LOST

[goosemods]

LOST

The night before, a small storm rolled in. The sky is still gray, and the ground is damp, but it's the only evidence that it rained at all. Just as everyone began to anticipate spring, they're forced back into their jackets. Breakfast is spent mulling over the possibility of the weather turning on them. It's a Utah spring; there's always one more snow storm left.

After dinner, Diego Morales, Levi Kramer, Ivy Templeton, Casper Kim, Quinn Cunningham and Jesse McBride wander out to the Grotto to blow off some steam. Teachers are starting to intensify their lessons, and there's the ever-present reminder of change. The last game, the last dance, the last party. Get it while you still can. Adulthood is waiting just beyond the trees. How are you going to make it? Will you ever speak to these people again?

Speaking of ends, the sun is setting. The small, casual party tidies up as best as they can with some of their number less than sober, and they begin the familiar walk home. The group is so busy talking they barely notice when they realize they took a wrong turn. They're back in the Grotto again.

The woods are difficult to navigate at night. That's all. But the second time it happens, it's hard to laugh off. Maybe you can tease your friend for having a bad sense of direction, but by the fourth time, it's not funny. Fear sets in. Nothing except the Grotto looks familiar. Is this the path back towards Ebonhide? It must be, but you've never seen this path before. None of the landmarks you anticipate are there. Did you ever have any landmarks? You're no longer sure.

You're lost. The only constant is the Grotto. You cannot leave.

RULES

• The lost students will go to the Grotto at around 7:00, and attempt to leave at 8:30. They'll be unable to escape the Grotto, and won't be found until nearly 11:30 PM.


• Those who are lost will feel like they're inexplicably walking in circles. Nothing outside the Grotto will look familiar, as though they've never seen these paths before.


• The lost students will have access to their journals and can liveblog their trauma.


• Staff will be called out to help search, and reluctantly allow student help to locate the Grotto. Prefects and Outdoor Exploration Seniors will be tasked to lead search parties. It won't work.


• After the students are found, the staff will be understandably upset, and everyone can anticipate an upcoming lecture along the lines of "What have we told you about the Grotto?!"


• The lost students will be shown up to the infirmary, where they might be given calming draughts or be asked to stay the night. But if they're well, they can go back to their cabins.

» hanging out: Before things go bad, there's time to have a drink, get high, or just hang out.

» first hour: The kids first realize something is wrong.

» second hour: It becomes apparent nothing they do helps, and they're stuck here.

» third hour: Panic? Panic.

» search PARTIES: Faculty and students search the woods, attempting to locate the lost students. No one can locate the Grotto.

» found: And then suddenly, it ends. The lost students find their way to a path they recognize, and hear the voices of the searchers.

» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & CONCERNS

Comments

HANGING OUT

[goosemods]

Levi & Open to multiple

[gdilevi]

Levi brought his stash of weed and some of the booze he won from the Hunger Games, as well has his keyboard in case any of them wanted to jam out. They're going to have a good time tonight and he's going to make sure of it.

"Request a song and I'll play it from memory," he challenges, not nearly as capable as the confidence in his voice makes it sound. It's not a lie if his memory of the song is muddled. "We can have karaoke."

Casper & Open

[casperkim]

Casper hadn't intended to come to the Grotto tonight and he hadn't intended to spend the evening with a group of seniors while they drank and got high and tried to push him into karaoke (not happening, Levi). But when he'd seen the group heading inconspicuously toward the hidden trail, he'd put together what was about to happen and invited himself along. Because he didn't entirely trust any of them to get back to camp without incident and because...he was worried about Diego Morales. After the guy's supposedly responsible boyfriend had used himself to test a potion and lapsed into an unnatural sleep, putting Diego's heart through the wringer in the process, he didn't think that being worried was unwarranted. If the guy planned to get smashed tonight, he'd have someone to get him home. That was all.

Now, sitting on the familiar stone steps of the Grotto and sipping very slowly at a beer, he takes in the group of seniors with a vaguely wistful expression. He doesn't like any of them apart from Diego, not really, but it isn't hard to look at this last hoorah and think of the other seniors. The ones that he doesn't really want to go. Like Rafael and Leo. Like Asher. He sighs irritably and takes a deeper drink from the can.

Diego & Open

[indiefolk]

Yesterday had been a lot.

Diego feels melodramatic. On one hand, everyone's upset. He's not alone in his lingering emotions. On the other, he made a scene in public, just like he always does, and he's still waiting to feel better. Meanwhile, Ravi's so calm about all of it. Diego wants to be over it too, but he'd thought Ravi was going to die or suffer some other permanent magical injury. He can't let it go. Last night he'd laid awake in bed thinking, taking turns worrying about why Ravi did that and berating himself because you have class in the morning dumbass go to sleep for fuck's sake.

His mind goes through old conversations, wondering if there was something he missed, if he could have guessed Ravi was about to do something stupid. There had been those vague wards, hadn't there? Diego had been suspicious, but Ravi said everything was fine, and Diego had let it go knowing something was off. He'll push harder next time. Unless he pushes so hard that he annoys Ravi, which is a real concern. Diego knows he's clingy. Ravi says he's not, but Ravi's nice, and a better liar than Diego is a mind reader.

But once the intoxicants hit him, Diego's mind slows down. The worry settles back down into a dull ache. He's been doing okay for so long, self-medication hasn't really needed to be a thing. Ravi will forgive him one questionable decision, hopefully.

Diego offers his flask to the nearest person. His whiskey's always expensive, but like everyone else, the well is drying up. "We need to do one final visit to Logan before the end of the year," he muses aloud.

FIRST HOUR

[goosemods]

Ivy & Laurel

[duelled]

A forest emergency! This is exactly why the twins keep their magic mirrors on hand at all times.

After they've done a couple loops around the forest and realized they're definitely not just lost, Ivy pulls out her mirror to see if she can get in touch with Laurel. It's getting dark now, and even with the moon still nearly full, being deep in the forest doesn't help. She lights up her wand so she'll be visible in the matching mirror.

"Hey, Laurel?" she begins, tentatively. She wouldn't have mentioned it to her friends, but she's a little worried this message isn't going to get out of the woods. "Can you hear me?"

The Lost Boys (And Girls)

[casperkim]

This...is definitely not right. Casper doesn't have a vast amount of experience navigating the woods, he's a city boy that's never spent any time hiking or anything like that by choice, but he has gone back and forth between the Grotto dozens of times and he knows the trail. This isn't the trail. Nothing around them seems at all familiar anymore and after leaving the Grotto and coming back to it time and time again, it's obvious that something strange is going on. Jaw clenched and shoulders tense, but otherwise appearing relatively calm, he stops again.

And he attempts to cast the Four-Point Spell again, but there's still no pull of the wand. Still no north.

Just what the hell is going on here?


[OOC: Before Ivy reaches out to Laurel? Just to flesh out the initial wandering a bit if anybody wants to!]

SECOND HOUR

[goosemods]

Bad Idea Time! & open

[duelled]

At some point mid-way through this ordeal, Ivy turns to whoever's closest to her and asks "Do you think I could see where we are if I flew up above the trees?"

She knows it's a bad idea, not least of all because she is not super great at flying thanks to her fear of heights. But they've been trying to get out of the woods for an hour and a half and it's starting to feel like desperate measures time.

THIRD HOUR

[goosemods]

Laurel Check-In

[kingofthefairies]

Sniffly and tearful: "Are you there still? Guys?"

Diego

[indiefolk]

They stop for a break, and Diego lowers himself onto the forest floor. His ability to be rational has long since deteriorated to nothing, and conversations with him are useless and circular. He ends up upsetting himself all over again whenever he attempts to reassure or seek reassurance.

He awkwardly covers a near-miss cry with a coughing fit, and reaches for his bag to dig out a handkerchief. It's dark and cold, and they're going to spend the night out here at this rate. They might die out here, and everyone will have to read about it happening. Speaking of which, Ravi and his sisters are probably losing it, and he's too big of a coward to talk to them. His journal's right there. He already knows what'll happen: Mina will cover her concern with anger and tell him to pull it together and not upset Essie. Essie will immediately get upset no matter what he says. Ravi will act very calm to try and make Diego feel better. Cecil will feel awful but put on his brave Head Boy face.

It'll take him a minute to decide that silence is worse than the awkward psuedo-goodbyes he has to write.

Casper

[casperkim]

Casper is still managing to hold onto his composure, but he goes mostly quiet as the third hour lost in the woods crawls onward. Because he no longer knows what to do. There are no immediate threats to protect anyone from and there are no spells to cast that can improve these circumstances and he's completely out of ideas. All he can do is wonder what his mother would've done in a situation like this. But he doesn't know and he doesn't feel nearly as strong right now as she had been. He stands a short distance off from the group during their break, arms folded and dark eyes staring off into the trees. Everything is dark. Everything is still. And it would almost be better if he felt something out there looking back...but he doesn't.

They're just fucking lost. And the sense of helplessness that's beginning to settle in is almost more than he can stand.

SEARCH PARTIES

[goosemods]

STAFF INVOLVEMENT

[goosestaff]

After Ivy Templeton alerts the staff to the situation, they start to mobilize search parties. While several teachers such as Mrs. O'Hare, Ms. Lilywhite, Mr. Thorn and Mr. Covington lead parties of their own (even the MACUSA agents, Agent Larke and Dr. O'Hare, get involved), Ms. Lilywhite reluctantly admits that parties with adults will not be able to find the Grotto.

She calls on junior/senior prefects and approved seniors in Outdoor Exploration (i.e. no one who just signed up to tag along on camping trips) to pair up and lead parties no smaller than five. She gets out maps and sets up search areas, and insists that parties come back and check in regularly.

Any search parties that do not contain a student approved by Lilywhite will be sent back immediately and lose points. A second offense may result in detention.

If your character would like to volunteer to lead or join a search party, comment/plan here.

FOUND

[goosemods]

FOUND! Lost Kids + Honeysearch Party

[choneychurch]

Eventually, out of the darkness, the missing students begin to hear voices. Familiar voices calling their names out across the forest. They can hear Rosy and Addy and Mercy. They can hear Ennis and Cecil. They can hear Laurel. And the voices are close, seeming to be just around the next bend in the trail as if the search party had simply appeared out of nowhere.

Cecil, leading the way with his wand lit and his throat beginning to go hoarse from shouting, had no idea how close they are now.




[Nobody jumped on this, soooo I did! With Meggie's OK. Cecil's group is making first contact with the missing kids, but Responsible Head Boy will notify everyone immediately and lead the group out of the forest so other reunions can follow. Cool? Cool.]

Diego & Ravi

[indiefolk]

After the shock wears off and the lost kids are led back to the main group, Diego completely forgets any and all PDA restrictions and throws himself at Ravi. There are a lot of tears and not very many words.

Casper & Open to Multiple

[casperkim]

By the time the other search parties begin emerging from the woods to find the missing students and the students that'd found them waiting on Bear Trail, Casper has slipped away from the group. He stands with his arms folded tightly across his chest and his eyes turned toward the trees, willing himself to be calm because soon he'll see his friends.

And he needs to be able to tell them that he's fine. Just fine. Without the tension or the hopelessness or the fear of the last three hours coming through in his voice and giving him away.

Ty & Quinn

[quinning]

Quinn's exhausted by the time they encounter Cecil's search party, from looking for clues of a way home and listening for friends or foes. From worrying, walking, wondering, discussing, deliberating. She lets the small crowd consume her for the moment even though all she wants to do is crawl into bed after a good shower sob session. There's only one person she actually wants to see right now and she doesn't find him until the groups have combined into an overwhelming mass: Ty, whose aversion to deep woods she now realizes she only thought she understood. She didn't understand what he goes through at all.

She comes up from behind, closing a hand around Ty's arm with the intent to draw him into a hug. Her voice isn't as confident as it could be and it even trembles a little, but she's relieved to see him. So. Fucking. Relieved. "Hey, Rescue Ranger."

OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

[goosemods]

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

[quinning]

meggie thank you for announcing this was going up late AND at a specific window of time because it gave me motivation to GET PACKING FOR MY TRIP. i packed so good. and now i'm ready to get these idiot kids lost in some woods.

ETA: if anybody tries to say they suck at the woods someone else had better point out that the group includes 4 of gooseberry's FOREMOST GROTTO SPECIALISTS. there's no way.

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

[jijmjr]

The last game, the last dance, the last party. Get it while you still can. Adulthood is waiting just beyond the trees. How are you going to make it? Will you ever speak to these people again?

*sound of heartstrings being torn from my chest*

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

[ulixes]

this is so nightmarish :')

Re: OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

[untarnish]

I GOTTA FINISH RESPONDING TO INTROS AND THEN I WILL BE HERE 100% FOR THIS