pineslog | ( march intro ) WELCOME TO THE PINES!

( march intro ) WELCOME TO THE PINES!

INTRODUCTION LOG

waking up

There was an accident. That's basically the only thing you know for certain. Maybe a car wreck - metal and broken glass everywhere, and the sirens and the screaming. Or maybe there was an explosion. Maybe your bike hit a rock and you careened uncontrollably off a mountain path. You can't can't quite make out the details, not who was at fault or why. Try as you might, the chaos is all you can remember.

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

When you open your eyes, the accident is gone. Instead, you're in a hospital bed. You're sluggish, covered in a scattering of minor injuries you only vaguely remember getting, not to mention the vaguely-healed remnants of any wounds you might've had before.

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

Whether or not the room's 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. Welcome to Wayward Pines, 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. The hospital's population is quadruple the usual, and you get the impression the nurses are working themselves ragged just running damage control. You can even leave your room without much fuss - whichever doctor or nurse intercepts you gets called away almost immediately to deal with something even more pressing.

Mingle, visit your fellow patients, even poke around for a few basic answers. Or maybe, maybe just stroll right on out the front door.

heading outside

One step outside and it's perfectly clear that your hospital gown simply isn't going to cut it for long. the sidewalks and buildings covered in snow and a crisp winter wind whipping at you through the thin cloth. It's like a scene out of a holiday greeting card or a snow globe, picturesque and nearly untouchable. And yet you're here. Touching it all. Dressed in nothing but a hospital gown. You should at least think about getting some mittens if you're going to keep, you know, touching it.

Trees line the street at regular intervals, carefully manicured and coated in a thin layer of pure white snow. Cars cruise by at a safe and respectable speed. Pedestrians spare you glances, some wary and some concerned.

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 and one that you might: Wayward Pines Police Department. Whether you asked for yourself or simply overheard, you've likely caught wind by now that all of your earthly possessions now lie with the Sheriff until you see fit to claim them.

Might as well head that way, right?

items reclaimed

So you've visited the Wayward Pines Police Department and reclaimed... well. Most of your stuff, anyway, though you can't quite remember what's missing. Best to put it out of mind, as you head down the steps toward the Main Street sidewalk. At the very least, pedestrians have stopped looking at you like you're sick or crazy. (Then again, depending on what you're wearing, maybe it's gotten worse.)

The sheriff also forked over what looks like the key to a house ("A cozy place to stay while you're here in town."), plus the address that it belongs to. You could check it out, see what kind of digs they're putting you up in.

Or you could stick around Main Street and sight-see a little. Also a perfectly viable option. Hell, maybe it'll jog your memory a little. A few of the shops do feel inexplicably familiar...

( ooc notes )

Welcome to the second newbie mingle log! We apologize for the delay.

This log is meant to cover characters' first day in Wayward Pines. For the most part, only the five memories detailed in your character's application are remembered throughout the duration of this log, although the first couple of false Wayward Pines memories might begin to surface (in those who've opted to utilize this mechanic) as the day 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.

Any questions about the log or its contents can be addressed to our FAQ or the intro log's designated Plurk.

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[ Everything and nothing is familiar about this place. Every other step feels familiar. It's distracting, her head is throbbing and it strangely has nothing to do with the head injury she sustained, in fact, she doesn't feel the physical effects of it at all, which is strange....

She lets out an 'oofmph' sound when she almost runs straight into--

Her brow furrows as, for a moment, her brain feels like it's made of cotton candy and she's tearing at it, trying to pluck the information from it. But when he says her name, it hits her again. The memory. The shock. The blood. The way she screamed for help and knew there was none to be had.] Stefan-- [ she gasps his name out, her hands moving to his arms to both touch him and steady herself.]

Stefan, I... [ She lets out a frantic sort of laugh, moving to hug him immediately, expecting him to feel warm but... he's not as warm as someone should be. Whatever, maybe he's been outside for awhile... Her mind flits from one thought to another as a memory of the two of them sitting on a front porch, in front of a cheery yellow house, her house, sharing a cup of coffee hits her. ] You're okay... [ It's more a question than a statement. But there's unquestionable relief in her tone.] I had the worst dream, it felt so real...

Edited 2017-03-03 06:28 (UTC)

[ The fact that she recognizes him from sight alone is definitely a positive sign. When she steps in to hug him, Stefan reciprocates without a second of hesitation, eagerly gathering her up in his arms. ] I'm fine. [ He assures her in his most comforting tone of voice. ] Was it the "accident"? [ He questions, not bothering to hide his derision for the story the hospital and sheriff have been peddling to all the newcomers despite how implausible it sounds at this point to anyone who's been here for as long as he has. But there is also a genuine, undeniable curiosity for the answer, if only because he doesn't actually have any distinct memory of his own supposed accident. ]

[ She nods against his shoulder at his question, her eyes closing for a moment as she takes comfort in something that feels more real than anything else she's encountered here. Her fingers curl against his back for a moment before she pulls back to look at him, her brow furrowing again.]

Everything feels... off. [ She realizes then that this is the first time that her stomach hasn't immediately grumbled at the sight of a person. Maybe she's gotten to the point of being so hungry, she can't feel it anymore.] It's like I have a migraine but my head doesn't hurt.

[ That garners a sharp look from him. ] Caroline... Have you... [ His tone maintains its cool but there's an edge of something there, lurking beneath the surface of his words. Worry, maybe. Or fear? It's probably hard to pinpoint other than the fact that he's obviously discomforted by what she just told him. ] What exactly do you remember? From before the "accident"?

[ For a moment, he looks worryingly worried, he starts to ask her a question and she almost begs him to go on. There's a cowardly voice in her head that tells her not to ask. And she latches onto his next question.]

Why do you keep saying it like that, 'accident'? [ Like it's not what happened to her.] Like it wasn't... an accident. [ Her fingers lift, trembling, to touch her temple as she looks down, trying to remember.] I was on a ladder... I was trying to... clean out the gutters? [ She looks up at him for confirmation.] There was too much snow and I... I fell, I guess.

[ He ignores her first question for the moment. It's not a topic he feels prepared to discuss right now especially when they're out in the opening where potentially anyone could be listening. But he can't help but to probe a little more-- ]

Obviously you remember who I am. Is there anything else that sticks out to you?

[ She looks at him for a moment, feeling confused.] You're the first person I've felt... comfortable around. [ She isn't sure how to explain it. She doesn't know it's because he doesn't have the kind of blood she's craving.]

I don't know what else.... Why? [ It slowly dawns on her he's asking strange questions.] Is something going on?

[ He locks eyes with her for a moment, nodding almost imperceptibly. Out loud, he says: ]

I'm just glad you're safe, Care. [ And then he pulls her in for another hug, except he has an ulterior motive -- lips hovering just next to her ear, warm breath grazing the shell as he murmurs: ]

There's cameras everywhere. I'll tell you everything but you need to come back to the house with me.

[ If it weren't for the words that came from it, the feeling of his mouth and breath warming her skin would have frazzled her in the best of ways. But as distracting as it was, she didn't miss what he whispered in her ear as he hugged her close.

Stiffening, her fingers curl against his shoulders and for a moment, she doesn't understand what he's saying. Or at least, she can't quite comprehend. ] Okay, [ she murmurs, sounded worried and confused.] Okay...

[ Sensing her growing worry, Stefan squeezes her tightly before letting her go again. ] You're safe here. [ He reiterates firmly with unwavering confidence. Despite everything else that's going on, at least that much seems to be true. ] I won't let anything happen to you.

Edited 2017-03-05 21:31 (UTC)

[ His words strike something with her. It feels like deja vu, like she's heard the words before and she's trusted them in the past. Pulling back, she glances towards police station and then, the direction of his house, suddenly remembering that they lived on the same block as each other.]

My stuff...

Right. The Sheriff's station is on the way. [ He assures her. ]

[ She doesn't know the importance of the daylight ring (or that it's even called that), exactly. She just knows she feels naked without it. She feels unlucky. And she probably looks relieved when he says they can grab her stuff on the way, even if her mind is racing with what he said about the cameras, her eyes looking around slightly to see if she can see them.]

Okay, good. I just... want out of these scrubs, too.

I bet. [ His voice is obviously sympathetic to her plight. ] It's like the weirdest version of the walk of shame that I've ever seen. [ A joke, an attempt to keep things from getting too heavy in the wake of what he's just revealed to her. ]

[ She lets out a laugh and feels a little normal once again. Laughing with him, it feels like... home. It feels right. She grins at him, slightly.] You have no idea. I had to convince someone to get me these, otherwise I'd be walking around with my butt hanging out.

As nice as your butt is I can see where you'd maybe want to avoid the whole "indecent exposure" charges.

[ Although honestly, it would serve the Sheriff right to be deluged with such complaints after deciding to take everyone's clothes from the hospital.. ]

[ She lets out a half-laugh when he mentions how nice her butt is before she looks at him, tucking her hair behind her ear. He might notice that her ring is gone, not on her finger, luckily, it's night.] I'm just ready to get home.

Me too. [ He admits. It's been a long as hell day. ]

Hey, does the name "Katherine Pierce" mean anything to you right now?

[ It's like hearing something you know but... don't. Like when there's a word on the tip of your tongue and you're desperate to say it. She looks at him--] Why?

She's--

[ ??? How does one even begin to describe Katherine Pierce. ]

-- an old acquaintance of ours. Woke up in the hospital here after an accident, just like you.

What about Damon, do you remember him?

[ She takes a beat.] He's your brother. [ She reaches up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear before her arms cross over her chest, feeling as though she ought to be cold but... she's not.]

You live together... down the street from me.

[ Stefan's head quickly turns in her direction, silently assessing this new piece of information. He doesn't offer any contradictory statements but they continue their walk together to the Sheriff's station, where he holds the door open for her out of habit. ]

[ His silence is suddenly a little unnerving. For all that she's feeling off-kilter, she can sense something else is going on and she wished that Stefan wouldn't keep being so cryptic.

Once they get into the station, she's hit with another wave of deja vu, especially when she approaches the desk. She feels the urge to ask for someone specific but she can't figure out who that would be... Her brow furrows and she simply asks for her things instead.

As the desk clerk goes to fetch them, she moves to rest her elbows on the counter, her head buried in her hands.]

Maybe I shouldn't have left the hospital. I feel... worse. [ She'd been fine when they were outside but the moment they stepped inside, ~~an enclosed space with humans~~, she's felt a pressure behind her eyes. And when she looks up, he may notice the veins beneath her eyes shifting, not that she can see them.]

[ He moves to stand in front of Caroline, blocking her from the view of others who might notice she's on the verge of vamping out. ]

You'll be alright. [ He attempts to assure her in his most soothing tone of voice. ] It's just a little stuffy in here, I think. Can you make it a few more minutes? [ When the desk clerk returns with a box of her things, he can't help but to look inside even as he picks it up to carry it for her. ] Look. Here's your ring. [ He remarks, noticing it sliding into one of the corners as he does. He reaches down into the box, pulls it out, and offers it to her. ]

Yeah, [ she nods, taking in a deep breath and then another, his voice filtering in as a memory. She looks up at him and starts a little, when she swears she sees veins beneath his eyes except... she doesn't. It's like a flash of a dream or a memory, something she blinks away easily but can't explain. She doesn't even notice the clerk until he grabs the box.

Turning towards it and then him, she feels something like relief when he offers her ring.] Oh good, [ she immediately slips it onto her finger, just as she always has.] I always feel naked without it. [ Offering him a bit of a smile, she turns towards the exit after thanking the clerk.] Thanks for doing this Stefan... I guess I could have called my brother but... [ She only just remembered she had a brother.] I'm glad I ran into you.

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immoderation - 2017-03-09 01:13 (UTC) - Expand

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coy - 2017-03-09 01:20 (UTC) - Expand

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