MOD LOG #1

[bequiet]

MOD LOG #1
Packing Up
Content Warnings: General tension
Themes: Survival, exploration, heavy-lifting

At the end of the month, the natives send out a mass message informing everyone of the upcoming trip to 'meet' the Sound Eaters. Preparing for the trip is simple, though labor intensive, and begins with making certain that everyone packs food, water, clothes, gear, and a twenty-pound package of sand. When it's time for the journey to begin, those tasked with watching the sandpaths, will lead the party on the journey towards the Eiffel Tower. It's a slow trip, a careful one. Natives will take breaks every few hours and when the sun sets, help everyone to set up their bed rolls around a few lanterns. The natives will unveil the star mapping feature, with constellations named and general history attached, on the devices. They will encourage those to tell stories, get out food and water, and 'talk' amongst the group before everyone settles into sleep. Out, under the night sky, the silence is more noticeable - there are no crickets or frogs. This process will repeat for two days until the group reaches the end of their destination at midday.

Sound Eaters
Content Warnings: Disorientation, confusion, character and native death, Sound Eater birth and death, body horror
Themes: Survival, exploration, horror, death

On the third day, characters will finally reach the Eiffel Tower, where the Sound Eaters in this area of France have set up their 'home'. Stopping far enough out to allow for communication, the natives will gesture to the ruins of the structure that appears to be altered. Structures are built up and around the metal frame, closing off different sections with a dark material that glints an oily-green in the light. After explaining that the Sound Eaters are influenced by the weather, rain being an issue for them, they'll take everyone closer. Silence is key here. The natives are visibly wary, tense, and uncomfortable but they believe that showing the arrivals what they're so afraid of will inspire them to be more cautious.

Now, as close to the Sound Eaters as they dare to go (less than a half mile), the natives will have everyone crouch down behind various cars and debris. The devices will say only one word, watch. As the sun begins to set and clouds darken overhead, the tower will open up, the Sound Eaters spilling out. They are split up, as the natives refer to it, into classes - the young, the shifting and the matured. The young are extremely sensitive to sound, volatile and aggressive, humanesque in form with features in various state of change. The shifting are grotesque, splitting and reforming, changing from young to matured in a shift that is punctuated by pained screams and the breaking of bones, splitting of flesh. The matured are in control. They command and guide their kind into a circle, where they all bend down, kneeling as something different than the rest comes out of the tower to stand at the center. The wind catches, dusting up red ash from it and blowing the ash towards the group - there's no way to move and it tastes familiar, coats your skin in red. They all grow quiet and a wrapped form, in the shape of a body, is placed at the Sound Eaters' feet. It crumbles, breaks apart and sprays out over the wrapped figured to completely cover it.

The shards of the Sound Eater bubble up and fuse together, creating a shell. Rain begins to fall. Light, but enough to cause the Sound Eaters to begin to move, pushing against one another but not leaving the circle. There's a shrill sound, an offbeat whistle, air escaping a tight space, a desperate inhale, and then the shell at the center splits apart. A Sound Eater died to create a new life. Smaller than the other young, the 'child' climbs up and out, but it's not the same as the others. It's form is generally human. Dark hair, androgynous features. No eyes. No mouth. Standing, it angles its head towards the matured and they move, as if on command, and surround it as it walks into the tower.

( If anyone makes noise at this point, in any way, the coming bad weather and what just occurred, will result in the Sound Eaters only attacking that person - rather than the whole group. They'll drag that person into the tower and out of sight. The character will be reset. )

The natives are upset. Spooked. They've never seen anything like that and they're quick to tell everyone this, followed by a hasty message to leave. As they're moving, the rain begins to beat down and the ground grows slippery. Making it back to the supplies is troublesome and just as the group gets close, one of the natives slips and tumbles down broken concrete, twisting and smacking against the hard surface until they come to a stop at the bottom. Anyone that goes to help will find that the native has hurt themselves and there's nothing that can be done, despite best efforts. The natives will take the time to wrap their friend up, relaying that the Sound Eaters don't attack now that the rain is heavy, and will begin the slow trek back to the community. They'll camp each night, the same as the trip up, but with an uncomfortable tension that no amount of story telling can break.

It's Raining Me- Rain. It's Just Water.
Content Warnings: None
Themes: Survival, fun, noise-making

After everyone is back in Reims, the natives will split off to bury their dead - they will not allow anyone to accompany them. Everyone is encouraged to head back to the community to get a break from the bad weather and to unload their supplies. The following day, the natives can be heard outside. Splashing and making noise, fixing houses, and what might have been a somber event will quickly turn into something a little more upbeat as rain beats down on the city. Children will play and occasionally laugh, stunted in their ability to enjoy themselves but willing to learn from the arrivals. Bigger items will be moved and natives will encourage everyone to do the 'noisier' things that they need to do. When the rain ends, work will resume as usual and soundproofing will be a lot more difficult - the water washed away sandpaths and damaged some areas. Cleaning up will take time but the natives aren't as unhappy with the situation as they just had a moment's respite from the normal tension of their everyday lives.

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

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Comments

Naruto Uzumaki | Naruto

[thinhammer]

moving on up
[ This might be a pretty uncertain set of circumstances they've all found themselves in, but Naruto looks anything but uncertain where he stands with the natives and amongst the crowd of his fellow new arrivals. He's volunteered to help out in handing out extra supplies - unmarked bottles of water, mostly - and is doing so with a massive grin and an aura that practically vibrates with tangible excitement as he produces bottle after bottle to unsuspecting figures around him. The reason for why goes unsaid, but to anyone who's seen Naruto before it should be obvious (though, honestly, it should be obvious to anyone with functioning eyes).

Naruto is wearing a bright orange jumpsuit cut at the shoulders with black, and he might as well be dressed from head to toe in the finest suit spun from golden threads for the way that he's parading about. He's got good reason, though. He's finally got his old outfit back. ]

and moving on out
[ Setting off on their journey presents a small problem for Naruto. Twenty pounds is a lot, even for a guy as decently fit as he is. He tries to lift it alone at first, of course, but gets a little too close to making frustrated straining noises for comfort, so he's forced to look toward other options. As he sits defeated by his sand bag and pondering other avenues, fist propping up his cheek and doing absolutely nothing to disguise his sulk, his eyes fall upon a few natives banding together by each taking a corner of their sand bag in order to lift it from the ground and onto a little contraption they seem to have crafted to make it's transportation easier-- but Naruto's mind illuminates with a brainwave before he can really take that much in.

Seconds later, after standing up so fast he almost winds himself with his own enthusiasm, he forms a hand-sign and produces four identical copies of himself. the clones need no direction, and lift the sand Fag with only a little discomfort, leaving the original free to punch the air in celebration of his success. from there on he'll be carrying the backpack of food, clothes and supplies while his clone-slaves heft the heavy sack and trail behind him.

If he happens to see anyone struggling with their own load, he'll probably just summon more to help, easy and quick because it's really no sweat to him.. but also because he's always up for the opportunity show off. ]

stopping dead
[ Naruto has faced his fair share of bad guys, seen plenty formidable enemies and faced many frightening battles... but nothing quite compares to the sight of those things burned into the dark when he closes his eyes. He's still a kid, after all.. Still a kid who gets easily spooked by ghost stories and is always unsettled by the dark no matter how used to it he becomes. So this, sleeping under a dark sky in complete silence with only his thoughts - his terrifying memories, tactile, audible, how he can remember how his skin had crawled at the sound of those splintering bones, how his heart had frozen at the sound of screams, how he'd almost felt like crying when his brain foolishly drank in the images that came alongside them - to keep him company... is pretty much the total opposite to what he wants right now.

He brings the device up to his face in search of light, it's glow becoming a strange source of comfort to him as of late. He selects the first name he comes to, and starts up a private message. It could be a stranger, it could be a friend, he just wants a little company. ]

un: ramenkage
hey
hows it goin

chance of percipitation
Yaaaaattaaaaaaaaa!!

[ He feels like it's been years since he last used his voice, and is taking the chance while he has it now, to put all of that scary stuff behind him for however long he can. He's taking these blessed moments with both hands... or both feet, rather. He's on the roof of the biggest building he can find with very little effort put into his searching - it might be a characters home, it could be something bigger, but Naruto feels little to no fear as he summersaults from the rooftop and dives at the ground below. He's caught by another of those identical clones who promptly disappears in a puff of smoke as Naruto dives into him, the collision breaking his fall but not saving him from splooshing into the large and quite muddy puddle waiting for him on land.

He doesn't seem to mind, though, as even when there's mud plastering his legs and half of his torso he's looking for the next something to dive off of. He makes his decision when his eyes find a street lamp, quickly hooking onto it and shooting forwards to climb up it like a monkey boy with strangely glowing hands and feet (chakra manipulation isn't cheating, how dare you). He's clutching on like it's nothing, performing this physically impossible feat with hardly an inch of visible exertion, even when he gets to the top and puts his hands on his hips to survey his surroundings. ]

Oi, oi! Watch out below, everyone! [ His voice is shrill but loud, even over the hammering sound of the rain. ] Uzumaki Naruto, the orange Hokage an' the hero of the leaf is comin' through!!!

[ Then he jumps again, using the opening of his jacket (and an even flow of chakra) to steady his fall like some kind of neon orange sugar glider before he hits the ground and skids in the grainy mud. He's clearly missed being able to let loose if this pretty vibrant show of energy is anything to go by, and it doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon; now he's looking around for the next thing he can fling himself off of. ]

wildcard
hit me up with anything!

and moving on out

[hoaxer]

[Of all the people to be acting like a clown... she really could count on Naruto to be ridiculous. Lu Li admittedly did a double-take when she saw four Narutos walk by her (were her sensors malfunctioning?!) but she soon comes to grudgingly realize it's another weird superpower that someone has. Coming to terms with the supernatural around her is a bitter pill to swallow, but Lu Li is doing her best.

She doesn't know which "Naruto" to approach, so... she catches up with the one who seems to be in charge. Whips out her device.]

YOU DIDN'T TELL ME ABOUT YOUR "SIBLINGS."

[thinhammer]

[ He reads the message and is, for a moment, thoroughly confused by what he reads there. Siblings? He's the only Uzumaki he knows, why would she-- And then he clocks on. Clones are something that's factored into his life since he learned how to make them all those years ago, and since technically they're an extension of himself, having any number of them around him feels just as natural as being alone. ]

i thought itd be a pretty good surprise!

[ That's not really true. He just also can't believe he missed an opportunity before now to show off. That in itself is more impressive than the feat itself is. ]

they're clones though, not my brothers

[hoaxer]

[Clones, funnily enough, were fairly normal out of the things she's encountered here. Compared to flying carpets and wizards? She can accept multiple Narutos running about without any fuss. The method from which they were spawned was probably weird, but - it's close enough to ordinary for her.

Lu Li's eye shutters halfway, her characteristic robotic "smile."]

IS THIS HOW YOU LIKE TO HANDLE YOUR WORK?

RAINYDAY

[priwen]

[ Naruto's antics certainly are eyecatching, and Alex finds himself drawn to the energetic ninja's movements. He's not unfamiliar with the concept, and thus watches him to try and decipher what exactly he was doing.

However, he will not speak; merely leaning against a wall with a look of amusement. When Naruto prepares to dive, he'll raise one hand towards the ninja and encase him in a shock-absorbing bubble.

It's not much, but it should make the experience less painful. ]

[thinhammer]

[ He isn't sure what's happened at first; usually his own application of chakra serves as a kind of buffer between his own body and any surface he might come in contact with with great force-- but this time it feels like he doesn't really have to do much to bounce back after he hits the ground. Literally. His body does a little push-back from the floor that has him springing back to his feet, and he blinks while looking at his hands, expression a picture of was that me? He's either getting very good at this all of a sudden, or...

He spots Alex when he looks around, squinting at him as if doing so will reveal whether or not he's the culprit of the bubble. ]

Oi! [ He shouts over the rain. Maybe a little louder than necessary, but he's enjoying being able to talk again. ] Was that you? What did you do??

[priwen]

[ Alex gives Naruto a thumbs-up by way of answer, choosing not to speak. Unlike Naruto, he shies away from loud noise.

Naruto may have to come closer for him to get the real answer, which is: ]

I cast a shield.

stopping dead

[oorah]

[ frank looks around for the source of the mysterious message, frowning at it for long moments when he doesn't find it. he has never been the type of person people randomly contact, especially not if they expect anything good to come of it. if they need fires put out, sure, but maybe in light of everything that's happened recently... he's a bit more inclined to bite. ]

hotdog: it's going
and going and going

[ there, that clears things up nicely, doesn't it? it beats typing out "oh you know, just watching horrific monsters do their thing and a native guy trip down the stairs to his death. the usual." besides, his life was already a nonstop horror show, this place just switched up the setting on him. rude, but expected. ]

[thinhammer]

[ That's.. kind of a weird response, Naruto thinks, but despite his confusion he's just relieved to have something to focus on other than his own pesky thoughts. The weirder the better, probably, and besides he can kind of relate... He can't think how long he's been awake at this point, and can't be bothered to attempt it. So he's not complaining, and settles down to reply. ]

yeah i guess
today feels like its gone on forever doesnt it?

[ He peers at the contact image next to the name he'd randomly selected. ]

are ya a local or do you come from someplace else like me?

[oorah]

[ well frank is a pretty weird guy so it would follow. one who has also been up way too long. so let his weird outweird yours or something because he doesn't care about much anymore. ]

i'm from somewhere else
i don't really get any of this

[ like literally. he's so lost most of the time. ]

and moving on out

[ebonyengine]

[Ignis doesn't really know Naruto. They were just assigned to the same team: The Sand Team. Ignis is busy checking his device for message that he only sort of sees Naruto go by and gives a lazy wave. Hello, Naruto.

And then the clones come by, and he waves again. Hello, Narutos.

Wait.

His head snaps up from his device as he stares at the five Narutos in amazement and suddenly he's following them, careful to stay on the sand paths as he goes and trying to figure out if what he's seeing is real.]

[thinhammer]

[ The four Narutos trailing behind their original in a tight little circle, each hoisting one corner of the sand bag on their shoulders, look pretty content with their task and seem to be focusing on it entirely, except for the one closest to the back who notices the stranger following them and turns his head just slightly to look at him.

Then he nudges the clone next to him, who turns to look at Ignis, then nudges the next clone. This continues right up until Naruto Alpha gets a tap on the shoulder and is pointed in the direction of Ignis' attention. He leans around his group of clones, expression surprised and a little questioning. They are all kind of just staring at each other in complete silence at this point, after all.

The clone who noticed him first digs out a device from his pocket, types a message and holds it up. ]

youre the guy who waved earlier huh
do ya need somethin?

[ebonyengine]

[Ignis nods, because he absolutely does have something he needs to ask. At first, he was just being friendly and saying hello. But there's a very important thing they need to address before they can continue on with any kind of conversation.]

Why are there five of you?

rain

[steal]

[Well. it's certainly nice to see someone so excited. She's a little more animated than normal because of it too, but his enthusiasm makes her smile. The fact that he's able to flip and move the way he does is impressive too, and Rey regards him with an arched brow as he shouts over the rain.]

How are you able to do that?

[She calls out to him after he lands, realizing he's about to find something else to leap off of. So that he doesn't run off before answering her, she hurries on after him at a jog.]

[thinhammer]

[ Naruto slows down and eventually comes to a stop - because while he's brimming with excitement he isn't rude enough to ignore someone who's clearly noticed him and taken an interest. His energy is still just as present though, evident in the way he's kind of bouncing from foot to foot, chest heaving, eyes alight like there's electricity behind them. ]

Do what? The jumps? [ He gestures back with a thumb over his shoulder at the height he'd just sprang from. ] I'm a ninja, y'know!

[ Most of the people here don't seem to know what chakra is and don't really understand many of the references he makes, but the word 'ninja' appears to have crossed universes enough that it gives a vague idea of what he's about. ]

wildcard

[gimmesometassel]

[It's still raining. Sleeping in the rain while they were traveling back to Reims was one thing, they just couldn't help that. But now? Even if the deck is enclosed, even if there's a roof over his head, Naruto is still going to end up getting soaked, and it's still cold out! Carpet pushes open the door and peers out at the deck to see if Naruto is there, message already typed and ready.]

You're going to get sick if you keep sleeping outside in this weather.

[thinhammer]

[ Naruto is in the process of trying to dry out his jacket, but without a clothes line or anything to change into it's turning out to be a process that's a little more difficult than it might seem. Still wearing the matching orange trousers but only the thin armored gauze shirt he wears beneath his jacket on his upper half, he's shivering a little. It rained a lot, it's still raining a lot, and Naruto is half getting distracted watching it - and thinking, thinking a lot over everything that's happened over the past few days - as he flaps his jacket in the space of the deck, spraying the wall with water but not really doing much in the way of drying it.

He turns when he hears the door open, expression lightening considerably when he sees who it is. ]

Fuwa-chan! [ They can talk now, at least till it stops raining, so Naruto is making the most of it. ] What are you doin' here?

[ He notices the device, and leans forward to read it. ]

Oh.. [ He looks a little sheepish, like he's been told off, trying to disguise the fact that his nose is definitely cold and running a little, that he's still kind of shivering. ] I didn't think about it bein' so hard to dry off, y'know...

rain

[beguiledcard]

[ It's kind of amusing to see Uzumaki acting like this...

Honestly, it's better than when he'd had to cast that healing spell on him?? But, that's... in the past. Along with when Akira had attempted to cast the spell on that native that was killed...

Well, in... any case, this display of such a carefree nature is refreshing, and the thief can only grin just a tiny bit, hands in the pockets of his black jacket. There's a hint of fondness in his expression before he casually -- effortlessly -- does a combination of climbing and leaping until he's up on the roof with Uzumaki. ]

Can't say I expected my house to be turned into a jungle gym, of all things, when I got it.

[ Hands sliding back into his pockets, he's cocking his head to the side with the hint of a grin. Something about being in his Joker clothes brings out the urge to grin a lot, dark thoughts or no. Physical and emotional fatigue aside, the combination of new clothes and the ability to talk without fear are helping. ]

[thinhammer]

[ Naruto gives him a raised eyebrow look, only a little petulant. It basically screams how he's silently saying show off, but he doesn't let it ruin the excited momentum he's built up. ]

Oh, is this yours?? [ He asks, head tilting. His own house already? That was quick, he thinks, as he peers down at the roof beneath his hands and feet as he crouches (not dissimilar to a frog) on the sloped roof. ] Sorry. I didn't know. [ He pauses. ] I threw up in your yard earlier too. Bounced about too much, y'know.

[ He shrugs like it's not that big of a deal, like he's done things like that often enough that it's no big deal.... mostly because he has. He stretches to his feet, sniffs as the rain drips off his nose. ]

Ya got up here fast. Do ya wanna race me?

stopping dead/wildcard

[musubitori]

[ It's been...a long day. Houou can't sleep, probably won't for some time yet and has taken to wandering around their current campsite; letting the white noise of the rain among the trees sooth his thoughts to silence as he reflexively keeps watch.
Most are asleep - newcomers and locals alike - or at least are attempting to rest, but the soft light of a device and the now recognisable shock of yellow hair, has his attention...or more accurately, the pinched expression being illuminated does.

All of them seem changed by what they've seen today, but there's genuine fear edging Naruto's features, not to mention the general miserable feeling of resting in the damp and Houou winds his way closer - shrugging off his newly acquired hanten as he goes.

It's dropped gently around Naruto's shoulders and is followed by Houou's presence, close by his side. He's usually one to keep a physical distance, but it feels important to be tactile - even if it's just as simple as being close enough to press their arms together, to knock knees as Houou crosses his to sit comfortably. ]

Shouldn't you be asleep?

[ They might be able to talk out loud in the rain, but something tells him that this conversation will be better off just between them. ]

[thinhammer]

[ He's surprised first of all by the fabric dropped over his shoulders, blinking down at it with a muted, sort of delayed recognition before focusing his attention on Houou, watching him as he sits beside him. He's close, which Naruto hadn't really been expecting since they were still pretty newly acquainted all things considered, but he's undeniably soothed by it.. The tactile reminder that he's not alone more than enough to loosen his expression and the tension in his frame, even if just a little.

The coat is comfortable - outwardly kind of gaudy what with all the feathers and birds on it, of course, but Naruto can't really expect anything else from a guy who's name is Houou. He clutches the hems of the hanten, tugging it better around himself. ]

Yeah, an' you should probably be asleep too, torioji-san.

[ The nickname slips out automatically since Naruto still doesn't have a handle on his brain filter, but it doesn't seem to embarrass him at all either way. ]

stopping dead

[villainlike]

[hitoshi is already awake - has been awake since they decided to stop for the night. he can't sleep and he isn't very keen on forcing it to happen either.

the message is a surprise, but he'll take the distraction from watching the stars for however short lived it may be.]

brainwash: This is a poor way to start a conversation.

[thinhammer]

an thats a shitty way to continue it so i guess we both suck at this

[ Were he a little more chilled out, he might have taken that taunting bait and exploded on it, but unfortunately he's tired, his emotions aren't making sense to him, and the last thing he needs is some random username being sassy with him. ]

ya didn't answer though
hows it goin

stopping dead (un: pipedreams)

[laytheghost]

[they're all in the same situation, but to different degrees, and on different parts of the spectrum of experience. Jan hasn't seen a quarter of what Naruto has, but she's a little older than him, and a little more resilient in some ways. her understanding of death isn't the understanding of a young boy who wants to be a leader and a hero. the firsthand view, the twisting of bodies, was shocking and horrible. nonetheless, Jan is processing things differently.

death is hearing about so-and-so of her dad's friends getting lung cancer, what's-his-name severing his spine when his motorcycle wrapped itself around a telephone pole, you-remember-him having a heart attack. it's hearing the story of how Jenny Douglas, a woman who Jan calls "mom" out loud but does not remember, was dragged into critical care after a car accident that was as pointless as it was unpredictable. death is grim and mundane and will find you faster if you don't have good health insurance. the Sound Eaters sure don't look like they had a PPO plan. what happened to those people...?

Naruto's exuberance when they'd gone out to look for ramen had been catching, and he seems competent enough. but she's not from a world where high school aged children are expected to deal with even her own adult responsibilities, those of a young-twenties professional moving out on her own. to an extent, she sees him as one of those high school kids.]

thank god its raining tbh

[thinhammer]

hah yeah
the rains kind of relaxing in a weird way i think

[ He pauses, turns where he's laying, looks out at the bags of sleeping people all murmuring quietly or tapping things out on their devices, sitting together or turned away from one another. ]

when i was younger the old man hokage used to come visit me
and when i complained about not bein able to go out cos it was raining he used to tell me rain is the worlds way of washin the slate clean, making it new and ready to be made into somethin else

[ Another pause, fingers hovering before tapping out the characters needed for his answer. He's only just experienced death first hand; Jiraiya-sensei dying had been a shock to Naruto's senses that he hadn't been fully prepared for, and though he didn't know the natives or the people they lost all that well.. He could see a familiar pain, one he can empathise with, in their eyes. ]

i dunno what to do when this is washed clean though, y'know

[ He likes Jan. He trusts Jan, so maybe he can admit that to her without regretting it. ]