logsinthenight | INTRO LOG: SEPTEMBER

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INTRO LOG: SEPTEMBER

INTRO LOG: SEPTEMBER
BRIGHT STARS BURNING

characters: everyone.
location: all over beacon!
date/time: the first part of september.
content: new folks, old folks, new things, dead things.
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?

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 Some of the information is a little out of date at this point, but the most important details are still there: yes, you're really dead, keep your lantern close, and watch out for the spirits.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, considering you're half-submerged in water with no boat of any kind nearby.

And why does the water smell like you just walked into a Starbucks on the first day of pumpkin spice season? Boy, that's not coming out of your hair any time soon either.

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.

muffins!

In addition to the potent scent of pumpkin spice, during the first few days of September you will occasionally be able to detect the aroma of baked goods in the air. It seems the case of pumpkin spice flavoring was brought in for a reason, and that reason becomes clear when baskets of muffins start appearing at the doorsteps of buildings (even those that have been damaged and/or abandoned) and in front of occupied room doors. Some of these baskets contain flavors that are more unique than others and the baskets look a little haphazardly put together, but there was clear thought put into the gesture. You may notice a spirit lurking out of the corner of your eye, trying to hide behind a tree or in a doorway or behind furniture - don't worry, they just want to make sure you got your basket!

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 September, please see the September 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 item request crew at the lab has always tried their best, they really have. The things people request often come in pretty close to what they had asked for, and lately they've struggled to get the things landed neatly in one place but at least they've always arrived somewhere. Maybe it's the shifting of the seasons, maybe it's pure bad luck, but it seems that they've struggled in a new way this time. Everything has landed in the harbor and is quickly sinking. Worse (or better?) is that among the supplies seems to have been an enormous pallet of boxed pumpkin spice mix which exploded on impact. Everything, including the water of the lake, tastes and smells strongly of pumpkin spice. Festive!

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 Inspector Javert: an abundance of high-quality pistol ammunition, including a bonus box of armor-piercing rounds; plenty of tools and supplies for a very nice kitchen including some polished granite countertop slabs, exotic dark hardwood panels and beams, a professional baking oven that stands floor to ceiling, and more, plus three large wheeled carts to help carry everything.

For Cao Pi: a high-quality silk bathrobe, a very casual robe, and a travel guide to the Chinese city of Fenghuang, circa 1995.

If you submitted an item request last month and we've missed it here, let us know!

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"Inspector Javert came in with a list, but it didn't specifically say 'enormous room-sized oven', in his defense," he says with a frown as he reaches long arms toward it and helps Soldat guide the thing around a few of the larger rocks.

"I found some kitchen coordinates in that old lighthouse document and we just punched them in. Must have hit a whole restaurant."

Whoops. Sorry to whoever this used to belong to.

"Javert?" They don't drop the oven (especially given Rosinante is helping, now), but they do pause and blink a few times, then look up at the hulking thing over their shoulder before getting back to inching it up onto shore. It's not room-sized, but it is pretty big. Professional, even, not that they're sure what a professional oven ought to look like. "This is for our house?"

"Dunno, I didn't ask. You think you can fit this in there? Maybe it's for somewhere else."

They'd really just have to ask Javert. Maybe he thought The Invincible needed an upgrade, who knows.

"I'm amazed you can lift so much," he points out. "Maybe I shouldn't be by now, but wow."

"I am enhanced. I can pick up a couch. But this is. Admittedly kind of difficult." It's so damn solid. And unweildy. He is mostly leaning it on his shoulder and kind of scooting it along.

They pause when it's fully out of the water to lean it back and look it over with more interest, now. "Javert suggested we expand the kitchen. Months back, now, when he moved there. It's not very big, and three of the four of us like to cook."

"Not very big, huh?" He can't help but smile at that as he steps back once Soldat has it set upright, and gets a good view of the oven.

"Well, like I said, he probably didn't expect something this size. From what I've gathered, when we point the portal at some coordinates and set a few parameters for the type of thing we want, sometimes you still just end up crossing your fingers. Gotta be a more accurate way to do it, though."

But. Whether there is or isn't, this is a hell of a grab, isn't it? The more he looks at it the wider his grin. "You could run a whole bakery with this."

"I'm not even that great at baking," Soldat says, maybe a little distractedly. "Cooking and baking are different things. Apparently." They shake their head. "Well. At least now I know where to bring it."

Then they grin, at a sudden idea. "Javert might be surprised. If this isn't what he meant." And they might have to linger around the house to make sure they see it.

He gives a nod as he retrieves a cigarette from a pocket, and takes a moment to open up his lantern to light it. "Yeah," he agrees verbally once the cigarette is in the corner of his mouth while he closes the lantern back up, then adjusts the strap and looks back out at the lake.

"Might be surprised about some of that, too. I think you've got more, like that box with the pans on top. I figure that's probably more what he had in mind, but maybe not all of this in total."

"And countertops. There are fuckin' countertops." Because now that they know what this is related to, they can recognize what those big slabs of rock are supposed to be. They shake their head a little. "He's gonna be so surprised. This'll be a big project."

And with that, they puts their shoulder to the oven and lean it over a little, so they can start dragging again. He is gonna hurt for a while, after this, but it'll be worth it. "Wanna get the box for me?" It's drifted closer to shore now, maybe Rosinante can reach it.

Ah, countertops - yes, he can see it now, as he shifts his attention to the huge granite slabs. Wow. Well, hopefully they're excited to do some renovating.

"Sure," he says, and carefully walks over to the edge of the water. The box is just out of reach, but it won't kill him to step in a few inches, he's bigger than most and can take a little bit of the lethargy without becoming totally useless. He sure feels it, though, even if it's shallow. As one last measure, he unsheathes the cutlass he so often carries at his hip, and reaches with that, hooking it around the edge of the box so he can pull it close enough to grab.

"You'll have to tell me how the Inspector reacts when he finally sees all this."

"I almost wish I could sneak a picture," Soldat admits, smiling again at the thought. Javert is going to be so surprised. "But I'm not very good at that."

They note Rosinante's contortions to avoid more time in the water, out of the corner of their eye, and debate asking about it. He's been on boats... surely he can't be afraid of water, can he? Pausing in their oven-lugging, they look his way more fully and ask, "Is. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine, why?" he asks, glancing over his shoulder at Soldat, who has a far more difficult burden to tow around. He hefts the bulky container full of supplies up into both arms, and turns to follow alongside Soldat. He hasn't actually been inside this little home of theirs, maybe this is a good time to have a look.

Of course, before he gets too far he trips and falls, spilling the box full of pots and pans and kitchen gadgets all over the cobblestone beach, then sighs and starts picking it all back up.

Soldat considers pausing to help, but in the end, Rosinante can move a lot faster than they can, lugging this thing, so after a beat of hesitation to make sure he's okay, they just keep inching the oven along. "Just the awkward reach for the box. If you don't like water, you don't have to help haul things out. I can come back for it."

"No, it's fine. Really, don't worry about it. I always help gather stuff up when it arrives," he says, then hoists the box back up once it's full and does indeed quickly catch up.

"Besides, I want to see your place! I think it's cool you're all working on fixing up a building. Gotta get the before so I can appreciate the after, right?"

If he's going to insist that strenuously, Soldat is not going to push. "Guess you probably haven't, no." No one in that house really winds up having guests over, do they. They're not sure they really want that to change, exactly, but Rosinante's right, there's no harm in showing him. "We had to do a lot of repair after the flood. But it was still in better shape than our old cabin was."

"I can imagine. Putting D- ... Ingram's place back together took weeks of work and his is a smaller space. Dunno if we'll ever fix up the rest of the village, all of us, but maybe there's no need."

Phew, caught himself before he could use that title Soldat hates.

It's not like they have people to fill the village, anyway. The Invincible and The Landmark aren't anywhere near full and it's easier to have people all on one side of the river. Easier to defend.

Soldat recognizes what he did, and is torn between gratitude and... and annoyance. Not at Rosinante for trying to be kind, but at themselves for it being necessary. (Well, I mean, it is fucking annoying. No. Both right. It's annoying, but like Misty said. It does make sense.)

They don't say anything about it. "Rather there not be a need. There's so few of us now. Safer to stay together in the big, defensible places. Though that one new gal kept talkin' about rebuilding the village." Nothing seems to have come of it yet, though.

"Yeah, I heard about that, but I think she's biting off more than she can chew. It's admirable, I appreciate her ambition, but I'm not sure it's the best use of our time. She's welcome to use her own however she likes, I guess," he says with a shrug.

"What it really means, I guess, is she and the others who have come in recently want to make this place better, and that's something I can get behind."

"Yeah, I'm. Really hopin' the new folks have some good ideas. Not just for fixing things up. But for everything." They haven't forgotten the whole... world eater thing. How could they? They're just pretty good at compartmentalizing, and since they are sure they have no good ideas here, they'll have to hope other people do.

They might be wrong, in the end, and have ideas that are actually useful, but Soldat is still working on that self-esteem, proper-role thing.

The little bed and breakfast isn't too far off now - he can see it just ahead, and nods to it.

"Want to show me around now, or is it better to wait? Don't want to bother anyone by showing up unexpectedly."

"Pudding is doing inventory on new supplies, Javert is on patrol, and Misty should be in the greenhouse. Now's a good time." They heft the oven a little more onto their shoulder, but bring it around behind the house rather than trying to haul it inside. They're not even entirely sure it will fit through the door.

"We'll hafta take that wall down," they say absently, mostly to themselves. "Expand the kitchen that way. Bring all the shit inside, then." Hell, they'll have to get it done pretty soon, too, before it starts getting really cold.

"Let me and Law know if you need a hand. Hell, he might even be able to remove the wall for you, though I shouldn't volunteer him for it."

But, look, those powers are useful and he's proud, all right? That sacrifice was well-worth it to make sure Law got to be the one to have that devil fruit.

The crate could probably fit inside, but he decides to go ahead and leave it next to the oven instead for now. It would still sure take up a fair amount of space, and even if the weather somehow turns to rain, everything in the box already got wet anyway.

Wet and smelling like pumpkin. A little rain won't hurt them. "Yeah? That'd be faster than taking a sledgehammer to it. Or my arm. Less fun, maybe, though." Because taking the metal arm to building walls is kinda fun.

Once the oven is settled where it belongs, for now, they head back around to the front of the building to let Rosinante in. "It's not very impressive," they warn, opening the door to a cozy little living room with rugs, a couch, a couple of armchairs. It's more rustic in decor than the old cabin had been, the walls wood and unpainted so far.

The plus side is they could just move the wall back several feet and build new wall in between. Less work overall, right? Probably. Assuming Law is interested in helping in something as mundane as construction work.

He ducks his head as he enters, and looks around. Cozy is right - they have quite a few people in here and yet everyone has their space if they all want to hang out. "It's nice," he says. "I'm impressed. Must be fun to have something all your own, unlike The Invincible."

Soldat smiles a bit at that. "I'd probably be there now, actually. If Misty hadn't wanted a little more space. I'm used to people around, every wall, every corner, just people. But it is nice, to have somewhere to actually make ours. Kind of." The only one of them who really focuses on decorating is Pudding, though Soldat tries off and on, as evidenced mostly by colorful quilts on each chair and the couch, and bits of origami here and there that gets replaced frequently with something new.

"Kitchen's over here." It's off to the left, separated from the living room by a wall, but open to the dining nook next to the hall back to the bedrooms. It's also narrow, with very little counterspace, and gets stupidly hot when anything's baking. "The kids who made this place. Definitely did not think much about cooking," Soldat says. The kitchen table doesn't even fit inside it, so there's only the dining nook.

"Suppose they ate at The Invincible often?"

That would have been before Soldat sort of took over that kitchen, though. The bartender spirits, as helpful as they were, weren't really into cooking.

"I can see why you need more kitchen space, with both you and Pudding living here."

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