INTRO LOG: AUGUST

[nextnightmods]

INTRO LOG: AUGUST
DARK, DARK, DARK

characters: everyone.
location: all over beacon!
date/time: the first part of august.
content: a few new faces, the teleporter is up to old tricks, and overall just loving not being trapped in an underwater science station right about now.
warnings: n/a.

welcome to beacon.

The first thing you're aware of as you come to is the glow of a lantern, just within reach. Hazily, you start to recall the events leading up to your arrival. You died, somehow, but how does that equate to you being wherever you are?

The second thing you're aware of is that you're being handed a slice of cherry pie by a six-limbed masked creature with a hairnet. Looking around, you find yourself inside a school cafeteria. The school looks to be in decent condition, despite being dark and clearly abandoned - except by whatever this creature is. Stick around long enough and they will also serve some chicken nuggets and a box of milk. Wander a bit, and you may find a memorial wall for dozens of unfamiliar names and faces. Where is this?

A few answers can be found if you pick up and look through the tablet that's settled right beside the lantern. Some of the information is a little out of date at this point, but the most important details are still there: yes, you're really dead, keep your lantern close, and watch out for the spirits. You might notice mention of a ferry, but that's odd, especially if you're nowhere near the lake...

Leaving where you are and using the provided map on the tablet will help you find your way to town, and along the way you might find some out of place items, like crates of food or toiletries or clothing. Feel free to grab what you find as you make your way there, your new neighbors are sure to appreciate it.

Luckily for all the newcomers, the tablet 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. It's still a little messed up (maybe someone might want to record a new message?), it has plenty of important information to share. Newcomers can always check out the weekly bulletins and the records that were thankfully saved from the bad storm a few months ago. If that's not enough, there's many long-time residents of Beacon that will be happy to share how things go around here. If not in person, network works too.

hide and seek.

The teleporter repair team has been hard at work, and their hard work has paid off. Items have arrived in Beacon aplenty! Only, the aiming protocol is still a little off and it's still all over. Whoops. While anyone with a specific request will find a spirit guide to help them find their wares, everything and anything else is fair game for a little fun.

The spirits are in a playful mood, and have taken the liberty of locating all these lost sundries and supplies. And of course, after that, they chose to hide them around town. Spirits vary from great at hiding things (lining a hollowed out trunk with swim trunks) to downright terrible (is it really "hiding" that sheet of plywood when you put it behind a streetlight that is smaller than it is?), though they seem to enjoy the experience either way.

Need something in particular and don't know where to start? Don't worry, spirits will be happy to give hints. If you can understand their esoteric forms of communication, that is. Others give away the game in the fact they hide with the items themselves, and find the prank so hilarious that little snuffles and giggles are an easy clue to the stowed stash. If characters play along long enough, the spirits will give up the game and will show the poor things with no seeking skills what they've hidden. Still, why not have a little fun with it? The spirits sure are!

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to The Next Night! We're so glad to have you with us, both new and old. For a run-down on what's upcoming in August, please see the August gameplan, or check the calendar for a quick overview!

As a reminder, things like newcomer arrivals, item deliveries, and lantern repair all depend on the help of the characters in the game! If your character would be interested in assisting with the equipment at Dr. Solis' Lab in any way, please let us know!

DELIVERIES

The newly ported in items have arrived, but as in July, they're still kind of everywhere. Learning to use this portal technology is hard, and more hands helping out are always appreciated! As mentioned above, the spirits will readily help find people's personal requests, but the general resupplies? Guess you'd better be willing to play the spirits' latest little game. The following can be found, one way or another:

• The monthly store restock, which provides enough food, general sundry items, and basic supplies to comfortably last the group a month. You can check what kind of items to expect in a monthly restock here.


• For Elektra Natchios: several slightly oversized t-shirts and sweatpants made of comfortable materials, a bottle of black nail polish (chip resistant), a bottle of whiskey with a slight odor of sewer when the bottle is opened (though it tastes fine), and a teddy bear.


• For Rosinante Donquixote: 4 boxes each (25 rounds per box) of shotgun and flintlock pistol ammo, except in every box two of the rounds have been replaced with nerf darts that some poor kids probably lost long ago.


• For Fitz Kreiner: A limited set of lockpicking tools and a set of locks to practice on, and some paper umbrellas which may require some disassembly before they can be used.


• For Matt Murdock: an assortment of 14 lovely rings (not all pictured here) as well as 6 rings to share with his friends!

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

QUESTIONS

[nextnightmods]

OPEN MEETING dated Aug 3

[pure_havoc]

[as soon as it's verified that the transporter works and new people are in fact arriving, Cao Pi sends a message across the tablets for everyone to find: it's time for a meeting to discuss what happened at Helix Station. Moonrise on the 3rd, this time at the Bonfire Square since the town hall is no more. As long as it's not raining it's fine, all fine.

When he can see enough faces looking back at him in the glow of the firelight, he stands and clears his throat to get their attention. He's still wearing eye-catching armor but the clothes underneath are a sad patchwork of what's clean and fits instead of his lovely silks which are basically ruined now. Oh well.]

Good evening, and to the newcomers, a welcome, such as it is. I will keep this brief, since there is much to go over. My name is Cao Pi, styled Zihuan, and at present I serve as the closest thing to a leader Beacon can claim. If anyone would like to dispute that, please save it for later. You may get in my face as much as you like, then.

Our descent to the station under the lake did not go entirely as planned, but the short answer is yes, we did manage to kill a World Eater, albeit one they consider small and weak. The only survivor was the one known as Weaver. We uncovered a fair amount of information about what the station, under Pluto, was doing, but we may need to go back down to recover more supplies and weapons that we were not able to collect before. I would like to lead such an expedition, but not immediately. In a few weeks, when we have processed everything.

I would like those who fought and those who found things of interest down there to speak, and share for the community's sake. Beyond that, if there is anything else that was discovered above the surface, I encourage those reports as well. If we must make decisions, we can do so after we all know everything. Be patient, there may be a lot to take in.

[ooc: as with past town hall meetings, there may be thread jumping and such; characters who want to make a report should make a header under this one and then go ham! Cao Pi also has a report, he'll get to it.]

[policier]

( Javert isn't in a much better way himself. His clothing is neat and immaculate, his coat buttoned all the way up to the chin, but his appearance itself is haggard. Whatever it is that the World Eater did to him, it doesn't seem to have stopped. He doesn't speak wearily, though, despite his fatigue, his voice loud and filled with authority as he steps forward. )

My name is Javert, and I was one of the group that uncovered the crew's quarters. They all perished, as Lord Zihuan has said, and we found several of their bodies discarded and dismembered within their rooms. One of them was covered in an odd growth, attached to the wall and still breathing, albeit shallowly. When I shot it in the head, it reanimated itself.

( Even now, he doesn't know what to make of that. He continues, )

It seems the spirits were conducting experiments on the crew, the same as what they did to those that they kidnapped in Beacon. We found a notebook in the last room as well as medicines and potions of various uses. One of them, specifically, was used in the battle against the World Eater to reduce the effects of its hallucinations. It was developed for use against the green-eyed spirits, but it is not absolute. Many of us still suffered from the creature's visions.

( That's as close to admission of his own condition as he's ever going to make. If there's anything that the other members of his group wish to add, Javert will turn the floor over to them, but he's sure there will be questions as well. )

[catholicisms]

( Matt isn't the best person to share about their particular exploration, but, he'll provide what he can. )

We explored the power wing of the station. It seems to run on emergency protocols after the portal mishap. There's plenty of chemicals and dangers in those tunnels, I'd explore with caution.

There are also spirits that can perfectly blend with the environment, but they only seem to move when disturbed. There's also a spirit there that seems to have collected the bodies of the former Night Market members. It wasn't hostile to us, and only wanted help retrieving the last body, but I can't say I'm comfortable with corpses being left that way.

I'm not particularly equipped to say much about the World Eater itself, but it clearly has the ability to take light from lanterns and cause psychological effects as well as physical injuries.

/slides in here hi!!

[clarius]

[ as the meeting winds down to a natural conclusion and the other participants drift off or engage with each other, lorem takes her chance when it presents itself.

she had spent most of the meeting in the back. she didn't try to join in on the talks (for now), more focused on keeping her head down and noting the conversations that took place. now and then she made sure to write down anything of significance that came up, the entries kept safe in her own multitool bracelet. this is a role she's used to and it's a role she'll be using to her advantage right now.

calling up all of her years in diplomatic training, she approaches the head of the meeting and introduces herself. she gives a curtsy, brief but deep, and presents a warm yet nervous-looking smile. ]

Hello there. I'm a new arrival to Beacon and I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time, sir.

what are timelines even

[pure_havoc]

[in time, he offers what more he can say about two different events...]

The reason the commander didn't see the same things I saw were because the green-eyed spirits split us up, so to speak. Physically, our bodies were all in the same corridor, but they were able to visit different visions upon us - much the same, I assume, as when half the town entered a dream world and the rest of us were awake. I'm beginning to believe these spirits can show us their memories, no matter how far back they may go.

There is a lab deep in the station, when we found it we could not enter because the room was entirely flooded. If the station's power controls are now repaired, I would like to see if we can drain it and reach it, there were medical tools and supplies as well as more research. It was confirmed that the station's crew was experimenting on the green-eyes, using them as stand-ins for the World Eaters, leaving them alive and intact so they could test their weapons on them. [he has since come to terms with the necessity of it but there's still a vague note of distaste in his voice. If nothing else it was painfully crude and only served to piss off the green-eyes, which is always a bad tactical move] The weapon does work, but I cannot guarantee that the spirits we dispatched are the only ones still lurking on the station.

As for the battle itself...what I feel most important to convey is the impression I got of the World Eater. I was positioned in the control room to use the portal as an emergency measure, so I saw everything at a distance. It looked, for lack of a better description, like a terrifically mutated version of one of the green-eyes. All light seems to fall into it, and every hit scored only increased its abilities. It grew limbs and replaced anything damaged or cut off. Its blood burned. It is strong, and no amount of physical attack can slow it down. We were, essentially, very lucky to have distracted it long enough for Weaver to use the weapon. Upon its destruction, it released a burst of blinding light - and given that I watched it inhale the very light from the Counselor's lantern, I am not surprised that its entire being is made up of stolen light. However, I doubt that the light can be restored to where it was taken from.

I am still assessing the tactical possibilities for dealing with one larger and more powerful, but any small observation from any of the fighters will help. Suffice it to say, blades and firearms will not be enough. It will never be enough.

[theimpatientone]

((I'll happily enough match your format, whatever you prefer.)

welcome.

Merwen walks into town, lantern in one hand, and a foraged granola bar in the other. Somewhere along the way she found a large floral scarf and tied it into a makeshift bag that hangs from her shoulder, and the weight of something approximately the shape and size of a tablet hangs in it. She is naked, hairless, purple, and her hands and feet are both unusually long and webbed.

Learning that you're dead is a lot to take in, and of course this land of the dead is a sea-less stony world. Of course it is. And it doesn't help that the only being she's so far encountered was the six-armed creature that offered her pie. A person, it was definitely a person, but so far from human she doesn't really know how to quantify it.

Once in town, though, if she can lay eyes on any soul who is more recognisably human (or at least has the right number of limbs, no matter if they're different from herself), she will approach them, confused but friendly enough.

"Share with me. Have you been here long?"


hide and seek.

It's more the giggling of the spirits that she follows, because there's something childlike about them, and that appeals to her. At present, there's little she wants to find, but her curiosity has her following the sounds of amused spirits around town as she explores Beacon.

And she's very likely to stumble upon someone who is actually looking for something concrete. And yes, she's still naked.

"Forgive me. Have these children given you something?"

welcome

[policier]

( The man she approaches is quite noticeably human, dressed in a long, dark overcoat, and with his lantern at his side, tied to a loop near his waist. It's not often that people approach him, and especially so when it is a stranger. It's enough to snap him out of his reverie. He raises his eyes, looking the woman over for a moment before immediately glancing the other way again, at the ground. )

A year, madame.

( If he seems disquieted, he doesn't admit as much. He's far too polite to say anything, but he does ask, for the sake of his curiosity, )

Are you recently arrived?

( prompt: hide and seek. )

[clarius]

Quick to maintain her composure after being approached, Lorem nods in reply.

"Yes, they have," she answers. "I don't know why but they keep pushing packages to me if we cross paths with one another." She lifts the box in her arms as an example, looking more bemused than amused by these turn of events. And, just to be sure, she asks, "Is this yours, miss?"

hide and seek

[callada]

Ah. Yes, she's still naked.

And he, meanwhile, is lurking, as well as someone his height can lurk. He's watching the spirits closely as they run around with people's things, hiding them wherever they can. He's finding himself with a lot less patience with the spirits than usual, and it takes some real self-control not to betray his hunger.

"Supposed to have," he replies. "Four boxes, but I've still got two missing."

hide and seek - day after the TDM thread :)

[worthallthis]

"They're not children," Soldat explains with a small smile, pausing in their prowl in search of actual supply for the Invincible, themselves. They're... kinda getting used to the naked thing. Kinda. At least it's warm out. Jesus. "Those are some of the spirits who were making noise on the network last night."

HIDE & SEEK.

[catholicisms]

Matt also isn't looking for anything in particular, though the antics of the spirits are a nice distraction from... everything. The fact he died, again. Or that his lantern not functioning as usual. Even just the disaster of the Helix Station and the fight against the monster stuck in the portal. It's been a lot to process, safe to say. And the child-like giggles of young minded spirits is a bit of a balm to weary nerves.

That, and his mandrake spirit friend could use a chance to have some fun. They are doing more of the seeking than he is, though he will occasionally make a show of listening for the spirits that giggle madly the second anyone gets close. The mandrake doesn't seem to realize the correlation, wandering around searching under leaves and under branches, and not finding much of anything.

"Not so far," he admits to the inquiry, brow lining a little as that's not a voice he recognizes. Matt has stupid supersenses, he's going to notice the lack of clothes at some point... just not immediately. "Are you looking for something?"

Welcome

[bleedingsteel]

"Ma'am."

She catches Danse in the middle of disassembling an old circuit box on the side of an abandoned building, collecting the parts in a canvas bag. He had prepared for the task by ensuring the building was abandoned and the power was off.

Nothing could prepare him to be greeted by a fully nude purple woman. The fins, he'll process in a moment. He's busy with other things first.

"I apologize-- ma'am. You seem to be nude. Are you in need of clothing?"

javert | ota

[policier]

heatwave

( It's several days into the month when the temperature rises, causing Javert to set out on his patrol without his coat. He's donned in nothing but his shirtsleeves and waistcoat, and it's the most undressed anyone, other than his housemates, have seen him. Even so, though, it is not enough to keep him cool, and when he stalks through all the known areas of Beacon, he does so with an obvious sheen on his forehead, the sweat crawling down his neck and back.

It's far worse when he's at combat training, and sparring against someone at the armory. He has a blunt sword in his hand, holding tight, but even his grip slips at times, and he cannot hide how much the heat is sapping his already low energy. )

Perhaps we should finish early.

( He says, wiping the sweat from his brow. It's not yet nine and there's still a few first aid lessons left for him to teach, but that may have to wait. )

sweet dreams

( And then, near the middle of the month, when Javert feels as if he can fight his insomnia no longer, he falls asleep. There are no nightmares to torment him, no faces of his friends turning black with decay. He falls asleep on one of the chairs in the library, his head on the desk, notebook open before him and pen in hand. It seems as if he was in the middle of writing a report, though it is all written in French, and in his neatest penmanship. He mouth hangs open a little and he snores softly.

Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing to wake him, for his back will protest his posture whenever he wakes, and he will be all the more cross for it. )

sweet dreams

[worthallthis]

[Well, finally. Soldat has been keeping something of an eye on Javert, and whenever they can't find him on one of his patrol routes or in any of his usual haunts, they ask around of the spirits. Most of them know both Javert and Soldat by now, if just by description, and one of them points Soldat to the library with a clear shushing motion, as if making some kind of point. Soldat thanks them, then heads in...

... and promptly realizes what the shushing motion was for. Aww. They slip out again and return promptly with a blanket and a pillow, the former tucked gingerly around his shoulders, and the latter slid even more carefully under his head to protect him from some of that threatening neck stiffness.

Then they slip out to let him nap a little while longer, and return after the midday meal with his usual leftovers and a cup of tea. This time, they aren't at all quiet, walking heavily and greeting the Librarian warmly and clearly in spirit-language-- promising not to get any tea on their books, of course.]

Danse | OTA

[bleedingsteel]

(I'm happy to match format, so tag however you prefer.)

A. Welcome to Beacon

[Machines don't have souls. Machines don't go somewhere else when they're dead. Machines don't die.

But here he is, in some bizarre version of an afterlife. It suggests some kind of higher power out there, and it suggests that said higher power doesn't understand the very basics of what constitutes "life." It's all horribly confusing, but it's just one more thing to add to the absolute disaster that has been Danse's last few days.

He fins the garage after some brief wandering. A run-down fueling station, from the looks of it, familiar enough to be vaguely comforting. A sweep of the building found it clear of hostiles, and rife with old junk. He busies himself within, dragging things around, examining objects, constructing a livable space inside the shop. There's even an old mattress in a metal bedframe. All a Wastelander needs for a comfortable home. His lantern sits safely on a shelf, lighting his work.

For a few days, he's content to hide, distracting himself from reality by tinkering and sorting through the junk. Occasionally, he takes out the strange communication device and toys with it, until he understands mostly how it works (holotape technology here is truly stunning.) He watches the communications on the network but does not reach out. It's better for him to keep to himself, away from humans that the programming inside him might cause him to hurt.

On the third day, strangely, Danse notices that there is more junk in the garage. Crates full of food, water, and other miscellaneous supplies have appeared as though by magic. Perhaps some benefactor is looking out for him, or encouraging him to continue his isolation?

He's digging through a crate full of clothing, trying to find some in his size, when he hears the creak of the door opening, and footsteps. His laser rifle whirrs to life as he clicks the safety off, standing upright and keeping it at the ready as he calls out to whoever's come in looking for supplies.]

That's far enough. Who are you?

B. Hide and Seek 1

[After the third day, Danse has found enough calm to leave the garage, heading out to survey the rest of Beacon. He wanders the streets with his laser at his side, marveling at the intact Pre-War architecture. Apart from the utter lack of sunlight, this place is almost luxurious compared to the wasteland.

There's a small list of items he desires to scavenge. His laser is a trusted companion, but fusion cells don't seem to exist here and that means he has a very limited number of shots. Another firearm with plentiful ammunition would be ideal, and he decides to search the armory.

Unfortunately, this "armory" seems to be operating under the medieval definition. Swords? Battleaxes? Not really Paladin style (the irony is, indeed, lost on him.)

He decides, instead, on a baseball bat. Already planning how to hammer some nails through it or reinforce it for better damage, he tests its weight in his hands. Another person is "shopping" nearby.]

Please excuse me for interrupting, but I have a question for you. What can you tell me about the combat situations here?

C. Hide and Seek 2

[The general store seems like a good place to look for a few other necessities to keep at his base in the garage. He gathers a duffel bag, a variety of other food, bandages and disinfectant (synths do bleed, after all.) Then he's ready to leave when he stumbles on the literature aisle.

Books are rare enough in the Wasteland to make them a valuable commodity. The Brotherhood was mostly interested in technical books, so fiction wasn't overly common within the barracks. Having an entire aisle of unburned, intact books all laid out before him is an incredible opportunity.

This is what leads to the bizarre sight of a large, stern man in a flight suit with a baseball bat slung over one shoulder, leaning against a shelf and flipping through the raunchiest-looking bodice-ripper available with wide, shocked eyes.]

D. Wildcard

[OOC: Plot with me or make something up!

Danse will be sticking close to his garage, setting out to scavenge for tools and supplies to make the place more livable. He will be a bit skittish around others to begin with, but feel free to have your character say hello and etiquette will demand he return the friendly sentiments. He'll try really hard, anyway.]

( prompt: hide and seek 2. )

[clarius]

[ certainly a bizarre sight, no doubt, but as lorem is quickly figuring out from her encounters here, this is something she'll have to expect from beacon.

so she tries to refocus her attention on what she needs to do here. lorem politely clears her throat when approaching the aisle, quick to put on on a friendly and warm smile on her face when she eventually catches his attention(, hopefully). ]

Sorry but- Could I pass through? I'm trying to make a trade with a spirit who 'hid' something from me and they're interested in a particular book in this aisle.

A. Welcome

[worthallthis]

[Guess who makes a full patrol of all of discovered Beacon every day? This guy. Guess who has super-senses and heard somebody rifling around in those boxes? Also this guy. Soldat pokes their head in, blinks at the new person, and-- promptly squashes their first instinct, which is to pull a gun of their own. That's no way to greet a new person. It's visible as a little twitch, maybe, before both hands come up peaceably.]

Soldat. Just on patrol. You. Must be new.

[If Danse knows any Russian (or, hell, is a good guesser) he can probably put together that "Soldat" just means "Soldier". He can certainly see that one arm-- he's in his tactical vest, which displays the arm all the way up to the shoulder-- is made entirely of metal.]

hide and seek 1

[callada]

["Shopping", indeed - it's always interesting to see what comes in after the usual monthly restock goes through and he could use a new knife anyway. Or maybe see if he can find something Will could learn to use - a short sword, a lightweight cutlass. Something Law would undoubtedly disapprove of, but Rosinante needs to make sure the people he's close to are safe.

All of the racks of tools are just a little low for him to peruse while standing, which is why he's sitting in front of a set of smaller blades with his lantern beside him. He looks up as someone new enters, and watches out of the corner of his eye. Is about to ask the guy if he needs a hand, actually, when he's asked a question first.]

It's a hard thing to summarize in a few words. Variable? Chaotic? I've learned to always be ready. Some of the spirits are fine, some aren't, and some start off seeming friendly enough until they suddenly go for your throat. And a lot of them are tougher than they look.

WELCOME

[catholicisms]

( it seems the portal hasn't quite figured itself out yet. and thus, one can expect supplies to show up all over town. Matt has been forced to take it slow of late, get used to a lantern that will occasionally consider snuffing itself. still, he can only manage to be so relaxed. and wandering the dark to try and locate supplies that need to be recovered is not an especially hard or dangerous task.

well, at least not usually. he hasn't canvased this particular building much lately, but safe to say he hadn't been expecting anyone in it. the weapon is not one he's familiar with, even though he can hear it. he lifts his hands in a show of peace, and between the walking cane in one hand and mirrored sunglasses, Danse might be able to put two and two together that he's got a blind guy in a stick up. )

All right, ( Matt says, surprisingly calm for a guy with a gun pointed at him. ) I didn't mean to startle you. I was just looking for supplies.

B.

[primordialerebus]

[ Coraline wasn't here because she needed anything, or because she really cared about defending anything. She's just curious, and what the fuck else is she supposed to do? What else is there to do?

Point is, she was kinda hoping to be left alone. But of course, the universe hates her so... ]

Fuck if I know man.

[ She says, rolling her eyes beneath her everpresent sunglasses. ]

I think I saw some guy patrolling? There's like, hostile spirits. Fuckin' world eaters people are trying to kill... like. That's all I got man.

lorem laurel. | original character.

[clarius]

sweet as cherry pie. (the school.)
[ when lorem wakes up, her head is hurting like something had crushed it and her current circumstances do not help: the too dark enviornment. the deep red glow of a lantern right next to her crumpled form. the contrasting bright blue glow of a tablet next to said lantern.

... and something offering her a slice of questionable cherry pie, all but shoving it under her nose. at least it's still edible upon taking a polite bite of it so the... host(?) lets her have some personal space again.

while she eats the pie and strange little meat lumps(?) offered on a tray that she brings with her, lorem takes the chance to explore her new surroundings of this... school she's in. this is certainly not dust tumbles, with how cold and wet it is compared to the dry and arid climate she's grown accustomed too. with her .comm device not working at full capacity and with no idea where she is, what does she do first...?

she's ruminating on this problem when she hears/realises something or someone is right behind her. much too close for her comfort.

taking a quick note to apologise if this isn't a hostile individual (and still isn't hostile after this action of hers), lorem makes quick work of defending herself:

she spins around and, with great effort, tries to swing her tray at the too-close person. she'll clean up the spilled pie and meat lumps later. ]

ready or not. (hide and seek.)
[ once she gets her bearings after that awkward encounter at the school, lorem uses the map on her tablet to make her way towards the village. her best chance of figuring out what to do next is to get into the thick of it, she supposes. sounds like something laura and leeds would do-

her thoughts are interrupted when something jumps out of a bush and rushes by her. it's tall and gangly and covered in what she thinks is sewn up pillow covers. that's all lorem can make of the strange thing before it pauses long enough to toss a box at her.

she barely catches it in time, fumbling with the heavy thing long enough to lose sight of the fleeing... fleeing spirit, was it? there was a mention of it in the message. lorem gathers that much as she looks up again and sees someone making their way towards her. ]

Oh- Hello there! [ deciding to make a better impression this time around, lorem does not throw what she has in her arms at the approach of another person.

instead, she inclines her head to greet them and she lifts the box up- grunting with some effort while doing so. ] Is this yours? A spirit - I believe that's what you call them? - threw it at me. I hope there's nothing fragile in here.

moving in. (the village.)
[ and she finally makes her way to the village. at long last too. it'll be nice to have some guaranteed privacy to herself and ruminate over the implications of her being here.

lorem decides bridalveil falls, #1, will be her residence in the village. it looks okay. there are clear signs of it weathering through damage and wear but it looks like that's the case for all the cabins here.

hmmm.

deciding to be proactive on the matter, lorem boots up her .comm device and, begins to go to every occupied cabin, knocking at the door with practiced grace and readiness when it comes to suddenly soliciting other individuals. if the person opens their door, lorem is quick to launch into her spiel: ]

Hello! I guess we'll be working together now. [ she sticks out her hand for them to take if they want. she beams at them with a well-practised sense of cheer to her as if used to this. ] I'm Lorem Laurel. I'm new here. If you don't mind, could we have a chat? It won't be for long, I promise.

[ she'll also be doing this to those she happens to cross paths with. those who don't even live in the village are not safe from lorem on a mission. no sir. ]

wildcard! (anything goes.)
[ want to do something else altogether? this is the prompt you can use!

feel free to plot with me over at prognostic if you want. ]

hide and seek

[callada]

[The spirits are driving him insane. Literally, probably, but today it's especially tedious having to hunt them down just to get what he ordered. All the while, his stomach growls as they dart to and fro - especially at the slightly more humanoid ones. And then he finds himself fighting nausea. Whatever the world eater did to him, it hasn't faded in two weeks - if anything it has just gotten worse, and that doesn't bode well for the future.

Finally, though, thank the gods, there's someone who looks like she found one of his ammo boxes. He makes his way across the dark, scrubby ground to get a better look.]

Yeah, actually. Think that might be mine. Careful with it, bullets in there.

[Which, if they're the shotgun shells, yeah - those could probably explode if handled too roughly. Before he makes his way over fully to investigate, though, he catches a toe on one of the low-growing plants and crashes to the ground right in front of her, all nine and a half feet.]

matt murdock. ota.

[catholicisms]

( Matt hasn't properly asked for much of anything since the flood, and thusly, it's a bit of a new experience to have to get a spirit to lead him to what he was looking for. thankfully it's not too far out of town, but the pile of rings is... well, he can feel them and that's something, but it turns out seeing is really helpful when it comes to picking one.

he collects the pile and drags it along with him to the Invincible, tucked in at one of the tables with food he's neglecting to attempt to get a sense of his haul, rather unsuccessfully. when he hears footsteps nearby, he swallows his pride and requests, )

You have a minute? What does this look like? This... this can't be right. ( it feels like a ring, but... only barely........ )

[390h]

[She sort of recognizes him from Helix Station. Actually - he was...one of them that didn't make it, right? Her expression is concerned. He looks alright, but what must he be feeling, after a battle like that?

Oooooor maybe he's asking her to look at a toy?]

Um. It's...like, a plastic ring? It has a funny creature on it...

Coraline Li | Original

[primordialerebus]

I. Arrival

[ Coraline is still sitting where she… did some approximation of waking up as she finishes poking through the information given on the tablet. All of which is… a lot to be honest. Because this was never on the list of predictions for “Shit That Might Happen When I Die”. To be fair, past her would probably be glad. Now? She wishes she got fucking obliterated like what was 50% of that list. Because it fucking hurts. Knowing she didn’t matter in the end. That she was a mistake even to the person she was closest to.

Her focus drifts to her lantern, studying its dense vantablack surface that seems to absorb most of what little light can emanate from the open hatch, a black dark flame dancing inside. Maybe if she keeps smashing it…

No.

Not again. She’s not fucking doing this again.

Besides, someone’s approaching. Way closer than she’s used to, but dealing with one thing at a time. ]

Hey.

[ She says with a small wave, other hand reaching for the staff collapsed in her pocket. There is absolutely no cheer in her voice and she’s way too tired to bother even trying. ]

II. Hide and Seek

…

[ What the fuck. One second, she’s just walking. The next? A massive bottle of some sort of alcohol is being dropped on her head, something she proceeded to catch out of reflex.

So yeah. She’s just holding it now, unsure if she should throw it back up at the giggling spirits or… oh perfect someone’s coming! ]

Hey this is yours.

[ She says, trying to foist the heavy ass thing on you (not that she’s treating it as if its heavy). ]

III. No Talk. Me Angy.

[ So yeah. She’s living in the inn now. Brooding more like. She knows she’s brooding. She knows she should find… something to do. Even if it’s just throwing herself at the world eaters. But fuck man. She wants to brood. She wants to be angry and alone. Isn’t she owed that after her absolute bullshit of a life?

Basically, she’s been doing a great job avoiding people, aided by what’s left of her Senses and just. Being good at being quiet and out of sight. But it’s inevitable that she run into someone sooner or later considering the way hallways work, and that day is today. ]

… excuse me.

[ She says sullenly. ]

IV. Eating???

[ Catch Coraline just. Collapsing in the middle of the path a week into her stay at Beacon. She groans slightly, not sure exactly what she’s feeling. Tired? Maybe? Can she feel tired? Also her stomach might be… huh. ]

Am I hungry???

[ She asks the air, disbelief evident in her tone. ]

Wildcard

[ HMU on plurk baybee JejuneN ]

IV

[immortalaccursed]

[Ardyn is wandering down the path, heading nowhere when he spots the strange woman collapsing ahead of him.

He tuts loudly and walks up to her, holding his tarnished lantern up in one hand.]

Oh, dear, not used to needing sustenance, are you?

Don't worry, you're not the only one around here who's had to adjust to such inconveniences.

[He recognizes the disbelief. After all, he'd gone through the same thing after being in Beacon for a few nights.]

[rereremembered]

Welcome to Beacon

Fitz is feeling himself. Note that he is not feeling like himself, but he is feeling...pretty great to be honest, and has been since they came back from Helix Station. For the first time in his ridiculous life everything is coming up Kreiner, in his mind.

Beaconites both new and existing will see him patrolling town, sleek iridescent guitar slung across his back, gray hat set at a jaunty angle to shade his eyes from the...dark, one hand in his trouser pocket and the other lazily holding a cigarette to drag on and gesture with. Fitz Fortune has entered the building.

"Hey," he says, not sure if he wants to sound like Sinatra or Connery!Bond and settling for an ungodly melding of the two. "Are you in need of my assistance?"

hide and seek

Okay the paper umbrella gown hanging above a bridge is a bit of a hassle, even with his human-grade tallness and long limbs, but eventually (probably with help) he will wrangle it to the Invincible and set about disassembling it. So he can have garnishes. For girly drinks. Which he will make with or without request and with full Cruise-in-"Cocktail" flair. Broken glass is inevitable.

How he ends up in the shopping center downtown with both hands occupied and a lockpick between his teeth is anyone's guess. Including his.

"Hey!" Fitz just about manages. "Can I ha a lil hep pls!"

Welcome

[bleedingsteel]

There's a burly, dark-haired man in what looks like an orange mechanic's suit, zipped down to his waist with a grease-stained white T-shirt beneath. He appears to be in the middle of disassembling a circuit breaker on the side of an abandoned building, stripping out the parts piece by piece.

He glances over his shoulder and stares at the gentleman. Up. Down. Guitar. Hat. Guitar.

One eyebrow rises slightly.

"Are you some manner of traveling musician, civilian?"