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.


navigation | faq | setting | mod contact

descendent: (pic#14479259)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-22 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ elena looks at him gripping her arm and considers how she can tug herself free of the shackle of his hand. he doesn't grip her as possessively and sharply as damon, but it's enough to make her think about how to best elbow his side and run out of the boarding house to search for the spectre.

she lets out an amused noise. ]
We woke up in a strange town with no idea why or who, Elijah. It's already not safe. [ now, that's a dose of realism for you. elena would like to think that it's safe here, but she has to remind him and herself that they're not in kansas anymore.

she peers up at him, eyes wide. ]
I want to know if that spectre is really gone.
prevenance: (sr2pTrj)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-22 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
So, you're going to go out there, to where you've just seen something disappear?

( she was a human which meant that thing, whatever it was, could take her. he's not going to let that happen to her. whatever they are, he feels responsible for her.

and thus, he's not going to let her do this without a fight. )


If you go, I go.

( this way, he could at least get in front of her if something tried to take her. )
descendent: (pic#14260804)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-22 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ elena sighs heavily. fortunately for her, she's used to this with stefan. it's a sight of heroism and something that she thinks is out of obligation. she may be the doppelgänger, but she no longer needs to be protected. the need for that protection is long gone. ]

Okay.

[ if she wants to go outside, she knows the only way to do so will be with him in tow. she imagines this is how it'll be for the next few days, her having her own well-dressed shadow.

she gently shakes her arm to try and dislodge his hand from her. ]


I need to get my gloves.
prevenance: (pic#14528622)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-22 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Fine.

( after a second longer, he let's her go, stepping back to give her space. he eases himself closer to the door just to make sure she doesn't try and run out without him.

he doesn't think he can be blamed for that either because she is elena gilbert and it would be something she did.

he doesn't make a move to grab anything, deciding he'd be fine in his long sleeves and slacks combination. )


We're not going to stay out there long.
descendent: (pic#14260797)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-22 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay.

[ doubtful. elena thinks he's trying to take control of a situation where he's not in control at all. if she wants to stay out there, hunting down for that one lonely spectre all night, she's pretty sure he'll be right behind her and not insisting and urging and compelling her to return to the boarding house.

she moves towards the bedside table and opens the middle drawer, pulling out gloves that are, surprisingly, the perfect fit for her. she tucks her hands into them and flexes her fingers, and grabs a thick scarf curled up inside. wrapping that round and round her neck and hair, she looks at him. ]


Are you going to be warm enough?
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (smoke 🔥 and what i've been.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-22 09:48 pm (UTC)(link)
He glanced up as Raylan approached him. There was a huff of annoyance, but, he pulled out a cigarette and extended it out to the man.

"Didn't think you were the sort to pick up a dangerous sort of habit. Could kill you, you know."

John didn't light the cigarette. Instead, it came to life the moment Raylan placed it between his fingers. He knew Raylan always enjoyed the spectacle of magic. The small stuff, the wow, the awe, the show stopping kind.
prevenance: (150loFu)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-22 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes.

( perhaps he could do with a jacket but he doesn't really want one right now. he doesn't think they're going to be out there that long what with the harsh weather and the way the spectres don't really let anyone get close.

if he needs one, he'll go find one but he's going out without one for the moment. )


You realize that we might not find anything, right? Where are you intending to look for this spectre? There was nothing left after whatever...happened happened.
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (what 🔥 and you can shout.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-22 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"I am when there's potential magical funny business going on. Just because I haven't found it yet doesn't mean it isn't here." John insisted. Then, he nodded to the corpse. "We're going to do it right here."
descendent: (pic#14439369)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-22 10:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she doesn't have a plan. perhaps that's obvious, considering no one seems to understand the spectres at all. but she can't simply stay in here when there's something out there that's possibly killing spectres without lanterns.

she's beginning to wonder if those lanterns keep bed bugs away, just like her mom used to say keeping her little night light on as a kid kept the monsters beneath her bed far away. ]


I'm... [ open mouth, close. she presses her lips together and peers up at him determinedly. ] There are spectres everywhere, Elijah. He's bound to be with his friends. All we have to do is look for the spectre without a lantern. If we can find him, then that means he's okay.
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (look 🔥 no sign - the roaring thunder.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-22 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ john chuckles at the chiding. ]

Mate, you need to lighten up. No point in being stuffy here in Mathias. The town doesn't like the idea of preconceived notions.

She's fine. Minus the big where she looks half-dead, but, that's not my fault. [ he pulls out a cigarette. ] We just took a gander at the hole I made in the floor a few weeks back. Go on and ask her how the rest the time went.

Promise, she's just as innocent as she was going in. You need to learn to take a bloody joke.
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (body 🔥 through every single thing.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-22 10:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Never know. The rest of the food in this town replenishes.

[ He makes his move down the halls, looking at the showing rooms. ]

Now, why would a town like this have a movie theater... and not a jail?
hellblaze: <user site="tumblr.com" user="ihatedoors-blog">. (body 🔥 turn your head for one second.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-22 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, no, mate. Told me I had a second chance to save it... but something about that sounds fishy. So, I doubt that's really what the case is.

[ He shakes his head. ]

Ribs got a bit bruised up. Air's cold. I smoke. Take a pick of a reason.

[ John slips his hands into his pockets and keeps walking. Although it's an uneven walk. Those ribs are more than just bruised. ]

Oh well, you're the one that can see my soul. I imagine you've got your answer to that one already.
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (annoyed 🔥 that i did you wrong.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-22 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, I'm bloody irritable all the time, mate. You're just not paying attention." He snips back. He rolls his eyes. "You don't need to cut me open alright? I got sent flying, crashed some of my ribs and now I'm here thinking about drinking fiscal materials. So, what of it, huh?"

He brushed Doc's hand away. "'m fine, alright."
hellblaze: <user site="insanejournal.com" user="frakkingcylon">. (pain 🔥 hey hey hell is what you make.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-22 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"Just drop a penny for your thoughts. Worst you'd do is disturb a dust bunny who is happen to make a breeding nest that'll take over the bloody town." John responds grumpily. He sighs and rolls his head over to look at Coulson properly. "Don't suppose you've tracked down that naggy watching feeling yet, mate."

As that is what he is out there trying to do.
prevenance: (Daniel Gillies in The Originals S 05 (34)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-22 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
You're thinking of these things like they're humans, Elena. Like he has friends. You don't even know what they are but you can't give...a life to these things because you have no idea who they are or what they are. They could be dangerous.

( there are more questions than answers about his place but elena's already gotten attached to the spectres and elijah knows how dangerous that could be.

they don't know what these things are and what they can do. they don't know if the shadow was taking something lethal away or if the shadow was taking something innocent away.

it's all up in the air. )


We need to be careful.
descendent: (pic#14418054)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-22 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
I am being careful.

[ giving him a look of annoyance, she moves away from the bedside and over towards the door to the room. she knows how to be careful. how many times does a vampire have to tell her to be careful?

lifting her brows, she looks at him haughtily, hand on the doorknob. ]


But I can't just stay in here wondering what a spectre is and if it has any friends when I could be out there finding that out.

[ opening that door, she steps out, footsteps determinedly walking the hallway. ]
prevenance: (Daniel Gillies in The Originals S 05 (43)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-23 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
You just have to prepare yourself for the possibility that there are no answers out there for you.

( he follows her out, shutting the door behind them and following her back towards where the spectre had disappeared. )

Do you have any theories on what it is you saw, Elena? You want to go find out what happened so tell me what you think you saw.

( he's curious. )
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (tired 🔥 you gotta face up.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-23 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
If you got some elbow grease left in your ah, particular half-dead looking state. Which, by the way, what did you do to yourself?

[ he gives a nod for her to come give him a hand. although he'll do what he can to take most the brunt. might stick him for it later, but, for now he feels a little reckless. he feels like tossing the place up and making mathias bleed her secrets to him. ]
descendent: (pic#14484321)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-23 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ descending the stairs, she pulls her coat tighter against her, ready to brace for the inevitable cold. the closer she ventures towards hte front door, the chillier the boarding house seems to feel. she walks quickly and with a tiring sense of determination. a part of her wants to prove him wrong. ]

Yes.

[ she opens the front door and looks back at him, keeping it ajar for him to follow and step through with her. the town is cold and far too white and snowy. ]

How many times have you gone out there to talk to them and nothing has ever come and devoured them?
prevenance: (eli10)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-23 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
I haven't ever tried to speak with them, Elena.

( every time he'd gotten close to them, they disappeared. he'd called a few questions to them but he'd never received answers so he assumed they just didn't talk or they couldn't talk. )

And there's no way you can have had your eye on all these spectres. There's no telling if this was the first time this happened here or the first time you saw it.

( like the fog, maybe this was a common occurrence for this place. )
descendent: (pic#14479266)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-23 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ arms wrapped tight around her middle, she walks fast, knowing he'll keep up. elijah has long legs, legs that seem longer than the bed she sleeps in. her feet push hard against the snow and she feels like she's exerting more energy than necessary. her goal is to find that location right outside their window, and so she glances up at the boarding house to try and spot the window that's theirs. ]

But I saw it, Elijah. [ she spares a sharp look at him from over her shoulder. ] I know what I saw. I know this is the first time I saw it. I thought you'd believe me.

[ if anything, the person who would believe her wholeheartedly is stefan. she's going out on a limb here that elijah would be the same. ]
prevenance: (35BpGfl)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-23 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Elena, I'm not questioning what you saw. What I'm questioning is the fact that we don't know if this is a normal thing for this place. I'm asking you to reserve judgment and to not set off into the snow at night to figure it out.

( going out and investigating is one thing but going out and staying out to find what looks like a shadow is something else all together and he's not going to let her do that. )

We need to be smart about this place. Neither of us knows what they're doing and what we're going to face. You're human. You need to be careful.
tinstar: (Unimpressed)

[personal profile] tinstar 2020-12-23 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Ironically, I bummed one off John the other night." His head swivelled back to the path as he took a deep breath in. "So you might be right," he admitted under his breath. "I'm almost scared to ask when you started, considerin'."

Times were much different and Raylan was not here to judge. He also didn't think it had anything to do with Doc catching tuberculosis; he was well educated enough for that.

"That'd be too easy for people like us, we'd get bored after at least a decade." A decade that he'd happily spend on said island with only a few scant arguments.
Edited 2020-12-23 02:06 (UTC)
descendent: (pic#14454516)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-23 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
And you're an Original vampire. You have to be careful, too.

[ she peers back at him to serve him with a pointed look. just because she's human doesn't mean she requires any more protection than he does. she just needs something a little different.

and right now, elena needs him to let her do this. she looks up at the boarding house and stops, eyeing the windows before she peers down at the ground with a furrowed, determined brow. ]


There's nothing in the snow.

[ she brushes her foot against the snow and brushes it to the side as if there'll be a burn mark or spectre blood on the ground. ]
prevenance: (eli10)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-23 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
( elijah starts to open his mouth to ask her just why he needs to be careful but he doesn't want to know if she knows his weakness. he can ask her about that later.

instead, he huffs and follows her out into the snow, moving around to try and find any traces of the spectre but all he sees is snow and their combined footprints. )


There's nothing out here but snow, Elena.

( he sniffs, trying to see if the shadow left any kind of trace behind but he smells nothing but the woodsy scent of nearby trees. )

There's nothing here.