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

lilina sanada | koi to uso | ota

[bowrettes]

MUZZLE AND MUTE

THE ROOM » OTA
[ standing among the crowd in the room, coming not even to five feet tall, lilina might not attract much attention... that is, if it weren't for her breathing. be silent, they're told, and silent is what she strives for, but she cannot help how her fear manifests, how her budding panic has her lips parting on short, shallow gasps of air. she feels dizzy, fair skin even paler than normal, teetering on the cusp of a fainting spell, but she manages to keep upright, her small hands clutching the transparent device close to her chest.

maybe all this noise she's making now is okay in this room. maybe it won't be for long. ]

HOUSE EIGHT » CLOSED TO HOUSEMATES
[ she is one of the last to arrive. her steps naturally shorter, but now also dragging in her dread,
so by the time she arrives to her assigned housing, she is left with one of the last few rooms to choose from.
stuck between the deck and the dining room, lilina immediately makes a beeline for the room indoors, knowing she'd have an easier time trying to sleep on hard floors than having to content with being exposed to the world outside.
still, it is with a pinched expression as she wanders through the small space, trying to map out where and how she could possibly make it somewhat cozy...

she doesn't expect to come across anyone else, despite knowing she has housemates, so when she turns she very nearly bumps into you — or maybe she sees you first, and just barely manages to swallow down a sharp yelp. (sadly, she drops her device in the process, and the dull thud it makes as it hits the carpeted floor makes her wince.) ]

THE MAN IN THE HAT

HEAVY LIFTING » OTA
[ first thing's first: she needs a bed. lilina may have contented to hole herself up in the house's dining room (some extra partitions for privacy are certainly next on the list) but she absolutely refuses to have to settle for an aching back on top of all the other injustices placed upon them since their arrival. she's already managed to track down the furniture store that sells some extra cots, and even got herself a nice wagon (wheels extra oiled!) to help her push it back down to her building...

the only problem? she's like 4'9" and 85 lbs. hence why she will suddenly perk up at the sight of you, waving her hand in the air eagerly to try and get your attention. ]

PARTY TIME » OTA (warning: possible minor drinking)
[ lilina's experience with parties extend only to the small gatherings her parents have had, and even then she'd spent it mostly in silence, tucked into one of the corners as she pretended to be pretty invested in whatever was on her plate. in this case, it's one of those... pickle monstrosities, the smell so pungent she cannot help how her nose wrinkles when she attempts to lift it up to her lips. blech. no, no thank you,
she will just live off of bread and bread alone if she has to!

...except her stomach suddenly grumbles, and some natives instantly shoot her looks or warning. face flushing,
lilina hastily downs another glass of water, hoping that might somehow appease her stomach.

—except oops she'd accidentally grabbed your cup, and it may or may not be that hooch??? ]

SOUND EATERS

[ now that they're allowed to make sound, perhaps no one will notice her slink away. she's normally fairly light-footed anyway, and is so petite she isn't often on anyone's line of sight to begin with. now that everyone's speaking, no one might even hear her short, shuddering gasps, or her hasty sniffles. she's found some corner of the main hall, knees drawn up and face buried in her hands. it's the first time she's let herself cry since arrival, and she seems to be making sure she's making up for it.

should she notice anyone try to approach her, she will start, and hastily try to wipe her face up, glancing away. her voice, when she speaks, is thick with tears and disuse, but still sharp and curt. ]

W-What do you want?

heavy lifting

[tropism]

[ at first, he thinks that she's waving to someone else because giorno is too busy glancing at messages he has and checking out the phone. the second time she does wave, he frowns and ends up thinking, alright, this gal's probably calling me over. just to make sure, he checks out his surroundings (she might be calling a friend! then it'll just be embarrassing for him!) before moseying over now that he's certain that it's him he's calling for.

he glances at the wagon, and then at her, and just shrugs. a quick type of a message and he says: ]

Where is it? I probably have a better idea on how to transport it.

[bowrettes]

[ she opens her mouth to respond instinctively, but immediately slaps a hand over it to quiet herself. (though it just makes a little noise in turn, so what even was the point, lilina.) hastily she digs out her device, typing quietly onto it. ]

I am in House Eight. Do you know it?

[tropism]

I do. I live close by.

Is there anything else you need to bring over there? [ do they need to make more than one trip, basically. ]

the room

[ghostfluster]

[Rosa's strung tight with nerves herself, just trying to stay calm and -- literally -- keep herself together until they get more information, or at least get some air. she's not so focused on that she doesn't notice someone else's distress, though.

she dithers briefly, not sure what approach would be best, then goes for a steadying hand on Lilina's shoulder]

Easy...

[bowrettes]

[ lilina startles at the sudden touch, practically jumping right out of her skin. her head whips around, long pigtails fluttering wildly, and her eyes are wide as she struggles to gather her bearings enough to actually... see the girl beside her.

she doesn't look to relax at all, but she bobs her head in understanding anyway. her small hands fist on the loose pants of her jumpsuit, a vain attempt to keep herself together. ]

[ghostfluster]

[a native moves in to shush her; she waves him away. all right already. she gets it; they need to keep silent. she's worried about Lilina, though.

she nods towards the door, then tests out the device herself: will some air help? crwowded in here]

sound eaters

[priwen]

[ Lillina's voice might be subdued by the sea of whispers, but her emotions ripple through the room and ping on Alexandre's radar. It's inevitable, how his Echo feeds the surface emotions of others to him - sadness and pain.

His eyes trace the room for its source and land on her. (She is so small.) Knowing naught of her predicament means there isn't much to say; once she accosts him, his only response would be to offer her what was in his hand.

A scrap of cloth with the edges sewn neatly inwards, with a small decorated corner where he had practiced embroidery on. Perhaps it could serve as a handkerchief. ]

[bowrettes]

[ she is still visibly startled by the sight of him — how could she not? he's giant, especially so compared to her — but her expression softens just a touch when he holds the makeshift handerchief out to her.

she blinks at it for a few moments, eyes wide and watery. ]

...Thank you.

[ voice is much more muted, humbled by his gesture. she shifts from her curled up position on the ground, reaching for the cloth to lightly dab at her eyes. ]

[priwen]

[ 'tis impolite to watch a lady cry, so he gives her a slight smile before turning away. If she has something to tell him, he trusts that she will bring it up once she's ready. Though knowing the general sentiments of the arrivals, he can probably guess.

「 I want to go home. 」

「 I don't want to die! 」

「 I didn't choose this fate. 」

These are things that have stood out to him over the past few days. Perhaps her worries were the same - he need only wait. ]

heavy lifting

[twoaffirmations]

[At just under 5'3", 9S didn't look like much either, but unbeknownst to and luckily for the human waving him over, he was an android clocking in at nearly 300lbs. Moving a little furniture was easy, and he approaches her with a curious look, signing with one hand.]

Do you need some help, ma'am?

[bowrettes]

[ she hesitates at the gestures he makes, but luckily for her she had had her device out. she reads the translation on the transparent screen, looking a little uncertain. ]

Yes... Would you happen to know someone who can help me bring this to my building?

[twoaffirmations]

[9S signs out his reply, and then points a thumb at his chest.]

You're looking right at him, ma'am!

Sound Eaters

[poodlemom]

[Having been looking over the crowd, listening to questions as they where asked of the natives, Victor spied Lilina early on. He was shocked that young people like herself would be brought along, especially since the natives seemed intent on the Outsiders settling down and repopulating. The implications make Victor's stomach sink with dread. Despite his eccentricities, Victor is capable of being level headed and responsible.

When he looks back, she's retreating from the crowd, which breaks his own attention from it. Curiously, he'll follow along, keeping an eye on her.

His heart aches to find her crying, alone, so he hangs back. He'll leave her be for a little while, but eventually grows restless and goes up to her when she's a bit more calm. Maybe a friendly face could help her out?]

How are you holding up?

[bowrettes]

[ by the time most of her sobs have subsided, she has resorted to simply leaning against the wall, knees tucked up against her chest. her eyes are red-rimmed, cheeks flushed bright red from her crying, but she has at least seemed to calm down enough that she isn't constantly hiccuping as a result.

by the time victor approaches her, she is a little more amenable to conversation, though she still regards him a little warily. ]

...As well as I could be, I suppose.

[ she sniffles a few times, reaching up to delicately rub the back of her hand against her nose. ]

[poodlemom]

[admittedly, a teenage girl slumped over to cry is a scene he's rather familiar with. He'd been going to ballet and ice skating lessons nearly the whole of his life, it was a pretty common thing to witness. A performance went poorly, a teacher was too mean, some cruel rumor had started... usual teenage girl reasons to cry were always the reason. Never so dire a situation as this, but his instincts to encourage someone downtrodden are there. Victor scoots up and sits down beside her, leaving an appropriate distance to not seem smothering. A little understanding and levity couldn't hurt]

I had my cry over it earlier, you probably lasted longer than I did.

sound eaters

[raggetiedoctor]

[It's like something a dear friend of his once said to him: If you were that old, and that kind... you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry. The Doctor had seen his housemate in passing, but walking by now, he hears the faint sound of crying and quietly approaches.

Noticing the way she tries to hide the evidence of her tears, the Doctor obliges and does not remark on them. Instead, he pauses a moment, giving her question some consideration.]

There are a lot of things I want, to tell the truth. My ship, for one. A proper bowtie, too; they took mine the other day.

[He leans down a little, whispering as though sharing a secret.]

But you know what I really want? I've been having a craving - don't get those too often! For fish fingers and custard. Don't suppose they have those here though...

[bowrettes]

[ all lilina can do in response is give a little sniffle, her large eyes blinking owlishly at his casual candor. it's certainly not a response she'd been expecting, and it takes her a moment to realize he is purposefully not mentioning her tears, and likely out of respect to her... so she allows herself to settle, somewhat, shifting to sit up a little straighter as he leans in. ]

It doesn't seem likely, [ she murmurs politely. though that politeness is ruined a moment later, her nose wrinkling. ]

Did you say fish and custard?

[raggetiedoctor]

I did, yes!

[He notices the expression on her face but can only smile back in response.]

Oi, don't knock it 'til you've tried it, is what I say! Of course, once you try it, feel free to knock it all you like, I know how weird some people's taste buds can be...

heavy lifting

[skittering]

❰ lalli's spent much of the day wandering around, getting the lay of the place and generally enjoying (and being mildly unnerved by) the lack of chatter you might usually expect from this many confused human beings. in fact, he's about to make another loop around the outermost sand paths when the urgent wave of a nearby girl catches his attention.

she seems like she's looking at him, but he glances around to be sure. yes, it's definitely him she wants. so he does the only thing he can do, at this point: he pads over in her direction, the look in his eye hopefully asking why she waved him down well enough not to have to bring out his device and write words. ❱

[bowrettes]

[ fortunately for lalli, she is already quickly typing on her own by the time he gets close enough. ]

Hello. Are you busy? I was wondering if you could help me with something?

[ it's. a pretty big favor she's about to ask, so she intends to ease him into it... ]

i guess someone here has to facilitate underage drinking (party time)

[dryeyes]

[The edges of the party had seemed safest for someone who wants to keep an eye on things but really would rather not exchange pleasantries over text or join in what was attempting to be a silent kind of dancing. No thanks.]

[His drink is resting on the ground, with its own little pile of sand to facilitate picking it up and resting it back down and he's not really aware of it so, of course, when it's swiped away he can't prevent it and...]

[Oh, child, that's definitely a mistake.]

[When her senses catch up, there will be the strong smell of alcohol, something almost akin to the smell of nail polish remover. Ice would make a sound so it's the temperature of the night air, not nearly chilly enough to reduce the sour taste and-]

[Okay, he wasn't fast enough to stop it, but he's fairly quick in swiping the jar back and presenting her a small piece of cloth, about the size of a handkerchief. If she was going to cough or gag or have any reaction, she could muffle the sound in there.]

the hero we deserve

[bowrettes]

[ the handkerchief was well timed, for by the time her hands are free she's reaching for something, anything to suddenly shove in her mouth because oh lord she swallowed before her tastebuds could catch up to her and now it just burnnnns all down her throat and—

she muffles a miserable shriek against the cloth, coughing roughly enough that several natives whip their head around and throw her sharp looks of reproach. ]

housemates

[hoaxer]

[Lu Li, who was in a rush to hurry back inside with the chair she had found, had noticed someone approaching. She abruptly stopped the moment her system gave a warning, but the other keeps going - almost resulting in a collision. Nervously, she takes a few steps back, raising the chair a bit higher to hide her robotic face.

She doesn't want to startle this poor person more than she already has, though she. Isn't doing a good job at it.]

[bowrettes]

[ fortunately (?) for lilina, she is already pretty startled enough by the near-collision and the drop of her phone that she doesn't really pay much attention to

the very obvious mechanical thing standing just before her.

the shock comes a little more gradually. then again, she's met androids and such by now, so.... ]

Ah—

[ oh. right. she fishes out her device. ]

I apologize. I did not hear you approach.

[ she eyes the chair. ]

Do you live here too?