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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thering: (12)

I'll poke you on plurk when I get a mod reply

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-10 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
To be fair, Doc hasn't rummaged through every single house or gone dumpster diving looking for something much better than his partially filed down butter knife. At first he thought his guns might have washed into the ocean that he had awoken from, down at the beach, but others had arrived similarly unarmed. After the first few places didn't yield any firearms, explosives, or even any proper knives, he had just grabbed a heavy butter knife from the Grey Gull and kept it on himself at all times since. It's more of a comfort object than anything, alongside the weight of the heavy duty torchlight in his gun holster holding his gun belt down.

The Amazon is a wonderful, magical place that caters to every desire. He can see why people have gotten complacent in the 21st century, taking all these comforts for granted. He is not imagining zombies, at this point, or a ragtag bunch of survivors trying to make the best out of an unfathomably terrible situation. Hence why the face eating has him quirking an eyebrow.

"Eating your face off?" Doc repeats as though he hadn't heard that clearly.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (excuse you)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
( He - backs down, all of his huffing and puffing for show, anyway. (But only for show if it's not about Claire.) He threatens bartenders for her. Werewolf bartenders. )

Listen, pal, if your concern's me being a bad influence, there's no currency here. We show up with one outfit. And unless your style is New England Clam Chowder, it's take, or bust.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (s | nightgown peeks)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 05:38 pm (UTC)(link)
There aren't thirty of us. We newbies stick out like sore thumbs. It's not just you.

( Her embarrassment is unfounded and Dean is feeling generous with encouragement. She seems young and over her head. Who knows what she was going through before this, or if she even believes in the supernatural. )

Just raided their closet. Story is, nobody's here. Whoever was, maybe they left. Maybe they died. Maybe they got sucked up into that fog and they're how people die. ( He shrugs. From encouraging to nonchalantly talking about death. Dean Winchester is a treasure. ) We don't know. But, the house is full of pictures. And the closet's -

( Like he said. Not his style. )
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (purgatory downcast)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 05:40 pm (UTC)(link)
( Maybe they would. )

Ready to pack in your anger, Terry Jr? Maybe we find something.

( What do you say, Constantine? )
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (I am not a killer)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Kansas. But, all over. We traveled when we were kids. Barely stayed in the same place more than three, four weeks at a time. Been to all 48 states. ( What he doesn't say is that his father hunted, and then when he was old enough, he hunted. And then, Sam - who left them for Stanford. And then the cycle started over when their dad up and disappeared.

Dean also doesn't fly. Yes, there are fifty.
)

Did - you said you were from Harlan, Kentucky.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (motel pride)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Rocket.

( Is that not working?

...Really.
)

This is Zeppelin. Black Dog. Get on up here and get you a proper education!
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (mature years)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"She's Claire," he answers, not knowing how close she'd gotten to these guys. Sure, they know she's a hunter, and that she was once a werewolf, but - yeah, that's a lot to know. "She's okay. Shaken up. But who wouldn't be."

Dean, maybe. Or, he wouldn't admit to it.

"You okay there, buddy?"

Does he need an extra coat or a fix?
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (collect and)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a song. It's a band I like, and it's here. I'm not giving off a theme, I'm just taking a load off. Do you shrink everything and everyone or just people you meet once?

( He knows the answer, but he pushes that button anyway. )
abrightboy: (counterpoint)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-10 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Everyone. Everything. [He leaned in conspiratorially.] People don't like it.

[But at least he looked decidedly less agitated than the last time they met.

He straightened up, taking a sip of the moonshine and shrugged.]


I just can't help it.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (intent and study)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Really.

( You don't say. )

It's in your nature? Doesn't that make you the scorpion?
abrightboy: (tries to understand)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-10 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
The scorpion was malevolent. I'm just curious. Do you think it's the same thing?

[Asked curiously, with a curious cant of his head.]
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (mist above)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-10 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
You think the scorpion was malevolent. And not just being a scorpion. Isn't the whole point of that fable that the scorpion can't help but sting? Think that says more about you then it does about me.

( He's no scholar, but he still has opinions. )
abrightboy: (legit smile)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-10 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
A serial killer is just being a serial killer when he takes a life. Murder is still a malevolent act. Asking questions, getting to know someone... it’s not. Not in and of itself. So we all have to be what we are, I guess. That doesn’t mean all versions of it are harmless. Or that all versions aren’t.
tinstar: (Wut)

[personal profile] tinstar 2020-12-10 07:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"Up at the Grey Gull. Ellie wandered in so she got to have some weird lookin' pancakes and bacon. I needed somethin' made on a griddle, instead of 3 different pans. Gull's better set up for it. And their coffee pot is larger. You know her, Ellie?" Raylan was still learning who'd met who and who hadn't.
tinstar: (Hotel Cowboy)

[personal profile] tinstar 2020-12-10 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Raylan hummed a note of acknowledgement, nodding his head as he stood back up, fingers hooking into the pockets of his jeans as he turns his full attention temporarily on Dean.

Kansas was great and all, but southern it was not.]


On account of the job, right? The whole continental US, not unimpressive.[Rhetorical question; he nodded again, turning to step back down the other side of the rack, ambling back to a stop across from him.]

I did. And there's plenty there that would agree with your passionate objections. Mighta been all that passion that made them less appealin' to the ear, I suppose but I rarely listen to the radio and normally just see people play live at bars. Not exactly a lotta diversity there, I will admit, but I've gotten around.
abrightboy: (delighted)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-10 07:43 pm (UTC)(link)
“Yes!” Malcolm enthused. “She was the one looking for a guitar. I found one in my bedroom closet when we moved in and left it for her. She spend a lot of time at the Grey Gull,” he mused. “Maybe it reminds her of somewhere back home.”
prevenance: (sr2pTrj)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-10 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I know about the one outfit.

( he knows it too well and he hates it, thanks. he wants another suit or a closet full of suits but he's had to settle for shirts and slacks that were not up to his normal fare.

but, he's surviving. he's worn worse. )


You were helping her buy clothing? Is that it?

( does he realize how he sounds? yes, but he also doesn't care. )
descendent: (pic#14417981)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-10 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ elena arches her brow. so many questions spiral around her head that she isn't quite sure of which one she catches first. with the flannel shirt on, she absently tugs at the hem to make it sit a little straighter on her body. ]

Are you saying the fog can kill you?

[ she sounds slightly dubious. why isn't she surprised? there'd been fog in the cemetery two years ago that had threatened to swallow her up. unknowingly to her, that fog kept trying over and over, just in a different form. ]
descendent: (pic#14479251)

repairs your heart with vegemite

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-10 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
All Elena really knows is how to clean a wound, apply a bandaid and wrap a bandage. Her father hadn't had the opportunity to teach her anything else. Sometimes, she wonders if she would've pursued a career in medicine if he had more time to try and plant those seeds in her head.

With anyone else from home, she'd insist that she's fine and even offer to walk backwards in a straight line to prove it. But he's new, and she's new, and perhaps she can use this to her advantage while not making him worry it's his fault she's lying in a ditch covered in snow somewhere.

She woke with snow as a blanket. She's not fond of that happening again.

With a small smile and arch of her brow, she asks, "Can I bother you with all my questions?"
40seconds: (𝟢𝟣𝟦)

[personal profile] 40seconds 2020-12-10 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Coulson's still got one eye on the strange figure when he comes to a stop next to Dean. He turns slightly so he's looking at him, and he just nods and huffs out a laugh. ]

You could say that. I'm not sure how this works, but it's almost like the observer effect from quantum physics, except reversed.

[ He eyes the lantern-holding figure yet again, but he's far enough away that it stays where it is. ]

In this case, that strange figure apparently ceases to exist when it's being observed closely enough, but the second space is put between an observer and that figure, it returns.

[ So it's not quite the observer effect, but it's similar. Somewhat, anyway. ]
40seconds: (𝟢𝟦𝟥)

[personal profile] 40seconds 2020-12-10 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Honestly, when Coulson looks back on all this, he'll really just wonder to himself about the self-preservation, or lack thereof, that the seemingly younger element in Mathias has. Still, he's not so old that he's forgotten what it's like to be young. Never mind that Five isn't a prime example of youth, technically speaking, but Coulson's not privy to that, although he does have some suspicions. ]

You got it. And when you're up for it, we're getting you to someone who can patch you up. Or I'll do it myself.

[ Inexpertly, because he's not a doctor, but he knows how to place bandages and that sort of thing. ]

Ready? [ He waits a second for an affirmative response, and then he tightens his grip on Five so he can pull him up and over the cliff's edge, hopefully getting him back to safety. He tries to do it gently, or at least gingerly, but with something like this, there's no easy way of getting him back up without potentially aggravating some sore spots.

He'll apologize once he's out of danger. ]
descendent: (pic#14437533)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-10 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ elena quickly debates whether she should claim he's special or not. how would elijah react? has he ever been told he was special? she looks at him quickly, scrunching up her face thoughtfully. did anyone else notice his haircut or was he merely overlooked? (the idea of elijah being overlooked is laughable.)

this adrenaline rush is making her feel bolder than usual, or perhaps it's being in the company of someone who she can and cannot read that's making her feel recklessly stupid. ]


Special. Most of the people I know don't get life-changing haircuts.

[ then again, he's hardly like anyone she knows, is he? ]
fika: (pic#14407785)

[personal profile] fika 2020-12-10 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
First off, there might still be drinking, though likely not of the same vein as it would be between Doc and Dean.

To his credit, he tries to keep himself steady on his feet, though that's a little harder to manage, stumbling forward as Doc ushers him in and there's a small hitch of breath in protest. Everything hurts, adrenaline finally let up, that rush of cold buzzing through frayed nerves. Nothing he hasn't felt before.

Except, well, this was kind of a first in a weird way too. He laughs, a single and uncomfortable burst, more nerves than anything else. "Close enough. A cliffside," he croaks, picks a point to focus on before wiping the blood off his brow with his jacket sleeve. He's going to need a new one anyway. "I'm getting real fucking sick of this place."
fika: (pic#14410162)

[personal profile] fika 2020-12-10 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Mm, [ how far down does dean have to look ]

Unfortunately, yeah. Been here since day one of everyone arriving to the shitshow. [ Five offers a shrug, more nonchalant than the distaste he's actually feeling towards this place, and steps towards the door to try the handle.

he's not very surprised that it opens after a single, persistent tug, rickety door creaking open.

it certainly smells like a bunch of aged junk.
] Cozy.
prevenance: (jQHmDo0)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-10 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
A life changing haircut? Honestly, Elena, I had no idea you put so much stock into hair. Do you do this with your actual friends as well?

( because he doesn't think they're friends. they know each other and they've worked together but friends?

he doesn't think he would qualify as a friend to her. )


It was to keep the hair out of my eyes. That would get annoying at times. This is easier to manage.