villagelogs | 037-040 » the reason for time

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037-040 » the reason for time

WHO: Everyone.
WHERE: Eastern/Central Mathias
WHEN: Day 037-040
WHAT: The dead return and the living wake to changes within Mathias Township.
WARNINGS: Some explicit sexual content in threads. (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here!

RECOMMENDED ♫ Kammarheit "Sleep after Toyle, Port after Stormie Seas"

DAY 037
THE DEAD RETURN
“The only reason for time is so that everything
doesn't happen at once.” —Albert Einstein
The dead return to Mathias forever changed by their experiences. Waking along the beach, near the tree line, or among the graves, they will find that their bodies are not as they remember them. They are whole again and not torn to shreds by the shadow creatures that cannot be described, but they are also not as they were before the Hunt. These residents will find, so strangely, that their bodies are in the physical state in which they first arrived in Mathias — any injuries or recovery they have made since their initial arrival no longer exists, as if their time in Mathias has simply been a horrible nightmare. Except they all now carry a last reminder of the Hunt with them: spiderweb-thin healed scars marking their injuries from the Hunt. Those who were injured by fire in the other realm also carry those burns with them.

The dead are not the only things that have returned to Mathias. Inexplicably, fall is back, with the temperature finally reaching above freezing and snow falling from trees to reveal beautiful autumnal colors. As the sun rises higher in the lightly cloudy sky and the day warms, the snow begins rapidly melting, puddles growing in the slowly revealed grass and little rivers forming in the streets. And with that snow comes the frozen blood from the deaths to the Hunt, tinting the street river on Phillips Drive a sickening shade of red.

Another oddity that residents will notice: houses with broken windows from the encounter with the fog on Day 015 have now been completely repaired, though any boards put in place are still there somehow. A small bit of good news, at least? And truly, how kind of Mathias to clean up its own mess.

Finally, alcohol is back. Enjoy in moderation, friends, for more will not be arriving the following morning.

THE NEW ARRIVALS
The newest arrivals to Mathias will wake up on the beach near The Grey Gull. It's quite chilly out with their wet clothes, but surely there's something to help warm them inside the restaurant. Indeed, their timing is perfect, for alcohol has finally returned to Mathias Township — and not just the cowboys' homemade moonshine.

DAY 038-039
THE CHANGE OF SEASON
The continued warm weather proves that the unseasonable shift of the previous day was not merely a fluke. Once again, the sun rises and brings with it a temperature that feels almost spring-like, save for the fact that each day there seem to be more and more leaves on the trees in hues of red and orange. For those who have been in Mathias for some time, this new type of weird may be almost normal at this point, but newer arrivals will likely find it quite odd.

The gently trickling river running along Phillips Drive is still somewhat pink in color as the snow continues to melt and refreeze each night. By Day 040, the bloody snow will finally be gone completely, though the relief will be... short-lived.

DAY 040
THE BLINDING WHITE
In the late morning of Day 040, when the sun is visible through patchy greyish clouds, the fog sweeps into town like a like a tidal wave. It moves in quickly and without warning, not from the waterfront but the forest, cascading through every street in a thick wave of white. Rather than a soft blanket enveloping the town, it is a heavy weight pressing down, blotting out the sky in a way that almost feels suffocating, for none can see further than their outstretch hand.

Those outside when it rolls in are left wandering blind, stumbling toward shelter as you're unable to even see your feet beneath you, let alone any obstacles in your path. Perhaps you call out for help, hoping for another voice to guide you toward shelter or simply another living soul. Or perhaps you were lucky enough to already be inside when the fog descended, quickly closing doors and windows to keep it from creeping in.

Unlike the last time the fog swept into the town, residents who encounter it are not immediately killed. Instead, they are simply disoriented, possibly losing their sense of time and place, and it is only after prolonged exposure that they will begin to feel off. A sense of being ill will cling to them if they are in the fog for too long, including dizziness, lightheadedness, or nausea — the time it takes to manifest varies from person to person, as does the duration it will last after leaving the fog.

By nightfall, the fog still has not dissipated.

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— THE WEATHER conditions are fairly typical for late fall: chilly "sweater weather" days and nights that can dip just below freezing. You don't want to be outside without a coat, but it won't kill anyone if they bundle up. Probably.

— THE FOG remains blocking the paths in the forest beginning a few dozen yards past the treeline, urging residents to stay huddled within the town proper, and it also now blocks the western section of town, beginning just past Hill Lane, before where residents know the chasm in the earth to be between Hill and Stine Road. Venturing into the fog blocking these areas is ill-advised.

— DISAPPEARANCES continue. Castiel and Sam Winchester have vanished, and Dean Winchester has not returned with the others after his death during the Hunt.

— THE GRAVEYARD has now seen around a dozen burials, both below and above ground. With the weather warming, though, something may need to be done about the handful of temporary graves aboveground...

— ALCOHOL has returned to Mathias! A small stock of beer and cheap wine may be found at the General Store, and some homes may have a small store of alcohol in the fridge or pantry. The Grey Gull has also been restocked with its lower-end offerings of a variety of alcohol types. Alcohol does not replenish in the same way as food.

— THE GREY GULL has been cleaned up and stocked with moonshine. Along with the newly restocked usual offerings, the place almost seems like an actual bar again.

— THE GENERAL STORE is in a bit of a state following the brutal slaughter of two residents during the Hunt. Cleanup on aisle 3, anyone?

OOC NOTES

— FOOD is now being mysteriously restocked as per usual, including inside homes and at the General Store. Alcohol is not being restocked. Use those rationing skills, friends.

— REWARD REDEPEMPTION is back and will soon have a new option for anyone looking to spend big AP and learn a bit more of the lore of the town.

— MADNESSES due to the Hunt have been earned by Klaus Hargreeves, Ellie, and Malcolm Bright and may now be claimed. Players may also claim additional sanity loss from the aftermath of the Hunt; only losses from the Hunt itself have been deducted from totals thus far.

— SANITY REGAIN is now available! Players will submit a form with some details of the progress their character has made and the mod will review and decide on the numbers of points that will be regained.

— MOD STATUS The usual reminder that it's mostly just Amy steering this ship for now, so things will probably be pretty slow for a while. Apologies in advance, and please don't feel shy about pinging me if you're stuck waiting for something.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cut myself.

[ duh, elijah. she doesn't hide it from her tone. this isn't the first time elena's hurt herself to help someone find her and it won't be the last. she suspects that she'll have to be smarter about it in the future with elijah. he doesn't seem like the type who'd appreciate her carrying around a pocket knife to slice herself with. doppelgänger blood's precious and all that. ]

It's working, isn't it? You can track me.

Why did you cut yourself? You shouldn't have done that.

( because...that just wasn't necessary. elijah takes a few quick steps but feels a little lightheaded after a second and he has to stop, taking a few deep breaths.

that's not right, that shouldn't be. he shouldn't feel like this ever. he's glad that elena can't see him, though. after gathering himself, he straightens and starts walking again. )

[ she sighs, exasperated. ] Then what should I have done, Elijah?

[ for a brief moment, elena's well-aware that someone else may be in the fog, listening to their bickering. she imagines that if someone was, one of them would've heard from them by now. there's no way in hell anyone's standing in this fog because they're happy to. ]

Played "Marco Polo" with you until I had no voice? This works and you know it!

You shouldn't have cut yourself. I would have found you eventually.

( he trails off, sounding slightly strained before he coughs a few times. there was...something about this fog that was making him feel unwell. he'd convinced himself that the fog would not affect him so having it happen is disconcerting. )

Does it sound like I'm getting closer?

( he hopes so because he needs to get out of this fog. he just hopes elena's able to find the way out. )

I think you've moved from the left to the right.

[ and she's just got human hearing, too. elena's not entirely sure where elijah is, but she thinks he'll find her. she just has to be patient. ]

I'm standing still. I'm not moving.

[ but what she does do is squeeze her hand tightly and drop more blood onto her other hand. ]

( he takes a long sniff and finds the scent of blood stronger so he moves towards it steadily, putting one foot in front of the other. )

Elena, why did you come in the fog? If I find you, how are you going to find the way out?

( had she left a trail of breadcrumbs? because it wasn't like he could use her blood to find them a way out. )

Teamwork.

[ it's an easy, cop-out answer. with the two of them working together, she knows that they'd be able to navigate their way out of the fog in no time... or some time. she just knows two heads are better than one. it's good logic. ]

You were gone for too long. [ now, she quietens her voice, a little hopeful he can't hear her. ] I was worried.

I apologize.

( his voice sounds a little more strained now and he has to stop and take a breath. it feels like there's something sitting on his chest and he's...not sure what that could. he's an original and these things don't affect him.

it passes after a moment and then he's walking again, steps quickening because the way this fog is starting to get to him is worrying. )

I didn't go into this fog, though. It was just...suddenly here.

So the man who told me that he wanted to go into the fog didn't actually go into the fog?

[ elena feels and sounds a little amused by that, which may not quite fit nicely into the current situation at hand. she does believe him, even if she doesn't quite believe he hadn't been seeking it out. the fog has his name on it, after all.

rubbing at her cut palm, she lets out a breath. she continues to speak loudly so he can hear and smell her. ]

I find that really hard to believe, Elijah.

I did not seek out this fog, Elena. I was in town, walking. That's it. If you don't believe me, so be it. I'm not going to try and convince you.

( he knows what he'd been doing and he knows that he hadn't left the boarding house with the intent of going into the fog. it had just appeared and before he'd known it, he was inside of it. )

Do I sound closer?

( he hopes so because he's starting to feel more and more nauseous and lightheaded with each step. he hopes that finding her will help him get out of this fog before he can't hide it from her. )

You sound a little closer.

[ pressing her palms together, she wonders if he can still smell the blood if she blocks it with her hand. she does think to cut herself again, but given how he'd reacted before, she spares herself the flinch and sting. ]

I'd move, but I'm afraid I'd just go in the wrong direction.

Just stay still. The scent is stronger now. Don't move.

( he has to stop and get his breath, giving his head a shake and then moving again. he's not going to be able to hide this for long once he finds her.

if he finds her. it's starting to become clear to him that something about this fog is making him feel sick. the only thing that can truly hurt him isn't this so he has to wonder...what's happening. )

I think I'm almost there.

Either you are or you're smelling someone else's blood.

[ which could possibly lead him to another person, but that means that elena's all by herself and left alone, a little lost inside of it. she much prefers the idea of him finding her and only her scent.

with a press of her lips, she lets out a sigh, feeling it try to beat against the tension she feels in her back. ]

I really hope no one else is bleeding out here.

That would be unfortunate, wouldn't it?

( elijah swallows and keeps moving, inhaling deeply to get a sense of her blood and then moving again, quicker now. he wants to think he's getting closer, that he's almost there. )

I think I'm getting closer.

( or he's just walking in circles and nothing's being accomplished. )

I... wish I could tell you if you were. You sound like you're the same distance away.

[ but take that with a grain of salt given that she's a human with simple human ears and no ability to actually be able to use said ears to find him.

she lets out a sigh, hand stinging a little more now. she thinks about picking up that rock and cutting the wound a little wider and deeper, but she thinks that might lead elijah to be more upset with her than elated at her innovativeness. ]

But positive thinking, Elijah. I can still hear you!

Are you giving me a pep talk right now?

( he keeps walking, ignoring how unwell he's starting to feel. his head seems to be full of cotton and a headache's starting to take root against his temples. )

That's cute.

( even if it doesn't help him all that much. he keeps moving, getting closer to her. )

Yeah, well. [ she shrugs exaggeratedly. considering he can't see her, elean feels bold. (not that that makes a difference; elena's bold when she should be afraid and insecure.) ] I'm a cute person.

[ she doesn't think she is, not really, but she wants him to keep hearing her voice. she wants him to be able to use the scent of blood to pull him forward when her voice, still projected very loudly, begins to fail him because the fog's pressing against his ears. ]

I've been told that, you know. A lot.

[ now she's just talking shit. she hopes he doesn't remember this later. ]

You've been told that you're cute a lot?

( that gives elijah a brief moment of pause before he shakes his head and keeps going, moving a little faster now because he needs to find elena before he just passes out.

wooziness is beginning to set in and he coughs a few times. but the scent of blood is stronger now and then, without warning, he bursts through the fog and finally sees elena.

thank god. )

Hello.

[ hating that she jumps, she holds her cut hand closer to her chest. seeing him, she smiles, releasing a breath that takes all the tension winding around her shoulders and bones away. she's grateful to see him, even if she had last seen him only hours ago. ]

Hi.

[ without further adieu, she steps closer to him. it's impulsive and it's purely emotional, but she steps into him and wraps her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. she's so very glad he's okay. ]

( he's okay. he thinks he's okay. when she steps closer and hugs him, elijah can't stop from leaning against her. he doesn't mean to do that because she doesn't need to take on his weight but he's starting to feel...very bad. )

We should find a way to get out of here sooner rather than later.

( he forces his voice to be steady, smooth as it usually is but he can feel himself bracing more and more weight on her as he straightens up. )

[ reluctantly, she pulls away from him, a touch embarrassed by the surge of emotion and impulsiveness that she'd given into just then. she brushes a hand through her hair and keeps her other arm around his waist, wondering if him leaning against her is a sign that he's not doing well. (she knows it is, but elijah's an original vampire. it's still so strange to think he has so many weaknesses now.) ]

Yeah.

[ she nods, then licks her lips and looks around. ]

Okay... let's turn back. Maybe the Boarding House is behind us.

You don't sound so sure of that, Elena.

( after a moment, he realizes that he's relying too much on her help and he pushes himself up, letting her go and starts walking on his own. elijah tells himself that he's fine, he is absolutely fine and he doesn't need to lean on her to get back to the boarding house.

but he really hopes she's right. )

What if we're walking further into the fog? You shouldn't have come in here.

[ stupidly standing behind him, it takes her a moment before she pushes off and begins to walk after him. long strides turn short once she's by his side, remaining very close to him that her arm brushes his. ]

And you should've stayed inside.

[ if he's going to scold her, she'll scold him right back. she's only out here because he was missing. ]

We have to keep moving. At least we're together now.

[ taking a longer step, she steps in front of him. she's determined to see her way through the fog and back to the boarding house. ]

I don't know what it's going to take for you to believe me that I didn't set out to find the fog. I was walking along the outskirts of town and suddenly this fog was there.

( and he's not the type to stay inside when things like this were happening. he knows that elena wants to have a day where they just stay inside and ignore this place but he doesn't think he can do it. )

I wasn't intending to go into the fog. I've told you that already.

And maybe your desire to walk into the fog brought it to you.

[ he can repeat himself all he wants. elena knows, from him firsthand, that he had wanted to walk out into the fog. a part of him has to have desired it, and a part of him must still do so.

she keeps ahead of him, her desire to pound her feet into the earth one born from her frustration at him for being so stupid. ]

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