villagelogs | 059-061 » the place where you stop the story

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059-061 » the place where you stop the story

WHO: Everyone.
WHERE: Eastern/Central/Southern Mathias
WHEN: Day 059-061
WHAT: Time returns to "normal" and Mathias grants a reprieve.
WARNINGS: (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here! The next log will be posted the weekend of ~~May 15th~~ May 22nd.

RECOMMENDED ♫ Nathan Johnson "Foul Play"

DAY 059-061
A BRIEF REPRIEVE
“There is no real ending. It’s just
the place where you stop the story.”
— Frank Herbert
Residents awake to a peaceful morning with the sun shining and earth remaining still. There is no unsettling shaking to rouse them at dawn, and time has continued moving onward as they slept. Whatever state they were in the night before, they remain that way now, for good or for bad.

On the surface, there seems to be little lasting effect on the tiny town from that strange series of days, save for the memories of any traumatic experiences residents may have faced — but there are always consequences within Mathias. The perpetrators of acts against the town are tormented by nightmares of those acts being used against them, and those who did not raise a hand to stop those acts of destruction may yet face consequences of their own. For now, however, the unwilling townspeople should do their best to rest and recover from the disturbing ordeals of late, for this reprieve from the madness shall surely be shortlived.

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.

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— THE HISTORY MUSEUM has not fared well with the return of "normal" time. The once esteemed wooden building is now a charred ruin, the recent fire leaving behind little of the contents within for study. The structure is unstable and it is not wise to venture into the ruins for long.

— THE WEATHER conditions remain 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 has retreated from some areas!
— Residents may now wander the southern stretch of the forest surrounding Mathias Township — it is possible to leave the paths but potentially unwise to do so.
— The fog has also retreated farther into the western section of town, now stretching across town between Stine Road and Shelley Drive. This has revealed the Chasm in the earth that stretches from one side of town to the other between Stine and Hill Lane.
— Access to the northern section of the forest is still blocked 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.

— DEATHS & DISAPPEARANCES continue! Max Guevara has vanished into the fog. Claire Novak's body can be spotted on Day 059 facedown at the bottom of the Chasm between Hill and Stine, near Phillips Drive; by the morning of Day 060, her body will be gone. (Attempts may be made to reach her body but will likely not end well for those involved. Such attempts should be reported under Exploration.)

— ALCOHOL is still in Mathias! Just barely. (Supply is running very 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. (Alcohol does not replenish as food does.)

OOC NOTES

— PROJECT HELP Your mod needs help with some projects!

— FUTURE PLANNING If you haven't, please answer the questions here for future log planning. I will almost definitely need some of these answers for the log going up the weekend of May 15, so act quickly! Late submissions will not be considered for that log.

— 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 are going to be pretty slow for a while. Apologies in advance, and please don't feel shy about pestering me if you're stuck waiting for something.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He's unsurprised someone is there--it's a fairly big area, open, it stands to reason a stranger walking through is bound to happen. He also doesn't want to hide who he is or his gifts, though the Darkling is aware that he's got to be careful.

It's the other's words that cause his hands to stop moving, the shadows slipping away, returning to their proper place, moving to what they're like usually, left without a master to command them as the darkling turns around at the other's accusations.

His brows are furrowed, hands at his side, head canted to the side. He's heard you loud and clear, Ainsley, and his stare is cool at the face of strange half accusations, if a little confused and more than a little insulted. He's waiting for further explanation before he speaks.

Honestly, she's being quite rude. She's also being quite accurate, which is exactly why he waits for further explanation. ]

[ Athena slows to a halt when he turns and just stares at her like that. It's unsettling as fuck, but at least he looks confused? That's... something. She eyeballs him with new misgivings. ]

I don't know if you're looking at me like that because you didn't understand what I said or because you did understand what I said, but uh. Hi? I'm Athena, and I totally don't have anything against shadow people, for the record. I know a very nice shadow person, his name is Zil, he's pretty cool--I mean he's also totally terrifying and can murder the shit out of people but. Um. Yeah.

[ The Darkling may, perhaps, be reminded of a certain guitarist with a tendency to ramble.

She shifts from one foot to the other for a moment. ] So do you... have a name, because 'oh god please don't hurt me' is kind of long.

[ She certainly says two words when one will suffice. The Darkling lets her go on for a few moments. Mostly, if he's honest with himself, it's because he's taken aback. This is the second person who speaks in what he can only describe as waves of words. He blinks, and answers once the other implies she'd like an introduction. ]

Summoner. Shadow summoner. My name is Kirigan, and I assure you, I was only trying to see what this place has done to limit my abilities.

[ Judging from his look, he's not too pleased with it. He's also not too pleased with Athena, but that's more of a first impression thing. Still, he keeps his voice polite and neutral, extending a hand for the other to shake. ]

Unless you're one of the ones that placed me here. I was rather busy back home.

[ She lights up again when he mentions his abilities, now that she's fairly sure he's not going to murder her or something. It's a more subdued lighting up than it would be with someone less imposing, but it's unmistakable.

She still has to brace herself to shake his hand. Being around Raylan and Tim and the rest of the men here has relaxed her back to not being entirely gunshy around men, but it's never going to come easy. ]

Mine are all fu...reaked up too. I accidentally blew the windows out of a house the other day when I was trying to move a cup just to see how bad it was.

[ Ah. The Darkling's sweeping gaze is quick, but his intent is obvious as he looks her up and down. He's assessing, taking her in, an old habit that he has no intention of breaking. She has power, and the Darkling is quietly scrutinizing it. ]

How?

[ It's an open ended question, one purposefully meant to be open to interpretation. His posture is neutral, though there's curiousity running through his soft voice: how did she blow the windows out? How was she attempting to move an inanimate object? How hindered is she, currently? He's reminded of someone when she lights up: a girl roughly her age with unimaginable power. An orphan from Keramzin. ]

[ She tilts her head, considering which "how" to answer first. He controls shadows, but he definitely doesn't seem her-world-y. But then you never know. ]

Um. Well. What do you call your like... [ She imitates the way her was moving his hands. ] Where I'm from it's called the Gift. Well, no, what you can do would be called an Affinity, but--

[ She holds up both hands in a woah, slow down gesture. ] Right, let me try that again. I have the Gift. Which, where I'm from, there's a whole bunch of different ways to use it. It kind of... attaches itself to what matters to you? Kind of? Anyway, I use it through singing.

[ She gestures around them, her expression going a little bleak. ] I can feel it here. The Gift I mean. But it's like... wrong. It's like it's... It's like radio static over a song? You can hear it, you know it's there, you even know the tune, but it's... fuzzy.

[ It occurs to her that he might not know what a radio is (what the fuck), so she tries again. ] It's like I'm trying to grab on to a super-slick bar of soap or something.

[ He's pleased the other elaborates on the radio metaphor, gently correcting herself as she continues, open and honest. There's a way she speaks, a casual tone that the Darkling finds himself almost lulled by. A Gift, then. She is Grisha, and as she talks about who she is in such a conversational manner, the man's shoulders relax somewhat, posture remaining perfect. He's at ease, for the time being. He nods in understanding. ]

Small things come easy. Others... [ He trails off temporarily, looking at the tree he was going to attempt to cut down before Athena, collected and cool despite the disdain in his voice. ] ...are proving arduous. [ His lips quirk up into a half-scowl, just for a moment, before he returns his attention to Athena. ]

How does it attach to one's importance? [ He's finding himself genuinely curious--a person singing to use their gifts more than a little fascinating. The theory behind it alone, in his universe, would be studied for decades. ]

I can't even get it to do small things. Well, I couldn't. I've been kind of... nervous about trying again.

[ She shakes her head, looking into the middle distance with a distracted expression, biting her lip for a moment.

Then she literally shakes her shoulders, shedding the feeling as best she can. ]

Well... [ Lord, she needs to get better with Gifted theory. ] So, okay, the Gift just... exists? It's like a kind of formless energy sort of thing. It--

[ She stops herself from going off about Star Wars and how it totally was based on a sanitized version of the Gift and Jedi are supposedly badass but Gifted people are freaks and it did a whole number on the idea that the Gift couldn't be used violently in the normal way of things, but the rant is most definitely on the tip of her tongue. ]

It's... everywhere. This kind of energy. The Gifted can feel it. You're born with it, that like. Ability to touch it? But using it is harder. [ She chews the corner of her lip for a moment. ] I'm not going to explain this right. But basically when you're growing up, the things that catch your attention, the things you really love, kind of open the door to actually... using it. And that thing that lets you touch it becomes your Ritual.

[ She makes another airy little gesture with one hand. ] My Ritual is music. So like... the thing with the Gift is that... It's like any other kind of talent, some people are better at using it than others, but it doesn't matter how much talent you have if you never practice your Ritual. I'm only as good at using it as I am at playing music or singing or whatever, right?

[ She squints, frowning. ] Did that make any sense? Jeff is way better at this shhhhtuff.

[ The Darkling listens patiently, finding himself almost smiling at the way she talks: it's clear she loves her power, she loves what she's been gifted. He has an affinity for those who realize just how special they are. She would make a proud Grisha, he thinks, proud of who she is and what she's been given. Athena hasn't explained what, exactly, she can do, but the Darkling can wait.

He nods. ]

It's a perfect explanation. Jeff was one of the first people I met here. Your father? [ It doesn't matter to him, not truly, other than a possible connection, something to use later, maybe. A father like him is certainly a far cry from his own mother, and his eyes narrow. ]

[ Athena is getting progressively less intimidated the longer they talk, which is why when he mentions Jeff the way the perks up isn't at all subdued. The question gets a smile out of her, though she immediately directs the expression toward her feet. ]

No. I mean, sort of. Not exactly? [ She shakes her head and looks back up at Kirigan, the little smile still there. ] He's... my Jeff. He and my aunt pretty much hold the reins when it comes to making sure I don't express the true depths of my dumbassery.

[ 'My Jeff,' she says, and the Darkling's eyes narrow somewhat with a distinction. There's no annoyance, no sparkle of something unreadable. He's merely absorbing the information now, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't find her manner far more refreshing than a few moments ago when she'd yelled at him from an arbitrary halfway point, brash and irksome. ]

Recklessness can lead to ruin. [ He's agreeing, a calm warning, and after a small moment of silence a thought occurs to him. ]

You said you haven't used your power here.

I did once. Or I tried once. With the whole moving the cup thing. But the windows of the house blew up instead.

[ She looks more than a little sheepish at that. ]

It's wiser to test things in a field. [ Which his exactly why he's here--he looks pointedly up at the sky, and then the grass around them. His gaze stops at the tree, the one he'd been targeting before her outburst. His face softens, an idea occurring to him. ]

What's the smallest thing you can do?

I mean… it’s kind of a three-way tie between moving things, calling light, and summoning fire. Which, last one? Probably not the best idea when things are all fu… Messed up.

[ She grimaces a little, thinking about the Town Hall fire. Yeah, Raylan set it on purpose, but it could just as easily happen if her Gift ran wild. ] Those are the bare bones basics though.

Edited 2021-05-20 22:20 (UTC)

[ The Darkling's head moves quicker than he wants, gaze moving from glancing casually around him to staring at Athena pointedly, gaze dark, jaw tight. The calmness has dissipated, his whole body turned towards the girl, back straight, keenly aware of how close they are. ]

Calling light? [ The words are still soft, though there's a trace of something missing. Politeness. Manners. The unspoken ask for the other to elaborate is a demand, not a plea. An order, even, as the Darkling doesn't even blink, waiting for confirmation. ]

[ She shrinks back a little, instincts kicking her hard in the figurative shins. Except she gets the feeling that if she runs right now, it won't end well for her. ]

Yeah, but it’s nothing special. Anyone with the Gift can do it.

[ He opens his mouth, taking in a breath, gaze boring into Athena. It's light. Light, she is similar to Grisha but she isn't one of them, he knows this--but to have one who can allegedly summon light, no matter the world, so fresh after Alina's betrayal--a surge of emotion ripples through him, his face flickering for a brief moment. His lips twitch into an almost smile, swallowing as he forces himself not to scare the poor girl.

Patience. ]

In my world, there is only one person who can do that. [ An explanation, and while his voice is low, the softness has temporarily left. It returns when he composes himself, shoulders straighter. ]

Can you show me?

They did something to you. [ It's not really a question. She'd have to be... well, significantly less observant than she is not to put two and two together. Athena winces a little, thinking maybe she should have kept that particular observation to herself. ]

Um. Yeah, I'll try. I don't know if it will work though. And you might... want to stand back.

[ She sucks on her lower lip for a minute, picking a song in case simply humming doesn't work.

She tries the latter, her voice rising and falling tunelessly, and for a second it seems to be working. Little golden flickers flash in the air around her, but she's straining just to accomplish that much with the wordless little melody. It feels exactly like she told him it does--like trying to hold on to something that really, really doesn't want to be touched.

Athena gives her head a frustrated little shake and breaks into proper song. ]

May these words be the first
To find your ears
The world is brighter than the sun
Now that you're here
Though your eyes will need some time to adjust
To the overwhelming light surrounding us

I'll give you everything I have
I'll teach you everything I know
I promise I'll do better
I will always hold you close
But I will learn to let you go
I promise I'll do better.

[ She closes her eyes against the brightness that starts to gather, voice gaining strength as she feels it working, the Gift singing in the air around her, the heatless shimmer bright enough now to turn the dark behind her closed eyes the red of light shining through vessels and skin.

And then something frays. The Gift warps, goes out of tune, and the light flares painfully bright for a moment before going out. Athena throws her arm up in front of her face at the flash. ]

Shit!

[ 'They did something to you,' she says, and the Darkling is surprised at how closely her words hit, how delicately a stray thought said out loud has aimed directly for the gap in his armor. His eyes narrow, and he's particularly pleased when the other's youthful self turns her train of thought onto something else almost immediately. A distraction--a goal for the other to do, and the Darkling can watch. He doesn't take a step back, he merely stands, hands at his side.

She is not Alina. Her magic doesn't hum the way hers does, theirs does, there's no summoning but instead there's music. Athena seems to pull from somewhere else, not the light around her, and his face has softened almost completely as she sings--

--her voice wavers, there's a flare up, and then nothing. The Darkling hasn't moved, hasn't blinked despite the bright light and his impossibly dark eyes, staring at the light at first but and then at Athena as she throws her arms up. The careful neutrality is gone, now. The Darkling's features are completely relaxed as, very carefully, he speaks. ]

You have incredible talent, Athena. [ She'd faltered, she'd messed up, but the Darkling doesn't seem to care. ]

[ As always, she drinks in the praise, standing a little straighter, lifting her chin just a bit. ] Normally I wouldn’t even need a real song for something like that. The humming, that should have been enough, but things are all fucky here.

[ It's a slow, deliberate movement, the Darkling moving with intent, his eyes all but glittering as his arm moves forward, hand near hers. He doesn't touch, cognizant of consent, and makes sure to look directly into the other's eyes. ]

May I take your wrist?

[ She eyes him a little warily, though it's a definite point in his favor that he asks. Can she get away if he hangs on? Probably not.

That she hasn't bolted at the very suggestion shows he has more points in his favor than against him. ]

Why?

Because doing so will be mutually beneficial. [ There's still that spark in his eyes, that calm softness still ever-present, but his face is no longer sharp and tight. The Darkling's usual visage is one of stoicism, though it seems almost completely gone. A quiet patience, yes, but considerably less guarded. He takes a breath, hesitating very briefly. ]

My blood and my bones are...unique. Even among Grisha. They amplify. I'd like to touch you to see if it can grant some stability to your own powers.

[ His hand remains where it is, near her but motionless. ]

[ She gapes a little at that. ] Holy shit.

[ That can't have been easy, being that kind of unique. There are a hundred ways a hundred people would want to abuse it, she's sure.

Still, it gets her to actually take his hand. Which might be more than he bargained for. Oh well. ]

Do I just... try again?

[ The Darkling stares at the other's hand, lips parted, surprise etched onto his soft features--Athena is a bold person, this he knows despite barely knowing her, but she'd seemed hesitant at first.

Holy shit indeed. The Darkling grips the other's hand steadfastly, skin on skin.

There's no light, no shadow, no visual tell--but the Darkling keeps his gaze on Athena, unwavering, squeezing her hand slightly. The other might feel warmth, her own body beginning to thrum with energy, and the Darkling breathes in, nodding. ]

059-061 » the place where you stop the story

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cw allusions to physical abuse

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