(may intro) WELCOME TO WAYWARD PINES!

[officialnotice]

INTRODUCTION LOG

MAY 1ST - 3RD

AFTER THE ACCIDENT

There was an accident. The details are hazy and obscure, but it's still the first thing you remember. Maybe a car wreck — metal and broken glass everywhere, and the sirens and the screaming. Maybe your bike hit a rock and you careened uncontrollably off a mountain path. Maybe something less mundane, even impossible seems to have happened to you. You can't quite make out the details, not who was at fault or why. Try as you might, the chaos is all you can truly remember.

It's also the last thing you remember from before waking up.

When you open your eyes, the accident is gone, replaced with white sterility. Perhaps somewhat alarming at first, until you blink at your surroundings and realize that you're in a hospital bed. You try to move but are sluggish, covered in a scattering of minor injuries you only vaguely remember receiving, not to mention the possibility of the partially healed remnants of other, seemingly older wounds.

It's a shame you won't be able to tell the difference between the two. Your memories are an indiscernible fog where they're not absent altogether, only a few standing out in your mind with any kind of certainty.

If the room happens to be empty when you wake, it's not for long. Nurses bustle in, taking your vitals and asking your name and anything else you might remember. Don't worry, they tell you. You'll make a full recovery here. Much of what you say (especially anything unusual, anything about monsters or magic or outlandish technology) will earn placating speculation of head trauma from the accident. You'll be told to stay put, not to push yourself, and to wait for the doctor to clear you before you leave.

Then you'll be left alone. Or maybe you'll find yourself visited by loved ones: family, or friends. You've lived here much or all of your life, so of course you have those things. Of course they already remember you being here, and may remember visiting you in the hospital while you were still unconscious.

Either way, the hospital's population is quadruple the usual, and you get the impression the nurses are working themselves ragged just running damage control. You might hear talk around the hospital of other small population spikes over the past few days, though many patients appeared to be well enough to be released the same day, and the same might be said of you. Or at least the staff doesn't seem to be too concerned. You can even leave your room without much fuss, any doctor or nurse that might try to intercept you getting called away almost immediately to deal with something even more pressing.

Of course, it's not so unusual to settle in until you're discharged, either. You may choose to wait for loved ones to come pick you up, even speak to your fellow patients, whether roommates or others wandering the halls. The more enterprising and suspicious might even consider it an opportunity to poke around for a few basic answers.

MAY 1ST - 4TH

GETTING USED TO HOME AGAIN

However you get there, outside the birds sing a joyful song, and though the air is just a bit crisp, the sky's as sunny as you've ever seen it. It's bright enough to make you squint for a moment before you feast your eyes on the quaint little mountain town of Wayward Pines, though that might just be some sort of side effect from your accident. Trees line the street at regular intervals, carefully manicured and slightly waterlogged from the recent flood. Cars cruise by at a safe and respectable speed. Fellow pedestrians spare you glances, some wary, others concerned or just friendly. It probably depends on how clothed you were when you left the hospital.

This isn't even the picturesque city center, though a colorful nearby sign reads "Main Street" with an arrow pointing due south, followed in smaller font by a list of businesses you don't recognize (could be a good direction to head in, though — maybe it'll jog your memory), and one that you might: Wayward Pines Sheriff's Department. You've likely caught wind by now that any clothing or other items you had on you at the time of your accident are being held by the Sheriff until you're well enough to claim them. Not to mention the keys to your home, kept locked and safe at the station for you. That should probably be your next stop, though if anything's missing in what they hand over you'd be the last to know.

It's time to get home, to recover from your ordeal and try to sort through your memories. Do you remember this house, the pictures of family on the walls and how to navigate to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Maybe it's easier with loved ones living with you, helping you get settled, or maybe you're on your own. Either way, over the next few days it's a good idea to try to remember your routines, to get out and finally visit Main Street if you haven't already. Maybe you even remembered that you work in one of the more familiar sounding shops, or elsewhere in town. Makes sense they'd give you some time off to recover and get reacclimated to your life here, but eventually you should probably get back to work. You haven't seen your co-workers in a few days, and besides, you have to be able to put bread on the table.

Or at the very least some of the delicious treats at the school bake sale you're seeing flyers for all over town!

MAY 5TH

ANNUAL BAKE SALE, PRESENTED BY THE PTA!

It's that time of year again. The time when everyone digs into their wallet, ignores their diet, and spends a little time supporting the local school bake fair. You know, for the good of the children. Or, in this particular case, the hospital. There's no denying the hospital has had a hard time of it lately, between the steady influx of accident victims at the start of each month and the recent outbreak scare, and the Wayward Pines Academy PTA has come up with the perfect solution to show their support to the hard working hospital staff by vowing to donate half of the proceeds for the sale today. Maybe the hospital can see about finally getting the staff breakroom a decent coffee machine!

And it doesn't hurt that Linda's Blondie recipe is honestly to die for. The PTA has pulled out all the stops this year in the hopes of encouraging a good community turn out, posters advertising the sale plastering every street corner and flyers stuffed into every mailbox for a solid week leading up to the event, and today is finally the day.

There's at least two dozen different tables set up with all manner of delectable treats, even one or two offering vegan alternatives for those inclined. Not to mention a few others catering to some of the townspeople's more... unique palates.

Maybe you've got your own table set up with your wares, or were simply lured to the park today by the appetizing scents wafting through the air. Either way it seems like the whole town has come out to show their support today, and why wouldn't they? Children are our future, after all. Or maybe it's just Linda's Blondie recipe.

Yeah, that's probably it.

MOD NOTES

Welcome to our fourth mingle log for newbies and oldbies alike!

This log is meant to cover characters' first five days in Wayward Pines. Characters for this round will appear staggered in the hospital between the 1st and the 3rd, and a CR building event will occur on the 5th, after everyone has had a suitable amount of time to get settled in town. For the most part, only the five memories detailed in your character's application are remembered throughout the duration of this log, although their false Wayward Pines memories may also begin to surface (in those who've opted to utilize this mechanic) as the week wears on. These memories, as noted in the FAQ, feel very real and are accompanied by as much emotion or sentiment as a real memory would be.

PLEASE INCLUDE IN SUBJECT LINE: Character Name, date, location, and Open or Closed, to help keep things organized and make your character easy to find.

If you have any questions regarding this intro log, feel free to ask them on the FAQ or the relevant plurk.

Comments

[immoderation]

He barely contains a wince at the question. "This is going to sound..." He pauses, searching for the right words to explain his predicament. "... completely strange. But could you... invite me inside the house? I'll tell you why in a minute."

[otrazhenie]

It did sound strange, completely and utterly so, but she trusted Stefan. There was an innate trust in her toward him that felt like more than just the knowledge of them being married, so when he said he would tell why after she'd completed that strange request, she only hesitated for a moment. "Won't you please come inside, Stefan?"

[immoderation]

This time, he's able to enter the house as normal and he shoots her a strained (but obviously grateful) smile before shutting and locking the door behind them. "Thanks. Let's go into the kitchen. We can talk more comfortably in there."

[otrazhenie]

"Okay," she agreed with a steadying breath, turning and heading further into the house. It was unsettling that she didn't recognize anything, not one piece of furniture, not the layout of the room. She couldn't say which direction was her bedroom or any other room, and she didn't like it one bit.

[immoderation]

"Would you like a glass of water?" Stefan inquires, as soon as they make it there. Of course he picks up on her discomfort but it's not something he can really remedy until she regains her memories. At least he's confident that she will; she's completely in the dark about the true nature of this town which is why he's going to illuminate her shortly.

[otrazhenie]

"Please," she answered automatically, wanting something to do with her hands more than being thirsty. But she probably was, a little, if she thought about it. Things like thirst and hunger were getting buried under confusion and anxiety, though, so she wasn't really noticing them.

[immoderation]

Stefan takes out two glasses from the cabinets and fills them both from the tap, which he leaves running on full blast even as he hands her a glass. "So, I don't know if you noticed on our short little walk but there are cameras everywhere around this town. Even in private residences." His eyebrows raise meaningfully at that. "You have to be careful what you say and especially where. When we want to talk privately, Damon and I usually create some type of noise interference like this."

[otrazhenie]

She hadn't noticed. She'd seen some signs that didn't make any sense, but cameras? Her attention had completely been on her own blank mind and the man at her side. Her husband who was telling her that they were being watched at this very moment.

Hand tightening around the glass he'd handed her, her eyes were wide as she quietly asked, "Why are there cameras in our home?" In the streets, she might be able to understand, but... not here. And not listening to them.

[immoderation]

"This isn't our home. Not really. You're being lied to. We all are. But there are consequences for not playing along. You at least saw the signs I assume?" Those were less than subtle, plastered everywhere -- including a giant one in the Sheriff's station, which you'd have to be completely blind to miss.

"... 'Do not discuss your life before'..." He quotes with a grim expression. "Let me put it this way. Damon and I woke up in that same hospital almost 4 months ago, without our memories. That phone call today, from your doctor? Is the first time that anyone's ever mentioned I had a wife. Don't you find that peculiar?"

[otrazhenie]

"I don't--" The words caught in her throat and she shook her head. Her chest felt tight and it was hard to breathe, the room suddenly feeling too small and oppressive. Nothing he was saying made sense. He had no reason to lie to her, she trusted what he was saying, but it didn't make sense and that was starting to scare her.

Her hand was shaking as she moved to set the glass of water on the counter, but she let go too soon, the bottom of the glass not quite on the edge. It tilted and fell toward the floor, and she stiffened in anticipation of the sound it would make as it shattered.

[immoderation]

Stefan can sense that she's rapidly growing uncomfortable. He knows that it's a lot to take in at once (and that frankly, it sounds insane). He's prepared to back off and give her some time to think it through while he finds his phone and calls Damon.

That's all before she lets go of the glass.

It's on pure instinct that he reacts, supernatural reflexes enabling him to grab it from midair before it can shatter into pieces on the hardwood floor. He looks at her a bit wide-eyed, a little shocked himself by how quickly everything has just escalated.

[otrazhenie]

Maybe that's what happens when there's so much history between people, history that one of them doesn't remember. History that ties them together in so many ways. Things had escalated quickly, yes, but maybe in the end it would be for the best.

Elena stared as Stefan caught the glass, moving faster than any normal person could, and she took an involuntary step back as she tried to understand what was happening. Shaking her head slowly, she tried and failed to say something, anything, about what she'd just seen.

[immoderation]

He can't help but to wince a little as she takes that step back. "You don't need to be afraid, Elena." He sets the glass down on the counter, properly this time, and holds up both of his hands, the seemingly universal symbol of 'I come in peace.' "This is part of what I wanted to explain about."

[otrazhenie]

Somehow his efforts just made her frustrated, because if he didn't want her to be afraid, then perhaps he shouldn't have just dropped a bomb on her. And then that, with the glass? She stiffened, straightening up and crossing her arms in an equally universal symbol. "So explain already, because all you're doing is freaking me out."

[immoderation]

Stefan closes his eyes for a moment, more pained by this cold reception than he was expecting. "Damon and I are vampires. That's why I needed you to invite me in. That's why I know there couldn't have been an accident; we don't get hurt like normal people. It's never been a secret from you. In two weeks, your memories will return. Until then, I just need you to trust me that you're safe here with us."

[otrazhenie]

Well. Okay then.

Visibly relaxing, Elena sighed and moved to lean against a counter. "Vampires," she repeated softly, not sounding at all skeptical or surprised by this information. Because she wasn't. "I used to be a vampire. I remember that. And I chose to become human again."

[immoderation]

Surprise colors his features for just a moment before disappearing in a light of understanding. "That's right," he nods. "It seems that we hold onto a few little details before the rest comes back. Either in trickles or all at once."

He sighs. "Elena, I'm sorry. I hate having to be the bearer of all this bad news. Especially when you're probably exhausted. We can table the rest of this conversation for another day, if that's alright? I can call Damon and we can just work on getting you settled in for now."

[otrazhenie]

At least that fit with what she'd experienced so far. Just a handful of fleeting memories that didn't even link together, and everyone telling her that the rest would come back. Two weeks, though. That seemed like forever.

"It's okay, Stefan," she assured him softly, certainly feeling exhausted in that moment. "I appreciate you telling me, really. Thank you." And then, in a spur of the moment decision, she stepped closer and moved to wrap her arms around him in a hug, desperately needing one.