logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: APRIL

Entry tags:

INTRO LOG: APRIL

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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? )

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 am, yes..." She pauses, covering another yawn. "Goodness, excuse me - "

And then she sneezes, managing to muffle her face in her cloak, but puffing an absolute cloud of sparkly sand around herself like a terrible snow globe.

"Ah! Oh dear..." She smacks a hand against her cloak, trying to brush yet more of the dusting of sand off herself. "This stuff is all over the ferry... I didn't catch you with it, did I?"

Cao Pi leans back a step. "I don't believe so," he answers smoothly, though it would be hard to see that kind of dust in the dark. He reaches out as if to help dust off her shoulder, not realizing that it would bring him into contact with something he would really rather avoid. "No harm done. Would you like me to escort you, then?"

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

ii-a here we go

no subject

no subject

i.

no subject

no subject

i-a.

no subject

iii

no subject

ii

no subject

III

no subject

iii

no subject

i

no subject

i-a

for clarity, Homies are Homunculi. the person who makes them is just, insane.

II

no subject

ia;

pffffFFFHT