TDM #003

[bequiet]

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

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Comments

[bossily]

[There's a little gulp as actually hearing his voice and his tone being added in to the mix makes the reality a little more sobering. Hearing him explain isn't like the natives. He's been here for two months, pulled in the same as her. There's no logic to how any of this is happening, but she understands that not everything in the universe has defined logic that's meant to be followed. ]

But there's children here. I've seen them.

[Her face contorts into worry, and then anger. How is she supposed to help and protect them from something that apparently can't be fought?]

I can't just stand by idly and try living day to day, not when we could be figuring out a way to get them out of here and keep them safe.

[oorah]

[ a woman after his own heart, it would seem. first priority: children and dogs. he takes a deep breath and sighs it out, knowing he won't be able to soon enough. ]

We're all just tryin' to survive, the kids included. [ deciding he can trust her at least this much, frank glances around, making sure the natives aren't about before shifting in, conspiratory. his arm brushes hers until he can speak close, not quite in her ear but certainly for hers only. ] The Natives are scared. They need our help. I don't know if there's a way to defeat the Sound Eaters, alright? I don't. But if there's a way, then that's the way out.

[bossily]

Then we find a way to kill them. How hard could it be?

[There's no point in beating around the bush. If those things are what's standing in the way, then clearly they need to go. He doesn't know if there's a way to defeat them, but that doesn't matter. She'll have to stubbornly hold onto the idea that she can find a way.

Her hand reaches out to touch at his arm, mostly to keep herself steady as she starts to feel overwhelmed by the reality of the situation. She never does well feeling trapped or without control, and she's strongly feeling both things at the moment. It will pass, but as her fingers lightly curl around his arm and she turns her head so she can look him in the eye all she can feel is her anxiety rising.]

You said you've seen them before. Where?

[oorah]

Hard. [ he swallows. this is coming from a guy who kills all his problems, clara, so heed his warnings. ...or don't, he doesn't actually think she will. so maybe that's why he trusts her anyway. ] I've seen people powerful as gods get taken out in a second; just a flash. There's no fight. You're just dead. And then you reset.

[ or you don't. at the next, he glances back out the door, still scratching at max's neck absently. ]

It's about three days hike from here, one of their settlements. But they're everywhere, there's no telling how many places like that there are.

[bossily]

What are we supposed to do here, then? Live in fear until you wind up reset so many times you're not the same person that woke up here originally?

[Staying on Earth in a normal life was like hell to her, so having to be trapped here feels like punishment. One that's unfair, because while she knows she's not owed anything she most definitely feels as if she deserves better. Accepting that she's essentially powerless and can't do anything about it doesn't sit well.

So she pulls away from him and starts to anxiously pace. She can do this, really she can.
She's got this totally under control.]

Would you be willing to take me to the settlement you've seen?

[oorah]

[ he doesn't answer, just watching her. there's not much he can say to help her work through it anyway. when she gets around to the end, he nods. ] Sure.

[ frank doesn't tell her how risky it is, he doesn't need to. he knows she's like him -- she's made her mind up. she needs to see the threat for herself. ]

[bossily]

[She's expecting an argument that leads into a fight. When he just readily agrees all of the tension floods right out of her. He understands, and he's not going to try telling her it's too dangerous or that she shouldn't go because she's a woman. Emotion swells in her eyes as they get a little watery, but no tears fall. All she can do is gratefully smile and give a nod of her head.]

We don't have to leave right away, obviously. Suppose I ought to take the time to figure out where to stay and how I can best go about teaching here.

[And just like that, her anxiety is gone and she can focus. Things fall easily into place. Clara Oswald is always good at making a plan and being able to figure out what to do. She just has to get past her own racing thoughts to be able to do that sometimes.]

[oorah]

[ he hates being the answer guy, but here he is. he has them all. it makes him a little sad in the end, and he waits, petrified, to see if clara will cry. when she doesn't, he pushes out a breath of relief and gestures for max to lead the way. ]

I know who to talk to about both of those. And the best places for you to stay. [ he points to a native posted at one of the doorways to the inner chambers of the reset rooms. he looks very serious, but he's who they talk to about career changes. ] House 6 and 11 have the most sound-proofing. ...And kids, if you wanna keep an eye on 'em.

[bossily]

Thing is, I'm not asking someone to do what I wanna do. They'll either let me do it, or I'll find a way to do it anyway. Kinda like the whole housing situation.

[But still, she glances over toward Mr. Serious and takes note of his face. Maybe she'll just write up her own job description and run it by him later. He seems easy enough to steamroll. While she's imagining doing so, it dawns on her that Frank's just told her houses to live in based on the fact there's kids there. It makes her take pause and she wants to tease him about keeping tabs on the kids, but she finds she really can't do that. All she feels is gratitude for him being there instead. The look she gives him says as much.]

Which house do you live in?

[oorah]

[ he snorts, yeah he kind of got that part already what with her dragging him around like she owns the place a moment after arrival. it's not a bad thing, it might even be what they need. ]

I used to live in Six, that's how I know it's safe. The natives set me and Micro up in our own place, for helping them out.

[bossily]

[So the natives are controlling enough to assign them houses and then move them around as things are done for them. that sounds controlling enough to make her be on edge for a while.]

So you like to go by Hotdog and he goes by Micro. Is everyone supposed to have a weird codename here?

[oorah]

[ maybe it's the soldier in him, but the assigned housing was by far the easiest thing to adapt to here. he's never given it a second thought. ]

You can if you want. Clara is a nice name on its own though.

[bossily]

Yeah? Well, so is Frank. Good thing you're stuck with it now.

[And she looks so pleased with herself for forcing the name on him, too. Too bad the joke's on her.

Her arms cross over her chest and she feels all the weight from her arrival still on her shoulders. It isn't causing her to sink beneath it, not anymore. Having someone here to help her keep a clear head sees to the fact that she's able to press back against the anxiety and not let it consume her.]

[oorah]

[ he smiles the slim approximation of a smile and shrugs. like he doesn't care. because he really doesn't care what anyone calls him, he never has. what makes a difference is who's saying his name in the end. his men turning to him: 'yes, lieutenant.' maria waking him up from a dream: 'hey, sleepyhead.' micro, trying to assess his state of mind: 'goodnight, dick.' and then billy, smiling a bloody smile: 'oh, franky.' he takes a shaky breath, thinking of the kids here. hotdog, pb, frank. they all called him something different, but their reliance upon him was the same across the board. so no, he's never put much stock in a name. especially not when 'THE PUNISHER' had been emblazened across every headline and twenty-four hour news ticker. ]

I think I'll live. You need anything else, lady?

[bossily]

[Wait. It sounds like he's leaving. She'll be alone with her thoughts if that happens. It's a good thing she's a big girl and can deal with that, even if she doesn't necessarily want to. The smile fades away and is left with a look of uncertainty. It stays on her face as she tries hard to think of something she needs him for. The reality of the situation is she doesn't need him for anything. She just doesn't want to be alone. Not here, not yet.

So she goes to what her next plan of action is, and she questions him in a small voice.]

Do you think there's any way I can steal back the things that they took from me? They took something from me that was important, and I want it back.

[oorah]

[ if he didn't have other people to help, he would be tempted to stay. as it is... clara has already proven she can take care of herself. but he considers her question, then nods. ]

If it's quiet, they'll give it back. It's been done before. [ a beat. ] Look, we gotta go, but. If you need anything else? Text 'hotdog' or 'micro' on this thing. And if the Natives give you any trouble about your stuff, I'll talk to Constance. Okay?

[bossily]

[She bites at her lip and glances down, nodding. She knows that he has a job to do, and she can't keep him any longer than she already has. So she forces a smile on her face and acts like everything is just fine.]

It's a chain that has a key and my mother's ring on it. That ring's all I have left of her, so...

[It's important. She lets that thought trail off and die before it can be said out loud, and it's accompanied by a light shrug of her shoulders.]

Thank you, Frank.

[With a nod of her head, she gestures for him to get lost. He's got other people to help.]

[oorah]

[ he nods, cataloguing the information the same way he does everything else. to be recalled with startling clarity later when it's needed. she shouldn't have trouble getting that back, and if she does he'll use his influence to make sure she gets it before the end of the month.

frank gestures for max who's been playing with the native kids while the grown-ups talked. time to go back to work. he puts a hand on clara's arm, feeling the rough flannel of his own shirt and meeting her eyes one last time. okay later girl. ]