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The Village Mod ([personal profile] villagemod) wrote in [community profile] villagelogs2021-06-24 04:57 pm

065-071 » assign to oblivion / part iii

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: Mathias Township proper
WHEN: Days 065-071
WHAT: The residents of Mathias reunite under unnerving conditions.
WARNINGS: (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here!

RECOMMENDED ♫ Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross "Outside"





DAY 065-071
ASSIGN TO OBLIVION

“No matter how much time passes, no matter what takes
place in the interim, there are some things we can never
assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away.”
— Haruki Murakami


Only two days have passed since the town was fractured, leaving residents cut off from those they'd come to know and even care for. A mere two days of wandering the new streets, uncovering more secrets that continue to make little sense of this strange place. Two days with sunrises, sunsets, and nights that seem like any other.

And yet.

When residents wake on this third day, they will find that much has changed. All around them, wherever they may be, there are signs that time has passed without them. Dust covers everything, indoors and out, even areas that were spotlessly clean seemingly hours ago. The residents themselves are covered as well, dust clinging to their hair, skin, and clothing—

Clothing that they may not have been wearing when they went to sleep. Each resident, regardless of the state they were in previously, is now clad in a pair of white pajamas, with long pants and button-up shirts. Those who thoroughly explored Baneberry Hall will easily recognize these articles as identical to those well-stocked in the decaying great house. On top of this, the clothes they wore from home have disappeared, along with anything else they may have brought with them when they arrived or items from home that have been found within the borders of Mathias.

There is no sign that anyone has entered their place of shelter, nor is there any sign of what may have been done with these items or how they came to be wearing these clothes. The dust all around them is undisturbed, almost as if they had been sleeping there for quite some time, though it seems impossible for such a thing to have occurred naturally.


THE NEW ARRIVALS

The newest arrivals to Mathias will wake up on the lawn of Town Hall, at the center of the little town square. They, too, are bereft of any items from home and clothed in the identical white pajamas. There are shops all around them, with houses just beyond, and at first glance, everything seems almost picturesque. Except for the silence that is at times so complete as to be maddening... Welcome to Mathias.






SUMMERTIME

— When summer arrives, so too does an outdoor stand in front of the General Store. Sporting a handpainted sign proclaiming Whateley Farm, the stand is overflowing with a variety of produce: berries, plums, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, green beans, leeks, onions, peppers, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic bulbs. These do not replace the produce offerings normally found inside the market, but they do behave strangely. The stand replenishes sporadically, sometimes every other day or every five days. There is no discernible pattern to when it replenishes, nor is there any sign of how it came to be there at all.

— With the now-complete reverse change of season, much of the autumn debris has cleared from around town. Only a few stray leaves and fallen branches remain, their crisp colors at odds with the warm summer days. The forest has also cleared of much of the fall detritus, making it easier to both follow the paths and potentially spy things that might be out of the ordinary.







CONDITIONS UPDATE
THE WEATHER Summer has arrived in Mathias, bringing with it warm days that average 70°F and comfortably cool nights. The skies are clear throughout the week save for Day 68 when a light rain falls from a grey sky throughout the day.

THE FOG has maintained its 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! Max Guevara and Liz Brundy have disappeared, and now that everyone is back together, residents will notice that Yennefer, Number Five, and Tony Stark have also vanished.

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
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 My non-RP life is busy and chaotic and I continue to ask for your forgiveness and understanding as game things continue to be slower, as I cannot promise timely mod responses beyond weekends and even that is not wholly guaranteed.

ITEMS FROM HOME All items from home that characters would normally possess have vanished for this log and will return in the next. This includes clothing and possessions they had when they arrived in Mathias, items that were found in the rain, and items that were found in Baneberry Hall and removed from the property. Items from home that were left behind by other characters no longer in the game have also vanished. (All other items and clothing still remain, it is only items from characters' homes that have disappeared.)

BANEBERRY ITEMS The items from home that were not removed from Baneberry Hall in the last log have vanished from the property. These items will not reappear in the next log. (Please be sure to comment in the appropriate spot on those logs about the state of your character's item for inventory purposes, ie whether they were removed from the property or left behind.)

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 points, not just those that occur in an inbox thread — this applies to both AC and AP totals. This adjustment is an extension of what has been in place since the start of the game: that all dialogue-only inbox tags counted for a half-point. Since such tags have occurred regularly in log threads as well, the half-point status is simply being extended to all tags regardless of location in order to be fairer in point distribution. (Examples will be provided in the AC post to assist with proper counting.)


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vampirebats: (pic#14493384)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2021-06-30 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Negan's quiet for a moment, debating it over in his head for a bit. "You're not gonna get rid of me that easy, Malcolm. Just--"

He huffs out a sigh, making a sweeping motion with his hand. "Shit's been tough lately. Didn't think the whole house would walk down memory lane with me, you know? Hell, didn't think I'd have to deal with it either."

The nightmares fucking suck lately, more vivid now that the memory's been relieved in excruciating detail. "I don't know if Doc's gonna cool down, if I'm honest with you."
myfavoritemurder: (ah‚ the dejected face of not caring)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-30 09:04 pm (UTC)(link)
I am exhausted.

[She says, with a sigh - scoping out the flip-flops in his hand, trying to decide if they're something she'd wear herself now that her own boots are missing.

No, she decides. Definitely not.]


I'm insomnia, sometimes.
abrightboy: (tears)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-30 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm takes a difficult, shaky breath, then reaches for the bag.

“I don’t know how to be what everyone wants. Half of our house didn’t come back there last night. Nobody wants to look at anyone else. I feel like… if I’m not to blame, I’m at least in the middle of it. I’m at least… a catalyst for strife.”
abrightboy: (considers that)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-30 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
“I can talk to him. Do you want me to talk to him?” he asked, leaning forward.
abrightboy: (a little despair)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-30 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
He managed just the edges of a smile for a second. “I just. Don’t want to be the reason you hate each other, either.”
vampirebats: (pic#14493366)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2021-06-30 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"And what are you gonna say, Malcolm? What makes the shit you all saw magically okay?" Especially to a guy like Doc.

"He doesn't think I'm being sincere... thinks I've fucking-- I don't know, deceived you guys, put on an act. I don't know. Point is, he doesn't think I'm a safe guy. He's not wrong."
tinstar: (That's funny)

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-30 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"Maybe not red," Raylan mused quietly, thinking about the dark spirals he and John found behind the tile wall. He was sure he could steal one of Yennifer's lavender stalks or something, that counted as a flower.

He hummed and there was a smile in it Tim could probably hear. "You think I'm gonna give Mathis the satisfaction of keepin' me away from the place? Shit, I woulda burned it down just for fun if I thought I could do it."

He didn't expect Tim to ask. At least not right now; the sniper might find himself feeling safe and secure enough to ask about it later but either way, it was okay. Raylan would handle the business between him and the rest of his other house himself. Tim didn't deserve to deal with it.

It was Raylan and Raylan's house out of order.

"Can't say it doesn't have a good view of the ocean. Could be a real nice place if it wasn't so finicky about it's doors being real."
vampirebats: (pic#14493360)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2021-06-30 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
"So, he might sleep with Tim again?" Raylan's really getting his cake and eating it too, from what Neal's telling him. He'd be impressed if he wasn't caught off fucking guard by all of this, if it wasn't causing a lot of fucking issues around them. Jesus fucking Christ...

"People can be hypocrites, Neal... that doesn't surprise you, does it?"
tinstar: (Folded arms)

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-30 09:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Raylan pulled up the rear and closed the door behind him with a glance around before he follows Neal into whatever room the New Yorker wanders. First flat surface he finds, he sets the bag down and pinches at the bridge of his nose, one hand settling on his hip.

After a second, he lets it drop to join it's mate and turns to look at Neal. They both look like shit. They both feel like shit. Silence was a tool to be used, a sharp contrast to the business and fury they'd come from, to let the linger of it push Neal towards breaking it and whatever tension they all might feel building.

Where do you wanna start?
abrightboy: (makes a point)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-30 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
“He’s told me some stories. People he’s killed for no good reason. You’ve all been pretty keen to impress on me how bad and dangerous you are. He’s made some mistakes. He’s done bad things. I’m sure he can understand, now that he’s a little removed from the moment,” Malcolm explains.
walkingtrigger: (pic#14813474)

[personal profile] walkingtrigger 2021-06-30 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
"Glad to hear you say that," Tim responded, shifting a little to relax back against the wall, legs now stretched out in front of him. "I'm thinking of doing a little cleaning up, in the house part at least. I mean everything around here needs cleaned at this point, so just add it to the list."

Tim didn't know what to think of the situation on Phillips Drive. He did not have the relationship experience to even be able to imagine how Malcolm would feel having to watch Raylan walk next door some nights. He'd been living with the reverse for a few weeks, but all this wasn't new to him.

What was new was the itch between his shoulder blades to make a discreet retreat under the cover of darkness and out the side of the house not facing 1306. It might require some second story work but Tim was already plotting which windows would give him the safest exit routes.

Retreating to the safety of the high ground was second nature to both his sniper and scout training. The fact that he was thinking in terms of defensibility made him wince in the dark.

"Any chance my scope is still around?"
tinstar: (downlooking)

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-30 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
He shook his head a little, fidgeting with the sandwich in his hand. "I don't hate Neal, Malcolm," he started, eyes lifting back up. "He didn't say anythin' to me that wasn't true and I've gotten into more brutal fights over less. He was trying to defend your honor. Defend what we can both agree on what you deserve."

Raylan could take his licks, but these, he'd earned. It was worth it. He wasn't sorry that he'd done what he'd done, only sorry that the fracture hurt of it spread so far.

"I know I got no right to ask but.. I don't want all of it redirected towards Tim. You got a right to be mad at him too but." Raylan would take it. Tim's portion of whatever he was allowed to.
walkingtrigger: (pic#14791797)

[personal profile] walkingtrigger 2021-06-30 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Come now Callisto, you don't want to embrace the flip flop life? ]

Reliving your memories, I'd be surprised if you weren't insomnia.

[ He tries to use the gesture system they've developed for some of the words he strings together. Such as 'reliving' and 'memories'. Any other time he'd probably feel up to flashing a ridiculous expression of surprise for that one, but he doesn't have the heart for it at the moment.

Alrighty, up the cliffside path we go. ]
conning: (screencaptures_072)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-30 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"No," Neal says quietly, insistently. "No you're not, Malcolm, you're--"

God, he hates himself. It's his fault Malcolm feels this way.

He closes Malcolm's finger around the baggie. "You don't have to be anyone. You're you. You're you."

His throat tightens around the words. "I'll come back. I promise I'll come back, if..."

If Raylan lets me. If Neal can stand to see them in love with each other. He wants Malcolm to be happy. He does, and he's ensuring the opposite of that. He presses a kiss against Malcolm's forehead.

"You're not to blame. You're..." He rests his forehead against Malcolm's. "Mathias is. Mathias is."
tinstar: (Default)

Day 66 - lmk if I need to edit?

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-30 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Raylan was later than he expected to be but come hell or high water, one goddamned thing was going to right for him today. Burdened with a small dust bitten backpack that had two different kinds of sandwiches and a thermos of soup, sporting a fresh altercation on his face and a fist full of lavender, the Marshal made his way up to the Lighthouse. He knew the way, now both ways but there was never any telling how long Mathis would let them keep the easy, albeit longer, path.

He had to take a second once he got to the foot of the building, staring up ruefully at it, praying to whatever ran this place to just give him a few hours of peace, just one spot with one person, just for a little while.

Taking a deep breath, he ducked into the front door and called out. "Tim?" If he didn't hear an answer, he'd assume Tim was at the top and head that way.
conning: (screencaptures_072)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-30 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
"He will," Neal says flatly. "He didn't give up a damn thing."

He's silent for a moment, closing his eyes, nearly losing his balance. He keeps himself upright by grabbing a handful of Negan's undershirt. "No," he says softly. "I am one."
vampirebats: (pic#14493366)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2021-06-30 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
"It wasn't the killing people, Malcolm. It was the enjoyment, the show of it..." He could probably get the murder.
vampirebats: (pic#14493376)

[personal profile] vampirebats 2021-06-30 10:22 pm (UTC)(link)
"Whoa, there-- Not time for lying down yet, man. Gotta get you to the bed first." He tightens his arm around Neal, trying to keep him upright. "Yeah? What makes you say that, Neal?"
conning: (screencaptures_645)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-30 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Neal heads for the living room, grime-coated and dusty. It feels appropriate, this setting. He limps to the far side of the room, easing himself down so he can sit with his back against the wall.

He turns his tired, steady gaze on Raylan. Now that they're here, now that he's pushed Raylan into violence and taken credit for it in front of Malcolm... he's not sure what to say.
abrightboy: (thinking down)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-30 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm slides his arms around him, giving in to the urge to try to hug his pain away. After Mathias Consolation Prize. Neal took the words back but their barb still sticks in his heart. Maybe it was stupid to think anyone should go home with anyone. Doc was right. Mathias is a bubble. When it’s over, he’ll wake up alone in New York like was always going to. Cling to what you’ve got here, while you have it.

I need you because you’re you.

You don’t have to be anyone. You’re you.

Nobody needs a bag of broken pieces; who does everyone think he is?

“Let me help you.”

He knows this has been building in Neal. He’s seen little pieces fracture one at a time until… this. This fractured something structural.
conning: (screencaptures_857)

[personal profile] conning 2021-06-30 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm a liar," he says thickly. "I'm a liar, a criminal. I've never deserved my friends."

He laughs quietly. "I told Raylan he didn't deserve Malcolm, but it's not like I do."
abrightboy: (unsure)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-30 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm interrupts their silence with the faint rattle of porcelain on a tray, setting it down on a dusty coffee table.

“I made tea,” he announces needlessly. A beat. “Kinda hoped some kind of words would happen in the meantime, but I can start.” He pours tea into three cups from the rather fine teapot the house had in the cupboard, offering one to each of them before sitting crosslegged at the coffee table with his.

“Neal, let’s talk about what you need, because punching Raylan wasn’t it. It was another outlet. You haven’t been doing well since the chupacabra attack.”

Someone had to play counsellor.
myfavoritemurder: (is this what it's like to be Solid Snake)

[personal profile] myfavoritemurder 2021-06-30 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[Even in bare feet, Callisto seems to have no trouble at all handling either the rocks or the path - no matter how precarious the footing gets, she moves with practiced ease. At one point, she catches Tim's eye, points to the walkway, and then twirls a finger through the air, miming taking a tumble. Is this where he fell?]
abrightboy: (oh dear god)

[personal profile] abrightboy 2021-06-30 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Malcolm took a deep breath, stabbing a blueberry and eating it before looking at Raylan.

“I was mad at Tim for a minute. It felt like it was all a game to him, hiding it from me while nudge nudging me about us. He knew about us and he didn’t say anything either. He didn’t urge you to say anything. I thought cowboys and soldiers were supposed to have a sense of honour. I felt duped. But…” He rolled his shoulder in a shrug. “Whatever.” He made an expansive gesture with his fork before stabbing some pie. “My heart is too achy and soul is too wrung out for me to have the energy to be pissed off at Tim. I can’t guess what was actually going through his head when he was offering me advice. Maybe he felt guilty. He doesn’t let me know what he thinks and I don’t know what you told him about us.”
tinstar: (Ingestigatin face)

[personal profile] tinstar 2021-06-30 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Raylan would have started if Neal refused to do so, he was used to picking up that kind of slack but Malcolm's start was significantly gentler than anything that could come out of Raylan's mouth right now. Too much vitrol had been spun at him for true grace.

So much so that he could only nod his head in a silent thanks as he took the cup, eyes still trained on Neal's face, steely but not as furiously firm as he'd been on the street.