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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I don't.

[ that probably sounds a lot more pathetic than it should, but she has nowhere to go and nothing to do other than return to the boarding house. and, quite frankly, she's growing very bored staying in the one room.

leaning forward, she knocks the door herself, a little too hard for her liking. ]

I don't think anyone's home.

[ there's a pause at that. john looks up at her, giving a small and sympathetic smile. he's really got nowhere better to be as well. oh, sure, people got all wrapped up in his life here in mathias. still doesn't mean he really belongs with them though. raylan, his best mate? he's got two other blokes he's tied up with and living with. three's usually a crowd, and john's got no interest in hanging around like a fourth wheel. zed? she's missing, and he's got no idea if her body is going to wash up on the beach or if she'll wander back into town one day. the hargreeves? eh, brothers already, and he's not going to get involved in that. daisy's got people at the boarding house... and their last conversation hadn't gone swimmingly. ]

I don't either.

[ a bit sad, a bit pathetic, but he'll admit it. namely because she's a stranger and it won't matter much to her what he says in the end. ]

Then how about we see if we can find a way into their room? [ he inhales and puts his hands on the cold floor below them. he closes his eyes. ] Oh, spirits of earth that might still linger... we respect you and your mighty house. Take this offering of energy and reveal thy secrets.

[ there's a slight vibration then - a low hum if elena can listen close enough. it echoes through the wood and the stone beneath them. a moment passes, and john's eyebrows knit together. oh, he can feel that room beneath them. but, the stone isn't responding like it should.

bloody fucking mathias and it's issues with his magic. ]

[ elena's been around bonnie and her spells long enough over the last two years to be able to feel that unusual and natural hum of magic. it's interesting how he summons it differently to her best friend, and she watches the floor with a curious furrow to her brow, leaning forward without thinking. she expects to see something or someone peep up through the hole like it is a door to their room.

she's stupidly disappointed when nothing peers up from the crack. momentarily, she feel resentful of elijah and his sharp, supernaturally enhanced vision. she wants to be able to see if there's any movement beneath them, but she can't hear anything over the humming.

releasing a little sigh, she sits back on her knees and keeps her gaze on the hole in the floor. just in case. ]

Maybe there's another way to get down there. Who says we have to climb through a dangerous hole in the floor?

[ somewhere, elijah's saying "thank god elena's not choosing the most dangerous route in a potentially dangerous situation." ]

Less climbing through a dangerous hole and looking down inside it, luv.

[ he gives her a strained smile before pushing his hands down harder on the floor. his magic seeps out... further and further, up the walls. now the bookcases hum. he frowns more, feeling the pinch on his sides from the strain on his body. it's uncomfortable, but, at least there hasn't been a blowback.

until he finally relents. the surge of energy can be felt around them as he releases the spell. he leans forward a bit, wheezing and giving a cough at the strain on his whole system. there is a few moments where he catches his breath before pushing himself up to stand.

then, a frustrated sigh and yell. ]

This bloody fucking town!

[ holding her breath as the magic seems to surge from him, she does hope with everything that she has that it'll break. of course, it doesn't. it's almost like the town doesn't want to give elena what she wants, similarly to the salvatores.

she looks up at him as he stands and slowly rises herself. letting out a disappointed sigh, she brushes her hair behind her ears. ]

No. [ it's quietly said. she looks around determinedly and huffs. ] There has to be a way of finding what's down there. Did you get a sense of anything? Like another energy? You burnt this area, so the energy of the fire had to go somewhere, surely?

[ elena now wishes she had conversations with shiela bennett about magic. she has no idea how to help. ]

[ john scratches the back of his head as he shakes it. no, no sense of anything else other then the pair of them in this stupid library in this stupid god forsaken town. ]

Area came burnt with the library. But, any energy from that disappeared a long time ago.

[ he moves over to a bookcase and sighs deeply. then, he gives it a good kick. showing off his maturity in a brilliant display for all to see. he's quiet for a moment.

it's a long shot -- but it might work. ]

[ he reminds her of damon in this moment, but she sincerely doubts john constantine will hurt her in the way damon does. he'd kick the bookshelf or wall in a fit of rage, but for john, she can understand it. it's been building up with his time here. the impression she's gotten is that this town has a lot of unanswered questions.

she heaves in a breath and sighs, her shoulders moving as she does so. she had come to the library to seek information and answers, and she's only discovered more questions. ]

You knocked some of the books off…

[ elena ventures over towards him and the bookshelf, and picks up a few of the charred books that have survived. she eyes the covers, wishing one was titled READ ME, I KNOW EVERYTHING. instead, they're just husks of fictional books. ]

Found one that was a bit more than just a fictional novel. [ he nods over to the book she picked up.

he looks at the bookcase again, then to the floor. oh, he doubts it'll work, but, why not give it a shot?

why not? he's already lost zed. he's already given his darkest secret to raylan. heaven and hell aren't answering his calls (for once). his magic works half best most the time. he's already died once. really, what else could go wrong?

john half turns, his hands going to the charred bookcase. ]

You might want to move, luv.

[ 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. ]

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. ]

I woke up in the snow without a blanket.

[ that's not it, that's hardly it. even if she wanted to say a vampire had drained her of her blood to turn himself into a hybrid, she has a strong feeling she can't. she could barely say it to elijah, and he has more context than anyone else in this town.

clearing her throat, she comes to stand beside him, flexing her fingers. ]

Besides, looking half-dead is in. [ she smiles at him and gives him a very pointed once-over. half-dead meet half-dead. ]

Hope you took a warm bath and cuddled up with some heated alcohol. Otherwise, it might be a bit much for you, luv.

[ personal questions. too close - not wanting to share. fine by him.

he didn't feel like being in the sharing mood himself.

a grin crawls on his face at that. ]

Half-Dead Elena. Got a bit of a ring to it, doesn't it?

[ he angles himself and nods to her. then, he throws all the weight he can into the bookcase. ]

And you're Half-Broken Jonathan. [ assuming his name, like uncle-but-really-dad john's is actually that.

with a grunt, she follows him, pushing as much as her human, wiry weight against the bookshelf that she can. being a doppelgänger has to help in this situation, surely?

voice stressed, she mutters, ] I might brainstorm your nickname a little. Raggedy, broken man seems a bit mean. You look like you brushed your hair before you got beaten up. [ she smiles at him, hopefully reading him right as being someone who likes to be teased more than he likes to be skirted around.

then scrunches up her face to keep pushing. ]

John really isn't short for Jonathan, luv. [ he gives her a playful wink and a shake of his head.

that's new. he hasn't been called jonathan before.

then he laughs as they continue to push the bookcase. it sounds more like a wheeze, given the state of his ribcage. ]

I've got great posture and self care! [ john gives one more nod to her. there is one final push.

then the bookcase gives way.

CRASH.

dusty goes up. the sound echoes in the library.

he instinctively grabs elena's arm and pulls her closer just in case. pieces of paper from remaining books go up in the air. his eyes follow the papers and one hand comes up to wave the dust away from their faces. another cough. ]

[ elena doesn't pull away from him when he grabs her, eyes narrowed tightly as she waves her hand in front of her face and tries to stifle her coughing. the dust in the air begins to make her skin itch, but she keeps trying to bat it away so that she can feel like it's clear to breathe.

she doesn't know what she had expected, other than a mess. it's natural instinct for her to glance over her shoulder as if a librarian is bound to come running down the aisles to scold them, but she's sorely disappointed.

without thinking, she grabs his arm and takes a step closer to the bookshelf. ]

What is that?

[ this is such a cliche—and makes her feel excited by the fact it seems like she's living in the goonies with its secret passageways. ]

[ a loud tch comes from john at the sight of the floor being in tact. it's a pain in the arse, now. and he doesn't much like that fact. he's ready to stand there and pout like a child until elena grabs his arm.

he raises an eyebrow and looks over at where she's turned. his head tilts.

john pulls her gently along with him as he sees a cutout. he pulls her instinctively close, hand reaching up to test the cutout--a doorway. ]

Well, Half-Dead Elena. Looks like we might of found our way under the floor.

[ he looks at her with a grin, pulling out his lighter and flicking it on. ]

Stay close.

[ she doesn't know what she expects—the space behind the bookshelf to somehow eat him whole if he dared touch it?—but she finds herself stupidly excited by the prospect of going in and seeing if there's something like the goonies to be found inside. isn't this how it starts? adventures to buried treasure always begin with a strangely positioned hole in the wall.

eyeing his lighter with some amusement, she shakes her head and prepares herself quietly to enter somewhere rather dark, possibly dank, and hopefully not dangerous. she doesn't pull away from his touch. ]

You never saw this before? [ she asks it quietly, a touch afraid that there's something in this section of the library that could be awoken if she so much as yelled it. ]

[ there's a shake of his head. ]

Never got around to breaking the bookcases. Suppose that should of been the firs thing I tried... the floor was just the easier target.

[ he makes sure she's behind him. his arm gives her a bit of a boundary as the start into the dark room--and stairs. stairs. he tilts his head at it, but then makes sure to gently guide the both of them towards the wall. who knows how long it had been since anyone had been in here. ]

Stay close, luv.

[ slowly, he makes his way down the stairs. that light from his lighter isn't as much as he had hoped it would be. he might need to make a light source. not the best idea, given his current physical state, and how much he can feel the magic having drained his energy already. ]

Edited 2021-01-02 23:17 (UTC)

[ reaching out her hand to try and brush it against the wall, she keeps her fingertips against it to help her balance. she can barely see anything save for what his lighter allows her to, and as they walk further away from the library, there's no light—not even a dismal amount—to help her keep her step.

she sighs, ] I feel like this is the moment in horror movies where the killer slams the door shut, locks us in here with them, and then kills us.

[ usually she can stay silent and caroline's the blabbermouth, but without one of her two best friends here, elena feels compelled to fill in the space. besides, it's creepy in here and the silence is just making the hair stand up all over her body. ]

Sorry. My mind kind of goes to slasher films when I'm trapped in the dark.

Well, at least it wouldn't be stuck in here too long then. There's worst people to die besides. At least I'm devilishly attractive.

[ the humor is present to try and keep her calm. he's been hairier places than this. still, if she isn't used to it? best to keep her put together and with him. which is why there is a nudge with the arm that is stretched out behind him.

take his hand, elena. ]

There's always an end. It's just getting to it.

[ she rolls her eyes and with a kid smile, ] You remind me of someone from home. [ damon, who she has very complex feelings towards. that doesn't mean she can't look at the surface of him and their interactions and not reminisce on his more enjoyable moments.

placing her hand in his, she squeezes it. ]

Have you ever been in a secret tunnel before?

That could be in my favor... or it could mean you know a big bastard back home.

[ he gives her a squeeze back to show he knows she's there.

he stops briefly to look down with the lighter. it seems like only a few more steps, but... ]

A few things like it. This is the sort of thing I do back home. I go into dark scary places, find what's giving a haunt, send it back to Hell, then go have a drink.

Mathias is just a bit harder of a nut to crack.

[ he turns to look at her. with a notion, he pushed them against the wall. ]

How about this, then? Hold this for us. [ then, he hands her the lighter. ] I'll get us a bit more light.

[ she takes his lighter without any hesitation, ensuring to not move her hand too wildly to knock the flame out. she's curious to know how he exorcises things… it's not difficult for her to believe that he could be someone who sends spirits back to where they belong. mystic falls could use him.

brow furrowing, she eyes him—not that there's much to eye. he's going to fix that, though. ]

Are you going to make the flame bigger?

[ oo, exciting. ]

[ he grins and gives a wink. not quite. instead his hands come up around hers and his eyes slip shut. he mutters something - latin maybe. the flame jumps from the lighter and up above them. up, up, it shoots, until it's ten feet above them. it illuminates around them. still not much more than that, but, enough so they're not going to be falling on their faces. ]

Not my best work, but, works in a pinch. Just keep holding the lighter. It needs a steady source. [ then, he reaches up and nudges one of her hands to take his again. he still doesn't trust the stairs entirely.

a few more steps down and the light drops with them. it's always above them, but follows them down.

they finally reach the bottom. he holds up his other hand and the flaming light comes down to their level. still safely above their heads, but, closer now. ]

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018-020 » what he hides

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