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

[conning]

[ His housemates. Neal closes his eyes, swearing under his breath. ]

It's my night. I can't believe I almost-- [ He shakes his head, giving Daisy a little kiss. ] One of my housemates has night terrors. We take turns waking him up, and it's my night tonight. I can't believe I almost forgot.

[ He's not sure what it says about him that he did. ]

[chuju]

[ She reaches up to wrap her hands around the back of his neck, gently tugging him down just enough to press her forehead to his. The disappointment she feels is firmly pushed down into the dark corners of her mind — he doesn't need to carry that too. ]

You would have remembered before it was too late. [ He's a good man, she doesn't doubt that for a second. ] It's been a crazy night, you were just a little distracted.

[ She's quiet for just a moment, then leans back slightly to look up at him in concern. ] How bad are the night terrors?

[conning]

[ There's a bleakness on his face that he doesn't bother trying to hide from her. ] Bad. Really bad.

[ Would Malcolm mind Neal telling Daisy? He's not sure. He seemed fine with Klaus and Five finding out, but it was kind of unavoidable.

But if Daisy spends the night at 1306 any time soon, she'll have to be told anyway. ] He wakes up screaming every night. No one else really knows how bad it is, outside of our place. How hard he's trying to stay on an even keel here.

[ Neal closes his eyes, letting himself lean on Daisy a little bit. Doc, Raylan, Negan--they're in the thick of it with Neal himself. It doesn't feel right to vent these worries to them when they doubtless have worries of their own related to their screamer. ] He's a good person, a genuinely good person, always worrying about everyone else when I think I would be overwhelmed in his shoes just trying to take care of myself. It's hard, listening to him wake up that way. Henry and Raylan have been doing everything they can for him, but...

[ He exhales softly. ] It's hard just to hear it. I can't imagine what it's like to go through it and still smile at people the next day.

[chuju]

[ Daisy listens to every word carefully, trying to read between the lines and put together pieces of what Neal might not be telling her. He might not even realize there's more to tell if he's never been through something like this before himself. She very much doubts he has — nothing they've talked about has indicated the sort of trauma to cause recurring terrors like that.

Going through the list of names of who lives at the house, it's easy to figure out who it is he's talking about. Malcolm. The man who Neal... It's not jealousy that rises at the realization, but a desire to help someone in need. If Neal thinks Malcolm is a good person, if he cares about him as much as he genuinely seems to, then Daisy wants to do anything she can to help.

Gently massaging the back of Neal's neck in small circles, she's quiet for a few moments before voicing her own thoughts on the matter. ]

It isn't easy, going through something like that. I've had my own fair share of... bad nights. [ Frowning, she debates for half a second whether to keep going, then barrels through her doubt. ] Honestly, the nights themselves — you get used to it. Waking up terrified, reliving whatever horrible thing that came back to haunt you. It's the aftermath that's hard. Wondering who heard you and what they think of your weakness. Feeling like a burden to the people you care about because you're too broken.

[conning]

[ I've never known so many walking wounded, he'd told Doc. Hearing Daisy speak so frankly hurts as much as Malcolm's clear worries over being a drain on everyone else.

He kisses her, trying to show how much he doesn't feel that way. ] You're not. Weak, or a burden, or 'too broken.'

[ Neither one of them are. ]

[chuju]

[ She hadn't said it to get his sympathy or as a request for comfort. If Neal wants to help Malcolm, he needs to understand how it feels to be on the other side of this sort of thing. They all do. The kiss... helps though. It always helps. ]

Say that again when you've seen me at my worst. [ No matter how much she wants to, she can't just accept his words as truth. There's too much he doesn't know, so much he hasn't experienced yet for her to believe him fully when he says that. It still feels good to hear him say it at all, though.

Taking a deep breath, she lifts one hand to brush her fingertips through his hair. ] What are you all doing to help Malcolm?

[ Yes, she's moving the subject away from her own problems. It's just what she does. ]

[conning]

I will. [ Neal ghosts a hand over her temple. He suspects he'll have a chance, here. What he knows for sure is that he'll tell her she's none of those things every chance he gets until maybe, if he's lucky, she starts to believe it. At least a little bit. At least from him. ]

We have shifts with him at night, to wake him up, like I said. Help talk him down when he's having a bad day. Henry makes him willow bark tea, which isn't much of a substitute for actual medications. We make sure he eats and stays hydrated--he tends to... not. [ Neal shakes his head. ] There's not a whole lot we can do, other than just... be there. Apparently he's had them since he was fourteen.

[chuju]

[ He'll have a hard task ahead of him to get her to believe that, but she won't stop him from trying to convince her. The part of her that wants so desperately to have someone in her life who thinks of her that way — that part of her will cling to his assertions and reassurances like they're some sort of lifeline.

Her hands fall to his chest while he shares the list, fingertips at the collar of his coat. She listens carefully, again piecing together things as best she can. When he finishes, she nods slowly, considering before speaking. ]

It's a good list. Really. I'll see if I can think of anything else to add to it.

[conning]

[ He nods, brows knit with worry. Not just for Malcolm. Neal brushes the backs of his fingers against Daisy's cheek. ]

Do you want to come stay with us for the night? I'll be in Malcolm's room, so you could take the master. We kind of shuffle around depending on who's got duty that night.

[chuju]

[ She reaches up to catch his hand, holding it in hers for a moment before pressing a kiss to his fingers. ]

That's really sweet of you to offer, but I'll be okay here. I think I'll do better somewhere familiar tonight.

[ It would be a different story if he could be with her for the night, but he'll be busy taking care of someone else. She doesn't fault him for that — she adores him all the more for caring for the other man and looking out for him this way. ]

[conning]

[ He hesitates to agree, but it's not like he can make her. He doesn't even really have the right to insist, no matter whether he wants her close by or not. For her sake or his, he's not sure.

Finally he nods, leaning in to kiss her again. ]

I should... probably get back, but is there anything you need? Anything I can bring by tomorrow?

[chuju]

[ Her fingers trail along the edge of his jaw before he pulls back again, tracing the line there that could have been sculpted by a master artist. ]

No, I'm okay. [ She gives a little shake of her head, then pauses, looking hesitant. ] Could you... Would you call me when you get to the house? Just so I know you made it there safely?

[conning]

[ His throat tightens. The fact that there's a reason to ask for that, the fact that it's more than just a bit of paranoia, makes the walk back to 1306 seem that much more daunting. ]

I will. I promise.