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

---

Comments

[hoaxer]

ONE ♗ STARRY NIGHT
[The requirement of silence still feels foreign to Lu Li, but by the end of the month she's begun to adjust somewhat. It's easy to remain silent when your own voice sounds alien to you - to communicate via text is a far better option. Life won't be good here. It will never feel normal. But at the very least, the people she's met so far have proven to be both interesting and odd. It's been so long since she feels as though she doesn't stand out amongst others.

She's become attached to the small community a little too quickly, having been starved for human companionship and contact for so long. It's something she isn't consciously aware of, even when she agrees to come along the trip. Despite her misgivings at the beginning, she sees it as a chance to learn more about the dangers they're to coexist with.

Throughout the trip, Lu Li will be doing one of two things:

(a) She'll be carrying a hefty amount of supplies, all carefully balanced on her shoulders. The weight doesn't seem to bother her - if anything, she balances the crates she has with relative ease, her sure steps never faltering. She never goes fast but she never tires, either. The small perks of having a cybernetic body. If you seem to be growing tired, she'll appear by your side to give a look at your load and then you. Are you going to put that down...?

Alternatively, Lu Li will be rearranging her load during a rest stop.]

TAKE THIS BED ROLL IF YOU LIKE.

[She nods as she holds it out.]

IT'S QUITE COLD AT NIGHT AND I DON'T NEED IT.

[(b) And, when the stars come out, Lu Li is gazing up at them in peaceful silence. It's perhaps the most relaxed she's been since she's arrived because she recognizes these constellations. Different as this Earth may be, this was still "home" in a way.]

I WISH WE COULD HEAR THE CRICKETS.

[A wistful message passed to her companion.]

HEARING THEM SING ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF HOME.

TWO ♗ SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES
[No.

No.

The moment Lu Li realizes what it is they're looking at, she starts to double back. Forget her role to keep the others silent. Forget her curiosity. She thought saw horrors during the Venusian Plague, in white halls overflowing with cots. In the worn, quietly lit cells of Ji-Ok, Lu Li thought she'd see nothing worse. She was wrong. These were monsters - no, demons from Hell itself. Creatures beyond understanding, things that oozed danger and death in a frighteningly illogical way she can't wrap her head around. Her systems floods with a monotone drawl of UNIDENTIFIED ENERGY UNIDENTIFIED LIFEFORM UNIDENTIFIED as she abruptly turns to the person nearest to her, device whipped out:]

WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE.

THREE ♗ RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
[Someone is working at House 8. As the rain falls, there's a hunched figure outside the house, forcefully hammering nails through wooden planks. There's a good pile already made, with some shaped to be what look like fenceposts. With her wet surroundings, Lu Li couldn't mark the windows in case she wanted to board them up - but she'll trust her damned machinery to do the measuring for her. She works as though in a trance, barely looking up at anyone who passes by.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Shouldn't she be having fun instead of doing something so strange? Yeesh.]

[clarius]

[ you don't need to tell her that twice-

grabbing lu li's anything with a grip so tight her knuckles are turning white from the strain, lorem begins to try and quietly back away in an attempt to keep their distance from the sound eaters. she feebly attempts to tag lu li along with her, her expression wild and full of fear. is her face turning red from the attempt to suppress her screams? or is it turning red because her stress fever is finally getting the better of her?

no matter- right now there's only one thing that's on her mind and that's getting her and lu li out of her so please please please let's get going now. ]

[hoaxer]

[Lu Li can't feel Lorem's hand but she knows the young woman has grabbed onto her arm. Against her flesh, her metallic shell must feel unkind - sharp, blunt, with none of the softness that a human presence could offer. She may as well cling to an iron chain to receive the same comfort.

But Lu Li's glad that she doesn't have to waste any words. One look at Lorem's face and she knows that she knows. That means they can focus on running, on getting away.

Because who knows when they'll be noticed? Lu Li's eye darts between Lorem and the Sound Eaters, lense flared bright red and wide as her systems calculate frantically over the new stimuli.

There's nothing else that needs to be said. She turns on her heel, remembering just in time to be quiet, and starts moving away from the group.

If they want to stay, they can stay. She won't waste precious time convincing them otherwise. At least she'll keep Lorem safe --]

[clarius]

[ lorem's feet stumble over themselves more times than she'll like to admit later on. everything about this day is making her mind scream in panic, fear, and confusion. its been a stress last few weeks and it feels like her body is starting to finally, finally tip over from all that's been thrown at her and while she'd like nothing more but to give into the exhaustion, the telltale shortness of breath she feels-

she doesn't because she's with lu li and lorem won't drag her down. she grits her teeth and manages to pull herself together, forcing herself out of the haze of fear and hysteria long enough to keep her eyes peeled on the path to avoid hitting something or someone.

and despite it all there's a strange sense of comfort she draws from as she holds on for dear life to lu li's arm. while there's no warmth or press like that of another person, the touch of solid metal beneath her grasp is one she's become accustomed over the last six years. something she has come to connect with 'safety' and 'protection' and she wants to keep on believing in that.

but first they need to get out of the sound eaters' sight. make it difficult for them to give chase if... something happens. there should be somewhere to duck, right? ]

two!

[zom]

[ mitsuha's duty to keep everyone silent is now gone out the window. she's staring in terror at the creatures before them, and now she understands why the natives were so adamant about keeping quiet. she was foolish to have ever questioned it; and now, seeing the sound eaters in their truest forms in front of her makes her mind go blank.

run.

she's telling herself to run, but her legs are frozen in place from fear. it's not until lu li shows mitsuha her device when mitsuha finally moves, eyes flickering to read what lu li's written.

immediately, mitsuha nods, grabs onto lu li's arm, and takes off. ]

[hoaxer]

[Good. There's no need to waste energy or time on convincing the other. As for the rest of the group--?

(Cassie would've stayed to help. She would've remained calm and herded everyone to somewhere safe once things took a turn for the worse. But Lu Li isn't Cassie - and Cassie isn't here. This is what she's best at: bailing when things got bad.)

Lu Li relies on her systems to trace the path they had taken. They'll go back the way they came. With the rain pouring, the sand they had left behind were becoming clumps of mud. Even as they fled, they would have to be careful - Lu Li especially, given her metallic body. She forces herself to keep a slow pace beside Mitsuha, even as fear courses through her circuits. Don't step in the puddles, don't make a single sound--]

[zom]

[ how are others facing these--these monsters so valiantly? how are they able to look the sound eaters in the face and not turn back and run? questions for later, running comes first. mitsuha will think back on this and reflect on her cowardice once this is over.

but that won't be for a while.

she squeezes lu li's arm, watching her steps, moving carefully through the mud up until her foot almost gets stuck in a clump of it, and mitsuha stumbles forward.

right into a puddle.

splash. her foot lands and catches her, but that's when mitsuha's heart stops. she knows it's too late.

the sound eaters come for her, and they're quick. they latch onto her, digging into her skin, and mitsuha tries to scream but it's all happening so fast-- ]

Three

[imitationsoul]

[ After their run-in at the introduction, Miach has always been curious about Lu Li so when she is making such a ruckus, it is hard to not feel tempted to approach her. For a moment, Miach just watches, waiting to see if she's being noticed. Then she speaks up. ]

How was the trip? Any fun?

[hoaxer]

[Even with the rain pouring, Lu Li is attuned to human voices. She pauses for a moment, trying to remember who this was when her memories click. With some renewed energy, she begins hammering the nails even harder.]

YOU DIDN'T GO. THAT WAS A SMART MOVE.

[In comparison to her vicious work, her voice is a relatively quiet buzz.]

[imitationsoul]

[ Miach shrugs at the comment. ]

I don't trust the natives. So when it comes to heavy work done on their recommendation, I'm out.

[ Considering her frail build, it is easy to imagine that the journey would have worn her out quite heavily. Miach doesn't mind physical discomfort at all, but she wants it to be on her own choice. ]

1a for pre-trauma

[dryeyes]

[A multi-day trip was such a pain. He supposes he can't complain about it, though, considering he forced his students to go through a camping trip much more dangerous. He was capable of doing it, so he'd just shoulder his sandbag and keep going. The things he packed were excessively light, so he could shoulder more if he had to. That did feel a little silly, once he realized the sheer degree of superhuman strength that had been assembled in this world.]

[Like the combat robot offering him a bed roll. How dutiful. He makes a small, dismissive gesture, then pulls out his device to clarify.]

I won't be sleeping tonight anyways. Someone else should use it.

[... he is eyeing it, though. He should get one for his room when they head back (something that current feels mundane and assured; it shouldn't).]

[hoaxer]

[Lu Li picks up on that look. If she could smile at him, she would. As it stood, she cants her head and doesn't drop her hand. She's sure that if she worked on him a little, he'll fold sooner or later.

With her free hand, she raises her device.]

OH? STAYING UP LATE'LL MAKE YOUR DARK CIRCLES EVEN DARKER, MR. HERO.

[dryeyes]

[That was certainly a difference between being able to speak and only being able to type... he couldn't force the appropriate tone of finality into text. He fiddles, adjusting the straps on the bag he did bring, before the reply.]

I always look like this. [... because he always shorts himself sleep. Still, that's the point, he's more used to it than some of the other people who had dragged themselves along on the trip.]

I'd rather keep watch. [he even sets the device down, that message displayed, while turning to sort through some small packages of dried fruit he'd organized. As if he weren't expecting another reply.]

a1

[twoaffirmations]

[The strange artificial lifeform that accompanied them on their trip left 9S uneasy, and he kept his eyes on it during the trip. Humanoid in form, but mechanical and unambiguously nonhuman. With his visor malfunctioning he couldn't place exactly what it was. It didn't resemble any of the machine lifeforms back on his Earth, and he never once considered something like that could be an android.

9S approaches the strange lifeform when it stops to adjusts its load. He signs one simple phrase to it.]

What are you?

[hoaxer]

[What are you? is a question Lu Li has become accustomed to. It's better than outright hostility, even if the curiosity makes her feel uncomfortable. But wouldn't she do the same in their shoes? Why would a robot act like a human - why a combat android would appear in an area of designated peace -

It's why when the boy approaches her, Lu Li looks up from her work without any annoyance. She turns around so she can better show her body language - in case he needs that extra information - and quickly signs back.

(She needs to practice without her device, anyway.)]

It's a long story. I am a human "borrowing" this body.

[twoaffirmations]

[One thing is immediately apparent about 9S' body language, and that's that he doesn't believe her.]

A human? On what Earth have humans found a way to transfer their consciousness into a machine?

1b

[iisupergirlii]

[There could be danger where they're going. So, Kara has remained in her supersuit, if for no other reason than it will allow her to openly use her powers if she needs to save anyone. Still, the cape gets a little uncomfortable when you're trying to lay down under the stars.

She finds herself next to a stranger, a robot she thinks, and she's surprised when they pass their message to her. It makes her smile, though, wistful herself. Another advantage of donning the supersuit? She can be honest about where she's from. Thank Rao.]

There weren't crickets where I'm from, but I lived on Earth long enough that I fell in love with the sound of them.

[hoaxer]

[Kara's outfit reminds her briefly of Aizawa - Lu Li's certain the scruffy hero would complain if he heard her voice that opinion - and she wonders if it's a style choice or if it marks this woman as a "hero." Glad that they've struck up conversation, Lu Li passes over a quick response.]

I UNDERSTAND. THERE ARE SOME SOUNDS ON EARTH YOU CAN'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE MILKY WAY.

WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM?

[iisupergirlii]

Krypton.

We didn't have insects there, but I fell asleep at night listening to the whirs of the ships on the street tracks outside my window in the sky. Which probably sounds kind of annoying, but I found it peaceful.

ONE ♗ (b)

[laytheghost]

[Lu Li's rude, well-intentioned new acquaintance is watching the stars, too. they're so much clearer here than she's used to; it's beautiful, incredible to see. she should be very happy to see them. she's not.

Jan's a city girl, even if Sacramento and Santa Rosa are very, very far from France. she knows that you shouldn't get stars like this anywhere below half an hour's drive from town. the reason why the Milky Way is so visible now is because the light pollution is all but nonexistent. the whole city of Reims stretches out dark and silent around them tonight, and it shouldn't be that way. this is beauty in the face of disaster, inevitable and cold.

crickets... crickets, she wouldn't have expected here anyway. insects aren't as noisy in the desert. her companion seems to be having very different thoughts than hers.

after a hesitation, she asks,]

where was home for u??

can you not like, go for my heart right off the bat? wtf

[hoaxer]

[Stars were a rare sight where Lu Li lived. Cities crowded out the heavens with the industriousness of man casting its own glow upon the skies. It was never something she gave much thought to, having lived in that hustle and bustle for most of her life.

But moving to Venus had changed her perspective on the little things she took for granted on Earth. No life existed upon its surface and, with the cities floating high in the atmosphere, there was only the quiet drone of the engines to keep one company at night. If she tired of hearing the city, Lu Li could drive to the countryside. On Venus? No chance.

Lu Li reads Jan's message and her eye shutters halfway.]

NEW YORK. AT LEAST, THAT'S WHERE I WAS BORN. I ALWAYS LIKED TO KEEP MOVING. IT DIDN'T MATTER WHERE I LIVED, SO LONG AS I COULD PAINT.

request denied

[laytheghost]

[it's a much better idea to focus on Lu Li's history than the desolation around them right now.

"born," not "made." that's right... Lu Li didn't want to be referred to as a robot. what little Jan can see and feel of her spirit seems human, though she hasn't strained that still-unfamiliar other vision for a clearer picture. Lu Li had said it was complicated. Jan is ready and willing to admit she probably won't understand complicated; if Lu Li wants to talk about it, she'll do it in her own time.

for now, Lu Li seems relaxed enough, and holy shit, New York? Jan actually knows where the fuck that is? that's unexpected from someone who looks like Mrs. Lu Li, after as many people Jan has talked to from space or the future now.]

jesus
artist in NYC
ur a stereotpye??

did u live in a studio n get high alot

poooost-trauma

[dryeyes]

[Somewhere on the trip back, they had disconnected. Each of them had gone to their respective charges with various levels of a panic that didn't fade. They'd made it back to Reims, with their physiology mainly intact. In their minds, though...]

[Aizawa deals with his stress by working. The rain drowning out little sounds gave him the freedom to move about town, to let his footsteps land heavier, and he took full advantage of it. That three hours of sleep Lu Li had coaxed him into were the last he'd had since. The bags under his eyes are heavier, his stare was more bloodshot, but he refused to rest until silence reigned again. He distracts himself. He retreats inside himself.]

[He notices Lu Li from the top of another residence, only distantly feeling the chill of the rain. He's soaked, not bothering to wear anything to keep rain off his body. That doesn't matter to him right now. It dawns on him, again, all the little signs he'd observed, that despite the body she was in this was a civilian. She'd been afraid and her fears had been entirely justified. He sucks in a breath through his teeth, feeling a pit of guilt in his gut. It's not anything new or unfamiliar. It's a guilt he's used to working through. He looks out over the skyline of Reims, considers his options,]

[then hooks the rope he brought with him around a chimney to make his way down. The impact of foot against the side of the house and against the wet earth is purposefully loud. It's half simply because he can and half to not be anything startling when he speaks.]

Lu Li.

[he approaches her side carefully. There weren't really any of her gestures, the changing of her eyepiece, the things that separated her from a machine right now. It's not like he had any right to criticize that right now.]

aka: "we're all good and great" the thread

[hoaxer]

[This isn't the first time Lu Li has seen death. When the Venusian Plague struck, the hospitals were crammed with bodies, filled with those dying and those already dead. But sickness was different than violence. There was a subtle horror to it that Lu Li cannot erase from her mind, though she does her best to overload her processors with useless tasks: what to cook, what to build, where to go, categorizing the types of plants she's seen, mapping the path they took...

But no matter how much she pushed in, the android's smooth programming completed it all with ruthless efficiency. Lu Li doesn't know how to handle the aftermath, so she gives in to her paranoia. Nail traps won't do any good against those monsters, but their repetitive creation satisfies her fears. Something is better than nothing. As long as it's tangible, it's something.

Though she appears occupied, her sensors are on full alert since she returned. The sound of Aizawa's approach causes her head to jerk up, red eye flaring bright and wide. An undeniably human reaction.

--ah. It's just him.

Lu Li looks back down at the board she's been hammering. There's a good deal of nails already in it.]

YOU LOOK HORRIBLE.

[It's a preemptive attempt to deflect the conversation away from her, in case he wanted it to go that way.]

"this is healthy coping"

[dryeyes]

[He'd ended up startling her but they could both get over it. There's the quick look, then the look away, the comment on his appearance... He pauses, glancing down at the soaked, nondescript jumpsuit he was wearing.]

I always look like this.

[He was used to looking like a wreck. It was the little details, the tightness around his eyes, the tenseness in how he stood, that were the real signs of trouble. He'd feel like a wreck, if he gave himself proper time to feel, and that was unacceptable to him. His eyes flicker over to what she's working on. Each nail was put in with a certain precision to it, a purpose.]

Rather than talking about me, [since he's blunt enough to say outright that he doesn't want to talk about it,] What are you working on?