villagelogs | 018-020 » what he hides

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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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[ 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?

( 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.

[ 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? ]

Yes, it is.

( that is one thing they can both agree on in that this is a strange place. elijah's over one thousand years old and he has no idea what to make of this or how he got here or how elena of all people ended up here with him.

he walks around the perimeter of the room, fingers brushing against the wall. nothing feels out of place, nothing smells strange, and he can't hear anything but the rustle of snow outside.

he frowns. )

What did you say you were doing before you woke up here?

[ that'd be a strange question if she didn't think he was angling for something. elena can scarcely remember what she told him, but she wonders if mentioning jenna will be a red flag. it's strange to think that jenna would be... does he knows she's dead? did he always know she was going to be the vampire sacrifice? ]

I was with Stefan.

[ always a safe bet, and not a lie, either. she was with stefan and she wants to be with stefan. telling elijah that she was there to hand herself over to klaus feels... to stark and real, and she shies away from it. she needs a bit of time to come to terms with everything that happened.

elena wants to lean forward, but she rests her head against the chair adn lolls her head to the side, feeling tired. ]

We were near the quarry. Why?

I don't know. I'm trying to see if there was some sort of commonality in what we were doing that signaled that we were to be brought here. Of course, I don't know who brought us here or how since I don't know of any person, witch or otherwise, that could transport us like this.

( he stares at a spot on the wall before he sighs and turns back to her. some of her color seems to be coming back but she needs more time. )

I was with my family and we weren't near a quarry. We were in New Orleans. There's no similarity in what we were doing. There's nothing to suggest there's a pattern.

[ it's so jarring to think he wasn't in mystic falls before he woke up in the snow here. it's so strange and it doesn't feel right. she wants everything to line up perfectly so that she can easily place him in her memory and see whether or not his word had been true. all his talking only confuses her.

closing her eyes for a moment, she feels a little more tired than she'd like. their trek in the snow is catching up to her human self, but she refuses to keep her eyes closed for long. she wants to stay awake and alert with him. she keeps her head against the chair as she watches him curiously.

quietly, ] We were with people we care about. That's the similarity.

But I don't think that's why we were taken. There are plenty of people who were with those they cared about at the exact same time so what was so special about you and I that meant we had to be here?

( he doesn't want to rain on her parade but he doesn't think that's the answer. he thinks there's something else about the two of them and everyone else here that means they've been taken.

but, he doesn't know the answer. and he hates that. )

And I'm fairly certain there are a million different people you would want to be with besides myself.

[ softly, ] Only a handful.

[ she doesn't know a million people, not like him, and her list is small. there's jeremy, stefan, bonnie, caroline, and jenna. that list fits on one hand and one hand only.

thinking of jenna only makes her chest deflate and her feel quiet. she wishes she was here. she's at the top of her list, desperate to see her again and tell her how sorry she was for not taking care of her. but she has a feeling she won't come here, even though elena thinks that them both being dead is the reason for why they're actually in this town.

she inhales deeply through her nose to try and steady herself, and remains comfortably slouched on the couch. looking at him, she can only give him a small, kind smile. ]

I'm sure there are a couple of people you'd prefer to be here with than me.

( for a moment, elijah doesn't answer. she's right, there are other people that he would want here in lieu of her but elena gilbert isn't all that terrible to be stuck with.

she is a much better choice than either salvatore or any of her other friends. elena might be stubborn and pigheaded, but she's impressively tough and adaptable.

he sighs and looks over her, hands sliding into his pockets. )

Not many but yes. My siblings but I recognize the...issues that would cause.

( rebekah being here would be fine. kol and klaus would cause so many problems. all of them together? well, that would be a thing. )

[ while elena feels surprised by that—elijah has more than one sibling?—she keeps that reaction hidden under lock and key. it's not even really a purposeful reaction; elena's really tired, and so she only makes an amused noise, brow wrinkling. it's the easiest answer she can give, and the one that happens to sit on the tip of her tongue. ]

I wish Jeremy was here.

[ she lets out a sigh. she wishes stefan was here and jenna was here and bonnie and caroline and even alaric. she wishes they were here so she doesn't feel so alone. ]

Even though he'd end up doing something stupid in this town. Brothers tend to be stupid, no offence.

None taken. I actually agree with you.

( his brothers were complete idiots sometimes and while elijah loves them both, he can recognize their stupid decisions.

he sighs, finally finding a seat of his own and settling his gaze on her. )

Now, are you going to tell me where you're injured? I won't give you my blood but we do need to treat it.

[ elena knows that if she tells him it's her elbow, he'll want to have a look. lying isn't necessarily her strongest suit, although she can tell a good fib when she wants to.

maybe honesty is the best policy at this very moment. she can make up the details and ensure they're as fuzzy but as believable as possible. telling him klaus killed her isn't something she wants to pursue right now. ]

My neck. [ she shrugs her other shoulder and gives him a small smile. ] It's getting better—being in the snow helped.

[ the cold just makes her neck sting a little more sharply. ]

Let me see.

( again, he doesn't move closer to her. he stays sitting, eye flicking down to her neck. he has a feeling he knows what sort of wound she has on her neck and he wonders who exactly gave it to her.

was it one of the salvatores? one of his siblings? )

Snow isn't going to make your neck feel better, Elena. Don't be ridiculous.

[ ridiculous is her middle name, elijah! she thinks to tell him that, but all she does is sigh. ]

Maybe I want it to.

[ she eyes him for a moment, wondering when he's going to appear beside her. she doesn't pull her head away from the back of the chair cushion and she doesn't try to expose her neck to him. the further away he is, the better. ]

Blood can heal wounds, so why not snow?

[ yes, she knows she's being ridiculous. elena has half a year's worth of pent up frustration bubbling constantly inside of her. ]

Because snow is not the same as blood, Elena, and you know that. Are you really going to talk me as if I'm stupid? I told you I wasn't going to make you take my blood but don't act as if you've been magically healed.

( he doesn't stop looking at her. what he wants to do is get up, bite into his wrist and heal her but he's trying to know his boundaries. )

You need first aide. I'm merely trying to help you, Elena.

[ she really wishes she was the girl who didn't know certain types of blood consisted of healing properties. life had been darker and difficult back then, but it had been slightly easier to navigate. she knows that if she asks to drink from him that she'll be healed, but she also frets that if she does so, she could trip and die and be turned into a vampire.

but he's right; he's only trying to help. so, she lets out a breath. ]

I'm sure there's a first aid kit in the bathroom. [ she curves her hands around the arms of her chair. ] I'll go look.

Elena.

( he shoots up, voice firm and sharp. he understands that she has to maintain some control in the situation but this is starting to border on insane. he's not just going to let her move around and act like he is there, offering to help. )

Sit down. I'll go look. You're barely able to stand and we both know it. Now, sit down and let me look.

( stop being stupid, elena. let him help. )

[ she thinks to argue with him—she's perfectly capable of getting up and finding the kit, just as she's perfectly capable of making her own decisions—but her fight isn't with elijah. he's just there, available for her to fight against. thankfully for her, his growing irritation doesn't result in an outburst.

she remains seated, arms resting against the chair's. she'd like to sit here for a little longer so her skin can warm up and her bones can stop being so tired. ]

I'm sitting. I'll stay sitting.

[ it's all she thinks she's capable of. ]

Thank you.

( sighing, he gives her one last look before he disappears further into the house. he can still hear her if she chooses to try and get up and leave but he hopes she won't do that.

she's injured and she needs both the rest and first aide. he can't make her rest but he can give her first aide and if worst comes to worst, he'll compel her to take his blood.

and she can hate him later. he finds the bathroom and starts scrounging around for bandages and gaze and rubbing alcohol. )

[ as much as elena wants to get up and silently follow him to wherever he's gone to ensure that he's okay, she remains where she is. she leans further against the chair and closes her eyes momentarily, telling herself it'll just be for one moment. she's so tired and she wants to merely close her eyes and drift off, but she can't do that with elijah here. the last thing she wants is for him to worry.

he's different in a way that she can't put her finger on. still quietly intimidating, he regards her in a way that's unsettlingly familiar. she doesn't know him as well as she'd like to know him, but she feels like he's come to know her in the short space of time that they've shared.

she swallows thickly and keeps her eyes closed. ] Did you find anything? [ no matter how quiet her voice is, she imagines he can hear her. ]

Edited (fuck you) 2020-12-19 01:23 (UTC)

Not much but there are some things back here that I think might help. I'm coming back.

( he gathers up some gauze, water, and a few bandages that he's found and makes his way back out to the front room. he's grateful to see that she's still sitting and that makes it easier for him to cross the room and kneel down in front of her. )

You're going to need to show me the wound, Elena.

( no, he is not going to let her do this on her own. )

[ she would like to keep her eyes tightly shut, thank you very much. she knows she can easily slip into a well-earned sleep, but she opens her eyes and looks at him blearily. he's not stefan, and that makes her a touch sad.

bringing her hand up to the right side of her neck where her thick hair covers it, she stupidly considers not showing him. she can look after herself, certainly... but she's refused to look in any reflective surfaces and hadn't so much as gotten up to peer at her neck and examine it while he was gone. she's scared of what she'll find.

it's very slowly that she leans forward and it's very slowly that she peels her hair—now matted with blood and sticking slightly to her wound—from her neck. she scrunches up her face as she tries to pull it over her shoulder. her wound is very clearly a bite mark, with torn skin and dried blood coating her neck and some fresh blood oozing out. ]

It's not that bad.

[ that's what she's been telling herself, at least. ]

Hm.

( it's not that bad, it's true, but it's bad enough. she's not going to die but he should have made them stop so he could have looked at this a long time ago.

frowning, he leans forward, trying to smell an infection and thankfully can't. a small stroke of luck. he wishes he had rubbing alcohol but he settles for dousing one of the gauze pads in water so he can press it lightly to the wound, holding it there to try and clean it. )

Who did this to you? ( he can't stop the question from slipping out. )

[ wondering what he's trying to smell and if he can smell anything (damon's blood? klaus' venom? klaus?), elena makes it a point to relax. she needs to relax so he doesn't become overwhelmed with the pounding of her heart and read further into it.

elena winces as the bandage stings. she lifts her hand to press it against her wound as if the pressure will stifle how uncomfortable it feels. even if he thinks she's trying to avoid answering, she's momentarily overwhelmed by the pressure on her sensitive neck. ]

A vampire.

[ an easy and safe answer. she tilts her head to the side and feels some water trickle down her neck. ]

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