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
From your mods:

Please remember to mark your content in your starters or subject lines as material comes up. The threads on this meme can be used as game canon. Feel free to thread out arrival style meetings as well! If you have questions, pp the mod account, use the faq or comment below. Have fun!

NAVIGATION

---

Comments

[lovesbitch]

[ he nearly runs right into her on the sandpath, he was trying to read the map on his device. stupid- he's no cartographer but is that supposed to be...? wait, no that's a river. why is it telling him he's standing in a river? spike turns the phone right side up and lifts his eyebrows nearly to his hairline. oh. never mind. he's different than when she last saw him, and not just because he was all shiny with the flame of heroness. his hair is wild in curls without any product to tame it back and the yellow jumpsuit he'd been given is stained with red dust and sand around the hems, the sleeves of the thing ripped clean off. he also hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. which makes him even more unfocused than usual really.

upon nearly coliding with her, their shoulders brush and he intends to just keep pressing on. there's no way to say sorry unless he makes a deal out of syncing their devices, and like hell he's learned any sign language. but he's frozen, belatedly, as he takes her in: golden hair, slight pout, wide hazel eyes that look slightly greener as they catch the light; and maybe the blue against it all is helping the contrast. his unnecessary breath catches in as close to a noise as he dares to make, his gaze falling on her like he's never seen her before. ] Buffy. [ a whisper, but he can't help it. he doesn't even look to see if the monsters are coming for him. she's here. a hand stretches out, intending for his fingers to fall softly on her cheek. ]

[first_summers]

[ She should have noticed that familiar tingle of her senses, a pinging on her radar of something not human, but there's a lot of interference in that department. Whatever these things are that are menacing the town, they're less of a ping and more like a sledgehammer. So when someone brushes against her, she instinctively turns toward them and—

Forgets everything else. ]

How— [ It's definitely not a whisper, but nor is it a scream, despite sounding pretty close in the echoing quiet. The rules of staying silent have gone right out of her mind in the face of, well, this face. The defined cheekbones, that cut in his eyebrow, those eyes that could see through her soul. He's not wearing his usual smile, the one that could switch between a tender expression and a sure indication of impending trouble, and his hair is different, but. It's Spike, and that realization is like a kick to the chest. ]

How— [ It's more breath than voice as her hand reaches up to catch his a second before it reaches her cheek, her fingers wrapping around his, the feeling just as she remembers. How is he here? How is he not a pile of ash at the bottom of the crater formerly known as Sunnydale? ]

[lovesbitch]

[ he shakes his head even while holding tightly to the lifeline of her hand. she's real, he can feel her pulse in his grasp and hear the blood rushing to her pumping heart from this proximity. they probably shouldn't stand out here and talk - tempting fate. if spike and faith couldn't take down the monsters, he knows buffy can't on her own. at least, not without a proper plan in place.

he types on the device one-handed to show he can (occasionally) take things seriously, even rules set out by morons. ] The house. It's soundproof

[ he nods back the way he came, turning back around with her wrist still in his grip and leading her down the sandpath towards house 6 where he'd been staying. they could talk inside without becoming monster chow. spike doesn't realize they're still holding hands until a few minutes later and reluctantly lets go, flashing her a slightly apologetic look. ]

[first_summers]

[ It's hard for her to look away from him to notice the device in his hand, let alone read and comprehend why he's using it. Soundproof. Oh. Right. Whoops.

It says so much about how far they've come that she doesn't protest the way he holds on to her, but instead just follows along to the safety he's offering with a place to talk. To figure out what's going on and what they're going to do about it. Really, it's not until he lets go that she even notices they'd been holding hands all that time, and then it's the emptiness that registers first. An ephemeral whisper of something she's been avoiding even thinking about since that final battle. Since she'd lost him...

She doesn't know what to do with that apology, how to feel about it, so she pushes it all aside and focuses on the here and now. It's a pretty good excuse to avoid Thinking about Things, in her book. Walk on the sand, remember the way to the house, keep an eye out for — whatever these things are. She'll be smart enough this time to not say anything until he gives the all clear; she trusts him in this. ]

[lovesbitch]

[ he isn't used to people looking to him, especially not her. he'd always been the one following her around, so it should come as no surprise that even now with her just arriving spike wants to ask buffy what's next even if he's the one who's supposed to be filling her in. when they get to the porch of house six, he tugs experimentally on the door, grimacing when the hinges creak slightly. it's barely noticeable, but he picks up the brush from the oil can next to it and smatters some on until the door is silent. then he holds it open and gestures for her to go in first.

there's evidence of the soundproofing everywhere, insulation and drywall hung up in an ugly fashion in order to dampen the sound and bolts of cotton stapled down in the halls to walk quietly on. spike misses the satisfying click of his boots against pavement acutely as his bare feet track silently over the muslin instead. once they're in nearly the center of the house, he turns to her, allowing some of his exhaustion and rundownness to eke into his expression. he hasn't been honest or open with anyone since he got here, but with buffy it's second nature. ]

Did you just get here? [ he murmurs softly, the softest glimmer of a smile entering his gaze and slipping back over his face. no matter what hell dimension this is, it's always better to see her than not. and if she's here that means they have a chance of getting out besides - which probably leaves him as a pile of ashes again but he's made his peace with that. he's prepared to sacrifice himself for her as many times as it takes. ] It's... it's damn good to see you.

[first_summers]

[ There are very few people who Buffy trusts implicitly; she can count them on one hand and still have fingers left over. Spike is among that tiny number; he's seen her at her best and her worst and still stood by her. She doesn't even question the instinct to follow his lead, instead just watching the way he moves, frowning at the creaking hinges but noting how the oil helped. If he's taking these kind of precautions...

The creatures are a real threat. She knows Spike, he wouldn't be going through these elaborate motions if he could easily take the things out. So either something has happened to his strength or- More things to process later. Soon. In a few minutes, after she gets some other answers. ]

Yeah, not that long ago... It's good to see you too. [ Good to see him alive, sort of, and not on fire- ] Wait a minute. Were you just walking in the sun?!

[ There's a hint of alarm in her voice to go with the concern written across her face. Yes, clearly he's just fine and not at all crispy, but she can't help the way her heartbeat quickens at the thought of him in the sun and things not ending so well. ]

[lovesbitch]

[ he watches all the planes of her face for every tiny shift and minutia of expression, his dead heart swelling with the relief that blossoms there. and more, when she looks at him that way. with trust and belief in him like she had in his final moments. his mouth suddenly goes dry and he swallows, waiting expectantly for the barrage of questions he knows is coming. it's good to see you too would be something to hang on for whole minutes if not for the way she follows it up; and spike can't help it, he laughs. a low, genuine chuckle. ]

Alternate dimension, luv. Pretty neat, right?

[first_summers]

[ The way he watches her is something that used to bother her. Back when his attention made her skin crawl, then when she hated the both of them and so many mistakes were made. But in the past few months... Sometimes it's felt like he's the only one who truly saw her. Not that she ever made it easy for anyone to get past the walls she built up, but he had. It's terrifying, seeing him look at her that way, knowing what she does and drowning in these emotions.

His laugh shifts some of the weight from her chest and she can breathe easily again. She can actually smile in relief and nod her agreement. ] Well, I'm glad to know you won't burst into flames every time you decide to go for a walk.

[ And no, there's not a drop of sarcasm in that statement. She means every word of it, taking all of this very seriously. Every day for months has been a new kind of battle, and she prepares for the worst as she crosses her arms, expression sobering, and asks what seems like the most important question in a small, quiet voice. ] Spike, how are you here? How are you not—

[lovesbitch]

Yeah, it's not so bad. Wonder if I'll tan up. [ jokes are all he has to turn to at the end of the day, because he doesn't really have any answers for her soon. but even with the stalling, she'll find that out soon enough. all he's really been thinking about is what she's asking him anyway. a part of him wants to stay gone; wishes for the permanent peace he'd earned. but the universe wasn't through with him yet, seems like it never is. and now it's pulled buffy in, so there's some top knotch mojo at work here. ]

Dunno rightly. [ he tips his head and wraps his arms loosely across his chest. ] I'm not the only one, though. Who was worm-chow before they got here, I mean. I even met a ghost. Or she was a ghost, now she's alive again. [ this really doesn't help u sorry bout it ] At first, I thought it had to do with that spiffy trinket you gifted me, but I'm coming to think it's just this place. There's some sorta strange magic to it.

[first_summers]

[ Spike with a tan; wouldn't that be something. Too bad there probably aren't any beaches around these parts. Though with his luck, he'd probably skip tan and go straight to lobster. ]

Of course there is. [ Now she's the one letting her exhaustion show. Magic, alternate dimensions, people coming back from the dead — won't they ever get a break? Even just a little one? A week or two really isn't asking for much. Taking a deep breath, she moves her hands to her hips and nods to herself again, deciding to get down to business and just work this like every other thing they've come up against. ]

Okay, so we just have to figure out what the magic mojo is that brought you back and make sure it sticks when we find a way out of here. That's not so hard. [ They've conquered worse and lived to tell the tale. ] What about the things that are hunting people here? What do you know about them?

[lovesbitch]

[ he bites into his lips to keep from interrupting her. he doesn't need to live through this, as long as they get everyone else out. but there are bigger fish to fry so he'll save it up for when he's feeling truly self-loathing. shouldn't be long now. ] I don't know if hunting's the word. If you make any noise, they just - appear - and take you down. Saw some videos, real Alfred Hitchcock nonsense. They don't look so tough, but Faith says we can't fight 'em. People more powerful than a Slayer have tried. [ so one shitty vampire who may or may not be at full strength isn't going to do much good, basically. ]

There's gotta be a spell or something, like the one you used to raise all them girls.

[first_summers]

If there is, I'm betting we'll have to do a lot of digging to find it. I never would have found the scythe if the First hadn't wanted it, and if anyone but Willow had tried that spell... [ It wouldn't have worked. She might not know it for certain, but she can feel it. They'd gotten lucky, all the pieces falling together in their favor. She wouldn't bet on it happening twice. ]

You're right though, there's gotta be something. Some weakness, a creepy origin story — whatever it is, we'll find it, and we'll put things right. [ She looks around at the room they're in, finally taking in all the details of the soundproofing. It kind of reminds her of what her house had looked like every time something trashed the place. ] Is this where you're staying?

[lovesbitch]

[ he nods decisively, glad buffy is as ever her positive self. he likes faith, but they have a tendency to up each other's negative ante. ] Yeah, we will. [ it's soft, but confident. he glances around the house and shrugs. then points through the kitchen to the deck. ] Out there, actually. Or sometimes the other Slayer lends me her couch. [ he points the opposite way, since faith lives just next door. ]

[first_summers]

[ It's either be positive or crack under a mountain of stress and worry. There's really not a choice there, not when she's spent the last seven years putting on a brave face for everyone else. Glancing in either direction, she looks a little longer toward Faith's before shifting her position nervously. ]

You're safe here? [ If nothing else, she knows that he's safe with Faith. ]

[lovesbitch]

[ he frowns as her question registers, safe...? he's dead. or, undead again as the case may be. but the way he figures it the last thing she ought to be worrying about is how he's doing. he's always some approximation of fine, right? well except for that one time he was a government experiment or that other time the first made a squeaky toy out of him. okay, so maybe she's right to worry- but the inquiry still catches him off guard. ]

Yeah. [ he sounds uncertain then shakes his head and starts over. ] Yeah, Buffy, I'm fine. You want to-- I mean. Do you wanna stay here tonight? I think we've got extra rooms... [ he rambles, remembering faith offering him a room in her house the first night. she should probably stay over there, right? but he has to offer, just in case... just in case she needs him. ]