10 YEAR REUNION

[goosemods]

10 YEAR REUNION

Where once they declared this Gooseberry Alternative High School, the signs now say Merrill Memorial Research Institute. The Merrill Institute is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to studying the surrounding area and funding unique projects for the betterment of the magical world. It attracts many brilliant minds, and Mrs. Bloom is constantly flooded by applicants seeking funding and research space.

[Merrill Institute Employee A] delivers a speech welcoming back former Gooseberry students, and details some of the Institute's achievements in the last few years. Although it's obvious that part of the reason for this event is to find new donors for research, the employees of the Institute also genuine in wanting to give Gooseberry alumni the opportunity to reconnect and see how different things are around the forest. Ms. Vector also talks about how proud she is of all of her former students, and how the teachers did their best to turn out bright, motivated young adults. There's a solemn moment as she remembers the Institute's namesake, Mr. Merrill, but Vector concludes her speech by honoring his memory with a special spell designed by Mr. Merrill: she lifts her wand high and blasts glittering blue and white confetti at the audience, a gesture which is taken up by several other members of Institute staff.

The bones of the lodge are the same, but is now filled with labs and office spaces, and a wing of temporary lodgings. The Atrium has been decorated with photographs of all the graduates from their high school years. It highlights accomplishments, team photos, bonding activities, prom events over the years, etc. Nature has reclaimed the campsites on the far corners of the campus (the cabins still stand, but have been emptied of furniture and now are more likely to house raccoons than teenagers), but several large magical tents have been set up along Goosey Trail, in case you're nostalgic for camping.

There are two goals to the reunion: catching up with your old friends, and getting roped into helping the school. Institute staff are very interested in seeing if some more enterprising alumni would like to help fund existing projects, or bring their research to Gooseberry. Lilika Ignacz gets into a serious conversation with Mr. Oakes about their feelings on taking up residence for a year or two, so they can work with the Institute in their advanced field of study.

During the late night party, a very drunk Rosemary Stoker gives another speech, which is somewhat less professional or coherent than the earlier one. But their speech is interrupted by the appearance of something leaving the treeline: an antlerless moose calf, with fur so white that it seems to glow like the full moon. The young moose stands watching them, long enough for Micah St. Clair to get a photo (or phone recording) of it, before it scampers back into the shadowed forest.

Cool wind blows through the trees, making them shake like soft whispers. Hello again. I missed you.

HOW THIS WORKS:

• This IC/OOC takes place Friday, July 13, 2025. Feel free to backdate (or technically forward date...) your journal posts as necessary.


• All former Gooseberry students have been invited, i.e. everyone may post in this IC/OOC.


• Even if you didn't fill out the planning meme, you can still participate!


• You may NPC spouses and children!


• If you would like to "update" your PB to reflect their new age you may, but it's not required.


• The Anti-Apparition Zone has long since been torn down around the Merrill Institute, so you can arrive by Apparition, Floo, or driving.


• The festivities start at 6:00 PM, and there's a buffet dinner. Guests may choose to stay overnight in the lodge or in a tent by the lake. They're magical tents, so they're roomy and furnished.


• At 10:00 PM, there will be a party outside on the lakeshore & docks that's 21+. Children are not allowed to attend, and if they show up their parents will be asked to take them back to bed. There's an open bar, so feel free to get drunk on the Institute's dime. (Assume there are house elves, staff, etc. who will watch your kids. We just don't want your fake babies at the raunchy party.)


• If you want your characters to go elsewhere on campus besides the lake and the lodge, just note it in the subject line. There are some restrictions:
  • While you can visit the old campsites, they've been emptied and have fallen into serious disrepair. The security and maintenance charms have long since expired. The cabins and washrooms were locked but can be broken into; some windows are probably already broken.
  
  
  • You may tour the lodge's labs to see examples of the different research that's going on. Sensitive research labs are secured, but can be opened by employees with the proper clearance.
  
  
  • You can no longer find the Grotto. It's as though it doesn't exist. The small path you used to take when you were a kid is a very boring, non-magical feeling loop. It makes you feel wistful, though, like thinking about an old toy you lost...
• Everyone who stayed overnight will have a light breakfast before going home at 10:00 AM.

» MEET & GREET: Everyone arrives in the atrium of the lodge, which has been decorated with a large banner reading WELCOME BACK, GOOSEBERRY. Everyone's yearbook photos have been displayed proudly in 11x7" on the walls. Mr. Merrill's portrait, rescued from the old sauna, has a place of honor above the big fireplace, and greets all of his old students by name.

» AROUND CAMPUS: Although the campsites have gone to seed, the trails and other facilities are largely maintained. Where the Ornery Oak once stood, a young oak now grows, branches swaying gently whenever someone comes too close. Already it's much taller and stronger than you'd expect from a 10-year-old tree.

» PARTY: The children have all been sent to bed, and the adults head out to the lakeshore. There's an open bar and a bonfire, with plenty of seating. Party music that was popular a decade ago is playing.

» DRINKING GAMES: If you would like to play some drinking games, post them here with the rules! Get these responsible adults wasted!

» LATE AT NIGHT: If there's anything going on after the partying, be it in your rooms, tents, or elsewhere, put it here.

» OOC - DISCUSSION

Comments

MEET & GREET

[goosemods]

Everyone arrives in the atrium of the lodge, which has been decorated with a large banner reading WELCOME BACK, GOOSEBERRY. Everyone's yearbook photos have been displayed proudly in 11x7" on the walls. Mr. Merrill's portrait, rescued from the old sauna, has a place of honor above the big fireplace, and greets all of his old students by name.

Gwen, Avery, and Chris

[gwenniepop]

After getting through the first round of hugs and quick greetings, Gwen’s extracted herself to find Avery and Chris. Primarily Avery, though, especially given all the worries her friend expressed the day before. Gwen hopes they will take her up on her offer and come stay at her place; she wants to help Avery get through this worry and anxiety.

“Hey, you!” she says, catching up to the pretty brunette. “You look amazing.” She can't resist hugging Avery, although she's careful with her, touching her like something precious and breakable. “You really are glowing. I thought that was always bull.” She grins, unrepentant.

Sofia + Open to multiple

[sovain]

Sofia already got the chance to see quite a few people for drunk shenanigans, so she takes the baby to allow Phin to mingle among his old friends for a while. Gemma looks around the room with wide eyes, taking in all the new sights and people with glee. Sofia doesn't know where her daughter gets her people skills from, but it sure as hell isn't from her.

Addy & Nia do a DNA survey (Apologies)

[addytives]

There couldn't have been a better return to the place that used to be their school. She's shown off her wife, the pop star, to everyone who even looked in her direction for a full decade, now. She hangs off her arm tonight, proud of both this place and the beautiful person she's here with.

But they have a job to do, tonight.

There are babies everywhere. Addy's been cooing over them for hours. It's cemented in her that she, someday very soon, would like to acquire a child. Fortunately, this lends itself to a game she hasn't partaken in for years. She and Nia are going boy hunting. "All right." She presses a fresh drink into each of their hands, because this will just help. "So like. The first thing we gotta watch out for is baldness. Because that just gets carried on forever and I don't want that in my gene pool."

Lilika Arrives Late (Open to Multiple)

[lilipad]

Just as the speeches are ending, Lilika slides into the atrium and presses her shoulder blades against a back wall. She’s late, as she is to most engagements, but this time it’s intentional. She prefers this vantage point at the back of the room, where she can see everyone in their natural couplings and no one can see her. It gives her a chance to settle in before being accosted with pointed questions. While her cheekbones are now sharper and more defined, her heart is much softer. Her fight instinct died ten years ago, with Wilde’s crushed skull laying in her lap. All she has left now is flight—an Azurcrest to the core.

As the speeches end and everyone begins to mill, searching for familiar faces, Lilika sincerely considers taking flight again. There are many people she would be very glad to see again and she has the poise now to interact with even those who rub her the wrong way but the weight of one very particular engagement makes her feel sick to her stomach. This will be the first time she has seen Webster since ... well, since she messed it all up.

Merlin, she really wishes someone gregarious would come stand next to her right now and let her shrink away.

Ramon and Open (to Multiple)

[sochill]

In general, Ramon is in contact with or sees most of the people he cares about from his days at Gooseberry with moderate frequency, so it's not like he's come to the reunion itching to see some former classmates he misses terribly... but all the same, it's nice in a lot of ways to see so many familiar faces. Even if they've all grown up a lot in 10 years.

He's spending most of his time hovering around the edges of the atrium, simply observing as everyone mills around, many with their spouses and their children. He looks pretty content with the fact that he's lacking both.

Lachlan Is A Nerd (Open to Multiple)

[lachlangalbraith]

While Lachlan's here to see his friends and remember his time at Gooseberry more than anything else, he hasn't outgrown his intellectual curiosity and eventually he does slip away from his former-classmates to explore the remnants of the Lodge, take in how much everything has changed, and poke his head into the open laboratories. Research is, after all, his bread and butter these days and some impressive, innovative work is being done here. He doesn't think he could ever feel secure enough to live and work here, there are just too many unsettling memories for that, but that doesn't mean he isn't intrigued.

Walking through the halls, the man makes his way toward where the library had once been at a slow pace and allows his mind to wander too.

Cole Draws (Open to Multiple)

[colemoss]

Some people never change and, apparently, Cole Moss is one of those people. After arriving with Paris (with their young son in tow), saying a few hellos to a few friends, and taking in the the party that's been put together for the returning students, he eventually finds his way into one of the chairs by the fireplace and removes a sketchbook from the diaper bag he's been carrying around. He'd spent a lot of time sketching his peers when they were still in school and seeing them gathered together again like this, all wearing the last ten years on their faces and in their mannerisms, makes him want to fall back into old habits.

And it's probably fine for now. Paris has Florence with her, anyway. So he watches and sketches, occasionally smiling to himself over an unexpected change or a remembered expression. It's nice.

London Shmoozes (Open to Multiple)

[beansontoast]

London wouldn't have missed this reunion for the world. Even if she had the sense to worry about being back on Gooseberry's campus, this is too good an opportunity to pass up - to catch up with old friends and to check out who got hot and wealthy since the last time she saw them. She is wearing an outfit specifically intended for husband luring. Of course, she's not one to waste an opportunity, so just in case there's no good marriage material, she also brought her photography portfolio with her in her magically expanded purse. All these new couples and new parents, surely someone is in need of a talented photographer!

AROUND CAMPUS

[goosemods]

Although the campsites have gone to seed, the trails and other facilities are largely maintained. Where the Ornery Oak once stood, a young oak now grows, branches swaying gently whenever someone comes too close. Already it's much taller and stronger than you'd expect from a 10-year-old tree.

The Former Path to the Grotto: Riley & OPEN

[riledup]

Riley never quite believed the Grotto would be off limits to her. At seventeen, she was pretty sure she was going to be seventeen forever, and the idea of not coming back to her home for three of the past four years was not one that stuck in her head.

At twenty-seven, there's still a little bit of her that's in denial. This path should at least take her to just outside the Grotto, shouldn't it? Where she'd left some heels and a bottle of rosé once, for emergencies.

But there's nothing. It's empty. Just a normal path in the woods, tinged with just a dash of emotion that she can't quite put her finger on.

Riley sighs, reaches into her bra, and whips out a flask. "Guess mama's gotta make her own party place," she says and unscrews the cap.

RATTLESNAKE TRAIL: F4 & Fond Memories

[browbeats]

Look, Rosy doesn't know if this is a healthy idea or not. It didn't exactly come up in therapy. But off and on, for the past ten years, she's had dreams about rustling in these bushes, a hand on her hair, a knife in her throat. So she's going to defeat these dreams. Show them she's not so fucking scared of this little patch of trees and dirt. She'll punch the trees, fuck you.

Her feet carefully tread the once familiar path from the center of campus. She used to run these trails every morning, no matter how tired or sick she felt. Take Goosey past the Lodge, to Jay, to Rattlesnake, to the Sorting Cave shortcut, looping around the campus before most people in the camp were even awake.

"Remember to use the buddy system," she jokes, determined to keep any tension at bay. It's not like they're going to see a murder scene, you guys. Just some old trees.

Baby Oak Clearing: Cameron & Open to Everyone

[gonnabefamous]

The new tree is still young, and maybe less Ornery too, but the thing Cameron finds the saddest is that it's naked. It was never easy to tell in the summer, with full green foliage, but even then, when you really looked you could see years worth of ribbons tied to the branches. Years worth of promises, made at the risk of broken bones. It had always seemed romantic, albeit foolish, and maybe it's because he's had more than a little alcohol that he's feeling romantic and foolish himself. "I'm climbing it," Cameron announces, taking the cocktail napkin out of his pocket and transfiguring it into a plum satin ribbon.

PARTY

[goosemods]

The children have all been sent to bed, and the adults head out to the lakeshore. There's an open bar and a bonfire, with plenty of seating. Party music that was popular a decade ago is playing.

Gwen and Wilde

[gwenniepop]

Gwen and Wilde have a chat.

Gwen and Webster

[gwenniepop]

The late party is in full swing by the time Gwen finishes talking with Wilde, and after she checked in again with Avery and Chris about their plans and the upcoming birth of their new baby. She’s beyond happy seeing Avery so settled and cared for; it helps knowing that she has Chris and she’s not alone. Gwen’s no fool; she still sees the faint guilt that Avery carries when she looks at her. No matter how much Gwen reassures her that everything is fine, it won’t ever fully leave. She hates that it’s still a burden, after so long. But then, she’s the one who couldn’t commit earlier in the night to walking down some of those paths past Ribbonfin. Ten years, and the memory sometimes yet feel fresh.

Stopping by one of the tables to snag a snack (drinking on an empty stomach for a while likely wasn’t the best idea), she heads back towards the lakeside. Better memories, here. The Atrium is mixed; it had been transformed before into a romantic dance setting, but her last memory of it is her hair falling to the floor in a golden cascade and then disappearing, the first of those terrible sacrifices. She’s been seeing alternate versions of it in her head all evening. Better, that it doesn’t look the same anymore. A little easier on her mind.

Choosing a spot near the fire, she looks out at the crowd with a bit of nostalgia. Strange, how everything that had happened there felt like the beginning, or ending, of her world. Ten years since have proved it was never the case, and she’s glad for that.

Wilde & Open (+++)

[destructobot]

Wilde is gliding around this party on a potent cocktail of too much wine, assorted exotic liquor, and the fading effects of an earlier mushroom dosage. So basically, he's doing totally awesome right now, even though he definitely can't find his jacket. This is notable because said jacket was, in fact, the cornerstone of a curated adult ensemble, and without it he's somehow immediately back to looking like a scruffy young good-for-nothing. Which is still as usual, to be honest. Also as usual, he could use a haircut.

Having made some rounds earlier, this is a quiet moment on the sidelines. Wilde may be more sociable and accepting than he used to be, but he's still the kind to need a break here and there, even when he's having fun. Now he's nursing a new glass of wine, watching everyone talk and dance, buzz around eachother like bees. It feels... good.

Chalthazar; Chad Hides

[winterbottom]

Chad isn't quite sure who he's on the run from anymore. He isn't drunk, and he doesn't drink that much. Not because he can't handle it, because oh boy was college just one BIG dare, but because he's been too busy trying to take off his bow tie, and watching his friends climb the tree, and ducking from Dinah's thumb just dozens of time. Normal, adult, 25 year old stuff.

He thinks it's finally safe to relax now, though. He hasn't seen his dad or Dinah in hours. He's about to get himself a probably appalling drink for a day well done and then he sees the back of a head that he's been safely avoiding for straight up months now. It's stupid Balthazar, who he knows is here, because he hadn't stopped annoying him even over the journals. Shouldn't someone who thinks he's that cool have something much better to do?

It's clearly not time to stop running, but he accidentally reveals himself with a loud, "SERIOUSLY?" before attempting to hide in the shadows. Panicked, he also slips his glasses back over his eyes, Clark Kent style. Sure, he has contacts in and can't see a thing, but it's worth it. Surely no one will deduce this truly brilliant disguise.

Grown Up ESBs and Spouses

[gonnabefamous]

Cameron can't remember the last time he was really drunk. Sleep deprivation is kind of like being drunk sometimes, and hanging out with a toddler is often like hanging out with a very small, very belligerent drunk person. But him? It's been a while.

Maybe that's why the alcohol hit him so easily tonight. He used to be a champion, a pro who was in for the duration of a long Grotto party. These days, he's a cheap date. That's okay, though. Cameron has always been a cheerful, affectionate drunk, and it's the perfect mood for a party.

"Never have I ever!" he announces cheerfully. Apparently, they're not done with drinking games. "Ridden a broom more than a dozen or so feet off the ground." Yes, still a good way to get most of his friends in one fell swoop.

Lilika & Gwen

[lilipad]

The party is winding down by the time Lilika works up the courage to approach Gwen. Oddly, the blonde is one of the handful of Gooseberry alums she's maintained contact with over the years. First, through Webster and Wilde and Casper, then later through simple proximity. They see each other from time to time in the city and their interactions are typically short, tense, and as uncomfortably hollow as they were when the girls were seventeen. Lilika's never been able to bring herself to like Gwen in any real way and she could never quite figure out why. Until now.

In retrospect, it's obvious. Watching Webster and Gwen talk along the edge of the lake brings back twin emotions to those she felt in high school. Only then, she would have labeled the pit in her gut as protectiveness, loyalty, or (most often) she would have written it off as hunger and tried to push it away. But, lately, the nerves that twist in her stomach every time she sees Webster form a knot too big and heavy to ignore. She knows without a shadow of a doubt what that sinking feeling means. And she knows her anger toward Gwen has always been misplaced.

Steeling herself, Lilika downs her second glass of rosé and pours herself a generous third. She almost never drinks now and is a certifiable lightweight, so her flight instinct is sufficiently dulled. At least, quieted enough to allow her to square her shoulders and cut through the crowd toward Gwen. Laying a gentle hand on the other woman's elbow, as not to startle her, she leans in and asks, "Can we talk?"

DRINKING GAMES

[goosemods]

If you would like to play some drinking games, post them here with the rules! Get these responsible adults wasted!

DRINKING GAMES: Truth of Shot

[jijmjr]

You know the rules by now. Comment below with your character’s name for your last chance to torture them with uncomfortable questions from their peers.

DRINKING GAMES: Never Have I Ever

[riledup]

It's your ten year high school reunion! So by this point you've definitely racked up some real experiences, right? Your character announces something they've absolutely never done and everyone else can scoff, judge, or react however they want as long as they remember to fucking drink if they've done it.

LATE AT NIGHT

[goosemods]

If there's anything going on after the partying, be it in your rooms, tents, or elsewhere, put it here.

Wilde and Gwen (make things weird)

[destructobot]

It's late and the bonfire is low by the time Wilde slips away from the party. It's the Irish goodbye he's perfected over the years -- no easy task, when several of your dearest friends are very loud and very unafraid to call it out when spotted.

It gets deep black the further he wanders away from the embers, but Wilde has experience wandering around drunkenly at night in the woods, and he's had enough to drink that it doesn't occur to him to use his wand. Plus he's preoccupied with not spilling a(n absolutely final) glass of wine. Whatever. He knows this place still, and he knows where his tent is, pitched far along the curve of the lake so he could feel alone.

It's been a good night -- there's no real sense of anxiety or strangeness as he walks along by himself, especially after seeing the picture of the white moose calf that got passed around earlier. He hadn't realized what he was seeing then, not until after he'd handed the phone back to whoever-he-can't-remember-now. Afterward he'd needed a shot, but now when he thinks of it he feels safe and buoyant and... somehow even drunker. And... yes, actually, a little weird. Just. Not really? But enough that he looks over his shoulder one time, and, like a child humming to keep lurking monsters at bay, his phone softly playing a Slowdive song from the pocket of his jeans. The tinny drums slide in right at home with the sound of water and trees. It makes his tent feel very far away and very close at the same time. He's not lost. He'll get there when he gets there.

But it's easy to get distracted when you're half out of your mind, as purposeful as his drunken mission home is. He's been good about not mistaking other tents for his own -- he totally knows it, he'll know it when he sees it!! -- but then there's one standing solo, just far enough along that he has to pause and consider until he realizes someone's standing outside it.

"Oh, hey." Too soft. Spooky. So he lifts his voice to be reassuring: "What up. It's chill. I'm chill."

Wilde continues his shadowy approach until he recognizes Gwen -- probably Gwen -- and calls out a third time, way louder than he realizes. "Dude. You're still up?"

OOC 🌱 DISCUSSION

[goosemods]

Hey guys! Sorry about the huge delay in getting this up, this has been a big emotional week for us, not the least because this is the last mod-run IC/OOC we will ever post.

Thanks for being part of this. We hope you have fun.

Re: OOC 🌱 DISCUSSION

[lilwitchhazel]

I'm hiding in the bathroom at work to cry a bit :( thank you guys so much for absolutely everything