072-078 » pages of possible futures

[villagemod]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: Mathias Township proper
WHEN: Days 072-078
WHAT: The future is set in motion once more.
WARNINGS: (PM this account to have a warning added!)
NOTES: Plotting post over here! Next log will be the weekend of July 31.
MOD NOTE: The week did not go as planned. Apologies for the delay on this log and thank you for your patience!

RECOMMENDED ♫ Marco Beltrami "Bad Omens"

DAY 072
“The visions are fragmented and a dark cloud spreads
like spilt ink across the pages of possible futures.”
— Garth Nix
Blue skies greet residents on this bright new morning filled with summer sunshine. It's a day when birds would normally be singing, when there would be boats taken out on the water, children laughing and running through the streets. But in Mathias there is only silence, eerie and almost deafening in its absoluteness, and those blue skies do not stretch on forever. Far off on the horizon are dark clouds stretching ominously in all directions, never moving closer or farther away. They are always there, dark and angry, as if waiting... For what, who can say, but they will remain there for the days going forward, circling the town like a shark circles a meal.

Despite that dreadful darkness in the distance, there is some good news. Residents will also wake to find that their previously missing belongings have returned to them. Clothing and other personal effects are right where they should have been, as if they have always been there, and there is no sign of them having been returned by someone or something. They're just there.

That is, however, the extent of the good news. Residents who visit the Town Hall will find the bulletin board much changed, and those who have thrown caution to the wind and made use the sedatives found within Baneberry Hall will begin to find themselves changing as well. They are easily distracted while awake and plagued by nightmares while asleep. They dream of Mathias burning, fire spreading from the east until it consumes everything in its path. With increasing intensity as the week continues, they will wake with terror gripping their chests and sweat covering their too-hot skin.



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. 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.

---

DAY 073-075
With those dark clouds still hanging on the horizon, some residents may find themselves watching the ocean a little more closely, searching for signs of whatever it is they are beginning to sense is approaching. If they do, they will find those signs, for every so often a dark shape will appear from out of the water before disappearing a few moments later. Residents are welcome to try getting a better look at those shapes, though moving to higher vantage points will be ineffective and swimming may not be the best investigation method.

Nightfall strengthens the sense of that elusive something. Though nothing can be seen in the darkness, there is something out there. They can feel it when they are outside themselves, a heavy presence that their animal instincts warn them against, urging them to flee to safety indoors. But once inside, they can hear whatever is out there in the night, the sounds horrifying and yet utterly indescribable and beyond the limits of their perception.

There is no way to glimpse what might be making those sounds, nor is there any way to properly record them, though attempts may be made to do so.

---

DAY 076-077
The strange occurrences of recent days continue as something attempts to lead residents out into the southern forest should they venture within view of the treeline. Unrecognizable voices may call out incoherently or the sounds of someone moving through the trees may pull at their attention. Or, perhaps, a dark figure entering the forest will catch their eye, pulling them to follow the possibly feminine figure with no discernible characteristics.

Whatever it is, it will lead them along the paths or even away from their relative safety, winding this way and that until they're completely lost within the expanse of sun-dappled trees that seem innocent and threatening at the same time. There is nothing left to do but continue following that figure that is always just ahead at the edge of sight.

Eventually, the trees stop and there is a stretch of clearing, the sky a crisp blue overhead, sun shining down and yet—

That dark figure is still shrouded in shadow, as are the other four that have joined it. All slight with long hair, something feminine in the way they stand with hands held out at their sides, facing outward in a line along the edge of the ravine that borders the township, though for some reason their features cannot be focused on enough for true comprehension. They stand there in silence as if waiting, so close to the edge that a strong wind could easily knock them over into oblivion. A concerned resident might try to stop them; a curious one might try to finally get a better look at the figures that led them to this place. Regardless of the reason, any movement into the clearing toward them will end in the same result.

All five figures step forward as one and disappear into the nothingness below.

The ravine so deep that the bottom cannot be seen and wide enough that the other side is tantalizingly out of reach. At first, there is the sense that safety is just beyond if only they could get there, but with that sensation is also the knowledge that if they stay here, death will be a certainty. The edge seems unsteady, like getting too close would set it crumbling and send them tumbling into that as well...

That is when those who do venture to the edge see the truth of the ravine and what lies beyond it: nothing. There is a neverending dark nothingness below and beyond this ravine, beyond this town, and there is something staring back from within the dark.

---

DAY 078
As morning arrives in Mathias, so too does the storm. Those clouds that hovered in the distance move in quickly, plunging the town into a twilight-like darkness. The rumbling that breaks the silence is like that of a thunderstorm but infinitely more ominous, signaling something approaching that is not meant for the world of man. Within just a few minutes, the residents will learn why as lightning arcs across the sky, the cracks of powerful energy echoing through the air. Those branching spikes at first remain in the sky, but then suddenly they crash down to meet the earth, striking the Lighthouse. The sound of splintering wood and pierced metal fills the air, followed moments later by the roaring crackle of a fire raging into existence. Those cracks and crashes continue as the lightning moves inward, hitting the forest, the beach, and the Grey Gull before moving down Phillips Drive to attack the homes left rotting by time.

While the lightning eventually retreats to the sky, the fire spreads with purpose. It leaps from building to building, consuming everything in its path. It is a living, breathing thing driven by a need to devour. There is no stopping or controlling the almost sentient entity, for it does not behave as fire normally would — it skips buildings before doubling back, burns when there's nothing to fuel it, and seems to almost actively pursue residents fleeing to safety. Ultimately, the fire consumes everything east of the Library, from Jackson Boulevard to the beach and the northeastern forest to the Lighthouse; for an unknown reason, it does not venture farther inland than this.

Ash falls from the sky like snow throughout the town as the eastern half of Mathias glows a terrifying raging red. Residents may seek sanctuary in businesses along the square or in areas in the western half of the town, though the latter will not be without its own risks and consequences.

---

SANITY LOSS

There are multiple opportunities for sanity loss within this log. All instances of such should be reported before the next log.

— BANEBERRY SEDATIVES These will effect all who have taken them, regardless of type, quantity, or frequency, until the storm on day 78. Each night of nightmares will result in 1 point of sanity loss for a potential total loss of 6 points.

— FIGURES IN THE FOREST All who witness the figures jump into ravine will suffer 3 points of sanity loss.

— SEEING BEYOND THE RAVINE Any who see the truth of what is beyond the ravine will suffer 7 points of sanity loss that cannot be recovered. Additionally, any Madness that results from this sanity loss begins immediately.

— DEATH BY FIRE All who are killed by the fire lose 3 sanity points and gain the Madness pyrophobia for seven days, which should be reported. The pyrophobia will be experienced at an intensive level for the duration of the Madness.

---

CONDITIONS UPDATE

— THE WEATHER Summer has arrived in Mathias, bringing with it warm days that average 70°F and comfortably cool nights.

— THE FOG has maintained its recent 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 have ceased for the moment but they're sure to begin again soon.

---

OOC NOTES

— ENDGAME We are officially heading into endgame. Over the next few months, things will begin ramping up and moving toward the always planned conclusion, with the last log projected to go up between the end of October and middle of December.

What does this mean? Essentially, hopefully, this will mean more opportunities to dig into the mysteries and lore of the game, as well as more chances for your characters to creep toward insanity. However, how things progress and what information comes to light will depend upon character interaction with the setting and involvement with the mysteries of Mathias.

— ITEMS FROM HOME All items from home have returned to the exact state and location in which they were last seen. This includes all clothing and possessions they had on their person when they arrived in Mathias (or, for arrivals in the previous log, what they should have had). Items from home that were left behind by other characters no longer in the game have also returned.

— THE FIRE A rough representation of where the fire spreads is available over here.

— REMINDER There are a lot of moving parts to this log, as there will be for all logs going forward. Read the narrative and all OOC notes thoroughly and carefully. Ask questions if something is not clear, but please also look through questions others have asked for further clarification.

navigation | faq | locations | report updates

Comments

QUESTIONS?

[villagemodama]

Use this space to ask general questions about this log and the circumstances or locations presented within. Players may also use this space to call the mod's attention to a thread to give feedback on the spooky happenings therein.

Re: QUESTIONS?

[walkingtrigger]

Folks who are killed by the fire along the east coast, how and when do they return?

[thering]

Hello, not sure where to update this info, but there will be an explosion when the fire hits 1307 Phillips Drive on Day 78. Moonshine brewing is volatile business. Unfortunately there won't be any more homebrew thereafter beyond the few bottles characters might have stashed in the unburnt side of town 😔

[etovosts]

Will anything happen to characters that don't go inside at nightfall during days 73-75? There's no seeing/perceiving the things outside but will there still be consequences to anyone ignoring their instincts to stay indoors?

Two things specifically about Dorian...

[nottevintersoldier]

A. the house he found/just got approved. I am 100% on board with him only having it for something like a week, if a little more only to have it burned down. He'll mourn the house and figure something else out. HOWEVER from an OOC standpoint, I feel a little silly making you make an entry for a new house only to have it destroyed in this log. Feels kind of like a superfluous housekeeping thing on your end, so if you don't want that to be entirely for naught, we could retcon and move it to west Phillips drive where he can live after everything goes down and they are all forced to move?

But if it was your intention to have him deal with losing the home he just found just to mess with him, then I'm all for it! I'm just like omg the poor mod why am I haveing you do this when the house is about to be destroyed s-sob.

B. Dorian's personal effects!

The spellbook Should he find it? I personally do not see it as a weapon as in Dragon Age Inquisition he doesn't ever get a new one or upgrade it like he does his staff. It's mostly just part of his outfit. However, I feel like, even if he doesn't use it in-game, it obviously is carried around for a reason and he could use it as a spell focus in place of his staff. SO if you do not want him to have this, I am a-ok with saying no to this.

His potions (maybe 2 healing potions and one lyrium draught). I wanted to leave that up to your yay/nay considering what they are for. The healing potions in this case might heal enough to close small wounds, make things less deadly but the bigger the injury the less it helps.

the Lyrium will replenish his energy. So in the game sense for Mathias I'm thinking if he is winded/tired from trying to cast magic it will be like a shot of adrenalin or caffeine and keep him going a little longer.

I completely understand if you want to say no to the potions, they aren't game breaky but kind of defeat the purpose in a way! Which is why I def wanted to be sure before saying he finds them.

These are things I put on his application when he was approved and weren't addressed, I just wanted to double-check with you before going forward considering he'll be getting his stuff back in this log!

Thank you <3

[nottevintersoldier]

Hello, so I realize, Dorian may be witnessing the figures jumping potentially more than once. Will the sanity loss stack?

He'll lose 3 from the initial sight of it, but if he chases someone into the woods to try and stop them and sees it happen again, will he lose another 3?

[skladka]

For the figures in the woods, is there any way to tell if the shadows were controlling them as they jumped, or they were a part of the figures themselves?

Alternatively, can he glean any information from that sorta thing since it's up his alley? (Totally willing to spend my tiny amount of 2 AP if i have to!)

EXPLORATION

[villagemodama]

Use this space when exploring new locations or revisiting older ones, including residential housing locations. This includes asking questions about these explorations as well as simply reporting that the explorations are taking place.

(AP rewards are not needed for basic explorations, only if you want to find something that might not otherwise be discovered.)

[nottevintersoldier]

Fumbling my way into the game I realize I probably should have mentioned this on the last log, but basically Dorian has been spending some of his free time poking around various locations throughout Mathias. He would have been acquainting himself with the town, looking for buildings that seem inhabitable or what could be shops and whatnot. Just basically looking around for what he could find/general exploring and being nosey. This will likely continue through this log until the storm.

[bonified]

Is there anything for this crazy chick to learn by exploring the library and/or Matheson Antiques? She's looking for anything that might lead to more clues in how she can get home (portals, locked areas, etc).

REWARDS

[villagemodama]

Use this space to ping the mod if you'd like to use one of your AP rewards (Idea, Spot Hidden, or Spooky Encounter). Submit your request using this form:

Requested reward: Idea, Spot Hidden, or Spooky Encounter
Characters involved: Please list all characters who will be involved if claiming a Spot Hidden or Spooky Encounter. You can also add characters by mentioning them in a later comment.
Link to thread: If available/applicable. May also be added in later comment.
Additional details: Location where this is happening, the circumstances of the character being there/searching, their current mental and emotional state, what they are searching for, etc.

<b>Requested reward:</b> <b>Characters involved:</b> <b>Link to thread:</b> <b>Additional details:</b>

To submit for History Revealed, use this form:

Requested reward: History Revealed
Character: Character who will be dreaming.
Additional details: Any plot or lore elements your character is especially interested in or intrigued by.

<b>Requested reward:</b> History Revealed <b>Character:</b> <b>Additional details:</b>

[tinstar]

Requested reward: History Revealed
Character: Raylan Givens
Additional details: Right now his focus is on Penhew House, that Mirror and Mathis's obsession with blood and supplication. Is there enough there for this to be worth it?

Doc Holliday | Wynonna Earp

[thering]

(plotting post here)

Night 72 @ Raylan

[thering]

You wouldn’t have thought Doc Holliday missed any of his cowboy accoutrements with how he shed out of everything right quick practically on the first night he got them all back. Truth be told, he was more eager to make it up to Raylan after bringing the pain the last time they were together, an abrupt disastrous end to their horny drunken escapade that ended in tears and unspeakable shame. 

Tonight they had covered all their bases. The ‘shine was imbibed to socially acceptable levels. There was a lot more making out and a lot less making it up as they went along. And of course, they had both triple checked the label this time before squeezing anything out onto anywhere fun. No little foibles or unfortunate mishaps was going to lead them to a repeat performance. 

The only indication that John Henry was still awake after their long, warm, indulgent kiss-nuzzle-nip-caress bone-melting bath is the way the sheets rustle as his bare leg shifts a few inches to the right. His breathing had long ago evened out, chest rising and falling at a slow cadence. It would be the last night in the coming days that they might find some restful peace in the company of each other.

Bucky Barnes

[exsto]

[ Plotting ]

day 73 (evening) - locked to daisy

[exsto]

Bucky was about ready to put on the light black jacket he arrived in when he notices the letter half hanging out of the front pocket of his hoodie. It was a letter that he'd picked up at Baneberry and at first glance, he couldn't see the name on the front of it. But once he'd taken it and saw the memory that came with it, he didn't hesitate for a minute in deciding that he would return it to her.

Only it disappeared once Mathias returned everyone to the township. He had thought he'd lost it somewhere.

Whatever plan he had was tossed aside in favour of making sure the letter got back to her before the place had a chance to play its games.

Ten minutes later, Bucky is at her door knocking.

Malcolm Bright | Prodigal Son

[abrightboy]

Plotting Post.

Day 72 - semi open and then OTA

[abrightboy]

Open to 1306 and anyone that might walk into 1306 early in the morning

It starts off nicely enough. He gasps awake from his night terror, rather than screaming. It's a rare quiet one that doesn't jolt him from Raylan's arms. He stays in bed later than usual, absorbing the warmth and the intimacy in the gentle up and down of Raylan's chest and the soft puffs of even breaths.

When he does get up, he realizes his card holder of affirmations is sitting on his night stand and, as he turns, Raylan's hat is on the dresser, where he always sets it when he stays in Malcolm's room. He smiles broadly and picks up the cards and one bottle of Xanax from the stash of bottles in his night stand drawer, heading down to the kitchen to make coffee. He picks up a card as he sets it all down.

I will not worry about things I cannot control.

He reads it outloud once, then twice and nods, setting it back in the card holder before putting the kettle on. As it heats, he does pushups. Once it's ready, he pours it in the french press, leaving it to steep while he does yoga.

"I will not worry about things I cannot control," he murmurs to himself as he pours coffee.

He takes a sip, but as the sun crawls above the horizon, he finds himself easily drifting from thought to thought, distracted by everything. By nothing.

You can't exactly blame me for this, son. I'm in another dimension. Maybe it's the coffee. What are the symptoms of drinking expired off brand medium roast anyway?

"I'm not talking to you," Malcolm informs the empty air, taking a pointed sip from his cup. "My psychoses were well documented before I ever drank this coffee."

Fine, fine, you don't want to talk about your coffee or your unraveling psyche or - I bet - your playmate upstairs. Let's talk about your MURDER.

"STOP IT!" he shouts, and maybe it's too much an outdoor voice for indoors at sunrise.

~~~

OTA

Later that day, he walks into town but he's still easily distracted, both by things he sees, his own thoughts and his father, who isn't really there.

Ellie | The Last Of Us

[enduresurvive]

[ plotting comment ]

day 72

[enduresurvive]

Fedyor Kaminsky | Grishaverse

[etovosts]

[plotting comment ]

Day 072; Arrival (Closed to Athena & Darkling)

[etovosts]

[ When he awakes, Fedyor finds himself staring up at a picture perfect sky. It would be sort of nice if it wasn't for the fact that Fedyor knows he shouldn't be seeing it. Not that Ravka doesn't have it's moments of scenery, it's just that last Fedyor had seen, the skies were overcast and gloomy, and more importantly, he'd been a member of a small camp when he fell asleep.

Naturally, the first thought that crosses his mind is that the camp had been ambushed. It's unlikely that Fedyor would sleep through such a thing, but not impossible. The thought is fleeting. There are no ties binding him, and it's too warm to be anywhere he knows. What strikes him the most is how quiet it all seems.

No animals. No discernable heartbeats of anyone nearby. If it wasn't for the rustling of his kefta as he stands, Fedyor would think that sound had been stolen away all together. He stares at the shops around him. Even the houses beyond look peculiar to him, which is disconcerting, as he's been almost all over the known map of both Ravka and West Ravka and he's never seen any town looking quite like this. But there's no time to really dwell upon being concerned. Fedyor isn't the sort to stand by and wait for an answer to come to him. Seeing as the shops look quite deserted, he decides the best thing to do is walk towards the homes.

Though, truthfully, given the silence, Fedyor isn't entirely certain he'll find anyone at all. ]

Neal Caffrey || White Collar

[conning]

plotting comment here!

Day 72

[conning]

[ Placeholder ]

Dorian Pavus | Dragon Age: Inquisition

[nottevintersoldier]

(Plotting Comment)

72-77 OTA/Wildcard option

[nottevintersoldier]

1-A. Dorian will be restless and wandering the town during the day. He can be found inspecting the board at the Town Hall or in the Library or gathering supplies. He'll be out near the Beach or possibly the Lighthouse keeping an eye on the figures and storm looming in the distance. He'll also be doing his usual thing with trying to work on his magic near the forest's edge most days. He has his spellbook back so it may be interesting to watch him cast? Even if most of the time the spells will fizzle or possibly backfire as per usual.

Bonfire on night of 73 He'll be there! Though I plan to tag into Athena's post once it goes up, so you can either hit me up there or they can meet up after if you're inclined?

2-A. Otherwise, you might catch him around his new home on Phillips Drive in 1309 doing gardening, fixing up the garage to be a work/storage area or possibly setting up his own library (I haven't figured out what he's going to do with it yet so neither has he lol) or whatever else! Come see him!

He's pretty useless when it comes to modern things like appliances so he could ask anyone passing by for help. He'll likely be looking for anyone to take pity on him and cook. This is the basic option for normal slice of life things to help him learn how to survive in a modern home if you want something easy to avoid all the crazy drama about to happen. Come teach him how to cook or do laundry or work the grill or whatever!

B. At Night he'll be too unnerved and uncomfortable to stay alone so his home is open to anyone else feeling the same. Otherwise, he'll be looking for someone to stay with. ESPECIALLY if he knows you'll be willing to cook for him :)

Day 76/77 - Spooky Figures in the Woods This can be open to anyone wanting Dorian to stop, or try to stop your chara from going into the woods. He likely will stop following if they refuse to listen after a certain point though! (He's going to be chasing down at least two people during this time to see the figures jump into the ravine. Callisto and Doc. are already stealing him for this.)

C. WILDCARD Feel free to hit up my plotting post if you have any questions or would like to ask about any other scenario, or to have me write up a starter for us! Otherwise drop a starter and I'll go with the flow.

Likewise, I am happy to follow suit with whatever format you use, I'm ok with prose or brackets!

Raylan Givens | Justified

[tinstar]

Plotting found here! Always up for a wildcard!

Day 72 - OTA

[tinstar]

75% of the world was right again. Raylan had been given his hat back, his boots, his duster and badge, all of which he was going to wear and to hell with summer. But something had happened. Why take all their shit away, put them in hospital whites and then give it all back? Something was weird.

Raylan moved around town, starting at the Town Hall where he could be found staring at the simultaneously empty and marked bulletin board. He'd seen this eye all over the place. Mathis's crest of arms. His jaw worked back and forth as he thought about everything that had happened here.

A smart man would have minded the feeling running across his neck, but Raylan ignored it and grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, scribbling a short sentence and pinning it to the board.

"Watch us all you want," he muttered with an angry resolve before ambling out to go check the fog and tree line.

wynonna earp

[bonified]

[ plotting ]

day 72

[bonified]

[ placeholder ]

Callisto | Xena: Warrior Princess

[myfavoritemurder]

[plotting post]

072

[myfavoritemurder]

[Wildcard me or contact me for a personalized starter!]

Jeff Calhoun | Original

[bardish]

[ plotting here. work went crazy again, so tags may be very slow for a bit; if you want to handwave anything from previous logs, lmk. ]

DAYS 73-77: 1308 CAMP OUTS (OTA / MINGLE)

[bardish]

[ No specific prompts here, but Jeff is going to be opening the living room up for people who either have no place to go at night or don't want to sleep alone. Safety in numbers, right? And it's for his benefit as much as anyone else's; he sure as hell would rather have the sounds of other people in the house, than listen to whatever's prowling about outside.

It's not a slumber party, but it's not not a slumber party in some respects. There's snacks. Fruit from the mystery produce stand, and convenience food from the general store. And maybe there will be movies some nights. Hope you're all in the mood for Point Break or any other silly action movie he's picked up from the video store!

(Note: On the nights of 76 & 77, Jeff will noticeably be more cagey and jumpy, haunted, fucked in the head, you know, totally normal stuff.)

Jeff's not there all the time, though, and tries to give people space when possible. So hey, hang out with Jeff, or use this as an opportunity to mingle with each other! ]

Parker | Leverage

[sharker]

Day 77 | ota

[ She'd started out with good intentions. A voice calling out, glimpses of a figure moving through the trees? Parker's only goal had been to help. If someone was hurt or scared in the woods, she couldn't just leave them there.

But every time she'd taken another step into the trees, the figure had retreated, always just out of reach. Before long, she'd found herself deep in the forest, not sure how to get back. And the person was still there, just ahead. Clearly not lost, not looking for help, but still there, and Parker had been more and more determined to catch up with them, to find out who they were.

The trees had stopped abruptly, shadowy forest giving way to bright sunshine, and she'd stopped, squinting against the light. But the person she'd been following, and the others it had joined, looked like they'd brought the darkness with them, like the sun couldn't quite reach them. She'd stopped, staring, half scared, half needing to find out more.

And then she'd seen it. The ravine, a deep, dark chasm just behind the figures in the clearing. No. Ahead of them. They were facing away from her. Facing the edge. Parker's eyes had widened in fear.]

Hey, watch out!

[ She'd taken a step toward them, reaching out - and the figures had moved as one, stepping forward and then vanishing. Gone. Parker had frozen, heart in her throat, staring at the place where they'd been. She could feel it - the siren call of the ravine, urging her closer, battling with the knowledge that she had to get out, that she had to get away as quickly as possible. But she couldn't run. The mental image of one of the figures who had stepped off the edge dangling just below, fingers desperately gripping roots, waiting to be pulled to safety, had been too strong.

She'd rushed forward, and looked over the edge.


It takes Parker a long time to find her way back to the town. Not because the woods are particularly large or easy to get lost in; in fact, she finds her way back mostly on instinct. But she wanders slowly, eyes vacant and staring, sometimes stopping altogether. Sometimes turning back, looking back the way she'd come as though she could see the ravine through the trees.

Once she's back in civilization again, she continues wandering aimlessly, gazing ahead of her without seeing anything. Eventually, she becomes aware that someone's talking to her. Has been talking to her. Or maybe she'd imagined that, too. She raises her head, looking around to try to spot the person that may or may not be there. ]

What?



(No OOC plotting post this time, but if you want something else, feel free to hit me up via PM or butteredcups, or just write up a wildcard starter!)

day 78 | closed prompts

[sharker]

hardison and eliot

[ She's not sure how they'd ended up in the movie theatre, if it had just been because it was the first building that seemed safe, located on the other side of the invisible line that the fire seemed unwilling to cross, or if it was something else that had drawn them there. But the inside is cool and dark, a relief from the heat and devastation outside. Parker had been so shaken, so upset by the fire and the sudden and complete loss of the only home she'd had here on top of her terrifying encounter at the ravine the day before, she'd retreated almost immediately, hiding herself away in the tiny, dark storage room.

But it's not long before she emerges again. Before she realizes that being alone isn't what she wants right now. What she wants is to be with Hardison and Eliot. Her team. Her family.

When she finds one or both of them, she doesn't say a word, just sits down next to whoever's closest, curling in against his side. ]

neal

[ The fire is devastating. More so than Parker had immediately realized in the chaos of fleeing the house on Stoker with Hardison and Eliot. She'd been terrified, focused only on getting out, and on making absolutely sure that the two of them were right behind (or better yet, ahead of) her the whole way. That none of them would be left behind or lost.

But she'd turned as they were running, seeing the flames leaping up into the air and the frames of the houses collapsing in on themselves. Not only the house she'd claimed with Hardison and Eliot, but the ones next door. And across the street.

All of them. Half the town, gone.

It's hours later that she realizes the true impact the fire had had, before it occurs to her just what it means. It's not just their home that's gone, or the homes of the rest of the town's residents. There had been something else, too. A gift that had been given to her. Entrusted to her, for reasons she still doesn't quite understand.

But she knows she'd lost it. That she'd let it burn.

She doesn't want to look for Neal, doesn't want to face him after what had happened, but she knows she has to. When she finds him, looking as dirty and exhausted as everyone else, she almost loses her nerve. Almost runs away again.

Instead, she approaches slowly, her gut heavy with guilt, a lump in her throat. ]

Neal?

elena gilbert | the vampire diaries

[descendent]

[76] FOR ELIJAH.

[descendent]

[ when elena sees a dark figure enter the forest, elena follows.

it's almost like elena hasn't learned her lesson when it comes to following the shadowy figures into the woods. what does she expect when she follows something strange? no matter how many times she's learned this lesson, she'll continue to try and see its core change. she wants answers—she's going to get her damn answers.

she doesn't leave a trail of breadcrumbs in her wake, easily stepping away from elijah's side to investigate the strange figure. if she looks behind her or tugs at his sleeve, she'll lose it. her senses aren't as sharp as his; even a blink risks her the chance of keeping up.

once the figure stops and seems to join a family of four others, she stands still, half-hidden behind a tree. but she's not the kind of girl who hides behind trees, is she? she has questions, and perhaps these figures—no, people; they behave like people, hands outstretched, clustering together like a family—have answers.

with an inhale in, elena takes a step, ready to ask her questions. ]

John Carter | ER

[setthetone]

Day 73-75 (ota)

[setthetone]

a. Ocean Eyes

[Carter isn't a fan of dark shapes in the corner of his eye and he's even less so of vague somethings, even when they're out there. On the water.]

Hey, do you see that? Like, my vision's pretty good but, you know.

[With the whole this being Mathias and not being able to trust your eyes or your ears or your body staying dead, who knows?]


b. That's a 10 on the Nope Scale

[Your house is nearby so congratulations, here he is, just bursting inside and slamming the door shut.

He didn't see anything but oh no, Mathias, you're not getting him. He knows you by now.]

Hi!

[Awkward? Maybe once upon a time. Not anymore. Not here in self-preservation land, uh uh, nope.]

There, just. [Thumbs back to the door.] Things. Shadows. Don't know. I'm gonna stay the night, okay?