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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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cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (isn't it the best idea)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-16 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
( Boring has its' place maybe, but boredom to Dean is mindlessness. )

Yes. Information at your fingertips, movies, music, someone right there in the palm of your hand.
hellblaze: <user site="tumblr.com" user="spoileralxrt">. (Default)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-16 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
now that DW pretends it wants to co-operate

Aight, so, some discussion has happened. Trying to uniform/streamline this, so its easier on all parties!

— John will kneel down to the floor and tap at it and realize it's got an echo to it for a hollow space. He will knock along the floor a bit to see where the echo stops (judging how big this space might be).
— Going along with Jade's suggestion, but tweaking it, John will then use his own energy to attempt to locate where there might be an opening under the floor (effectively, channeling spiritual energy and using it like a sonar to ping things). If he can't find a entryway/break in the floor, he's going to expand that to the bookcases nearby and see if there's something behind them.

Yes, he is this determined and stupid while injured, please feel free to detail what blowback he might have if any.

— Alternatively! If there's no hidden doorway, John is going to push over bookcases to straight up break the floor.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (that looks sharp)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-16 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
Dean follows Doc right back out, not needing to stay any longer. He found what he found and pocketed what was useful. He gossiped about Malcolm that gives him more insight into the next time he'll see him.

Closing the door behind the three of them, Dean considers joining them. He has nothing better to do and complicated feelings waiting for him back in his house.

"Where to, next?"
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (thanks for no help)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-16 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
( He'd start with a few nights ago and then the six in the morning comment, but it's all information he knows, and heard firsthand from someone who asphyxiated. )

The dream, the wrong books, sure. The fog is full-on murder. Not psychological murder. Murder.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (receiving information)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-16 12:35 am (UTC)(link)
Unnatural. Something made. Man, god. Witch.

( Take your pick, Elijah. )
abrightboy: (hates to break it to you but)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-16 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
Murder as the penalty in a game. It wasn't random. It targeted people who didn't answer the phone.
endlessflask: (Default)

[personal profile] endlessflask 2020-12-16 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
Really?

[ Eliot seems equal parts surprised and relieved by the response. He'd been convinced the man was going to tell him to fuck off (though maybe in kinder words). ]

Thanks. Really. I can, uh, give you hand with those? Also - I'm Eliot. By the way.
thering: (Doc113)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-16 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
I'm afraid we are no closer to those answers today, though we may have been here longer. [The ritual theory is interesting. Adjacent to some other theories, that they might be some kind of experimental subjects made to run through some tests. Or that someone or something wishes to play with their food before tucking in. In any case there hasn't been many wildly positive theories. Apparently no one has been thinking they were brought here to make some new friends or save the world (worlds?) with the power of love and song, or anything like that.]

I am certain they can see us, so if they are wildly opposed to being followed they may make that known. [He prefers that over trying to be covert in the dark with all this snow and almost inevitably getting caught. They may think that they mean them some harm if they sneak around.]

Let's follow this one. [The closest one to them happens to also be slow-moving. They can catch up and maintain a distance. And in the meantime, Cas and Doc can talk.]

Have you settled in alright, sir? Found suitable lodging and kept a good supply of food with you? [Should the rolling fog decide to envelope the town for days, they will need to be able to survive indoors that long.]
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (smoke 🔥 i'm sorry for everything.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-16 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
No. But, you usually don't see the wisps of people living their normal day to day lives and it an act. This place has history to it.

[ He pulls a cigarette from out of his pocket and slips it into his mouth. Then, a light away, he stash the lighter back and keeps moving. He has no real destination, it's just wandering around.

Checking inside doors for the bathrooms, behind ticket stands, the same old. ]


Probably. Wouldn't be surprised at this rate. Think the popcorn machine still works?
tinstar: (See here)

[personal profile] tinstar 2020-12-16 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
/squees softly into the distance

I will edit this comment when the log gets far enough along for me to ask for detail about what happens.. unless you'd like to privately message the journal or me and let me know /waggles eyebrows

[I know things have been hard the past couple of days and I just want to say that I know how hard it is and I appreciate all your effort and thought and creativity. Keep on keepin on darlin <3 ]
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (annoyed 🔥 about time for anyone.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-16 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
Huh. Well, it'll be fun to explain the wound on his hand then.

John ducks inside then spins around to continue following Doc. His trenchcoat is buttoned and bundled from the cold, scarf sticking out from the collar. He taps on the walls lightly, t hen the counters.

"She's not my woman," John groans and gives the man a look. "Well, while we're here, might as well have a look and see what Mathias has for us today. Come on now, cowboy."
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (scarf 🔥 man is what he loves.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-16 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
Don't know too much about him. Other than the fact he's covered in shadows and very powerful. Took my shots like they were nothing and sent me a few fleet flying.

[ though, john knows he didn't pull out serious blood magic or anything extra at that level. his brain hadn't been thinking that. he's angry, and emotionally reacting, and it leads to stupid decisions every single time. ]

Now, I'm guessing you picked one of our lovely homes here as a residence?
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (talk 🔥 i'd taken for granted.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-16 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
"All creations of God are divine. It'll have a bit of that energy left over, even if you're six feet under." John shrugged. "Fairly sure nothing is left of me in the old one. Not that there's much of my soul left to go anywhere."

Now that was a topic.

"Then again, I'm not convinced that this body I'm in is exactly the same. Perfect recreations of bodies are strange, even in my trade."
tinstar: (Almost guilty)

[personal profile] tinstar 2020-12-16 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
"No," he answered easily, stopping the half hearted attempt to lift the new board into place, managing only to turn it back and forth in his hands in an idle, inattentive inspection. It was a serious question and a serious suggestion, but not one he could get behind. "Aside from the fact that none of us are boatbuilders, sailin' is more dangerous than us tryin' to cross by land, fog notwithstanding. Stayin' busy helps us from goin' mad. I'm startin' to think that that's what this place wants."

Their madness.

Raylan took another deep breath and tried again, butting the second board up against the first. "I tell him directly when I see hesitation on him. Hope that's enough. Can't help it with that.. that sad kicked puppy dog look he gets."

Alright, maybe Raylan had a weakness for dirty blondes with blue eyes. Maybe.
abrightboy: (face shrug)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-16 01:26 am (UTC)(link)
Malcolm considered that with a face shrug, then gestured towards the body again.

"Is there a way to tell whether that one was your original one?"

Because maybe things were even less like they seemed than they thought.
fika: (pic#14331214)

[personal profile] fika 2020-12-16 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ he does forget this sometimes - that the concept of the malleability of time and space isn't something most people touch upon.

most people are lucky enough to have the consistency of a single timeline - however long it may be, in elijah's case.

five is used to it not being the case. even less so here.
] Because it's not. [ is the mild reply, as casual as talking about the weather. ] I was in Texas, in 1963, before I got here.

[ a half hearted shrug. ] Though, technically, I guess I'd be from 2019. [ it gets complicated when you do the things he does, don't worry about that one. ] Most people are from different times, here, actually.

Places, too. [ the smile he gives at that is terribly dry. ]
thering: (Default)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-16 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
A completely random, general question out of curiosity, not necessarily for this log - what happens to the waste in the houses and the boarding house/town hall/etc? Like all the empty cans, plastic packaging, broken glass, notes taken down from the bulletin board etc. I assume they don't just vanish and characters can coordinate bring everything to a makeshift landfill or something?

EDIT: sorry one more question, related to the new locations. Doc is looking for lavender tinctures at Barker Botanical, can he find any? Do let me know if this is an AP find, happy to spend it and do a separate thread for it next log. Thanks!
Edited 2020-12-16 03:17 (UTC)
tinstar: (hmm)

[personal profile] tinstar 2020-12-16 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
"That's true," he agreed with a wag of his finger before his amble came to a stop, eyes cast thoughtfully back over the chasm. "I'd almost forgotten.. I ain't surprised we didn't see this from the Lighthouse, considerin' the angle and the tree cover.. That could well be where it is.. Back of the town.. Maybe behind those trees."
thering: (Doc292)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-16 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[In another time and place, under different circumstances and after a few bottles of moonshine maybe, Doc might politely tell him to go to hell. But he has no reason to be hostile or unhelpful here. Unable to tip his hat with his hands full, he inclines his head.]

John Henry. Though everyone calls me Henry. You may take this box, if you like. [The one that looks like it's about to slide off from the pile of things in his arms. He could manage it just fine if he tilts his load, but Eliot looks like he could use something to keep his hands and his mind busy, away from the worry.]

We use the cornmeal and sugar to make moonshine. [They can talk about something else, to keep them distracted.] You were there, weren't you? When the first batch was ready. Was that where you met Mister Quentin?
descendent: (pic#14479240)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-16 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's a house along jackson boulevard that he pulls her into. despite being in pristine condition, it looks strangely unkempt and lonely, and being inside of it doesn't make her feel any more at ease. at least it's no longer cold.

lingering near elijah, she bumps into him and stands right against him, not wanting to venture any further inside from the foyer. she's tempted to find the nearest light switch to bring some light and her ability to see into the house, but she stays by him, the only safe thing in the house they've stumbled into.

quietly, ]
Can you hear anyone?
fika: (pic#14331214)

[personal profile] fika 2020-12-16 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah crap," six weeks is a long time to be patient. And maybe they both know he won't be. If anything, he'll have to get very used to the pain, instead. It won't be this bad forever. He can live with an ache. Just not this. "You try and breathe deeply," muttered through clenched teeth.

Even days are precious here, hours. And with all his penchant for pushing past limitations, he doubts he can turn back time on this. Especially not now. Maybe back at the cliffside, but he wasn't even thinking clearly.

So, he has to accept this, and that may be the toughest part, as he gives a huff of an exhale, and tips his head back against the wooden back of the chair. Uncomfortable, but everything is right now.

He nods along at the soft lie Doc will weave to Klaus. "Alright, yeah. That - that could work," it still unease that he is met with at the thought. The what ifs of Klaus' unpredictability all converging in on the shock he'd gone through days prior.

Five, for all his efforts, tries to not let himself fall into the nostalgia of having someone else other than him dab at the stinging cut. This isn't Grace, and he isn't home - he's very distinctly not home, in fact, being fussed over by a cowboy from the eighteen hundreds. It's ludicrous, what your brain can remember through association.

This time though, there's no admonishment, no I told you so hissed like a curse.

Instead, Doc is methodical, practiced and practical. Perhaps too careful.

He gives another try at a laugh, dry as it is. It sounds a little more pitiful than intended. "Household of seven, remember? I'll sleep fine."

A long pause, before he adds: "Shame this wasn't a dinner instead," it isn't quite an apology, but nothing usually really is with Five. It's a sorry I showed up looking half-dead on your front porch.
abrightboy: (secret smile)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-16 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
Malcolm smiled, ducking his head.

Raylan was pleased with him.

"It also almost blends in with the shadows around it," he noted, gesturing. "Have we checked whether the fog still completely surrounds the town by land?"
prevenance: (eli01)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-16 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
( he listens for a few moments before he shakes his head. )

There's mice in the basement but that's it. We're alone. Come on.

( he finds the light switch rather easily and flips it, surprised that light does fill the room. he'd been thinking the power would be shot considering the condition of the town and the storm.

it appears some luck was on their side. peering around the room, he finds a chair with a cover over it and nods. )


Go sit there.
descendent: (pic#14502652)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-16 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ elena thinks to tell him that she's fine standing, but considering what he said he'd do earlier, she sulkily walks over towards an armchair in what appears to be a forgotten living room. it's a compromise, and one of the only few she thinks she's willing to give. sitting on the chair, she's on the edge of the cushion before she slides back, looking very small in the otherwise big chair.

she looks around the living room, brow furrowed as she tries to take it all in. ]


This is so strange.

[ no one is here, but this house has clearly been lived in. it was once a home to someone who's gone. where did they go? ]
thering: (Doc169)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-16 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Your housemate then." He's not sure how else to address them. The beam of light crawls over some knocked over pots, old roots that slither and coil around various parts of broken flooring. Leaves that have recently been stepped on or avoided altogether scattered across the floor.

When he is certain there is no one else here after doing a cursory look around the place, the vials draw his interest. He moves closer to the shelf, studying what they might contain.