RESCUERS

[goosemods]

RESCUERS

The last thing you remember is falling asleep. It came to you conspicuously, like a heavy weight pushed into your arms. Exhaustion so sudden and fierce it was almost startling.

Waking up comes much more softly. First, you are aware of the chill of the ground beneath you. You're outside, and you can hear the confused murmuring of dozens of your classmates. There are things piled on top of you, and it's still dark out. Dark and foggy. There's no moon in the sky. You can't make out the mountains in the distance, and the stars as dim and shifting. The Ornery Oak looms above you, familiar and calm. It doesn't swat at the students, not even the ones that are leaning against its trunk.

Why are you here? What's happened to you?

thedeepwoods
YEAR 1 ENDGAME HUB
RULES:

• Everyone who signed up to be a rescuer wakes up lying on the ground around the Ornery Oak.


• Characters were taken directly from their beds, so they'll be dressed on whatever they went to sleep in.
  • However: if they went to bed not properly dressed for an adventure in the cold, cold woods, they'll wake up with extra clothes neatly piled on top of them. Ideally they're all yours.
  
  
  • Brother is courteous... but a little awkward. It's possible that he made a mistake and you have your roommate's jacket/sweater/coat, or even the jacket/sweater/coat of the person you're searching for. For instance, if Essie wanted to say she was given Diego's coat, she could do that.
  
  
  • Your journal is also with you. There's a message that you need to read.
  
  
  • Brother also remembered to make sure everyone's wand was politely placed in their left hand. Always the left hand. Even if you're not left handed.
    • Just like with coats, if you would like (and if the other player is okay with it) you can say your character was given the wand of a missing friend or loved one in place of their own. This will obviously have a negative impact on their ability to cast spells, particularly with old, difficult, or powerful wands.
  • Long story short, everyone will at least have a wand, their journal, shoes that definitely fit and outerwear that hopefully fits.
• There are three old chalkboards on wheels that have been dragged out here, and they have the yearbook photos of every missing student on them. Non-participants and freshmen are not amongst the photos. They all smell of pine needles. You can take the photos with you if you want, but there's no benefit beyond sentimentality.


• The rescue groups have been organized HERE, so connect with your group if you want, but you can use this place to talk to people you're not searching with. Once you leave this area, your characters can only thread in one place at a time, so this might be your only chance to talk to other rescue groups. You can keep backtagging here after leaving, though!

» THE ORNERY OAK: You wake up on the cold dirt under the cover of the Ornery Oak. You're not alone, though. Your classmates are here too.

» THE CHALKBOARDS: On the chalkboards are the yearbook photos of every student who's gone missing. They're smudged with Brother's sooty fingerprints.

» DEPARTURE: You decide that you must do what Brother has asked of you. If all he says is true, time's limited. Your friends and family are out there and in danger. Please read THIS regarding entering the event.

» OOC - SUPPLY REQUESTS: Is there an item you think would reasonably be in your character's coat pocket or the coat they were given? Please ask for mod approval here before assuming your character has access to it. Things may have been magically lost along the way (but will be returned to your character once the event was over). We may gently scold you if you didn't ask permission to have your pocket knife here and then pull it out in a later thread. And no one wants that. :(

» OOC - GROUP ORGANIZATION: If you need to hash out how your rescue group is going to link up, do so here. Please use your very serious team name in the comment title. (If you'd like to change your team name, now's the time to do it. You will be required to use your team name for the rest of the event, so make sure it's something easy to type or copy/paste!)

» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & CONCERNS

Comments

THE CHALKBOARDS

[goosemods]

Ivy & OPEN

[duelled]

Waking up in the grass with her sister's clothes piled on top of her and her sister's wand in her hand was upsetting enough for Ivy. By the time she's read Brother's message on the journals she's nearly hysterical; seeing Laurel's picture stuck up on the blackboard is the last straw.

She pulls it free from the board and for a moment stares at it in shocked contemplation. But her silence doesn't last long. The first thing out of her mouth is just an agonized scream - not one of shock or fear, but something between grief and deep, blinding anger. Then she yells out Laurel's name, beginning to move towards the woods at a walking pace as she calls out. If nobody stops her before she gets too far, she'll break out into a sprint; logic or planning are beyond her right now, and whether or not it's a bad idea to head out into those woods alone, the only thing on her mind is getting to Laurel.

Ivy and Tabitha & OPEN

[caritasmitis]

"Ivy, wait!"

Tabitha saw her friend looking at the board and had already begun to walk over before she moved. She too had seen Brother's message and was scared, and the notion of checking for patterns in the names of those who had been taken was her next task. Or had been. As soon as she saw Ivy begin to take off, Tabitha followed, eventually coming to within a few steps of her roommate.

"You can't go in there alone!"

Ivy and Tabitha & OPEN

[duelled]

Ivy just quickens her pace when she hears Tabitha pursuing her, making sure to stay out of arm's reach. Her arms are crossed tight across her chest as she marches towards the forest, and she refuses to look her roommate in the eye.

"It took Laurel," she says. "I have to go get her."

Ivy and Tabitha & Leo & OPEN

[ninjaleo]

Ivy's wail tears Leo out of his own helpless rage. At least it gives it some direction. He'd put Rafael's shirt and his own sweatshirt on now, and he's clutching Clem's coat like it's the most valuable thing he's ever held. She's going to need it, when they find her. They're going to find her. All of them. They just need a plan, and a starting place.

Running to get between Ivy and the woods feels like as good a starting place as any. None of them should be running into the woods,not until they've figured out how to do it. If he thought it'd do any good, he would be in there himself. Probably burning trees down. He'd been standing nearby anyway, and only a few brisk steps take him to her. Leo gets between Ivy and the trees, reaching out an arm to stop her from going further. His voice goes for soothing, but sounds strained, like it could crack any second. It's the best he can do. "Ivy. Hey. Ivy, stop. We will. I promise. Not like this."

Re: Ivy and Tabitha & OPEN

[caritasmitis]

"It took all of them, Ivy. That means if you go marching in there without a plan, it could get you too. Please," she begged, reaching out for Ivy's arm. "We can't lose you too. We need to work together if we're going to get them all back!"

Essie (& Group Gathering?)

[magitechnically]

Essie doesn't know why Diego's jacket was left for her, but that's no more mysterious than why she woke up at the Ornery Oak surrounded by several other students. Its presence certainly doesn't raise any level of alarm and she finds it comforting to wrap the too-long sleeves around herself as she steps closer to the nearest chalkboard. Her eyes are immediately drawn to photos of Jade and Jeffy. Ari's is not far off and a strong sense of dread fills her as she begins to hear rumblings from other students about a new journal entry and why all these photos are here. More faces catch her attention; more sophomores, more friends.

Essie steps to a different board and this time she's frantically searching for two people in particular. She only finds one.

Essie calls out Mina's name uselessly. Her sister isn't here and she isn't among the photos. She finally opens her journal and writes a quick comment on the new entry, refusing to close the book again until a reply appears. It's a small comfort, if it's to be believed.

Her hand hovers over the photo of Diego, but she leaves it hanging on the board. Better to have everyone know that he's missing.

Essie (& SEARCH PARTY!!!! (ง •̀_•́)ง)

[bubblewrapped]

Lucas pulls his sweater tight when he approaches the chalkboards, because then, when his whole body shakes, it seems like it's because he's chilly and not the fact that every part of him is screaming with adrenaline and begging him to go back to his cabin and hide. Why is he even here? Brother said he couldn't bring everyone to the Ornery Oak, so why him? When he sees the faces on the chalkboard, that question gets an answer. So many of his friends. Who was left?

He wants to sit down. He really needs to sit down. But then he sees Essie, her fingers lingering on a picture of her brother.

Lucas swallows, still hugging himself as he approaches her, brow knit. Softly, he says, "I'm sorry, Essie." He shoves his hands into his pockets and finds that beret. Jade's beret. He remembers whose shirt he's wearing. "We'll--we gotta try to get 'em out. Right?"

SEARCH PARTY!!!! (ง •̀_•́)ง

[magitechnically]

"We have to do more than try," Essie snaps, eyes still locked on Diego's photo. They'd already tried to prevent something like this from happening, and they'd failed, and now Diego's face was smiling back at her, blissfully unaware of the dire situation they were all in. She dearly wanted to tear his photo down, but she couldn't. Not until there was no longer any reason for him to appear on that board.

"I'm not leaving here without Diego. Or Jade. Or-" Essie finally looks up at Lucas and she immediately recognizes the shirt that he's wearing. It would be impossible not to. It takes a moment for her to continue and when she does, some of the misdirected anger has waned, but her voice is still steeled with determination. "Or anyone."

SEARCH PARTY!!!! (ง •̀_•́)ง

[professionalcorpse]

It would probably be fair to say that Bash circled himself from grogginess to confusion to some slightly hysterical mania with a rapidity that bordered on alarming. Which is terrible, because he's very aware of the fact that he needs to be useful right now. Needs to be level-headed and calm and direct.

On the other hand, it's mildly helpful because he hasn't really had the time to think about being cold in what amounts to sleep shorts and one of his sister's too-small t-shirts, hoodie still clenched in one fist and one of Gabi's hair-ribbons twined around the other.

"Fourty-four. There's -" The ribbon-bedecked hand traces the air in front of him, completely absorbed in ticking down columns. Memorizing. "Fourty-four. Does that matter?" He forces himself to suck in another breath at the end of each row (Sixteen Sophomores, fourteen Juniors, ten Seniors. Minus two, minus four, descending.) and shakes his head on the third go-around. "Shit fucking damn it."

He jumps a bit when he turns his head and notices Essie and Lucas standing a few feet away, nearly losing grip on his hoodie.

"You're okay," he says, wincing a bit before continuing. "I'm - I mean, should've known that. Not on the -" His hand flutters, curls in tight on itself. "We're going to fix this, right?"

Rosy & Open (Fishy Foxy Forest Fighters maybe?)

[browbeats]

Rosy stands in front of the chalkboard, her hands shaking as she stares at the pictures. Ursula's there, Chloe's there, Ennis and Avery and Diego and other people she cares about are there, but she's not looking at them. There's one picture she watches, one picture that makes her breath catch in her throat and her heart pound and her eyes blur.

She pulls Sy's picture from the board, but she just stands there, his letterman jacket hanging off her shoulders, staring down at his face. No. No. Fuck, no. The bottom of the picture crumples in her hand and she tries to take a breath as she reaches out for a friend, for anyone, reaching out for Sy who wasn't there.

"Fuck, I--shit, oh fuck," she chokes. "GodDAMMIT." She's about three seconds from ripping out her hair. Four seconds from ripping out every tree in this goddamn forest. Five seconds from just breaking down completely.

Rosy & Reid (Fishy Foxy Forest Fighters maybe?)

[cygninae]

Reid knows what Rosy is reacting to when she grabs him. He doesn't fight it, but keeps running his hand through his hair over and over again as he stares at the wall of photographs. His eyes keep going back to Xavier's face, and the photo in Rosy's hands. He hasn't seen the face, but he knows exactly who it is. Breathing becomes a laborious, forced exercise, especially when his thoughts keep settling on the idea of Zav or Sy gone. Forever, maybe.

He tears his attention away from the photos to look at Rosy. A lot of Reid's responses to social situations feel programmed in from repetition and expectation, so there's a reflex to say it's okay. But just thinking it's okay makes him angry with himself. This is not okay.

"We'll find him." Reid hates how calm he sounds. Someone nearby is screaming mournfully.

Fishy Foxy Forest Fighters!

[ferdie]

It's reflex for Ferdie to drift to Rosy's side no matter what, especially when there's something bad going on. They have to present a united front. They're co-prefects. It's what they do. So he does now, too. He can't keep his eyes off the board, intently memorizing all of the names he can. He tries not to feel guilty that Ennis was stolen from his own cabin, not when Rosy and Reid are clutching the picture of Sy like they are. That's more pressing. He knows.

"I'll help." He announces his presence, and it's quiet, but he doesn't try to raise his voice. "If you want. We should all go in groups." He tries to keep emotion out of it, where he can, forever pragmatic. "We'll find them."

Fishy Foxy Forest Fighters!

[uponawire]

Roxie's approach is slower, her steps measured, boots left unlaced and leaves still in her hair. She has her journal pulled out, eyes scanning over the words (for the second - no, third? time) as she comes to a stop next to Reid. She doesn't reach out yet. Just pulls in a deep breath and holds it, stills herself. This isn't the time for anything else.

"We will," she agrees, gaze flicking upward, taking stock of the faces left on display. There's no other option. There can't be another option. "It wants us to, so there has to be a way."

Dimi & Open

[evercretin]

Whoever selected Damon's evening wear for the night has provided him with no fewer than two jumpers, a jacket, thick wool socks and a pair of boots.

But those things don't matter, because the first item Dimi finds when he wakes is a green and silver scarf that smells like sweet almond. Something twisting and terrible settles in his stomach as soon as its in his hand. He stands, because he has to. He checks his journal, because that's what the others are doing. He sees the message. Hurries barefoot to the chalkboard.

"No," it's a hoarse whisper as he pulls his brother's photo off the board. Looking at Calvin's face, smudged with black, Dimi feels the rock in his stomach burns to cinders. His hands come up, like he's going to flip the entire chalkboard over, but they find his face instead, dragging over his eyes and mouth. It doesn't stop him from shouting. "God damn it. No!"

His head is all fire. But the ground is cold. "God fucking damn it." He needs those boots.

Quinn & Open

[quinning]

Ty and Jesse and Rafael and Addy and Laurel and Etta and– Quinn steps back from the board and takes a deep breath, folding her hands behind her head. She's somewhere between denial and resignation—not the urge to give up before she's started, but the reluctance to fight against whatever the entry's author wanted them to do. They're hours from being free of this godforsaken forest. Can't they just–

She could so take that fucking forest entity in a fist fight.

Another step back, another deep breath, shaky this time. As if waking up on the ground wasn't enough, cold and confused. Her own bespoke outfit consisted of leggings, Ty's fox sweater, her glasses, and a running jacket and running shoes. And her baseball cap. The sweater still smells like Ty. She's grateful she has it but every time she thinks about why she got this, she shivers.

This fucking motherfucking shitty woodsy fucking– Ignorant of who's around her, Quinn drops to the ground and writes the names from the boards into her journal. She isn't sure if she's trying to check in on them or keep a list so she can find every single one of them (and she fucking will), but she feels compelled to do something, and... this felt more productive than screaming, or crying. Or going back to sleep. But when she's done and back on her feet, she's restless and needs to get the fuck out now. She has a mental list, topped with Jesse and Ty, but where the fuck is she supposed to start?

Quinn & Hazel

[lilwitchhazel]

Hazel stumbles up to the chalkboards in a pair of fleece-lined leggings, her boots, and Ty's letter jacket thrown over a sleep camisole, looking pale and disoriented and shaking just the smallest amount. She still clutches her wand in her left hand, her journal in her right, as she stares at the pictures on the boards, eyes roving, confirming what she's afraid of; there are so many people missing that she cares about.

She's about to turn to go, half lost in her own mind as her anger at the forest and Anonymous and everything builds, when she sees Ty's sweater. Well, Quinn in Ty's sweater, but her eyes lock onto the article of familiar clothing first, her heart skipping a beat before she realizes that it's not Ty standing there. It's a relief to see the older girl but...

Hazel moves over to Quinn's side. "Hey." She's not sure what else she's supposed to say, so she just says the next thought that comes into her head. "I'm going to burn the fucking forest down after we find them."

Quinn & Hazel

[quinning]

Quinn's relieved to see Hazel even though her picture hadn't been on the list, like she doesn't doubt what the writer had to say but also like she doesn't trust the writer. She pauses for a moment at the jacket before she wraps an arm around the Coppertale's shoulders. Ty's clothing being doled out reminds her of A Muppet Christmas Carol when Scrooge watches others pick over his belongings after he dies. It's unnerving.

"Don't do it without me. I'm going to incendio the fuck out of this place."

Quinn & Hazel

[lilwitchhazel]

Though it takes a moment, Hazel leans into Quinn, trying to take comfort in her presence and her touch, but it's difficult.

"Yeah, we'll do it together." Her voice cracks, leading her to clench her fists before she aggressively rubs at her eyes with the back of the letter jacket's sleeve. It's depressingly ineffectual, given the leather, which only incenses Hazel more.

"God dammit. We're going to find them and they're going to be fine and then we're going to go home and stupid adults are going to deal with this shit so that I can come back to this stupidass school next year and not worry about my idiot friends being taken by the goddamn forest shit. Right? Because things have to be alright, right?" Though her final words are pleading, her tone is almost demanding.

Cecil & Levi

[choneychurch]

Cecil had gone to sleep with Levi, spending his last night at Goosebery Alternative High School with his arms wrapped around his boyfriend's waist and his head lowered against his shoulder. He'd felt very content and very safe, even as that strange, forceful exhaustion had pulled him down into sleep. Waking up outside in the dark, alone and disoriented and not knowing what was going on, had been jarring. He'd dressed quickly in the jacket and boots that had been left for him (adding them to the flannel pajama pants and socks and t-shirt he'd gone to sleep in) and had opened his journal on a whim when he'd seen it sitting there...only to read the message that Brother had left for them. He hadn't wanted to believe that something had happened again, but the bone-deep sense of dread had been immediate and he had believed it and he'd gone to the chalkboards immediately.

The number of pictures fixed to the board had been overwhelming and seeing the faces of his friends (Diego, Rafael, Ravi, Addy, Riley, and so many others) had nearly pushed him to tears. He'd stepped back from the board, suddenly pale with his hands pressed over his mouth and his eyes burning, but he'd managed to pull himself back from the edge. He was still pulling himself back. But it was like Brother had said. They've got to bring the others home. He pulls in a shuddering breath and forces himself to lower his hands, trying to clear his mind and think. He can't afford to let his emotions control him now. He's got to be strong. At least until the others are safe. The realization that Levi, at least, hadn't been on the board makes this seem remotely more possible.

But. Where is Levi? He slips his wand from his pocket, murmurs the Lumos charm softly, and looks around again. Silently, he continues to remind himself that his photo wasn't on the board...but that mantra won't mean much until he can find him.

Sam & Zach

[oh_girl]

After her freak out and quick conversation with Ree, Sam is ready to find Zach and go head out into this forest or wherever they needed to go in order to find Solo and everyone else they were missing. After walking around the Ornery Oak (which was not trying to harm them, and that alone was making her super uncomfortable), she finds her way to the chalkboards.

She didn't even want to look at them up close. See their faces so much clearer than she had from a distance, while she was talking with Ree. It made it so much more real. Still, she caught sight of Zach near by and greeted him by pulling her Prefect into a hug and squeezing him tightly. "Ree and I split up to grab other people before we go in. Are you in, Zach? You gonna come with me to find our friends? I have to find Solo."

Sam & Zach

[readingrainbows]

Zachary returns the hug with zeal. He's happy to see another jay — so much of his cabin was gone, lost, maybe even hurt, that every safe student he meets feels like a small, special blessing. He's shaking a little from the sheer force of adrenaline ripping through him, but his voice is steady and confident as he answers her in the affirmative. Hell, he's nodding into her shoulders before they even part.

"Most of my cabin was taken. Lucas and I are the only ones here." He takes a deep breath. "I have a lot of work to do."

Sam & Zach

[oh_girl]

"Jade and Frankie are gone." She adds, still hugging him. After another minute, Sam lets go and looks towards the forest. "Ree is fine, she's going to collect some other sophomores to go look for them. I'm grabbing you and we're going in there." She is not asking, she's telling - however, there is a hint of desperation in her voice. Sam's brave, she has zero hesitation - but she's not the most knowledgeable cookie in their group and she needs the help.

"They took Solo." She adds, the frown on her face growing more intense. Running a hand through her hair, she looks back to Zach. She's set. "Will you come with me?"

Cricket & OPEN

[chryseis]

A raw, devastated wail rips through the air and it feels a little like relief. The urge to cry out claws up her throat and Cricket's grateful that someone else has sounded the alarm she's too frozen to call. She swallows hard as her eyes clinically scan the board.

She stands shivering in bear paw slippers and a silk, summer sleep set. Her eyes aren't looking for anyone in particular—she knows before looking that Ulysses is gone—but rather for a pattern. "A lot of siblings," she comments apologetically as if she's the sole cause of blame.

Cricket & Sylla & Open

[sylla]

Sylla snaps her journal closed with a frustrated, impatient huff. "Pathetic sod," she grumbles to herself as she reads the message left for them, and she glares at reading the students trying to reason with the entity. Her galoshes stomp through the grass as she scans the chalkboard, pushing her way through the taller students before she finds the pictures of her cabinmates. Seeing Antonia's photo sends a chill, as she holds her jumper in her free hand.

She hears the older girl say something and she rolls her eyes as she turns away, throwing on her coat and wrapping the jumper around her neck like a scarf. Sylla stops as she sees the treeline, and knows it's hesitation. But her cabinmates are out there. Antonia doesn't have an older sibling to help her. It's up to her. It's a message, a taunt, and Borgins do not take to taunts.

Looking back over her shoulder, she still sees the huddle of students around the base of the oak. But she has herself, and her wand. She also has fear, and adrenaline, and revenge. She takes the time to stop and gather her feelings and trepidation before gazing back at the woods.