quietplacelogs | INTRO LOG #2

INTRO LOG #2
Put a Sock in It
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 – with or without the help of those who have come before you.

The Place Inside
Content Warnings: Disorientation, hallucinations, body horror
Themes: Plot, exploration

Have you been to hell. And more importantly, have you been back. We all know this pain but are too scared to recall. This horror controls us, pulls at our strings to ensure how our life plays out. So, let me rephrase my question: have you been to Ile Lacrox. And more importantly, can you come back.

In the community, if you hear something you're not supposed to hear, you learn to look the other way. If you see something you're not supposed to see, you pretend it never happened. If you feel disappointed, you learn to never ask for more. So, through good times and bad, famine and feast, the natives held fast to their rules until one common day a sly wind blew in from the south...

That same red dust twists through the streets, curling up in faint, little plumes of familiarity. The farther south you go, the thicker it becomes. Those willing to explore far enough will find it coming from an island in the middle of the river. Once there, doting every available surface is the evidence of Sound Eater births, and the closer you are to the island, the harder it is to avoid being coated in red. Even if it's not rubbed into the skin, it doesn't take long for the effects to take over. Every sound is amplified. Your breaths are deafening, the slightest step echoes. But no Sound Eater attacks. Your vision blurs, and it's as if your mouth is sealing itself shut. Those you traveled with seem to be similarly affected, and you know you have to be quiet. Anyone who brought supplies with them might discover that a drink of water subdues the symptoms.

OOC: Only characters who entirely submerge themselves in water will be free of the dust effects. Just remember that noise will attract Sound Eaters.

Liplocked
Content Warnings: Violent tendencies, mind alteration
Themes: Love, romance, obsession, sex

The natives are of French origin, and with that comes a love of romance. Residents will find treats and valentines at their doors. That same night, there will be a small, red-glowing fire built near the fountain. There will be jars pressed into the dirt and filled with a sweet, red liquid. Some natives can be seen drinking it and being very affectionate with one another. Anyone who drinks this is inspired to show endearment or lust to others, and it will wear off after sleeping.

There's also the noticeable addition of a new arrival. They came through the Reset Room just like everybody else. They understand the rules and follow them to a tee. They are the perfect example of what the natives want in their residents. They are charming and captivating. They say nothing, and they don't have to. When your eyes meet, you feel seduced. There's a nervous flutter in your stomach. You can feel your heartbeat in your throat. Pounding, constricting. They smile and then turn away.

As they're walking, you notice you're not the only one looking at them, and in their expression, you see your own mirrored. What started as sweet infatuation and longing dissolves into a jealousy unlike any you've ever known. All you understand now is that to win their affections you have to come out on top—so you're the only one they see. Your actions are not your own, but they're still yours.

OOC: There are two ways to break the "spell". Your character fights it out with someone else who is feeling the same way OR they're approached and physically touched by someone who isn't affected by the newcomer. A third of the community will be completely unaffected (everyone else is affected unless the player is uncomfortable with playing out the scenarios). The newcomer can be of any gender the player wishes. For those partaking in drinking, the players can choose what effects it has; it can inspire feelings of lust or boost paternal/maternal instincts or devotion towards friends.

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

[While Rei didn't understand sign language, at least not proper sign language, she was part of a paramilitary organization. Basic hand signals like those were things that she could translate into something intelligible. Some of that was 'lost in translation,' but she definitely got the 'stop' part of the command and the fact that he was going to try something.

She nodded once, looking at him carefully and waiting for him to take the next action. Her motions were as minimal as possible, to cope with the phantom sounds she was hearing in her head. Hopefully they were phantom sounds anyway.]

[Even though Sora didn't know any sign language, there had been a couple of times when speaking had been hard. Both in the sense that there was a language barrier and once because it physically hurt to talk. So he has learned to communicate with simple hand gestures - things that he's learned were universal signs no matter what world they came from.

Once he's gotten the okay from his partner-in-crime, Sora takes a single step back. The resounding CRUNCH sounds as if they're deep in a trench or a well as it echoes loudly. After the step is taken, he waits.

Waits for a creature to appear for what feels like forever but it never comes. A wave of relief passes through him but he can't let himself relax. So now Sora points to Rei and motions her to step back too. It may be slow-going but they could just get out of here alive.]

[The direction was simple enough to follow, and she complied quickly, though the actual step had a painstaking slowness that didn't fit the urgency of their situation. She could tell if she heard anything when he stepped, but when she did it was a drastic shift, and all of the sounds that she heard were so thunderous that she wasn't sure what was really going on.

Rei didn't look confused, but as she finished that step, her lips thinned into a line, trying to deduce what was going on. No monsters, no noise eaters. She tested a second step and paused there, eyes scanning around before returning to Sora, the hellish sounds making this so much worse.

It almost didn't matter if they were real. She wouldn't know if she made any actual sounds right now, would she? That was just as dangerous.]

[While the girl does as instructed Sora's eyes are busy looking around, keeping an eye out for any unusual creatures. Even if he can't summon his Keyblade at the moment there are other things he can do to protect themself. Or at least give them a head-start. He is ready to cast magic and run but again, nothing comes.

It's still just him and the girl who takes a second step. This doesn't make sense. He meets her gaze and shrugs. Maybe there are no monsters, maybe they aren't making as much noise as they think they are. Hard to say.

Sora would rather not risk it. If they make noise and nothing shows up then that's great, but if something does then one of them may get hurt. After a moment of debate he points to himself, then her and then back over his shoulder. They'll both move and see what happens.]

[She considered for a moment before following and reaching out for his hand, making a shake of her head. It felt like the whole world swam around her. No, they needed to pause for just a moment. Something was important. Reaching for her device, she tapped on it quickly.]

You hear the noise? We should not bring it back.

[At least, she thought he was starting to retreat. She was a little disoriented right now. Either way, putting others at risk was more important to her than putting herself at risk.]

[As before, he waits for her signal - glad for it as she shakes her head in disagreement. Sora watches as she reaches for her device before going for his own.]

I can try to lead it away from the rest of the city. I might be able to lose it so you should find a place to hide.

[With his set of abilities, Sora could move at speeds some others couldn't. Buildings or obstacles wouldn't be a problem for him either.]

[She frowned somewhat and considered the options. Hide from the noise that was filling her ears? That didn't seem possible. At the same time, there was no reason not to attempt something, especially if it too some of the noise away from the community briefly.]

If you think it could help, you can try.

[She didn't bother specifically directing him to be quiet. He seemed capable enough of trying at least.]

[He doesn't know how to get rid of the side affect - not yet but at least this will ensure that they're safe. With her approval, Sora points south.]

I'll go this way. You go the other.

[Maybe it'll it work and maybe it won't. The only way to know is to try.]

Message me after two blocks.

[And with that, she nodded once, and proceeded along the sand path that he had directed. It wasn't removing the sound in her ears, and the cloying sensation in her mouth was getting worse as time went, but she still made do. She could maintain this as long as she had to endure it, but she didn't want to carry trouble back to the rest.]

Will do.

[Sora waits for her to move out of the general vincinity before moving in the opposite direction. He doesn't exactly try to make a lot noise by moving but tries to make more than her, at least. The slap of feet on the sand as he runs, his heart beating faster in his chest and breath a little harsher.

After two blocks he still can't shake the fact that everything is still far too loud. The same is probably true for her too.]

You still hear it?

[She kept her device out while she moved. When the message reached her, she could definitely tell that the feeling was far too loud. It wasn't as bad, as she was going the opposite direction of the red dust. But it was still so very loud. it was like her heart was pounding in her chest.]

Yes. And you? This is not the solution, I think.

INTRO LOG #2

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