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

[vampirebats]

Negan can't remember the last time he'd had a proper dinner party. Sure, he's shared dinner, even made it for others before back home... but this feels different. A lot more proper, for a start. Not really a casual spaghetti kinda thing.

And Negan finds himself feeling a little concerningly... normal during it. He's ditched the leather coat and white t-shirt for something a little bit nicer that he'd found around, he sits at the table and mingles and talks up a storm like he always does. It's not natural anymore. He's not Negan with the steel nutsack and Lucille for a moment, he's just a guy. That might be the hardest to swallow about all this. He doesn't have his people, his power, or ability to do shit to keep people safe.

He isn't having to bash in heads or burn off faces to make a point. He doesn't have to, or hasn't yet.

If he falls quiet or thoughtful once or twice during dinner, well... he hopes no one really notices or calls him on it.

post dinner
Negan settles himself into the living room with everyone else once dinner is over, although he makes it a point to thank Neal for the food. He's a little more relaxed now that dinner's over, a little more capable of pushing unwanted thoughts away.

Instead, he might just be in the mood to regale everyone with a story or two... safer stories, of course. He doesn't want to horrify people with the head splattering shit, strangely enough. There are enough stories about pillaging for food and the weird shit people decided to loot up for the end times. Hell, there are even some funny stories he remembers from back when he used to be a coach. He had a lot of angry parents come to him about his mouth, or the time a kid tried nut tapping his fucking dad because Negan might have been advising the kid how to deal with someone giving him shit. How the hell was he supposed to know, right?

post dinner

[abrightboy]

Malcolm dropped into a seat by Negan partway through the evening. He didn't drink heavily; he was trying to stick to other coping mechanisms. He was pretty sure he was the least drunk person in the room. That was pretty normal for him.

"Hey."

[vampirebats]

"Hey, man." Negan's not as drunk as he could be. He'd lived through an apocalypse without killing his liver with booze, he can make it through this... probably. Nice to be able to indulge once in a while though.

Still, he's loose enough to give an easy grin as he shifts a little, giving Malcolm a little more room to get comfortable. "You enjoying yourself?"

... sex dungeon awkwardness aside, you know.

[abrightboy]

“Yeah,” he said easily. “It’s nice. It’s...nice to be part of a community.”

[vampirebats]

"Not a huge part of one back home, huh?" Because it sounds like the implication is there at least. "There are plenty of decent folks here."

[abrightboy]

“Oh.” He huffed a self-conscious laugh. That was blunt. “No. Not really. People tend to avoid interacting with the murderer’s family, if they can help it.”

[vampirebats]

Well, shit... That's also a rather blunt answer. "Yeah, well... none of us choose where we come from, I guess."

He's a murderer. Most the people he knows are murderers. How the hell can he judge that? "Must've been rough though."

[thering]

Doc is about a bottle and a half of moonshine into the night. Admittedly despite being the one to invite Five and Klaus over for dinner, Doc didn't get very involved in the prep work. The New Yorkers had insisted that dinner was going to be something a little special and that relegated Doc to doing the cleanup afterwards, a role he naturally fell into since he contributed nothing to preparing.

He ended up doing more cleanup than just the dishes and wiping the table down afterwards, having probing conversations with various gentlemen, trying to patch things up and be supportive, which had him hitting the bottle a little hard in those rare moments he was alone in the bustling house.

Doc nearly slams the bathroom door in Negan's face when it opens. He's about to take a leak, already pulled out of his pants, and he doesn't want to make conversation while he's doing it, even if Negan's just 'there to wash his hands'.

"Can you give a man a minute? Jesus Christ."

[vampirebats]

"Whoa there. Easy!" There's something even looser about the way Negan moves and a flush to his cheeks that's a sure sign he's seen the bottom of a bottle. Maybe he should have been more conservative, but he kind of got carried away with the energy of the little party, the company he's keeping. Hell, not like he's had the freedom to drink in a damn long time.

"Didn't know there was going to be dick out action already. Knew I liked you for a reason." And the appreciative look he gives means he's probably not unimpressed with the sight at all. But just so he doesn't get a door slammed in his face--

"C'mon, we're both guys here. Don't tell me you've never been in a locker room situation and had some dude's sack five inches from your goddamn face before. I just need to wash my hands real fast." And maybe his face.

"I see anything I haven't before, I'll shoot it." Figuratively, of course.

[thering]

"There is no action!" he whisper-growl-exclaims, shrinking away ever so slightly before reaching over to grab Negan by the chest and shove him away, towards the shower. Doc's a little too inebriated to not get handsy while he's doing it, but Negan's got his shirt on still so it doesn't feel too inappropriate. He hasn't even touched his dick yet, so there's no need to make it weird. Negan trying to take a peek at his junk, however, is definitely making it weird, even for someone who had slept around plenty before he came to Mathias.

"Where my face has been is none of your business! The hell are you looking at? Use the kitchen sink!" Negan is fast making Doc regret thinking he was spending his last moments alive with him just a week prior.

[vampirebats]

"Whoa--" He's too drunk to really fight back when he's shoved away. There's undignified flailing as he grabs on to whatever he can to keep his balance with one hand, the other reaching for Doc's as he gropes at his shirt. He's momentarily distracted from the dick show for the moment as he tries to just not fall on his less-than-sober ass. It means holding on a little tighter to Doc than he means to, but you know.

"Okay! Okay," he starts. "I'm sorry, alright? Jesus... I didn't mean to piss you off. I was kidding around. I go too far..."

He knows that. He's done it plenty of times in the past -- with the Grimes kid, with the... voluptuous woman some dumbass thought'd be smart to put in charge of food over in Alexandria. He has the balls to apologize though. "It's what I'm used to guys doing where I'm from."

[thering]

Doc isn't prepared for the assaulting or the accosting himself so they both end up drunk and bruised and groaning on the floor, dangerously close to hitting their heads against the shower door. At least he had Negan to break his fall but he's going to struggle to get upright now, one leg kicking uselessly along the cold tiles.

His elbow digs against Negan's chest and Doc inadvertently knees him in the inner thigh, dangerously close to busting the family jewels as he struggles to push himself up. They are a sorry sight like this. Probably lucky that everyone else is having a good time downstairs to watch them floundering.

"All the guys where you are from like staring at your naked ass?" Doc grumbles, draping one arm over the top of his thigh as he sits up so Negan doesn't get any ideas for the free show he's been gunning for.

[vampirebats]

Jesus, he's feeling this tomorrow. Doc's a heavy motherfucker to have falling on top of you, especially with all the knees and elbows. He groans in protest, squirms to try to protect the boys that leg is getting close to--

except there's nowhere to go. "What?"

That gets a laugh out of him. "I meant giving each other shit... busting each other's nuts. You know-- fucking guy talk." Jesus, Doc.

Now's probably a bad time to admit he might actually be legitimately a little turned on, huh? "I was trying to apologize and you're bringing up my naked ass."

post dinner

[tinstar]

Raylan and his half drank bottle of moonshine had been wandering around the house til after dinner, where he found and dropped himself into a chair nearby Negan. He still hadn't talked a lot with the man, despite him now living here - this seemed like a good time.

"You enjoyin' yourself yet?"

Re: post dinner

[vampirebats]

"Hell, yeah, I am. Way better than the weird shit we've been dealing with at least." Maybe not the kinda dinner party he'd been expecting, but it was... nice enough. Nice being surrounded by people he didn't mind.

"How about yourself?"

[tinstar]

"Certainly a reprieve from the day to day, that's for sure."

Raylan shrugged, head bobbing to one side in response. "It could be worse. Never been one much for hosting or going to parties that weren't poker parties but Neal's cookin' makes it worth it. Conversation that isn't just trauma makes it worth it too, shit," he half sighed, taking another drink of his shine.

[vampirebats]

"You know, I think I forgot what a normal goddamn conversation is actually like." He gives Raylan a short smile, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hell, it's been taking some getting used to actual normal meals again. If this place could cook it with all the freaky deaky, it might not be too bad."

[tinstar]

Raylan chuckled. "I'm not entirely sure our dinner conversation was normal but I get ya." It was close enough, goddamnit.

"You not have a lotta that back at home? Lotta running? Hell, I'm happy he was even able to find the goods for it. We might have more foodstuff types than we think. So long as it keeps replicating."

[vampirebats]

"Yeah, well, not sure how many normal guys we had at the dinner table." So he's probably got a point actually...

"Food gets real scarce a lot. Better now than it was, now that we've found other groups. We can trade shit, best we can. We even found a place to live." For now, anyway.

"I almost feel like we shouldn't be jinxing it, just in case it ever stops."

Late night~

[bestfuneralever]

After letting himself into the wrong room the first time, when Klaus slips into the room, he hisses into the darkness, "Negan? You in here?" He is not about to have a repeat of what just happened with Neal, okay. He's gotta make sure he's in the right place this time before he goes crawling into bed with someone.

[vampirebats]

Lucky him, Negan's not asleep yet. He's got half a bottle of moonshine on the table by the bed and he's still not drifting yet. Sleep's always been a bit hard to come by, but even more so after the disappearing act that landed him locked in a different house.

He won't say no to a little bit of company. "Mm, Klaus?" He shifts a little, looking up. "Yeah. Come on in and get comfortable."

[bestfuneralever]

"Oh, thank God." he mutters in a huff of relief. He shuts the door behind him and makes his way over to crawl up next to Negan. "I got the wrong room, a minute ago. Neal was not appreciative of the snuggles." He snickers a little. He can't blame him for that reaction, an unexpected person suddenly in your bed probably isn't the best.

[vampirebats]

Oh, that gets a quiet laugh out of him, even as he reaches out to settle an arm around Klaus, pull him in a little bit closer. "Must've been an adventure. But as it turns out, I don't mind it one bit... wouldn't say no to a little company right now anyway."

[bestfuneralever]

Negan's laugh makes his grin grow wider and he finds himself giggling along with him; it's nice to have a reason to laugh, even if it's at his own expense. "Mmm, I thought you might see it my way." he mumbles, letting his lips brush lightly against Negan's neck.

[vampirebats]

He doesn't mean to laugh at Klaus-- well, not intentionally. Just the mental image of that caught him off guard. When he quiets though, there's a pleased little hum that leaves his lips at the brush of lips. He inclines his head a little, enough to let his own graze over Klaus' forehead as he contents himself with drawing his hand up his back.

It's surprisingly meant as a soothing gesture and not much else. It's just nice to have a warm body next to his, be comfortable enough with someone you can have a laugh. Shit, it's not a luxury he always has much anymore. "So I'm guessing you're spending the night right here, huh?"