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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[ 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. ]

[ It's like everything comes into focus at once. The fuzziness surrounding the Gift all but vanishes, and she can really feel it for the first time since she got here, like a million threads of spider silk drifting in the air around them, waiting to be woven into something with a real shape. Athena's eyes go a little wide with surprise, but then she's grinning.

She considers for a second what to do, what to show him, now that she's pretty sure she actually can. Athena gives an experimental little hum, testing how much light she can call. Not a lot, but more than before. Straight to song, then.

She starts singing Enough to Go By, and this time she doesn't bother with just a handful of the lyrics.

She sings and keeps singing, unspooling a mirage around them, a New York city street, buildings unfolding upward around them, though the skyscrapers fade out of sight before reaching their real height. Pedestrians ghost into existence along the sidewalk, cars roaring silently through and around the Darkling and Athena. There's no scent, no sound, and everything is a little transparent, but she manages a half-block in all directions before she has to let the casting go with the last few notes of the song.

Athena wobbles a little.]

Jesus, I'm out of practice.

[ It's beautiful. It's nothing the Darkling has ever seen before, not the location, not the power, not the technology--Athena sings, the song beautiful, her power immaculate, and halfway through the Darkling's grip on Athena's hand tightens, his breathing heavy.

Something's wrong.

This shouldn't tire him. This never tires him. He grits his teeth, focusing on the transparent figures, focusing on Athena's powers, the hum of his amplifying still warm, still crackling within, full of energy flowing into the other. His eyes snap shut, face contorted with effort, quiet in comparison to Athena's beautiful brilliance. He wills himself to hold on, the warmth of his power slowly teetering into something white hot: rage and frustration simmer at the surface for him, though to Athena nothing has changed. This should be easy. This should be nothing, the darkling should feel nothing, but by the time Athena finishes, his grip is so tight his knuckles are white. ]

No.

[ The Darkling's glittering eyes are unfocused as he stares at a spot on the ground, panting, pain flickering across his features, that grip iron strong. There's a cold fury in his gaze, and when he's finally able to pull himself out of things and look at Athena, he doesn't wipe it from his face in time. He does have the sense to finally pry his hand off of the other, and when he does he puts both of his hands on his knees, bent over, exhaustion evident, fury seeping through in the way he curls his upper lip into a sneer. ]

It's wrong.

[ She doesn't think much of his tightening grip at first. She's too lost in enjoying herself, enjoying the feeling of the Gift around her, enjoying the fact that she can show off a little.

But near the end of the song it gets painful. That twitch of OCD she's never been able to shake keeps her from stopping mid-verse, all but forces her to get to the end, but as soon as she lets go of the song her attention is on him.

That anger is terrifying. It takes her back to places she's scared sometimes will never go away. Places where she's small and helpless and can't do a damn thing about the man bearing down on her with that kind of fury in his eyes except brace herself and take it.

Then Kirigan lets go of her hand, bracing his hands on his knees, and Athena asks the question that she always asked when she saw a face like that. ] What did I do?

Edited 2021-05-31 16:43 (UTC)

[ The Darkling takes a moment--he has to, the room spinning from the use of his power, an unfamiliar feeling of nausea burning in his stomach. He grits his teeth, willing himself to simply stop, as if stubbornness will somehow keep the sensation at bay.

It's this place, he realizes. He'd tried to use the Cut, and it had felt the same. His blood and bones must also be affected, his ability to amplify presently affected, and his knuckles are white as he grips his knees.

There's something else, something he can focus on as he tries to will the world to stop spinning: Athena hadn't wrenched her grip away, and instead she says asks a simple question that reveals far too much. 'What did I do?' she says, and he's reminded of many a Grisha's story, huddled, scared, confused as figures loom over them.

The way her eyes flash in fear is what pulls him out. He closes his eyes, eyes flickering underneath the lids and his jaw clenches tightly once more before willing himself to stand up fully, properly: he exhales softly, face paler than usual, but when he speaks his voice has something that's been lacking in their entire conversation. Warmth. Silent understanding. An apology. He fights a wince ]

Forgive my inappropriate behaviour--this... place.. [ he trails off, venom returning when he thinks of the village itself. ] It saps our power, our 'gifts,' but to amplify you...

[ His smile thins, gaze intense, making sure he catches Athena's eyes. ]

I did not expect a physical toll. You did absolutely nothing wrong, Miss Athena. What you did was more than impressive. In my world, it would be a miracle.

Shit. [ She says it softly, when he reveals that the amplification had a physical effect. She can't help a twinge of guilt at that, even if he says it isn't her fault.

She also can't help the little bloom of pride when he calls her more than impressive. ] I'd like. I mean, if you don't mind, I'd like to know more about Grisha. What you can do. If you want to talk about it. And I mean, not right now obviously, you're...

[ The last sentence trails off into worry. ]

[ The Darkling nods, allowing himself a small nod. ]

Of course. I'm proud of what Grisha have done for my country.

[ She's right. He needs to excuse himself, needs to rethink and replan. A trip to the chasm seems like a particularly good idea. ]

Another time, Miss Athena. This experiment was useful.

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059-061 » the place where you stop the story

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cw allusions to physical abuse

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