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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prevenance: (abq0B5K)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-31 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
Elena, a suit is not important right now. We just got here. You don't think trying to figure out where here is is more important than the matter of clothing?

( he doesn't need a suit right now, elena. he can survive just fine in this one and clothes are the least of their worrie. )

You're not going upstairs and you're not going to look for a suit for me. You're going to stay there for a little while longer before we leave again.
descendent: (pic#14418073)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-31 02:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ he's right, which annoys her. elijah is right, and she shouldn't be thinking of exerting herself with searching for a suit for him when he's perfectly fine in what he's wearing now. he's hardly materialistic, even if she wishes he was in this very moment.

but she's like a dog with a bone, and an idea pops up into her head. ]


Suits have tags, don't they? [ she remains seated, head resting against the back of the chair once more. ] You have to promise me that when you find a new suit, you look at the tag and see if you recognise it and tell me.

[ it sounds strange of her to ask it, but, days from now, elena will realise why. right now, she seeks some familiarity, even if it's through the manufacturer of a suit. ]
prevenance: (eli33)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-31 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
( elijah narrows his eyes at her. he doesn't really understand why she needs to know that but it seems like a simple enough request and one he can fill without her exerting herself. )

Very well.

( fine, he'll do that. he nods before he gets to his feet, dusting his hands off and looking around. )

When you're ready, we'll go. There has to be more to this city than just this one house.
vampirebats: (pic#14493380)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2020-12-31 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, you know what... he gave me a bottle of that stuff when I first arrived. Impressive shit... it'll knock you on your ass." Or it will if you haven't had the luxury of drinking in a hell of a long time. He reaches down for another stone to chuck after Raylan is done throwing his own.

"Good question. In my experience, people don't pull the intimidation bullshit for no reason at all. Just a matter of figuring out whether we need to pay attention to this asshole or the other freaky shit or if there's something we're missing... something big. Not sure what it could be though. I mean, you see anything valuable around here or just a bunch of shit left behind by who the fuck knows who?"
vampirebats: (pic#14493362)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2020-12-31 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
"You're right. I hate it." A grimace twists his expression. "But the question that comes along with that theory is... who's watching us and why?"

Just some jackass who gets off on watching suffering and discomfort? "If you say aliens, I'm gonna think you've got a screw loose or two."

But fuck it, he probably does too.
vampirebats: (pic#14493366)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2020-12-31 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
"Hey, do you mean to imply it can't be both? C'mon now." It is refreshing. Most people don't get it, or if they do-- they're fucking assholes about it. Killing children kinda assholes, swinging their dicks around to prove shit points assholes, in his experience. Then again, his world is shit in a lot of ways Constantine's might not be.

He gestures idly. "I got a feeling this place wants us to do crazy sometimes."
abrightboy: (counterpoint)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2020-12-31 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
“I’m not willing to rule anything out, but no... I don’t think it’s aliens,” Malcolm admitted. “The problem is we’re not in a position to learn much about our captors.”

He opened a cupboard. Not much of interest. He moved along.

“We don’t even know where they’re watching from or how.”
descendent: (pic#14539223)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-31 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
[ she watches him rise and wonders if elijah is capable of sitting still. even at the lockwood mansion, he hadn't been able to sit still, needing to move about as he told her his story and rising to his feet to walk away when things seemed to grow uncomfortable. she wonders what he's uncomfortable about right now, other than the obvious—being thrown into a different town with no answers, let alone no map.

she keeps her head against the chair, rubbing her hands against her legs. ]


If you want to go, you can go. I'm not going to get up and go exploring. [ exhaling a small huff of breath, she smiles small and lifts her shoulders. ] This chair is kind of comfortable.
vampirebats: (pic#14493359)

'Tis the season, I guess!

[personal profile] vampirebats 2020-12-31 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
[But how can he resist? It'd be a fucking adorable face if he didn't look like he was perpetually pissed off or constipated.]

Hey, hey. [Look, he can't do that. Somebody's hurt, when you've already got limited numbers, you should probably check on them. Common fucking sense.]

C'mon, I was just busting your balls a little. Where are you headed?
endlessflask: (292)

[personal profile] endlessflask 2020-12-31 07:08 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, you know ... [ Eliot waves his hand vaguely, because there's no way to really describe how Mr. Henry is specifically cowboy-ish. He just sort of radiates it. ] I just mean, you wear it well.

[ He's always felt like cowboys annoyed him, but now he realizes that it was the fake, pretentious cowboy types that got under his skin. These real ones aren't so bad. Helpful, actually. Really, really helpful. ]

I mean, it's nice, though. Right? You end up here and you're not missing skyscrapers or subways.
vampirebats: (pic#14493494)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2020-12-31 08:23 am (UTC)(link)
"Doesn't bode well for us, does it? Even fucking roaches won't live here." Or they're all dead, which is even worse. The only things that are supposed to survive a fucking apocalypse...

It doesn't help the uneasy feeling in his gut as they keep going on, brows furrowed. "Hey, man... I don't want to rain on your parade or anything, but this shit is giving me the heebiejeebies. Real bad vibe--"

Negan starts as he comes up behind Doc, eyes distractedly darting towards the ground, behind them, and then forward to-- see whatever the sweet hell that is.

"Ah, shit-- that don't look good." One hand moves to rest at Doc's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze in an attempt to get his attention.
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (crew 🔥 another day comes crashing in.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2020-12-31 10:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ ...alright, so, he wasn't expecting a real question to that. shit. now he has to think of what he'd need. ]

Seems like Mathias misplaced her 'How To Blow Mysterious Doors With A Magical Cherry Bomb' guidebook.

[ a pause then... and he reconsiders. ] Magic isn't unheard of in your reality? Well, this makes it all a bit easier, doesn't it?

Suppose we could try to find something flammable in the flower shop. Something that can conduct energy well enough. Vegetable oil will have to do, I suppose. We haven't found proper anointed oil yet. [ yes, he sounds annoyed. ] After that, get something that can make a big impression with the explosion. I wonder if any of these houses have a rice cooker in them.
descendent: (pic#14479238)

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-31 11:33 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe in the morning.

[ she keeps her hands tucked against her forearms, disliking how she can't quite tell if he's disappointed, angered, or just merely amused. if he was damon, it'd be easier to read him. damon's expressive eyes and quick temper to anything she does without permission tell her exactly what she needs to know when she doesn't care to know it. ]

Maybe putting it with all the other lanterns they leave behind might mean it gets picked up. I doubt the spectres will even answer us if we approach them with it tonight.

[ and she's a touch afraid they'll be angry with her if she tries to return it. although she can be recklessly brave and bravely reckless, sometimes elena gilbert is a coward. ]
descendent: (pic#14418059)

can you stop reading my plans please??? just because i leave it next to the peanut butter...

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-31 11:34 am (UTC)(link)
As nosy as she is, she only takes her glass of water and sits on the couch, taking that as her opportunity to look around. It's very overwhelming to think she's not in Mystic Falls anymore—she's certain that if Henry came by the town, he'd be remembered for his moustache alone—and being in a house that looks lived in is… well…. it shouldn't be strange at all.

"It's fine, thank you," she says. She smiles at what he has in his hands, grateful for his kindness she isn't quite sure she'll ever be able to repay. The last thing she wants to do is burden Henry with her drama. (Talking about it is scary, and talking about it makes it real.)

"Where are you from?"

A better topic of conversation, in her humble opinion.
thering: (Doc197)

well I'm probably 10 minutes early but happy new year

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-31 12:50 pm (UTC)(link)
He sets the basin down quietly and flaps the extra clothes she can change into later over the backrest of the couch, tugging the soft, fluffy throw hanging off the armrest over and setting it down in her lap. It's fine if she doesn't want to talk about it; he won't press. He can probably make an educated guess if she lets him see the wound, anyway.

Sitting next to her on the couch once everything he needs is laid out on the table, Doc removes his hat with hands still slightly damp and sets it aside behind him.

"Sorry ma'am, do you mind?" If she doesn't, he will reach over slowly and sweep her hair aside to press a warm, wet, wrung out towel to the bloodstained skin on the side of her neck and on her shoulder.

"I have lived in many places, but I was born in Georgia, August of 1851." She probably has questions. Just about everyone else has asked at least one. She can ask as many as she likes while he redresses her wound. Luckily he seems busy enough focusing on that that he's not really making eye contact.
descendent: (pic#14479219)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 💖 may 2021 bless us with more vegemite!

[personal profile] descendent 2020-12-31 12:57 pm (UTC)(link)
She doesn't mind at all, trying to assist him with the sweep of her matted hair. Although, she worries about what he'll make of the wound on her neck. It's very obviously rough and has been ripped open by something rougher. A keen eye may think it's teeth.

"1851?" Her eyes widen in wonderment and excitement. That means he's older than Stefan and Damon in terms of immortal years, and yet... he's so different. She lets out a soft, incredulous laugh. If only Stefan was here, maybe Henry would have someone to reminisce with. "That's why you call me "ma'am", which you don't need to do. You can just call me Elena if you want. Unless that makes you uncomfortable?"
thering: (Doc151)

I will happily ~toast~ to that 😏

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-31 01:29 pm (UTC)(link)
He's pretty sure it's teeth, and in the kind of spot where a lover might have liked to leave a little memento. One eyebrow crawls up and up towards his hairline as the blood gets mopped away and the injury becomes more apparent. Still he says nothing about the nature of her wound. It is not the strangest thing he has seen, even if it ranks pretty high up on the list.

"Elena then." He glances at her and smiles before dabbing away at the site of the puncture wound itself, as gently as he can manage. Some old habits he has let go of fairly easily. Some he still holds onto. Far be it from him to be the one to let chivalry die in the 21st century.

"Watching you walk around alone so late in the evening makes me uncomfortable. This town isn't safe to be alone in at all, any time of day."
thering: (Doc184)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-31 01:47 pm (UTC)(link)
The crushing weight of a bundle of disparate thoughts rolling into one hits him like a ton of bricks and as soon as he registers that Negan is indeed speaking even though he doesn't listen to the worlds themselves, Doc turns, swiftly, practically lunging at Negan and sending them both crashing onto the already brittle floor. His hat slides into the storage room they had come from and he clamps his hand over Negan's nose and mouth firmly.

"Don't breathe," he warns, voice low and deathly serious, pinning the other man down for a few seconds to make sure he's still, and listening. When Doc feels a nod or some kind of acknowledgement, he jerks his head towards the way they had come in from and tugs Negan back onto his feet before shoving him on out of there as quickly as they can go, back to the window where they can climb back out and breathe again.

He can't be sure if he's just gotten a man killed, but he doesn't want to think about it too much, at least until they're out of there.
thering: (Doc292)

[personal profile] thering 2020-12-31 02:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Why thank you kindly, sir. [Said without sarcasm or malice, too. He appreciates what he takes as a compliment.]

Well, you know, wouldn't mind a horse. [He's only half-joking. They would cover more ground with a horse. He has not yet seen a skyscraper though. That really would blow his mind.]

And people staying put where they are, so no one need worry over them. Might be nice for a change. [The prospect of their first few days here being the best days they will ever have is one that is too bleak to consider.]
prevenance: (Daniel Gillies in The Originals S 05 (63)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-31 05:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Magic isn't at all uncommon.

( witches were something he was familiar enough with. some liked it, some hated him, but their magic was something he was very familiar with.

he'd rather avoid feeling their wrath if he can help it. it always gives him a headache. )


Well, your ingredients don't sound as difficult to get as some spells I've come across. But, it would be quite easier to accomplish if there was a convenient shop located nearby.
prevenance: (35BpGfl)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-31 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm not going to leave you, Elena. We're going to go wherever we have to go together.

( he also doesn't trust that she won't go exploring right now. he doesn't want to take the chance and leave her so she could find her way outside and get lost in the snow.

he's not going to let that happen. )


When you're ready to go, we'll go. But, I'm not going to leave you here alone.
prevenance: (JL5Tekr)

[personal profile] prevenance 2020-12-31 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
You couldn't have known, Elena, that this would happen. You couldn't have known.

( elijah knows that that's probably not going to help. from what he knows of elena, she takes things very hard and she takes things to heart. she's going to feel responsible for this spectre.

he sighs and shakes his head. )


You can't feel like you caused this, all right? Because you couldn't have known. No one could.
tinstar: (huh)

[personal profile] tinstar 2020-12-31 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
"Takes the edge off, that's for sure. The edge and anythin' lying underneath, at least for a few hours. Used to drink it when I was a teenager. Didn't taste much better."

Raylan tossed his rock from the side, well clearing the gap and burying it undramatically into the snow. Little more power next toss, that's what he got from it. As he spoke, he kicked around and found another suitable rock

"I barely see even a bunch of shit. No cars, no drugs, no liquor, not even cooking sherry. Place has been scrubbed. Some say it's a front. A staged set up. Don't know how I feel about that. This asshole is the first thing that's not weather. Anything too big, we might be too close to see it, that's my concern."
hellblaze: <lj user="synthnights">. (look 🔥 doesn't want me.)

[personal profile] hellblaze 2021-01-01 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
"People usually don't admit to both." John is a punk deep down at heart. The music scene, the energy, the non-conformation to the man. Although, he has far more settled into the idea of simply using the rules to his will and then breaking off when he needs to.

"Crazy's the easy part."

He took a few steps up to the school and opened the door.

"Let's take a look."

Although he had that sinking feeling deep down in his stomach about it.
aprofoundbond: (Born this happy morning)

[personal profile] aprofoundbond 2021-01-01 02:01 am (UTC)(link)
Possibly. But I suspect that, whatever this place is, it doesn't like the easy way of things. [Mathias Township seems like a town of riddles and mystery, the kind of place that, no matter how abandoned and desolate it may look at first glance, enjoys keeping people on its toes.

At Henry's response, Castiel just snorts, grinning wryly. He should probably keep the fact that God is now, technically, a three year old, to himself, as well as the fact that God is also the son of Lucifer. Probably best to avoid that particular minefield for the time being.]


I can't tell you or anticipate what you may or may not believe. I only have what I've experienced, and, prior to arriving here, I was in Heaven.