INTRO LOG #1

[bequiet]

INTRO LOG #1
Muzzle and Mute
Content Warnings: Disorientation, memory loss, confusion
Themes: Arrival, survival, exploration, horror

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, you're to settle into your new home.

The Man in the Hat
Content Warnings: Heavy lifting, following the rules, alcoholism
Themes: Moving in, survival, exploration, horror

Once you’ve claimed a room for yourself, it’s time to acclimate to the community. Natives will ask what you need and take you along the sandpaths to different areas in the city to gather supplies - furniture and the like. Heavier items will require assistance and will take longer. Houses are mostly empty so if you and your housemates need something, you’ll have to carry it and put it inside the home. Do not make any noise or the natives will refuse to help you. Getting to know your housemates is key to a smooth transition. They are going through what you are right now; take the time to get to know them. Make house rules.

As the first day gives way to night, the natives can be seen moving at a faster pace outside. They’re hurried, though not frightened. Some even smile at you. When the sun sets behind the ruins of what was once picturesque Reims, your device will signal that it’s time to meet at the center of the community. There, natives will stop each person and give them a small gift - a trinket, a token to show that they are trying their best to make all the new arrivals feel at home. These are all items from the character’s home or from another character's home (they will not be anything that belongs to anyone else). Small, soundless and either something taken during the application process or something brand new. They will have no powers to speak of and are meant to be a momento. If asked, the natives found them the same way they found each of you.

Then the party starts. Sort of. A soundless, stitled kind of celebration. Fun is meant to be had, but it’s not an overly joyous occasion. The natives simply don’t know how to cut loose. There will be extra food in the form of one and two; Phillipa even brought some of her homemade bread. If you stumble across a man wearing a hat, the only man in town who does, and agree to go with him when he offers to show you his house - he’ll gift you with a jar of hooch; it’ll burn on the way down.

Sound Eaters
Content Warnings: Threat, danger
Themes: Survival, exploration, horror, game plot

It’s the second day of your stay, and the natives call for an emergency meeting at the Town Hall. Everyone is paired off (see below) and are asked to walk the perimeter looking for anything out of place and patching any areas that might have been affected by weather. Once finished, the same is done on the inside, and when the community leader is satisfied, the main hall is opened up so that everyone can congregate. Characters, during this time only, are allowed to make sound. This is so that the natives can explain why silence is so necessary...

The Sound Eaters.

In an effort not to frighten everyone, the natives won’t go into the history just yet, but they will warn that when someone makes a sound, it attracts them. They don’t know what they look like because they are so fast. If you’re too loud, then in the blink of an eye, you’ll go through a room reset. This is because either the natives ‘silenced’ you or the Sound Eaters have. They will explain that the room came at the same time the Sound Eaters did and that it doesn’t work for the natives. Sometimes, it doesn’t work on new arrivals. Death, for those born in this world, is permanent. If you attract them, you’ll get someone killed. Hence the need for no noise. During the meeting, the natives will tell each character of their own experiences. Their losses. The families they have left and how they’d do anything to keep them alive. They don’t know if you’ll be reset, but is that a risk you’re willing to take? The meeting will last a few hours and will end on a somber, ominous note - at the end of the month, they are taking everyone to meet them.

OOC
From your mods:

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

NAVIGATION

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Comments

General Questions

[bequiet]

Re: General Questions

[gimmesometassel]

Quick question: if there isn't any little trinket a character would have from their own world, what would they get? Something of the mods' choice, or something from someone else's world, or what?

Ask The Native

[bequiet]

Your character can ask one question and receive one answer. The mods will only respond once. ICly the natives won't be able to address everyone unless they go quickly, so it's a fast q&a. Read what other players post - don't waste a good question by repeating! Bounce off each other. Good luck!

[a2brutus]

A2 would like to ask if "whatever it is" (the sound eaters) can be killed.

Teams

[bequiet]

Note: For the prompt where everyone is paired off to do the check before the town hall meeting, we randomize the list. Each person was randomly paired with another. It's up to the players to decide what they'd like to do with this!

Check Out The Pairs Here

Lup | The Adventure Zone

[shotfired]

A.

[ Lup died. She knows this. Silverpoint isn’t something you come back from. When she regains consciousness and discovers she is not, in fact, a lich she is understandably confused. Was it all for nothing? Probably. Needing to do another reset would fit in with their track record. If it’s the start of another cycle, though, then she should be back on the Starblaster. Unless...breaking the light changed how the cycles work, somehow. It’s then that it really hits her: They failed. It’s a new cycle. She’s not on the ship. Where is Taako?

Lup jumps to her feet and immediately starts to look around. She shoves through the crowd of people, searching for crimson robes or familiar faces. Not here. Her brother is not here. None of her family is. For the first time in her life Lup is outcast, but very alone.

She starts a mental list as she storms towards the door out of here. 1) Find Taako, 2) Find Barry and the rest of the crew, 3) Locate the light of creation and figure out why the shit things changed. As she tries to leave, someone stops and actually shushes her. Apparently, she can’t leave until she swears to be silent. What complete garbage.

The illusion of fire crackles between her fingers. She’s not about to seriously injure a bunch of people, but hot damn is she going to use Prestidigitation to look as goddamn intimidating as possible. ]

Alright, look. This room sucks, and I have some real important stuff to do. Stuff like, oh I don’t know, saving your world from being swallowed like a piece of hard candy? So stop asking me to go on an indefinite adult time-out and let me through.

B.

[ On the second day, she can be found in one of two places. She will either be on the roof of house 10, standing stock-still while staring up into the sky. Or she’s sitting near house ten, magically lighting then snuffing out some grass. Her expression is one of boredom, but she keeps switching positions or tapping her fingers quietly on her knees.

In the town hall meeting, she's given Barry's glasses. Barry's fucking glasses. She knows they're his, she can see the bite marks from when he was thinking too hard about something. She stares at them for a while, not sure what this means. For the rest of the meeting, she listens to what the people have to say and then wanders around, double-checking the crowd for familiar faces and then getting shit-faced at the party. ]

3, Choose your own adventure

[ OOC: Lup will be around most places, being a nuisance and probably making fun of people. ]

B - In front of House 10

[xochipilli_cursed]

[Aaron's playing around with how to walk silently and dance step along the sand. He smile and waves at anyone he happens to pass.

The same goes for Lup as he's about to quick step past. Or at least he was.

He freezes when he notices that she's making things catch fire without a match. He points to the burned grass then puts his hands together while puffing up his cheeks. He spreads his hands out then will letting out his breath and trying to mouth "woosh".]</small?

mitsuha miyamizu | kimi no na wa. (spoilers indicated in the headers)

[zom]

a. MUZZLE AND MUTE. (MAJOR SPOILERS)
[ mitsuha shouldn't be here.

she really shouldn't be waking up here, not only because she should be back at home in tokyo, but because she should not be alive. she should be gone, have burned and disintegrated into nothingness once comet tiamat hit itomori. she remembers feeling every part of her being ignited and then going down in flames; a fade to black. she knew her life was over.

so when she wakes up, she wonders if this is the afterlife. but she doesn't remember hearing about the afterlife being this eerie.

she's panicked, but compliant when she is given the device. body language, soundless writing...the device. still, despite listening to the woman, it's clear from her expression that she is afraid. scared. this isn't the afterlife she was expecting.

when she steps outside, she will turn to the nearest person--you--with a simple message on her device: ]

Where are we?

b1. MAN IN THE HAT (housemates)
[ mitsuha is stationed in house #2. she is in the family room, which is empty and barren. she's still lost and confused, but she figures she may as well try to make do while she is here. however, she's surprised when she sees a fellow housemate in the area, and will quietly type a message on her device: ]

Hello! Are you staying here too?

b2. MAN IN THE HAT (general)
[ mitsuha's memento is a braided cord, yellow and red, and she's holding it carefully in the palm of her hand. she stares at it with wide eyes, almost asking "where did you get this?" but covering her mouth with her hands before she can speak, remembering that she must be silent. but how? how did they get this. it should've--

never mind that. she's going to treasure it.

mitsuha holds the cord close to her heart...and then--then there are tears rolling down her cheeks.

she just wants to go back home. ]

c. SOUND EATERS (for mike)
[ the first thing mitsuha does upon being paired up with a seemingly younger boy is write out on her device: ]

Hello! My name is Mitsuha Miyamizu. It's nice to meet you, Wheeler-kun, let's work well together!

[ so...walk the perimeter, look for anything out of place? that doesn't sound too difficult, and totally not ominous at all. she gestures with her head to follow her outside. hopefully this will go well....... ]

( b2. - lorem's mom senses are tingling. )

[clarius]

[ out of the corner of her eyes, lorem sees that someone is crying. judging by their appearance, they're younger than her.

she doesn't even need to consider what to do next.

lorem makes her way through the crowd, willing to bump harder than needed if it makes it easier for her to get past the others. all the while she's fishing out a piece of clean cloth she had forgotten to leave behind back at the house when coming here.

now, as she gently offers it to the girl, she's glad she had it on her. lorem's expression is worried and concerned. she's holding up a hand and reaching out, slowly, in hopes of resting it on the girl's shoulder to try and comfort her if she's allowed. ]

shinsou hitoshi | bnha

[villainlike]

[ a - moving in ]

[he's come to the conclusion that all he really needs during this 'move-in' process is a place to sleep and so the most important thing shinsou has picked out is a large comforter and a few extra blankets. everything else he could pick up later if he felt he needed anything else.

the only issue he seems to be running into is trying to carry the comforter without it dragging in the sand. he's too busy trying to watch his footing to catch the blankets slipping from his arms until a tug on one of the blankets has him stopping instantly. when he looks back he notes that the corner edge of the fabric has snagged a tree root and pulling on it only seems to make the rip worse, the sound of fabric tearing making him wince.]

[ b - celebration ]

[as the 'festivities' go on around him shinsou has made himself comfortable on the stoops of one of the homes circling the main courtyard. nestled between his feet are two jars of canned peaches and in between his fingers hangs a cat keychain, the little bell missing for obvious reasons. shinsou studies it with a furrowed expression, letting it roll between his fingertips carefully.]

[ c - sound eaters ]

[once the meeting has concluded, the gentle thrum of noise feeling strange on his ears after going a few days now without it, shinsou stays seated and stock still as a thousand and one thoughts roll through his head. he laces his fingers together over his knees, a tight knot pulling at his chest the longer the low murmur of edging panicked voices go on. what fucking irony that the moment he's allowed to speak and hear others speak he can hardly stand the noise almost immediately.

sound eaters. what was he supposed to do against something that was presumably inhuman?

he lets his head fall into his hands as a bitter smile pulls at his lips, voice quiet from disuse.] What a load of horseshit...

[ d - wildcard ]

[mostly a prompt for mihie for patrol duty or if u have a prompt u wanna run with lets go]

c

[xochipilli_cursed]

[Aaron's spitefully making noise now that he can. He flops into a seat next to Shinou and lets out a loud, aggravated breath. Hearing Shinou though, Aaron shrugs and tries to force a smile.]

I mean, I guess it could be worse.

Aaron Taylor | cWoD OC

[xochipilli_cursed]

MUZZLE AND MUTE
[Okay, no one is okay with this right? That's Aaron's first real thought after it became easy to have thoughts again. First the room with dust that clouded his senses and his mind. Then the new clothes. Weird, new clothes. Who wears jump suits? Aaron does, obviously.

The device is special. Something a bit too futuristic for his tastes. The woman's doing sign language, right? He knows that's a thing though he doesn't quite know if that's actually what she's doing. The device is kind enough to translate. He wants to patronize whatever spider is behind this but he leaves it be. Getting his one question out of the way he takes a breath and decides to see just how much self control he truly has.

Out in the town he walks along the sand, bare feet presses in and he moves like a man ready to sprint, ready to bolt or chase. He doesn't though. Seeing others look at their devices it takes him an embarrassingly long time before he realizes he should check his. Oh, rules. More rules. Great.

Reading the rules, mesmerized by the lit screen, he doesn't quite what where he is going or who he is walking into.]

MAN IN THE HAT part 1 (House 3 prompt!)
[Aaron finds his new home and plays along to see just what this town has. As far as furnishings go he's not too picky. All he wants is something not too hard to sleep on and something to put his belongings in. Oh, and a mirror. He's not vein, they're just so very useful. For a lanky young man he's got a lot of energy.

Oh, and he's going to be bad with personal space, making his way to the other rooms and seeing who else is in this with him. Might as well make friends, he's going to have to apologize to some of them later if he loses his patience. So for now he's greeting his house mates with a big smile and a friendly wave. He'll even flail his hands around trying to portray that he will aid them with moving things.]

MAN IN THE HAT part 2 (Party prompt!)
[Aaron finds the memento that seems most useful to him. There's a piece of rose quartz hanging on a wax coated string. He plucks it from the pile, watches it sway on the end of the cord and pockets it quickly. Good. Good start.

The party itself is really, really lame. Aaron has really crappy dance moves but he doesn't seem to care. He's careful not to jostle anything too much but he has fun with it. It's going to take some getting used to socializing through text. Aaron's never even had a cell phone. Still, he's starting to pick up how the natives communicate and mimics some of their styles.

Jarred pickles are fine but he's going to avoid following a strange man in a hat to his home. That just doesn't seem like his sort of party.]

SOUND EATERS part 1 (Closed to Ivor Grames!)
[Paired up and set to task? Okay, not really what he wanted to do but for now he needs to get a feel for this place. Which means trying to blend in a little until he knows just how to work it. So that means going on patrol with the person they put him with.

While taking stock of his surroundings and trying his best to find something that might be out of place to the townsfolk, he tries small "talk" with Ivor. Playing with the messenger, using the practice he got the night before, he starts with an easy question.]

So, Toto. How far do you think we are from Kansas?

SOUND EATERS part 2 (Everyone | Town Hall)
[Well, this dampens Aaron's mood noticeably.

Risk himself? Sure.

He's bound to survive somehow. It might not be pretty but he'll survive.

Risk a stranger whose only crime was having Aaron arrive in their town? Not so much.

So Aaron keeps his voice down while greeting people but even his usual easy smile is absent at the moment as he's forced to really think on this one. Ghosts. He should be able to fight ghosts right? But he might be wrong. He's fast but not super fast. He's still not sure what room reset means and though that's curious he's not going to risk killing innocent people over this. Instead he tries to meet as many people as he can while his voice is still usable.]

House party~

[infodumped]

[As Tuan walks out of the garage that she's claimed for herself, she spots her new housemate grinning and waving. She's tired from moving pieces of furniture into the garage and this apparent display of friendliness adds a secondary layer of exhaustion. She yanks her ponytail loose with a deadpan expression, then nods to acknowledge his existence.]

tanaka kouji | ajin

[subject002]

a. ‣ house eight

[ furniture isn't a terribly high priority for him, since he's slept in worse. far worse. so tanaka's only grabbed two blankets before heading to his assigned resident; he goes to an empty room near the entrance and dumps the blankets on the floor before stalking around, glancing at the other rooms and getting a feel for the place. it's bigger than he expected. which probably means it'll probably be also getting quite a few residents ...

he jerks around the moment he senses anyone else nearby, shooting them a scrutinizing stare, probably coming across as rather unfriendly. but at least he's not actively aggressively. after that stare he'll probably give a small nod in greeting, an unspoken 'hey.' ]

b. ‣ around

[ those exploring the city might encounter a strange ... thing.

normal humans might find themselves bumping into something invisible in the streets. something shaped vaguely like a human, except nothing is there? those with quick reflexes might reach out to grope at this invisible shape to see what it is, only to find it swiftly jerking out of range.

but anyone with a superhuman ability -- or anyone who is even slightly inhuman -- will see the thing for what it is. a strange humanoid that's too scrawny to be a person, completely wrapped in black bandages (?), with no discernable face and long talons. it's moving quickly, stalking down the sand path with a purposeful stride. it's not actively bothering anyone but it sure looks ominous, maybe you want to check out what it is ... ? ]

c. ‣ for rey

[ looking around for danger is fine. cooperating with strangers is ... less so. tanaka doesn't look entirely pleased to hear that they've been put into pairs but he also doesn't complain, turning right to his assigned partner and looking her over.

as people disperse, he digs out his device to write a short message. ]

Which way do you want to head?

[ getting right down to business. ]

d. ‣ sound eaters meeting

[ he's mostly been quiet and still listening to the explanation, but he tilts his head when they start explaining 'resets.' more than any elaboration on the sound eaters, it's the bit about people coming back to life that seems to pique his interest. those nearby might catch the way he gives a rather nasty smile -- more bitter than it is malicious, but unpleasant nonetheless. and a mutter under his breath, ]

So it's like that for everyone here, is it ...

a. house eight

[shrimpcocktail]

[She doesn't wait to grab things for her new lodgings, wanting to explore. She makes her way to house eight, finding an open bedroom that is painfully bare. She can work with bare. At least there's no creepy clowns on the walls or modernist furniture. (She kind of misses both of these things, but she's not going to admit that. Besides who will she admit that to?) She takes a deep breath, making more noise than she realizes anyone else is and covers her mouth. Right. No sound.

She makes her way out into the hall running into what has to be one of her new housemates. The look is...well, not exactly friendly but the nod is. Eleanor gives one of the same nods back, before motioning to her device. Quickly, she types and then shows him]

gotta luv the new digs, amirite?

Magic Carpet || Disney's Aladdin

[gimmesometassel]

Muzzle and Mute
[This is wrong. Everything is wrong. It shouldn't be dusty, not like this--the only haze in the air should be sand, if there's any at all. He shouldn't be outside to begin with--he should be in the palace. He shouldn't be this dizzy and exhausted when he hasn't done anything, either.....

Even so, he lays limp and unresisting as hands pick him up and carry him into the washing room, scrubbing the dust out of his fabric. (And turning it into more mud to be scrubbed off, too, but there's not much to be done about that.) It takes a few minutes before he comes back to himself and realizes it's not the palace servants handling him; other bathers in the room may see what looks like a normal carpet suddenly sit up on its own, rising up a few inches off the floor to help the water drain better. He's thoroughly waterlogged and bedraggled, even if he's clean, and looks rather pathetic even as the natives try to towel him off--he backs off for a moment, and twists himself into a tightly-wound rope to try and wring out some of the water. Care to stare at him in bewilderment, or maybe help the poor guy get as dry as possible so he doesn't mildew?

Or maybe you'd rather "talk" out this vow of silence you're being asked to take before you leave? He looks..... a little confused, if the way his upper end is tilted is any indication, but not especially perturbed. Mostly he's just reading the explanation very intently, and looking around to see what everyone else thinks of all this.]


House 7 represent!
[House 7 may find this particular housemate a godsend at helping to furnish their home; he's quite willing to carry furniture on his back if it can fit, even terribly heavy pieces. As long as someone can lend him a hand getting out from under it, once it's properly placed, the job can be done almost completely silently. He's not got much of an eye for interior decorating (though someone could teach him?), but he's quite happy to let others pick out what they like, and follow them around while they figure out what they need.

Or perhaps you're just meeting him in the house instead? He's awfully friendly, and if you're in the house during the initial settle-in period, he's liable to approach you--with a bright wave if you look mostly-fine or upset, and rather more hesitantly, if you look angry.]


The Man in the Hat
[Carpet, at least, is attempting to enjoy this party. He can be found mingling in the crowd, if you want to approach such an unusual newcomer, or gladly accepting the invitation to see the behatted man's house, even if there's absolutely nothing he can do with a jar of hooch. (Maybe you could befriend him and take it off his hands?)

Or perhaps more urgently, you may have a Golden Snitch divebombing you, with Carpet in hot pursuit. He only just got this gift from the townsfolk, after they were generous and thoughtful enough to give it to him, and now it's trying to run away? He can't lose it already! It didn't even stay long enough for him to see if it's sentient like he is--he'd feel awful for chasing something around if it was scared.....]

Sound Eaters
[Sound Eaters..... they sound like some kind of mythical beast, to be honest. Something strange and fearful that Genie might have known about; Carpet wishes he was around to ask. Then again, Genie is surely still on his trip around the world, isn't he? He deserves his vacation, after so many millennia locked into servitude--it's better that he's not here, after all. Still, it's their loss.....

All the people here are in more danger than he is, though; it must be quite a terrible shock for them. Carpet makes it his first priority to seek out people who look scared or upset after the meeting concludes. If people need a friend to help them get through this, then he wants to be able to do what he can, for their sake. One way or another, they'll figure out something, so they can't lose heart right at the beginning!]


Wildcard
[Anything you want that I haven't mentioned? Hit me up!]

the man in the hat

[pawper]

[The thing is small and shiny and flying right at her. Lys is quick, quicker than someone so tall really has any business being, but surprise + curiosity about what the object could possibly be = the idea of ducking, dodging, or bringing up her hand to either catch the thing or slap it aside pops into her head far, far too late. There's only time to obey instinct, sudden and unthinking, or do nothing.

Lys, being an impulsive creature, chooses to obey. Mouth opening wide, she catches the rogue Snitch between her teeth, not unlike how a trained dog would snatch a frisbee out of midair.]

lorem laurel ; original character.

[clarius]

MAN IN THE HAT (HOUSEMATES)

[ the garage is safe.

it reminds her of her suite back on the lornful light in a way - cool and dark. a little too big for her so there’s promise of making it home on her terms. the smell of faded oil and polish hangs in the air when she enters the room and surveys her surroundings. it'll do. there's a lot she wants to fill it up with but there are bigger things to focus on. like the house itself.

at the moment, she's focused on trying to get the house into acceptable living conditions by doing her best to wipe surfaces and floors down. when she's certain the garage is spick and span, or the closest to it, she begins to make her rounds around the house with whatever cloths or wipes she was able to gather earlier.

housemates beware - there's a risk of you tripping over a hunched over lorem as she tries to get a particular spot on the ground at some point. or a lorem trying to ask if you need any help in anything, anything at all. ]

MAN IN THE HAT (GENERAL, OPTION ONE)

[ a funeral program.

they gave her a funeral program for her father.

lorem stares at the innocuous pamphlet long and hard before she looks up at the townsperson who gave it to her. her incredulous expression softening when she notices the sheepish and apologetic look they’re wearing. it's not like they're doing this on purpose. this is what they could get for her and... she... she supposes its nice to know what's happening back on dust tumbles. morbid and upsetting and frustrating it is to learn her father died barely a year into her journey and she never knew about it-

so absorbed she is in her thoughts, lorem bumps into someone. she's surprised enough that her grip on the program slips and the program flutters down onto the floor before she can regain her composure.

oh no. oh no oh no oh no.

she reaches out to the closest person - most likely the one she had bump into in the first place, some part of her thinks - and taps their shoulder, hoping to get their attention if she hadn't already. ]

MAN IN THE HAT (GENERAL, OPTION TWO)

[ she doesn’t drink alcohol.

after seeing the way her mother got sloshed on the stuff for long as lore could remember, she’s developed a distinct disinterest in anything related to spirits and drinks. yet here she is, holding a jar of it in her hands after meeting a man wearing a hat.

maybe if her mother was here, she would be able to down it in one go so lorem was free to use the jar as she pleased. heck - her mom would probably even ask for the recipe and find ways to improve it. the idea of her mother of all people being here brings a fond smile on her face as she makes her way back to the centre.

lorem turns the jar in her hand, watching how any lights around her got caught in the liquid. when she finally looks up to make sure she doesn't hit anyone by accident, she finds herself accidentally staring someone down. out of reflex more than anything else, lorem hefts the jar up. it could either be interpreted as her about to throw it at them or a silent offering for them to try and stuff. its up for the person to decide. ]

SOUNDEATERS (FOR FAITH.)

[ okay. this is not what she had expected when hurrying over to the town hall. she had no real history or skill set

looking at faith with a friendly smile, she inclined her head in greeting and pulled out her device to type out a message for faith: ]

Hello. I’m Lorem Laurel. I’ll be your partner for the task.

For the sake of transparency, I should let you know I have the ability to generate shields but summoning them can be a hit or mess.

[shotfired]

[ The pair of glasses in Lup's hands nearly fall to the floor, and she has to awkwardly juggle them a moment. She turns to look at lorem, eyebrow raised. ]

You okay there?

A2 | NieR: Automata

[a2brutus]

First [I]mpressions, Closed to house 9

A2 isn't the sort to waste time. She's been... given a room to use, and while she's grateful, it seems unnecessary. A human should be using this, not her. An android has no right to try and mimic a human lifestyle, but the insistance was there all the same.

It's by her programming that she can't deny that very same insistance, even despite the awkward feeling in he blackbox. She wanders about the house, familiarizing herself with it as best she can. She's no scanner, there's not much innate curiousity for her, but there is the awe and stilted awkwardness that comes with finding out her housemates are also humans. It doesn't matter which of them she sees first, no matter who it is, they'll get an awkward salute, A2's left hand going over where her "heart" would be if she were human. She's silent, as per the rules, but after a few seconds, she grabs her device and taps out:

Glory to Mankind.

[M]oving In, OTA

A2 has exactly 0 material possessions. Her swords have been taken, and that leaves her with a whole lot of nothing to move in. But... Maybe you need help moving something into your house? A2 is quick to help, and as a combat android, she can easily lift far more weight than any human could ever hope too. Which should help when it comes to moving large, heavy objects liable to be dropped and make sound.

Soun[D] Eaters, Closed to Lilina Sanada

So. She's being paired with a human. That's fine, A2 has no qualms about that. She does, however, keep her hands to herself and keep to a respectable distance. They need to do repairs, though A2 doesn't have even the faintest idea of how to go about that. She's never had to actively be quiet before....

How are we supposed to do this?

Is what gets tapped out onto the device, as A2 desperately tries to wrack her brain for the answer. Sorry, Lilina. A2 is fucking useless.

[M]aybe we need to talk

[born2b]

This world is all so unfamiliar to her. There are humans everywhere. It feels like her world is tilting, overwhelmed by the circumstances before her arrival and being amongst humans, her creators. But this is a world of silence, quiet, like death.

She's grateful for a role, but the awkwardness of being amongst humans hasn't yet worn off.

But when she sees A2... her expression falters. There's no mistaking the other android, even with her shorter hair. No other android would have that much dirt and grime on them, and no other android would be in such a state of disrepair and still be functioning well. She doesn't know what to say. But she makes an attempt.

How are you here? Did 9S

She frowns and leaves the question unfinished as she holds up her device for A2 to read.

Faith Lehane | Buffy: The Vampire Slayer

[rockypath]

a.Muzzle and Mute

[This place was insane.

When she'd told Buffy that after their latest end of the world battle all she wanted was a place she could get some damn 'peace and quiet', this was definitely not what she had in mind. Not to mention it was much too literal on the 'quiet' front and the peacefulness of the place was questionable. More spooky than anything.]

[The silence was maddening. And the temptation to open her mouth to test these natives rules was near overwhelming. It showed just how much she'd matured in the last few years that she hadn't shouted at the rooftops just to challenge their authority. Who were these people anyway? And just what was so scary that they couldn't be heard?]

[Surely, whatever it was Faith could help fight it? What was being a Slayer all about anyway?]

[Sulking a bit about her circumstances, Faith followed the sand path to where the natives had directed her when she'd asked (using her device- no talking! God, forbid she even whisper!) where to find House Seven. And there it was. Decent size. Bigger than she'd ever lived in before. Approaching the door, she reached for the door knob and turned. She stilled, cringing a bit when the hinges creaked and she earned a few dirty looks for native passerbys. She mouthed them a reproachful 'sorry' and a wave before crouching down to snatch the paintbrush and oil on the porch. Perhaps she was the first to arrive?]

[Maybe that meant she'd have pick of the rooms? Oiling up the hinges, Faith made her way inside to have a look.]

b. The Man in the Hat

[Of course. The houses weren't exactly well furnished. She'd needed a bed. Eventually Faith had been able to track down a native to help her find and haul a mattress back to her house. She'd have to find a bed frame some other day because she didn't like asking for the natives' help. They were way too skittish. Afraid of goddamn everything! And Faith was losing her patience enough with today that she didn't think she could handle another excursion without doing something the natives definitely wouldn't like. Something noisy.]

[Then she got the text. A party? Shit, Faith could use something to unwind.]

[Except that the party turned out to be boring as shit. What was a party without noise? Talking? Some music? She couldn't exactly dance to silence, could she?]

[Sitting down on a bench, she stuffed the remainder of the bread she was eating into her mouth (a rather large piece) and chewed it in a very unladylike fashion as she leaned back and nearly let out a sigh before stopping herself. Shit, who knew how hard it was going to be to make no sound at all? Rolling her eyes, Faith looked down absently at what it was one of the natives had given to her. A metal cross necklace. But it wasn't on a metal chain but a cloth one. Perhaps the chain would have made too much noise? Shaking her head in annoyance, Faith pondered what use she could have for a cross when it didn't seem like there were any vampire's here to deter. She certainly wasn't about to pray.]

b

[xochipilli_cursed]

[Aaron's trying to figure out how you eat a pickle quietly. Basically it just means you eat it very, very, very slowly.

Seeing Faith pondering her cross on a string he finishes his pickle and comes to sit down beside her and waves. He draws out a piece of rose quarts on a string and holds it up to hang and sway. It's not a necklace but he could totally make it one.

That's not why he drew it out though. He's trying to find common ground and a conversation starter... without being able to converse.]

[hoaxer]

( ooc: if you'd like for a tdm thread to be canon, just let me know! i can be reached at goatsong if you need anything. )

(1) - MUZZLE AND MUTE
[There were certain sensations lost to Lu Li when she awoke in this body. Gone were "hot" and "cold," "comfortable" and "discomfort." Those were all replaced by a constant datastream simply telling her what is. She has yet to experience human discomforts like headaches or dizziness, which is why her arrival is so strange. She assumes it's an issue regarding her sensors, at first. Her mind (systems?) shouldn't be running so slow. She tries weakly to voice dissent when they take her clothes - she can't have them see what she looks like beneath - but the signal fails to send and she remains towering and silent as they redress her in the jumpsuit.

By the time the whole ordeal is over, she's coming to terms with what's happened. Out of all the arrivals, she's one of the most alien - a towering, six-and-a-half foot robot who refuses to move unless people move in front of her. If someone looks her way, she's quick to turn her head, as though ashamed of her features.

... what in the world is she to do now? This was Reims, yet it wasn't. So many things were wrong with this world.]

(2A) - A HOUSE OF ONE'S OWN
[Anyone who's moving into House 8 will receive a surprise. Lu Li has to bend slightly in order not to hit her metallic head on the doorway, her movements slow and plodding. She barely looks at her antiquated surroundings but - at the sight of people, she stops dead in her tracks. Her red eye shrinks and expands, zooming onto the face in an instant. It's not that she's trying to intimidate whoever it is. She's had plenty of bad experiences, enough that her first instinct is to look for a reaction. People here have an odd attitude. If she senses hostility or discomfort, she'll be quick to try and hurry past you.]

(2B) - MOVING DAY
[It takes her an hour or so to properly calm down. Being assigned to work - as a part of the community, not as a bot - is an odd sensation. When was the last time someone looked at her as something close to a human being? It's strange to be in such a desolate and miserable city and encounter such kindness. Lu Li catches up with the search party steathily. Despite her size, she appears like a ghost. She's found some spare bedsheets, which she's now wrapped over her head in a make-shift shawl - no doubt an attempt to conceal her features.

Lu Li is more than willing to help with the heavier items. If she sees you eyeing something large or trying to pick it up, she'll cautiously approach. With swift fingers, she types on her device:]

I CAN TAKE THAT FOR YOU.

(2C) - A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION
[Even in an environment of smothering fear, these people still found ways to celebrate. It isn't raucous like the parties Cassie used to throw, nor is it lively. She can't partake in any of the food or drinks yet... despite its silence, Lu Li thinks it's admirable. There were far more reasons for the people of Reims to give up and surrender to the unknown. They chose, instead, to welcome outsiders with as much warmth and grace they could muster. If they could make it, then perhaps Lu Li can learn as well and in time, find her way back "home"--

For the most part, Lu Li stays on the outskirts of the party. She has nothing in her hands - no plates, no glasses - but what she does have is a worn photograph she can't take her eye off of. She thought it'd been lost to her memories, forever an intangible want that she would never have again. There were times when she doubted that she truly was Lu Li. This...

... it was a far greater gift than anyone could ever imagine.]

(3) - SOUND EATERS
[It all sounds like a fanastical story, the sort you'd read in books or see in movies. Lu Li always complained that Cassie was too adventurous, who only responded cheerfully that Lu Li was secretly an explorer, too. Both of them desired something to add thrill into their lives. But Lu Li didn't want it like this.

Today, she is a little more friendly. It's not much, but she's at least willing to be closer to the crowds than before. Once the general briefing is over, she glances at someone nearby.]

CAN'T WE REFUSE THAT MEETING?

[Her mechanical voice, devoid of any intonation or emotion, is a soft buzz. She was careful to adjust the volume.]

2a

[subject002]

[ well, the house is nothing unimpressive, but it's also not an absolute dump, and -- what the hell is that. tanaka turns at the sight of movement from the corner of his vision, only to give a startled jerk when he sees a mecha (?!) moving through a doorway. too bad for lu li, he's in the room right near the entrance, so there's way easy escape route for her, either.

he looks incredibly wary of her, and he doesn't stop her if she hurries by. but after a hesitant pause, he paces cautiously after her, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. the rules said to be quiet, but they said nothing about a goddamned robot invasion. ]

Teddy | OC | CW: Injured Animal in Muzzle and Mute

[thatsruff]

A. Muzzle and Mute (closed to Faith and Akira)
The transition is rough for Teddy. The dust causes a subdued panic in the sedate canine as it clogs his nose and stifles his senses. By the time he makes it to the final room, he's in the arms of two natives, carrying him to aide the injured animal. His device is a part of him, displayed on the front of a metal collar looped around his neck. It's dim until a message is received and the text is relayed to and from his mind through the neural link that connects him to the technology.

The natives help him, and Teddy agrees easily to their demands, but once he leaves the room, his only direction is to keep to the sandy paths. It's slow going, his back leg loosely wrapped in soft cloth but dragging behind him in the sand, forcing him to take it slower to keep from making too much noise. He makes it a few houses down out of sheer stubborn determination before laying down, sniffing at the sand and trying to assess this dimension where humans walk freely above the ground without protective equipment.

He doesn't rest for long before pulling himself back to his feet and testing lifting his injured limb to get along faster, his ears back. A few tests and he sits, his leg out at an awkward angle, and licks at the injured limb, waiting to hear from IEGP.

They would come for him. They didn't mean to leave him. He just needs to be patient.

B. The Man in the Hat (limited to one please)
The party is a confusing affair to Teddy, but once the food comes out he thinks he understands. This is a mess hall, and rations are being doled out. Unfortunately, everything seems to be in jars, and jars are decidedly the enemy of those without opposable thumbs. He rests his chin on a table near the jars of fruit, his nose twitching, trying to scent what is hidden in the glass.

He sits patiently on his haunches in front of the table, his back to it. People eat first and then he would get rations if anything was left. That is how it has always gone. He watches the strange, silent on-goings with his head tilted, eyes following the movements of the people through the room, his stomach softly protesting his hunger.

C. The Man in the Hat II (Limited to one please!)
When one of the natives offers him a small bag he sniffs at it curiously before gingerly taking it between his teeth, recognizing the familiarity of the thing inside. He searches the crowd for a likely aid and carries the bag to them, the screen on the front of his collar lighting up with a short and simple text.

Can you help me?

Inside the bag is a magnetic attachment for the collar meant to identify an Upsilon unit. Teddy has one already, his is a yellow Υ. The one in the bag is the same color, but shaped in the lowercase υ.

D. The Sound Eaters
Teddy sits in the hall, listening and reading and trying to learn the smooth gestures he will never be able to replicate himself. There's a slow building anxiety in his chest that comes with the restless need to do something. There is a threat here, as unknown as the dimensions he spent his life preparing to explore. This is what he is made for.

But the natives do not want him to face the threat. They want him to quietly hide from it. He can do that well enough, but the restless feeling doesn't dissipate. He patrols the hall in slow, padding circles, his nose to the ground. Whatever the threat that lies here is, he needs a new focus. He looks instead for conflict or the scent of fear, and moves for them instead.

Maybe this is someone he can help.

E. Patrol Team (Closed to Sebastian)
The patrol through the outskirts is uneventful. Teddy silently pads along beside his partner, sniffing the air and the ground and searching out any signs of disruption or threat. He says nothing, focused on his task. It is rare his handlers ever ask him to report unless there is something significant to say.

But as they head back toward the inner part of Reims, he stills, his ears and nose twitching. The silence isn't full silence. There are soft sounds everywhere. The wind on the stones, the sand shifting beneath their feet, the sound of their inhales and exhales, but there's another sound in the mix, and his neurally linked collar lights up a soft red as it sends a message to Sebastian.

Wait. Be still.

F. Wildcard/OOC
I am open to prose or action and I am happy to tag into other threads or brainstorm other thread starters. PM me or find me on discord Newt#3043

B. Man in the Hat

[poodlemom]

[The rations weren't all that impressive, but Victor isn't going to complain, given the circumstances. He might be spoiled, but he's not ungrateful. Judging by the meager living conditions, this is probably quite the feast. He'll take a couple pickles, a large helping of peaches, and stop at the bread. He sees a large dog standing by and immediately wants to coo. He'd ask if the boy was hungry, but he knows a hungry pup when he sees one. None of this is the best thing for a dog, but it's certainly better than nothing. He'll take some more bread than maybe he should and move closer to Teddy.

He seemed friendly and well mannered, but it never hurt to be cautious... Victor will tear some of the bread into a sizeable portion and offer it with a hesitant hand, not wanting to be snapped at too quickly to react.]

alexandre tialys | ffxiv

[priwen]

arrival;
[ ... well, this is unexpected.

Certainly, being torn away from the world he had been asked to aid is a problem. The second problem is that the transport may have removed him from Hydaelyn, as he doesn't recognize this place as anywhere in Aldenard. Perhaps one of the eleven remaining fragments, worlds that were mirrors of the original... but the aether is empty here. Possibly another issue that he would have to elucidate.

Recover his equipment, his bearings, and synthesise a plan of action. This should do. ]

Excuse me... are you hurt?

[ - to the person nearest to him. Alexandre's voice is more gentle than his features and height might suggest. A small doll sits on his shoulder, wings fluttering silently.

If you happen to be shorter than 6 feet, he'll also crouch down so you need not strain your neck upwards. ]


building;
[ Given his height and trained strength, he volunteers himself to do most of the difficult lifting. Once that is done, he can be found in his room, having claimed only a table, chair and bed.

Strewn on the table are needle and thread, as well as some thick yarn that a native had traded him. A sword and shield are laid across the bed behind him, both emitting a bright golden glow reminiscent flame. He'll weave the yarn into a makeshift necklace; two small crystals bound tightly within the fibre so that they would not fall.

Sometime later there may be a mother and her child at the entrance to the communal house; Alex is there as well with his kit, mending a loose seam in the girl's emancipated stuffed toy. The mother hushes him once or twice if he pulls the thread too quickly, but otherwise his work is silent.

Adaptability, and patience. A curious thing to watch, no doubt. ]


around;
[ Alex is remarkably calm compared to most of the other new arrivals. He's quick to settle into the silence; a blond man who has to crouch in buildings and resigns himself to sitting down on the porch. He makes no attempt at concealing the fact that he's observing everyone, eyes not on the device in his hands but landing on those who pass by. If he meets your eye, you will be offered a nod and a slight, friendly smile.

Approach? ]


messages;
[ Amidst the flurry of public polls will come a few less alarming questions: ]

Might I ask if there are any weavers or tailors here?

[ A while later, after he's resolved more pressing issues such as soundproofing rooms: ]

Does anyone else come from Eorzea?

wildcard;
[ Throw me something and I'll roll with it! Note: Alex has a mild mind-reading ability, his opt-out for that is here. Please fill it in if needed! ]

wildcard; perimeter patrol

[pawper]

[Despite the anxiety that's been pushed to the back of her mind, not to mention the dread sitting like a rock in the pit of her stomach, Lys is still relieved to have been paired with someone for this particular chore. For any reason at all, really. Somehow, even the worst of situations seemed a little easier to swallow when she didn't have to be alone. This guy even had both of his arms! And was actually taller than her, too. That by itself was a new, rare thing.

Introductions came first, though. She takes out her device and manages to type out a message one-handed, if slowly and with some difficulty.]

hi!! my name's lys
looks like we've been paired off for this job
it's nice to meet you, despite the weird circumstances

Miach Mihie | Harmony

[imitationsoul]

< A = Muzzle and Mute >

[ Ah...
Miach hasn't been this dirty in a long time. Even if she had the presence of mind to react in any way to this situation, she'd be stunned into passivity by the memories that are brought to her mind through the dirt. People in uniform... scientists... doctors... soldiers... All the same, every person, all the same...
The thought flies away as quickly as it came, Miach doesn't quite remember that she thought anything at all now. Her clothes come off and she can do nothing about it.

Ah...
The bitter taste of reminiscence, the weight of the past on her chest... She'll suffer now. Forever, forever, eternally... For sure...

When the suffering doesn't come and her consciousness returns to her, Miach can't feel relief. She's been there before, kind-seeming uniformed people putting another uniform on her and pretending she's going to be fine... Frankly, she's sick of it. After she's released into the outside, she spends some time standing in the way of everyone else, just staring at the city and gently brushing her hand through her own hair. Her expression is blank. ]

< B = The Man in the Hat / Closed to House Two >

[ Miach has claimed the bedroom next to the door and is personalizing it all on her own, refusing the help of the natives entirely. She's not here to cooperate, not with those people who touched her, not with those strangers she hasn't evaluated yet. As a result, you'll see her pass through the doors on her own repeatedly, carrying blankets at first. Plural blankets. It takes her a few runs to amass a number of them she finds adequate to substitute for a mattress or proper bed.
And then... she brings in books. Any book she can find. Phone books, encyclopedias, old novels... Books in any state of decay and disarray. She's carrying them into the room and placing them in piles on the floor.

And that's it. Her entire interior decoration. If her housemates pass by her, Miach will probably not pay much attention unless she is directly addressed, sorry. ]

< C = The Man in the Hat / Meeting: Open to All >

[ After receiving her memento (a small business card), Miach grabs herself a glass of pickles and peaches each and sits down on the sand floor a bit away from the party. The disapproving looks of the natives at this act of greed mean absolutely nothing to her. She needs food, without food her brain won't work right, and she wants to think right now. She wants to assess this situation. If what she has to do in order for that to work is hungrily wolf down a few pickles at once, she'll absolutely do this.

Once again she doesn't pay much mind to the people around here, but anyone who looks unusual for a human (or downright nonhuman) may catch her staring from the sidelines. ]

< D = Sound Eaters >

[ Miach laughs. A quiet chuckle. Her comment is only audible for anyone else who is also standing off towards the end of the group, in her general vicinity. ]

Just one scream and you can end the lives of all those around you.. It's just a matter of wanting to do it.

((ooc: I am in European time, so I'll sleep after posting this and all replies will come tomorrow!))

D

[hoaxer]

[Though Lu Li has begun to grow comfortable with being among crowds again, she still feels too exposed to be in the thick of them. She was an easily towering figure at six and a half feet, with a face too inhuman for her not to be self-conscious of. Therefore, she stuck to the outskirts of the group. She could hear perfectly fine from where she is, regardless of how soft they may speak.

--but what is this girl saying? Lu Li looks towards her, the red eye expanding and shrinking as she scans her face. What sort of emotion can be read on it...?]

WHO WOULD DO THAT?

[Her voice is a soft, atonal buzz, without any human inflection to it. Yet she purposefully delivers the question a little faster than usual. It's her attempt to make it sound like a challenge.

She doesn't know this stranger but she knows one thing:

She despises those who put others in danger.]

Poe Dameron | Star Wars

[gotyourselfapilot]

Muzzle and Mute

[ None of this made any kind of sense. Poe was extremely frustrated once his thoughts could come back. He had hoped to wake up to a different scene altogether. Now all he had was worry, he paced on a sand path not really going anywhere. He makes a small circle as he stays on it there are times where he'll stop to glance around at the natives.

How were they okay with this? The freedom to speak was something he was used to giving. Now to remain silent would be hard at first. Poe's facial expression would be clear to anyone that something bothered him greatly. Maybe it was more than the new rules in place at staying quiet. He seemed a bit defeated too as he glances down toward the ground at the sand. It had shifted in placing and he couldn't help but crouch down to fix the path for the next person to use it.

If there's someone close by he's already on his device typing away on it before showing it to someone not a native. ]

What do you think about all of this?

[ It's a simple question and he was generally curious to find out what other people thought. ]

Man in the Hat (House Seven)

[ After settling his frustrated thoughts and being slightly calmer, Poe would be found in front of house seven. Or at least what he assumes is the house he'll be staying in. He will start by slowly moving in the smaller furniture. The pilot wouldn't even tempt the more heavier ones until he had another housemate to help him.

First he'll more in end tables that he can pick up and move silently inside. He'll place them on anything that's a carpet space and the others can direct him where they'll need to go for their rooms. He'll bring in about two for his own room and places them close to the wall but not too close.

He'll wait outside leaning against a desk as he waits for a new housemate. Once one comes he has something already for them to read. ]

We're gonna have to help each other out to stay silent and quiet while we move in furniture. For the bigger stuff it'll be good to a pair of hands or more depending on what it is. We can try moving this desk together. I brought in some end tables and random things that were easier to lift. But I didn't want to move anything too big without some help.

Man in the Hat (Party time!)

[ Poe is a bit apprehensive in going to parties. He wasn't big on them to begin with but if this was to gather as a community and learn more, he was gonna go regardless. Once there he didn't expect to get anything from them, much less something from home. Even as a small gesture, he wasn't expecting a necklace with a familiar ring on it. Poe couldn't help but feel the warmth and small heartache that it brought. It would be the most cherished possession from home. A wedding ring that belonged to his late mother. A tiny spark of hope gathered in him as he quietly put it on and left it dangling out for now.

He wondered if everyone would get something. Hopefully some others got something more useful. But he was happy with what he could get and appreciative of it. Even if it wasn't a tool or useful, this held a lot of meaning to him. It would remind him that he could do anything and change wasn't all that bad. A hand would be wrapped around the ring for a moment as he glanced around the party. ]

Soul Eaters (Closed to Izaya Orihara)

[ The next time a meeting is held and they actually want them to make noise for a reason. Poe is thankful that he could at least use his voice this time. A freedom that was easily taken away due to certain rules. Finding out the main reason for it would make it all the more real for them. He waits for his teammate pair not wanting to go towards the perimeter right away. If they were to make a lot noise he wanted to have his partner along so they could partake it in as well. It would only be the fair thing to do. ]

Let me know when you're ready to go. Since this seems to be the only time to make noise. So we know what we're truly up against while being here.

Man in the Hat

[poodlemom]

[Similarly to Poe, Victor had been handed a small ring. He held in a gasp of joy, hands flying outward with thrown wide fingers, before reaching in quickly and snatching it from the gifters hands. After immediately turned over a few times to make sure it was what he thought it was, he gleamed back at the native with a wide smile. They probably don't expect to flung toward and hugged, but that's what Victor does, not lingering too long in the villagers discomfort to be suddenly embraced. Getting his distance again, Victor puts the ring on his fingers, his engagement ring, he couldn't have wanted anything more from home....

He might bump Poe on accident during a thoughtless, joyous little spin in place, hand outreached to admire the gold band. Rather graceful in his recovery and give a wilted, apologetic smile to the man he knocked into. Whoops!]

Rosa Torres | OC

[ghostfluster]

i. moving day

[there's a smallish girl who's been left scratching her head on one of the sandpaths, next to a reasonably bulky couch and a (very well-muffled) bundle of cookware, obviously pondering how she's supposed to get it back to her assigned housing.

if you're in a similar predicament, she might catch your eye with a slightly nervous smile, and gesture at you, then her, then your pile, then her pile. help each other out?]

ii. party central...?
[Rosa still knows how to cook, more or less, but she hasn't had many actual meals since coming back to life, and her sense of what flavors should or should not go together is still a bit shot.

and that is why you may see her in the middle of the party, looking down at the open-faced peach-and-pickle sandwich she just took a bite out of, looking deeply, soulfully betrayed.

she might meet your stare when she looks up from it, if so; you'll see her turn bright red, and her hair actually start to – bristle? as she draws her shoulders up in embarrassment.

(are the ends of it wiggling?)]

iiia. perimeter check (for katsuki yuuri)
[since they haven't even begun to master the sign language yet, there's nothing for it but to tap-type a message out on the device and show him the screen]

hi, i'mm rosa. do you want to go chejk the paths, or the wallls? i'm easy.

[and bad at not typoing, apparently]

iiib. the meeting
[when the initial hubbub of noise calms down, after the natives finish explaining, Rosa hesitates and then pipes up:]

Are you sure death is permanent? Could – could there be a chance the Sound Eaters take those people and – well, transform them into fellow Eaters?

I don't mean to be insensitive, but if that's actually a possibility...perhaps they could be brought back?

ii

[xochipilli_cursed]

[Yes, Aaron's staring. He's staring in abject horror as she makes the sandwich and as she takes a bite. He stares up until the moment meets his gaze. Yup, that's embarrassing.

So Aaron hastily, and awkwardly, tries to make it better. He takes a pickle and some peaches, puts them between bread in a far messier version of what she just did and takes a big old bite out of it, filling his cheeks.

Yup, that was a mistake. He slowly, and agonizingly chews while forcing a smile.]

[dryeyes]

Sorry, House Four: This is your Roommate

[When it gets down to it, Aizawa is a man of very few needs. He'd considered what would be absolutely necessary for his personal quarters and found very little. If you happen to peek into it, the first bedroom will be remarkably barren. There's a comforter on the ground, forming a makeshift kind of futon. The only other thing in it appears to be a pile of rope, swiped from the various construction storehouses, stored in a coil in the corner of the room.]

[There's literally nothing else.]

[And if you check in on him near the silent hour, he'll just be an unmoving lump of messy black hair and the drab, un-decorated clothes he was given upon arrival. He appears to be taking a nap. The quiet movement of his breathing is the only clue that he's actually alive, he sleeps so damn solidly.]

[Not that he's any more communicative if your character drops in when he's awake, just sort of shifting and staring with an irritated sort of "What do you need?" look.]

Firewater and Insomnia

[Even a stiff party with whispered joy is too much for Aizawa. He's grateful enough for the trinket that was returned to him (a small, laminated identification card) but it didn't really sit well with him to celebrate anything right now. Was there really anything worth welcoming them over, here?]

[It's when he's leaving that he gets caught by the man with the hat (the only one with such a hat) and finds himself something to at least make the whole thing a little bit more tolerable.]

[Emphasis on a little because the drink absolutely burns and makes him bury his fist against his mouth to mute a cough. It's alcohol, though, suitable for some absurd parody of taking the edge off after work. He'll start idly patrolling the town, jar in hand, taking in the silence and the darkness. Your character can catch him wandering anywhere around town, sometimes along the sanded paths, sometimes up on parts of the buildings he probably shouldn't have been able to climb up onto. He can be found any time before midnight, when he'll finally return home to... probably still not sleep.]

Patrol Duty with 6O (closed)

[He recognizes who the natives gesture him towards, with the written instructions coming up clearly on his device when they sign. The girl preoccupied with the flowers. He'd escorted her back to one of the houses when that quiet hour drew near. Well, provided she didn't get too distracted along the way, it shouldn't be a big deal.]

[He makes a gesture to her to follow him, apparently deciding that no additional pleasantries were needed. His device stays in his hand, a remnant of checking with the natives, but he doesn't type anything into it himself or even look at it right away to see if she "said" anything.]

Still in a Dream, Sound Eater

[He's hearing a lot of things he doesn't like here, the foremost of which being that apparently the whole reason they were brought here- the reason the natives wanted them here- was just to stay. To replenish their population, stay the rest of their lives, and grow old and scared and then welcome the next generation of misplaced souls. That sort of thing was unacceptable, to him. He lets out a tired-sounding breath, and clasps his hands together. If they could speak here, quietly, they should take advantage of it.]

If anyone's interested in staying here, you're more than welcome. [he was only really responsible for one other person here, after all. He leans forward a bit, a little more business-like than his usual slouch.]

The rest of us should consider our options.

House Four

[poodlemom]

[Some might say that Victor had collected more pillows than he could possibly need. They would be wrong or... well, Victor would say they are wrong. He's maybe a bit too soft hearted when he sees the man he met very first setting up his own room with one blanket. He can't help his curiosity and peeks in, seeing the man flopped on the flat ground.

Sad.

He goes to his family room, all disorganized pillow piles and stacked blankets. He picks out a pillow and return to look in the room, seeing the man unmoved. On delicate feet Victor sneaks in, movement dancer precise, until he's right by Aizawa and sliding the cushion up beside him. He might try to wedge it under his face, but if he stirs too much, Victor will simply leave it in arms reach and go.

There's a message on his communicator when he wakes up.]

Sleeping without a pillow is just TOO sad!

[tropism]

A. HOUSE SIX / KITCHEN warnings for bugs.

[ the memento given to him is a ladybug brooch about the size of his palm, and giorno stares at it a bit too long, inspecting to make sure that it is, in fact, just a brooch. with a flick of his wrist the brooch vanishes. in its place are a thousand red ants into which the brooch apparently just crumbles into, the way it would look like if one, for example, should disturb a nest of them. the ants crawl all over his hands and sleeves angrily and giorno isn't disturbed about it at all; if anything else he looks relieved. from the time that the ants disappear from his hand - which now looks like a ball of angry, furry red, slowly shrinking - having crawled all over his arm, they then assemble again into the brooch, which he gently places on the table, tapping it with a finger as if to threaten it to crumble into something worse. ]



B. MAN IN THE TOP HAT

[ giorno is offered a drink, which he takes dubiously. he drinks it and makes a face, and considers - very briefly - spitting it out on the ground, but then that might make a sound, so he swallows it instead. he feels his face turn warm and he makes a face of disgust before deciding, rather sullenly, to eat from his pickle jar. ]



C. SOUND EATERS (PAIRS) - LOCKED (JOSEPH ODA)

[ never has he felt so disoriented in his life, and having to follow orders and instructions on top of living in a rather isolated, odd place, has giorno quite confused. he wants to be sympathetic but he also has a great deal of impatience in him into solving, quite quickly, what it is that this city of reims - this version of reims - is plagued with. so long as the natives aren't so forthcoming, however, a lot of things will remain unanswered for the time being. it is very unsatisfying.

not to mention that walking the perimeter is boring grunt work, and as leader of passione, he thought, with a tinge of annoyance, that he would at least be past such things.

he waits for his partner outside in the sandpaths, and here giorno writes him two messages: ]

1. Giorno Giovanna. Call me Giorno.
2. We have the wonderful choice of enjoying the lovely scenery or working on a potential future home, quietly and intensely.


D. AROUND

[ to anyone who isn't a native, and is interested in some small talk: ]

1. What is your name? Where do you come from?
2. Do you like music? What do you listen to?
3. Given the rules of this town, do you find it easy or difficult to be quiet?
4. What is your opinion on pizza?
4.1 If you are aware of what this food is, please state your favourite flavours, no more than three.
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?


ooc | if you need anything else from me, pm this journal or pp my plurk @ ilium.

C

[axecop]

[Joseph steps out of the meeting with a frown on his face, and his newly-returned notebook in his hand. Already, he's scribbling notes from the meeting in small, neat script, abbreviations only he'll understand later, jotted down nearly as fast as he can think.

When he finishes, he's found his way outside and watches the rest of the crowd break off into their pairs. He checks his device and finds his partner Giorno before long, greeting him with a nod before replying via text.]

Pleased to meet you, Giorno. Detective Joseph Oda. I'll answer to any of the three.

If you don't mind, I'd like to walk around the perimeter and get the lay of the town before anything else.

lys skovgaard | original | ota

[pawper]

(1) muzzle and mute

[Lys is trying not to panic. Trying to ignore the fear chewing on her nerves with sharp little rat-teeth, trying to keep it in check. Her shoulders are squared too tight, each breath coming fast and short. Bright blue eyes too wide. She keeps patting herself down despite the futility of it, shooting anxious glances left and right and everywhere else, desperately searching for something.

It's not the disorientation. It's not finding herself somewhere completely different, uncharacteristically lethargic and covered in strange red dust. It's not even the act of being manhandled by perfect strangers, stripped naked and bathed and then shoved into a jumpsuit by unfamiliar hands. All of that, Lys responds to with a docile obedience that has nothing to do with fear of punishment. Only when full clarity returns like clouds clearing away and the realization hits that she's missing her ring, a simple loop of shining silver, does she start to resist like a dog straining against a short leash. Dragging her feet as they're led out of the showering room, gesturing frantically to the natives and anyone else that seems halfway receptive, bristling all over with frantic energy.

Several times she opens her mouth, only to remember fingers pressed against lips (hers, everyone) in a command for silence....and shuts it again. Somehow the brittle restraint doesn't make her look any less like she's a few short steps away from outright grabbing the nearest person and leaning in, all imposing height and anxious tension.]

(2A) — the man in the hat; moving in. house 5

[Having been informed (somewhat) of her new surroundings, the rules to follow and the danger that threatens them all, Lys has become....not relaxed, but certainly more focused, no longer balanced precariously on the edge of hysteria. The knowledge might be incomplete, imperfect, raising all sorts of other questions — but for now, it's also something to hold on to. A way to center herself instead of dissolving into anxious mush.

(Most importantly, she still has time. Please, god, let her still have time.)

The current task is simple, easy to understand, its own kind of distraction: fill her empty house with the proper and necessary furniture, walk the sand paths, make no sound. Lys can do that. If she's to be trapped here for the foreseeable future, then it only made sense to furnish the shelter that's been so generously provided. That said....maybe the one-armed person should have picked a less ambitious target than a heavy table, or sofa, or other large things, especially since she seems determined to carry them all the way back to house 5 by herself.

Though maybe the real question is how she plans to get these things through the door without breaking the silence.]

(2B) — the man in the hat; party party party

[Furniture now in place (for the time being, anyway), Lys stakes out out the dining room as a place to sleep — after casting more than a few longing glances toward the fireplace in the family room — and goes off to the center of the community to see what's going on. The extra food is accepted with heartfelt, if silent, gratitude....and yet, she does not eat any of it. Only clutches the jars (and later, the booze) close like precious riches, despite how the look on her face (and perhaps the skinny frame that can be made out through the jumpsuit's fabric) makes it pretty clear that she would like to do nothing more than inhale the lot.

The bread, however, is offered no such mercy. Is she eating it, or choking on it?]

(3) — wildcard

[hmu with whatever, i'm easy!]

2A

[ebonyengine]

[Having finished moving some smaller items into the house, Ignis was on his way to pick up something larger for House Five when he encounters someone trying to move a sofa all by herself. Now, he's not one to assume the strength of others, but the problem with sofas is their unwieldiness, not their weight. Waving to get the woman's attention, he holds up his device which is displaying the following message:]

Would you like some assistance?

Tuan Kirie / Harmony

[infodumped]

A. Muzzle and Mute (Arrival Prompt)
[Her heart is pounding by the time she's allowed to leave the horrible room. There's no denying that being tossed into an unfamiliar place with virtually no given explanations is frightening, but all the same Tuan feels as though it shouldn't be if only because fearfulness implies that there must've been something safer, something more palatable about being home. Tuan rejects this notion with every fiber of her existence.

It'd been easier when she thought all these people were after was a bit of "fun" at her expense. It'd have all been over then. Like this, Tuan doesn't know what to do or where to go... but the fact that she has choices to make and no guidelines, no nosy busybodies trying to help her has to mean that this place is more liberating than home had ever been, despite the jarring welcoming reception. She repeats these thoughts to herself as she walks. The most obvious sign of tension is how tightly she's holding her new device as she shoves the screen in front of a potentially useful looking passer by.]

What do you think they really want from us?

B. The Man in the Hat (House 3 Prompt / OTA)
[Yooooo, housemates! Please don't mind too much if the weirdo who claimed the garage goes into whichever room you claimed as your own and looks around intently for some trace of intelligent technology. She would have at least knocked but noises or something.

Or as a less intrusive option, you might catch Tuan moving armfuls of pillows and blankets into the garage, along with some other small bits of furniture - desk lamps, a chair, that kind of thing. She may or may not be far too stuck in her own universe of self reliance to ask for help moving in a proper bed....

((feel free also, if you aren't in house 3 to bump into Tuan as she's crrying around her furniture!))]

C. The Man in the Hat (Pickle party prompt!)
[Tuan is eyeing the pickles with some suspicion. She doubts the natives would have gone through all this effort simply just to poison them all at a party, but nevertheless she's not hungry enough to eat the food that's been provided here. Looks like it's not just the natives who don't really know how to party.]

D. Sound Eaters (Meeting Prompt!)
[Tuan's keeping to herself this meeting and not making eye contact with anyone if she can avoid it. She hasn't exactly slept well since the party (trans: she hasn't slept at all), but she's trying not to lose sight of the bigger picture here. The only reason she doesn't scoff at the end of the meeting is because she's literally too tired to do so. Instead, she types out a message on her device.]

Are they hoping we'll get Stockholm Syndrome if they share sob stories with us?

[shotfired]

[ All aboard the not sleeping train. Lup turns to Tuan and shrugs. She could care less what these people were hoping to do to them, mostly because she has other things she's focused on. Besides, she'd take them all on if need be. It's not like she can die. ]

Probably, but they're in for a surprise if they think it's gonna work on me.

remus lupin | hp

[lunisolar]

1 moving in;

[Magic is extremely handy for moving house. Anyone else selecting house ten to occupy will get to see the odd sight of a man bringing in armfuls of miscellaneous items, transfiguring them one by one into furniture, then levitating the furniture into place. The limitation of only performing silent spells means he won't be doing anything too complicated, but inanimate objects into other inanimate objects is simple enough.

So, a sturdy-looking tree branch becomes a wooden kitchen table. A busted toaster becomes a metal bedframe. Pillows into mattresses, scraps of fabric to bedsheets and blankets. Transfiguration is easier when the starting object holds similarities with the final result. The couch now in the common room has the same sickly-yellow-looking paisley as the cushion it was transfigured from but hey, there's a place to sit now.

Any requests, housemates?]


2 aint no party like a deadly silent party;
[Remus isn't terribly keen on big parties like this at the best of times, and this is far from that. He respects that the natives are clearly trying, though it feels like a small consolation for being ripped from his life, his family, at the worst possible time.

Even the photograph they give him is a small consolation, but he keeps it on him anyway, pulling it out of his pocket to look at it regularly. It's a wizarding photograph, showing a very tired-looking young woman with startlingly lilac hair rocking a newborn infant and shooting the camera a dry look, like she's humoring the photographer. The baby's hair is dark brown and curly, much like Remus', and then it slowly shifts to ginger, and when the woman notices, she lets out a silent laugh of delight, her own hair shifting to a bubblegum pink. Then it repeats.

It is, of course, very familiar to him. He took it, just a day ago.

If they've been displaced in space and time, and they must be if everything he's experienced since waking up here isn't just a fever dream or hallucination, is time still passing at home? He dearly hopes not. He dearly hopes he'll be able to find out firsthand.

Some party.]


[ bring your own prompt ]

1

[priwen]

[ Alex doesn't live here, but he's taken to wandering around after settling the matter of his own residence. Noticing Remus haul in a bunch of strange things caught his attention, so he had followed the man in and is now watching him work his magic.

Very intriguing. Hopefully Remus won't mind a 7ft tall man occupying as little space as he can in a corner without standing up. ]

akira kurusu

[beguiledcard]

man in the hat
cw: minor with alcohol will be marked for appropriately

house 3 / furniture gathering

[ In house three, a select few will be able to catch sight of one (1) Akira Kurusu. He's momentarily just... standing there, staring at the floor; his hand moves to his face, almost as though he's intending to adjust glasses -- he isn't wearing any, of course, so said hand will move to scrub through his hair.

He's pretty deep in thought, hand finally moving so fingers can twist a strand of bangs, his brow tensed and matching pretty well with his... entire body, honestly.

But said moment doesn't last too long, so catching him in that state isn't quite so likely as catching him moving around, exploring the place. He's claiming the family room, deciding he's fine with the others taking the bedrooms. He's... kind of used to sleeping in a somewhat open space? He'll just need to build something that can provide privacy.

Simple enough.

He can be found doing what he can to get his hands on a mattress, sheets, blankets, a pillow, and curtains... along with other necessities if he can. He's not going to be pushy, and he can be seen acting polite to everyone he encounters, outsiders and natives alike. ]

memento mori / food

[ He's suddenly wearing black-framed glasses... which could be strange for anyone who saw him before now. Wasn't he getting around just fine without them? Hmmm...

If anyone seems to be staring hard at his face, lo' and behold, it would seem he has a guess as to why. Suddenly, there's a message for them to read on his device: ]

Contacts.

[ That's his story. Fight him. ]

?????????????
cw: minor with alcohol (no consumption, just ????)

[ He's a person of curiosity, so of course he went with the guy in the hat. Maybe he'd have answers, maybe there'd be some kind of information.

... He didn't expect to be handed a jar of... uh... "hooch???" WHY IS IT CALLED THIS, WHAT A STRANGE NAME, AND WHY IS HE HOLDING ALCOHOL.

The questions and more are in his head as he stands outside now on one of the sand paths. Maybe someone went with him to see the man in the hat's house? Maybe they're stumbling across him staring at this strange jar?

Whatever the case, Akira will eventually hold up a message to someone (regardless of human status, and honestly he'd probably sooner do this to a non-human): ]

Wanna get drunk?

[ Is he kidding?

According to the deadpan expression, who the hell could know without knowing him or being that great of a people reader. Either way, it's not exactly the "HAHAHA I'M SO FUNNY" kind of... "joke" more than it is the "why is this a thing" type. ]

sound eaters
cw: p5 spoilers will be marked for appropriately

closed to naruto uzumaki

[ Well, he's going to be looking right at his assigned partner, head tilting in thought. So... fixing anything out of place? They're not even from here, to know exactly how everything was before going out of place, but... guess they'll just have to do their best. ]

It's nice to meet you. I'm Akira Kurusu.

[ Some part of this is simply routine for meeting new people where he's from... but it doesn't meant he isn't curious to know. Or that he doesn't want to at least try getting along. ]

post-meeting
cw: spoilers for p5

[ His mind is still reeling from the meeting. For a while after it, he can be found hanging around the town hall. He didn't talk during it -- every question he could have ever asked was asked. He simply took in the answers for now. He'll keep them all in mind, observe while he's trapped here, and... go from there.

Eventually, he can be found on the front porch of house 3. He isn't sitting. He isn't standing. He's lying down, directly on the floor of it, off to the far side. Look, he's fine here, tucked away in his corner? Just fine.

Right now, his mind is stuck on home -- on the fight against Yaldabaoth, on the outcome of the fight against Goro Akechi, on his friends (the ones still there), on... so many things, really. In any case, please ignore how he's eventually draping an arm over his eyes.

... Guess he could be nudged, but do you really want to disrupt such high quality brooding relaxation? ]

(( ooc: if any questions -- or if you'd like a specific situation -- i can be reached via PM, skiesonfire, or discord (NaCl#4218)! ))

post-meeting

[zom]

[ mitsuha leaves the meeting feeling more terrified than assured, and she's keeping to herself as she walks back to her assigned house when she nearly steps on something on the ground. someone, rather. mitsuha looks down at the figure below her, and... ]

K--

[ she almost lets his name slip, but she catches herself just before it can. time to take out the device. ]

Kurusu-kun, what are you doing?

Kara Danvers | Supergirl

[iisupergirlii]

Muzzle and Mute

[there's a distinct downside to having a faster-than-human body - metabolism, nervous system, whatever it is to blame - Kara's confusion wears off before the red dust does. She's at herself during the strip down, panicking when her day clothes are shoved off to briefly reveal her supersuit until the crowd of strangers taking care of her remove that too.

She glances around, wonders if anyone saw - until she knows where she is, no one can know she's Supergirl. Not until she's sure there's no enemies here, or that her powers will bring... wherever this is harm.

The second they get their devices, Kara is tapping at it, seeing if anyone else has said anything on it yet. Anything she can cluelessly navigate to doesn't turn up any results when she taps in 'Supergirl' or 'superhero' so - thank Rao. Nothing yet.

She's going to have to keep a close eye on it in case that changes, though.

Getting outside is priority number two. She agrees, zipping up her jumpsuit all the way up to the base of her neck before going outside, the quiet tick-tick-tick of the zip earning a frown from the natives, even in the area they've been allowed to speak.

Kara's going to have to get used to this.

On her way to her house - #9 apparently - she keeps her ears hyperfocused on the slightest sound and her eyes glued to her device, constantly running paranoid searches. She almost runs into her house until the native escorting her puts a hand on her arm to stop her from banging into the door.

Her mouth starts to open when the native covers it with her hand, eyeing the device pointedly. With a nod, Kara holds it up and types.]

I'm sorry.

Man in the Hat - House 9

[The first problem of Kara's new "bedroom" is that, well... there's no bed. There's a great fireplace, which a chimney that could make for a quick - if dirty - exit. But, could she start a fire anyway? Wood crackles when it burns...

Even being sensitive to sound, she's never thought about it this much before.

Still, she makes a list on her device of things she needs:

- a bed
- sheets and blankets??
- ask about tech - cameras?? monitors? security system????
- lock for door

The first person she runs into at the house she literally runs into. Her device falls from her hand, and it's a blur of movement that saves it from clattering to the ground. She straightens, clearing her throat, and looking at the stranger awkwardly before typing out: Hi? just under her list.]

Man in the Hat (party time)

[Kara has never been more relieved in her life than she is when she makes it to the center of the community and is presented with her glasses. Praise Rao. She puts them on almost immediately, smiling in thanks, and then continuing on to the party. As if on cue, her device prompts her to register a name for communication. She does, kdanvers, and then the device scans her image for a picture. Her forehead is wrinkled in confusion and her expression serious, but there's no offer to take another.

Well. All right then.

She follows the smell of food. She doesn't want to gorge - there's so many people in jumpsuits around her, but she's starving. She's usually eaten a couple buffet tables and five pizzas by now, on any given day.

She takes two generous slices of bread from Phillipa, according to the name on her suit, and three peaches' worth of canned slices, thanking Rao that there's plenty of jars visible.

She settles in, sitting on the remains of a cement bench, her plate in her lap, and people watches, wondering if she'll catch any familiar faces.]

Town Hall - network post [closed to Victor]

kdanvers: My name is Kara Danvers. I'm looking for a Victor Nikiforov? I'll be just outside the door if you want to find me.

Town Hall

[poodlemom]

[Spying the new message on his phone, he'll shoot back a quick "be there soon" to his assigned partner. Victor's actually pretty punctual, aside from a heavy night of partying, nothing much stopped him getting to his practice on time. He was the type who could sleep in until the last moment and still not be late. Looking between the profile photo and Kara, he'll recognize her and move to her, smiling with a greeting of a wave before typing over]

Hi! Nice to meet you. We're supposed to scout this place together, huh? You know why?