quietplacelogs | INTRO LOG #2

Entry tags:

the dark tower: jake chambers

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

[ Kara's corralled Bill O'Reilly, and he called her charming after. Sure, it made her skin crawl, but she can do this. ]

You're probably confused. I'm not a native of Reims. I showed up here a month ago. I just thought I'd... offer you guys a hand! The natives are nice,
but they're very nervous.

What house are you in?

[He isn't sure whether her not being a native helps or not—for now, both categories are filed under "people from the outside world" in his mind. He's never seen this many strangers (who aren't trying to kill him) in his life, and it's a tad overwhelming, even if he refuses to let it show.

Still, it's an innocent enough question. If she does want him dead, by any chance, it's not like knowing where he's supposed to live will make a huge difference at this point.]

nine

That's where I used to live! Would you like to follow me there? I could help you get moved in if you want.

[ l o o k, she's earnest and eager and only mildly brainwashed by a murdering sociopath right now. how could you not trust this face! ]

[Ouni is blissfully unaware of Kara's extremely minor personal problem, smh.]

what is there to move? not like i have anything

There's a warehouse. It's limited but there's some blankets, beds, odds and ends. It's stuff the natives have already soundproofed to be as quiet as possible. Better to get it from there than to scavenge later.

i don't need any of that

[He has never slept in a bed (that wasn't in a medical bay) in his life??]

[ Kara takes in a very quiet but very deep breath. Oooookay. ]

Well, no, but it's still nice things to have. At least let me show you where the blankets are? These houses can get pretty cold at night.

[Don't judge, okay......

Ouni has no idea how cold is "pretty cold", though based on his extremely limited knowledge of varying climates... well, what he's used to is probably warmer than average, so.]

fine. show me

[He'll make an attempt not to freeze to death.]

[ ha! take THAT, Bill O'Reilly! Kara's still got it.

with a grin, she gestures for Ouni to follow her outside, taking him to the warehouse her group had first discovered. It's not nearly as packed as it was before, but it does warm Kara's heart to see that the natives have been busy building more beds and getting more items ready in a rush for the newest arrivals.

Kara heads to a shelf with folded blankets stacked on top of it and reaches up, grabbing one and handing it over to Ouni. ]

Are you SURE you don't want a bed?

[He has the sudden urge to flee when she grins, because people smiling in his vicinity is Weird, but he resists and follows her instead.

He takes the blanket, though he looks a bit like he doesn't quite know what to do with it. (Not that he's never used a blanket in his life, but.)]

haven't slept in one before. don't need to start now

If you insist...

Well, if there's anything else you think you might need, there's a chance you can find it here. The basics, at least. There's food at the Town Hall. We meet there on Sundays, and we can talk out loud inside there.

So! Want to go check out house nine?

[He's going to refuse to ask for help from Kara ever again just to be stubborn. (Okay no, he's not that petty, but it's tempting.)]

not like i have much of a choice

[ she'll take it! She leads him out of the warehouse, walking in silence back to the horseshoe of houses they all live in. ]

I never caught your name, by the way. Care to share?

[It's weird, having to give out his name. Everyone knows everyone on the Mud Whale, after all, and as for people from the outside world—well, the few he'd encountered (... primarily on the battlefield, admittedly) were content to call him by his appearance or [insert term that implies something monstrous].

Still, given that she's helping him, he can put in, like. The minimal effort to be civil. It's still super jarring how friendly she is, though!!]

ouni

[ Kara grins. ] It's nice to meet you!

[ she leads Ouni to house nine, gesturing to it when they approach. ] Here it is!

[If it weren't for the fact that there's actually something he'd like to ask while she's already helping him, he'd have fled the scene because he cannot handle this much smiling.

...

If he has an opinion on the house, it doesn't show in his blank face. With that said, after he takes a step forward, he pauses, looking a little reluctant to enter.]

[ Kara watches him, head tilted, concern written on her face. She gets being scared, though. Gosh, she was terrified when she first came here. She still is. Just... just for a million different reasons. ]

Are you okay?

[If there's one thing Ouni hates, it's admitting that he's not okay (that the entire situation, combined with his sheltered status and the apparent inability to solve this problem by killing something, has left him out of his depth). Once he realizes he might've been a bit too obvious, he immediately wipes his expression off his face.]

so i just pick a room, right?

[ with a sigh, Kara nods. all right then, she'll try again later. ]

Yeah, that's right. As long as it's not taken already.

how would i know?

Beds and stuff lying around is a pretty good sign. My old room might still be open. As a bonus: you will have the cleanest chimney known to mankind.

[...

He stares at her, mouthing a silent huh?, because what.]

[ ...oh. That... that probably makes less sense with her in her supersuit. ]

Um, slight germaphobe here. And it was super dirty, I was bored, so.

[ she shrugs. she definitely didn't want to clean it out so she could fly out of it all the time or anything, hahahaha. ha. ]

[In other words, Kara is actually Santa Claus. Sorry, Noel, you've got competition.

Ouni still looks a little baffled by her explanation (not helped by the fact that "germaphobe" wasn't an easy word for him to read, though he can grasp the general meaning), but sure, he'll take it.]

you must hate the sand here then

[ oh boy. another lie to keep up with. Kara hates lying, geez louise. at least he's going with it. ]

Yeah, it's not my favorite thing ever.

So! Do you want to go check out the rooms?

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