always has him extra-cautious, and it pays off some of the time.

"Sorry, were you-" he begins, then really looks at the young woman. Who is... eerily familiar, but a hell of a lot less corpse-like suddenly. Hallucinations and strange dreams are usual enough here, but predictive ones? Is that what this is? If so, that's new.

Well, maybe it's just a fluke. She probably thinks he's some kind of idiot with how he's just been staring for a good few seconds here. "Um. Were you... here before?"

III

[bear_necessities]

[The cup that she's offering smells sweet, even sweeter than the other treats on offer so yes. He definitely wants that.

He just recently discovered hot chocolate and now he's discovering even better hot chocolate. How did she get it to taste so sweet?

He's very impressed by his new friend the chocolate wizard and he will try to convey that sentiment once he's done licking every last trace of the chocolate out of the mug.]

iii

[mindofathief]

A scruffy man with a pronounced limp stops in front of Pudding's stall, surprised. There definitely wasn't a non-masked merchant here before. It shouldn't even be possible.

"Um." Well, it would be rude to refuse if she noticed him. "How much is it?

i

[rereremembered]

A damsel in...well, no. A young lady in distre- no she's fine she's just standing there. Well, he can certainly go say hello regardless, no matter how much of a mess he looks in his old-timey Siberian expedition ensemble.

"Hi," he says, holding up his own golden cage of a lantern. "Any idea what this is about?"

i-a

[evulsed]

That laugh is a familiar sound, because it isn't just happy. There's a wild giddiness to it, shrill, like it's been wrenched out of this girl from a place long hiding. Vanitas cocks his head and arches up an eyebrow, but instead of looking perturbed, he looks curious and intense. This is probably half because Vanitas, more than likely, was the one to remind her that she's dead. Just by nature of what he is, it's the sort of thing he revels in; working up those intense negative emotions in a person. The easiest target, always, is the fact that they're dead, in this place.

"Oh?" He prompts, archly.

II

[vampirella]

"You're not fucking serious."

She wasn't even near the glittery time bomb, and somehow she's still coated in it. Carmilla, who is wearing head to to black, as she almost always is, seems especially bedazzled by the fairy dust. It's not at all her vibe, and she looks just about ready to kill something. To be fair, she almost always looks like she's ready to kill something.

She swipes angrily at her sweater, and the glittery sand just puffs out and somehow there's still more. "What the hell is this?" She is not really asking the girl that glitterbombed her, but she's also kind of asking her, because what the hell, this totally ruins her goth aesthetic!

Ephrim | F@TT: Seasons of Hieron | Open

[sunsbreath]

I. Bonfire Square.

Next to the bonfire sits a tall, rather haughty looking man, with his long black hair in a tangled ponytail, his lantern next to his feet, and a cup in his left hand. Despite the grass-stained apron and the lack of a gas mask, he wouldn't look completely out of place with the rest of the citizens of Beacon... except for the ring of fire hovering around him at about knee height, feeding from the bonfire as he sips his cocoa. It's not particularly large or aggressive floating fire ring! It just swirls, and swirls, and swirls, melting the snow around him. It's quite toasty.

Eventually, he turns and stares at whoever's approached his dry patch of dirt. Eye to eye contact. He narrows his eyes, opens his mouth as if to say something particularly scathing, but stops and shakes his head. "Please tell me you represent Adelaide Tristé of Adularia," he says instead. "If you cannot, then I have several more questions for you."

II. The Village.

This place is much better. It's not exactly the autumn he knows and loves, although he figures he'll make it there later, but at least he has nothing against spring. Ice cream he knows by sight, and will definitely be sampling flavors that didn't exist back in Hieron or the Rhizome, but hot dogs? What is this weird meat tube folded in bread? A sandwich for Weavers? (But aren't Weavers vegetarian?)

He may have too much to deal with at the moment, actually. He has his hotdog in one hand, staring at it from all angles and taking small, cautious bites. His right arm, in absence of a hand, is holding his lantern close to his side. It's a bit of an awkward set-up, and he might have too much to juggle with his left hand to notice that he's about to run into a tree. Or past a foot bridge and into a river. Or, with a yelp as his lantern slips and clatters to the ground, into someone else. Splat.

He looks down (or up, if his new acquaintance happens to be taller than his six feet.) There is a splatter of everything that could possibly be put on a hotdog on his apron and on his hapless victim. "Shit," he says very, v e r y quietly. Then, at a normal speaking volume: "My apologies. Are you all right?"

III. The Greenhouse.

He eventually figured out how to call a cab and back to reality. Escapism was never for him, at least not in the long term. He left that sort of things to the wizards he hadn't sought vengeance upon yet.

No. He first staked claim on a small cabin as close to both the greenhouse and the scrapyard as he could manage, then made a beeline to the greenhouse. He now stands among the plants, inspecting the claimed rows for... something. He looks at various leaves, both the top and underside, bruises another leaf and sniffs what comes away, inspects any seed packets left out with great interest.

Is he in your row of the greenhouse? He's a very tense human being, so he'll probably hear anyone who isn't terribly sneaky... or he might not. He's only human, after all. And he is making a mess of these supplies. Might want to give him a heads up.

IV. Wildcard.

Will match format! Please DM me or send me a message at mawiles if you'd like to plan a customized starter.

WILDCARD baybee

[fjorgedinfire]

As promised earlier, Fjord eventually swings by the Landmark on the look-out for a guy in a white sweater with black hair. He is dressed as promised, in his leather armour with wavelike patterns wrapping around it and a lantern with a crystalline eyeball hanging from his waist, and notices Ephrim pretty easily.

He lifts a hand to wave at the definitely-a-newcomer, he's never seen this guy before and he's sure a sight to remember. "Y'all must be Ephrim, right?" he asks, with polite warmth.

Bucky/Soldat | OTA

[worthallthis]

I. Ferry Arrival

Given how the ferry arrived last time, Soldat is there bright and early for the new one, peering out across the dark water with a kind of worried impatience. Will it be another spirit prank? Will it be actual people? Will it be nothing interesting at all, just the usual drop-off of supplies? Who knows.

They can hear the music before seeing the ferry, as is pretty typical, given the darkness. No smell this time. Once it's within range, Soldat jumps across from the dock and lands on the deck with a heavy thump.

And is promptly showered with sand as one of the bottles explodes. They sneeze, as much from surprise as sand in the face. "What the fuck."


III. Beacon in Dreamland, Village flavor

It takes about an hour and a half for the intense sleepiness to hit, enough time to get the ferry unloaded at least, and while Soldat is used to that in some situations... they haven't done anything that really warrants needing to sleep like that. Still, not even their vaunted discipline can shake off that kind of drowsiness, just hold it off until they get back to the cabin and stagger up the stairs to curl up in bed, only taking a minute to rinse the last of that annoying sand off their face and hands, and ditch their top shirt. (Chair goes against the doorknob, like always. Not even magical sleepies can turn off security protocols.)

And then they wake up in a much brighter house. And wander downstairs and out in confusion to blink up at the sun of a spring morning, the laughter of kids, chatter of people-- people they don't know. Seriously. What the fuck is going on today. Soldat will stand there for a good few minutes, on the porch of what will someday be Misty Day's house, taking in the tableau of actual living human life in an actual sunny day, the unreal aspects of everyone wearing gas masks, half-sure they're still dreaming. (Hell, we probably are still dreaming. Gas masks. Seriously. Come on, brain.)

The smell of hot dogs brings them to the park, and since this is surely a dream and Soldat is always hungry, they get a hot dog. Because of course there's hot dogs in their dream, right? (Good, get more. Later, Pit.) "Christ, I ain't had one of these since... the thirties, I think," they comment aloud to the vendor, or any Beaconite who happens to be nearby.


IV. Beacon in Dreamland, Bonfire flavor

That Bonfire Square is chilly and snowy just makes sense, if this is a dream, right? Soldat prowls around the various buildings, peeks into the Invincible, and then winds up getting a cocoa out by the fire. "If this is Beacon's past. Why's the fire still here," they muse, mostly to themselves, because hey. Dream. Honestly, it's probably just their subconscious mashing things up, right?

But if there's an actual lantern-bearer nearby, maybe that person will design to answer with their own theory.


V. Post-Dreamland, Invincible Lunch

It takes someone else showing Soldat how to get out of the Beacon dream, because it's a dream, calling one of the (neat, almost 40s-era) cabs is not a thing one does in dreams. But once someone does, they'll be somewhere between bemused, curious, and disturbed by the whole thing.

And then immediately head to the Invincible, because goddammit, they're late for their usual group lunch, and there's probably going to be hungry people there at the mercy of whatever spirits are working in the kitchen that day and their terrible ideas of what counts as "food". At least they're clearly not going to need their usual afternoon sleep. Yikes.

For a couple hours in the afternoon, then, Soldat can be found thoughtfully putting together a big batch of lasagna in the kitchen, and then setting it out on the bartop in the Invincible common room to serve up to anyone who wants it, and also to chat if wished.


VI. Wildcard

Run into Soldat any other day this week anywhere on their patrol route or at self-defense and weapons classes with Javert!

IV

[immortalaccursed]

"Is there a reason it shouldn't be?"

The low, purring voice comes from Ardyn who is leaning against the wall of a nearby building. He's been watching this stranger for a while, not with intense scrutiny but with vague interest. The people without the gas masks are always vaguely interesting.

haein seo, original character | ota.

[unwieldy]

I. DOWNTOWN.

[ He's dead. That's new. Despite his mother's stories of Buddhist teachings and the existence of gods, Haein had never considered what would happen after he died. There had been zero expectations on his end, so finding himself aboard a ship? Stranger things have happened to him. The information on the tablet had been... a lot to process, but Haein's not fool enough to disregard its contents. He keeps both the tablet and lantern close as he disembarks, only to be greeted with bottles of sand at every turn and step.

It didn't take long for one to explode in his face.

And then he finds himself in a bustling street, only further adding to his disorientation and confusion. He drifts about aimlessly, his thoughts still reeling at everything that's happened so far. It's only when he comes across the booth selling craft beers does he stop, and after a moment's pause, he downs one. And then another.

Getting drunk in the middle of a town when he has no idea what's going on probably isn't the smartest of moves, but Haein needs something to halt the heaviness of his mind right now. After kicking back his second drink, he moves to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand and catches the gaze of someone staring. All his defensive instincts kick in, and before he can stop himself, he hisses out a sharp, ]

What?

II. THE HARBOR.

[ Haein has always been drawn to the water. Perhaps it's the character of the first part of his name meaning "sea" or the fact that he'd take to the beaches on his forced trips to Busan rather than face the mountains, but it's no different here. He leans against the railings of the ore dock, looking out into the water with an unreadable expression on his face.

It's a small comfort, and it slows his thoughts, but he's still restless.

A couple of children pass him by, their hands holding ice cream cones, and while Haein normally isn't one for sweets, he could use the distraction. Turning to the person nearest to him, he gestures to the children who are now disappearing down the dock. ]

Do you know where they got those?

III. HEADING BACK, THE LANDMARK INN.

[ Time to come back to reality.

Following the instructions on the tablet, Haein makes his way toward one of the places it had listed as housing. Before long, he finds himself in front of the Landmark Inn, but for some reason, he can't bring himself to step inside. It's the realization that settling inside a resident building means he's here for the foreseeable future, and Haein's not sure if he's ready to accept that.

It's what keeps him rooted to the spot, and then he's pacing back and forth in front of the doors to the inn, occasionally stopping to glance up at the building in disbelief.

He's really... here. ]

IV. WILDCARD.

( throw a different prompt at me and i will absolutely roll with it! or contact me thru pm or my plurk yuulshi and we can come up with something else! )

III

[legalcy]

[What a terrible surprise in those bottles. Minimus felt out of place in a city entirely populated by humans. Humans with protective masks. This might have been during their initial fight against the World Eaters or during their wars before the end. Either way, none of the food was for him. The sand got into his plating. It was fully of life, but a type alien to he.

It was a pleasant change from the norm, he must admit, but he spent too long not working and wasted potential inspections. For now, all that was left for him to do was to return to his room, look over his notes, and try to make up for lost time.

A large, green robot approached the Landmark Inn, keys in hand, when he spots an unfamiliar person.]

Do you live here? [He asks in a tone of a policeman demanding why someone is loitering in front of a house late at night.]

Ardyn "It Wasn't Me This Time, I Swear" Izunia | Final Fantasy XV | Open

[immortalaccursed]

I. The Winter Bonfire

[Ardyn slowly limps past the bonfire, eyeing its light with golden, predatory eyes. The array of snacks set out are mostly ignored, but the people aren't.]

Excuse me, good sir, where, precisely, am I? Is this Beac-

[The man Ardyn had addressed pauses a moment, looks through him, then continues walking.]

Ah, yes, walk away while I'm in the middle of a question. How terribly rude.

[He sighs and pulls his fedora from his head long enough to drag his fingers through his hair in an exasperated gesture.]

Strange that these poor ghosts care not a whit for our presence. Are we not here to help them?

II. The Village

[People passing through Boneset Park may see a man relaxing on a bench, legs crossed, a fedora pulled down over his eyes. He's idly licking an ice cream cone and humming bars of "Mr. Sandman" aloud to himself. An worn old lantern with ornate, tarnished gold decorations is settled beside him.

He seems to be handling this whole situation, whatever it is, obnoxiously well.

Of course it's mostly an act. Inside, Ardyn is boiling with rage. Many things were supposed to have happened to him... Remaining alive in some form wasn't one of them. Certainly he shouldn't be alive and cursed anymore... But the moment he'd woken up on the boat he'd felt the achingly familiar gnawing hunger of the Starscourge inside him. Wherever this is, it's not where he's supposed to be. He needs to get back to his world and finish things and to do that he'll need answers... which means rampaging won't help him.

So he continues to hum and lick at a desert that brings him no pleasure while discreetly watching and listening to everyone who walks by.]

III. The Docks (Post Dreaming)

[Ardyn continues to lurk around the docks after waking up. People who saw him whimsically strolling around in the dream may recognize him, though he's more severe now. He'd hoped to wake up and find himself back in the Crystal or, better yet, nowhere. He'd rather be truly dead than continue wandering around an alien world with his curse. He'd rather be nothing.

Who'd brought him here? Why?

He can be found at the end of the pier, arms folded over his chest as he gazes out at the lake with a steady, fiery stare.]

IV. Wildcard (Post Dreaming)

[Once he's finally left the pier one might run into him exploring the town.]

i.

[swellter]

[ Todoroki looks up at the stranger and answers matter-of-factly. ]

I don't know why we're here.

ventus | kingdom hearts

[reposer]

▸ SANDY BONFIRE SQUARE

[ The process of waking up on an unfamiliar boat only to fall asleep again after an unfortunate accident(?) with a bottle of sand to then wake up in yet another unfamiliar place has left Ventus dazed and confused, to say the least. Somewhat fortunately, he's no stranger to waking up and finding himself in a Situation of some sort, so he tries to make the best of it by exploring and getting to know the place and its people. The latter which doesn't quite go as expected.

He tries, in vain, to catch the attention of the masked people around him. Being utterly unsuccessful is mostly unsettling at first, then it's a little exhilarating to walk around unseen — to be able to watch the people do their thing undisturbed and to eat as many marshmallows by the bonfire as he wants without someone really taking notice and telling him off — but it quickly turns lonely.

Maybe you catch him desperately trying to connect with the people around him or engrossed in some intense people watching — gaze tracking happy little family units longingly — or despondently stuffing his face with marshmallows by the bonfire.

Or perhaps you're the person he turns to when he catches sight of you to ask with hopeful eyes: ]

Can you see me?

▸ THE DOCKS

[ Making his way out of the dreamworld and off the ferry, the first thing Ventus does is get away as quickly as he can. He still feels an urge to reach for the bottles despite knowing what they can do and after ten years of sleeping, he doesn't want to be forced into any more of it. Even if the brightness of the dreams is more compelling than the dark forest ahead, he still sets off after fashioning a belt out of his crossed straps to hang his lantern from.

It's only after talking to his other half and learning all he can about the new world he's found himself in that he makes his way back to the docks in search of familiar faces. It's where the most bustle is currently and since everyone looks busy, Ventus tries asking the singing spirits first. Only getting serenaded louder after each question or gentle correction of the lyrics he tries to offer, he gives up and turns back to look among the people on the pier and the ferry.

It puts him near the bottles of sand again, but he knows better than to touch them or go too near. Which can't be said for everyone and so Ventus finds himself distracted from his goal every time he sees someone reaching for a colorful bottle, rushing forward to either catch their sleeve or throw himself in the way with a hasty warning. ]

Don't touch those!

▸ WILDCARD

( i'm always down to clown so hit me up with whatever! or if you're unsure about an idea or want a custom starter, contact me via pm or at gusts. )

▸ riku

[reposer]

[ Ventus does eventually find who he's looking for much faster than expected. Initially his eyes completely pass over the familiar figure because it's no longer as familiar-looking as he remembers it, but a dim glint of silver hair is all that's needed to draw his eyes and snare his attention. The sight stops him short, freezing him in place for one agonizing moment of painful realization.

He'd known Vanitas wasn't lying, he'd seen Riku's name written in the very first message on the tablet, but it still hits him hard actually seeing him here; changed, just like Vanitas. It hurts.

Although Ventus considers him a friend, he knows Terra is the one closest to Riku out of their little trio for obvious reasons. The thing is, he feels a lot more familiar with Riku than he actually is. Something he no doubt owes to Sora and the memories and feelings he imparted to Ventus in the form of hazy barely remembered dreams while he slept in the refuge of Sora's heart. He can never help feeling a pang of fondness when he looks at Riku and now that fondness feels like a deep well of sorrow, making his breathing hitch and his eyes sting. It's that very feeling that propels him forward and back into motion, calling out. ]

Riku!

[ It's the only warning Riku is going to get before Ven's weight all but barrels into him. ]

Getaway | Transformers IDW

[discountstarscream]

The Ferry

[Getway's first thought is "Did Rodimus save me?"

That seemed so absurd yet so likely, that he dwelled on it for half a second before coming to his senses. No, he definitely wasn't saved. So where was he? He opened his eyes and glanced around.

Well, he's definitely not on a Cybertronian ship. The strange bed, way too soft, is a dead giveaway. This puts him one instant alert, as he can't connect his last memory of Primus to this current situation. Cautiously, he gets out of bed and goes over to the window to glance around.

Strange.

Deeply wary, the ten-foot tall robot makes his way upwards to the deck and watches the island as it approaches, his optics narrowed. There are jars of sand scattered about and he feels the urge to go over and pick one up. Thing is, in his line of work, he knows to be suspicious of inexplicable urges. It's a sure sign that someone is messing with your mind, and Getaway prefers to be on the other side of this experience.

Despite how careful he is, he IS still quite big, and he bumps a jar with his elbow. A second later his entire arm is coated with red and gold sand, much to his disgust.]

Fuck.

[He swears using his favourite human curse word as he tries to rub the sand off him.]

The Village

[Getaway doesn't appreciate being here any more than he appreciates being anywhere. The human cheer and joy sours his mood even further and he just wants to put all these annoying creatures in a box and never let them out again. The smell of human food is overwhelming and nauseating.

The fact that no one seems alarmed or curious of him in any significant way says that this has to be a trick of some kind. A dream.

Still, despite that, Getaway decides to just sit down somewhere and watch everything. At some point he finds himself holding a basketball, which was thrust into his large hand by a child, and entertains himself by bouncing it around a few times. One particular bounce hits the ground a lot harder than he expects it to, and it goes way higher than he expects it to, and it flies out into the crowd.

Whoops. Hopefully it doesn't hit anyone too important.

Which is everyone, actually, so Getaway is fine with this.]

The Landmark Inn

[Getaway doesn't have much patience for fantasies so he manages to leave as soon as he is able. He finds himself back in the "real world" slightly underwater where he toppled over the deck and fell asleep. Grumbling, he gets up and shakes the gross water and sand off of him.

Okay, fine. He'll play along.

Following the instructions on his quaint little device, he makes his way to a place called the Landmark Inn. This, apparently, is where he's staying.

He stands outside for a few minutes, looking at the building with no small amount of skepticism. Humans really live in such flimsy dwellings? It looks like one small earthquake could make it collapse!

Still, when in Iacon...

Though he gets the sense that he's not his usual size, the doors are still too small for him, and he has to duck his way through. The floors creak noisily beneath his considerable weight as he wanders up the stairs and down the hallway, looking for room 203.]

The Ferry

[sunsbreath]

[ It's less the ten foot robot that grabs Ephrim's attention than it is the swearing, and that's just because it was a bit lout. Despite himself, he makes his way over, covered in blue and pink sand himself. Yeah, they pop. Apparently. ]

It's harmless, I think. Just sudden.

[ ... He's not sure why he's pointing that out, exactly. He's tired of others, in theory, has no interest in reassuring others, strange large pala-din or not. (He's also maybe literally tired, which is bizarre given that it'd been almost noon when he'd died.) ]

Stone | OTA

[scarsolderthanyou]

I. Ferry

Stone is not really an unloading-the-ferry person, he's more of a greeting-the-newcomers person, and since nothing smells terribly like dead bodies this month, he's here looking over the poor newly dead people. He's a tall (though nowhere near the tallest), skinny old man with completely colorless skin and hair, one blind eye, and no shoes despite the chill and wet.

"Hey, welcome. Wasn't sure we'd have any new folks this month."


II. Dreamland, harbor

Somewhere in there, Stone wound up with sand on him, and the overwhelming urge to nap isn't really that unusual-- Stone sleeps when and where he finds himself actually tired-- so he curls up just inside the shadow of the trees, protected from rain and bothersome kids, and naps.

Which means he finds himself waking up on sunny Beacon's beach, staring out in mild confusion and then understanding as he recognizes the place. This is where he, Matt, and Eliot wound up, only there's people this time.

He wanders around, squinting at people, listening to conversations, and eventually finding a big enough patch of beach to shift up and spread out, taking in what sun he can. Anybody finding the harbor area, themselves, will find a big, colorless dragon sort of thing, with lots of spines and Stone's blind eye, watching the crowd through slitted eyes and basking. This may not be real, but it feels real enough, so he's going to attempt to enjoy it.


III. Waking and Conferring

When he figures out the weird vehicle thing to wake up (quite possibly with help), Stone finds himself stiff and cold in the woods by the harbor, and rather grouchy at that. He slouches back to the Invincible to get some hot tea and maybe some of the free lunch, and prod at anyone else who's woken up by now.

"Hey. What did you see in there? Anything interesting?" And if there's a blank look, he adds, "In the dream. Beacon past. Did you not fall asleep and see it? You should, there was sun there."

II

[callada]

Rosinante has been prowling this strip of harbor for what feels like quite a long time now. He hopes it's longer in the dream than in reality, because he's growing concerned. The last time people in town had fallen asleep, the rest had been under one hell of a brutal assault. He's in no shape to fight still, but that doesn't mean he wants to abandon people. It makes the sun and the water hard to enjoy, even though they had been enthralling at first.

In his pacing back and forth, trying to puzzle out how to wake himself up, he finds Stone - which, okay, given the raksura's size that's not much of a challenge. With a huff, he sits himself in the sand beside him, relieved that at least here he doesn't hurt the way he does in present-day Beacon.

"Hey. Wanted to thank you for your help. Recovery's going slow or I would've come by. But I appreciate what you did."

Fitz Kriener | Doctor Who

[rereremembered]

Welcome to Beacon

Maybe it's because it's what he'd....expected? Most desperately wished for? Needed to hear? Whatever, but just for a moment the foghorn sounds like the sweet, familiar strains of the TARDIS materializing. Then the note deepens, elongates, and Fitz's eyes snap open and he sits up, patting himself down to make sure he's in one piece. He is, which is weird since a blinding white light, an explosion heard as far as Moscow...he's pretty sure he shouldn't be.

"Christ." Fitz barely manages to not knock over his lantern and does knock over a couple of sand bottles, one of which explodes (stay tuned for details) in his haste to get up, then nearly falls over again as feeling returns to his cold-numbed limbs. Once he steadies himself and decides that taking the lantern and tablet are a good idea, he heads up to the deck.

Have a tall bloke, dressed in Victorian cold-weather survival gear, with a stubbly chin and dark, messy hair, who hasn't had a proper bath in longer than he wants to think about. Maybe incongruously he's poking at the tablet like he has an idea what it's for, and he's singing along with the music since...well, it's pretty much the only thing which is making sense to him at the moment.

"Give him two lips like roses and clover...then tell him that his lonesome nights are over."


The Invincible - conversation likely to involve sand-induced drowsiness eventually

After acquiring other clothes - a long-sleeved knit shirt and jeans which fit but are several inches too short - Fitz makes his way to the inn where he gets himself the cleanest he's been since leaving St. Petersburg and changes into his new duds. Finally, he feels ready to attend to important business.

He heads back down stairs and walks straight up to the bar.

"Can I please have a...er..." Okay, forest spirit servers are not what he was expecting and he's flummoxed. He turns to a fellow patron. "Hi, I've just arrived, and I have stupid questions."


The Village - dread!day!Beacon

Fitz was a young child during the Blitz, and some of his earliest memories are of wailing sirens and his mother's features obscured by a respirator mask as she helped put one over his face. So this sunny, joyful scene is really fucking unsettling.

He walks the paths, dodges kids, and yearns for a cigarette or twelve. Over by the ice cream stand he spots someone else without a mask and approaches with a wave.

"Hey. Any idea what the hell's going on here?"

The Invincible

[callada]

Rosinante has only recently walked in, himself - or limped in, perhaps, given how stiffly he walks, and how carefully he adjusts the package under his arm in order to set it and his lantern on top of a table. He winces as he reaches into his coat for his cigarettes, but manages to light one on the torch at the bar. He's been holed up in his room too long, no need to rush back up there.

At the question, he turns, then takes a good long look at Fitz. Another one? One of the people he'd somehow briefly encountered on that corpse-laden ferry? What exactly had happened in that time, and how?

"Go for it," he says, frowning as he takes a draw from the cigarette. "Think I've got one or two of my own, too."

Audrey Flowers | The Magicians

[hedgeflowers]

i. Arrival;
[ She's got her Brakebills uniform jacket on, and that seems to shield her mostly from the crisp air. Her lantern has been set down, nestling among the snow-sand on the beach. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and begins to bend and twist her fingers into angular shapes, bending her thumbs before snapping her fingers. ]

Işik!

[ There's a small flash between her fingers--bright light the darkness immediately swallows, but obviously meant to be brighter. This world is cloaked in unnatural, and Audrey, stubborn and frustrated almost to the point of tears, clenches her fists and squeezes her eyes shut to try to stop from losing it. ] Fuck!

[ After a few deep breathes to slow her panic, she opens her eyes, shakes her hands out, and tries again. ]

Işik!


ii. bonfire;
[ Masked people freak her out in general--she likes people being open, she likes being able to see faces to gauge reactions--but she'll live. Especially if there's s'mores. Gods, she loves s'mores. ]

Hey--scooch over, I need more. [ She's absolutely making a double-decker s'more, and she'd much rather ask someone with a lantern than the weirdoes in the gas masks. She doesn't mean to be rude but she'll absolutely wriggle her way between you and the supplies if you don't answer quick enough. Audrey's got this down to a science, stacks on stacks on stacks, and fully plans on shoving it all in her mouth at once. ]

Can you believe it? We're dead, but we've still got marshmallows and chocolate.


iii. wildcard;
[ Audrey will be wandering around the town, usually looking two parts determined and one part lost. She'll mostly linger around the greenhouse and the library, wanting to explore those areas first. If you want a custom stater or anything hit me up at whitespire! ]

ii. Bonfire

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[Quentin only came down to the docks and to the bonfire to catch new people, to offer the information that won't be on the tablets.

He tends to keep the whole truth about the horror of this place to himself for at least the first week. But that fact that there are dangers here? That can't really wait. So, he's determined to be there and waits with baited breath to see if there's even going to be any new people. The last ferry had been filled with corpses of friends.

This one wasn't.

It's not the color of her hair, or how she seems very... enthusiastic about the s'mores, that catches Quentin's attention. It's the jacket.]

I-- yeah, it's something something alright. Okay. So, look. You're wearing a Brakebills jacket.

Sora (CRAU) | Kingdom Hearts | Open

[arsarcanum]

I. Downtown

Sora has some hot cocoa from the Bonfire in one hand and ice cream from the Harbor. Is he working his way forward through the seasons? Backward? Who knows! He's having a great time, though. He's picking away at both drink and ice cream as he looks at the selection of pasties available, then over to the taco vendor, worry overtaking his face.

"Okay, I have no idea what these are," he starts, nodding at the pasty stand, "but it smells like I could eat fifty of them. On the other hand, I haven't had a taco in about half a year. What would you get if you were me?"

II. The Ferry

When the folks on the ferry disembark, they may spot a spiky haired guy sitting on a couple of crates on the shore, swinging his legs slowly, staring at a sort of jumbled mess of notecards and what look like brochures in his hands. He's sorting them, with notecards in one hand and brochures in the other.

a. He looks up, and buddy, you may be newly dead, but he is delighted to meet you. "Hi," he says, and then looks at the brochures in his hands and gasps. Right! "Oh, right, umm... You're not hurt, right? Are you all caught up? Do you have a place to stay yet? Here."

And he'll hand over the brochure. It's clumsily handmade, but it appears to be advertising for a nearby BnB for those who aren't willing to commit to a place to live without scoping out the territory first. There's also some basics on Beacon and a handful of bulletpoints from the plot so far. How very helpful.

b. There's a piece of paper flying right at you! Whether it hits you in the face or you duck it cleanly, Sora is running at full speed after it, leaving his crates and wood pallets behind. "Hey, sorry - hey, come back here!" And off he goes on his quest to get that piece of paper back. Is he fast? Sure, but the piece of paper seems to be escaping his grasp at every turn. It's kind of funny, to be honest.

III. Wildcard

Will match format! Please DM me or send me a message at mawiles if you'd like to plan a customized starter.

Closed to Masaomi (04/04-ish?)

[arsarcanum]

[ Knock knock knock knock knock. This is a bit unannounced, but Sora has arrived at Masaomi's door at the Invincible, and he is bearing gifts! His ever present backpack is on his shoulders, but in one hand, he has a bag that looks like a packed lunch. (Spoiler alert, it is.) In the other is a heavy looking metal baseball bat. ]

Hey, Masaomi! You there? [ ... He'll use that password if necessary. C'mon, bud, open up! ]