villagelogs | 024-027 » neither reward nor punishment

024-027 » neither reward nor punishment

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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Yeah, but if they didn’t blame us, they’d have to face their out failures and who has time for that? [He throws one hand lazily outward, a half-shrug, until Raylan is shoving him a bottle to hold onto and he has to quickly take grip of it.]

Well, if you insist- [He practically sings the words, just before helping himself to a sip of whatever it is Raylan is drinking.]

[Oh the elder generation would frame themselves in gilded pictures if they could get away with it something that Raylan despises, despite him being in between the arguing generations.

Raylan didn't bother to mind Klaus's holding tax, and reached up for one of the keys, being high enough up on the wall that he had to stretch. Being as ornate as they were, Raylan assumed they'd be held by more than the small hooks, and he was right, but he couldn't tell by what. After a second, all the force he was applying suddenly seemed to snap into reality and the key came free, sending the tall man back onto his heels by several steps with a sharp-]Shit! [-as it came free. Once he caught his balance, he stared at the key and then looked back at Klaus with a shrug of his face and one shoulder.]

Guess so. Wonder what they all go to.. [He mused with a look back up at the map.]

[Klaus is standing, watching Raylan reach up for those keys, and he's momentarily distracted with the view before there's a loud snapping sound and his eyes go wide as Raylan lost his footing and tripped backwards. Klaus moves forward half-a-step to help him regain his balance before he remembers he has two bottles in his hands and he can't do anything anyway.]

Are you okay? [He puts both bottles down on the desk, hand on Raylan's shoulder.
Warm.
Strong.
Oooh, he's drunk and his thoughts are drifting into highly inappropriate areas.]

[The concern is.. strange, to say the least and Raylan's pinched but taken aback expression conveyed as much. The touch didn't bother him, nor did the glance down his body that Klaus seemed to take - Klaus was clearly working on being just as drunk as he was.]

Just a stumble, [Raylan assured with a reach around to pat Klaus's back.] thank god I came with my boots, I'm over half dressed, which is more than I can say for some of us.

[He looked over again, eyes focusing on Klaus in a way they hadn't before.] You're drunk.

[Big talk from someone on his way towards being the same.]

[If the concern is all that strange, Raylan clearly hasn't been around Klaus enough. But that's fair (and true, honestly), so it can slide for now~ ] Good.

[He lets his hand fall back to his side, leaning against the edge of the desk. A smirk curls its way over his lips at that oh-so-obvious observation.]

How astute of you to notice. [He giggles. And it is. A giggle. Outright, no hiding that fact at all. He really is well into drunk by now. Raylan better hope he doesn't start getting incorrigible soon.] You aren't exactly sober, Trip. [He snorts at his own joke.]

[Clearly.

But the more Klaus giggles, the broader Raylan's smile gets til he's grinning. It was a rare thing on his face but lightened his everything delightfully.]

Their fault for puttin' whiskey around, innit? What's your poison, what you got? [They could trade if it was something worth a damn. Well. Trade for a few swigs, anyway.]

[Klaus pouts and tilts his head back with a soft groan that's more of a whine than anything before he mumbles: ] Ugh- why are there so many pretty boys here?

[No. Shame.

He tilts his head forward again and smirks, reaching for his bottle and dangling out in front of him.] Tequila.

[That was NOT helping his grin fade as he ambled towards Klaus, all lean hips and swagger as he reached out and took the bottle.]

We're probably here just to tease you, apparently, [The accusation came with him uncorking the bottle and taking a long draft. He hissed out his breath with a bearing of his teeth as he capped it and held it back out.]

Always found tequila to be.. sharp.. inhospitable. I'll drink it, but it ain't my favorite. Ain't bourbon, more's the pity.

[He smirks and leans forward as Raylan reaches for the bottle. Don't play gay chicken with him, cowboy, you'll lose. He giggles again at that comment, though, can't help it.] Clearly. It's unfair.

[He takes the bottle back and sips at it himself.] Sometimes I like it sharp. But also I'm an alcoholic, man.... I don't give a shit what I drink, as long as it gets me drunk.

[A little sad-harsh truth, there, actually. He knows himself, can call himself on his own shit, but things aren't like they were over three years ago. He can stop, and step away now in ways he never would have dreamed of being able to do.]

[He'd play a little but not to the point that would encourage Klaus stepping over any lines. Even if Raylan didn't wholly realize that's what he was doing.

He was fully aware of the gesture towards and reclaiming of his whiskey bottle though.]

I'm not, whatever havin' a bottle on me now might suggest. [His face squinted for a long moment before bobbing.] Or how long I've been usin' one. But I don't drink in the mornin' unless I'm on a beach. A valid exception.

Just don't go drinkin' anything that ain't.. actually liquor,[Raylan cautioned with a pinch of his forehead] 'Cept the moonshine. That.. counts. Somehow. But no.. nothin' crazy.

Uh-huh... [Klaus cants his head a little, eyes squinting doubtfully in the cowboy's direction at all those little qualifiers he's laying out. Like recognizes like, sir.] Awfully explain-y for someone who's convinced they're not an alcoholic, there, buddy.

I mean, I'm not gonna drink mouthwash to get drunk, if that's the kinda thing you mean? [He snickers at the thought. He's never been that hard up.]

It's not a problem, [ The assurance came with the tone that Klaus has no doubt heard before. The tone of LIES.]

And that is what I mean, actually, so that's a comfort. I was gonna say anti-freeze but I doubt there's any around. [ He pointed at the wall. ]

You really don't care about this shit?

Yeah... 'til it is. [He mutters softly and he'll leave it at that. He knows what it's like, to not be ready to admit it. To ignore all the things you'd easily point out in someone else as signs of it, when those things are staring back at you in the mirror every day. He isn't one to point fingers or judge-- recovering. Always. Fuck ups and backslides happen. He's just.... in a prolonged slide backwards right now, personally. Or that's what he'll keep telling himself.

His nose scrunches up at the suggestion of anti-freeze.] Ew! Oh my god, no. Noooo. I have never been that desperate to get drunk, oh- gross! [That deserves a sip from the bottle all its own.]

What? [The word is barely out of his mouth and the realization dawns on him-- ] Oh, you mean-- [He holds a finger up and rolls his wrist in some approximation of a circle.] all the mystery stuff? [Shrug.] I... I care, I just...know my limits. I'm...not research-guy. I'm not-- charge headfirst into danger and the unknown guy. I- I'm...

[He sets the bottle somewhere to the side where it won't get knocked over and slides back to sit on the desk, drawing his legs up to his chest, arch of his foot resting against the not-quite sharp edge of the desk.] ...I'm just...the guy that might get an answer from a ghost, and otherwise, maybe gets to act as moral support? But-- [He gnaws at his lower lip for a moment.] My hero days have been over for a long time, Raylan. I'm just on the sidelines, these days. [He rests his chin on the tops of his knees.]

[The warning murmur was ignored. Raylan heard it but Klaus was a little too close to right. Raylan hadn't hit any rock bottoms, but he wasn't living a healthy life at all.

The insistence of Klaus's no made Raylan laugh warmly.]

Good. I've seen what desperation looks like, [The statement came with a curl of his eyebrows as he watched Klaus take in his question. Eyes narrowing a fraction with a lack of real understanding, no judgement, Raylan lifted a finger that somehow, helped him talk more clearly.]

If we were anywhere else, I might argue this hero thing on some other point of perspective, but I got a feelin' you're not talkin' about the same kinda hero I am. What did you and your siblin's do with those powers y'all got?

[Klaus had told him about the kids, what they could do, but Raylan hadn't asked what they did with it. It had been impolite somehow, in the middle of his kitchen, over moonshine. Here though, with the good stuff? Raylan was a little less reserved.]

[He bites back to too-easy, knee-jerk quip-- "You wouldn't believe what I've done for a bag of weed.".

The shift in Raylan's expression, the plain confusion in his words, brings a smile to his lips.]

Oh. [He scoffs softly.] I always assume it's obvious... We were... [His nose scrunches a little; it sounds so hokey.] superheroes. That's- that's why dad bought us.

[Bought. Not adopted. It's the casual drop of something he's said too many times to notice that it was the wrong word for "polite company".]

Whoa, [This called for a hand gesture out and everything, and Klaus would get front row seats to the kind of deep seated issues Raylan had with shitty dads and what they suffered their children. That and no one should be bought - it was 2015.. or something like that.]

I'm sorry, bought? Like.. like bought? Wha- [His head pulled back, brow furrowed as he gestured out to the side uselessly.] Is there a catalog for that?

[His eyes widen slightly at the hand gesture. What? Has he said something wrong?]

Oh. Uh- well... [His face scrunches again.] I never knew my real mom or anything, but like— a bunch of women were, uh, spontaneously pregnant the day we were born? Like... they weren’t pregnant and then suddenly they were giving birth. Pretty traumatic I’d figure. But yeah... dad paid seven women for their very sudden and unexpected babies.

[The indignation of children being bought and sold like chattle was swept away by everything that follows. How was it that Klaus managed to shock him more, the more he talked? This was not how questioning was supposed to work.

Raylan's head pulled back, face pinched in confusion and disapproval and disgust and he waved it all off, turning around to pace across the room with the loud uncorking of his bottle and a deep, deep drink.

Yeah. Totally not an alcoholic here.

He recorked the decanter, free hand coming up to rub at his forehead as he had an audible sidebar with himself.]

Gotta be a different world, that's all. Where shit like that happens, right?

[He looked back over his shoulder at Klaus, face still pinched up. What did that make it? Magic? Supernatural? How does one even go about categorizing that?]

[What's worse? That Klaus is shocking him more with every word that comes out of his mouth, or the fact that he manages to deliver it all with a straight face. There is no hint of a joke, or any chains being yanked, it's all just...simple facts being spouted, near as Klaus is concerned. Their worlds were so very small, so very insular, so very limited, for so very long, that it was hard still sometimes to remember how weird everything was when it was laid out in a line for people who weren't there.]

You okay, there, buddy?

Maybe Graham wasn't wrong, maybe I died in that tub, [He continued, rubbing at his forehead before working on the bridge of his nose. But then his brain remined him that Klaus was still there and it was rude to not say anything. ]

Hmm? [His head half turned over his shoulder and he wished desperately that he had his hat.] Me, oh - yeah, yeah. Just.. Ya know.. Processing.

You check out the kitchen yet? I could eat, [It was almost suddenly declared and Raylan pointed that way with his free hand before heading in that direction. He and his body needed anything else to do that was normal if this was going to continue.]

[A half-scoff, half-laugh of a sound escapes him and he moves to follow him into the kitchen.]

Look, I can't-- say I get it, because my life has always just-- been like that, but.... I can understand it's a lot to work through, if you weren't in the middle of it like we were?

[It's a sort of offer of condolences, or something of the kind.]

We can like- leave the rest for another time? Don't gotta overload you with the freaky shit an' all, all at once. [He claps a friendly hand on Raylan's shoulder.]

[He was already drunk enough to freely wrap am arm around Klaus and pat his back, with the space between their bodies.]

I'm workin' on it. [breaking away to one of the fridges, he opened it up and started perusing it.]

Seems like they got plenty in there, I don't suppose you cook, huh?

[He beams a grin a southern-mile wide and leans into the touch before eventually separating and hopping up to sit on the counter.]

I’m a disaster in the kitchen. But I can manage, like- grilled cheese?

[Whatever they decide, he’ll make sure he keeps the conversation light, easy-breezy and no more weird family bombs to drop on him for the day.]

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024-027 » neither reward nor punishment

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We can wrap this if you want? or fade out, handwave the rest?

Perf! 🖤