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.

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Comments

078; cw: fire death mention

[myfavoritemurder]

A - BURNING; CLOSED TO JEFF

[Callisto's relationship with fire has never been healthy: she's had a sick fascination with it ever since the fire that took her family and village from her. If anything, she welcomes the reminder of that trauma, using it to feed her rage and keep her desire for revenge fresh. Fire isn't her enemy. Fire is her lifelong companion.

But today is different. Today, for reasons beyond her understanding, she sees the blaze engulfing the town and she just... cracks. She hears screams that aren't there; she hears her mother and her father calling her name. She sees the figure of her sister standing in an open doorway, framed by flames. She reaches out a hand to her, but it's the fire that reaches back.

In the middle of Phillips Drive, with the heat of the fire raging around her, Callisto falls to her knees. Her eyes are starting to sting from the smoke, and before long, her lungs will start to hurt, but she doesn't notice either of these things. The world around her fades away, the heat and the crackling flames and the imagined screams alike, and she just drifts.

It almost feels peaceful.]

B - RECOVERING; OTA TO THE SCHOOLHOUSE

[After Jeff drags her inside, she's practically catatonic for a while, lying crumpled and still wherever he ends up putting her. Anyone who approaches here at this point will barely be acknowledged, if indeed they're acknowledged at all. Later on, she's alert, but she's not much better. She's something of a pitiful sight as she wanders the school, arms hugged around herself, letting out the occasional soft whimper. But should anybody decide to actually take pity, she won't have it: even the most well-meant attempt at a comforting touch will be met with a snarl at best and physical retaliation at worst.

As the day turns to night and darkness falls outside, she stays inside, and she stays away from the windows - even trying to cover them up, if she can find anything that'll help with that. Every time she enters a room, she'll immediately slap on all available light switches, regardless of whether or not the room is already occupied by people who are just trying to sleep. And even when she settles down to sleep herself, she'll do so in a room that's fully lit - and woe betide anyone who tries to change that.]

Schoolhouse

[abrightboy]

Malcolm sees her drifting around the school house, trying to keep the dark at bay. He brings her a cup of tea, offering it wordlessly.

[myfavoritemurder]

She hears him coming, but doesn't so much as spare him a glance - she's too busy trying to move a bookshelf in front of the window. Once that's done, she pauses to catch her breath, finally turning to him.

"What do you want?" she asks in Greek - though she takes the offered cup.

[abrightboy]

"Just brought you tea," he explains in Greek, though it's obvious. He gestures to the window she has blocked. "Making the structure more defensible. That's good. Some of the people here are injured."

[myfavoritemurder]

"There's no defending from the dark," she says distractedly, running a hand through her hair. She grips the teacup, hard enough to risk breaking it between her fingers.

"It might sneak in anyway."

[abrightboy]

The dark. She's never mentioned this aversion before. Maybe it has something to do with being triggered by the fire.

"That's possible. You know, when I'm out and about I could look for more lights. Lights I can carry here. We can make a very light space for you."

[myfavoritemurder]

"Candles?" she asks, interested and intent. "Or like these?"

She gestures to the ceiling lamp, illuminated in a fashion that she knows how to make use of, but still doesn't really understand.

[abrightboy]

"Like these," he confirms. "We can get more and more and keep all the shadows away."

[myfavoritemurder]

"Where do you find them? Do you pull them off walls and ceilings in other houses?"

[abrightboy]

He smiles. "No, there are ones they make so they can move. Do you want me to show you how?"

[myfavoritemurder]

"The ones on the walls can't be moved?" she asks, frowning in confusion. Granted, she's never tried to wrench any ceiling lamps out of their sockets, but she's just assumed that it was doable, if someone wanted to. Why wouldn't it be?

"Yes, show me."

[abrightboy]

"They can't be, no. Come."

Well, technically they could be, but any explanation of wiring and how it works doesn't seem like a good use of their time.

He takes her to the teachers' lounge, where there is a lamp on an end table. He gestures to where the cord goes to the wall and he unplugs it, holding up the end for her to see.

"Things with an end like this can go in any place with these holes," he says, gesturing to the socket. "And the lightning inside makes it work."

[myfavoritemurder]

"Why?" she asks, still completely baffled - but, at least, semi-distracted from her fear and restlessness and grief. "Is there actually lightning inside, or do you not know the word for what it really is?"

B

[tinstar]

Raylan had been hard pressed to stay still, pacing through the schoolhouse and back out in front, watching anxiously for the fire to finally decide that they'd survived long enough and spring back into life to consume them all. He knew it didn't help himself or anyone else but he couldn't stop.

Even when he almost runs into Callisto as he steps into the well lit room, wincing as he stupidly looks directly at the light before he finally sees the state of her, his thumb worried the back of his horseshoe ring to offset the lack of movement. They both looked like shit, but Raylan's scan up and down her was injury assessment.

"Sorry, I wasn't watchin' where I was goin'." Except he didn't bother to keep moving, eyes studying her face. He doubted anything could help. He knew what was going on and there wasn't even a way for him to say 'he couldn't imagine' what that would be like. He did, he could. He remembered Callisto's memory. Somehow, she was handling it better than he was.

"You need anythin'? Food? Glass of water or somethin'?"

Raylan would say he couldn't imagine seeing this fire

[myfavoritemurder]

Callisto sits on the floor in a crouch, legs hunched up around her, elbows resting on her knees. When Raylan comes into the room, she only looks up to make sure he doesn't go to turn off the light, and then her gaze returns fixedly to the floor.

"I need Thalia, táta, and mamá," she says, in the dull, defeated tone of someone who's very aware that this isn't an option.

And she very nearly leaves it there, because as far as she's concerned, anything else he could give her pales in comparison - even necessities like food and drink. But after a brief pause, she musters just enough energy to haul herself to her feet.

"Where is the water?"

[tinstar]

He didn't have to know Greek to know 'Mama' or to recognize the soft tones of a little girl who wanted her family back. Raylan was glad that she got to her feet; there was little he could do for what she actually needed and he doubted she'd take a hug or any consolation without giving him a black eye.

"C'mon," he said quietly, glancing back towards the front door before gesturing her down the hall and into another room - a small kitchenette that he kicked the light on in as he walked in.

"Sit," he said with a gesture towards the small table and chairs provided. This was probably the teacher's lounge, for all 3 teachers this town might have had, but it meant they had a small fridge. Maybe there'd be something in there, but Raylan didn't have the sense of mind to check right now. Two glasses of water were made and he set one in front of Callisto before going to peer out of the closest window.

"Probably only a few hours until the sun comes up," he starts, completely unsure that the sun WOULD rise but he needed the smallest fragment of hope. Of normality.

[myfavoritemurder]

She sits, pulling her legs up to do so cross-legged, hunching over her water glass. She's thirsty, even a little dehydrated, but there's still a distinct listlessness to the way she sips at it. She wishes she had the energy to hurl it against the wall, but even just lifting it seems like almost too much.

"Where's Tim?"

[tinstar]

Something about Raylan stilled, jaw working with a tight swallow, eyes scanning out the window again like the mention of the sniper would manifest his figure against the light of the fire that was still roaring.

And Raylan was here. Here, instead of tearing up the town looking for him.

"He went out for milk. He'll be back soon," he replied like the lying liar who lies.

[myfavoritemurder]

That gets her to look up at him, raising a skeptical, unimpressed eyebrow as she does. Seriously, Raylan?

[tinstar]

He glanced over for a half second before sliding his eyes back out the window. It seemed he was not willing to admit his failing to her under threat of eyebrow.

"Are you injured? Any blood?"

[myfavoritemurder]

Callisto stares at him. Stares at the window - the dark, ominous, gaping window. Stares at the glass in her hand. Just throw it, she thinks. Throw it right at his head.

"Why?"

[tinstar]

"Because I don't know how many people survived this so the ones that have need to stay that way," he answered, tone the same soft statement of fact it had been.

"Because we will need the help counting and burying the dead." Raylan wanted to hold onto hope that Tim wasn't going to be one of them but the later it got, the more his stomach knotted around that fact. "There's always going to be the dead," he whispered, mostly to himself.

[myfavoritemurder]

Here she starts to lose the thread of his English a bit, though the repetition helps: dead, dead, dead. She coughs - hacks, really - which is something of an answer in and of itself; she may not have been badly injured, but she'd definitely inhaled some smoke.

"Tim is dead," she says, a challenge more than a question.

[tinstar]

Those coughs got him to look over, eyes sharp again with a worry that quick to try to assess how bad that cough was.

It was like he'd been lined up to be punched and now that he'd made eye contact, now that a challenge had been issued, he knew better than to break it.

"Maybe. Maybe he's out there helpin' someone else out of a fire. I don't know."

[myfavoritemurder]

The maybe gives her a grim sense of satisfaction. His insistence that Tim would be right back and his refusal to clarify had, she suspects, far more to do with trying to comfort himself than with trying to placate her, but that doesn't matter; she doesn't think much of his coping mechanisms.

"He was burned in the fire," she insists heatedly in Greek. "Like everything else. Don't lie about it, to yourself or anyone else. Accept your misery."

This is punctuated with another cough.