logsinthenight | EVENT LOG: FOR EVERYTHING A REASON

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor.
date/time: september 6-7.
content: characters and forest spirits send off paper lantern boats in honor of those who have died..
warnings: character death

a somber kind of serenity.

When you arrive at the harbor, there are already boats in the water, and the lighthouse's red beam flares in slow pulses over the lake. The moon's a bright first quarter and the stars are out in force today, all reflected on the glassy surface of the water. It's uncharacteristically calm, this weather, so take advantage.

Rastus is down at the water's edge, tending to a large mound of pebbles that looks not unlike a miniature bonfire from a distance. The stones are all ordinary, having been collected from the beach, except Rastus has enchanted them to glow with a soft, yellow light. The enchantment will only last a week, but that's ample time for this little ceremony to send off those lost over the past two months. Or to send off something less literal, perhaps.

Next to the pile of stones is an array of craft materials—just the basic supplies like paper, markers, glue, and scissors, but more than enough to accommodate everyone in attendance. A handful of forest spirits (some you may recognize from the party!) are standing nearby to assist in paper-folding or boat-crafting if you're out of your depth there. They, along with Rastus, urge you to join in. This memorial is as much about you as it is anyone we've lost, after all. The boats can look like or represent anything you like.

Releasing boats lit with pebbles out onto the water will fill you will a sense of peace. It's a somber kind of serenity, but it's a relief nonetheless, whether you're mourning the loss of a friend or letting go of some other part of yourself. You're welcome to release as many boats as you like, too. It's not like there's a shortage of rocks around here, and even if the craft materials run low, there's plenty of other stuff around town that could be used in a pinch.

The forest spirits are in attendance, as well. Some are helping with the crafting, yes, but most are taking part themselves, building their own little boats to send out over the water. Their crafting involves more of a hands-on approach: Chomping and tearing and crinkling into unique shapes and textures. They stand out from the townsfolks' designs on the beach, but once the boats drift far enough into the surf, it's impossible to tell which vessels belong to which group. Feel free to NPC your own forest spirits for this event and refer to the OOC info post if you have questions about how they might behave.

On the final night of the event, a sound starts up along the treeline, one you haven't heard in some time, perhaps. Crickets. Cicadas. Katydids and beetles and the shrill hum of a mosquito in your ear. It seems insects have returned to Beacon from... wherever they were hiding, and the night air is now vibrant with their music. No more eerie silence back in town, where the sounds of the lake are snuffed out by the trees. It sounds almost like a real forest now.

And it will stay that way after this event ends, too. Maybe you were enjoying the time away from bugs or maybe you were longing for some sign that, yes, this world was alive once, but either way, the insects are here to stay. Well, until winter, at least.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I.

[ For the first time since the meeting, Coraline is fully out of her ~~self-imposed exile~~ near constant vigil at the church. Denial can only take someone so far, and after nearly 3 weeks of waiting. Well. This is how far it’s going to take her. They aren’t coming back. None of them are.

So she’s here. Methodically making boats for each and every one of the fallen, even those she had never met. From Rafe, the asshole, to Gene, who definitely deserved better. The designs are simple, and each has the name of the lost written on it in black marker. Once she finishes with those, she moves on to those left back home, hopefully still alive and happy: study partners, fellow heroes, teachers, mentors members of her dance troupes… even Bliss. God she never thought she’d miss that crazy person. She’s there for nearly a day straight, the pile of boats next to her growing as she works with a frenzied energy. She rarely stops except to gather more supplies or when purposely bothered, mostly by spirits seeking help.

It’s only when she reaches the last 2 that she slows. These are given a bit more care. While she isn’t good enough at origami to make a more intricate design, she does her best to decorate them, adding little doodles and flourishes that remind her best friend and mother.

Once she finishes with those, she just… stares at her finished creations for a long moment, face blank and body deathly still. Around her, the shadows churn lightly, a counterpoint to the overall calm. The seconds draw into minutes, and just as things seem to reach some sort of tumultuous climax, she sends out the first boat.

This time when she cries, it’s like a catharsis. And when the last boat is sent away for her mother, for the first time since… everything, she feels only peace. ]

II.

[ She’s sitting at the harbor edge when the insects return, captivated by the glittering stars reflected in the still water. She doesn’t even notice at first, her hearing being what it is. It’s only when a particularly determined cicada SCREAMS from a tree nearby, startling her out of her reverie that she realizes what’s happening. ]

Holy shit. Do you hear that?

[ She asks reverently, turning to the person nearby. ]

[Jo comes along when the pile is large enough to be obvious and pauses to look between the mountain and Caroline. She doesn't recognize the girl, but she is curious.]

Are these all for you? [Surely not.]

[ She pauses in her folding and stares up at the stranger for a moment... oh she's the one who slept in the booths for a while. ]

Oh uh... yeah.

[ Is she making too many? She looks around. Oh god she is making too many, though Daylight's constant stream makes her feel a bit better. Still, is she hogging all the supplies? ]

I'm so sorry.

[She is. She's also been missing from there, at least while sleeping. Jo does still up for a drink.

When the girl apologizes Jo shakes her head quickly.]

You don't need to apologize. I was just curious. [It seems like a very large number of people to be thinking of tonight. Surely not all of them are dead?]

Yeah... Don't really blame you.

[ She puts down her current project and just sits there for a moment before continuing to speak. ]

I don't know... just started making them for people I missed back home and...

[ She let's out a small, mirthless laugh. ]

[That's not usually how people react to her curiosity. That's nice.

But after the girl's explanation, Jo nods silently. It makes sense. If she had made one for everyone...Well, her pile wouldn't be this big, but there would have been more than two boats.]

It's hard here. [She wouldn't say that out loud to many people. Or probably anyone else.]

[ At that, Coraline barely manages to choke back a noise that sounds suspiciously like a sob. God was that an understatement. ]

Yeah I just… I miss—

[ She cuts off the rest of that sentence. Little kids complained about missing their mom, and she’s not a little kid. She’s basically an adult now. ]

Sorry.

[Jo ducks her head, trying to give Caroline a moment of privacy without just walking away. She can understand. She misses a lot of people. Things too.

She didn't think it would be so lonely to be dead.]

It's okay. [She considers reaching out to touch the girl's shoulder but ends up deciding against it. Some people don't like being touched.]

I miss my mom.

[ At Jo’s show of solidarity, Coraline lets out a small sob she had been holding back. One that she quickly tries to cover up with a cough. It’s fine. She’s fine. Everything’s fine. ]

Yeah… yeah. I hope she doesn’t miss me for too long. [ If at all. She isn’t sure which is worse to be honest. ]

[Jo's stomach sinks at that sentiment from the teen. She hopes her own mother isn't somehow aware she's not in Heaven.

That would be terrible.

Jo also decides not to say that Coraline's mother will probably miss her forever. She's lost enough people to know that's true.]

It will get a little easier over time.

Yeah… I hope so…

[ She gazes out into the water, watching the various boats slowly float into the nether, taking with them someone’s memories. ]

Sorry for like… ruining the mood…

This is for us to remember, right? [Jo shrugs, shaking her head after a moment.]

It's okay to be sad when you miss someone.

Yeah… [ She says, feeling Jo’s movements through the darkness that constantly surrounds them. ]

Just don’t want to get everyone down with me I guess… Thanks by the way.

I think we're all a little down anyway. [Even looking back on fond memories can be sad when it's remembering someone who is gone. Bittersweet.]

There's nothing to thank me for.

... Good point. [ That's kind of the point of this whole... thing isn't it? To mourn. Still... she can't help but feel like she's imposing on people at times. ]

But still... thanks for like... talking to me I guess?

We're all stuck here together, right? [Jo shrugs, looking around them for a moment.

Who knows when they'll fix things.]

I guess none of us are really alone.

[ After a moment, she nods, staring out at the distant boats floating away before slowly setting down her first one.

For her mother.

Another.

For her best friend.

There's so many more, but it's a start. ]

EVENT LOG: FOR EVERYTHING A REASON

Coraline Li | OTA

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end?????