oorah: (261)
ca$h hotdog🌭 ([personal profile] oorah) wrote in [community profile] quietplacelogs2018-03-17 11:38 am

IV. (closed-ish) i believe it is my duty to do my best to obey the scout oath and law

featuring: hotdog & his best eagle scouts
what's happening? boy scouts trip; hunting, fishing, camping, sound eatas
day: march 19-26
content warnings: animal death, general spookiness, sound eaters
notes: feel free to make your own toplevels encompassing whichever prompts you'd like, tag frank specifically, or create your own prompts!

day 1 | [ it's a regular expedition, and frank is feeling optimistic about the whole thing. the weather is clear and there should be a fair bit of game this time of year before the sound eaters get to them. he's spent over a day checking and checking over every detail, making sure they have everything they're going to need for the next six days. an abundance of sand, of course. from david and frank's personal stockpile but then he asked for everyone to bring along their own too. and then there are more normal supplies: flint, tents, sleeping rolls, knives and pots. it reminds him of bootcamp just as much as it reminds him of taking his kids out into the woods to disappear for days at a time. neither is an unpleasant memory on its own, but given everything that happened after, the framing of them seems all wrong. still, he's ready for this. and he knows the people who approached him about coming along need this too, whether they're coming to get away from the village, because they're hungry, or simply because they want to see the monsters who threaten their every day here.

frank goes around to every person on his list and collects them and their stuff in preparation to leave. it's a good mixture of ages and skillsets and he thinks they'll all have something to learn from one another out there. once they have everyone and everything (and a few tagalongs) they set out. a veritable ragtag troop of misfits. the first day is mostly just hiking and chatter. frank will stop along the path to show which berries are safe and which are poison. to teach them how to walk silently with and without sand. frank prefers not-sand, anything but sand. that it's a necessary evil here couldn't be any more soul-taxing, but as always he doesn't complain. he points out poisonous plants too on their way higher up into the overgrown cities. and when it's time to pitch camp for the night he patiently explains how to do so silently before passing out a meal of granola that micro made and berries they picked from earlier for dinner. ]


day 2 | [ when frank lays his head down on his roll to sleep the first night, all the sleepless nights and all his thwarted naps catch up with him. his exhaustion is complete and he sleeps on, unable to be awoken for the entire night and long into the next day. this is a lost day, where for once the steady presence of hotdog will be absent. he'll make his way out of his tent well after noon, upset with himself that he overslept and even more upset with micro and the other adults for not waking him. but everyone is doing alright without him, and maybe that's the true lesson here.

that night frank builds a small, quiet fire by the river, the current covering over the sound of the crackling flame enough to be safe for heating up some beans. over the fire he starts to tell a ghost story in sign language, directing everyone to raise their devices so they don't miss any part of the "scary" tale. he seems in better spirits than he's been in a long time, and he teaches lessons on knot-tying and knife-sharpening after that. then he puts out the fire and tells everyone to hurry on to bed. ]


day 3 | [ this day is an early riser, and it starts with fishing in the river they'd set up camp next to. passive lures are used to make the least noise and everyone participating is instructed to pull up the fish they catch with a sheet of cotton and then to stab the fish in the eye before they can thrash. next is rabbits, which are significantly easier to kill quietly if caught by surprise, but without the proper speed and accuracy they will scream. frank shows each person how to dispatch them efficiently and silently.

there's more hiking and foraging for the rest of the day and everything goes smoothly. they eat well that night and frank turns the floor over to anyone who might want to tell a story of their own or start a discussion. they'll see the sound eaters in the morning and he knows especially for those who haven't seen them yet, there's an anxiety that comes along with it. anticipation and dread both. he remembers exactly how it had felt his first weeks here and he wants to see them for himself again too. he wants to prove to himself that somehow it wasn't just a fluke. frank will encourage everyone, especially the kids, to go to sleep early, but if anyone should come by his tent he'll be awake most of the night. ]


day 4 | [ today's the day. there's a tension in the air that wasn't there previously, and they're close enough to the sound eater den to smell and taste copper now. the closer they get to the center of the city and the tower, the thinner the woods become. before they get too close, frank makes sure everyone understands: they must be perfect here. complete silence. he will understand if anyone wants to wait farther back but he's going in closer with the bulk of the group now. sand is laid with painstaking care to ensure they don't make a sound, up until the bramble-covered cobblestone disappears and all that used to be the eiffel tower park is now a pit of red dust.

they're early enough to catch the tail end of the sunrise, casting an eerie haze over the scene. that same feeling of helplessness descends on him as the monsters make their climb from the tower, three distinct factions of the creatures that all move as one towards the middle of the clearing. there are younger ones than the young even, perhaps newborn. they have no eyes or mouth and the older ones seem to gather around them. every way they move is calculated; coordinated, like parts of a whole. the screams and cracking bones of the shambling, deformed middle children punctuate the silent space. the whole thing is eerie, of course, but frank doesn't feel fear the way he did the first time. there's something about these things that he identifies with, that he almost feels for. when he looks at them, it's like he knows them and it's on the tip of his tongue, but the words never come out.

they'll spend most of the day there, just watching. he encourages people to take video and pictures, but also to take breaks so no one gets overwhelmed and slips up. there's no dying on his watch -- not this time. not when he doesn't know what the consequences of it truly mean. almost reluctantly, he packs them up to hike some more, knowing it isn't safe to set up camp so close to theirs. there's no fire or lively stories tonight, just cold meat and beans and another early bedtime. ]


day 5 | [ they set out on their first day winding way back to town, but frank has his mind set on big game today. the farther they travel from the sound eaters the more life there is and when he sees a small cluster of deer in the distance he knows they have an opportunity. he instructs everyone to pour sand into a clearing up ahead, then to set out a pile of found berries and wait. it's a long and tedious stake-out, but frank is used to that. he signs Patience for all the kids watching, and finally one of the larger does wanders into their trap. frank aims his crossbow and as she looks up he takes his shot. the arrow lands clean and perfectly and she doesn't suffer, falling back into the sand with a soft noise of the granules being displaced. he holds up his hand for everyone to wait and make sure it wasn't enough to attract the sound eaters. when nothing comes, they'll load their bounty onto the cart and gather back up their sand before carrying on.

there's something about the day after seeing the beasts that's calm, a complacency that comes with knowing your enemy and looking him in the eye. well, teeth. they cover a lot of ground on this day, in attempts to make up for the lost day before the sound eaters. as it nears dark, there seems to be a colder front moving in, creating a layer of fog that has them winding up the day earlier than frank had anticipated. the fire is more for warmth that night than it had been previously, and with all the excitement most of them seem inclined to stay up and stay out late into the night. for the adults (and young adults???) frank brought some whiskey and now seems as good a time as any to break it out. ]


day 6 | [ the journey is beginning to wear on everyone, especially the children. frank will offer his shoulders or a piggyback to anyone who needs to take a load off for a while. there's more fishing as they cross through the other side of the river and the crisp air of the day feels welcome after the slight balminess that begun their trip. there's some urgency today to return to their routines. it feels weird to be out here instead of in town hall, airing their grievances to the town at large. though frank can't actually say he misses it. he would rather be out here even without the opportunity to speak and make noise.

another day of hiking passes more or less without incident. frank will be open to telling some war stories today and tonight if anyone should show interest. there are things he's getting better with: opening up used to be something he'd only do with his unit, even his family didn't get the full frank castle story all the way up until the end. this place has been about breaking patterns and cycles for him; about not making the same mistakes. he wants these people to know him, and to rely on him. it isn't as though he has anything to return to when his job here is done.

later on in the night, just after they've eaten supper, the rain will start up. it comes on sudden and without warning, drenching the party and extinguishing their carefully built fire. this can only mean one thing: frank runs to his tent and grabs his guitar. just don't request stairway to heaven. ]


day 7 | [ the next morning it's still raining, but with some effort they get an early start. and it isn't long before they see the outline of the village through the trees. they return before noon with 0 incidents and a lot more food than they left with. hopefully they've also gleaned some survival skills and a deeper understanding of one another and the terrain, to say nothing of the monster's lair they visited. it still feels like cheating death every time.

though it's a rain day, frank will find himself hard-pressed to do anything of worth today. he will most likely reunite with his dog and beeline for castle castle and take another long siesta if anyone wants to join him. feel free to open your day 7 prompts up to everyone for reunions and sharing what was learned! ]
whists: (pic#11433874)

[personal profile] whists 2018-03-23 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
I have a hard time telling if you're just that stubborn or foolish. [But Emily cracks a smile as she signs it. Listen, she's not going to be the one to tell you that revenge is bad, because revenge is great.]

They can be hurt. It's a start.
list_maker: (valar morghulis)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-03-23 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
A bit of both? [Arya smiles back at her. For as serious as she can be, she does still have a sense of humor.]

Just have to be able to sneak up on one of the Sound Eaters to try.
whists: (pic#11441702)

[personal profile] whists 2018-03-28 06:16 am (UTC)(link)
It happens to the best of us. [Ah, a smile. It makes her look young, in Emily's opinion. It's a good look.]

I could attempt that.
list_maker: (Default)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-03-29 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
You can? [Arya is curious now, leaning forward toward Emily] You can get close enough to them? How?
whists: (pic#11441702)

[personal profile] whists 2018-04-03 03:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[Emily would show her now, but there are too many people around. It's not a case of being afraid to showcase her abilities, to make them known - it's not as though she's met anyone so far who knows of the Outsider and would condemn her. It's more that she's afraid it'll scare people.

She wiggles her fingers at Arya.]
I accepted gifts from a god. It has its perks.
list_maker: (young wolf)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-04-05 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
[Arya's eyes narrow on Emily's wiggled fingers and then focus on her face. Interesting.] So did I. In a way. But I'm assuming a different god. Different gifts.

Mine was the God of Many Faces. The God of Death.
whists: (pic#11441703)

[personal profile] whists 2018-04-05 07:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[She almost laughs, or wants to. Feels that kind of itch in the back of her throat before swallowing it down at Arya's reaction. Right now, her fingers are just fingers.] More than likely would be the case, although I wouldn't be surprised if the Void connected to other worlds.

He is - I would say, the god of magic. Of the Void, where we go after we die. But not a death god, so to speak. We call him the Outsider. [There's a brief moment before:] Or the black-eyed bastard, depending on how you feel about him.
list_maker: (valar morghulis)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-04-06 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
The Faceless Men viewed all religions death gods as aspects of the Many-Faced God.

The Drowned God. The Stranger. Black Goat of Qohor
[She smiles at Emily.] None of them quite as good as calling him the 'black-eyed bastard' though.
whists: (pic#11441703)

[personal profile] whists 2018-04-08 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I suppose that would make things easier. There aren't much in the way of gods where I'm from. There is the Outsider, who doesn't like to be worshipped. [She can't help the smile now.] He finds it boring. Hence the bastard part.
list_maker: (my name is arya)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-04-08 05:43 pm (UTC)(link)
The Many-Faced God only cares about sacrifice. About death. They may be different things. But... then you talk like you've met this Outsider. [Which is something Arya can't speak to. She's never met any sort of god, that's she aware of.]
whists: (pic#11433870)

[personal profile] whists 2018-04-08 05:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[A slow nod. What does the Outsider care about? Watching humanity, judging them, marking the people he thinks will be most interesting and seeing the way they shape the world.]

A few times. First, when I was a child. I dreamed of the Void and he was there. And then later, when he needed my help and offered his in return.
list_maker: (faces)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-04-08 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
And you accepted. What did you need help with? [She wants to know more about Emily, finding a growing familiarity with her. It seems like they've had while not precisely the same experiences, similar enough that it's starting to endear her to Arya.]
whists: (pic#11441327)

[personal profile] whists 2018-04-08 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
I did. [It's weird, this level of understanding she gets with Arya. And also her need to connect, she supposes. She's been alone for a long time, having few friends, few people she can share with. She still hasn't even really shared much with Wyman.

So she moves the scrap of fabric tied around her left hand, to show her his mark when she accepted his gifts.]


A woman claiming to be my aunt thought to take everything from me. I had to take it back.
list_maker: (Default)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-04-08 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[Arya moves closer to have a look, reaching out a tentative hand to take Emily's hand if she'll allow it so that she can see the mark more clearly and run her fingers across it.] Was she actually your aunt? Or was she an impostor?
whists: (pic#11441711)

[personal profile] whists 2018-04-08 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[There's only a brief moment of hesitancy before Emily surrenders her hand. She knew that curiosity would make one want to touch it if she showed it to anyone; it's more a kneejerk reaction to the way people have held her hands with mewling praises before.]

Actually my aunt. I just had never known about her until that moment.
list_maker: (wind)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-04-08 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[She need not worry about Arya mewling in any capacity. That is about the last thing Arya is likely to do to anyone. Once she's done looking at it she'll let go of Emily's hand.] My aunt wasn't very nice either. But I didn't know her well. I only know what my sister, Sansa, has told me of her.
whists: (pic#11433870)

[personal profile] whists 2018-04-10 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Being the empress is hard, Arya. She'll tell you about it one day.

If she ever tells anyone about it all.

But Emily waits patiently for Arya to finish her examination. Smooth and as dark as the day it was burned into her skin.]


I would say Delilah was firmly more cruel, calculating, and murderous. I hope your sister did not have the same problems with yours. [A beat.] You have a sister?
list_maker: (really?)

[personal profile] list_maker 2018-04-11 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[She finally lets go of Emily's hand so that she can take it back.] I do.

She's here now in Reims, actually.
[Which is complicated. She's glad to see her, but also that she had to endure this place too isn't quite as nice.] My aunt was jealous. And not altogether right in the head. Cruel perhaps, but not calculating.