gooseberryhigh | An unusual sighting...

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! ic/ooc

An unusual sighting...

As midnight draws near across the grounds of gooseberry, something makes everyone there stop. Something fragile is in the air, and if you move, you think you might ruin it. Anyone who looks out into the wild forest is awestruck by soft, colorful lights that move in waves across the trees and underbrush. Warmth and wistfulness overwhelms you, like being a small child watching fireworks with a beloved relative, bittersweet and ephemeral.

DETAILS

This is backdated to 5/26 at around 11:45 PM.

It lasts fifteen minutes, and then ends without explanation.

It can be all seen all across campus, and is focused in areas where people do not live. So, the Grotto, the trails, the field, etc. It doesn't appear near the lodge or campsites.

If you touch the glowing plants, it all feels normal.

Witnessing it makes students feel awestruck, wistful and affectionate. While not as strong as some of the "sad spot" events, your students may infer that it's related.

You may react to it in the campus-based IC/OOCs, or in this post.

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After the other students left for prom, Cole had set up his sewing machine and settled in for a long night of costuming, intending to focus his attention mostly on completing the elaborate dress that Mina will wear following the restoration of The Witch's power, youth, and beauty at the end of Act I. While not happy to be missing prom, he knew that staying here would be better than going without Calvin (a thought which still tightened his chest whenever it came into his mind) and having something to work on...would help. And once he was in the midst of his work, thinking about nothing but his design and the task at hand and the details of the dress (its shape and color and texture, how it would move, how it would fall, and all of that), he did feel better.

He had continued to work until Ramon returned from prom, only stopping when the other boy begun to ask him questions and then instructed him to stop, get up, and go on a walk with him. He hadn't really explained why and Cole hadn't really asked why. Ramon was just like that sometimes.

Now, walking side by side with his roommate, he flexes his stiff fingers and looks out into the dark. Finally, he asks, "...did you have fun? At prom?"

Edited 2017-05-27 20:49 (UTC)

Upon returning and seeing how intensely focused Cole was (and probably had been the entire night), Ramon had indeed simply told his friend to stop and get ready for a walk after a few attempts at conversing. Despite being somewhat over the drama that's been taking place in their cabin, he still does care about his cabinmates, and he doesn't want Cole to just... shut down. So he figures moving around a bit might do some good. Plus, with no prefect to nag them... it's the perfect opportunity to wander around after curfew.

Once outside Ramon leads them up along Trout Trail, glancing to Cole as he flexes his fingers. "Yeah - good dinner, danced some. The mansion was nice; you would have liked it, I think. How was it back in the cabin?"

Edited 2017-05-27 21:26 (UTC)

While he doesn't acknowledge it, Cole moves on to silently rubbing his hands while they walk, messaging the little aches and the little cramps that come with several hours of unbroken effort. It's nothing new. In response, he looks back at Ramon and gives a small nod and a smaller smile. Even though this assessment of prom makes him realize that he forgot to get dinner. "Good. I'm glad. Did you like the mansion too?"

Then he pauses. And shrugs.

"The cabin was fine. Quiet. Leonora came for a while."

After a moment, Ramon holds out his hand to Cole. "Here, I'll do that," he offers, the other boy's rubbing of his hands not lost on him, even in the dark. Though he'll only be able to manage one hand at a time as they walk side by side, he figures he can be more effective than Cole.

"I did like the mansion. There was a conservatory, and it was raining heavily so you could barely hear anything but the downpour in there." He hums softly for a moment, almost wistful, before looking over to Cole. "So you had some company - that's good. But... you worked all night, didn't you? You really should take more breaks. I know the distraction is nice, but you need to take care of yourself."

Typically, Cole is willing to go along with what his roommates say and Ramon is no exception. He likes all of them. He trusts all of them. But he hesitates for a long time before finally offering the nearer of his hands to the other boy and murmuring in a quiet voice that's almost lost beneath the sound of their footsteps, "...Thanks."

Then he listens, letting Ramon lead the conversation and hoping to hear more. About the mansion and the dancing and the game that his friends hard participated in. Except, that's not what Ramon wants to talk about. His dark eyes flit away. "You sound like," he begins weakly, but stops abruptly when he sees an odd shimmer in the distance and coming toward them like a rolling wave, little flecks of light passing over the grass and the leaves in the trees and the bushes along the trail. It's beautiful and he can do nothing but stare in confused awe as a strange, sudden feeling washes over him. Of warmth and wonder and contentment. It's such a sudden shift that he feels disoriented. But not in a bad way.

"...Ramon. Look." There's really no way he couldn't be looking, though. Because they're surrounded by the forest and the whole forest is alight.

When Cole finally offers his hand Ramon takes it without hesitation, beginning to gently massage the joints and callouses as they walk. For the moment he doesn't ask what had taken the other boy so long, knowing that normally wouldn't be so hesitant to initiate contact.

Cole's words, however, mean that he can't really keep silent on the matter - or, at least, he wouldn't have been able to if it weren't for their abrupt end and the sudden appearance of shimmering lights. Ramon stops in his tracks as well, still holding Cole's hand as he watches and feels suddenly... good. Much better than usual. It's disconcerting, but even that is somewhat dulled by the mood brought on by the mysterious lights.

"What the hell?" he murmurs quietly under his breath, even those words punctuated with awe. "Are you feeling...?"

Cole is so absorbed by the strange display, so caught up in its beauty and that feeling of wonder, that he doesn't look back at Ramon when he speaks. He doesn't even consider it. "It feels warm," is all he says before taking a step away from the other boy and toward the edge of the path where the forest is shimmering. He wants to get a closer look.

Ramon hesitates as Cole starts to move away, nearly pulling him back before, instead, slowly going to follow, still holding his hand. "Yeah, it does." He's not scared, because he rarely is, but he's still on guard as he lets Cole lead them as he wants.

"I wonder what it is. Or what it means."

Even with Ramon apparently willing to follow him, Cole stops before actually leaving the path because some distant part of his mind is wondering those things too. What these lights are. What these feelings are. What's causing all of this to happen. Or who. But that doesn't stop him from reaching out to touch the light moving along one of the nearby trees. He expects it to be warm to the touch but it's not. It doesn't feel like anything. "...I don't know. The forest has never been like this before."

Edited 2017-05-28 01:05 (UTC)

Eyes searching all around them as they near the forest's edge, Ramon only looks back to Cole moments before he's reaching out towards a tree. The warmth sitting in the pit of his stomach is momentarily replaced by a spike of worry.

"Cole-" It's said far too late and thus is ineffective - Cole is already touching one of the lights before he can say anything else. Still, Ramon's concern wanes some once he realizes that no, nothing bad appears to have come of it. "As far as we know it hasn't. It is late, later than any of us are normally out." He hesitates, his brows drawing in. "What does it feel like?"

Cole doesn't answer immediately. He moves his fingers along the bark, touching more of the shimmering lights as they dance across it, before he finally says, "...It doesn't feel like anything. Really. I just feel the tree." This seems to have broken the spell over him, at least a little, and he finally glances back at Ramon. "The prefects are out this late, though. They would've mentioned this. Right? Milo would've."

Edited 2017-05-28 04:40 (UTC)

Robin is too high for this. Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the Grotto, the glowing lights wash over him, and it's the most calm and relaxed he's been in probably his entire life.

It's a weird feeling.

He's not down with it.

Harry's just entered the path out of the Grotto when it happens. Her head is spinning already, and the lights -- the sudden, undeniable comfort and peace -- confuse her orientation, scramble her control.

She falls over into the leaves and grass, and she scratches up her arms, but it's okay. Everything's okay. It's peaceful. She'll lie here for a moment, humming, watching the colors as they dance across the Grotto. Little fairy lights, she thinks, fuzzily. It all feels right.

Edited 2017-05-27 22:54 (UTC)

SORRY, THIS SHOULD HAVE GONE UP LAST NIGHT. I got drunk and passed out before writing it. :'(

most relatable thing youve ever said

thank you you're amazing ♥

this is so cool holy wow

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An unusual sighting...

IC REACTIONS

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Cole & Ramon

Robin @ Anti-Prom

Drunk Harry

OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

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