018-020 » what he hides

[villagemod]

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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Comments

[vampirebats]

"Jesus Christ... I guess it's true what they say about scorned women." Hey, he might bust some balls once in a while, but even he knows when to back off some things. Usually. And they're sharing personal shit, not the time to joke right now.

Especially with potential, impending death.

"Guessing that kid isn't yours either, huh?" He reaches over the narrow distance between them to give him a quick pat on the shoulder.

"Sorry, man. Hey, maybe there'll be someone else that'll show up. You never know. I mean, if we live through the night."

He sighs. "Sorry, just in case, that I'm the guy you're stuck with in your potential final moments. I mean, I am damn fine company..."

[thering]

Doc stiffens up considerably when Negan pats him on the shoulder after mentions the kid not being his, pursing his lips, wringing his hands, averting his gaze. Nothing says guilty as charged for thinking with the wrong head in a moment's weakness like a wiggling moustache and a hand running through his hair.

"I would rather no one else show up," he tries to change the subject quickly. "Wouldn't wish this on anyone, unless we were sipping drinks by a pool."

And sure, he would rather be dying next to that pool with someone else, but Negan is all he has. He didn't get this far by being unable to roll with the punches.

"Suppose I'll have to make do with you. Just as you do with me. Let's not- talk about chronic illnesses anymore."

[vampirebats]

"Oh, holy shit... you were sure as hell the baby daddy, weren't you?" Buddy, no. He sucks in a breath of sympathy, gives another pat. He could be more obnoxious about it, but... that is just some bad luck. Man.

"I guess you're right, man." He tips his head back, idly looking at the ceiling. A pool, surrounded by nearly naked chicks wouldn't be a bad place to go at all.

"Yeah, you got it. Let's stop talking about depressing shit in general. If this is our last night, let's try to have a couple laughs at least... then we'll figure out how we're gonna kill each other if that time comes."

[thering]

"Negan, let's-- not." Doc squeezes his eyes shut and rubs his face with a kind of fatigue he . It was not supposed to happen. It did. He is taking as much responsibility for it as Wynonna would let him. He said he would be there, whatever happens. He is not there.

No long term death sentence talk and no baby talk. Those two fall under 'depressing shit'. It still leaves them with plenty of other options, surely.

"I have a few ideas for how to get rid of you," Doc says wryly. "You might look quite dashing in a hempen necktie."

[vampirebats]

That's his happy talk? Should Negan's feelings be hurt or fucking what?

"Well, that'd preserve my face, but come on... then you got a swinging, ravenous corpse waiting for the next poor bastard who'd walk in."

He shakes his head. "No, maybe I should do you, then I'll do me... or vice versa."

[thering]

"Least you'd be on a leash hanging off a beam, give them plenty of clearance. And you did ask for a laugh." They should both be used to gallows humour by now. You have to be when someone's taking their time stretching out their dying across several years. Two guys one sharpened butter knife means they either have to be recycling said butter knife, assuming one of them goes before the other, or they have to find something else in the town hall other than paper and pens.

Maybe they have to stab each other through the neck with a pen, if it comes down to it.

"You are most certainly not doing me tonight. Or any night," Doc huffs, pressing a hand on his thigh and tilting his head away from Negan to regard him from a short distance away. You couldn't afford him, Negan. Even if this happens to be his last night and he's scrounging around for every bit of pity he can get.

"We both gon' use the knife?"

[vampirebats]

Okay, it does get a laugh out of him. "You've never shit yourself so fast until you step into a room with one of those things hanging, let me tell you. First time I saw it? Swear my heart stopped and I had to change my pants."

Too much information? Hey, they're buddies now, he can deal with it.

"Hey, I'm sure it'd be magical and all, and your mustache would tickle all the right spots... But I am not trying to get in those well-fitting pants of yours, my friend." Maybe if he wasn't too busy focusing on every tickle in his throat or waiting for some sort of fever to settle in or something. But Negan Jr. is just not in the game right now.

"If I can find something heavy enough, I can always beat your head in and use the knife on myself after. Prop it up on something, let myself drop on it... I've thought about it before, how to do myself in if I was ever gonna turn. What'd be easiest is if we had a goddamn gun or Lucille here."

[thering]

Yes, it was too much information. But Doc doesn't make the link between the disease and the kind of physical deterioration, the actual rotting that happens so he's just a little confused at why Negan would shit himself.

"You were looking at my pants?" Doc asks. Should he ask why?

"Much as it would be my pleasure to meet your lovely wife," IS Doc still talking about the woman? Or the bat? "It is ugly business, having to use your bare hands," he agrees. Very intimate too. Traumatic. Not like pulling a trigger. "Suppose we could use this for some blunt force." He retrieves his heavy duty torch from his gun belt and sets it down in front of him, along with the filed down butter knife. Doc takes a deep breath, looking at them, sliding a hand into his hair.

He thinks he can feel some tingling in his toes, but he's not sure if that's because sensation is starting to come back to them again after trudging through all that snow or if he's just paranoid about his own body. Doc drags his feet in closer and taps his left foot, followed by his right.

"Maybe I should use the knife, since you're worried about your face."

[vampirebats]

He envies him that a little. He doesn't know how bad it really is, never has nightmares about the dead. He doesn't know the fucking stench that hangs in the air all over the damn place. Envies him and maybe he's a little glad for it.

"C'mon, you've never checked out another guy's-- assets? Even if you're just scoping out the competition?" Jeez, maybe he does need to get laid at some point.

There's a sharper look at the mention of wife, as if he's trying to figure out if it's sarcasm or Doc's pieced together shit he didn't necessarily want him to. It's gone after a moment, the suspicion and alarm shoved way deep down. "Shame. You'd like her... real beaut."

He shakes his head, trying to not think back on how many heads Lucille's met for one reason or another. It was all necessary. All needed. Doesn't mean it's not gross as hell sometimes. "Torch'll work on one of us."

He sighs, shrugging his shoulders. "All joking aside, if it happens, I don't care what kinda corpse I leave behind if it's not trying to eat something. Do what you gotta do."

Not that he really wants to go at all, not when he's got people back home who need him. They just might have to do without old Negan, much as he hates the thought.

[thering]

"I would never-" Doc starts to insist, but then he narrows his eyes, visibly confused. "What competition? If you are speaking of wooing the womenfolk it is simply a matter of good manners and being a gentleman. The pants you are wearing have nothing to do with it." Such tactics he would imagine are universal and probably works on the menfolk too, but Doc would proclaim in no uncertain terms that he has never tried.

"You aren't leaving this building and I will not let you hurt anyone else. You can count on that." And Doc says it with the kind of certainty he hasn't been able to muster about anything else tonight. For while their previous conversation had left him feeling somewhat deflated, emotionally drained, he would not let such sentiments get in the way of doing what needs to be done.

It's terrible though, sitting around waiting. Even if they're not in pain or bedridden and feeling themselves slowly lose control of their most basic bodily functions, just the helplessness of their present situation isn't making things any easier. He doesn't know how long more they have to wait, doesn't want to ask, knowing that not much time has passed at all.

"Presumably it isn't safe to sleep?" Because they're going to have to start entertaining themselves shortly.

[vampirebats]

"Wooing the womenfolk. Man, I do love me some old timey shit. I bet you could woo a lot of them with talk like that." He lets out a laugh. Sometimes you gotta laugh or you'll cry like a fucking baby, you know?

"It's not about the pants. It's what's in them. Sometimes you just want to look at a nice ass, you know?" Come on, buddy... surely looks mattered in the olden days.

He nods appreciatively at the promise. Neither of them will leave here, be a burden on the other people who don't need that shit. Good.

"I think we can manage some in shifts."

[thering]

Just because he hasn't been too keen on oversharing about his exploits doesn't mean that he doesn't get around. If anything he had gotten around more than most people did back in the day. You tend to be a little more careless and reckless when you're living on borrowed time. At least, that's his excuse.

"I am most certain that you do plenty of wooing too. When you are not admiring peoples' assets." Though he might be fairing better in that department if he would simply stop half the things that wafted through his mind from tumbling out of his mouth.

"If this passes I must be returning to the house." So he doesn't plan on sleeping through the night, at least. "I will not impose on you longer than necessary."

[vampirebats]

"Oh, sure. I didn't do too bad. Had a few lovely ladies sharing my bed back home." Called them his wives, even though they were anything but. He shakes his head at the memories.

"Company hasn't been bad so far, but yeah, I get it. Not where I'd like to spend my whole night either. Doesn't mean you can't catch a nap if you feel like it though... sure I can figure out some way to keep myself entertained."

[thering]

"A few?" Doc asks with a raised eyebrow. He isn't necessarily hungry for sordid little details, but there is room there for Negan to boast if he is so inclined. "I do hope it was a big bed."

Negan doesn't seem like the type to pull any pranks, and Doc wants so desperately to trust that he won't try to run. But he figures they should both try to stay up as much as possible, keep an eye on each other. It might be too late if something starts changing or their condition starts deteriorating while they're sleeping.

"Can't get much sleep in the dark," he says quietly. But it's not something he wants to talk about so he quickly shuts that avenue of conversation down. "Is there anything you thought you might like to do here? Considering we may be in a better place than where you were before."

[vampirebats]

"Hey, when you're the top guy, you get a perk or two." Women sleeping with you for perks and not having to go out and fight the dead? That's one of them. So's a really big, nice bed. "Never said they were in there all at once though."

He's not going to run away at least. Not if there's even a chance -- but hell, he doesn't know if he can sleep either. His mind's still racing a little bit, worries gnawing at him after... that museum.

"I don't know." He lets out a breath. "Been hoping a way home would show itself, but I've been clicking my heels and wishing for it, but it still ain't Kansas yet."

He idly wonders if this old man has even seen The Wizard of Oz, but it's too late to worry about references now. "Get back to where I'm needed, you know?"

He shrugs. "Otherwise, just enjoying getting actual meals once in a while. Hot baths when I want them. How about you? Anything you're hoping to get done?"

[thering]

Doc purses his lips and nods. He lived in a time where only the strongest or the most despicable among them survived, even if he doesn't know anything of the world Negan had come from. He doesn't doubt that a little bit of bravery, a little bit of insanity and a little bit of cruelty can go a long way. A bit of cowardice too, if his own experiences are anything to go by.

"Well I'm not sure what witchcraft they practice in Kansas but I suspect a bit of fancy footwork won't get us where we need." Doc takes in a deep breath and sighs. He should like for it to be so easy also.

"There is nothing here for me, except for the company of new friends," he admits. Even then. You don't need to be a genius to do the numbers. The bun will soon be ready to pop from the toaster. He has already broken his promise and he doesn't have much time left. Each passing day has left him more agitated. More listless. But also a little more despondent.

[vampirebats]

He pauses at the mention of witchcraft, letting out a soft laugh despite everything weighing on his mind. Apparently somebody needs to see Wizard of Oz if they ever get the hell out of here... or hey, maybe they'll find a copy around.

"Yeah, well... Let's hope we get you the chance to keep all your new friends, yeah? If nothing starts setting in in the next few hours, you're probably fine and dandy." Or at least he's hoping that's the case.

"And maybe we'll all figure out a way to get back home. Hopefully."