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

---

Comments

Rey (ota)

[steal]

The Man in the Hat:

[Everything so far has felt surreal to Rey. The lack of sound in this place is already getting to her, even when she knows that it's this way out of supposed necessity. At the gathering she keeps her distance and observes others, trying to sort out potential allies out of the mix. Food is always welcome, though her table manners could use some improvement. She eats the fruit and bread with her fingers, quietly but quickly devouring everything she's given as if she's used to not knowing where her next meal will come from.

She can feel eyes on her as she eats, and turns to notice someone right near her. Her eyebrows arch as she seems to ask them what?

Does she have something on her face?]

Sound Eaters:

[After hearing everything at the town hall, Rey is glad when they're free to leave. She's no stranger to pain and loss, but the fear she can feel through the force of the natives is nearly choking her by this point. She's distracted by it, and is unable to focus on anything else. For now, she takes their words as warning despite the fact that they should be taken as law. Silence is mandatory and she can do that, but she can't just go back to her house and sit around. She needs to keep her hands busy.

In the hours after the meeting, Rey can be found doing her job, performing maintenance on doors that need extra attention. When she finishes she moves quickly and quietly toward the unknown, attempting to do some exploring. She might get in trouble, but she doesn't intend on disturbing anything. Without glancing back behind her, she quietly keeps to the sand trail to see where it leads her.]

Wildcard:

[Open to housemates in house one for settling in things, as well as workmates who might have the bad luck to be paired off with her. Hit me up at spectromagic if you'd like something else!]

sound eaters

[oorah]

[ it seems rey isn't the only one who hates sitting still. frank had ditched the meeting at the earliest possible opportunity which is how he spots her on the sandpath leading the opposite way from the village. not one to let a lady wander out on her own at night, he finds himself silently beside her, giving a little nod and shrug in greeting. sup girl ]

[steal]

[When she first glances his way, it's with annoyance. She's a woman on a mission, and doesn't think she needs company. But since she's sure he's perfectly capable of not getting in the way that look quickly fades away, and she gives a slight smile as she nods. Yeah, he can come along. For now.

It's tempting to speak and ask him his name or what he's planning on doing, but she stays silent as she leads the way without pulling ahead of him. She pulls her device out of her pocket and gets up a quick message.]

If we're stopped, tell them we're looking for supplies.

[oorah]

[ he has deep bruising all over his face, red like the blood is pooling close to the surface. he ignores the way the chill in the air makes it sting, looking over to read the words she writes him. frank is getting used to this game, but he hates it. he wants to learn the sign language the natives use so he can ditch this stupid thing for good.

nodding to her suggestion he flashes her an OK symbol with his hand, easily keeping pace with her as he mills along in the sand. ]

[steal]

[She's never seen that gesture before so she copies it, and turns her hand so she can get a look at it from different angles. It's not hard to figure out what it means, at least, so soon she's nodding and letting her hand drop down by her side. If they're "looking for supplies", it makes sense to start poking into buildings.

There's one up ahead that's off the sand path, and though they've been warned to stay on it she knows her footsteps will fall silently. His better too, because she diverts off the path without missing a beat. The building up ahead was probably a small shop at one point in time, but now it sits empty.

Empty and unlocked, as Rey quickly and easily opens the door just enough to slip through. There's no can of oil here, and so she makes no attempt to touch at the hinges. That rule makes sense, but doesn't apply to them here and now. Neither does the talking rule, as Rey grabs him and turns them so he's pressed against a wall and her mouth is in close enough to his ear that she can whisper. She does it gently, having noted the condition of his face and the fact he's likely been recently beaten. She doesn't want to add to that, or make him react violently.]

Do you trust everything we've been told?

[She doesn't, but doesn't want to sound like she's paranoid.]

Sound Eaters

[toomuchridgewood]

[ These people are desperate, and Aloy wants to help. She's sure she can defeat this problem. After all, she had fought off the Shadow Carja and defeated HADES. These monsters are powerful, she doesn't doubt that. But she's pretty sure they lack the intelligence of the corrupted A.I.

After the meeting, she paces the perimeter of the town. She needs her weapons. She understands the townspeople's caution. But her bow is quiet. Her spear is quiet. They hardly make the noise of a cannon. She'll have to wait for her bow, but if she can find the right materials, she can make some kind of spear. Enough to defend herself, or take down some game if she finds it.

She won't find the materials she needs in town. And she's not sure if she's quite ready to venture into the forest alone. So when she sees another young woman, one with a capable air, venturing forth, Aloy quickly follows.

She doesn't speak to the other woman, just gives her a bit of a smile and tilts her head in the direction they're traveling. ]

[steal]

[Rey gives a smile in return, and a curt nod of her head as if to answer the unspoken question about both the direction and whether or not she wants company. Rey's also on the hunt for a weapon, though she figures it will be hard to replace her staff. That won't stop her from trying to find something, though. Anything is better than being unarmed in a strange place.

They walk and Rey has to resist the urge to talk, but eventually she does tap her current companion on the arm so attention will be paid to her when she gestures. She makes a stabbing motion, trying to get the point of weapon across. Her eyebrows go up, as if asking if she's seen anything that might constitute as one.]

[toomuchridgewood]

[ The nod is enough for Aloy, who quickly falls into step with the other woman. She is comfortable in the silence. At least. the silence that comes without talking. The greater silence, the absence of any machines or animals making even the slightest sound, is a profound weight on her. The only sound is the current of the water, the wind in the trees.

Was this what it was like, after HADES destroyed the world, before GAIA rebuilt it? When all that existed was the ruins of what once was?

A tap on the shoulder interrupts her thoughts. It takes her a moment to understand what her new companion's gestures might mean. She frowns thoughtfully and looks around. What she needs is a length of wood. A tree branch or something, reasonably straight and solid. There's a copse of trees not far from the sand path. She was hoping to make it all the way to the forest, but perhaps they'd better stay closer to the settlement.

She tilts her head in the direction of the trees and raises her eyebrows. An unspoken suggestion to go that way. ]

[steal]

[Rey prefers silence, particularly with strangers. The less she has expectations to "talk", the better. But there are messages that need to be conveyed to be efficient and get things done, and she reluctantly has to reach out to touch the other woman to get things moving.

Aloy signals to head off in a particular direction and Rey doesn't sense anything terrible coming from it. The further away she can get from the natives here and their fear, the better. So she nods and starts to lead the way toward the trees. A light breeze passes overhead, rustling the leaves and the grass. Rey pauses and listens, waiting for any sign of danger. Nothing comes, and she makes sure her feet fall silently on the earth as she moves on ahead.]

The man in the hat

[theantagonist]

[He keeps his mechanical hand in the pocket of his jumpsuit, his other hand holding the crystal he knows is from his lightsaber. It had taken control he had not wanted to hold onto not to strangle the native that gave it to them. He's sure they didn't dismantle his lightsaber, they didn't even seem to understand what it is. His frustration is palatable.

Anakin catches sight of the girl from the silent lockdown. He has a jar of peaches and a jar of hooch tucked under his arm and he makes his way over to her.]

Do you want to get away from this suffocating celebration?

[steal]

[She eyes the peaches, and then the jar of hooch. An eyebrow arches at the sight of it, but she doesn't really need to question things. A couple of her fingers are licked clean as she nods, and grabs the remains of the jar she's been eating from. ]

I could use a break from the crowds.

[It feels like she's been in close contact with so many people nonstop since arriving. Getting away sounds ideal right about now. So if he leads, she'll closely follow him.]

man in the hat

[iisupergirlii]

[Kara smiles over at Rey from her own bench, her plate of peach slices emptied faster than she wanted. Seems she's gotten caught people staring. Well, onwards and upwards. It'd be weirder if she didn't say anything now. Instead, she types out a message and brings it over, screen out to Rey to read.]

Sorry for staring. You look as hungry as I feel, haha.
Are you okay?

[steal]

[Rey's eyes scan over the words and she gives a little nod. Her fingers are covered in peach juice but she still uses her own device anyway. Her manners definitely need a lot of work.]

There's some fruit left if you're interested.

[She holds the jar out, giving it the tiniest little shake. The staring doesn't bother her, so she doesn't comment on that. She also doesn't really want to answer the question as to whether or not she's alright, because she isn't sure how she's doing yet.]

[iisupergirlii]

[Kara sticks her fork in the jar. It's a plastic fork, least noisy utensil ever. She spears a slice of peach and plucks it out, biting into it. It's so ridiculously sweet, so hey, at least there's tasty food here. In... potentially short supply, but that's a problem for another day. That's approaching very quickly.

Yikes.]

Thank you! I'm Kara, by the way. It's nice to meet you.

[steal]

Rey.

[Thats it, just her name. She's still learning this whole polite small talk thing. She's also still learning about things like silverware, and she eyes the plastic fork before glancing away.]

How long do you think these supplies will last?

[She's more worried about things spoiling. Canning isn't a thing where she's from and while it seems like there's plenty of people here, she also doesn't want it going to waste or being hoarded by someone. Supplies seem like they might be what acts as currency here.]

wildcard - verdrel square;

[warfares]

[ Extending the invitation to meet had taken more nerve than he'd readily admit.

He settles on the park, in part due to his familiarity with the area — there was a kind of solace to be found in nature, a balm to his fraying nerves — and in part because he knows she will enjoy the greenery. ]

You're late. [ he says by way of greeting when she arrives at the ruined fountain, their decided meeting point. ]

[steal]

I was with Poe. How long have you been waiting?

[She quirks an eyebrow as she informs him of it, the corner of her mouth turning upward into a smirk. Even with as peaceful as things are between herself and Ben at the moment, she knows that same peace won't necessarily exist for himself and the pilot. That will take more time.

For now, however, she's simply happy that he's actually asked to meet her here. She's still caught up by places with any kind of greenery. After Jakku, any little patch of green is a pleasant surprise and she isn't sure she'll ever grow out of that. To be surrounded by nature in a place that has her on edge is welcome, and earns him a point or two for thinking to meet here.]

[warfares]

[ Somehow it figures that Dameron would be here. The man is like a stone caught in your boot: persistent and irritating.

His expression flickers, lightning quick, as he turns, moving toward the pathway that will take them to the park the fastest. ]

Long enough.

the man in the hat

[kiljoy]

[Don't mind him, he can't help noticing a pretty face. And she's eating the food with a lot more enthusiasm than he can muster up for it; pickles should be barred from this earth. He smiles, shaking his head. He'll type a quick message for her too:]

Is the bread any good?

[Because he's had enough of peaches. What an awful party.]

[steal]

[She gives him an odd look for a moment, before getting out a response. The peaches are finished off before she nods, and types out something for him to see.]

It's food. Free food. It's wonderful.

[Coming from starving to being provided food is still a crazy concept to her. So she'll think just about anything here is great as long as it's edible. Knowing that's unusual now that she's traveled some, she offers him a slight smile and a shrug.]

[kiljoy]

You're... not used to having easily available food?

[What is she, some poor orphan wench? He's not used to talking to poor people. Huh.]

Sound Eaters

[ex_this_ismydesign36]

[ Will had taken one look at his originally assigned job and quietly, but firmly switched it out. No one wanted him prepping food, really they didn't.

Instead he was starting to take inventory of their situation and this involved some investigation. The best investigation started with legwork, which is what he was out doing when he came across Rey ... doing the same?

So what happens when two people going in opposite directions meet on a narrow sandtrail? ]

the man in the hat

[hoaxer]

[Nothing's on her face. It's just Lu Li with a plate of peaches, carefully arranged into a neat and small pile. She can't type with one hand - and her facial expressions are... lacking, to say the least - so she resorts to overt body language. She shoves the plate into Rey's personal space.

It's an offer. She saw how the young woman had been wolfing down her food. Maybe she'd like some more?]

[steal]

[Hey, if she's being offered more food she won't turn it down. After going hungry 99% of her life, this is living large. Rey smiles and nods, showing gratitude as she gratefully takes hold of the plate that's been shoved at her. Without really any preamble she starts to eat, displaying more of her great manners. She eats about half before stopping, glancing over at Lu Li with curiosity.

She has to do an awkward shuffle to get out her device and type, but she manages alright.]

What's your energy source?

[hoaxer]

[The manners don't bother Lu Li. It's nice to be around people she can "converse" with, even though the crowd still puts her on edge. She's been ducking in and out to orbit around those she recognizes and, when they're occupied, she escapes to the outskirts where she gazes at the food she can't have.

So long as Rey is enjoying her meal, she's satisfied. Good food shouldn't be taken for granted.]

I HAVE THE NAME, BUT I DON'T THINK I CAN EXPLAIN THE DETAILS WELL. THAT WASN'T MY FIELD OF STUDY.

[That's the issue with having a database merged with your mind. She has so much information that she can't make heads or tails out of.]

I RUN ON A TYPE OF PLASMA BATTERY, THOUGH I CAN USE SOLAR POWER AS WELL. IT'S AWFULLY BORING.