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: (Doc308)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-21 07:24 am (UTC)(link)
[Doc had been more worried about the toll it would have taken on them and their loved ones, mentally and emotionally. He hasn't yet had any reason to suspect they were more... undead, in some way. Demonic or... what have you.]

It was a surprise. [They had scared the bajesus out of him when they first started popping up. He was disappointed, not to see Jill return in the same way.]

But there are many things I do not understand. I would not presume to know what truly happens when our time has come. Maybe we are all already dead. [Doc shakes his head a bit and shrugs. Maybe he's just- lost it and snapped and none of them actually exist except for strange manifestations inside his own head. Either one of those scenarios would certainly explain a few things.]
thering: (Doc285)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-21 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
"Well I- suppose I could forgo the waistcoat..." Doesn't take him that much longer putting it on in the morning though and he slums around plenty in the house in little more than a singlet and trackpants. He just doesn't leave the house looking like that.

"Don't really think I want to be blending in though." If he's going to care about what other people think, he should worry about his deeds, his legacy, what people think he stands for. Not what he's wearing. That won't matter when he's gone.

"Alright. That's more important, anyway. Most number of people living there." And he doesn't want to be spending a minute longer in this wretched weather than he really needs to, even if he might appear not to mind the cold so much.

"I'm right behind you. Just lighting one up." He's just trailing slightly behind so Raylan won't get a face full of smoke.
thering: (Doc293)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-21 07:57 am (UTC)(link)
I do not know anyone from home, here. [He says it with a sigh, that could be misconstrued as something he is yearning for. Honestly with all the madness going on around here, he doesn't hope for it. No, the sigh is more because people seem to think they know him. And he doesn't know them at all. Being famous had kept him alive. He needed those rumours so nobody would mess with him, especially as he became frail and sickly. These days he's starting to think that maybe it's not such a good idea.]

Mister Winchester did not seem like the kind of gentleman who has had it all that easy, either. [Although Doc can't really get a read on Castiel, whether it's because it's dark out here and he's half-focused on following their spectre, or if it's because they've only just met, or if they're both just still a little guarded around each other.]
chuju: (029.)

[personal profile] chuju 2020-12-21 08:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ He says the words and they're like a slap in the face. Or, really, more like a punch to the gut. She visibly flinches back, taking a half-step away from him as if to avoid the pain he's just flung back at her. Perhaps she deserves it after what she'd just said to him but—

It feels like rejection. This Coulson does know her, doesn't really trust her yet, and now he clearly doesn't intend to. He doesn't want her, he wants his Skye, and once again she isn't enough for the people she'd let herself count on. ]


Yeah, sure. Space. [ If that's what he wants, that's what he'll have, and she'll try not to show how her heart is breaking. Grabbing her coat, she says one last thing before turning and heading for the front door. ] See you around, I guess.
thering: (Doc285)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-21 09:16 am (UTC)(link)
Doc starts to reach over to help steady him, and he has to force himself to stop trying to do that. Five doesn't need to be fussed over like the child's body he's inhabiting right now. He can manage, even if he shouldn't be moving around as much as he currently is.

"I know you will." Figure all this out, he means. He picks up a cushion and brings it over to where Five is sitting, laying it on the ground leaning against his couch. Doc would rather not be stuck driving the ambulance back and forth at the bottom of the cliff, but his trying to be cautious and being concerned about these people won't in good conscience allow him to do otherwise.

He brings a blanket over and drapes it over the lower half of Five's body before he thinks of maybe fetching a change of clothes. There were a few sets in Five's size in the house that's been converted into a moonshine brewery, just across the road. He's kept the door to that room closed so they should still be untouched, usable.

But first, he'll stay by Five's side until he gets some sleep. He looks like he's in desperate need of some rest, and there's plenty of time to be running around quietly after it's lights out. At least until some unholy screaming wakes him up in the ungodly early hours of the morning.
descendent: (pic#14315200)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-21 09:32 am (UTC)(link)
It's a joke, Elijah.

[ in amusement, she shakes her head as she regards him. he's so serious, like stefan. she prefers the seriousness and literal interpretation than the opposite, though. if he joked with her, he'd remind her too much of damon.

considering what she's about to say next, she lets out a small breath through her nose. truthfully, she doesn't like to ask for help. ]


I can't put my bandage on without getting up and finding a mirror.
descendent: (pic#14418077)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-21 09:44 am (UTC)(link)
Then I want to find him.

[ elena's quick to turn on her heel and push past him to gather her one size too big boots. sitting on the edge of the bed, she brushes her hair away from her face as she bends down to slide one boot on then the other. her adrenaline spikes and her heart races; she can't be responsible for another death.

beside the bed is the lantern with her favoured flannel shirt draped on top of it. ]


If he's out there, then I want to find him and make sure all the other spectres are okay.
descendent: (pic#14374152)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-21 10:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ following him eventually, she eyes the photographs and the walls—nothing's broken or rotted like she had expected it to be when left unattended—and tries not to let herself grow overwhelmed by being in a brand new place in a ouse she doesn't recognise. rubbing her hands against her arms, she does her best to shake off the feeling that they're being watched.

appearing at the doorframe of the room he's scavenging in, she remains where she is, wondering if she can get a wider view while he goes in for a more focused close-up. ]


Like a town in a snow globe? [ brows furrowing; that's the only way she can think of his comment as he moves to a closet. but no, that doesn't sound right to her. that's what she had meant, but she doubts it conveys what she's trying to process. ] Like Narnia? You know, like how you can't enter it without going through the wardrobe.

[ this idea is not one she's familiar with. the world she comes from exists within a world amongst worlds, not within its own self. ]
descendent: (pic#14454516)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-21 10:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ immediately understanding what he's intending to do, elena, with the book in her hands, quickly shuffles back, mindful of the floor and the fact a hole rips open the floor near them. a bubble of excitement warms her belly as she knows that she's going to see a display of magic. it's the very sensation she feels whenever bonnie utters a word in latin and feathers rise from a ripped pillowcase. ]

Do you need any help?

[ she imagines not, but it's rude not to ask. ]
descendent: (pic#14197181)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-21 10:07 am (UTC)(link)
We should make sure that you always have your coat, then. [ having something from home must be considered a prized possession, and she feels grateful that he had offered her his coat and trusted her with it.

with a grin, she jokes, ]
I kind of wish I had thought to pack a few things in my pockets if I knew I was coming here. The least that they could do is give us five minutes.

[ she'd have charged her phone, packed a map, maybe a match, and a paperback novel. ]
descendent: (pic#14479248)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-21 10:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ weighing up the pros and cons of answering his question honestly, elena decides there's far more pros than cons. what if he understands what it's like to be trapped in a supernatural underbelly? he's been honest with her so far (not that elena can necessarily tell) and she feels that honesty should be met with honesty.

besides, this place is strange. there's something unnerving about it that sets her on edge, and it's not her sudden appreciation for flannel that tips her off. ]


Normal. [ she shrugs, trying to find the words. furrowing her brows, she truthfully does dig into her memories of how vampires had walked in mystic falls to bring forth a few adjectives. ] Powerful, undead. You wouldn't notice that they've died if you looked at them.
thering: (Doc112)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-21 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
Figured it'd be quicker than growing opium. [He's only sort of maybe half joking. God, don't get him started on opium again. 'Kitchen meth' does get Eliot one of those slow turns of the head and a raised eyebrow though. He's not sure what kitchen meth actually is, but he's willing to try anything three times.]

School? [They look a little old to still be in school, but then it seems like kids don't leave school when they're still tiny anymore to go and help out with the family business.] I don't recall him mentioning a school... he said something about the way of the sub though. [An underground train. Doc still can't really wrap his head around it.]
prevenance: (Daniel Gillies in The Originals S 05 (15)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-21 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
( it is...very good advice even if elijah wants to hang onto some constants. but, he knows that he's going to have to suspend some disbelief if he's going to survive this place.

it will be quite the story to tell when he eventually gets back to new orleans because he refuses to think otherwise. he is going to get back and put this place behind him as some sort of terrible fever dream. )


So, you're a time traveler is what you're saying? ( and that leads into his next question. ) How old does that make you?

( does elijah have company in the 'being much older than you look' department? )
prevenance: (Daniel Gillies in The Originals S 05 (66)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-21 03:38 pm (UTC)(link)
( well, elijah knows for a fact that he is dead and any resurrection is just going to bring him back to his state of undead vampirism. so, he doesn't really fear death. not anymore.

what he fears are things that he will not tell a soul because he doesn't want people knowing the things that can cut him down. his family is hunted enough for what they are in new orleans, he doesn't want that to happen here. )


You are not afraid of death?

( a rare thing for a human. most that he's spoken with seem to have at least a slight fear of dying and what comes after. )
prevenance: (Daniel Gillies in The Originals S 05 (22)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-21 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Then, let me help you, Elena. You don't need to get up and find a mirror. I can do it.

( he was right in front of her and he was willing. she needs the assistance and he thinks he could put it on better than she could, standing alone in a bathroom. )

You're not going to be so stubborn that you won't even let me do that, are you?

( was everyone with her face going to give him a migraine at some point in their life? )
prevenance: (Daniel Gillies in The Originals S 05 (39)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-21 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Elena, Elena, wait.

( as she passes him, he tries to catch her arm and then holds it firm. she's tenacious but she will never be able to beat him in a strength versus strength match so he keeps a firm grip on her. )

You can't go out there.

( while he doesn't want to believe that something was wrong, that something had happened, it had and if she goes out there, who's to say it won't happen to her? )

It's not safe.
thering: (Doc305)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-21 04:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I am. [He hasn't beaten it so much as he has cheated his way out of it, and even then his eternal longevity comes with its own set of limitations. He knows he isn't destined to wind up someplace nice once he's gone. Any man with a list of sins as long as Doc's, who knows what he knows, would want to stay alive as long as possible.]

I would think we all are. If not our own then someone else's death. But if today is the day, then. Today is the day. What can I do about it? I make my own luck, where I can, but the luck is still in the draw. [Sometimes you get a good hand. Sometimes you get a real shitty one. And even playing the hell out of the cards don't make that hand you got any better than the one you might have deserved to be getting.

Elijah might think him a simple man, accepting these circumstances as truths, not fighting against them. It's fine. He's been called worse things. And sometimes he's just tired of fighting.]
prevenance: (JwjQhHv)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-21 07:59 pm (UTC)(link)
( it is a rather simple way of thinking but that's not a bad thing. elijah sometimes wishes his life were a little simpler where he could think like that but it's not.

still, he admires people who are comfortable with themselves and can accept their fate so easily. )


I would hope today is not that day because that might mean it's caused by this moonshine and since I've tasted it as well, I might succumb too.

( poison is such a pain to endure even for him. )

Death has terrified me in the past but I've grown accustomed to the fact that it will happen. I more fear leaving my family alone than anything.
revvedup: (and i never know who's fooling us)

[personal profile] revvedup 2020-12-21 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"Usually can't," she confirms with a smile that's a little sympathetic. She's sure his reasons are different than hers - well, maybe not that different, given where they are. She is still fully dressed with her shoes in hand, after all. "I'm sorry you can't either."

Max studies the drawing for a little while again, admiring the technique, how it's both realistic and not. She's quiet for a moment longer, not sure if she's going to ask this until she ultimately does.

"Do you mind if I join you?" She's not really an artist, but she hasn't been able to concentrate on reading and it seems a better option than lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (sports bar tilt)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-21 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
You're right. Walkman over discman, though.

( He points when he says it, making it clear. Discmans skipped and delayed too damn much, just from walking. )

Yeah. New Order's a little synthy, but it has that Cure feel, you know? A little whiny like Depeche Mode.

( Not his favorite, but, he can dig it. )

So, that's your thing? New Order. Tears for Fears? More eighties?
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (professional arrival)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-21 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
You don't turn it off, do you?

( If you were ever trying to hide what you did, you are failing hard, Malcolm. )
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (how does that work in hell)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-21 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
You find the magical Key, you better tell Henry and me. And uh - the tweaker.

( The behavioral scientist. Just because he lives with you guys, right? )

Wish it was that easy.
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (they told me)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-21 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
( Normal lands with a thud, Dean missing any tie to the supernatural Elena might have, but Elena provides more, and that widens his eyes. )

Undead.

( That's quite the buzzword, Elena. He's gotta ask, now, stacking the deck. )

Zombie or vampire?
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (filled in)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-21 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Which one?

( Physics, an illusion, or a spirit? He debates what to do, studying the spirt they're both watching. )

What's the worst that could happen?
cholesterol: 🇩‌🇴‌🇳‌'🇹‌ 🇹‌🇴‌🇺‌🇨‌🇭‌ (pink squint)

[personal profile] cholesterol 2020-12-21 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Keep thinking that.

( Maybe it's true. He studies Elijah, but considering how strong he came off, he decides not to overthink his word usage. If he thinks he's unkillable, let him. Or, if he thinks it's not actually dangerous, or believes that dying is okay, that's all him. )

We still don't know what coming back means.

( What's different. )