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

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.

[tinstar]

Raylan had gone back to sleep after his nightmare, slept through Malcolm's nightmare judging by the fact that he woke up alone and blissfully didn't have to fight for the bathroom. Something in his bones told him that he should relish in what sleep he'd gotten, but he shuffled that off as paranoia and washed it away with his shower.

By the time he got dried and dressed, Malcolm was done with his yoga, by virtue of the fact there wasn't a tiny nimble ass doing upward cat or something and Raylan walked in just in time for Malcolm screaming at.. Nothing.

"Hey," he called gently, leaning in the doorframe, eyes drawn in worry. "Malcolm?" He'd start there and if Malcolm showed any recognition, he'd move in to stand himself in front of the profiler. "You okay?"

He wasn't, not if he was having active hallucinations. It was still a place to start.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm almost startled at Raylan’s voice, but his face lit up when he looked over at him. What a sight for sore eyes.

Oh, look, your white knight to the rescue. Definitely worth looking like an idiot. Though, I suppose I shouldn’t criticize. With your litany of mental complaints, you can’t exactly be picky, can you?

His expression faltered and he blinked down at his coffee, jaw tight as he pointedly lifted his eyes to look at Raylan again.

“I’m okay,” he said a bit unconvincingly. “Do you want some coffee?”

In truth, he wanted to touch him, to feel how solid he was. How real. Unlike the mean spirited manifestation of insecurity standing on the other side of the counter. But it seemed important to try to make the morning as normal as possible, like he could salvage the sweetness of its start by not acknowledging where it went tumbling downhill.

[tinstar]

Lie. Raylan didn't hold it against him - they all lied that lie.

"I'll get it in a minute," he said, hands reaching out to settle around Malcolm's shoulders, studying the tension in his jaw. "What's goin' on? Who were you yellin' at? Martin again? You been takin' your pills?"

Didn't they.. fix this? Or subdue it?

[abrightboy]

"I've been trying to... moderate them," he admitted. "But. I was going to take one this morning." His eyes tracked over to the bottle on the counter, then up to Raylan's face. "Some days he's here. It... just..." He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut. "It was a good morning."

Stop it. You're hurting my feelings.

He pitched forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around Raylan, clinging to him like a rock in the sea.

[tinstar]

Raylan grunted softly at the launch of weight against him, arms wrapping around Malcolm's shoulders tightly as his lips sank into his hair.

"It's okay, it's alright," he muttered. "If they help you darlin', then it's okay to take them. Your head has probably been missin' the help. It can still keep bein' a good morning."

They could have coffee together and eventually, Raylan would remember Malcolm's offer to cut his hair.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm took a shaky breath and nodded, drawing back but not away.

My boy, this isn't healthy. Expired drugs, philandering cowboys, this commune where you live like their pet in a pen. What are you doing?

Malcolm shifted them around so his back was to 'Martin'.

"Can... can you stay for a bit?"

Begging for crumbs. A killer. It's sad.

He turned and looked at the space there almost viciously. "Then GO AWAY."

He looked at Raylan again, taking a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm..." He pushed a hand through his hair. "I'm going to take some medicine and then... and then... do you have time to stay for coffee?"

[tinstar]

This was the oddest shuffle.

"I only just got up," he half laughed with a breath that didn't reach his eyes or stay on his face. He was worried and his fingers twitched at his side uselessly. God if only he could sink a bullet into Malcolm's hallucinations. This phantom Martin that he got the sense Malcolm was turning away from. "Yes I have time for coffee. No plans on goin' anywhere this early. 'Sides. I do believe that I was offered a haircut... In a bit."

After Malcolm was calm and maybe under the influence of a pill.

"You wanna... shuffle over there with me?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm nodded, one hand grasping Raylan’s shirt and fidgeting in the fabric there. He glanced warily over his shoulder, then moved with Raylan to the other side of the island. The affirmation card he read still sat in the front of the tray and the bottle of pills sat next to it.

“This is too crazy, right? Like. Baneberry Hall crazy.”

[tinstar]

"Well," Raylan started, pressing forward to reach around Malcolm and into a cabinet to grab a cup, working around the small frame to pour himself a cup of coffee. "It is crazy, yes, but you already knew that. Would it help for you to run down your own diagnosis? You've been off your meds for months and have only just started takin' some again. Takes time for them to settle in, right? Properly?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm fidgeted at the bottle with his free hand.

“They’re only sedatives,” he said glumly. “I take antipsychotics to mediate the hallucinations. They didn’t have any of those.”

[tinstar]

He hummed shortly, lips turning down as he set the French press down and wrapped his arms back around Malcolm. "Not much help in that department then, was it. Can't imagine that dosing yourself and sleeping it all away is helpful either, considering. I wish I could help more, Malcolm," he admitted with a sigh.

"To take some of this from you."

[citharede]

Athena comes striding through the front door with a mangled fruit salad she made her very-own-self thank you very much, gathering breath to holler a morning greeting to the house at large when Malcolm yells from the kitchen.

She leans around the entryway, peeking into the space with wide eyes. "Wow, dude, I didn't even get to the 'being annoying' part."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm spins around a little wild eyed, relaxing half a fraction when he sees it’s her.

“Athena. Hi. Um. Coffee?” he offers like he wasn’t screaming at air.

[bestfuneralever]

Klaus casually drops by 1306 in the mornings. It's just a thing he does, especially since Five had disappeared. He craves the sense of people and there's nowhere with as much of that feeling amassed in one place as this house. Plus, he was friends with pretty much everyone here.

Coffee in the morning with Malcolm was a thing. He isn't sleeping much these days, but he barely notices, because when, in the last three decades, had he ever slept well? So, he's awake even though he'd much rather be asleep, and wanders into the house free-of-will. "Malcolm?" He assumes the other man is awake, he is usually the first in the house, after all.

[abrightboy]

Come on now. You kill a man in cold blood, in a protective rage or what have you. That's a gateway murder. Once you know how good it feels, it only gets better...

"I am not like you and you're NOT GOING TO MAKE..." His voice trails off as he spots Klaus.

"Oh. Hi. ...Coffee? I think we might have some eggs. Or. Some of those cookies left, maybe."

[bestfuneralever]

"Been there," he says casually, not actively calling attention to the obvious way he's arguing with a hallucination as he drops onto a stool at the counter. "Definitely coffee. Maybe a cookie." A beat passes and he nods. "Definitely a cookie."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm roots around in the cupboard, then drops several of Neal's cookies on a plate and sets it in front of Klaus, along with a mug.

"Did you get any sleep?" he asks. A typical question for their sort of morning.

[bestfuneralever]

"Kind of?" He shrugs a little. There's not much weird about having nightmares here. He's been plagued with them for awhile, and they've become a bit normal. "Wasn't great," he says, biting into one of the cookies.

"You?" he asks curiously.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm's grim expression breaks into a smile very much like the one that gave him away at the dinner party as he looks to the stairs. Realizing he looks like an idiot, he sobers up, and nods. "Yeah. ...It was Raylan's turn to stay with me last night."

[bestfuneralever]

"Ahhh-" he nods knowingly. "I see you, Bright." He teases with a smirk and a quick wink. "I sleep better with a sexy lawman next to me too."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm hides his smile looking down at his coffee.

“He took me on a date yesterday.”

[bestfuneralever]

"Really?" he grins and leans his chin in his hand against the counter. "Tell me more."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm shrugs, pressing his lips together, still looking into his cup.

“I found this record a little while ago and played it for him at the Grey Gull. I told him it reminded me of us. He said he wanted to take me somewhere less public… so we could dance to it. But then… everything happened and… I guess I wasn’t sure it would still… be something he wanted to do. But. He surprised me. Made a picnic and everything.”

[bestfuneralever]

"Oh my God, that's fucking adorable, I hate you." He laughs into his coffee. "What was the record?"