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
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pages	|	rules • faq • taken • mod contact • player contact • calendar • setting • exploration • item requests • full nav

Comments

[flangirl]

She doesn't balk at his being blunt; if anything, she relaxes a little. The fewer pleasantries she has to keep her hands around, the easier things are.

"Oh -! Well. Yes, in fact." Her blush comes right back up again, and she straightens her apron unnecessarily. She steps along the edge of the pier, talking to him from there rather than get in the way of the gangplank. None of the crates look particularly small or light enough for her to help with. Certainly with one hand - she doesn't know how safe it would be to set her lantern down here. "I'm best with sweets, though I'm alright with meals and savories as well." Better than, thank you.

[fjorgedinfire]

"Well, sounds like you'll be a right good fit here, then," he says, flashing her another charming grin. (And notably, his lower canines seem rather undersized and blunt, with how big he's flashing that winning smile). "I can't do much in that regard, I'm not a good cook by any means."

To be fair, other Beaconites are helping grab the largest ones two at a time, where they need to. Fjord takes the gangway two planks at a time on his way up, so he can get on board all the faster and grab another crate.

[flangirl]

Now, the teeth she does notice. Oversized canines - teeth of all sorts, really - are common enough in persons and pictures from home, but the other way around? She can't just out and ask him about them, not on the first meeting, but oh she's curious.

"Well, there are obviously some things I can't do that you can do quite well." She doesn't quite bat her eyelashes, but she does lower her lids just a little, cheeks still pink, smile soft. When next he turns his head, she'll give him a little coy wink right back. "And I'm sure there are other things."

[fjorgedinfire]

Oh, that coy little wink gets a bit of visible redness on Fjord's cheeks, and he looks away again a bit too quickly so he can pick up his next crate - one that's actually a bit too large for him, but what is judgement anyway, not something he needs to pay attention to.

"W-well," he says, and he can pretend that the brief tightness in his voice is strain and not fluster. "Let's discuss that, you never know what you might have over me. I've only been an adventurer fer less than a year, but I was a sailor for plenty."

Focusing on the crate means he doesn't have to look at -- the young lady, oh shit he hasn't even gotten her name yet - until he's back off the boards and putting his crate down. "But it feels a bit rude to start comparing things when I don't even know your name, miss...?"

[flangirl]

Oh ho, right on the money. Boys are so simple.

"Oh, certainly!" Her voice is sugar-sweet and enthusiastic. "I'd be happy to compare... notes." The pause is not too-long, but absolutely notable.

A sailor and adventurer? That's just a nice way of saying pirate, isn't it? Maybe a bounty hunter or a privateer... but adventurer is such a specific moniker. Now this man has Pudding's full attention.

She bows slightly as she introduces herself. "My name is Pudding. What should I call you, sailor?"

[fjorgedinfire]

He is trying very hard not to let his flustered discomfort at being flirted with show, but it's a losing battle.

"Y'all can just call me Fjord," he says, leaning one hand on the crate as he tries and fails to be smooth once more. "And it's a right pleasure to meet a... charming young woman such as yourself."

[flangirl]

If he's embarrassing himself (he is), Pudding at least makes no show that she notices.

"You're too sweet, Fjord~ The pleasure's all mine!" Sure it is. "And a sailor! Out on the open ocean?" She's all wide-eyed enthusiasm, voice dripping with awe.

[fjorgedinfire]

Oh good, something he can talk about without being embarrassed.

"I was mostly just a merchant sailor. I was first mate," he says with a hint of pride, "Until I started adventuring instead, and recently took control of a pirate vessel with my team."

[flangirl]

Pudding lifts a hand to her cheek, all pink flush and fascination and wide eyes as Fjord talks. "First mate! A pirate ship! Oh, how dangerous and romantic!" Damn if she isn't jealous. "I've met pirates, but I've never gotten to go sailing! Mama insisted I stay on our home islands where it was safe."

[fjorgedinfire]

Romantic? Really? He actually seems a bit puzzled by that; it was a hard life, not really romantic as Fjord saw it. But then, Jester's little porn novel had been about a sailor, hadn't it...?

He is blushing a little, but the overriding feeling is confusion. Let's just ignore that.

"I lived on the coast, so sailin' was my best bet fer getting out of there and onto a better life," he says smoothly, folding his arms in a calculated cool motion. "Too bad there aren't any boats around here I could take you out on."

[flangirl]

"That sounds so lovely." It does, gods it truly does. "I've been around boats and ships my whole life... I've been on smaller ones that move from island to island, but never a real sailing ship." Never on the open sea, where there's so much potential.

Her smile is bright and pink, her eyes practically glittering at his would-be offer. "What if we built one? Something to take out of the harbor... I know a little navigation!"

[fjorgedinfire]

"I'm not sure there's much in the way of boats 'round here besides the ferry," he says, and he does sound a bit remorseful about it. "If you know how to make a boat from scratch, we've got a scrapyard 'round these parts where we could probably piece something together. I've not got much experience with that end of sailing."

[flangirl]

"Mm, well, I'm no shipwright, but I know some of the ins and outs. Maybe there are others who have a better idea of how to do the designs and building. I can tell you what a keel and a hull and a mast look like and how to furl sails, but I don't think I could make a watertight barrel from scratch." Her laugh is bright and merry, not terribly bothered. "Hm, first mate! Goodness. What did you do for the sailing? Helmsman, boatswain...?" A beat. "Or more just... heavy lifting...?"

[fjorgedinfire]

"Boatswain," he echoes a bit too squeakily, nearly tripping over her pregnant pause. "I-I was being trained to be captain myself, someday."

Nailed it.

[flangirl]

"Really?" The question is breathless, Pudding's eyes basically sparkling with awe. (Inside, she's nearly howling with laughter. Oh, that squeak is too cute.) "You must be impressive for that to be true!"

[fjorgedinfire]

Fjord goes visibly red again. It's almost charming against his green skin. "I-I, um. I'm not that special, really, uh." He lifts a hand and scratches his neck in an awkward move, like he's trying to swat the tension he's feeling out of the air. "Bein' captain's a hard role, it's a lifetime commitment. I'm not sure I'm ready to settle into that just yet."

[flangirl]

"But if you were picked to be trained for it, then your captain must have seen sooo much potential!" The hand not holding onto the stem of her lantern cups against her cheek, eyes wide and lashes batting visibly when she blinks. "Like you said, it's a big, hard commitment!" (That wording was very intentional, though it 100% didn't sound it, innocence shining in her tone.) "Captain is such an important position, and all the captains I've met have been strong and powerful and charismatic..."