villagemod: (sᴛᴏɴᴇ)
The Village Mod ([personal profile] villagemod) wrote in [community profile] villagelogs2020-12-05 01:22 am

018-020 » what he hides

WHO: Everyone.
WHERE: Eastern/Central/Western Mathias.
WHEN: Days 018-020
WHAT: The fog recedes!
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. PM this account to have a warning added!
NOTES: Plotting post over here!

RECOMMENDED ♫ Graham Plowman "Edge of Darkness"





DAYS 018-020
THE HIDDEN REVEALED

“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.”
— Benjamin Franklin


As the sun rises in the distance above the sea, the fog slips away from the unsettling town, winding through streets and across buildings until it is nestled soundly in the forest. There it waits, ready to snare any who dare test its limits — residents would do well to remember what happened the last time they encountered the fog so intimately.

With the fog receded, the western portion of Mathias is now revealed and available for exploring. There are more businesses on the town square and even some on the street that runs off the square. The schoolhouse is nestled by the southern treeline, not from the little makeshift cemetery at the end of Jackson Boulevard that is courtesy of a few kind residents in town. To the far north of the square is a sprawling garden, now covered in snow, and a greenhouse that once supplied the botanical shop. And to the west, beyond the square, is another residential district of the same size as that to the east. What is different, however...

These buildings are all in some form of decay. From the beginnings of rot to completely collapsed and little more than a pile of proverbial bones, none of these homes are anything resembling livable. Well, as far as one can tell, at least. For between the streets of Hill Lane and Stine road there is a crack in the earth. A dozen feet across and fifty feet down, the crack extends from one side of the forest to the other, either end cut off by the fog. The view to the other side is clear but there is no way across.


THE NEW ARRIVALS

There are quite a few new faces in Mathias on this day. Awaking throughout Day 018, they will find themselves laying in the snow beside that unsettling crack in the earth, houses both quaint and decaying surrounding them as the snow begins to cover their bodies. Best get inside and warm up, dears.




SPECTRES IN THE NIGHT

The days are short now that winter seems to have set in unseasonably early. Though the clocks in Mathias fail to properly keep time or sometimes even work at all, the sun rises around 8:00am and sets at 5:00pm. There is far more darkness than light in these days, but in that darkness there is, in fact, light.

In the distance all across Mathias, there are lanterns lit against that darkness. Their lights dance across the snow, the warm flickering shining like tiny stars and offering an almost ethereal glow to the crisp white snow. It would be a beautiful sight to behold... if it weren't for the shadowy figures that held them. With partially raised arms, the figures hold the lanterns and walk the streets of Mathias, drifting in between buildings and disappearing into the forest. Still yet, there are some that simply stand in place, as if waiting for something or someone.

No matter where or when these figures are seen, they always seem to be facing away from our residents, and attempts at reaching them are all for naught. They will fade from view if one gets too close, and return to sight when that distance is regained. And in the morning, those lanterns may be found in the snow, their lights extinguished but their glass somehow still warm.


STRANGER IN THE SNOW

Those investigating the western part of Mathias and venturing near that inexplicable crack in the earth will have the most unsettling feeling of being watched. Most of the time, there is nothing there and no one to be seen, but then—

On the other side of that expanse, sitting on a porch, in the shadow of a home, or standing in the oddly moonlit street, there is a man. His features are shrouded in darkness and not much can be discerned about him, but instinct tells you he is dangerous. There is a sense deep in your bones that he is maliciously amused.

He makes no move to speak, nor will he respond to any attempts on your part. Instead, he sits, or he stands, and he watches. By the end of Day 020, all sign of him will be gone, along with the eerie feeling of being watched.







LOCATIONS


Unless otherwise noted, all new locations have working electricity and other utilities.

BENEDICT BOOKS Nestled quaintly on the square surrounding the Town Hall, a thick layer of dirt covering the front windows. A portrait hangs at the front of the store to illustrate the namesake of the little shop... that may, in fact, not be so little. Dust covers everything in sight and detritus litters the wooden floor, as if someone left the door open and allowed half the forest inside. (more info)

MATHESON ANTIQUES Also on the town square is an antique store that is a lesson in chaos more than culture. The items within are stacked haphazardly, creating narrow aisles running throughout the space. Furniture, light fixtures, old revolutionary and civil war memorabilia, all of it is jumbled together with no rhyme or reason. Indeed, one wrong move could create an avalanche of aged wood and peeling paint.

POE'S CLOTHES Located on the town square, this shop carries only the basics. Loose jeans in a few sizes, khakis, solid color dress shirts and blouses, flannel in various styles, socks and underwear.

SPIN RIGHT ROUND RECORDS On the square across from the beauty store, the music shop is as dusty as everything else in this town has been. Tables line the walls of the long shop, filled with rows and rows of vinyl records, while a few wall shelves display cassette tapes for sale. One side of the store is for New items, while the other holds the Used section with items for resale. Residents may recognize some of the artists but many are unfamiliar to them.

CLINIC Outside the decayed, crumbling building just north of the square is a still miraculously intact sign with the name of the clinic's doctor, Dr. Ken Suzuki. There is no way to treat patients in this location, but with care, some salvageable supplies may yet be found in the remains.

BARKER BOTANICALS Not quite a flower shop and not entirely an apothecary, the botanical store to the far north of the square is something of an amalgamation of both. With a few broken windows to let in the rain, parts of the shop have been overtaken by nature, the house plants growing beyond their pots and rotted flower petals littering the floor to tell of seasons past. The still unclaimed walls are filled with decaying plants and jars of dried herbs and other vegetation, along with a few essences and tinctures.

GREENHOUSE A few dozen yards from the botanicals shop is a sprawling garden, now covered in snow, and a greenhouse that once supplied the botanical shop. The glass is still miraculously intact, though covered in grime so thick that one cannot see inside.

GALLERY The gallery is essentially a large empty space with framed and matted black and white photographs of the town lining the walls. There is a small selected of prints available for sale near the front entrance, and a few rooms at the back of the building — a dark room for developing photos, a small office, and a locked room.

MOVIE THEATER This single-screen theater is quite small, having only 40 seats, but there is a large collection of movies in its storage room. These are all old film reels however, so hopefully someone knows how to thread a film projector.

HISTORY MUSEUM Across the street from the Historical Society, this once esteemed wooden building has seen better days. Windows and doors are boarded up and there is visible rot and decay on the exterior walls. Part of the roof has fallen in and the accumulating snow threatens to collapse the rest of it as well. It is not wise to venture within.

HISTORICAL SOCIETY This brick building has also seen better days, though in a different sort of way. Where once had been carefully cataloged collections and cozy reading rooms for aficionados of local history, there are now stacks of bankers boxes and weathered tomes in every nook and cranny. There is no organization to any of it, everything seeming to have been stashed in a hurry and then left forgotten. Anyone who dares to dive into this archive will need to devote quite some time in order to find anything worthwhile. They will also want to bring their own light source — the electricity does not work here and the windows are quite dark from the accumulated dust and grime.

SCHOOLHOUSE A much smaller school than most of our residents might be used to, there are only a half-dozen rooms in the building, with a few comprising classrooms, meeting areas, and workspaces. All ages were taught here, and one might almost imagine the sound of children's whispered voices and distant laughter while within the empty building.





CONDITIONS UPDATE
SNOW continues to fall in Mathias. Days 18-19 see light snowfall that very slowly accumulates, but the snowfall turns moderately heavy on Day 20 and sees significant accumulation. The temperature hovers just below freezing and dips lower when the sun goes down.

VOICES are not openly haunting our residents, though they may still be occasionally encountered in the more heavily decayed buildings where some rooms seem to almost swallow whatever light tries to enter them.

THE FOG has receded from the town proper and much of the eastern and northern beach. The path through the northern forest to the lighthouse is now also clear.

DISAPPEARANCES continue to plague the town. While Daisy Johnson has returned, Zed Martin, Rey, and Quentin Coldwater have now vanished without a trace.


OOC UPDATES
MADNESS has now been unlocked. Congratulations to Inky for Claire earning the first Madness! Who will be next? (Please be sure to keep your sanity updated regularly; Stars has created an amazing tracker for anyone to use if they'd like.)

HELPERS are officially in residence! Kelly is our Registrar and Stars is our Librarian — both of these delightful members of our community are helping behind the scenes to keep things organized and updated (and doing wonders for the mod's own sanity levels), so please give them some thanks for their hard work!

REPORTING updates is still a thing that your mod and helpers beg you to do. Changes to locations, plot notes that affect the community, and discoveries should be reported over here so these can all be noted in their appropriate places. (For clarification, reported Discoveries are not public knowledge unless a character has ICly shared this information.)

A MAP of Mathias now exists, thanks to our wonderful Librarian! Please note that it is not to scale and there may be a few minor errors due to your frazzled mod. Expect updates in the future as more secrets are revealed.

BULLETIN BOARD — don't forget about it. That's all.


CLAIMING AP REWARDS
Normally, only one AP reward can be claimed per log, but due to the plethora of new and old locations to explore, this restriction is being relaxed. Instead, for this log only:
— Players may spend AP on up to three rewards, though only Spot Hidden may be repeated.
— If a player is spending multiple Spot Hiddens, they must be with different characters and in different locations.

If two characters are investigating the same location together, they may each spend a Spot Hidden on that location. Players should record their spent AP after the AP request has been approved. Sometimes there is nothing to Spot with your Hidden and the points will be "refunded" to use elsewhere.


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abrightboy: (empathizes)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-09 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Malcolm considered him for a moment.]

Is the toxic masculinity a shield you use to protect yourself or is it really the only way you know to process your emotions?

[Asked with simple curiosity. He probably could work out the answer on his own as conversation progressed, but. He might as well just ask.]
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (pink squint)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-09 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
( If this weren't his porch and if he hadn't just invited Malcolm to join him, Dean would turn right back around. But, he's playing host. )

Dude, I'm a feminist.
abrightboy: (curiosity)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-09 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, obviously. I can tell.

[Affably. Of course. Of course Dean is. He takes another sip and doesn't bother trying not to wince again as it burns its way down.

He's going to go with door number two on that question.]


Is this the sort of music you listen to at home? [Safer subject, he assumes.]
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (robe joined)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-09 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
( He knows your type. He feels humored. He doesn't love it. But, the subject's changed. He has his eye on you, Malcolm. )

Yeah. Always have. Not your speed?
abrightboy: (wants to help)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-09 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I love classic rock. Motown, too. I just thought this particular song was a little... thematic. Not necessarily a bad thing; just an observation.
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (annoyed 🔥 another sun sets down.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-09 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Sandman demon?

He hums a bit of that age old tune. There is no particular reason other than the fact John feels like being an ass. Somewhere, some pale white ghastly bloke with a mop of black hair is feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It made him smirk to himself, knowing he'd piss off the old man of dreaming himself.

"Course I know the Marshal." John scoffs. "You don't need to be a bloody believer for the truth of the world to exist. Now, I'd like to keep Raylan and all the others as out of this as much as I can. But, I can't do much if they decide otherwise or the goddamn town does!"

He stops and rips out a cigarette from his coat. A moment later it's lit and he's already making his way to be three or four steps ahead of Doc. Why is he bothering with people? He's rarely in a good mood, but now it's utter shite, and he doesn't want to deal with being human.

Even on a good day.

"I had an angel on speed dial back home! Wanker, he is."
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (annoyed 🔥 that i did you wrong.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-09 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
It's served me well enough all these years.

[ Though he won't admit to having that other coat stashed away inside 1387. Just in case.

Next time he dies? He's going to leave very strict instructions for them to not bury him in his trenchcoat. He really doesn't want to go through this process again.

That's when he realizes the man has the intention of following him. John lets his eyes roll back ever so slightly. Why can't people in this town just leave him be when he's in a piss poor mood? ]


Was one of the first arrivals. I'm guessing that means you're new.
prevenance: (yAgsJeS)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-09 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Who? I'm not talking about Claire. I don't know a Claire.

( so, you can rest easy, dean, he's not going to be getting on your case about some woman that you had your eye on. he was more concerned with a darker haired woman that he'd gone clothing shopping with. )

Elena Gilbert. ( he waits for recognition to dawn on dean's face. ) That is whom I'm addressing. If you've known her since she was a child, we've a lot to discuss.
descendent: (pic#14414096)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-09 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ after he left mystic falls? wasn't he still lingering inside of it, waiting to kill klaus? did he kill him and then immediately leave? this is what happens after you die: you stop being subscribed to the daily newsletter.

elena shakes her head, amused by him being playful. it's a different side to elijah than she knows. she'd gotten familiar with the dusty, slightly jaded and passive-aggressive elijah she'd freed from the confinements of his dagger. ]


I feel like you're talking about me.

[ she turns and walks backwards, a dangerous thing to do when in the snow and wearing converse shoes. at least her laces are tied tightly. ]

You could literally pick me up and vamp speed away from here, but you don't.
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (body 🔥 that i'll make it up to you.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-09 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, I know whatever is in the Fog isn't the chattiest of spooky things. Almost rude too." John figured there was no point in going into details about that.

He slipped off his coat and tossed it over the skeleton of what was left of a nearby chair. His started to roll up the sleeves of the deep maroon shirt he wore with his typical tie.

"I'm not so much interested in how it killed me. I want to make sure there's nothing lingering... or worse."
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (anger 🔥 from the second i was born.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-09 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Then we'd have plenty of more dead bodies and resurrection sequences going on.

[ He rolls his eyes slightly and shakes his head. ]

No. Not that it was much of the point.

[ He just really wanted to make a scene and let people know he was angry. He's like, fourteen most days. ]
prevenance: (86E3JM2)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-09 09:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Where would I go? I have no idea where we are, Elena. So yes, I could pick you up and get us away from here but I do not know this place.

( so, it seems like it would be a waste of time to do that. time and energy especially if he was going to have to find a willing blood source. he doesn't want to have to think that far in the future, though. he wants to be gone and out here in the next hour. )

It would be a waste and if you know me at all, you know I don't like to waste anything.
chuju: (019.)

[personal profile] chuju 2020-12-09 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Days? I don't—

[ She can't help it, she takes a step back and just stares at Constantine in complete incomprehension. Days. A few of them. Because what reason would he have to lie about something like that? The way he'd looked at her was certainly real enough. ]

I don't remember that. I was at the boarding house and then— [ Gesturing back the way she'd come, she looks at her footprints in the snow. There hadn't been any leading to her before... ]
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (body 🔥 i'm so sorry.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-09 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ there's a grin when he hears that tone. not that because it's funny or entertaining, but, because he understands it. oh does he. he hates mathias township. he hates whatever is that controls this place. he hates that it fucks with their lives, their loved ones, and now their souls. it could fuck right off into hell for all he cared.

of course, he'd try to save whoever he could. dead or living.

but, he'd gladly send the whole place downwards at the moment. ]


Specters of some sort. They don't quite seem to realize we're here. Or, they do, and they're bloody good at ignoring us. Get close enough to them and they tend to just disappear.

Reminds me a bit of the fairy lights. Which, [ he clicks his tongue, ] you better hope it's not one of those.
descendent: (pic#14484325)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-09 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
I know.

[ she knows him in a way that's still so incomplete. he's a puzzle where she only has a handful of pieces out of a thousand. elena lets her shoulders sag but keeps her focus on the snow ahead and the cluster of trees around them. ]

This isn't Mystic Falls. The trees look different.

[ not that she's a tree expert, but she pays attention. ]
prevenance: (eli12)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-09 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
No, it's not.

( there are plenty of cold weather places near mystic falls which tells elijah that he's far from new orleans. there's definitely not enough humidity in the air for that.

but, it is probably a positive that this isn't mystic falls. that place was a beacon for the strange and supernatural. he gets enough of that in new orleans. )


Honestly, this could be any number of places. I've been to many places and none of this is recognizable.
hellblaze: <user site="tumblr.com" user="rpicongallery">. (body 🔥 i turned away.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-09 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Days.

Now, I'm sorry, Daisy. I can't explain you disappearing because I don't know why or how it even bloody happened. Let's get you inside for now. One of us has already had to deal with hypothermia. So let's not try to start out doing the other.

[ He slowly raises his hand to her back, gently nudging her to walk beside him. After a moment he even slides off his new coat and drapes it over her shoulders. He'll be fine for a short spell in the cold.

Although, it really does remind him of when he first met Claire. Properly - not when she rang his phone.

John makes sure to stick close to her. He's not the sort that has a big heart or is a walking teddy bear, but, he'll do his best to catch her if she stumbles or falls. The questions can wait till they're back inside and she's not ready to turn blue on him. ]
descendent: (pic#14479242)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-09 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Are you a tree expert, too?

[ elena smiles, shaking her head. looking down, she brushes her hair behind her ear and looks at the snow. there's just so much of it, and following the crack this way doesn't seem to be revealing any signs that say "you're here and it's not mystic falls."

as casually as she can, ]
Where were you before you woke up here?
prevenance: (eli05)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-09 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
New Orleans.

( there's no need to go into specifics, he thinks. she isn't going to know what he's talking about just like he won't know what she's talking about if she were to go into what her life has been like since he left. )

With my family.

( that family that she loves so much. he sighs, walking a little faster and making sure to pick his feet up so his shoes didn't get too snow caked. )

Where were you?
descendent: (pic#14479262)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-09 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ elena frowns, a little grateful that she's not looking at him. she wonders if he can sense that she's frowning. is that one of the unknown benefits of being one of the first vampires? ]

Mystic Falls.

[ a given. where else will elena be if not in mystic falls? she brushes her hair behind her ear and looks out to the trees and snow-covered ground rather than at him and his nice haircut. ]

I was near the quarry with Stefan.

[ not a lie, but she thinks it's detailed enough to satisfy him. ]
prevenance: (eli32)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-09 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah.

( that means very little to elijah but knowing that one of the salvatores is still around is a piece of information that he can file away.

he hums, thoughtful. )


And how is the youngest Salvatore these days? I always preferred him over his brother. Much more tolerable.
descendent: (pic#14439366)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-09 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
He's fine.

[ she'd like to hope so. klaus hadn't killed him, which is important. if klaus wanted him dead, he would've killed him in front of her like he'd done so with jenna. he seemed like the theatrical type who liked to be over the top to make a point.

clasping her hands together, she brushes her thumbs hard against her hands to try and push out the chill from her skin. ]


He's not here, in case you were wondering.
thering: (07)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-10 12:08 am (UTC)(link)
Doc isn't familiar with the song so unfortunately the reference is lost on him. He had millions of tracks he had missed to catch up on and he would likely never get through everything even if he listened to a few new songs everyday.

He thinks 'speed dial' means John Constantine can call upon an angel at any time and somehow Doc is doubtful of this. The man is prickly, reckless, overcompensatingly cocky to mask the fact he does not think highly of himself. Even if they could be summoned, like dogs, it would take the patience of several angels, divine beings that they might be, to be willing to come at Constantine's beck and call.

"Perhaps we are in a place where angels fear to tread. If there is a God up there he cares not for us," Doc says simply with a sigh and a tilt of his head, hands going to his hips as he turns to double check down the sides of buildings they pass. John is probably out of earshot with Doc not raising his voice so he may be talking to himself. It's fine. He's used to that too.

God may not have saved John Henry Holliday from a fate of his own making, but he would have saved Raylan from his father. And John from his. He should have. There is no mercy or grace in subjecting children to that.
prevenance: (eli15)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-10 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
If he were here, I think he'd find a way to be near you no matter what. He seemed rather focused on that the last time I saw him.

( and while his brother had the history with stefan, elijah knew him well enough to know that he was very single minded when he had his eye on something and, as of late (as far as he knew), that had been elena. )

How unfortunate that you get me instead of him.
descendent: (pic#14197176)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-10 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ elena cracks a smile. that's some self-deprecation that she hadn't ever expected to come from elijah. he's always so self-possessed.

as tempting as it is to ask him the last time that he saw stefan, she presses her lips together. talking about stefan hurts, and she feels dizzy spells ebb and flow. she'd much rather joke around and pretend that she's fine.

peering at him, she looks up at his short-cropped hair. did he get a haircut in the late afternoon before the ritual? maybe he did; she's not one to judge someone for how they choose to manage their compounding stress. ]


I'm sure in my suffering I will be fine. You don't have the right hero hair.