INTRO LOG #3

[bequiet]

INTRO LOG #3
Put a Sock in It
Content Warnings: Disorientation, memory loss, confusion
Themes: Arrival, survival, exploration, horror

You wake, standing. A thick, muddy red dust coats your skin and clothes - it sticks to your tongue and blocks your vision. Inhale and it chokes you, exhale and your breath puffs out in front of your face in a transparent maroon cloud. It tastes of copper, tangy and harsh. Movement is difficult, every limb tingles and aches. Look to your left, your right. Evenly spaced in each direction stands another person indistinguishable in every way from the next. You're disoriented and lethargic, unable to grasp onto a single thought. A pinprick of light blooms ahead and grows steadily larger; a door has opened.

Hands grip your wrists, push at the small of your back and guide you out of the darkness into a room with four walls and a thin, sagging ceiling. The plaster is peeling, the air is musty, and the floor is slick. White plastic piping juts up from the center and curves into multiple spouts, clean water flowing in uneven streams. Those hands pull your clothes off and clear the dust from your body, redress you in handsewn jumpsuits. By the time they’re through, you will have begun to come back to yourself.

A finger is pressed to your lips. Kind eyes meet your own and a single word is whispered - hush.

Led out of the room in a line, you’re taken down a short hallway and into another, much larger room. There’s a woman waiting for you there, Constance, with a child hugging her leg - a cloth bag in her hands. She reaches in and pulls out a device, passes one to each of you. Once finished, she begins to move both hands in graceful gestures, a language. One of the people who helped you lifts their device and the screen lights up, tracks the woman’s hands. Letters appear on the screen and you understand the device’s purpose. She tells you what she knows and it’s not much.

This world is haunted. Noise attracts them, so it is not allowed. Communication is through body language, soundless writing, and the device. She tells you that your feet must be light and your mouth never used. There is a community outside these doors, where you can survive together, but only if you agree to one thing: complete and total silence. You'll have time to talk it over. You may ask one question and receive one answer. There are others like you in the room, those who'd come earlier. They're there to help.

Acceptance allows you to journey outside. The ground is marked in pathways of sand, lining the paths to each building and everywhere in-between. You notice that the locals hold their devices always, aloft and glance to it often. It will not vibrate or make a sound to signal a message. Notices appear. Rules. Guidelines. Feet on the sand and never anywhere else. To open a door you brush your fingers along the hinges - oiled and you may enter. If not, take the brush from the can sitting nearby and coat the metal with the dark liquid.

Now, you're to settle into your new home – with or without the help of those who have come before you.

In Freakish Flight
Content Warnings: Threat to safety, death, weird creatures
Themes: Plot, survival

This is the tale that was told to me by the man with the crystal eye,
As I smoked my pipe in the camp-fire light, and the Glories swept the sky;
As the Northlights gleamed and curved and streamed, and the bottle of "hooch" was dry.

The new arrivals are here, like clockwork it seems. A strange occurrence that the natives haven't missed. They don't have answers but following support and encouragement from some of the older arrivals, they have been looking into it. If they notice anything odd, they post it to the bulletin board and they're working as hard as ever to help. Settling in is easier this time around, smoother, as everyone is more prepared than before. The first few days go well, one of the natives finds a patch of wild berries and makes fresh jam - serves it with breakfast until it runs out. There's a nice breeze that night, not too hot and not too cold. The stars twinkle and the moon is full, a pleasant atmosphere rolls through the community as everyone falls asleep.

Everyone wakes to the soft sounds of birds chirping. There's a light fog, windows misted over, and abruptly, it goes quiet. The only way to see outside is to open the door and those curious brave enough will find, covered in red dust, a handful of individually unique creatures scattered around the fountain at the center of the community. There's about fourteen of them - each one focused on the door of the main residences and two have scurried off towards the others, quiet now but watching. After the first door opens, they move, stopping only when they're right in front of each of the houses and then the sounds start again. Louder.

OOC: Removing the threat, these creatures, is possible in a few ways. They have a weakness for water, which slows them down and shuts them up. They can be killed, the same as any normal animal might. Or they can be captured, something tied around their bills to silence them. Unfortunately, only a few will survive being caught alive ( we randomized out of the twelve houses - 5, 1, 2, 12, and Private Housing (Sora) and the Permanent Apartments ) and can be kept for study. The players in each house can decide what they want to do with them or use the comment below if they want to hand it over. As a side note, the dead ones can be kept too.

Alone or Together
Content Warnings: Poisoning
Themes: Plot

Up until now everything around here has been, well, pleasant. Recently certain things have become unpleasant. Now, it seems to me that the first thing we have to do is to separate out the things that are pleasant from the things that are unpleasant.

The natives have been up front about those that came through the Reset Room before. Some left, some didn't survive, and a few now call themselves natives. The above message lights up everyone's devices ( username - lamar ) but all ways to respond are disabled. A follow up message comes from Constance, explaining that they don't know how the message has been sent due to the fact that Lamar has been dead for over a decade. That night at dinner, the set up in town hall, the natives are abuzz talking about the mysterious message. Food is passed out. Drinks are had.

Before the first person leaves the hall, a plume of red dust sprays out from an old vent near the floor boards and fills the room. Quickly, all color is leached from the world. Every person is now color blind, seeing everything in varying shades of black, white, and grey as they cough and choke, trying to clear the dust from their faces and mouths. Was this Lamar? Was this the person who rigged up the noise machine in Verdel Square? What did the message mean?

OOC: The effects will fade after twenty four hours. All arrivals, new and old, plus all natives will be effected. For each character, one person will still be in color. Players can decide who this is. A friend, lover, enemy, one of the natives.

OOC
From your mods:

Please be mindful of content - if something triggery comes up or if it goes up a rating to say, something sexy, mark your threads in the subject line. We're very flexible and allow any material; we just want our players to be respectful of each other. If you have questions, pp the mod account, use the faq or comment to the appropriate post below. Have fun!

NAVIGATION

---

Comments

5.

[morphogenia]

[She feels like such an idiot. Kamala thinks she's done a great job mostly living on her own now. She shouldn't need to come running to the parental figure in her horror movie life just because she's starving. All this energy burning has made her loopy. She doesn't want to be a capable teenager. She just wants to curl up somewhere and let someone else take care of her. Anything deeper than thoughts burned away along with the last 500 calories an hour ago.

That's how she turns up at his sanctuary looking sick, wet, and fairly pathetic. He's the only one she can rely on for this kind of help. As usual she's a bit insecure about it and actually asks before coming in.]

Can I stay for a little bit? Please?

[oorah]

[ despite his dour mood, it's impossible not to smike when kamala comes knocking. max is already up, tail wagging crazy, to get right up in her business. yes, the dog picked her as his fave too. frank for his part tosses her a thick blanket so she can warm up in his little cozy spot he'd carved out. at least when people crash it, they can only do so one at a time so he won't get completely overwhelmed again. instead of typing back he just gestures then points to the spot right beside him. she better come in out of that rain and sit her ass down where it's warm. ]

[morphogenia]

[She stops feeling dumb and insecure around the time Max greets her. Kamala is a huge dog lover. Regardless of how bad she feels that doesn't change. She lavishes attention on him the second she gets out of the rain. The spot honestly looks heavenly so after a few seconds of undivided Max time she's going to wrap that blanket around her and collapse in it.

Sorry she's not up for fun, weirdo Kamala time.]

[oorah]

[ he draws his knees up and studies her. she looks about as good as he feels. after a minute, frank reaches out and rubs her shoulder through the blanket. whatever it is, he wants to fix it, however naive an impulse that may be. ]

[morphogenia]

[Kamala's eyes open slowly. He would be worried. Right. She should explain.] No life. [She really needs to learn if there's a word for energy since that sounds ominous. She holds up a finger before grabbing her device to bridge the language gap.]

My body hates whatever is making everything so old movie-ish. I think it's trying to heal whatever damage that stuff is doing to my eyes and I can't make it stop. It's like I can't stop running a marathon.

[oorah]

[ no life? he freezes, squeezing tighter without noticing. if she died, he isn't sure what he'd do - but then he's reading her device. he lets go reluctantly to pull out his own. ]

your healing factor? did it work? [ he wonders if she could fight off the effects of the red dirt. because if she can... well, it's interesting, that's all. something for the books. ] what do you need?

[morphogenia]

[This is why she had to clarify, she thinks. She really is an idiot to sign that given what she knows about his history. Kamala doesn't really have the energy to beat herself up about it ]

Not sure. I just know it's trying really, really hard to get rid of what I inhaled which makes me wonder how you guys are even still alive, but whatever. I've been miserable ever since I breathed in that stuff. I need to make up for all the calories it's burning so food. Like lots of it.

[oorah]

i wonder how i'm still alive all the time [ which should come as a shock to absolutely no one. but she's asking him for food and lbr frank always has snacks stashed wherever he is. he reaches behind a pillow and produces a bag of deer jerky, handing her that before finding another bag of berries he'd forraged and offering her that too. ]

[morphogenia]

[Kamala snatches it from his hand like he's about to take it back. She catches herself about the time she's got the first piece in her mouth. She offers up an apologetic smile and takes the other bag more slowly. She really needs to chill even if she feel like she hasn't eaten in a week.] Thanks for sharing. It really helps.

[She does look visibly healthier as she eats so it's not all a ploy to steal his delicious food!!!]

[oorah]

[ he just smiles when she snatches the bag from his hands, leaning back to watch her eat. he's encouraged when even through black-and-white vision she starts looking more healthy. ] may as well feed you if i can't do anything else useful around here.

[morphogenia]

[Kamala shoots a frustrated glare his way. She's pausing shoving food in her face to type this up.] Seriously? You literally wander this place doing helpful things to the point where most of us elected you mayor and you think feeding me is the most useful thing you do???? SERIOUSLY??????????

[oorah]

[ the smile slips off his face, unconsciously crumpling in on himself a little. max immediately notices the shift, resting his big head on frank's thigh. ] look i'm just doing my best it's not a big deal. i could be doing more. [ ...could he though, really? he absently strokes max's fur and thinks it over. he works himself to near-collapse day in and out. he snoops on the network to make sure everyone is okay. he does actually wander most of the night to make sure nothing is amiss, but. it still doesn't feel like enough. he still wants to do more. ]

[morphogenia]

[Kamala frowns at him. Time to give an Ammi-style lecture!!!!] I don't see how you physically could. Listen I get feeling like you're never going to be enough, but you are. Seriously. I'm not saying that because you're feeding me even if that totally helps your case for doing a lot.

[oorah]

[ he shakes his head but it's not a dismissal. if anything he believes her, more than he's ever singularly believed anyone. oh some level he knows, that what he's doing is unsustainable. but what else is he supposed to do? he needs to be capable for everyone who isn't. people need him here, including her. ]

is it helping? the food? [ even now he's considering getting up to make her more substantial. jesus, he has a problem. ]

[morphogenia]

[She shoots him a look. She's not done lecturing yet!!!!] Yeah. [Kamala toys with the idea of giving him a proper explanation as to why this is happening, but saying stuff like 'life force' and admitting she's not sure what will happen when she runs out of energy probably will freak him out. Since it's Kamala the frustration makes her slip up a little anyways.]

I just have to keep my energy up. It won't stop draining me until I finish healing and who knows how long that will take?! UGH! I freaking hate this stupid horror movie sometimes! I can't believe we already have some ~mysterious enemy~ who does sneak attacks on us. I'm totally going to beat them up when they show themselves. There were babies and little kids! Going after them is super low, you know? It doesn't take a genius to figure out ~unpleasant things~ are always people you don't like which is probably us. Nakia would totally be after them for discrimination if she were here.

[oorah]

[ oh wow this seems like a meltdown. frank leans forward a little, reading her words but finding more answers in her face. she needs a distraction, of which he has many options right now. how can that much shit happen in one day here? he hates it. ]

yeah lamar sucks i'm gonna punch him in his stupid ghost face when we find him don't worry
guess who's here though

[morphogenia]

[The frustration and exhaustion melts off her face. This is going to be good. This is going to be real good. She smiles and quickly types up an excited message.]

TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! [The hype isn't dying down even a little as she waits for an answer.]

[oorah]

[ he gives a soundless little breath of amusement and shakes his head, grinning now. ]

our secret?
daredevil

[morphogenia]

[Not her first pick, but still excited. Kamala glomps onto him for a hug since this is the best gift ever as far as she's concerned. She might be shaking him a little since she's that hyped. Sorry, Max??? But, it quickly makes her a little dizzy so she lets go and types up another happy ramble.]

I'll totally keep it a secret!!!! But if he ever suits up, you'll convince him to take a selfie with me, right?????? IT'S SO COOL THE WAY HE JUMPS OFF BUILDINGS AND DOESN'T DIE. THIS IS SO AWESOME. I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HIS SUIT WOULD LOOK LIKE UP CLOSE. IS IT NICE AND INTIMIDATING AND PRACTICAL AT THE SAME TIME???!!!!!!

[oorah]

[ max indeed gives a warning little rattle, but nothing else, stepping aside so she can attack his dad. frank gives him a look like, wow thanks buddy. he's used to being thrown under the bus but damn, that's cold. he manages to get a hand around her but then she's shaking him and he just manages to look pained until she stops. distraction achieved at least??? ]

i guess it's okay [ read: lame ]
but it's leather or something so i'm guessing he won't get it back here

[morphogenia]

Oh yeah that's right. Well I'm happy to consult!!! If he wants. After I get the selfie. I really want a selfie so please support my dream??????

[She holds out her hands in prayer and gives him the most pathetic (fake) look she can muster. Safe to say she's completely forgotten anything is wrong with her or the situation around them.]

[oorah]

[ he nods in a silent pledge to help her get a selfie with a hero he kind of used to have a grudge against??? whatever. ]

if he starts doing the hero thing here you'll be the first to know

[morphogenia]

[She mouths the word 'yay' before giving him another hug. Even the possibility brings Kamala tons of happiness. After a minute, she lets go to give him back his space.] He will. It's hard for heroes to stop protecting people. He'll cave eventually and that's when I'll strike. And you know people will be safe which is nice too. Mostly I'll have the picture that I want. <33333333

[oorah]

[ he manages to get in a lame hug back before she pulls away this time. he sits back against his cushions and nods knowingly. ] yeah i know he's annoying like that. i'll get that asshole to sign it and everything. [ if frank can manage to keep him alive until then. sigh sigh ]

[morphogenia]

Awesome!!!!!!!! Oh man I finally have something to look forward to!!! It's going to be great. [She settles properly back in her nest of blankets so she can finish those snacks. Sorry not sorry. They're all hers now.]