quietplacelogs | MOD LOG #3

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MOD LOG #3

MOD LOG #3

Arriving in style
Content Warnings: Fighting, death, violence
Themes: Survival, plot

It's early in the day when it happens. The red dust that seems to be everywhere sweeps through the city streets, mixing with the steady patter of rain and making it hard to see and breathe. All red and leaving the taste of copper if inhaled, what could have been an easy day without any trouble quickly becomes anything but. While those in the community are heading for cover or finding ways to continue on through it, the new arrivals begin waking up in different cities all over the world. There won't be anyone to greet them, and leaving the room through the door is their choice - after doing so, they'll immediately step out into the city they were assigned. The streets are empty, houses abandoned, everything crumbling and in ruins. There will be signs noting their location, which they'll catch a glimpse of before a sharp push forward causes darkness to engulf them.

Waking up for the second time, in Reims but not in the Reset Room, they'll come to inside the red dust as it whips through the streets of the community. They won't be alone for long. Another person will be waking up beside them, and after a few moments of disorientation, try to attack. They might have weapons or use their hands, and they will not stop until they've taken a fatal blow. Their blood is dust, and they, along with their weapons, disintegrate after they've died. Can you stop them on your own? Will someone come to your aid?

The Sight of Lightning
Content Warnings: Poison, sex
Themes: Survival, plot

The day after the storm, the same red dust will find its way through Reims and come into contact with every person. Since the dust is everywhere, some might not notice that it's floating through the community and know that something is off. The effects don't begin until night fall, where everyone will feel the desire to seek out companionship of many different kinds. Though it is not always the case, the people that saw each other in color will "want" to be with that person more strongly than they might already, and will be more likely to confess or do something about it. Some might feel an intense need to be around another person, though not necessarily sexually - almost as if they need that person around them to be happy or content. For some, it might be a desire that can only be fulfilled by more than one person.

The effects wear off the next time the person gets wet. This can be a splash of water across the face or fully submerged. Or even drinking something.

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! The OOC Plotting Post.

NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Adrien allowed himself to be drawn along through the house, his eyebrows arching with genuine surprise when they stepped into what he was going to assume was her room. Standing in the middle, he made a slow circle as he took it all in, before reaching back to rub at the nape of his neck. ]

I have some work ahead of me. [ His voice probably sounded a lot like she remembered. The accent was a little smoother now, years of being among so many different dialects, but still prominent enough to sound very much like him.

He turned back towards her and lowered his hands, sliding them behind his back in what looked to be an unconscious gesture towards parade rest. Blue eyes, a few more wrinkles at the corners, studied her face for a long minute before he actually smiled. It was a small thing, but genuine and there all the same as he gave a small nod of his head. ]

Give or take a little time shift. [ He confirmed. ] Some planets move more slowly than others, as I believe you are familiar.

How are you doing, Clara?

[Her space was ridiculously plain and empty at the moment. There was just a bed and a rickety three drawer chest in the corner, and no sign at all that she had been in this space all that often. There was a stack of books by her bed though, all of them in French.

She had to take a moment to look around the room and let her memories of it fall into place, but eventually her eyes settled on him. It was just in time to see that smile on his face. There was a little flush of her cheeks as she smiled in return, clasping her hands behind her back as she gave a little sway.]

I'm -

[Honestly, she had no idea how to answer that. She was feeling a whole lot of things all at once.]

I'm doing better now that you're here. I've really missed you, and this place can be...well, awful.

[ That put her one bed, one drawer chest and a stack of books up on him. Plus the soundproofing.

Adrien tilted his head a little at the blush, honestly unsure what he'd done to warrant it, though it did look pretty on her cheeks. Of course, Clara had always been beautiful; in more than just looks. ]

Missed me? Things must have been rather unpleasant indeed. [ He knows good and well that he wasn't the most comforting presence back when she'd known him. Too bogged down with his own baggage at times. ]

Come on. [ He nodded his head towards her bed. ] Sit down and catch me up on this place.

[ If his memory served him right, Clara did best when she had a purpose in mind, a destination to work towards. Something to focus on that drew her out of her own inner turmoils. ]

[She was just about to point out that her missing him had absolutely nothing to do with how much she hated being here. But he gave her room to just give him information instead, and she couldn't resist being useful in that way. So she gave a little nod and moved to sit on the edge of her bed.]

There's a lot I'm still learning. But the most important thing is that the sound eaters are incredibly dangerous. I just went on a camping trip to the Eiffel Tower and saw them. They're...fascinating, but also possibly terrifying. I haven't decided which yet.

[There was a note that she'd have to take a trip back to Paris with him so he could see them in person. It was something he'd want to see, same as she had.]

Noise draws them in, so it's only safe to talk in places that have been soundproofed. We'e supposed to keep to the sandpaths and stay as silent as possible otherwise. That means there's a lot of normal things we're used to doing that we can't, not unless it's raining or the area is completely soundproofed.

[That...was a lot of words all at once. She had to give him a slightly apologetic look before she leaned in enough to poke at his chest.]

Which means you best be careful, because I don't want anything happening to you.

[ When she took a seat, Adrien walked over and settled down beside her. His expression slid back to the more sober look she was probably used to associating with him, brows furrowed as he listened attentively. ]

I got the quick speech, after a few ... what can only be called false starts. Is this how people normally end up in this place? All the dust and murderous individuals running around?

[ The people he was fighting had seemed human, not these dangerous sound eaters he had heard about when his uniform was taken and now from Clara.

At her last comment, complete with chest poke, he glanced down at her finger and then up towards her face. His lips twitched into a wry curve that may have been a dutiful smirk. ]

Trust me, I've done enough unintentional expiring that I do actively try to avoid it when and where I can.

[Her eyes rolled in exasperated amusement, before her hand dropped away to rest on her own lap. Part of being friends with her meant she worried about your safety, and given the closeness that had grown between them prior to his leaving Avagi it just meant she would be that much more militant. He could handle himself and she knew that, so she let the subject drop there for now.]

When I arrived, it was in the reset room. They took my clothes, and all my things, then put me in a jumpsuit and sent me out to live a life here. There weren't false starts or any attempted murder.

[Now she was worried about him, and gave him a stare accompanied with a frown. What did he mean by murderous individuals running around? ]

Are you alright? No one hurt you, did they?

[She scoot in a little closer to him, like she was going to give him a look over herself.]

[ Adrien was ready with the patented Arbuckal "I'm fine" response, when he paused and sat still for any poking or prodding she wished to perform. ]

That does not sound like my experience. Initially I think I arrived somewhere called Mexico City, at least that's the sign I saw just before I blacked out again and then woke up here, out in the street with the dust and some strangers intent upon trying to kill me.

[ Given that her experience sounded different from his, he did figure it was important to give her the details. Even though his voice remained calm and he held an expression of 'I really am fine' on his face. ]

Luckily I had my uniform on during all that. It helps that I'm also fairly nimble at keeping alive, and actually bumped into a couple of people who helped me out.

After all that, then I went through what you described. My uniform, med kit and other items of interest were taken and [ he reached down and tugged on his jumpsuit. ]

[While he spoke, she moved in close enough that she could poke and prod at him. He really was fine, but she felt like she needed an excuse to be in so close to him. Of course, that urgency to be close and check up on him wasn't going to overshadow a very important piece of information he had just given her.]

You woke up in Mexico City?

[Her eyes widened a little as she recalled the conversation she had with Kylo Ren. They had discussed the possibility of sound eaters around the world and what that would mean, just a few weeks ago. Hearing Adrien had woken up somewhere else but still ended up here left her feeling vindicated. ]

I'll have to make a map like I proposed doing. I had theorized that eventually we would have to hear of people existing despite sound eaters in other cities. Potentially around major landmarks.

[Her desire to make sure he was fine had died out by now, and she trusted his general assessment of his arrival.So she sat in close, though made sure their sides weren't pressed together completely. ]

[ He sat quietly for the poking and prodding, where in the past he would have tensed or exhibited other defensive signs, not he allowed it with something that almost came close to grace. ]

If the sign I saw was to be believed. [ Adrien had only seen the one sign and he knew it was important to go off more than a single fact. But it was a curious fact to work with, especially when she continued.

His expression became even more somber and Adrien began to shake his head. ]

Clara, there was no one around for me to ask. I mean no one. What little bit I saw was complete devastation, and that is something I know well. [ Way to be cryptic doctor. ]

There is a stillness to any sort of settlement when it's been completely abandoned. Every building I saw, before I was yanked away, was falling apart and there was not a single sign of even recent activity.

[ He made a broad gesture with his hands and shrugged. ] It's possible, there are people nearby? I didn't get to explore far or wide after all, but experience tells me that specific area has been untouched for years.

Don't.

[She softly insisted, staring over at him as the wheels in her head started to turn. Her hand reached out to press over one of his that had been gesturing, pushing down until they both rested together between them on the bed. Her eyes glanced down at them, and she tried to soften her tone.]

Don't. Don't phrase it like that. I'll let you know when it's okay to sound so final.

[As much of a realist as she was, she had to force herself to hold onto optimism that this wasn't all that was left in the world. That on some version of Earth, her home planet was wiped out apart from a small village where not everyone was even from the same world. She had told the Doctor once that she didn't want to be the last of her kind, that she didn't want to watch the Earth die. She had meant it then, and she really was afraid of that happening now. For a woman who had nothing to go back to, the idea of losing a life even in a place like this was unsettling.

So maybe some bossiness was in order here, so she could keep them both on some sort of optimistic track.]

What sort of experience do you have that makes you know complete devastation so well, anyway? I know you were in the military, but you've never talked much about it.

[And there was probably a reason for that, which she realized the second the words left her mouth. There was no way to take them back now, so she just let them hang between them awkwardly.]

[ Adrien was opening his mouth to argue, when she reached out and pressed her hand over his. She spoke with such conviction, yet also with a soft and almost desperate manner. In the past he might have forced the issue, but for now he merely turned his hand upwards to lightly grasp her own and let it go.

Or at least tried to let it go, as unfortunately she choose a bit of a hornets nest to poke at by way of distraction. ]

That is a very long story, Clara. But I can clarify one point. I am not technically in the military. I was, at one time, back on my home version of Earth but I haven't been in the military since I was forced to resign my commission back then.

It's more that I work in what you might call a strictly structured private entity.

[When his hand turned, she shifted her hand so their fingers could twine together. She knew that she had pressed the wrong button, but there was no guilt behind her doing it. Talking was nice, particularly if she managed to learn something about him.]

Well, it's not like we have anything but time here.

[With their hands still grasping, she fell back to lay against her bed. Her top half was resting on the mattress and her bottom half was dangling over the edge, and she stared up at the ceiling for a moment before turning her head to look at him.]

Plenty of time to elaborate on that strictly structured private entity.

[ For a long minute he sat there and seemed to consider where would he even start. In the end, he shook his head and gave her hand a squeeze. ]

Some other time.

[ When he's had time to work through how to even begin to explain the situation. ]

Here, of more immediate importance, talk to me about the logistics of living in this place? Given the state of your room vs mine am I right in assuming this whole house isn't soundproofed? How do we go about things like, eating and bathing?

[Some other time, then. She knew he was putting her off, but she didn't press. That could always happen some other day, when they were both better adjusted to being here.]

There's a man here named Frank. He's the mayor, but he's like us. Arrived through the reset room instead of being one of the locals. He built up the walls and soundproofed my room. Also helped me find and get a bed, too.

[Scavenging for things wasn't too bad, at least. And she knew that together she and Adrien could find some decent things and get them back to the house. There was a giddy little thrill at the idea of his being so close, right in the same house where she could talk with him whenever she wanted. ]

The natives bathe in the river.

[The way she said it made it absolutely clear she found the idea horrifying.]

Some of the houses have bathrooms that are soundproofed. There's a boy here from Avagi. One of my students. He lives next door and lets me use his bathroom on occasion. As far as eating, there's daily rations. Though sometimes there's meals the entire community is invited to. I don't recommend those, seeing as how the last one I went to we were poisoned by the red dust that's all over everything now. It made my vision go grey for a day or so.

Would it be possible to soundproof the bathroom in this house? [ Seems like that might be a good priority to have. Not that Adrien minded bathing in a river, he'd bathed in worse; but hot water was always preferable.

He would certainly contribute to gathering supplies, sleeping on the floor was doable, but like the hot water, he'd rather have at least a small mattress.

But those things are put on hold as his eyebrows arched when she described the community meals and what happened to her at the last one. That did sound concerning. ]

So there is some hostility from the natives?

I'm not sure hostility is the right word.

[She frowned, letting her eyes drift closed for a moment. It was hard for her to answer questions about this place, if only because she hadn't really experienced all that much of it yet. ]

I think they're being misleading. And they want us to assimilate into life here. But I don't think they want to harm us.

[Her eyes opened as she licked at her lower lip, mouth now dry from so much talking after a long time of disuse. The red dust that had covered her upon waking up in the reset room was still deep in her lungs and throat wasn't helping matters either.]

We can work to soundproof the bathroom here, though. They won't try to stop us.

[ It was impossible not to watch that lower lip lick, though he quickly glanced aside. Timelines were ... strange and he felt a little self-conscious for having felt a small tug at the unconscious gesture on her part. ]

Sounds like it might be a good use of our time, err ... pardon the unintentional pun.

If I'm hearing you right though, you're saying this red dust has been present during some chaotic moments for awhile now?

I've heard it has been, yeah. I'm starting to think it's part of the sound eaters, and it makes us perceive our senses the same way they do theirs. Like a test.

[A test to see who was strong enough to eventually become a sound eater themselves. The thought was sobering and depressing, and not one fit for a night that was supposed to be happy because she had him back with her. Giving his hand a squeeze, she lightly smiled before tugging him down to lay beside her. It was a little odd, laying turned sideways on the bed. But it was comfortable enough that she didn't mind it.]

I'm not sure I'm looking forward to what it does to us next.

[ Where in the past he would have been stiff and uncomfortable at the idea of stretching out on another person's bed, now he went with the tug. He even folded his limbs in such a way as to be as comfortable as possible, turned on his side and facing her. ]

Whether you're looking forward to it or not, as is often the case you're already thinking forward.

[ That was always something he's respected about her. Even from that initial diplomatic disaster. Laying there, he began to rub his thumb along the side of her hand, the motion a pensive one. ]

Is there any evidence that there have been attempt to deal peacefully with these sound eaters? I understand that the natives appear terrified of them and it sounds like a very unpleasant death, but don't you think it's odd that they only attack sound? If they were truly, deliberately aggressive why wouldn't they have just gone ahead and destroyed the remaining population?

[ Adrien seriously needed better pillow talk material. ]

[He was lucky that this sort of talk was fine by her. And that his thumb along her hand distracted her from teasing him about the fact this was a morbid topic to dive into. She allowed a small silence lapse between them, and turned so she was on her side. Face to face, she couldn't close her eyes and avoid the subject. There was just the two of them and an importance to share information. ]

You need to see them to understand, Adrien. They can't be reasoned with. They're as good as monsters. Someone told me the red dust made them hear things amplified to the point of pain. I think that's why they hunt whatever makes sound. Their hearing might be so sensitive that any little bit of it hurts. I'm not so sure that they're hostile as much as reactionary. And I think that people here eventually become them. Whether it's because they're forcibly turned or not I'm not sure. But based on what I saw in Paris, I know they were likely once human.

[There was fear in her eyes and in her voice, but she didn't look away. Her gaze stayed steady on his, and her thumb took to rubbing along the side of his hand in return. This sort of soft affection was enough to keep her calm, and from worrying too much about all the what ifs and things that were out of her control.]

[ For Adrien, surviving the what ifs had started to become second nature. He wasn't as easily spooked, but then he hadn't seen what she was describing. Something he'd need to rectify. ]

I'm getting the impression a trip to Paris will need to be made. [ He said, tone solemn and he settled into a rhythm with the simple stroke of fingers against her's as he considered what she was saying. ]

What you suggest certainly isn't outside the realm of possibility, and if it is the case then we've got more going on here than simply an invasion of monsters. [ An invasion of monsters was almost easy to fight back against. Sentient beings, transformed into monsters through some sort of process was ... unsettling. ]

If you're right and these monsters have their roots in the original population, do we know what makes the current native population apparently immune?

I'm not sure they are. And I'm not sure if it's the original population being impacted, or just other arrivals like us.

[Her voice cracked a little, and she shifted so she was able to dip her head and press her forehead against his shoulder that was resting against the bed.]

So let's plan a trip to Paris.

[She spoke without lifting her head, though she was sure to lean back and look him in the eye when she got out the next part. He'd need to understand just what that meant.]

It takes three days there, and three days back. When we went before, there were children with us. I'd want it to just be us.

Has anyone tested the natives or reviewed their medical records?

[ The doctor in him coming through. Though he was redirected when she easily offered up the idea of a trip to Paris. He had to admit that he was intrigued by everything she'd told him so far and he did want to see for himself.

The length of the trip didn't both them, he was used to long hikes, but her last bit caught him a little off guard. Back when she'd last seen him, back on the station, he probably would have blushed and stammered and run for the hills. Now he simply rolled a little closer, so they didn't have to talk much above a whisper. ]

It's been a while, for me at least, but I do remember that back on the station you seemed to be ... I won't say running from something, so much as intent on putting as many experiences as you could into a day.

[That made her eyes widen a little in surprise that he'd recall the information, or would bother bringing it up. She supposed it was valid, given the fact they were living in a near constant state of danger. But it still made her shift uncomfortably all the same.]

I'm not running away from what's waiting for me. Not anymore.

[She wasn't sure where that left him, particularly in relationship to the fact she wanted as few liabilities as possible if they were to go on the trip.]

I have people here with me now that are worth slowing down over. People that I want to protect. But what does that have to do with going to Paris?

Nothing in particular. [ He hedged, then stopped and seemed to walk himself back a step, complete with a pink stain spreading across his cheeks. ] Just that, three days in a small tent ...

[ Have an awkward shrug. A little more like the man she'd known back on the station. ]

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