021-023 » the ghosts of fallen leaves

[villagemod]

WHO: Everyone.
WHERE: Eastern/Central/Western Mathias.
WHEN: Days 021-023
WHAT: A cold storm approaches.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. PM this account to have a warning added!
NOTES: Plotting post over here!

RECOMMENDED ♫ Emily Kinney & Lauren Cohan "The Parting Glass"

DAYS 021-023
THE WORLD TURNS WHITE
“Are ye the ghosts of fallen leaves, O flakes of snow,
For which, through naked trees, the winds A-mourning go?”
— John Banister Tabb
The howling wind is what wakes the residents of Mathias each day now as the world turns slowly into a bleak stretch of white. Snow continues to fall in thick curtains of flakes that accumulate on trees and rooftops, swirling sideways in the gusts of wind that bow trees and whistle through any crack they can find. The drifts of snow grow taller against the buildings and the wind makes the already freezing temperatures feel bitterly cold.

By day 022, the far ends of streets begin to resemble the hazardous fog with how little becomes visible as the winds pick up. Buildings can still be discerned as dark shapes but the weather's warning becomes clear — a storm is coming. And by day 023, the storm arrives properly, the wind still screaming through the streets like a winter banshee announcing so many deaths to come. These conditions are far from hospitable and only the truly mad would be foolish enough to venture outside in weather such as this.


THE NEWLY ARRIVED
With an embrace of wintery white, Mathias offers a chilly welcome to its newest residents. They awake along the southern treeline bordering Mathias, near the small makeshift cemetery containing a handful of wooden markers erected without names or signifiers of those buried within. And not far from them is the schoolhouse, where in a snowdrift they will the frozen corpse of a young woman named Rey.

LIGHTS IN THE DARKNESS
“A lantern can give you light only when you light it”
— Munia Khan
When residents wake on the morning of day 021, they will find outside in the snow the abandoned lanterns of those shadowy spectres who have moved so silently through Mathias. Each nestled in a patch of frozen white outside their door, the lanterns are now cold to the touch, the half-burned candle within each one seeming to have been lit so very long ago. Inside the glass encasement is a small rolled piece of paper, upon which is written:

keep it lit
There is nothing more, and the prior owners of these lanterns will not return within these days.

There is one lantern waiting outside the building for each resident wherever they are sleeping — the exception for this is those who may have already claimed a lantern as their own. Removing a lantern from its resting place results in no apparent reaction, nor does lighting or not lighting it. However, whatever residents ultimately choose to do with these lanterns should be reported.

---

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— SNOW continues to fall, resulting over the three days in upwards of a foot of accumulation. The winds blow in gusts over 35 mph.

— 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 still receded from the town proper and much of the eastern and northern beach, with the path through the northern forest to the lighthouse still clear on day 021. On day 022, however, as the storm worsens, the fog returns to the paths in the forest, urging residents to stay huddled within the town proper or else.

— DISAPPEARANCES continue to plague the town. While Zed Martin has returned, Rey's corpse will be found in a snowdrift near the Schoolhouse; she disappeared on day 018.

— THE STRANGER is gone.

— THE SPECTRES are gone.

OOC UPDATES

— DISCOVERIES have been collected and collated for your review. Please note that this is OOC information only, put together for the purpose of helping you as players see connections and possibilities for CR and your own character's potential avenues of exploration and investigation. (If we are missing something, please report it so we can add it to the list.)

— AP REWARDS have a new option now — Ideas may be requested if you find yourself stuck. You may now claim up to 2 rewards per log: (1) idea and (1) other reward.

— SANITY may be regained in two ways: self-medication and treatment. In Mathias, this means such coping mechanisms as drinking or drugging oneself into a stupor that allows them to face their fears and issues, or talking to someone about those fears and issues. Since both of these will take some time, best get started. (A form will be added to the Sanity page.)

— REMINDERS — Don't forget about the bulletin board. Please continue reporting your updates to locations, plots, and discoveries. The map of Mathias has been added to the locations page for ease of reference. Make sure your character's sanity level is kept updated. Prospective players are still joining the TDM, so it's recommended to track new top-levels so you don't miss them.

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➝ day 23 | open to all | will match format

[hellblaze]

heaven talks but not to me, cause heaven knows that nothing good comes free.

[ As odd as it is for John? He has decided to hole up on Day 23. His lantern can be seen from the window downstairs in 1387's living room. It's lit with a new candle, having used up the previous one that can be found inside it. He stares at it with bottle of moonshine in his hand.

Is he just sitting there waiting for something to happen? Almost.

He'd rather just sit there and casually drink the day away.

Thanks to the new bloody cold weather, his hand is aching, his ribs are aching, and he's overall in a miserable mood. Though, hell, he could always use the company... ]

[prevenance]

( it's the lantern that catches his eye. the day is just starting to turn into night and elijah's been out since earlier, since he'd done what he'd done, since he'd headed towards the fog and come back.

he's still out and he has no plans to return to the boarding house for awhile but, though he should stay away from people all together, he doesn't.

the lantern brings him closer to the door of the house until he's knocking and waiting, back straight and hands tucked into the pockets of his secondhand coat.

he's not sure what he's doing here but he is here and what happens next is up in the air. )

[hellblaze]

[ john rolls his eyes and pulls himself up from the couch. slowly, but, what can you really do? he walks himself to the door and opens it, a bit surprised to see the man from the other night.

right, they never did exchange names. did they? ]

Oh, well, the night neighbor. Don't suppose this is a social visit.

[prevenance]

( night neighbor is better than some of the things he's been called over the years. it's at least truthful. his kind does tend to favor the night. )

Why wouldn't it be a social visit?

( he sounds pleasant despite the tumult and turmoil swirling within him. )

Do I not strike you as the type to pay social visits to those I've become acquainted with?

[hellblaze]

I don't usually get social visits. People only really come knocking if they need my help. Not that they want it.

[ still, he opens the door and lets the man in. no point in standing on the bloody porch yapping away as if there isn't a snow storm going on outside. ]

Not used to the new social norms of Mathias is all, mate. Do you always take everything personally like that?

[prevenance]

Stating my intentions is taking it personally? You seem to read quite a lot into the things I say. Does that mean I'm just special?

( he can pay social visits, john, and you were one of the few people he knew. why can't he check on you? )

I don't need anything for you, rest assured. Anything I need, I can get myself. Unless you happen to be hiding wine. That might be nice.

( he even smiles, smooth and easy like he's been doing it for a thousand years. )

[hellblaze]

Or I'm just a nosy prick.

[ he gives a grin and closes the door. then, it's back to the seat at the couch. ]

Wine isn't much my taste of poison. But, if I had some, I'd hand it over. Especially if you've got some whiskey you're hiding.

[prevenance]

No whiskey. I knew a pair of brothers who had a penchant for bourbon but otherwise, I've mostly been white and vodka.

( but now, he supposes he has to adapt and drink whatever's present here. )

You're not the first nosy prick I've known. You're definitely not the first prick I've ever known either. They're quite prevalent.

[hellblaze]

Ah, of course not. Why would Bleeding Mathias care to make our lives a bit easier, eh?

[ a casual shrug. a flick of his hand tells elijah to take a seat. make yourself comfortable. ]

Especially in this town. So, tell me. You learn anything so far in your few days here?

[prevenance]

( elijah surveys his surroundings and after a moment, folds himself into a seat, shifting until he's comfortable enough and then settles his gaze on john. )

A few things though I'm sure they're already known factors to most. I'm still catching up.

( and that's a feeling he hates. )

Aside from the murderous fog, I've been trying to figure out what happened to the people that were here before us. It doesn't seem as if they were all killed but if not, where they went and why. That's what I've been looking into. No real answers as of yet.

[enduresurvive]

Ellie sees John's note to talk about what you know when she sees Neal's about Rey. It takes her awhile, especially with how strange she's feeling, distant and sad. There's also the mirror thing. She can't explain it, but the thought of going somewhere else where the mirrors aren't covered is scarier than almost anything else. She knows it's crazy and weird, but she can't do much about it.

She hasn't seen John in quite awhile, though. He's one of the ones who had died first, though he'd come back like everyone but Jill. And now Rey.

But she doesn't feel like writing about the fucking museum and pinning it to the board, so she might as well tell someone. Henry knows, but John is the one asking about shit like this.

So she shows up, trying her best to stay warm, trying her best not to just lose her shit about the blizzard and the thought of people dying in it, and knocks on the door.

[hellblaze]

John raises his head from staring at the lantern at the sound of the door. It still strikes him as odd - people knocking. Oh, sure, they came knocking when he had his flat in London. The Mill House had been a different story. Dead mate's house, and it wasn't much of a house and more a treasure trove of magical items.

He pushes himself up slowly from the couch and makes his way to the door. He opens it, his other hand holding the bottle of moonshine. Now, Ellie isn't someone he expected to see at his door. Though that is the last time he had seen her.

"Ellie." John steps aside so she can enter and warm up. "What the hell are you doin' out there in the storm?"

[enduresurvive]

"It's just a storm," she says. "We had loads of 'em in Jackson." Of course they both know that a storm in Mathias can mean so much worse than just a storm. Really, it can in Jackson too, but she's learned how to navigate that. The Infected are slower in the worst of the snow. One big difference is that no one is entirely sure what kind of shit can and will happen in Mathias.

Whatever, though. She's here now.

"I saw your thing on the board, about sharing what you know. Yeah, I didn't feel like writing it all down."

[hellblaze]

"Nothing is just anything in this goddamn town. You know that." John isn't her father or even family -- that doesn't mean he wants to find her dead somewhere in the street too. Still, if she's going to go out in the goddamn storm, then at least she should be a bit more prepared.

Not that anyone really would listen to him about that.

"Fine with me, luv. Take a seat on the couch. Warm yourself up for Christ's sake."

[enduresurvive]

Ellie is all right with preparation for things like killing Infected. She's a survivor, both because of her own effort and because other people have always helped her. But something like planning for the snowstorm escaped her a bit this time because of how fucked up her head is.

She sits on the edge of the couch like she's not sure she belongs there. But it's a start.

"I'm okay. Um...you haven't been to the museum, have you?"

[hellblaze]

John returns from the kitchen with two glasses. One has water in it--and well, the other he plans to put moonshine in. He's not sure if Ellie would like the idea. Still, him pretending to be decent and offer her a glass anyways. Which is why he sets both of them down in front of her.

The lantern sits on the middle of the table with a fresh candle. Lit.

"Haven't made my way down there just yet." He glances up at her as he takes his seat. "Why? What happened at the museum?"

[enduresurvive]

"Why is that one empty?" she asks. She's not terribly polite, really, but that doesn't bother her. Especially now, considering everything that's gone on, manners aren't top of her list of things to consider.

"Uh, I told you about where I come from, right? How there's an infection? Look, I have no idea if what I saw in the museum is the same. But it's all darkness and spores and I really don't think anyone else should take the risk. We gotta keep people out. Henry and I went and boarded it up but you know people don't fucking listen."

[hellblaze]

"Figured you could take your pick. Moonshine or water." John shrugged.

He was still bristled from his conversation the day before. Though, Ellie wasn't at fault for John Henry being a total wanker. No, she came to him wanting to talk, and he'd do his best to keep all that out. John hated drama. It wasn't his scene. Hell, most of Mathias in terms of dealing with people wasn't.

John sat back down, nodding for her to pick as he sat the bottle down. He got himself as comfortable as he could with his injuries, draping one hand over the arm of the couch, the other on the back. He even lifted one leg and crossed it. Just to show he wasn't going anywhere.

Not that he would... it was his and Zed's house.

It sounded vaguely familiar. The dentist might of mentioned something about it, but, John honestly didn't care to hear or much remember what the man shared after--well--it wasn't important really anyways.

"You're talking to someone who doesn't listen too well." He raised his eyebrows. How the fuck was he going to say this without causing a ruckus? "The whole town is dangerous, Ellie. Back home? This is what I would do. I would go into places that were warded off because that's where evil lurks. Evil doesn't care about playing by the right rules, it breaks the rules. Boarding it up isn't going to keep it inside. It'll find a way to leak out regardless."

John sighed and scratched his forehead. Christ. "Did you see anything besides the spores? Anything that they touched, destroyed? Maybe even would of crawled into and took over? I know it's a bloody lot to ask, but, if you want people to keep out? You've got to explain what's in there."

[enduresurvive]

She considers for a second, but then just picks up the water glass.

"I'm not a big drinker, but uh...thanks for the offer. I'm surprised, since half the town thinks I'm a kid." She realises she's young, but she grew up fast. Besides, she is an adult, just a small one who hasn't been able to eat properly for months because of grief.

She takes the glass and sits back, but doesn't drink it yet.

"Yeah, yeah, the whole fucking town is dangerous but we don't have guns and we can't all do magic like you can or whatever. Keeping people out before they breathe spores and walk around controlled by whatever it is, whether it's like what we got at home or not? Seems like a good bet to me."

She doesn't understand magic and evil as concepts, anyway. She doesn't immediately assume the whole town is magical and everything is good or evil. Most things, to her, just are.

"It's...dark in there and the lights don't work. Flashlights, whatever. I tried to go further but I couldn't. I just had to leave. I can't explain it. I wish I could have seen it, but you know what? I don't need to to not want other people to go in there, you know?"

She has a feeling she can't stop John, but the whole fucking town doesn't need to get curious.

[chicartista]

[ it's not long after john settles in the living room that zed joins him. she has two cups of tea and her lantern. when john had come back they had talked about trying to jump-start her visions again but then she had gone missing. and now they were here - together and they actually were together on some level now. there was no going back from that now, not that she wanted too. when they kissed the night she came back everything had shifted and when that led to them sleeping together. and that had been good - that had been so good. even if her powers weren't working that connection they had to each other was still there. and it was like everything melted away and it was just the two of them. and all her fears and anxieties that had spiked over the fact she had been missing faded away. and even then - it made sense. john made sense. they made sense. out of everything else there was that.

she drops onto the couch next to john and hands him one of the mugs and just gives him a look that says 'take this,' before she sips her own tea. ]

[hellblaze]

[ elijah had gone, ellie had gone. now he sits there staring back at the lantern. the moonshine he had been sipping on had been put on the table beside it. namely because he has really lost the desire for the taste. it doesn't hit the same way. his mind is wondering by the time zed finds him. he inhales and looks over as she sits down beside him.

together - that has sense of finality. one he's not sure he's comfortable saying. sense? well, he supposes it makes sense. in that sort of odd way where she'd been seeing him in visions and drawing him for years before he even knew she existed. sense in that way where nothing in his life really does make logical sense. yeah, together... he's not going to say that out loud.

he gives her a bit of a face before taking the tea. if anything he uses it to warm his hands for a moment. then, he sighs. ]

I think it's time we get you back out into the field, luv. After this bloody blizzard passes. [ he nods to the window. ] Even if we can't rely on your visions or my magic like we used to. Time to get you out there meeting people. Other than your fellow psychic.

[chicartista]

[ zed's slowly gotten somewhat used to not having her powers. in some ways it had been a welcome relief to not have to constantly worry about them. but at the same time there is a reason she had them and she needed to use her powers to help people. and she needed to do something here whether it was powers or not.

she takes a sip of her tea and sighs. ]

Did you have something in mind?

[ it isn't that she's been anti-social, she's just been wary. it was hard to shake a lifetime of not trusting anyone she met and relying only on herself. ]

[hellblaze]

Back home we connected your visions to the scry map to get your visions in tune with what was happening with the Rising Darkness. I figure if you've got an anchor here in Mathias, it might help that out.

[ there's a shrug as his head rolls back towards her. ]

Give you something to focus those powers on until you can wiggle them out over your environment.

[ he is careful about how he suggests it. the last thing he wants to do is trigger another round of those migraines for her. they don't need her tumor worsening. though, he knows they need to use her powers, and it isn't as if she'd stop using them either. ]

[chicartista]

So we need to find something to anchor me too?

[ her brow furrows and she pulls her legs up onto the couch before taking another sip of tea. as much as she didn't want to think about it the reality seemed to be they were going to be here for a while so an anchor was necessary. who knew how long they'd end up staying here.

zed isn't worried about her headaches returning or even seizures. she had accepted that it was a price to pay for her visions. even though she knew john didn't agree with her. she wished she could let him know it wasn't his fault that she didn't blame him but if anything that would just make him blame himself even more. ]

[hellblaze]

That's the thought.

[ he holds one hand out, raising it between the two of them. oh, he already knows the answer to his question. zed is the only woman insane enough to go to hell and back just for him. he could ask her to jump right into the thick of it for him - with him - and she would. ]

Now, luv. How much do you trust me to go down the rabbit hole?