028-029 » the winds of change

[villagemod]

WHO: Everyone.
WHERE: Eastern/Central Mathias.
WHEN: Days 028-029
WHAT: A town meeting is called.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary. PM this account to have a warning added!
NOTES: Plotting post over here!

RECOMMENDED ♫ Deadly Avenger "Ikiryo"

DAY 028
SOMETHING ON THE WIND
Another day dawns in the fair town of Mathias. The sky is a blanket of light grey, tiny specks of snow lightly falling as the hours pass. It makes the town feel almost quaint, the scenery quite peaceful in its winter garb. But beneath the veneer of peace there is a pervasive dread of something approaching. Something inevitable is on the wind, something that has come before and will come again...

Throughout the day, residents will consistently experience feelings of deja vu, that sense of having done or seen or said something before that can never be fully recalled. It happens again and again, tugging at the back of their minds, the memories just frustratingly out of reach.

Residents will also notice a note pinned around town:




The note can be found on the town hall's bulletin board and the front doors of many town establishments, including the Grey Gull, the library, and the boarding house. At the bottom of the note it is specified that the meeting will take place "tomorrow, when the sun is over the town square."


NEW ARRIVALs
The newest arrivals to Mathias will wake on the frozen lawn of the town hall atop a snowdrift. They had best hurry inside and get warmed up before hypothermia sets in.

DAY 029
A GATHERING OF MINDS
In the late afternoon when the sun hangs over the town square, residents will converge upon the Town Hall, where a larger meeting room has been filled with rows of chairs. After most people arrive, John Constantine stands and addresses the room... and then sits again. A grand introduction, truly.

Residents are encouraged to share their experiences and information they have gathered in the town while holding questions until the end. Rather than getting tangled in the intricacies of each person's tale, it seems better to absorb the broad strokes and try to connect the puzzle pieces to get a look at the bigger picture that is the mystery of Mathias Township.


THE INEVITABLE
As the meeting comes to an end and residents begin to converse among themselves, the feeling of something approaching and sense of deja vu begin to build, becoming almost oppressive as night falls. An hour after nightfall, residents learn the reason for these sensations that cease immediately as the earth begins to rumble. The buildings shake, furniture tumbles, and breakables crash to the floor as the earthquake sets in without warning.

The tremors last around a minute, far longer than a normal earthquake, and then the town settles again. There are no aftershocks, which many may note is quite unusual. Residents will find quite a bit of mess in their homes and other locations around town, but there is no structural damage to be found despite the intense shaking.

---

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— THE WEATHER is fairly typical of a northern winter. The sky is grey, the temperature hovers just below freezing during the day (colder at night), and a light snow falls during both days. Residents should bundle up when going outside and not venture too far into the dark night...

— 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 with Sherlock Holmes being the latest victim of the town's unsettling whims.

---

OOC NOTES

— TOWN MEETING STRUCTURE The town meeting section of the log is designed for characters to share any information they would like to with the other residents in attendance. ICly, characters should "hold questions until the end" with the intent that they can get the Big Picture first and connect any dots they see. OOCly, this means players should post their character's information sharing tag in the Meeting section, but the actual conversation about whatever they share happens after the meeting proper in the Mingle section. That way, these conversations can happen however players prefer, be that one-on-one or in small or large groups.

— HOUSING Please be sure your character's housing arrangements are up to date on our list. We're missing a few people and it really helps to know where everyone is for planning. Frequent updates for wandering characters are perfectly acceptable.

— THE BULLETIN BOARD has been updated. Players should note there is a change to the wall near the board that may be of great interest to some residents.

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Comments

— daisy johnson

[chuju]

[ Daisy doesn't spend much time hanging around after the meeting, that feeling of dread and familiarity putting her so on edge that it's probably visibly noticeable to anyone near her as she constantly shifts her stance and changes the position of her fabric-bandaged hands, folding her arms then moving them to her waist again and again. She'll stay by her corner of the room for a little bit, waiting to see if anyone wants to speak with her about what she said earlier, and then she'll move through the room itself, catching a few people herself before heading out. ]

[cholesterol]

( Dean remembers Doc mentioning someone was missing. (And some were dead.) But, he'd never met her. She was missing. Apparently, she's not missing anymore. Dean's a fidgeter, too. And, usually, when people don't draw attention to something, like shifting - or worry - he doesn't call any attention to it. So, he doesn't. )

You, uh, have any theories to where you went or what happened?

( He waits until she's not with anyone, coming up to her politely.

She didn't freeze do death, but she was gone. Fugue state might've killed her. Unless, something protected her from the elements. He doesn't know. It's why he goes to the source. )

[chuju]

[ Daisy's a bit surprised anyone actually comes up to her after the meeting — a lot of people have had a lot more interesting things to contribute to assembling the creepy town puzzle. But here he is, so she shakes her head and crosses her arms, forcing her attention to focus on him instead of that damn feeling tugging at the back of her mind. ]

Nope. It was like no time passed at all, except it had and I was suddenly somewhere else.

[ And with everything people have been talking about and all the ideas being thrown around... She can't even begin to narrow down the possibilities. ]

[cholesterol]

( The puzzle pieces to this town he and Raylan have debated was a cult once upon a time are important, but so is the idea that someone vanishes and returns, in the show no less. )

You being gone, that could point to this place being a separate reality - why you didn't disappear and freeze. Maybe. Everything's speculation.

( He wonders if anybody else was up and outside when the phone rang. )

Glad you're in one piece. It feels like this town either kills us, injures us, takes us, or scares us.

[chuju]

[ Daisy's really hoping there isn't anything cult-related about this place. She's had more than enough of those with all the HYDRA crap she's had to deal with over the years, thanks very much. Not that any of them have a say in the matter... ]

Well, there was a fear storm when I first got here, so seems pretty on-brand. [ There's a bit of bite to the words that she pulls back in, shifting her stance again. Sorry, pal, it's really nothing personal. ] But I think the separate reality is a given at this point. There are too many of us here from different worlds.

[cholesterol]

( The closest Dean's been to a cult is the small town that sacrificed someone every hundred years, the church goers who were convinced their town was overrun by demons, and Carrie's mother come to life. He'd like it to not be cult related, too. If it's that, then it speaks to what those symbols are. And, what are they worshipping. Everything begets a question. Everything. )

We think so, too. Cas and me. ( The angel he announced. ) You believe in it, then. We're full up on civilians, it seems like.

[chuju]

[ She actually laughs at that, bitter as it is, while shaking her head and looking down at her boots. Civilians... Yeah, she really misses having more people around who were better equipped at dealing with Weird. ]

I'm a part-alien spy with superpowers. So yeah, I believe in it.

[ Honestly, it's one of the only things here that's made any real sense. ]

[cholesterol]

( Spy. Okay. Part-alien. O-kay. This is Dean. See Dean blink. )

I'm a hunter. Been dead more times than I can count. Been a demon. Had an archangel hijack my body... Think that's everything. ( He brings a hand up and adds something. ) I was a vampire. For - a day. That's everything.

[chuju]

[ A hunter. Cool, that's... cool. Doesn't make her think of the Chronicoms who'd been trying to murder them all. Nope, not at all. She looks up as he continues, the being dead hitting too close to home on a completely different level. As for the rest of it... ]

Yeah, that's a whole different kind of weird than I'm used to.

[ It is all weird though — they do have that in common. ]

[cholesterol]

You, too. Far as I know, aliens are not a thing. Had a case where people thought it was aliens. Several. It's never aliens.

I guess for you, it is.

( And then -- )

I'm not looking to hunt anyone here. It's not how hunting works. And, I hunt - monsters that kill. That actually kill. ( Is he making it better? He's not sure. ) We've got vampires, demons, angels, ghosts. You name it, it probably exists in our world. Werewolves. But, there are good werewolves. Good angels. ( He thinks about Cas there and his mouth turns more into a fond smile.

Time for a subject change! This ended in a different place than it started. ) Did your superpowers translate here?

[chuju]

[ Monsters that kill. That hits far too close to home. How many people have viewed her as a monster since she went through terrigenesis? She's been called an abomination, a weapon of mass destruction, and more than once she's lived up to those titles. But that's not who she is, and she'll defend anyone else like her who is capable of terrible things but chooses to be better.

The change of subject is a welcome one. ]

Yep. [ She pops the P and then turns a bit, choosing a chair the next row over. Holding out her right hand, she lets out a gentle sonic blast, enough to send it toppling backward into the empty space behind it. ]

[cholesterol]

( He didn't mean it that way. Ten years before, he'd mean it like that. As it is, he stands back and watches her demonstration. )

Part-alien.

( He nods. )

Could come in handy in case anything comes out of the mouth of the river.

( He needs to stop taking parts of one conversation and bringing them into others. )

Raylan, the Marshal, he got a look from the lighthouse, says that the horizon ends at the mouth of a river. Thinks if something did come out of there to come after us, we'd all be stuck. Can't exactly escape into the sea.

( Unless there's more to her being part alien. )

And it gives us more weight to the whole alternate world prison idea.

[chuju]

[ A river. Huh. She makes note of it for if they're ever able to explore more of the area.

Frowning at that last part, she crosses her arms again, expression completely serious. Something about that idea doesn't sit well with her. ] What makes you think this is a prison?

[waywardsister]

Hey look.

[ Nothing to brighten a dreary town hall meeting full of old dudes taking themselves very seriously like a well placed shitty ass joke.

Claire's tone is dry as the desert, but her expression carries a wry, commmiserative quality as she holds up her own fabric bandaged right hand for Daisy to see. ]

Fashion twins.

[chuju]

[ Oh, a familiar face. Daisy can't say she's glad to see Claire at the meeting, but it's better than the more ominous alternative some of them have faced. Maybe?

Glancing from the bandaged hand back to Claire's face, Daisy frowns in her own commiserative but concerned way. ]

What'd you do this time, attack another door?

[waywardsister]

[ That gets a small grin out of Claire. She raises her chin in mock pride. ]

Mirror. Wouldn't recommend; those cheat by fighting back with broken glass.

[ Still looks like she got the better hand of the mirror smashing deal, if what Dean said was accurate. ]

How're things at the boarding house? Anyone else have any luck with that door?

[chuju]

[ Raised eyebrows and a nod are Daisy's response to Claire admitting she punched a mirror. That's definitely not something she'll be trying herself anytime soon. ]

Things are about the same as they've been. Door's still locked, people are still coming and going... Someone broke all our dishes, though. I've been raiding houses for coffee mugs so everyone can stay properly caffeinated.

[ Coffee, after all, is all that's keeping most of them going. Well, those who haven't been resorting to the moonshine, anyway. ]

[waywardsister]

Huh. That's weird.

[ It's easy to see the way Claire's mind immediately starts working, trying to consider what sort of poltergeist the boarding house might have acquired, and then she purses her lips. ]

I was about to make a joke about ghosts, but... guess Klaus confirmed there are no ghosts in this place, huh.

[ Still weird to think, to be honest. If people died here... there really should be ghosts. Not just in Claire's questionable expertise, but also because really, it'd just be polite for there to be something tangible and familiar in this place. Just one thing. ]

I'm happy to go on a dishware raid with you if anything's still missing, or if that happens again.

[chuju]

[ Claire might be hoping for ghosts but Daisy's glad there aren't any. Creepy and weird of the variety she's used to is highly preferable to ghosts and monsters and cults.

Offering the younger woman a smile, she nods. ]

Thanks, that'd be great actually. I've gotten a few things but some of the houses around here... [ Does she even need to say it? ] It'd be nice to have an extra set of hands, even one that lost a fight with a mirror.

[waywardsister]

Upside is, I still have the other hand to flip off anything going bump in the night.

[ Claire grins, then purses her lips and shifts her weight. ]

Listen... You know Coulson, right? Can you tell me if he's okay? Dean mentioned he got hurt and it sounded pretty serious, but he couldn't give me anything else, like whether he... uhm. Survived.

[ The tough girl act slides sideways a little bit. Claire usually puts up a pretty good front of being tough, but there are moments when her 20 years shine through, when there's something unsure and almost afraid in her eyes. Like when she worries about someone and expects bad news. ]

[chuju]

[ Daisy's expression immediately falls at the questions and Claire's own reaction to them. The other girl knows Coulson too, that much is clear, and suddenly Daisy feels like she's back with a group of new recruits, helping them through those first scary days when everything feels like too much despite all their training. So she straightens her back and reaches out, gently resting a hand on Claire's shoulder. ]

He's okay. I promise, he didn't die again.

[ Hopefully, Claire doesn't know just how many times Coulson has died before. That... That's a lot for anyone to handle. You'd think it would get easier to process but it just gets harder, because losing someone you care about is never easy. ]

[waywardsister]

[ Claire takes that in, piercing blue eyes searching Daisy's face for a moment, brows drawing together slowly.

Again. ]

The fog, huh? Shit... Sorry. I should have known that. I was a little...

[ She broke down. She stopped functioning. She dug her own corpse up and gave herself a hunter's funeral. She wept in Ellie's arms, and in Dean's, and alone in her bed.

She stopped being able to hold it together.

Claire isn't fine - never is. Just, she's usually better.

Something dark at the back of her mind reminds her that she nearly got herself and Coulson killed out in the cold in those early days, too. ]

You got some help looking after him?

[chuju]

[ She hadn't known. Crap. Daisy suddenly feels awful as that moment of clarity hits Claire. It isn't an easy thing for anyone to hear, but to find out like that...

What's done is done though. ]

Yeah, he's good. [ After a moment, she adds: ] He probably wouldn't say no to someone checking on him, though. He might seem like he always has it together, but he's just stumbling in the dark like the rest of us.

[ At least they're in the dark together. ]

[waywardsister]

Yeah... this place sucks, huh?

[ It gnaws at her, that someone she's... maybe not close to, but someone she knows, not only got hurt but died... and Claire was too focused on her own corpse to become aware.

This... this is why she always tries to keep people at arm's length. Why she always tries to work alone.

And then she likes people anyway, and then they get hurt or killed. ]

I'll... make sure to check in on him. Thanks. For letting me know.

[chuju]

[ This place sucks is the understatement of the century. But the sentiment is both shared and appreciated. ]

Of course. [ Daisy shifts her weight from one foot to the other, feeling that gnawing sense of dread start to overwhelm her again. She takes a deep breath and decides to give in instead of fighting it. The last thing anyone needs is for her to get so anxious that she starts quaking. ] Look, this place is doing something and getting to me, so I need to... Anyway, we'll catch up soon, okay? Go on that raid.