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:

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NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kara can't help but snort out a quick laugh at the man's complaint when she overhears it. She's across the room from him, but even though they can talk here, the town hall falls into hushes of silence out of fear often enough that most quiet conversation carries. She skims the crowd until she finds him and, in an effort to meet as many new arrivals as she can, she goes over to him.]

I'm guessing there's not... things that go bump in the night where you're from. Like monsters or, [she adjusts her glasses, smiling awkwardly.] aliens or anything like that.

[Well, here's a hot librarian if he ever saw one. Cute plus glasses plus awkward. That's the vibe he's getting. Kilgrave smiles when she comes over. She's totally wrong, of course.]

No, there are definitely aliens where I'm from. But none that ever managed to take over the earth. What about you?

[Clearly she's implying that there are all sorts of strange creatures where she's from. How is this all possible anyway? Did they get pulled in from different dimensions or something like that?]

[well, that eliminates the slight possibility he could've been from her dimension. She's sure he would have mentioned the Daxamites at the very least if he was. she shrugs one shoulder.]

A few. Well, a lot of aliens, but only a few ever tried to conquer Earth. [she smiles again, pride flashing in her eyes.] Other aliens helped out and stopped them, though.

Like, um... Supergirl, for instance.

[Huh. The story sounds familiar and yet different. He tilts his head, considering.]

We've got some pretty famous superheroes, but I've never heard of her. Supergirl. What a boring name.

[Talk about obvious. No imagination at all. Anyway, he's got no use for aliens or superheroes who aren't even here. He shrugs, meeting her eyes.]

Forget about her, what's your name?

[Kara's mouth turns down in a frown, disapproving and about to spout back that Supergirl... well, okay, even she fought Ms. Grant on the name at first, but it's about more than a name. And that name has inspired countless little girls everywhere to be bigger, braver -

She's about to, until the anger's gone, as is the topic. Kara's features relax, softening, and she holds out a hand for Kilgrave to shake. A strong - perhaps a little too strong - handshake always leaves a lasting good impression. That's one thing Eliza taught her when she arrived on Earth in an effort to convince her to go out and meet humans.]

Kara Danvers. It's nice to meet you. What's yours?

Kilgrave, likewise.

[He shakes her hand, finding the grip firmer than he would expect. She's got confidence. He also doesn't miss the sudden switch in her mood: she looks offended one second and relaxed the next.

Seems like his power might work after all. He smothers a grin, sticking to polite interest instead.]

What did you do back home?

I was a reporter for CatCo Worldwide Media.

[and not anything else.]

A journalist, eh. So you must have an ear for a story. Find anyone interesting here?

[He gestures around them. It's what he's been doing, in his own way. Getting the measure of his fellow new arrivals.]

Edited 2018-01-19 19:38 (UTC)

Well, I think everyone is interesting, in their own way. No one's really sprung out like they're going to murder the rest of us, which is nice. So, for now, I guess it's just the Sound Eaters we have to worry about. [her forehead crinkles. She's still confused about them.] Whatever those actually are.

What about you? [she gives him a comfortable, friendly smile.] What makes you interesting?

[Yeah, she's not the only one confused about the Sound Eaters. But only the natives have the answers right now, and they've said as much as they're going to.

As for him... He smiles back, liking her openness. No guile that he can see; she seems genuinely friendly.]

Well, you'll just have to get to know me and find out. Take off your glasses. You'll look better without them.

[Not that he doesn't appreciate the sexy librarian look, but he wants to see her smile without them.]

[Kara's hands are to her face removing her glasses before she really has time to process what he's said. She slides them off, folding them closed, and brings them down, holding them in one hand with her device.

Her brow wrinkles in confusion, and she looks up at him.]

Why did I... do that? [she laughs, once, quickly, shaking her head. her left hand goes up to the corner of her eye.] Sorry, I guess I had something in my eye.

[after a moment, she puts her glasses back on. hey, he didn't say keep them off. she knows they don't look great, all big-rimmed and blocky and covering half her face, but she has to keep them on. they help her. she gives him a still slightly confused smile.] Anyway, what were you saying? Oh, right. Well, I guess since we're here, we have nothing but time to get to know each other.

That's true. [He agrees, but he's a little irritated that she corrected herself so quickly.] Keep– [He pauses, takes a breath. He's trying to stay low-key here, not give away any obvious signs that he's controlling anyone. And he doesn't want Kara to realise either; Kilgrave has no idea at this point whether he'll be able to talk to her again within the twenty four hour time limit before his control wears off. It's not worth the risk.] Personally, I'm hoping our time here won't last very long, and not because the Sound Eaters get us. If we were brought in, surely there has to be a way out.

[Kara nods, scrolling through some of her gathered intel on her device.]

Yeah, you're right. There's exits around the perimeter. I saw some when we were patrolling earlier. They're not guarded, but they're not open either.

[could be magically locked? Kara's not sure.]

Maybe it's too dangerous to leave, especially if everyone would have to be quiet.

I wasn't thinking about the perimeter. What about the room we arrived in? Somehow we were pulled there, like a teleport. Do you remember what you were doing before you arrived? What happened?

[If it turns out that everyone has a similar story i.e. that they died, well, that's a conclusion. One he'd like to disprove.]

[her real story of how she got here is definitely not something she wants to divulge just yet. it'd reveal, if nothing else, that she has powers, and they've only been here a day and some change. no thanks. she fumbles, not quite making eye contact. where is her p-p-p-p-poker face??]

I, um... I was cooking, eggs, one minute and then. [she snaps] Waking up here the next. [she widens her eyes, overexaggerated shock on her face.] Geez louise, I hope my sister turned my stove off!

How did you get here?

[Kilgrave isn't the most perceptive listener but he's not totally oblivious either and he's rather perplexed about why she's suddenly turned into a bad stage actress. He frowns.]

Sorry, is that all that happened? Be honest.

No. I was lying.

[she feels weird. okay, everyone's always told her she's a bad liar - for the most part. Lena doesn't know she's Supergirl yet after all, so she's good at it sometimes when she's not put on the spot. but why would she admit to that?

she gives her head a little shake, clear out the clutter in there, and her glasses slide just the slightest bit down her nose, reminding her how awful she looks with them on. that and the admission have her flushing pink in embarrassment.]

[Huh. That's weird. Why would she lie? He'd pegged her as a friendly, open sort of person. Kilgrave tilts his head.]

Why, what happened? Tell me the truth.

[Kara clears her throat guiltily.]

I was flying and a portal opened up. I thought it was my friend, Barry. He lives on Earth-1 but he has a friend who can make portals between different Earth dimensions, and sometimes they need my help. It didn't look exactly the same, but I flew into it to see how I could help.

And then I woke up here.

[Kara sucks in a breath, her eyes wide this time out of panic.]

Why did I... please don't tell anyone I said that. No one's supposed to know I'm... I'm...

[wait, why aren't people supposed to know? She can't remember.]

[...That's completely different from anything she's said before. His eyes widen. She can fly? And what does she mean, different Earth dimensions? But she looks upset and he has to deal with that first. Kilgrave reaches out to lay a hand on her arm, reassuring her:]

Don't worry, it's fine. I promise I will keep your secret. You're not the first one I've met with super powers. Flying though – that's new. [Flying! That's rather exciting.] What else can you do?

[it's fine! just like that, Kara's breathing evens out and she visibly relaxes. oh, thank Rao. he won't tell. That's fine. As long as everyone doesn't know she's an alien. That was always important: fit in, be normal, don't let people know. but Kilgrave is nice. she offers him a trusting smile.

I'm strong and most things can't kill me. Also I have laser eyes. I can hear pretty far away, but I guess that doesn't matter much here. I heal and run pretty fast too!

[she pauses. geez, is that it? wait! nope!]

Oh! And I can freeze someone by blowing on them and see through walls and stuff. Or, anything really except for lead.

Edited 2018-01-21 00:47 (UTC)

[She has laser eyes! That power list is ridiculous. If he hadn't told her to tell the truth, he wouldn't believe her. Kilgrave nods, impressed.]

Wow. That's quite the list. Let me guess: it's a secret because you have a secret identity, right? Reporter by day, superhero by night?

[That's how it works in his world anyway. Some of the guys in capes are open about their identities, some are unknown.]

[Kara frowns, trying to think. She... she's helped people. Her powers are used for good. But she's not a superhero.]

I don't... know. I try to help people whenever I can.

[Huh. She seems confused. Maybe that's not how it works where she's from.]

What were you saying about a portal? Did you fly through it and arrive here?

[Kara nods.] Yes.

How did you get here?

INTRO LOG #1

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