quietplacememes | TDM #003

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test drive meme!

TDM #003

TEST DRIVE MEME
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.

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. 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. You're to settle into your new home.

Caught me unawares
Content Warnings: Confusion, disorientation
Themes: Survival, horror, it's like groundhog day

The ending of the floor has caught me unawares. This must be the reason why I’m falling down the stairs.

That night, when you fall asleep, you dream of your life before The Quiet Place. At first it's the happiest moments of your life played on repeat, over and over. Everything good and sweet and fun. The second night, it's much the same. You go to bed anticipating another restful and pleasant sleep. But on the third night it changes.

For everyone, it starts the same. There's a long hallway with a door at the end. You walk towards it with nowhere else to go. You twist the knob and when you step forward, the floor ends and you fall. Falling lasts for seconds, minutes, or hours and when you land, it's with a jolt and a cloud of red dust all around you. There's someone else next to you, stumbling, coughing and choking on that familiar dirt that coats your tongue and mouth. When your eyes meet, everything blurs and you're falling again - this time, when you land, it's inside that dream from the first night. Only you're not alone. They're with you. The only way out is to experience the dream together. And when you do wake up, for real, that same red dirt is on your hands.

Falling down the stairs
Content Warnings: Confusion, disorientation
Themes: Survival, horror, it's like groundhog day

The ending of the floor has caught me unawares. This must be the reason why I’m falling down the stairs.

That night, when you fall asleep, you dream of your life before The Quiet Place. At first it's the worst moments of your life played on repeat, over and over. Everything bad and sour and awful. The second night, it's much the same. You go to bed anticipating another restless and dreadful sleep. But on the third night it changes.

For everyone, it starts the same. There's a long hallway with a door at the end. You walk towards it with nowhere else to go. You twist the knob and when you step forward, the floor ends and you fall. Falling lasts for seconds, minutes, or hours and when you land, it's with a jolt and a cloud of red dust all around you. There's someone else next to you, stumbling, coughing and choking on that familiar dirt that coats your tongue and mouth. When your eyes meet, everything blurs and you're falling again - this time, when you land, it's inside that nightmare from the first night. Only you're not alone. They're with you. The only way out is to experience the nightmare together. And when you do wake up, for real, that same red dirt is on your hands.

OOC
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NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Even if it hadn't been pleasant weather, Nill would have enjoyed feeling the wind on her skin. The air underground was always stagnant, except when the trains rushed through the tunnels. And that air was just musty in a different way, from a different place. The air here is fresh in a way she's never been able to appreciate, and she takes it in with deep, grateful breaths.

It's a few moments before she notices him--and it's really only because she sees the dog from the corner of her eye. Her wings flick behind her through the hole she'd torn in the jumpsuit they'd given her, and she looks at the animal curiously before her gaze travels up to the tall man beside it.

Her heart stops, briefly, and her wings go rigid. But then she sees his smile (like the dog's) and his eyes (also kind of like the dog's), and everything starts up again. Nill shifts where she sits, having to decide whether or not she's going to bolt right now. She's fast, she could probably outrun him. She'd outrun Mel, but he'd also had a gun pointed at her back.

Blue eyes fall to the dog again before darting back up as he gestures to his device. She pulls hers from her pocket, knowing this routine by now, and slowly reads the message. She's wary, understandably so, but she looks to his eyes again, then the dog. Nill has seen rabid hounds before, and this one doesn't fit that description at all. And she doesn't think a bad person would have a good dog. That just didn't make sense.

Slowly, she lowers the device and nods, assenting. The area is open, no barriers in the way. She can run if she has to.]

[ everyone here had been through an ordeal back home. that's about the only parallel he can ever find between the new arrivals, but he hates especially to think of the children. they shouldn't be here, but most of their lives seem less than ideal back home anyway. he wants to protect them all, but he knows it takes time for them to trust a large stranger, and that isn't a bad thing. in fact, nill's suspicion of him clues frank in that she's smart and at least has the most basic of self-preservation instincts.

frank waits patiently for the girl's go-ahead, and it comes over as habit the way he stands at attention like waiting for orders. max waits too like the good boy he is until she nods and then they're both making their way over in a slow, silent trajectory. frank sits down by her, but not near her; only enough to be conversational. he slouches a bit automatically to make himself appear a little smaller. the dog sits in front of them facing the fountain, waiting for his own permission to approach the new friend. ]

do you like dogs? max wants to say hi.

[Surviving is almost the only thing Nill has done during her short life. It had become easier, after Heine had taken her to live with Bishop. The blind priest was the picture of a perverted clergyman, but she'd always known it was just a façade. He kept her safe, mostly at Heine's behest, and would fight to keep her that way. But there was still the lingering fear that someone would come for her and she'd be forced to run again.

She shifts once he sits, angling her body towards him so she can keep an eye on his movements, and scooting forward until her feet are flat on the ground. She tries to keep her body from tensing up, and looking at the dog helps with that. Nill loves animals; Granny Liza had a small dog, but most of the ones that had wandered past or into the church were strays. This one though, is well-behaved, waiting patiently, and she's itching to pet him.

She sees another message appear on her 'berry, and takes her time reading it. There isn't any hesitation before she nods again, though it's directed at Max instead of the man beside her.]

[ frank watches her, remaining completely still. he's good at that, and in softening his gaze to make himself seem less threatening. she nods at max and frank motions that he can go over, which delights the mutt. he bounds up to where nill sits and shoves his nose against her leg, wagging his tail furiously. max had been a guard dog for the kitchen irish, so he can be wary of men; but women and children are his favorites. a sentiment frank shares. ]

[Max's friendly greeting shifts Nill's entire demeanor. Her wings droop, and she feels the muscles in her back relax. A small smile even finds her face as she gently pulls her hand across the dog's head. Dog breath isn't that bad when the dog is friendly. She moves her petting to just behind Max's ears, offering careful skritches and one more good rub before finally returning her gaze to Frank.

The dog's warmth softens her bias a little, and she recognizes now that he's taking pains to appear nonthreatening, despite everything about him. Slumped shoulders, the distance between them, the earnest look in his eye. She sees all of it, considers it, files it away in her memory. It reminds her of the way Heine had been, just after he'd rescued her. The smallest bridge of trust forms, fragile. But it's enough for now.

She doesn't fully understand the communication devices yet, so instead she reaches out with one small hand, gesturing for him to give her his.]

[ he watches her with max the same careful way he did before, waiting for her to come around on her own. as usual, his patience pays off. the devices are not frank's preferred modus of communication anyway, so it's easy enough to discard his. he leaves it on the stone next to him and places his hand in hers without hesitation. he isn't sure if she's going to show him something -- like tetora can, or if it's something simpler than that. but either way, he has to trust her in order to get even some of that in return. ]

[A little part of her is surprised that he'd agreed so readily, but she isn't going to question it. She flips his hand, palm-up, and looks at it for a moment. It's calloused and scarred, rough. So unlike Heine's. But it's difficult to scar when your body heals itself almost as quickly as it's destroyed. She doesn't think she'd ever seen a mark on him, aside from bloodstains and the permanent scarring around his collar and spine. Those are only the scars on the outside, though. She knows that inside, he's covered in nothing but wounds that will never heal.

Tentatively, she cradles the back of his hand in one of hers and lifts the other to hover above his palm. The briefest moment of hesitation flits past, and then she uses a delicate finger to trace letters on his skin.

NILL.

A pause, then once more to make sure he gets it. Nill looks up, wings flicking, and gestures to herself. Her name is Nill. Nothing, nada, Nill. A cruel name, perhaps, but hers all the same.]

[ her hand looks tiny around his, but he's easily convinced to turn it over so she can do... whatever it is she's doing. he shifts forward a little to watch, transfixed by the way she draws patterns into his calloused skin. he's reminded acutely of his daughter lisa for a moment, and he swallows, trying to focus on the message. N-I-L-L the second time around he's sure. that's her name. he looks up into her eyes and nods, he understands. still looking for permission, he telegraphs his movements carefully, his other hand moving to draw on the inside of her arm holding his. P-B; just those two letters are enough. anyone here will know who she means. ]

[Max is still near her legs, inexplicably helping her feel safe despite everything. She's (mostly) alone with a man she doesn't know, in a place she's never been, with nobody around to stage a last-minute rescue. But his gentle movements and kind eyes push all those negative and terrifying things to the wayside for the time being.

And the dog. The dog is a big bonus.

She watches, wariness ebbing just a bit, as he moves to trace on her arm. Goosebumps rise--Nill isn't used to people touching her; after going to live in the church, it had taken her weeks before she'd even let Bishop sit beside her on a pew so she could listen to him lament about being blind (and how he couldn't see her in her adorable dresses, but she can forgive him that for putting a roof over her head). Heine was the only person whose touch she'd never been afraid of, but his contact was always a gentle brush of fingers against hers, a ruffle of her blonde locks, his head in her lap as he poured his torn soul out to her while she stroked his always-messy hair. The sanctity of confession was only matched by having a mute as a confidante.

P-B. A strange name, but who is she to judge? Eventually, her tolerance for tactile contact is used up, and she pulls her hands away perhaps a little too quickly. But she nods, letting him know she's understood. PB. She'll remember.]

[ he's glad he made the right decision in waiting to approach her, and in max being here. it had been hard to leave her be, but he knows how... much he can be to take in, even if people don't know how dangerous he really is, here. the way she quickly pulls away isn't offensive to him and he sets his hands back in his lap to give her as much space as she needs.

frank ducks his head, content to stay there in silence for the time being. he picks up his device, but can't think of anything to ask or say really. he just wants nill to know he's here if she needs anything. in that vein, he pulls up the map feature until he gets to the greenhouse and the fountain. he taps the screen with it facing her so she can see. we are here. then his finger makes a line through the highlighted sandpaths until it reaches a house. then he taps again. i live here. so she'll know where to find him. then he points to her-- what house do you live in? he pushes the map closer so she can select hers. ]

[She's relieved when he doesn't seem to take her retreat personally. She reaches out to pet Max again as they sit in a strangely comfortable silence. It reminds her of being with Heine; the two of them would go hours without him saying a word, and she'd always been fine with that. Nill is used to silence, it's been a big part of her life. And right now, it just reminds her of home.

Which hurts a little, but not as much as it could.

Eventually he's using his 'berry again, and she leans over a bit so she can see what he's doing. She recognizes what he's doing, and pays close attention. The path is easy to track, and she thinks she could figure out how to get there from here. Figuring out which house she'd been assigned to, however, is another task. A few moments pass as she studies a map, retracing her steps from the home to the fountain, and she eventually points to one of the communal houses. The frown pulling at her lips is enough to discern that she isn't exactly pleased about living there, but she'd had nowhere else to go.]

[ waiting patiently as he's proven himself to typically be, he nods when she points out the house she was assigned. that's good, he'll make sure she's safe. he pulls up the text screen again, noticing she doesn't seem inclined to use the feature. it reminds him of eleven, who's come and gone now. though it could be a different issue altogether for nill. ]

do you not like the phones?
cause me neither
the natives have a sign language
i could help you learn

[Her expression remains neutral as she reads his messages, but a slight blush spreads high on her cheeks. Nill hasn't used a lot of technology in her life, it's true, but it's not just that. She's never been to school, and she doesn't remember learning to read. Maybe it was just something that had been put into her head when she'd been made. She'd practiced reading the few battered bibles in the church, but sometimes the words in those were spelled strangely, so it could end up being a lost cause.

She just isn't used to reading, is all. And as far as writing goes, it had always just been short notes scribbled to Badou or Naoto when they couldn't understand her gestures.

Nill shifts where she sits, brows raising with interest. She remembers the natives using their hands to communicate, and the slightest hope blossoms in her chest. It would be... amazing to be able to actually hold a conversation with someone. And if she could do it without having to write, it would be even better. She looks up, blue eyes wide, and nods. Yes, she would actually like that.]

[ he smiles, gesturing for her to hold up her device. he learned a lot those first few weeks this way before the classes had started up in town hall. he signs a few words to her, slowly. the device picks them up and translates as he goes. ]

Hello. Nice to meet you, N-I-L-L. [ the device translates dutifully. frank then flashes an OK symbol, but that's just his own brand of communication here. then he points to her, signing the word Girl. points to himself: Man. points to max: Dog. and then because he's still focused on max for a moment: Good boy. the dog seems to know that gesture and his flopped ears shift forward in attention, his tail beginning to gently wag.

he turns back towards her and signs Hello again, gesturing for her to try that one. ]

[She obliges, eyes darting from the 'berry to his hands and back again as he begins to sign. The longer she watches, the more hopeful she feels. This doesn't seem so hard, and she's confident she'll be a quick study--because this is a while new world for her. She'd known sign language existed, but there had never been anyone to teach her in the underground. But here, it's common knowledge. Here, she can learn.

She waits patiently as he signs, not able to hold back a smile as he spells her name out with his hands. She can learn that easily. But Nill doesn't move to copy him until he gestures for her to do so, and she immediately puts down the comm, lifting her hands to do so. Her hello isn't quite as smooth as his, but it's recognizable. Give her a few more tries, and she'll get the hang of it.]

[ if he can do it, he knows she'll pick it up fast. most of the kids here picked it up twice as quick as the adults anyway. frank nods encouragingly when she copies the greeting. she'll be just fine. ]

Good job, sweetheart. [ he then starts on the alphabet with her since that would seem the most familiar to a child from his perspective. he'll go from a to z until she starts signing the letters with him. ]

[There haven't been many times in her life where someone has actually sat down with Nill and tried to teach her something. Badou had tried with sewing, but her skills there are next to hopeless. Cooking had come naturally, and who needs to be taught to sweep? So this is new, and she'd be lying if she didn't think it was exciting. Her face holds nothing but laser-focused concentration, and her wings are completely still behind her.

The communication device is still picking up his movements, translating the letters as he goes. Her eyes dart between the screen and his hands as she tries to keep up with him. There's a slight hesitation before each letter for her, as she tries to mimic him perfectly. Nill doesn't think she's ever wanted to learn something so badly in her life, and she isn't about to mess up and risk him deciding she isn't worth the effort.]

[ that's definitely not about to happen, but nill is a quick study anyway just like he knew she'd be. he spends a long time, running through the alphabet and simple phrases. Hello, How are you?, What's your name?, My name is Nill. stuff like that. he doesn't stop until his hands get tired and he can tell she's worn out too.

frank gets up and max does too, easily slotting his bulky canine body against his owner's equally bulky leg. ] Same time next week? [ he signs as he slips his device back in his pocket. between the sunday lessons and frank to practice with, she'll get the language in no time flat. and maybe, just maybe, he'll earn some trust along the way. ]

[Her hands and arms ache, but Nill doesn't mind. There's a certain satisfaction that comes from pain earned through hard work. She thinks Bishop said that in a sermon once. She never thought it would apply to her, but she feels... good about this. Like she's really accomplishing something.

She doesn't realize that so much time has passed until he stands, preparing to leave. The sun has moved, and her legs are stiff from sitting so long. But none of that matters as she moves to stand, wings flaring as they stretch too. It only takes her a moment to recognize the signs--they'd just gone over them, after all--and she nods in affirmation, also raising her hands to sign Yes.

Nill looks at him for a moment, considering. Then, quickly: Thank you, PB. Accompanied by a smile.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM #003

hello! yes that is very probable i was there for years. i also think we in ax at the same time

ohhh yeah i knew there was another!!!! anyway hello cool if i add u on plurk?

yes please do!!

added :>

\o/

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