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

jade harley | homestuck

[witchhooded]

a: i hope the roof flies off and i get blown out into space

[ jade's disoriented, but that's not new, really. feeling a bit off is how sburb has settled in her bones and it's just a natural state of being. is she scared? ...maybe a little. above all else, she just wishes she knew john and davesprite were okay. that's probably what knocks her off balance so thoroughly here, and she decides that has to be it. she decides, then, after being given a tiny computer (so handy! she'll have to see if it's possible to duplicate at some time - as if jade wants to wander around this place without at least five computers on her at all times.), after questions are asked and answered and no one likely decides they feel safe, jade puts on her brightest smile, drops the hood of her witch's robes. her white, fluffy dog ears are exposed, on display, and her device is shoved in the face of the nearest person.

she doesn't make her way to her housing just yet - she wants to know her new community. this is so exciting: there are so many people to meet and she's never seen so many in one place - that is to say, jade has never seen so many people while she was awake.

her message blinks up at you, decorated with cheeriness even if it's only text. ]

my name is jade!! :D have you ever done this before? :O :O

[ which isn't descriptive, sure, but her ears twitch. she's curious. please humor her. have you ever done this before? and what do you think "this" is? ]

b: i always make such expensive mistakes

[ when the party starts, jade doesn't try to be a stranger to people. it's only when she's given her trinket - a black magic 8 ball - that she seems to draw inward. her eyes are glassy and distant as she stares down at it, and it's only a toy, true. she might give it to a child, maybe, if they seem interested, but as soon as the thought strikes her, she's conflicted. she can't bear to part with this silly thing, as bogus as a magic 8 ball is.

she hides out by the jars of pickles, sinking into her own thoughts and memories. after a while, jade closes her eyes, the bright, electric green color of them hidden away for a moment as she concentrates. then, vigorously, she shakes the ball. for doing something with such force, she manages no noise, and the only thing that comes from her is aggravation when she sees the result. "not exactly" is her answer, apparently, and it leaves her mood sour. argh.

... still, she holds onto the toy. ]

c: i know it's just a number but you're the 8th wonder
cw: alcohol, a teen avoids underage drinking

[ so jade was a little hesitant to follow this dude to his house. she did, eventually, and then he plopped the hooch into her hands and she gave him a "seriously?" gaze that all teenagers are so adept at. she then promptly hauled butt back to the party, and, in a desperate attempt to get rid of the alcohol she ultra, super duper does not want, is floating off the ground high enough that she'd be eye level for anyone over six feet tall.

so you come face to face with a girl with dog ears, holding a jar of booze and she looks like she really wants nothing to do with it.

plan of action? ]

wildcard: i'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color

[ a catch all sort of option, in case none of these pinged you but you'd like to thread! bring your own starter! or pm me or hit me up on plurk @ walpurgisnacht to get a personalized starter! <3 let me know what's good for you!! ]

C

[gimmesometassel]

[Carpet is used to flying. He's used to adjusting his height as necessary, to be able to interact comfortably with people. He's decidedly not, however, used to anyone else doing the same for him. He leans back a little in surprise as he spots Jade rising off the ground, fabric arching into a deeper curve as he looks at her--what is she? Humans don't have ears like that--, before waving a tassel in an uncertain greeting. She definitely doesn't look happy.....]

[witchhooded]

[ there's something in jade that says that this is weird, but after video game ghosts and aliens, she simply accepts a sentient carpet. as long as it's not mean, she can live with the knowledge that furniture, sometimes, is sentient. or all the time? hmm, maybe that wouldn't be so bad in the case of her manthro champs...

jade shakes her head and her ears flatten a little. she returns carpet's greeting, forcing a smile onto her face. she'd offer the alcohol, but that's... hm. wouldn't it stain? she's concerned about ruining a carpet, which seems about the last thing jade harley should be or has ever been concerned about. ]

[gimmesometassel]

Did something happen?

[Sentient furniture is concerned enough to want to comfort you over the alcohol you're worried might stain it, Jade. This is your life right now. Have you ever wondered about things like if your bed worries over you whenever you have nightmares?]

A

[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 the girl before her... doesn't appear to be human.

There's a moment's pause before 2B pulls the device from the pocket of the jumpsuit the natives had dressed her in. She types quickly before holding up her device.]

What do you mean?

[witchhooded]

[ jade would hum thoughtfully, but in this case, she only rolls back on her heels. it's a motion that practically shouts "oops! hmm!" in it's fluidity and how her expression lights up with understanding. she taps out a few words, as quickly as possible. ]

well i dont know exactly how to call it...
this whole new place thing!
are you new to it?

[born2b]

[2B nods. Indeed, she is new to it. It's... well. She frowns, before typing out--]

I appreciate the opportunity to be here.

[A pause, before she adds--]

It's an honour to serve mankind.

[--And holds up her device, her expression impassive.]

c

[underachievement]

[ hey Jade no big deal or anything, Jess has just been keeping an eye on the goddamn Hatman, when she's not evenly distributing suspicion throughout the rest of the gathering. the people he goes off with seem to come back more or less fine, from her vantage point, but when she saw him take a teenager down the trail of treats, she thought it best to tag along, finally. she hangs back, exploiting some 20/20 hero vision to verify nothing untoward goes down, barring giving alcohol to obvious minors, and decides she'll maintain focus on the kid and guard her best interests.

translation: she should be a lightweight and bad at keeping track of her bottle. Jess would rather steal it from her than have some creepy dude think she owes him one. and then she might as well keep an eye on her and make sure no one else takes advantage. that was plan A. or Jade look so wholly out of sorts with it that Jess wanders up and holds out her hand with deadpan expectation. that's B. or, if she has to, she'll fight a carpet for it, however you wanna work this (and that's C for COME AT ME RUG) ]

[witchhooded]

[ the pleasant thing about this encounter is that nothing untoward happens. maybe it's because mr. hatman, the rascal, isn't so bad and just wants some company. maybe it's because jade has her arms folded the entire time and looks ready to punch him if he tries anything. if nothing else, there's probably a sense that jade, for all her five-foot-three-inches is ready to rumble if someone tries her.

when jessica appears in front of jade, looking ready to dispose of the alcohol any which way she can (most likely down the gullet, though), she thinks that the woman looks kind of exhausted. annoyed? maybe a little familiar, too, but she's not sure why. kind of like someone you can vaguely remember from a dream... maybe if she had her reminders on her fingers, she could make sense of this.

as it is, she pulls the bottle closer and leans in to inspect jessica's features. after a moment, she decides that there's probably a nicer way to do this (dog half of her brain be damned!) and types out, in her device: ]

are you suuuuuure?
this stuff smells pretty strong....

b

[teenanigans]

[heya grandma Harley. Roxy's going to traipse right on over, device at the ready for wicked chats. or even some cheering up, maybe?]

yo
is that what the doting townsfolk gave u?

[witchhooded]

[ roxy is a welcome distraction. jade's shoulders rise up, then down and a smile crawls across her lips easily. is it genuine? it might be. ]

hey!
yeah, i guess it is!
what about you??
what cool loot did they give you? :)

[teenanigans]

[breakfast club members aren't allowed to be upset — not under Roxy's watch, and especially not their glorious leader.]

hey well id say its a p sweet party favor
i think
i havent been 2 a lot of parties
but they gave me my moms book!!!
its called complacency of the learned
wanna see?

wildcard

[tightspot]

[Genos is happy with the deck in his assigned house. It's not that he needs space or a bed, he's content with a bedroll to one side. But he does like having room to put his things. Which total zero so far but that's not the point. Eventually he will have diaries, books, and maybe a computer. Goals.

When the other person walks out onto the deck, he pulls out his device and types.]

I'm Genos.
Which half do you want?
I can carry furniture for you.

[He's also a very neat and tidy roommate.]

[witchhooded]

[ jade has never purposely slept somewhere that doesn't have a bed, but she supposes it won't be much different from falling asleep wherever her little narcoleptic fits dictate. (seriously, what was up with those? so weird. she never gets them now!)

her roommate (?) is pretty nice, though. she thinks. he's a bit severe looking but... hey, so was grandpa, and he was just about the greatest guy ever! jade's response is written out, too, and displayed for him to read. ]

i dont have any furniture!
do you?
i might be able to move it without sound if we are both lucky
as for half i do not have a preference at the moment, did you know if there was one you wanted...
hehehe i have never done this before, sorry! :)

[tightspot]

We can go get some.
They are letting us take what we want.
I'm strong so we won't make any noise.

[Which appeared to be important here. Genos wouldn't be responsible for anyone getting hurt, not on purpose. It even seemed that the parts of his body that normally made sound no longer did.]

Then it's settled. We can work together.
Make this a home for ourselves.
Don't apologize.

We'll be..

[There's a pause before he sends the next part. Simply because he's not sure how to do this either.]

Friends.

a

[iisupergirlii]

[Kara knows at first glance when they're in the first few rooms, not long after waking up, or appearing, or however it is they really got here that not everyone here is human. Most appear to be, and she knows she passes, but some just... wear their alien...ness out in the open.

Which is amazing. If Kara weren't so confused about this strange new location, she'd get choked up about it. It reminds her of the alien dive bar at home, where she could go, let her hair down, drink rum that actually gets her tipsy and see a literal rainbow of individuals in their natural skins enjoying life on Earth. She's proud of these people who are choosing to advertise 'hey, I'm not like you.'

She just hopes none of them brought enemies with them, or that they even have enemies. Enemies suck.

So, until she can get her suit back and hide behind a disguise, a moniker, the whole nine yards, she's just Kara Danvers: human girl from National City.

But there's another girl just ahead of her with bright white ears that stand straight up, alert, almost like a dog. They're very clearly attached, though, Kara can see once the girl turns to the side in conversation. And there's a smile on her face. Kara can't help but ease her way through the crowd, intent on getting closer.

When she sees the message, she can't help a smaller smile spread across her own face.]

I'm Kara, and I can't say I have. Have you?

[witchhooded]

[ jade's as non human as a girl crossed with a dog can get, really, short of being furry. (no word on actually being a furry, mind you) her ears twitch in recognition as she reads kara's response. a nice, simple name. four letters, just like her own. that's the mark of a kid, you know! (it isn't.)

jade might be a kid, but she's still got a big brain her cranium - she taps out a response, looking pleased as punch. ]

oh yes!
i think this is a little similar to dimension hopping, maybe, its difficult to tell
the influence of the green sun is not something i can feel, so i am mostly relying on experience here!!!
i was hoping you might be familiar too so we could compare and figure out a little more about this place but its fine :)

[iisupergirlii]

Well, I did go to a different Earth once? It was a lot like mine, though, but the people were different. So, except for the fact that it was a different earth, I'm not sure how much that counts.

"Influence of the green sun"?

[now, what could that be? A green sun. Kara's never heard of that, and honestly, it makes her think of a sun made entirely out of kryptonite. No thank you. She's had red suns and yellow suns, though, so this has her definitely curious.]

A

[comesaround]

[ Everything about this was so weird and surreal all on it's own, and there'd been all kinds of people he'd seen so far. Then there was someone with dog ears too? Huh. How interesting.

Karma takes a second to read her message before typing one back and holding it out for her to see. ]

Name's Karma. :) I can say that no, i've never done this kind of thing before. I don't make it a habit to end up in situations like this one.

[witchhooded]

[ karma is an interesting name and she sort of wants to ask about it, more, but she makes the decision that it's better to ask later than now. a habit... ]

hello karma
unfortunately i dont have any tips so i guess this is as much of a habit for me as it is you :p
prior to this i was entering another reality.....
but i guess it is possibly i overshot?
hmm...

[comesaround]

[ Even when she does decide to ask about his name, it's not something that bothers him at all. Mostly because he's used to the fact that his name is what it is. ]

Entering another reality, huh? I didn't think it was possible for people to be able to cross realities willingly. Then again, you're not human from what I can tell so that probably ties into that. Am I wrong? :)

b

[boazjachin]

[The effort of expending so much energy noticing everything is, admittedly, wearing Makoto a little thin. She'll sleep well tonight, probably, assuming she doesn't keep herself up worrying about every little detail. (What if someone snores? Do I snore? I don't think I do, but what if I get a sinus infection?)]

[Anyway, the net result is that she's taking careful note of who responds negatively to the objects they've given. She's grimly marked herself at the top of that list, although the black turtleneck she received is tucked close under her elbow still. There are a lot of other people, too. One of the weirdest objects, though, is the magic 8-ball. So she pays extra attention, and . . .]

[She doesn't have time to make sure everyone is okay. She doesn't have the energy. But her shoulders hunch instinctively at the thought of not at least trying, so she crosses the room, typing up a message on her way. Once she's there, she holds the device out.]

Is everything okay?

a

[hoaxer]

[--does this girl have dog ears? Are they twitching? They look so real...

Lu Li isn't accustomed to people approaching her willingly. It's apparent by how her shoulders jump slightly, how her electronic eye widens for a split instant. When she realizes what the question is, she quickly shakes her head.

Sorry, she's too startled to respond right away.]

[witchhooded]

[ jade doesn't judge based on appearance. really, there's odder out there, and it's not like she's in a position to judge... waving a hand between her and lu li, jade stares up at her with curiosity clear in her eyes.

eventually, she leans back a little, hands up, as if to apologize. ]

[hoaxer]

[Oh, good. She's being given space. Lu Li fixes her eye on those ears before looking down at the girl's face. She whips out her device.]

WHY DO YOU HAVE EARS?

[STRAIGHT AND TO THE POINT]