villagelogs | 051-058 » the past increases, the future recedes

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051-058 » the past increases, the future recedes

WHO: Everyone.
WHERE: Eastern/Central Mathias
WHEN: Day 051-058
WHAT: Time is a funny thing. It likes to repeat itself.
WARNINGS: (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here! The next log will be posted the weekend of May 8th.

RECOMMENDED ♫ Marco Beltrami "The Dinner Table"

DAY 051-058
THE REPEATING
“Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by.
The past increases, the future recedes.”
— Haruki Murakami
With the dawn of this new day comes an unsettling experience that many longer-term residents will find unfortunately familiar. As the sun begins to rise over the ocean's horizon, an earthquake arrives with it. The vibrations are strong enough to shake buildings but not damage them; items may be broken and nerves will certainly be rattled, but after a full minute of wondering when it will decide to finally end, calm will return to Mathias.

This first day will seem otherwise like any other. The rain has stopped but the skies remain a gloomy grey, providing no sense of escape from the horrible situation they've all found themselves in. And as the day stretches on, each of them going about the lives the routines they have made for themselves here, they will each of them have a feeling of being stuck, as if in the end today has been no different than yesterday.

But when tomorrow becomes today, they will find that it truly is no different than yesterday.

The earthquake arrives again as the sun rises, and they are in the exact places they were the day before. Any broken items they may have cleaned up will break again. Their clothes are the same as the day before, the food they prepared will be unmade, and the only certainty that they are not crazy will be found in the knowledge that everyone else is experiencing the same thing as well.

Memories are the only things that remain intact as the day resets. Again again, residents will relive the same day, every physical thing resetting to the state it was in at dawn. Patience will be tried as these days stretch onward, and the most enterprising of the group will use this as the opportunity it is to experiment without consequence.

(But all things have consequences in Mathias.)

THE NEW ARRIVALS
The newest arrivals to Mathias will wake up on the beach near The Grey Gull. It's a bit chilly out with their wet clothes, but surely there's something to help warm them inside the restaurant. They may even find some alcohol within — and not just the cowboys' homemade moonshine.

ABOUT THE RESETS
— The earthquake happens again each morning at sunrise, signaling the day resetting and beginning again.

— Everything physical resets to how it was at the beginning of Day 051. Food will be uncooked with no leftovers in the fridge from the day before. Items that were broken or moved will be returned to their original locations. Anything that was built or modified will be undone and returned to its original state.

— Everything resets except for the memories of residents, which remain intact from one day to the next.

— It doesn't matter if your character tries to stay awake in order to watch the reset. Exhaustion will overtake them just before the earthquake happens at dawn, and when they wake, they will be in the exact same location and in the exact same physical condition as on the morning of Day 051. Their clothes, their health, the state of disarray of their hair — all of it will be exactly the same. This includes new arrivals waking again on the beach each day.

— Resets includes the death of any character. The new day will reset their body just like on any other, and for this log only there will be no corpses left behind. Sanity may still be lost depending on the nature of their deaths.

— If a resident has wanted to burn down a building or take other drastic measures to test the limits of what Mathias Township will allow, now is the time. Everything will be returned to as it was the day before... Though there may still be consequences. The resets will cease after Day 058, so anything done on that day will remain in effect in the next log.

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— THE WEATHER conditions are fairly typical for early fall: warm days and cool nights. It feels almost like spring arriving except that there fewer red and orange leaves on the ground and more of them oddly returning to the trees and slowly fading to green. It's like watching one of those nature documentaries that have a timelapse of the seasons, only it's going in reverse.

— THE FOG continues to block the paths in the forest. Beginning a few dozen yards past the treeline, this section of fog will urge residents to stay huddled within the town proper by inducing a physical reaction of panic and fear. This type of fog also blocks the western section of town, beginning just past Hill Lane, shortly 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; residents who enter it will be gripped by a panic so strong that they must retreat the way they came.

— DISAPPEARANCES are occurring again, with Helen Magnus and Alex Millar vanishing. Thankfully, a few residents have also returned. Welcome back!

— ALCOHOL is still in Mathias! Maybe. (Supply is definitely running low after recent town events.) 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 was also restocked with its lower-end offerings of a variety of alcohol types. For this log only, alcohol is replenishing in the same way food does due to the time resets.

OOC NOTES

— BIG CHANGES If your character is planning on making any big changes to the town (ie setting something on fire or other major destruction of property), please comment below ASAP and plan for these changes to take place in the second half of the log so that everyone is able to react to them in their own threads.

— THE GIFTS Before the next log, please comment over here with details of what your character did with their "gift" from the last log, if they found one of their personal items out in the rain. This information may be used for future logs.

— UPDATES Don't forget to report updates as they come up! Changes to locations (like toppling a few bookshelves in the library), big plots you have coming up that will affect the game (parties, major property destruction, etc), or exciting discoveries that may tie into the game's mythology (even the things provided by the mod) are very helpful to have in one place so relevant page updates can be made.

— MOD STATUS The usual reminder that it's just Amy steering this ship, 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

[Callisto has zero interest in jewels on a personal level, but she understands other people's interest in jewels, and that combined with the way the woman freezes in place tells her everything she needs to know: she's run into another raider. Fun.

Parker might be expecting a reprimand, or maybe even a fight, but this time she gets neither: Callisto just bursts out laughing. Stepping to the side, she pushes open the door to the neighboring bedroom, gesturing Parker forward with a flourish of her hand. If Parker takes her up on the offer, she'll discover that the owner of this room had a pretty extensive earring collection, and it's all still here for the taking.]

[ Parker stiffens when Callisto laughs; she has no idea what that's about. But she also follows, cautiously, taking the time to flash the world's most dubious/threatening look at Callisto on her way in. She's watching you. Don't forget it.

But there's no ambush waiting in the next room. It's just...another bedroom, and she pauses, just looking around in confusion before spotting what Callisto had clearly wanted her to spot.

More jewelry.

She hurries over, forgetting everything else as she dumps her previous haul onto the dresser next to the earrings and bends down to take a closer look. Most of the them are cheap, worthless - cubic zirconia is not the kind of sparkly that's ever interested Parker, and she's good enough to be able to spot the difference on sight.

But others...

She reaches forward, reverently, to pick up one pair in particular, a set of teardrop-shaped sapphires ringed by tiny diamonds. Real jewels. ]

[Callisto stands in the doorway, watching her impassively. It all seems particularly pointless here, in a place with no need for money and nothing to spend it on, but hey - more weapons for her this way, if everyone else is going after the shiny jewels.

"With a glare like that, you should really have a knife," she comments in Greek, fully expecting that she won't be understood.]

[ She doesn't understand Callisto's words, and there are no context clues to help her figure it out, so Parker naturally assumes she's talking about the same thing her own attention is totally focused on. The most important thing in the room. ]

They're sapphires. [ She holds up one of the earrings, turning it back and forth so it catches the light. ] Probably about four carat. White gold setting, framed in one point three carat diamonds. Value is...at least two thousand dollars.

[ Pennies, compared to most of the jewels she's stolen in her life. But still. To just find them out like this?

She glances back over at Callisto, confused. ]

You don't want them?

[Absolutely none of those words have any meaning to Callisto either, but at least the subject matter is clear. She wonders if the woman is assuming she's the owner of the home, and is confused about how chill she is over the thefts. Pointing to the jewels in Parker's hand, then pointing to herself, she gives a firm shake of her head. Nope, not hers. Steal away; she certainly won't call in the authorities, if such a thing even exists here.

Next she curls her hand into a loose fist, miming holding something, and makes a series of sharp stabbing motions. She follows this up with a questioning raise of her eyebrows. Seen any knives around? That's what she's here for.]

[ It still doesn't make any sense to Parker, but if this woman really doesn't have any interest in the jewels, she's not going to protest. Instead she scoops up the whole lot, real jewels and fake ones alike, to sort through later.

Callisto's message is clear enough, and she understands the impulse. She'd do anything to get a taser here, just for a little security.

But she's not about to jump into arming complete strangers, either, especially ones crazy enough to give up perfectly good gemstones for no reason, and she tilts her head warily. ]

Why?

[That word she knows, and she gives Parker an incredulous look. For stabbing things, obviously; why else would she want a knife? Gesturing to the jewels, she echoes the word, challenging:]

Why?

[At least weapons are useful.]

[ Parker just stares, incredulous right back. ]

Because.

[ How do you explain something as primal as the need to steal expensive jewels?? But it's beside the point, anyway. She tries again. ]

You can't kill people with an earring!

[ ...Well, Eliot probably could. But that's also beside the point. ]

["Speak normally," she hisses in Greek, stomping her foot like a child.

But she's also going to step into the room, saunter up to Parker, and try to snatch away one of those sapphire earrings - not because she wants it, and not because she plans to try and keep it, but simply because she wants to see what this woman will do about it.]

[ What Parker does as react. She scrambles backwards, away from Callisto's grabby hands, her eyes wide, and clutches the earrings protectively to her chest. She doesn't attack her to keep her at bay, but only because she doesn't think she absolutely needs to. Yet. ]

You said you didn't want them!

[She makes another lazy swipe, but it's half-hearted at best. The woman doesn't seem to have much fight in her, which is a shame - but she's at least willing to defend what's hers, which Callisto has some measure of respect for. Brushing past her, she heads over to the dresser and inspects one of those cubic zirconia earring sets, wondering why they'd been left behind. Is it a matter of aesthetics, she wonders, or a matter of value?

Turning back to Parker, she rubs her fingers together, trying to convey the idea of money, and she shakes her head firmly. There's no need for jewels and wealth here - everybody just steals whatever they want.]

[ "Money" is the one thing she understands in any language, including sign language. The message is clear too, but she rejects it, wrinkling her nose. ]

It's not about whether I can sell them.

[ As if she ever would, anyway. She tucks the earrings safely away before Callisto can make another swipe at them. ]

I just like having them.

[Hmmm. Not about the value, then. But if it's about aesthetics, why isn't she wearing them? Callisto tugs on her own earlobe, miming something dangling off off of it, and raises a questioning eyebrow.]

[ The thought of actually wearing jewelry instead of just squirreling it away makes her think of Sophie, and how she's not here. Parker hesitates for a moment, then turns away, enthusically inspecting a wall so Callisto can't see her face. ]

Is there anything else here?

[Callisto pauses, pondering an educated guess about what that question might mean. She's probably asking for more jewels; more valuable things to take and hoard and not wear. Maybe - and this sudden thought strikes Callisto as very likely - she's trying to gather things that will please the gods, in an effort to gain her freedom and be sent home. Yes, that definitely makes sense.

With that idea in mind, she turns to head out the room, waving for Parker to follow. Maybe there's fruit or honey in the kitchen. Gods like those.]

[ Parker follows, still wary in case Callisto makes another grab for her jewels, but willing to see where this all leads for now. When they reach the kitchen, though, she stops, looking around in confusion. There are no cut-crystal vases or sets of priceless china in evidence, and when she opens drawers and finds the silverware, it's obviously not real silver.

She gives Callisto a puzzled look. ]

In here?

[Callisto, meanwhile, heads to the cabinets, slamming open each one in turn and finding them annoyingly empty. With a growl of annoyance, she turns to the fridge next. Also empty.

She turns back to Parker, giving a rough shake of her head. Never mind, apparently.]

[ Parker doesn't help search, but she does watch curiously as Callisto rifles through cabinets with increasing agitation. When she opens the fridge, Parker peers around her shoulder, seeing the bare shelves and feeling her stomach drop. ]

Are you...hungry?

[ She still has no idea whether Calliso's getting any of what she says at all, and she brings her hand up to her mouth and mimes eating something, to hammer the point home. ]

Do you need food?

No--

[Callisto snaps, frustrated at her own inability to explain herself. Turning back to the cabinets, she slams drawer after drawer open until she unearths a notepad and pencil. She grips the pencil like someone who's unfamiliar with any sort of writing instrument, but regardless, she manages to draw a passable image of two crude stick figures in front of an altar. One is bowing, and the other is placing an oversized pair of earrings on a dais.]

Yes?

[She asks, shoving the paper at Parker.]

For gods?

[You're totally looking for offerings to give to some deity or another, right, Parker?]

[ Parker takes the paper, still obviously confused, and stares down at it for a second before its meaning is made clear.

Oh.

Oh. ]

...No.

[ Slowly, she looks back up at Callisto, staring at her for a moment before shaking her head, attempting to hand the paper back. ]

No, they're for me. [ She taps herself on the chest, to emphasize her point. ] For me.

[This woman is absolutely ridiculous, in Callisto's (un)professional opinion. But she has spirit, she'll give her that.]

Who are you?

[ Parker's thinking more or less the same thing about her. What would gods want jewelry for, anyway? Why would you just...leave perfectly good gemstones on an altar somewhere? ]

Who are you?

[ But demanding information without giving it will get her nowhere fast, she realizes, and she sighs, relenting a little. ]

I'm Parker.

Callisto.

[She says, making another incredibly lazy grab at the pocket she'd seen Parker slide the earrings into. It's not so much a serious attempt as it is just a thing done for amusement.]

You am from where, Parker?

[She pauses, thinks, and then corrects herself:]

Are. You are from where?

[Verb conjugation is hard!]

[ She dodges out of the way on reflex, but even Parker can tell it's not a serious attempt at grabbing her stuff, and she lets it pass.

Callisto may be insane (look who's talking), but she's intriguing enough that Parker's willing to go along with her questions. For now. ]

Portland. [ A beat. ] America.

[ Hopefully that's both specific and general enough?? She even says the whole question back, just so Callisto can hear how it goes. ]

Where are you from?

[Neither place is a place that Callisto has ever heard of, but context-wise, it's not difficult to parse - Portland must be a village and America a nation, or Portland is a region and America is a nation, or Portland is a village and America is a region - or whatever. America is clearly a big place, and Portland is a smaller place inside of it.]

Cirra. Hellás.

[Village, nation.]

But Cirra is--

[She whisks a hand through the air.]

-- death.

[Wiped off the map.]

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