quietplacememes | 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

It's probably better if there aren't anymore worlds, it means more people taken from their homes. There's no need. [A nod, he's not going to tell that secret too lightly. Who knows what might be done with the knowledge.]

Yeah, think that's where I broke it actually. I don't think I met this Sephiroth guy though, or that Cloud. Growth spurts would be like going home for a short time though, wouldn't it? [Or are they stuck like they are for forever now? It was Lavi's turn to be the guinea pig in the Cities. That was horrible enough doing all those jumps.

Another nod.] I'll see if I can find who I have to speak to.

Though depending on the world, this one might actually be better. It's definitely nicer than the Facility. We've just got the one monster and no weekly experiments. [Even when they were back in the Facility, they didn't put down that they were clones in the general "welcome" Shika had typed up for everyone. At least not directly.]

A lot of people got hurt then. Komui, Ping, Ritsuka. [Ritsuka was the first person Sora had failed to save. It stayed with him.] There were versions of Sephiroth and Cloud in my world.

We can't go home like other people, though. [Because they're clones of the real thing.] But I don't see why we wouldn't grow eventually. Though I dunno if you need to grow anymore, you're already too tall.

[Says Shorty McShorterson but sticks his tongue out playfully.]

In the meantime, you can stay with me. I've got extra bedrooms and access to my Dream Eaters so we won't have nightmares. Plus Mittens.

And the natives don't seem to want to kill us or get rid of us. Already a bunch of points to this place. Quiet time aside. I remember Roxas mentioning that you guys visited Wonderland when we showed up there... I suppose Alice was a thing along with the White Rabbit? They might have put a halt on things like that like they did with pregnancy. [Because there was never a pregnant clone.] But our hair and nails still grow so I'm not sure what they stopped and what they didn't.

[Sticks his tongue out in return.]

So long as it's not too much trouble. Though it'll be good to see Mittens again, and a few of your Dream Eaters.

Not like the ones in the Cities, anyway. Or the Doctors.

Yeah, it was one of the first worlds I can remember visiting. Not sure if Roxas actually got to meet her but I tried to save Alice from having her head chopped off by the Queen. And the White Rabbit was there. So was Cheshire. The one we knew didn't look like the one we visited during our Fac days, though.

Or maybe no one was pregnant because of Tsunade's scary speech. I remember her yelling about practicing safe sex early on. [But who knows. Mittens certainly got pregnant.] I got a little bit taller.

It's not any trouble. Honestly, I don't like living alone anymore. Oh, I had to switch Nami out for one of my others. Since she has bells and everything.

I'd hope not, that Wonderland was a bit more... Creative than what the story seemed to me.

Problem with that is, how often did she give that talk. I don't remember hearing about it past the one time. [Animals might be different?

] Yeah, I'm kind of over living alone too. Got too used to hearing other bodies about and breathing. We'll still probably get along, whomever you traded Nami out for. [For a moment he was confused, Nami the kitten and Nami the Dream Eater?]

Probably some alternate version of the one I know and the one you know about. Read about? [Since Lavi is a big reader, that makes sense that there's a story about Alice out there.]

Just the once that I saw. And I doubt some of the experiments let people think about protection. [Maybe they were all fixed or just not capable of it because their bodies aren't perfect.] It'll be quieter here but with soundproofing we don't have to be completely. Just mostly quiet. [He nods.] Xi is kind of more like a dog. [There's a theme in his naming system.]

Yeah, I'm hoping I never wound up in one of Rhode's little Dreamscapes that took after Wonderland. I don't think she'd have the patience to read them to be honest. [Thankfully. But give him time and he'll write it down for you or find it in the library!]

Nothing to worry about now at least. I don't think either of us is going to need to worry about it either. [What with both of them having their preferences and issues.] I'll still probably stick to this or signing, still not sure of my words some days. [A nod.]

Probably not from what little I know about her. The story you know probably doesn't include some guy and his two friends showing up and trying to proof Alice's innocence. [It'll be an interesting read, if Sora ever has time for that.]

Yeah, not really. [More the issues in Sora's case. He did once like Kairi.] I've been attending the weekly signing lessons so I can teach you what I know.

...Yeah, I think I missed that version. [Yeah, boys don't plan for their downtime, do they?

Lavi still appreciates ladies, he just...realizes he's super broken and doesn't want to put that on anyone.] Thanks, Sora. At least you won't have to sign things more than once. Then I can pay attention to the same teachers as you.

Not sure it exists in a book. [Nope, he'd rather not have any downtime.

Sora's problem is that he's usually faced with the real versions of people. Or thinks he is.] You'll be my best student ever. Then I'll probably be learning from you.

So, is there anywhere in particular you wanna go? They've got a library even though it's seen better days.

I'll have to write it for you, if you want to tell it to me. [Same.]

Nah, not from me. I'm a horrible teacher, don't have the patience for it.

For now, I kind of want to just settle in.

Sure, it could give me something to do when I have nothing else to do. [At least reading about Alice would keep his mind off things.]

C'mon you wouldn't even teach me? Make a game out of it or something?

Okay, let's go home then. [Because without a doubt in his mind Sora's home is also Lavi's. Not that either of them think a building is home.]

A way for both of us to fall asleep, comparing what to me were children's stories and fairy tales.

I don't know. I don't really have the patience for it. I think I know how the old man might've felt trying to teach little me.

[Home sounds good.]

Yeah, it'll be entertaining bedtime stories.

I think it's because you're just a troublesome thing in general. Even at this age you still cause a lot of headaches.

[Playfully grinning and he gently knocks his elbow against Lavi's.]

"At this age?" Ha! We've got years to go, my friend, I'll get worse yet.

[Responds in kind as they reach the house and go in! Scene end.]

TDM #003

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