hadriel_logs | Event Log: Beetlejuice

Entry tags:

Event Log: Beetlejuice

Who: Everyone participating in the event!
What: The event log for the Beetlejuice event!
Where: All around the city
When: August 13th-August 18th
Warnings: Scary stories to tell in the dark! Maybe a few goosebumps? Taking a walk or two down Fear Street.

When you wake up on the morning of August 13th - well, you'll notice that morning just doesn't really happen. The light that usually illuminates the cave doesn't start coming on, leaving things as dark as night. As if that's not enough, the light switches don't seem to work either. No matter how many times you flip them, the lights won't come on, although mysteriously the other appliances work as normal.

Afraid of the dark? Don't worry! You have oh-so-kindly been provided with lanterns, candles, and flashlights that sure do love to flicker just when you least want to be terrified. Hey, it's something, right?

Just as you begin to realize the artificial 'sun' isn't coming up, Fear appears to make an announcement to the network. What's not fun about scary stories when you're stuck in a dark cave surrounded by monsters? Nothing, that's what! So have fun, everyone - terrify your friends with that story about a cactus filled with spiders, try that classic scarecrow-falling-from-the-ceiling prank. It'll be a good time for everyone, especially Fear! We're sure no one will hold anything against you. On the morning of August 18th, the lights will finally come on as usual. Let's hope you don't have any nightmares!

► This log covers August 13th-August 18th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you scare yourself to death, please let us know here!

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[Sato, on the other hand, isn't afraid of the dark in the least. He's gotten cleaned up since his little fear-spreading shenanigans, but the complete and utter pitch blackness when the lights are out has made it hard to get a lot of useful progress on much else done, especially when he's forced to use a small and unreliable flashlight.

One that has, in fact, gone out yet again.

He smacks it against his hand a couple times. It flickers once, then dies again.

But there's a peculiar light further down the street, and so he pokes his head out of the store he'd been searching and calls out:]

"Oh! That's a good trick. Would you mind giving me a hand?"

[With his nerves wound so tight that they might snap at any moment, Carlisle jumps at the voice that calls to him, nearly dropping his ball of light in the process. He fumbles with it a second, finally managing to get a grip on it after a few seconds of near-misses.

He sighs, trying to settle that churning in his gut. Desth, he hates the dark.]

Is there, um. [Wait.] Okay, quick question: are you a monster? Something trying to lure me over there for a quick meal?

[Or a bird. Please don't be a bird.]

[Sato chuckles. Monster? Well, that probably depends on who you ask.]

Not at all. Just a newcomer looking for a few things. My flashlight seems to have given up and I saw your light out there. Is that magic?

[He's still getting used to the place, but there's really no point in debating what is real and what isn't. Magic? Sure. If it works, who is he to question it.]

[Carlisle remains in his spot, still holding his orb of light as though it'd protect him from anyone lurking in the darkness.]

Yes, actually. Nothing fancy, but practical enough when the false gods have taken away our light.

[If he won't come there, Sato will come to him, meandering over with his usual even pace and pleasant smile.]

I'm sure it won't last forever. But it is a bit inconvenient while it lasts.

[Stiffening as he hears footsteps approaching him, Carlisle is certainly the picture of a man on edge. At least this stranger seems friendly enough.]

Most mischief the gods have made for us is temporary, but yes, inconvenient. They'll grow bored of torturing us eventually, and have to scheme anew.

[He gives a polite nod.]

I am Carlisle Longinmouth.

[Friendly and calm. What isn't there to trust about a smiling older gentleman? Since we're doing introductions, Sato returns the little nod.]

Sato.

[He taps the dead maglite against his palm a couple times again. It flickers once, then dies again. Totally useless.]

You're not busy right now, are you? As I said, I could really use a hand.

[Carlisle watches the light in Sato's hand come to life, then die again in a matter of seconds. It seems the futuristic torches were placed there only to add to aggravation.]

I suppose I could help.

[He pauses briefly.]

You'll, ah. After to forgive my manners. I'm not fond of the dark, honestly.

[Sato chuckles a little. Frankly, scaring this guy would be easy mode. But he really does need some help. Maybe once he's finished with him... in the meantime, it's clear that Carlisle needs encouragement, otherwise he's not going to get anything done. He gives him a good, friendly pat on the shoulder.]

I don't think you're alone there. Just remember, there's nothing to fear but fear itself. And from what I've seen of him, Fear isn't too good at his job, at least judging from his network posting.

[He beckons, trying to get Carlisle to follow him to the shop.]

[Carlisle flinches from that pat on the back, reacting as though he's not terribly used to such contact. The fact he's got hardly any skin showing, with even his hands covered by gloves and one arm wrapped in an ink-stained bandage from the elbow down, is likely a testament to that.]

But he does seem to take some comfort in what Sato says. He trails along behind him, bringing his orb of light with him.]

It's not the false gods I fear so much as what lurks in the shadows.

Ah, well I'm sure we'll manage to take care of anything like that too.

[Sato says, patting the machete at his side that he'd liberated from the armory a few days ago. Still no bullets though, which makes having the pistol around quite useless.

Entering the darkened shop first, he starts heading to a shelf by the window full of tools, getting back to the business of sorting through for anything useful. He's got a bag with a couple items already picked out on the counter. Conversationally, he continues, since silence would probably just add to his poor companion's fear level:]

Is there anything else you can do besides the light? Fireballs, perhaps?

[As Sato searches the shelves, Carlisle complacently follows along, still scared of the dark, but slightly relieved to no longer be alone in it. With his eyes darting all around them and the ever-present threat of danger at the back of his mind, he's happy to let the silence hang.

Well, until he's asked a question. His voice is still riddled with his nerves as he answers.]

Er, no. I mean, I can make sparks, yes, but pyromancy is not my area o- of expertise. I am a healer by trade.

Oh? Sorry, I'm not very familiar with how these things work. We don't have magic where I'm from.

[He replies, seeming almost amused by the answer. RPG class restrictions? It's one thing to treat life as a big game, another to actually find game elements in his real life.

After finding the familiar sight of a screwdriver and adding it to his bag, everything else on the shelves... he holds up some sort of round multi-pronged object quizzically before putting it back.]

Have you been here for long? Is there any trick to finding where the most useful things will be? So far, it seems quite random.

I've, um. Yes, I've been here for some time.

[His nervousness has not died down, apparently. It probably won't until the lights come back. His eyes trail to the shelves, surveying the inventory: it seems some of the food has been replaced with candles, lanterns, and flashlights.]

There's usually more here, stocked by the false gods. I'd assume all the candles are because of this darkness.

[He's just going to tuck some of those into his badger-pelt bag that hangs from his shoulder, thank you very much.]

It's likely safe to assume they run out quickly or always flicker out, then. The flashlights keep going out at the worst times

[He can't be completely sure it's intentional, but sometimes it really seems that way. Sato shuffles through a couple more shelves -- he was sure he'd seen the shadow of something that looked like a circular saw, but when he picks the thing up it's clearly... something else, some other foreign tool, and so that goes right back on the shelf too. Finally, he picks up his own canvas bag from the counter.]

I suppose that's it for this shop. Were you heading somewhere in particular, or do you have a few more minutes?

[Invisible to anyone who isn't a demihuman, black particles drift off Sato's body. It shouldn't take that much to mess with this guy a little on his way to the next stop.]

I... suppose I do.

[Said with all the timidness of everything else he's said.]

I was just hoping to take a few candles back to my home. It's as dark as everywhere else, unfortunately. Makes note-taking, er. Difficult, to say the least.

[Sato's invisible black ghost isn't really intended for long-running activities: more for brief bursts of intense violence. But it's still useful enough to play Fear's little game for a few minutes, at least. It takes no more than a half second for it to form completely, and one little mental request from Sato to have it go and open the door to the shop. From Carlisle's point of view at least, he door swings open seemingly all on its own.

Of course, Sato is intentionally not looking in that direction at that exact moment, peering at the shelves again.]

Makes everything quite difficult, really. Even just getting around at all.

[He continues the conversation as casually as if nothing happened.]

[The door creaks as it opens, the slow drag of it making the noise go on for far longer than it seems it ought to. As Sato expected, it does not take much to rattle Carlisle -- his head turns immediately toward the door, watching it as it moves, opened by some invisible hand.

He holds the ball of light in his hand in that direction for a second, trying to see if someone came in after them; he finds no one there, and tries to pretend it didn't shake him.]

Er, right. Not, um. Easy to... er.

[But it did shake him. It absolutely did.]

[The ghost bumps up against a shelf, making every object shake and wobble just a little. Meanwhile, Sato takes his time coming back around the counter -- he at least wants to make it to the door before there's a chance of the light going out. He continues on as though nothing happened at all:]

I was thinking I'd try one or two more shops before heading back home. It's hard to find just the right tools.

That's when he has the ghost drop its six-fingered clawed hand onto Carlisle's shoulder.]

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Event Log: Beetlejuice

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oops I need to remember to review upthread more

:>

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