024-027 » neither reward nor punishment

[villagemod]

WHO: Everyone.
WHERE: Eastern/Central/Western Mathias + ???
WHEN: Days 024-027
WHAT: The consequences of their actions.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. PM this account to have a warning added!
NOTES: Plotting post over here! The next log will be posted January 23rd.

RECOMMENDED ♫ Deadly Avenger "Onryo" 怨霊

DAYS 024-025
CONSEQUENCES
“There are in nature neither rewards nor punishments —
there are consequences.”
— Robert G. Ingersoll
When the unwilling residents of Mathias Township wake on the morning of the 24th day, they will find themselves in yet another set of frustratingly unnerving circumstances. None of them are where they last remember being, and some of them have strange marks on the palms of their left hands. It's all incredibly unsettling, but truthfully they should be used to it by now. No one will remember traveling to their new location.

Residents can wake up anywhere within their new location and in any position. Curled up in a bed, sprawled on a couch, huddled beneath a coffee table, propped against a wall... Wherever they are, they will themselves to be in quite an unusual state. While they are wearing whatever clothing items they went to sleep in, plus their shoes and a coat. The newest arrivals to Mathias Township will perhaps stand out for being slightly more appropriately dressed than their new neighbors. They are all a bit damp, physically worn out, and half-frozen from their apparent walk through a blizzard.

Each of the four locations is inescapable — residents are trapped, with exterior doors and windows being shut tight and a blizzard raging outside. The locations are stocked with fresh food and water and a large pile of firewood for the fireplaces in each building. The circumstances residents will face, however, may vary wildly between locations as the forces at work in Mathias respond to the recent actions of certain individuals.


BOARDING HOUSE | GREY GULL
NEW HOUSE | MYSTERY MANSION

These residents will wake with a mark on their left hand palms, a spiraling black symbol similar to those some may have seen around town. All marks are identical and cannot be removed, but will have seemingly vanished from their skin on the morning of the 26th day.

Castiel, Daisy Johnson, Dean Winchester
Elena Gilbert, Elijah Mikaelson, Helen Magnus
Phil Coulson, Quentin Coldwater, Sherlock Holmes

DAYS 026-027
IN THE AFTERMATH
After their ordeals of the past two days, the unfortunate residents of Mathias Township will be grateful to find that they were back where they are supposed to be, a chill still clinging to their clothes in whatever place they went to sleep the night of the 23rd day. New arrivals will wake in the living room of the boarding house. None of the residents will wake with anything in their possession from the locations in which they were previously trapped, including any notes or documentation they may have made during their time there.

---

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— SNOW continues to fall heavily on Days 024-025, resulting in white out conditions from the wind that blows in gusts of over 35 mph; the temperature also drops drastically, making conditions extremely dangerous for residents. The blizzard clears on Day 26 and residents are left with a cold, calm world covered in white.

— THE FOG remains blocking the paths in the forest, urging residents to stay huddled within the town proper, and it also now blocks the northern section of town, beginning just before where residents know the chasm in the earth to be. Venturing into the fog is... ill-advised.

— DISAPPEARANCES continue to plague the town. Kylo Ren and Thomas Richardson have vanished without a trace.

— NO NEW DEATHS have occurred in town, but there is a new "grave" in the small makeshift graveyard near the schoolhouse. Rey's corpse has been moved and covered with stones to wait for the ground to thaw enough for a proper burial.

— THE LANTERNS will be gone from the morning of Day 024. No trace of them remains.

---

OOC UPDATES

— A GIFT for everyone! As a thank you for being part of this spooky little game, every character in the game is being gifted 2 Activity Points. These may be banked over here — instead of linking to an AC post, you may put "New Year gift" in that field. Happy 2021, friends!

— NEW LAYOUTS have been installed for our communities! Huge thanks to our Eldritch Librarian Stars for putting in the time to get this place looking shiny. (You may have also noticed some new page layouts being installed — these are also our Librarian's handiwork!)

— 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.)

— 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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Comments

Quentin Coldwater-- day 24Open to all

[moderatelymaladjusted]

I
[It's not just the fact that he's once again waking up somewhere new, it's also not the fact that he woke up in a bedroom. In a soft, comfortable bed, with just mountains of pillows placed at the headboard instead of the couch that he's been sleeping on at Eliot's.

No.

It's also the fact that he's alone.

It takes less than a minute before Quentin is out of bed, pacing down the hallways and calling out;]

Hey? Hello? Is anyone there?

II
[It's been hours, and still, the doors are locked and the windows bolted shut. Or something close to it, since nothing Quentin tried that worked so far.

The wind howling outside, the snow coming down so hard and fast that there's really nothing outside. Just endless white.

Quentin is seated near a window and there's something scribbled on the floor with wax. He'd done it himself, dragging the candle across the floorboards until the sigils were visible.

He stretches out his fingers, getting them warmed up, before he starts the most basic tut-- Rhakotiss Opener.]

III (Wildcard-- hit me up, or run in to Quentin!)

II

[40seconds]

[ Coulson's been at his mirror experiments on and off throughout the day, but the results are always the same. Either the mirror covers get tossed to the floor, or they get replaced, and he still hasn't worked out how that's happening. Specters or something invisible seems to be the most obvious answer, of course, which just means there's not a lot he can do about that.

He's passing by the window when he spots Quentin and the mark on the floor, and he can't help but stop, his interest piqued. Part of him feels like maybe he shouldn't interrupt, so he just keeps a little distance while still watching to see what he's going to do next.

When he feels like it's appropriate to comment, he says: ]

Well, that looks a little complicated.

[ It's a bad opener, but even the worst opening line can be built upon. He's just trying to get the proverbial foot in the door and go from there. ]

[moderatelymaladjusted]

Uh--

[Quentin's fingers slip, the spell fizzles and then... nothing. A grand old nada. There's not even the sense of magic building, just his fingers working through the motions and hoping desperately that something, anything, will happen.

He looks back over his shoulder.]

That's because it is. Kind of. It's-- so, hey. I can't get any of the windows to open.

[He arches an eyebrow.]

[40seconds]

Fair enough. What is it? Obviously, it's some sort of spell, but I can't quite place what kind, specifically.

[ He glances at the windows, then, because he's already attempted that, albeit briefly. ]

Something's keeping them sealed, and I don't think it's because they're frozen. At least, not with ice.

[moderatelymaladjusted]

Thank fuck you know about spells.

[Quentin breathes a sigh of relief, shaking his hands.]

You're not-- okay, so. No? I don't think it's ice. I was trying to mend it? See if anything inside of them were broken, and then fix it. I really need to get out of here.

I

[setthetone]

[Carter is still trying to get his bearings, wandering the house in a stupor, turning in circles and taking in all the strange sights. When someone comes down the hallway and calling out he visibly startles, turning around.]

Hey. Hi!

[His hands go up immediately, trying to signal to what he supposes is the owner of this house that he's no threat.]

I'm not a burglar!

[moderatelymaladjusted]

Hey!

[He stops five feet away, alternating between looking at Carter and watching the hallway behind him.]

Yeah. Me neither? You don't live here? And what's with the-- mirrors? Did you see that?

[setthetone]

No, I just-- I thought you did? I just woke up here. Did you wake up here?

[His hands come down slowly, a baffled look on his face.]

The mirrors. Oh God, you see them, too? I thought I was just overtired!

[moderatelymaladjusted]

I- uhm, no? I just-- like you, I just woke up here. In the room back there.

[He points to one of the open doors back down the hallway, pulling his sleeve down over his hands.]

Yeah, I see them. I tried not to? And, anyway, the covers went back while I was- [busy looking out the window, trying to do magic and failing] busy. That's kind of why I came out? To see who was doing that?

[setthetone]

Y-yeah, same here. I was in the one over there.

[That's even worse, he thinks. At least if he randomly sleepwalked into someone's home, he could profusely apologize and be on his way. Or accept that this was just a bizarre dream. But other people you met in dreams usually weren't as disoriented as you were, right?]

Have-- we been kidnapped?

[He turns in another circle, eyeing the hallway warily and stepping closer to Quentin. His voice drops to an urgent whisper.]

Do you think they're still around?

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[Quentin follows Carter's arm, the pointing finger and sure enough, there's a door. Another door. There's more than two doors in the hallway but it's still... he takes a step back as soon as Carter gets close, crossing his arms across his chest.

Weird shadows in mirrors are one thing, but personal space?]

The... mirrors? I guess. I don't think-- I mean, I haven't seen anyone walk away with one. And... [he exhales loudly, shaking his head.] I have no idea. I wish I fucking knew, because that would less creepy than this? The not-knowing? And why us? Why you? What in the fuck is going on.

[setthetone]

[Why them? Why him?

Those are very good questions and Carter's mind is racing while he nervously shifts his weight from one foot to the other, oblivious to his perceived intrusion.]

I don't know. I have no idea what's even happening.

[And then, because maybe that's a place to start,]

Who are you?

I.I

[cholesterol]

( Dean will get to exploring, but for the time being when coffee isn't enough, Dean takes it upon himself to whip him and his fellow model home prisoners up a meal. He scrambles a pan of eggs, piles bacon high, even sets some fruit out onto a plate because people besides his brother like fruit and vegetables. He even sets out two cereal boxes, too.

He mans the kitchen like it's his domain.

Ignore the moments he needs to led a turn of his stomach pass. Ignore that he drinks coffee like it's water. Ignore that he's ignoring his own basic needs, and surprisingly, his own appetite. He'll bite off the end of a bacon strip. But, this he can do. He can take care of everything.

So, when Quentin approaches him having made it downstairs, Dean gives him the rundown. )

Guess you get me as your personal chef again, Coldwater. Cereal if you want it. Eggs. Bacon. I thought, save the pancakes for the special occasion. ( Like, getting out. He does pull down a mug from behind him and fill Quentin a mug of coffee, setting that down in front of him.

Should he not want it, Dean will drink it himself. But, this is hospitality, right? It's something he's always been good at. Being the big brother. Making the meals. If he's failing at everything else, why not stick to what you excel in. )

What's upstairs?

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[This is... weird. And familiar. Not Dean, but rushing down a set of stairs, fleeing from something? That creepy scratching noise and what the hell was wrong with the mirror? Only to find someone making food. Sure, it was not usually this... nice. But it had happened.

He goes straight for the cup of coffee, sliding in to one of the chairs. Like last time, it's strong and black, and for a second, Quentin can't breathe with how much he misses Alice and her all-milk-and-sugar-coffees.

Instead, he grabs the nearest box of cereals, pours some of it in to a bowl only because - hey, maybe someone else might want some and not want Quentin's hands all over it?- and he eats them slowly, sitting cross-legged as he watches Dean.]

Bed rooms. A bathroom. [He takes a sip of coffee, watching the storm outside the windows and quietly freaking out in to his breakfast.] It's all very... nice looking? And it's not that I don't like the color blue, but. Why? Why so much of it. Why are the windows locked?

[cholesterol]

( Yeah, it reeks of fever dream one-off. Which is why after trying the doors and the windows, Dean went to coffee, and then breakfast. That, and Doc Holliday is also here. That, he keeps under wraps. )

Front door, too. ( He goes for the cereal. He really only mentioned the cereal as a formality. Who grabs cereal when there's bacon? ) And, I don't know. Why is anything like anything in this ghost town?

( Porch dwelling creepsters. )

Don't try to eat the fruit in the bowl.

( It's fake. He didn't try, he just knocked it over and Doc replaced it. That is why there's fruit on the plate. )

[moderatelymaladjusted]

There has to be a reason for it. Even if it turns out to be a stupid one.

[Now, the thing about locked doors is that... they keep things in as much as they keep things out and really, the past three days did nothing to not ramp up the sense of paranoia Quentin feels creeping up his spine when he takes a second to think about it.]

Why? Is it poisoned?

[It could be a thing that happened in a place like this, and really, poisoned fruit would be a theme, at least.]

Is it the apple? [Fairy tale curses are rare. And time-consuming. But they are breakable. Looking up, Quentin wipes his hands on his pants.]

Sorry. Do you need a hand with that? I mean, I can't really cook, but I can clean?

[cholesterol]

( Why does everyone want to clean or set the dishes out, or speculate. What happened to not talking? Not talking was always in fashion, just not in this house, apparently. )

The apple's fake. They're all fake. This isn't Snow White.

( Snow White had no ghosts. )

Come back here in an hour, there'll probably be dishes.

( But, you know, also pick at your cereal, Quentin. )

How would I know if the fruit was poisoned?

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[Well. That's just perfect- another theory out the window and Quentin sinks lower in his seat.]

Yeah, okay. I can-- do that. Be back in an hour. [Not that he really intended to go anywhere. There's nothing here. No books, no locked doors (except the front door). Nothing to investigate and it's driving him out of his mind.]

Maybe you tasted it? I mean, maybe you just know what poison tastes like.

[cholesterol]

( How is that a theory, it's like a death sentence, not a -- fairy tale answer. )

I don't.

( Not in his skill set. He only knows after. If he starts to pass out. He's been roofied before. )

And - dude, you don't have to - where are you gonna go? Upstairs? Sit. Talk. More about -- I don't know. What were you doing before you woke up here?

( Maybe there's something there. )

i.

[notanemptymotto]

Hello!

[ The voice comes from down the stairs. Helen is at the foot of them arms crossed underneath her bust, looking upwards. She too is in what she fell asleep in.

Also, very English. ]

[moderatelymaladjusted]

[So. It's not all just guys and Quentin can strike another vague theory off of the list. Reasons for why people are here. Sure, the dead body had maybe been a women, but this is the first one he's.. heard?

He follows the sound of her voice and looks down.]

Uhm, hey?

[notanemptymotto]

[ Helen turns her head and offers a friendly smile at the unknown face at the top of the stairs. Ah, someone else who has managed to get caught up in this odd place. She nods in greeting to him, crossing her arms under her bust to help keep warm. ]

You're the second person I've seen here in this house. Well, besides the odd ones in the mirrors.

[moderatelymaladjusted]

You see them too? [As he's walking down the stairs, there's no way he's going to stay close to those creepy things before getting his hands on some magic or a bat.] Jesus, I thought that was just me. I'm Quentin, hey, and yeah, I saw someone else too. He was-- he woke up here, like I did and honestly? I have no idea just what the hell is going on right now.

[notanemptymotto]

I have. They're certainly shy or would rather not trouble themselves with us. [ She holds her hand up then to show the mark. ] Do you have one as well?

Dr. Helen Magnus.

Who was the other person you saw?

[moderatelymaladjusted]

He said his name was Carter. About this tall- [he holds a hand up a little over his head] and kind of freaked out about all of this?

[Not the best description, but it was a guy. Looking like a regular guy.]

Okay, so. You're a doctor? And you know what's in the mirrors? I mean, more than it's something really creepy and maybe poking at them is a mistake.

[Which will not deter Quentin from actually doing so later, but he knows it's not the best idea.]