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The Village Mod ([personal profile] villagemod) wrote in [community profile] villagelogs2021-05-08 12:54 pm

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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silentretribution: ([Liz] Glowing)

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-05-15 09:35 am (UTC)(link)
He's always been friendly and willing to speak with her, something that had helped put her at ease in this world. He never made a fuss about having to do all the talking, something that she at times wished she could change, but didn't mind as much as others might think. She was never open to begin with, whether about herself or with her thoughts. This just granted her a convenient excuse to keep to herself.

But being offered the chance to spend time with him, she wasn't going to pass it up. She didn't exactly need him, per say, but she thought he might be interested to see what was found for her. She held out the Sign Language book for him before quickly writing down:

Would you like to learn some sign?

Out of many of the people here, it would be gratifying to communicate with Doc more easily.
thering: (Doc503)

[personal profile] thering 2021-05-15 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh. Of course." There's no hesitation when he takes the book, leafing through it briefly for a few seconds just to confirm what she means by 'sign'. Of course he wouldn't start reading it cover to cover in front of her while they're standing around outdoors. He'll be starting with the most common words first, anyway.

"Nothing would please me more than to not have to hear the sound of my own voice, and I'm sure you should like to be spared too," he jokes self-depreciatingly. Sure, his accent gets used as a free and easy flirting token, but it only sounds charming when you're not from the time and place he's from, when it's not as commonplace anymore.

"Where did you learn this?" he asks, resting his palm on the cover of the book. He can't imagine they spared her signing any thought when they put her in shackles.
silentretribution: ([Liz] Putting the Pieces Together)

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-05-17 01:52 pm (UTC)(link)
It wouldn't be an easy task and this would require more visits from her. Maybe she should consider making notes for those who were eager to learn? That was something to consider, but it would take a great deal of her time. So long as he was patient, he could at least get a few important signs under his belt.

She smiled at him, amused by his joke. He wasn't at all tedious to listen to, not compared to others she had met in her life. His presence was comforting more than she could explain either in writing or anything else. She would continue to seek him out and never really grow tired of him, though she imagined this would grow dull for him, one sided conversations.

Where did I learn sign first? There is a look on her face as she considers what to share. She hadn't fully adopted Elizabeth's history, only her name and place in marriage, so saying she lost her tongue the way Elizabeth had seemed unwise. But revealing she cut her own...that would raise questions. It was better to err on the side of caution any only steal half of the story.

The doctor who tended to me after I lost my tongue gave me a book. I had to teach my husband and our children.
thering: (Doc459)

[personal profile] thering 2021-05-18 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
"I see." He doesn't question further, appreciating that she has shared as much as she had already done. Yes, it would be only fair for him to learn how to sign so that they may both communicate in the same language, at the same pace. He would prefer to also learn a few important signs, should there be an emergency sometime and he needs to go find her and make a quick escape, for words like 'danger' or 'fire' or 'attack' or something.

"Perhaps we could make a weekly affair of it," he suggests. "If you have the time, of course." He would like to visit her frequently, check in on her, make sure she's settled and doesn't need anything. "It is an unforgiving place for anyone to be on their own." Especially a woman, but he's stopped saying that since women from the 21st century tend to want to punch him if he even so much as suggests they might not be capable of looking after themselves.

"And uh... well. I will confess to enjoying your company," he adds with a smile that reaches his eyes.
silentretribution: ([Liz] What? (Turns))

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-05-20 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
It would be useful, though she would always be a disadvantage. All she needed was to think of the fog and remember being lost, unable to make a sound or scream for help. It was the smallest, most vulnerable she had ever felt since her family passed. Where she had come to rely on herself, it was clear that she couldn't survive in this place without someone.

So his sentiment was genuinely touching, though it left her slightly rattled. So many she loved and cared for had been killed. Once again, she was opening a much scabbed over and infected wound, bracing herself for something dark, something horrid to happen. She reached for his hand and squeezed it, looking down at the ground in a mixture of worry and sadness.

I enjoy yours too. Given she couldn't offer as much as others in terms of company, it meant a great deal that he enjoyed seeing her. I worry for you.
thering: (Doc42)

[personal profile] thering 2021-05-21 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
"Me?" he asks with a raise of one eyebrow and an inflection in his voice. He cracks an almost-laugh of a smile and leans back a little bit. He takes her hand and holds it close against his chest, brushing his thumb over the backs of her fingers. He was under no illusion that it would be dainty and delicate. She had lived a hard life and it shows in her eyes, in her stance, in the callouses on her hands and the firmness of her grip.

"I'm doing just fine, ma'am." He's just laying down some plastic-coated canvas sheeting over the ashes of demonic organic matter in case it somehow manages to 'get them' in some way. Surely such an unhealthy dose of paranoia and the general weariness from bearing the weight of this world on his shoulders is the picture of 'doing just fine'.

"Has my excessive gallivanting given you cause for worry?" He lets go of her hand briefly to reach over - slowly - and brush some of her hair away from her face with his fingertips. Among all the men here he is one of the least likely to court disaster, but. Trouble tends to follow men like him, it's true.
silentretribution: ([Liz] Lips Close)

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-05-21 12:00 pm (UTC)(link)
The intimate gestures have her at a crossroads. While her body stiffened out of fear and uncertainty, her mind kept her in place, not wanting to let it go just yet. The last real tenderness she experienced was with a different man, one that Doc reminded her of, but lacked the naivety that lead to his death. Doc was a good person as well, but she suspected he would know evil if it was in front of him, where Eli had wanted to see the good in everyone.

His gallivanting hadn't caused her too much concern, but the rising number of strange events and injured folk had lead her to wonder what he was getting himself into. Maybe it was time for her to move from the boarding house to somewhere else, if only to keep an eye on the others around. Looking at his tarp, it was obvious that he had a great deal on his mind and shoulders. He shouldn't face it alone.

But the sudden brush of his fingers as he drew a strand of hair from her face distracted her. I worry. It didn't matter if he viewed himself as doing fine, she would still be concerned for him. Much as he seemed concerned for her.

She was clumsy at these things, both communicating and reciprocating these gestures, whatever they might mean. She wasn't sure what gesture she could follow offer that would show the same level of intimacy that he apparently felt with her, so instead, she gave him a small window into her fears. Places like this are harsher to men like you. Good men who try to protect others. I don't want you hurt.
thering: (12)

[personal profile] thering 2021-05-22 06:12 am (UTC)(link)
He breathes out a quiet little sigh and slips his hand back into its comfortable resting place, thumb hooking into his belt loop. He worries, too. No amount of reassurances anyone could give him could help alleviate that. Knowing that, there's no point trying to convince her that he's as fine as he'll ever be, in this wretched place. He'll just try and check in with her frequently, offer to land a hand when wanted. Sometimes the quiet folk can go unnoticed in the midst of all this madness. He won't let that happen to her.

"Been hurt. Many times. Done some hurtin' myself, some of which I don't particularly regret. But I am still here." Maybe what she has seen and known about him to be able to talk about men like him doesn't match up with the things he has done, or at least he feels that way. He doesn't try to use his reassuring tone so much as he does state it as a simple matter of fact. Whether Mathias has been treating him more poorly for his efforts or not, he can't say. He thinks he's getting by okay compared to the assholes who keep doing stupid things and getting themselves killed.

"For what it's worth you seem like a good lady, too. As good as anyone can be when the world ain't playin' fair, anyway." Yes, he knows full well she'd arrived in shackles. There is an air of mystery that surrounds them both. But he's keeping his mind open.
silentretribution: ([Liz] Tears)

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-05-23 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
She is used to being overlooked and part of her relished it. It meant that she could hide away from those she needed to, and largely be viewed with little interest. Being a midwife, there was more attention paid to her for a time, but once that ended, she had nowhere to hide and no way to slink back to the shadows. Being here, serving no real purpose, it allowed her to be hidden and unknown again, something good for a woman who didn't want a past.

Doc was one of the few that made a point not to forget her. It was hard to say how she felt about that, only that his kindness was one that she wanted to repay with worry of her own. He seemed fine though, despite her fretting. She nodded, well aware of how it was to hurt and hurt others. It wasn't as if she was so innocent. The hand he held a moment ago, there was blood on it as well.

I have my share of sins. She couldn't say anymore if she believed in Hell, but she knew that there was a price to be paid for everything she had done and the lives that were taken because of her.
thering: (04)

[personal profile] thering 2021-05-24 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
"Don't we all?" he asks quietly with a small, almost sad smile. Hell Mathias might not be, but this town is certainly sporting a fine collection of lonely sinners.

"I was going to finish up here and head to the greenhouse. Yennefer is growing tomatoes and a few other plants I would... at least like to make sure they flower." It feels like the one good thing he could do in this town, even though he's already sitting on a healthy pile of goodwill. Somehow it never feels enough.

"If you weren't too busy today, I wondered if perhaps you might like to join me?"
silentretribution: ([Liz] Are You Pleased?)

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-05-25 02:13 pm (UTC)(link)
She nodded. She could at least lend a hand and see that the garden thrived. It was better than doing nothing, save her own chores. The quiet life might suit her, but she was growing more used to and eager for company. Doc's was at least calm and soothing for someone with frazzled nerves...which probably would surprise him, if she could communicate it.

Liz glanced at the tarp. Are you finished with your work here?

She might not share his worry about something happening, but she understood his desire to see this done.
thering: (Doc536)

sorry I didn't get a notif for this

[personal profile] thering 2021-06-02 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
That she finds his presence to be somewhat reassuring can probably be attributed to his relatively stable and tranquil life here, to be honest. She wouldn't find him so calm or soothing if being around him meant regularly getting chased down and shot at.

"Yes." He's driven the tent nails down as deep as they can go, weighed several edges of the tarp down. Sure, Mathias can rip it all away in an instant, the same way she had previously demonstrated her ability to undo their hard work in the blink of an eye, but she'd have to put up a hell of a fight to do so.

"It ain't perfect, but. It'll hold. Shall we?" Maybe they can even get a headstart on some signs, if it's just going to be the two of them staring at tomato vines trying to keep their crop wet and warm.
silentretribution: ([Liz] Burned)

Not a problem!

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-06-02 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
She nodded, brushing down her skirts to knock off the dust gathered there. She had her knapsack at her side, carrying the book that Bucky had given her. There were small notes she had made for those willing to learn with drawings of some of the more common signs, as well as the alphabet. It would be something he could keep with him.

She fell into step alongside Doc, no longer intimidated by the surroundings or feeling out of place. She knew her way around now, enough to feel comfortable letting her mind drift and not getting lost.

Her eyes flicked to Doc, curious, but uncertain what to say as silence seemed to settle between them.
thering: (Doc292)

[personal profile] thering 2021-06-03 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
He is comfortable in the silence, walking alongside her. Sometimes he does find himself talking too much - and simultaneously never enough, because he doesn't want to talk about those things that cut into him deep and put himself or anyone else through that discomfort of bringing up things that are intensely personal - and he prefers the silence.

But, mindful as he is that she would need time to reply to him in writing, he will make small talk with some yes/no questions she can simply nod and shake her head at, whilst giving her some time and space to write something more detailed if she wants.

"Have you been making any friends?" he asks quietly once they pass the Town Hall on their way to the greenhouse. "This wretched town can be painfully lonely."
silentretribution: ([Liz] What's That?)

[personal profile] silentretribution 2021-06-07 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
She supposed that there were friends. Doc and Rayland seemed to have filled that role for her, as much as she let them in. Even with the bonds she forged, she still felt aloof from the rest. Not for their lack of consideration, they were all welcoming. Being unable to speak, she would always be an outsider.

It was safer as well, should the Reverend suddenly appear.

I'm used to loneliness. Which was the truth, not something that needed much pity. Everyone has been very kind and eager to learn sign. Without Bucky, she never would have the book to begin with.

Sometimes lonely is better.
thering: (Doc698)

[personal profile] thering 2021-06-07 02:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"Sometimes," he concedes. You would think a man who has spent over a century alone would hasten to disagree. Would never spend another waking minute alone if he could help it. And there are days he feels exactly that. Moments where he surrounds himself with company and nights where he eagerly brings bedwarmers into his humble abode so that he might alleviate some of that otherwise all-consuming, crippling isolation.

"When you find yourself ready for company, I think you already know where to find us." He would not undermine her tenacity, impose his own ideals or what he thinks might be good for her upon her. Doc wants to be available, accessible, helpful. An empty driveway and an open door that anyone can run up and burst into without any reservations. It is not really his place to impose anything upon anyone, much as he is loathe to see people sometimes struggling on their own. Sometimes they are thriving, too.

"Does this mean you would not wish to join us should we be hosting or get invited to a social gathering?" He would much like to bring her along, if she permits. She can be both lonely and present - they are not mutually exclusive options.