quietplacelogs | INTRO LOG #1

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INTRO LOG #1

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh wow, they fight each other? Huh. He's curious about the story.]

She seemed real helpful to me, I wasn't the only person she was helping out.

Edited (LET ME SPARE YOU) 2018-01-17 17:35 (UTC)

[He makes a wry face, but doesn't doubt the story. He knows little about A2, but with this piece of information he thinks he's starting to understand.

There's still so much missing.]

She must still be interested in helping humanity after all. We're still under orders to eliminate her, but that might have to wait until we return home.

Whoa hey, don't get too hasty! You shouldn't go around murdering people, even if they betrayed you.

[9S doesn't really want to murder her. He'd rather have answers, but...]

Orders are orders. Fighting's not really my forte though, and it would cause too much noise, so I won't be fighting unless I have to.

You shouldn't have to. That's messed up.

[Who makes an android that looks like a teenager? If he isn't made for combat, then why was he given an order to kill another android? Yeah, maybe it wouldn't have the same impact on the psyche of an android, theoretically, but...]

Being ordered to murder another person is wrong. I'm sorry, the humans who gave you that order are WRONG.

[Knowing what he knows about the Type-E units, about the aliens and the machines, 9S isn't sure what to say. He had already begun to feel the hopelessness of their mission before he came here. Adam's words still echo in his head, even now. He still feels violated.

This was like a second chance. It was only missing one thing, but maybe she was better off without him.]

It wasn't the humans who ordered it. I don't like it either, but... She betrayed Command. They must have their reasons, right?

[Reigen has to calm himself down before he types very furiously into his device. He messages directly to 9S, since he's too livid to want to wait and flip his screen around every time he types a sentence.]

Listen, even humans mess up and have terrible reasons to try and inflict suffering and pain on others. It's usually to take something from someone or to control someone.

Don't willingly subject yourself to that, that's abuse.

If you are forced to try and kill someone, you're the one that's going to suffer.

There are people out there that know what to do! They have jobs explicitly to keep people safe! You don't have to do something like that!

And if someone's coming at you with murderous intent, DON'T face them head-on! If you're in a dangerous situation, it's okay to run away!

[He's unable to separate the concept of a robotic being like an android, which might be specifically programmed to do something, with the fact that 9S resembles a normal person. A person that expressed shock and worry at hearing about someone he's afraid of being around, who's expressive in a lot of subtle ways, just like a human being.]

[9S is alarmed by the onslaught of text messages being received by his device. His body feels frozen in place as he watches sentence after sentence appear, until his screen is completely filled with Reigen's words.

Humans try to inflict suffering on each other? They try to control each other?

His lips part, as if to say something, before he pulls them taut again in a thin line.

Why is he being yelled at? Just for doing his job...? But it's not like he can just decide against doing it, or run away. To do that would be an abandonment of his duties. He would be hunted down, just like A2.

9S stares at his phone for a long time before he responds, his movements slow, but decisive.]

We androids were made for one purpose. If I run away, I can't call myself a soldier. I'll just be a traitor.

[Reigen clenches his fist and bites a knuckle, resisting every urge in his body to shout or stamp his feet!! He goes back to texting, the soft tap of his fingers padding the screen and some frustrated sounding breathing the only sound he lets out. He is doing his very best to contain his meltdown.]

THAT'S ABSURD AND YOU NEED TO GET A BETTER JOB

IF YOU'RE NOT EVEN GOOD AT FIGHTING WHY ARE YOU A SOLDIER??

WHAT IDIOT HUMAN DESIGNED THAT???

WHAT KIND OF WEIRDO MAKES A SOLDIER ANDROID THAT LOOKS LINE A TEENAGER

[Each question digs into 9S like a hot knife. It reminds him too much of Adam, poking around inside of him. He knows Reigen means well, but the memories of that event were still fresh and tainted everything around him.

Why is he a soldier?

Why did they design without even the ability to wield a weapon?

9S feels an ache in his chest where his black box rests, and he doesn't know what to say. More importantly, Reigen is making noise, and he'll take the chance for a diversion while the man is still typing.

He steps closer, and despite his instincts telling him he shouldn't interfere, his urge to protect him is much stronger. He places his hand over Reigens' as they tap furiously at his device.

With his other, he signs.] You're making noise.

[The hands make Reigen jolt, but he does pretty much immediately calm down, letting out a low, silent breath. Right. Noise. After another couple of seconds to calm down, he wiggles his hands free and types something else.]

You should work for me instead.

[He's glad that worked. He isn't sure what he can do if a "sound eater" shows up.

9S awkwardly signs back.]

But they've already assigned me a job for my stay here...

Edited 2018-01-17 19:40 (UTC)

Me too, I'm on guard duty. But people have two jobs all the time!

Besides, I have experience being a mentor figure. I have a lot to teach you!

Oh, I'm on guard duty too-- [9S starts to sign as he's still reading through Reigen's texts. It ends in an abrupt stop, and then he begins again.]

You'll teach me? It's true there's still a lot I don't know about the Old World and human culture...

[The desolation he felt only moments before begins to go forgotten as Reigen sparks his interests. Anything he learns can still be brought back to Command. He may not be good at fighting, but that's because he was made for recon. He'll prove his worth.]

[Never has a man looked so goddamn smug typing at someone, but then again, no one else is Reigen.]

Of course!! I'm the greatest psychic of 21st century!

[Uhhh...

He's finding he doesn't know how to sign words he's not familiar with.]

What's that?

I have a unique and powerful ability to see spirits, curses, and evil energies. And I've trained long and hard to exorcise them.

[His hesitation says a lot. 9S has his doubts.]

...Is stuff like that actually real?

[He gives a solemn, dramatic nod.]

Iii've never seen any spirits or curses, but okay...

You have to be spiritually attuned!! It's a rare gift. But don't worry, with my guidance, even you can learn how to take precautions against the supernatural.

[9S still has his doubts, but he's not about to turn down the offer. He's way too curious to see where this leads, even if it sounds kind of dumb.]

Okay, okay. I'll try it, whatever it is.

Since we're both on guard duty, you can help me with that, too! I don't know if these Sound Eaters are spirits or not, or if they are, I don't know if they're able to hide themselves.

Sure thing, Sir. While we're on patrol, I can make map data of the surrounding area.

If we can find a way to eradicate the sound eaters, the people here will be able to live normal lives...

Don't call me sir, that makes me sound old. I'm Reigen Arataka, so just Reigen. Master Reigen if you really want to.

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THANK YOU SENPAI...

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