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The Village Mod ([personal profile] villagemod) wrote in [community profile] villagelogs2021-06-05 08:09 pm

063-064 » no matter how much / part ii (group A)

WHO: Group A members only.
WHERE: Mathias Township proper
WHEN: Days 063-064
WHAT: Matthias becomes a little larger and a little smaller at the same time.
WARNINGS: (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here!

RECOMMENDED ♫ DEADLY AVENGER "Raiju"





DAY 063-064
NO MATTER HOW MUCH

“No matter how much suffering you went through,
you never wanted to let go of those memories.”
— Haruki Murakami

At first, in the calm following the storm, nothing seems amiss. When the residents awake, it is to another glorious morning dawning in the unsettling paradise that is Mathias Township. Indeed, it does seem rather glorious that morning, for there is sunshine in a blue sky that has been cleared of any remnant of the angry storm clouds from the day before. But before long, residents will start to notice signs of something being not quite right.

It should be a familiar sensation to most by now.

It begins as just a feeling, a strange hint of something in the air, a nagging voice at the back of the mind. They can't quite put their finger on it but there is something. Something wrong, something that shouldn't be — which is quite a statement in a town where everything shouldn't be. But then the pieces will begin to come together.

A person has gone who ought to be there. This in itself is not a strange occurrence, for many have vanished and then returned, or not. This time, though, it is one person, and then two and three... A dozen people or more have gone, with no trace of their whereabouts to be found.

No resident is alone, thankfully. There are others who also remain: friends, acquaintances, strangers. Others who are just as trapped in this nightmarish place.

As the hours stretch on and residents begin to venture beyond their self-claimed shelters and move about the town, they will find that their fellow captives are not the only things that have vanished. The Chasm is gone as well, the crack in the earth that once stretched across and cut off the western part of town. There is not even the smallest mark to show where it had once been; it has gone so completely that some might wonder if they had merely imagined it.






ABOUT THE NEW LOCATIONS

POPPY COTTAGE This bed and breakfast has a sense of casual elegance with the elusive quality of being both sophisticated and comfortable at the same time. Aside from being covered in dust and grime, of course.

PENHEW HOUSE Perhaps familiar to some in Mathias, this grand house is different from any of the others the residents have entered. It looks... new. Fresh. Clean. The usual thick layers of dust and grime that would be caked onto every visible surface are nowhere in sight; this absence may be a relief for some and unsettling to others. There are certainly other unsettling things to be found in this location.

THE OLD CHURCH Barely more than ruins, the property is marked by a crumbled stone outline that has no roof and only partial walls, nothing left inside besides a broken cobblestone floor.

BANEBERRY HALL From the outside, Baneberry Hall seems like your average rich person's house, but one would be mistaken to assume anything of the sort. Even the baneberries that cover the back lawn leading to the forest treeline are deceptive, for they appear harmless but are fatal to any human foolish enough to eat them.

The building is decaying from within. The rooms have begun to rot, from the parlors and libraries still done up in grand and expensive style to the bedrooms that have locks on the doors and bars on the windows. There are restraints in some of those bedrooms, while others are bereft of sharp objects. In the hall closets, there are identical sets of white pajamas of all sizes, and the offices have locked cabinets (that may be picked) full of a rainbow of sedatives (that will not replenish). The names on doors and in logbook lists are all smudged beyond legibility, and all paperwork has been water-damaged and weathered, leaving no indication of who may have been kept in those bedrooms or why. But within each room, there is an item that may be familiar to one of the residents now wandering its halls. As caked in dust and grime as anything else, each item is placed as if it belongs there, as if it might have been there for years. But it couldn't have been... could it?



ABOUT THE ITEMS FROM HOME

Within the unsettling walls of Baneberry Hall, residents may find OBJECTS that are uncomfortably familiar to them. Each item has one singular memory attached to it that, when touched in any way, will be experienced first hand, as if the person receiving it had lived it themselves. This person will endure all of the associated emotions and psychological reactions to the memory that the memory's owner experienced.

— Items may only be found within Baneberry Hall. These items from home are not all in one room or a specific location but instead are scattered throughout the bedrooms. (Only the items on this list are available to this group.)

— Ownership and possession of the item are important elements to this event. While the item is in possession of someone who is not its owner, it will continue to infect all who touch it with the memory that belonged to its owner. The item will also, before long, begin to make the possessor ill, both physically and emotionally uncomfortable and upset. This only occurs until the item is reunited with its owner, or until it is no longer in someone else's possession. (For example, if Person A finds Person B's teddy bear and carries it with them, they will continue to experience the bear's associated memory until they no longer have it in their possession, whether this means they have left it somewhere or it has been returned to Person B.)

— Recipients of memories will retain those memories even after the event has ended.

— When the owner of an item finds their item or has it returned to them, they will also experience the memory once themselves, having it returned to them as if they had just lived those moments again. The memory is only replayed once in their minds and then the memory effect of the object is gone. After this point, the item can be held by the owner or any others without consequence.

— If a person removes an item from its room in Baneberry Hall but does not remove the item from the property entirely, the item will be mysteriously returned to its original location when no one is looking. This is so that people do not have to keep close track of where items are going in the possible changing of hands, so the original owners can still easily locate the item without having to plan in great detail. Once an item is removed from the property, it will not return to its original location even if it is discarded by the possessor before reaching its original owner. Instances such as this should be planned among all involved parties, including the owner of the item.

— Once an item is removed from the property, please comment below so that information may be updated. Items that are not removed by the end of the event may reappear at a later time, so accurate records are essential.

— Before an item's memory is viewed by someone other than the owner, permission must be granted or requested for that memory to be viewed by another character. Because the experience is an uncomfortable one for the other characters, the viewing of memories not their own should ideally be kept to a small number.








CONDITIONS UPDATE
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 new boundaries.
— 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 from the western section of town entirely.
— 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.

DISAPPEARANCES AND DEATHS continue! Yennefer, Number Five, and Tony Stark have vanished and Ellie is still missing, though this may be difficult to tell with half the town also seemingly having vanished. Will Graham's body may be found within the ruins of the Old Church; he appears to have been frightened to death. (If someone decides to take care of the body, please report it below. For in-game reasons, this does not need to be coordinated across groups.)

ALCOHOL supplies have run dry, save for any dregs that have been squirreled away by individual residents. Moonshine can still be acquired by those in desperate need.








OOC NOTES
NEW MAP Thanks so much to Scy for yet another amazing new map of Mathias!

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. IC events are also helpful to know about in advance so they can be included in the log write-ups.

MOD STATUS For those who don't know, I run a summer program that is set to start in just 2 weeks. We've only recently been given the green light to go ahead in person, so it's a scramble to get everything pulled together in time. My non-RP life is going to be busy and chaotic for the next while and I am thus asking for your forgiveness and understanding as things continue to be slow, as I cannot guarantee timely mod responses beyond weekends, and even that is not guaranteed.

NEXT LOG Because of the aforementioned real-life chaos, the next log will be more relaxed and free form with everyone coming back together again and having a few chill days. It would be very much appreciated if some of the more intense investigations could be saved to take place in future logs, as the new locations that are opening up in this log will remain open in the next few at least and there will be plenty of time to explore all their mysteries.

ITEMS FROM HOME The items from home remaining in Baneberry Hall will not be available past this log, at least not in this form, so if you would like to play with these elements, you should not sleep on this opportunity. More things may show up in the future but, for now, this is the main event.

DW NOTIFS Back at the beginning of the year, the issue of missing email notifs was discussed in a code push plurk by Mark of the DW admin team. For those who missed it, the gist is that the issue with missing notifs is not going to be fixed anytime soon. The issue is so sporadic that the dev team has concluded the only way to possibly fix it is to redo the notification system entirely. This issue does not extend to DW's internal inbox, so short of checking every thread you're involved in, the DW inbox is the best way to make sure you're not missing things.

ACTIVITY CHECK Beginning with June's AC (posted at the start of July), all tags that consist of only dialogue will count as 0.5 comments, not just those that occur in an inbox thread. This applies to both AC and AP totals.



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tinstar: (Porch Thinkin)

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-14 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Trust me, that's the most friendly, sanitize opinion I can offer without edgin' into being a dick. That basement is larger than some houses I've seen, for gods sake, to say nothin' of how expansive the top half is.." He shook his head a little, looking back out over their new playground.

"No, I know what Martin did. I know what Martin did to Malcolm. I'm glad he didn't get a chance to do it to you. But I get your position. Your point. You still love your daddy."
myfavoritemurder: (we begin bombing in five minutes)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-14 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Friends? Care? Well-being? What. Is the word. For this.

[She pokes herself in the chest yet again, a hard enough jab that it hurts. She's trying to make a point here, Tim; gosh. Help her out a little.]
conning: (screencaptures_318)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-14 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
The thought of Pride & Prejudice and of The Friends of Eddie Coyle makes Neal's skin pebble with goosebumps. Horror and heartbreak.

"You don't want to touch the books in here. You really don't."

He levers himself back to his feet before offering Tim a hand up. "I came looking for something I recognized."
conning: (screencaptures_318)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-14 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Neal flashes him a warm smile. "We should probably have a third man waiting outside to check on us if we're gone too long."

He's not taking any more chances. "Raylan's right. He usually is about that kind of thing."
conning: (screencaptures_335)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-14 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"You have low standards," Neal says dryly. He takes another little look around the room, trying to gauge whether or not he's missed any possible hiding places. "The medicine here helps keep visions away."
conning: (screencaptures_735)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-14 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
"But they still should have believed you," Neal says, stubborn. He presses one hand to the side of Malcolm's neck, brushing his thumb over Malcolm's jaw. Blue eyes on blue.

"How are you the way you are, when people treated you the way they have?"
myfavoritemurder: (a weird act of God)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-14 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
She looks at his outstretched hand with confusion and suspicion, then looks at his horrified expression with... well. Pretty much the same reaction. Scooting backwards, she makes a point of lying back down on the floor, and repeats, "What?"
conning: (screencaptures_890)

here i thought i would never have cause to use this icon

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-14 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Neal makes a sound that's somewhere between amusement and a sob.

Then he lies down next to her, slowly, arms at his sides, staring at the ceiling.

"I saw what she did to your village."

He keeps himself from saying our.
myfavoritemurder: (my bloodlust is carrying me through)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-14 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"Is that why your friend wants it?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.
myfavoritemurder: (I hear something)

oh nooooo

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-14 10:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Aha. He's not the first to say so, and so this isn't a surprise - nor is it at all something that Callisto is unhappy about. Spread her worst memories far and wide, Mathias. Let the entire town know what's happened to her.

"Did you see her?" she asks, propping herself up on her elbows so that she can look down at him. "Did you see Xena, the woman who rode in leading the army?"
conning: (screencaptures_857)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-14 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
He growls under his breath, frustrated with himself. Then he pulls it together. Settles in again.

Hat box. Symbols. One by one.

He studies the way he arranged them in the box, this time. Examines each one, thinks of each person and the pain behind each memory. That moment of disorientation when he saw Doc face to face after the fight with Wyatt and thought he was seeing himself. Watching Negan's hands on the sharpened butterknife, cutting vegetables, a motion that was simple and domestic and entirely at odds with the way they--he--brought that bat down in the dark. Parker clinging to her rabbit. Callisto lying on the floor, looking at him like he'd grown a second head. One person at a time, one memory at a time.

He picks up the lid and places it gently--firmly--onto the box, keeping his eyes shut.

"Done," he murmurs, not sure how long it's taken.
tinstar: (Default)

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-14 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Raylan glanced at Penhew House and nodded towards the big building with a deep breath. "Doesn't look like we're going find a brunch waitin' for us, but maybe we'll find somethin' interesting. I hope we get more than a day with this half. Too much to cover in a day. Or two. Shit or three, as expansive as this place must be. I wonder if this is it. All of her."
abrightboy: (oh come on)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
It doesn't matter how long it's taken.

"Now take the box and throw it in the East River. You're never going to wear that hat."
tinstar: (Go on dig that hole)

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-14 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Raylan lifted his eyebrows at Doc's tone but only hummed a note. Never mind that they hadn't asked for nor expected any scraping, but he knew that Doc's role of caretaker was one the man took on himself. A role that Raylan had leaned on before; he could grant him the room to be irritated without it being a capital crime.

"I hope you're not expectin' me to stay down all day, right? Don't worry-" he continued immediately, one hand lifting to stay any objection that Doc might give him. "Not for several hours and after at least half a nap. Last night was.. somethin'. I need to see what she's changed."

Because she always changed something.

"And I promise I'll take it easy, okay?" Did that cover all the bases of concern?
conning: (screencaptures_207)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-14 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
His brows knit. He almost opens his eyes in surprise. It seems almost cruel to do that. Disrespectful at the very least.

But Malcolm is right.

Neal imagines the Easter River, imagines one of the little rope and cement bridges along one shore. He climbs over the ropes... and tosses that little treasure trove of nightmares into already-polluted water.

He dabs his lower lip with his tongue, an uncertain little motion, before opening his eyes. "That's going to work?"
abrightboy: (tries to understand)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm pulls out his phone and pulls up the picture of the town he took from the top of the lighthouse that day they were trapped there. He hadn’t been good for much in that condition and was only marginally better now, but he’d had the presence of mind to take the photo.

He holds it out for Raylan.

“What do you think?” Malcolm glances around. “If that’s not the Lodge,” he notes, gesturing towards their destination, “then I’m not sure there’s a big enough building here.”
abrightboy: (need to think)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
“Take your time,” Malcolm tells him. “Cracked ribs?” he hazards. “I did those a few months ago. Not a fun ride.”
abrightboy: (pretty pleased)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
“A Greek Tragedy, right?” he jokes, watching her face.
abrightboy: (pays attention)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
“Maybe he’ll be our third man,” Malcolm muses. “Make sure first hand to keep us out of trouble.”
abrightboy: (curiosity)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm holds his gaze, though he swallows heavily.

“What do you mean?”
abrightboy: (regretful)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 11:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm sees his hesitation.

“They’re not memorials; they’re memories. And you shouldn’t have to carry them; they’re not yours.”

He leans forward when it’s done and kisses Neal’s forehead.

“You might have to do it again, if they creep back. But the more you do it, the easier it will get.”
myfavoritemurder: (the complete facade of not caring)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-14 11:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Pffffff. That coaxes another almost-smile out of her, this one a little more obvious than the first.

"That still doesn't change my mind. I don't want hobbies. I don't want Mathias to be my place. AndI don't want the love of anybody here."
abrightboy: (self deprecating smile)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-14 11:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm shrugs oh so casually.

“You don’t have to want it to have it. Maybe it will come in handy some day.”
myfavoritemurder: (your crime is just being too sexy)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-14 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"It never has before."

Not that she's ever given it opportunities to.
sharker: (hanging on)

[personal profile] sharker 2021-06-14 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Does she want to dive right into the chasm? Absolutely. But she doesn't have her climbing gear, and she doesn't actually want to die, so maybe not immediately.

One day, though. As soon as she can put a rig together.

She shakes her head when Callisto asks about Claire, though. ]


No.

Did you know her?