pineslog | (catch-all) the storm & the st. paddy's day festival

(catch-all) the storm & the st. paddy's day festival

CATCH-ALL: 16TH & 17TH

march 16

THE THUNDER ROLLS

The day starts off atmospherically heavy. The clouds are low, and the temperature is unusually warm, settling in the mid to high 50s (teens in Celsius). Townies are wandering around town in lightweight jackets and hoodies making small talk about the unusual weather, but for the most part they're pleased with the warmth, even if the clouds off in the distance look rather ominous. As the day goes on, the clouds creep closer and the residents seem more inclined to get a roof over their heads and stay there. The midmorning news predicts heavy rainfall by the late afternoon, but the savvier townsfolk say it’s going to be worse than that.

They’re not wrong. The sun drops low, and the winds start to pick up, howling through the trees, bringing with them nickel-size chunks of hail and torrential rains. The darker the night gets, the worse the storm hits Wayward Pines; by the time the sun has set, the sky is obscured with opaque, swirling clouds, the winds snapping trees in half, rattling the power lines, causing electricity to flicker and sometimes go out. The hail pings against the cars not safely parked inside garages, leaving the more exposed with significant damage to paint and windows, and anyone brave (or stupid) enough to step outside is instantly soaked to the skin in cold rain.

The most chilling thing of all isn’t the rain. Anyone trying to wait the weather out on Main Street will hear three wrenching cries coming from the woods, almost like the exact moment a person shreds their vocal cords in a scream. The townies claim not to hear anything unusual. It’s just the wind, they say, and they may be right. The sound as it shrieks through the trees and between buildings is similar enough to cast doubt, and combined with the rain even the most experienced camper would likely get lost trying to find it.

march 17

THERE’S WHISKEY IN THE JAR, OH

Whatever damage was caused by the previous night’s storm has mostly been cleared from Main Street by the early morning of St Patrick's Day. The streets are still a little wet, with plenty of puddles for the more adventurous children (and adults) to splash around in. The air is still a little chilly, but nothing a sweatshirt can’t fix. Nothing’s fully set up until about nine in the morning, but when it is, the St. Patty’s Day celebration gets under way. It’s small, more of a farmers' market or small festival than anything major. There’s food stalls and tables for eating, as well as a few booths where townsfolk are plying their crafts and non-food wares, as well as live music. The festivities during the daylight hours are pretty tame, a PG-rated good time for all.

When the sun sets, the party gets a little more rowdy. Someone busts out the booze and someone else busts out the Mardi Gras beads, and the music gets louder. While many food stalls are still open, the rest have shut down as the street fills with revelers, many of them holding cups half-filled with beer or something a little stronger. This part of the party isn’t for kids, and if anyone underage is spotted they'll quickly get escorted back home by the police — so try not to get caught, yes?

MOD NOTES

This is a catch-all for any and all threads pertaining to the storm (March 16th) and the St. Patrick's Day festival (March 17th)! Details on both of these happenings can be found in the March Newsletter.

PLEASE INCLUDE IN SUBJECT LINE: Character Name, which Day(s) your top-level takes place in, and Open or Closed, to help keep things a bit more organized. (For example: "Joe Biden | 16th & 17th | Open!")

Should you choose to participate in both mini-events, you're welcome to make separate top-level posts for each day or to combine them both into one.

If you have any questions regarding this event, feel free to ask them here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's a small town. All around him are familiar faces, some worn out, some reveling, all wrong. But, he plays the part of the local mechanic's brother with the best of them. He gets the impression that Wayward Pines' Damon is more akin to the younger, more human him. He still gets a few looks, so he hopes his acerbic wit and linguistic talents aren't lost on these people.

Damon is nothing if not a man who keeps his eye on things. So, he clocks Jiaying, sees a stern outer shell of coldness. He can easily chalk it up to her being unhappy with this situation. It's safe to say that anyone who wakes up in that incompetent hospital doesn't belong here. But, he can't help but worry if there's something else afoot. With everything this town does with memories both fabricated and suppressed, he can't help but worry if compulsion might be effected.

One way to find out.

He does wait for later in the night, and catches her with his own arm full of beads. ] I know it's wrong to say to your therapist, but I wanted to be the person that bestowed beads on you. Nice colors, Jia. Enjoying the meager festivities?

[ Seriously, Mystic Falls puts all this to shame. ]

Jiaying. [She corrects, polite but firm. She examines his armfull of beads and plasters on the kind of smile that indicates polite interest.]

This isn't really my thing. [She holds up her beads, looking just a little playful.] Would you like another?

Not a fan of nicknames. [ He'll file that away, then. ]

I'd be honored. [ And he bends his head down, presenting his neck, but keeping that playful eye contact. ]

Not really, no. [she agrees then carefully removes the beads from around her neck and tucks it around his. All without spilling the drink in her hand.]

Now you look fabulous.

[ He stands, preens, really. ]

Thanks to you. [ He turns, so they can start off in a direction, moving through the crowd. ] So, I have a fun new wrinkle in my life, and I only say new because the accident really scrambled memories of those nearest and dearest to me. [ And he wishes he were kidding, he makes eye contact with her, tapping back into a connection he's bridged, all of a sudden any and everything about his being a vampire, his brother, and who Katherine was to them can be accessed by Jiaying, but like their earlier compulsion, this is a hushed conversation. See, you sort of have agency. At least he's not sleeping with you? ] Katherine regained all her memories. And, [ He downs what's in his drink. ] We're married.

[ THE IRONY RIGHT?

The girl who could never choose (but would always choose Stefan) is now married to the brother she settles for. Despite playing them against one another, terrorizing them and Elena, sort of helping out when she could, turning human, dying, and taking Elena's body in order to survive. Damon and Jiaying covered a lot that day. :') ]

[She follows along, if only to have a companion so no one else bothers her. The connection clicks into place smoothly, flicking her memories relating to him in place.]

You don't remember this? [she asks, playing up her 'therapist' side. A vampire isn't quite human so she finds him perfectly tolerable.]

She found the ring. Mine was under some papers at the garage. All I can manage to remember is our cheesy proposal in front of the high school. And then one memory from after prom. We went to prom together.

It doesn't 'fit'. [She's more aware of this then ever now. These chunks of memories that come and slot itself into her mind, that seem to belong and yet--]

Precisely. Not with how I feel about her, but, we chocked it up to a rough patch. We're working on things. [ He comes to a stop by one of the booths, glancing down at their wares. ] What about you? I realized I never asked about you, Jiaying. And please, [ He leans in, his eyes there again, dilating. Still friendly, though! ] Spare no detail.

Edited 2017-03-20 18:43 (UTC)

[She sees no reason to deny him. Well, except one major detail.] Of course. But I'd be breaking the rules.

[She glances around. They do happen to be in public right now.]

Right. Wouldn't want to break those... [ He scans around as he says that, spotting the band and smiling. ] Come on. [ He holds his arm out for her, the picture of a gentleman with no ulterior motives, if seen. Innocently, he takes them closer to the stage, and the loud band. He cheers for them, smiles as Jiaying and leans in. ] It's an old trick we vampires use. If you don't want somebody to hear you, go where the noise is. [ Or, create the noise. ] And don't worry about your volume! I have great hearing. [ he looks at her, smirking ] You were saying?

[A look of amusement and disapproval crosses her features before she takes him by the arm. No sense breaking the illusion of blending in now. She follows him to be by the stage. The loudness offends her senses but it is the best alternative to asking Damon to use his abilities again.

With a breath, she begins her tale. A woman living a simple life in China. A woman whose entire life was changed the day her defenseless village was attacked by Werner Reinhardt and some of the people within it killed for the sake of experimentation. That experiment led her to find a subgroup of genetically altered humans known as the Inhumans. And with the touch of the Diviner, she was given the gift of longevity and life force absorption. For decades after that, she became an elder of her village, forced to take the life of another in order to extend her life and employ her knowledge to help future generations of Inhumans. She even fell in love with a human - a doctor from the United States. They married, had a child. Everything seemed to be going well.]

Reinhardt was freed from his prison. And he discovered me. [Her tone grows cold] In the name of experimentation, he cut me open, stole my blood and my organs so he could have the gift of eternal youth. Then he left me for dead. [The last word is almost spat out.]

[ Jiayang's life is far more interesting than Damon could have ever anticipated, hardly expecting a sweeping World War II epic, complete with romance, betrayal and a little body horror. It seems Damon, Stefan, Caroline, and Katherine aren't the only four genetically gifted citizens in this snooze-town. Taking life to keep his going, is a way he could put some of what he's done, but not since he's been on the blood bag diet.

The child clicks in to place, Daisy, he'd wager could be her name. ]

But, you can't keep a bad girl down. [ And trust him when he says 'bad girl' and means it as a compliment, knowing the story couldn't end there. Because, she's here. ] Please tell me that guy got what's coming to him!

Not quickly enough. [she continues, her expression cold and hard.] After I was discarded, my husband found me, sewed me back together. He brought me villagers to help me heal and by the time we returned home... Daisy... she was gone. [That pain still feels sharp even though her daughter is as good as disowned now.] We spent years looking for her. We both changed. My husband and I. He promised to reunite us and he became a monster. I decided to focus on my people. I created Afterlife and built a community.

[Her head lifts just a bit higher. Pride. She knows she's done well to her people. Regardless of how twisted she's become.] It'd be two decades before he found our daughter and brought her back to me. Reinhardt died in that time. I didn't witness it.

[ A pity she couldn't do the deed herself. ]

Does it bother you, the life you lived before here and these memories encroaching on your sordid, violent past? [ He moves his head to the music, playing the part of the reveling townie. But, their conversation is far more serious than his smile perceives. ]

[The tension in her shoulders leave her for a moment though she still keeps them squared and her back straight. She's not the type to party so it makes no difference to her whether she bobs her head or not.]

I don't intend to sit back and do nothing. If that's what you're asking.

Neither do I.

[ He claps, the latest set ending. The band thanks them and takes their ten minute break, the crowd still providing good sound coverage for their rule breaking. ]

But, it's all about timing. And knowing more than them. Which, we do.

Do we? [She gives the band a perfunctory smile and clap as they moved off stage]

But I agree. Timing is everything. There's very little emotional baggage holding me to this town, I'm afraid.

[And she has her own plans to set in motion.]

That makes one of us.

[ And he smiles again. ]

If you ever need anything, [ He starts, intensity ratcheting up again. ] Help, or an extra hand, don't hesitate to look me up. I believe you know where I live.

[Hm. That's an interesting offer. She nods]

Maybe I will.

Enjoy the rest of your night, Damon.

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(catch-all) the storm & the st. paddy's day festival

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