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
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

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[ Arrival ]

[ As Sarah is dressed in a jumpsuit, she does nothing but argue and ask questions. How did she get here? Where are her children? Where’s David? It’s the sincerity of the woman who tells her to hush that gets Sarah to shut up and finally believe that this situation might be more serious than she originally believed. She quiets down and pays attention, accepting a device and absorbing as much information as she can.

With little hesitation, she agrees to live in silence and is ushered outside to the community she has just learned about. Everything is still so new, so as Sarah looks around she is very much a wide-eyed newbie, appearing lost and perhaps a little scared. She holds her device close to her, prepared to use it to communicate with anyone who might approach. ]

[ Caught Me Unawares ]

[ It’s a relief when Sarah wakes from her dream. She sighs quietly and shakes her head, glad that she’s back in the waking world where terrors are far more tangible, but when she puts a hand to her forehead she feels something gritty.

Pulling her hand away, she looks at her palm with eyebrows wrinkled. Something is definitely off. The dust from her dream is still on her hand. She takes in a shaky breath, obviously frightened, and scrambles to get out of bed, running to wipe her hands clean. ]

[ Falling Down The Stairs ]

[ Tonight’s dream is even worse, causing Sarah to twist and turn in her bed. When she finally gets to the part where she’s falling she tries her best to pay closer attention. She lands with a thump and stirs up a cloud of red dust, but she isn’t alone.

With a soft groan, Sarah lifts her head to see who she’s landed next to. ]

What’s going on?

[ Wild Card ]

( Do anything you want! Approach Sarah anywhere! )

[At least there's one other woman here who argues and stubbornly refuses to just believe everything. Clara feels better about that, since she's exhausted herself arguing and asking questions. She's been sitting outside the reset room, working at trying to get her child's size jumpsuit to fit her properly. The adult ones they had left were just too big and tall for her stubby little legs, so she gets stuck in something ridiculous.

When she spots the other woman emerging from the building she pushes herself to stand and makes her way on over. There's a cautious smile on her face and she waves, hoping that her presence isn't minded. It's probably safer in numbers here, particularly if you're both making an effort to stay quiet.]

[ Sarah has been constantly on guard since she’s arrived here and, while it’s a very tiring state to be in, it’s not changing anytime soon. When the petite brunette approaches her, she feels herself tense up on reflex. However, the gestures the younger woman make seem friendly. Maybe she’s wrong to do so, but she relaxes a little bit and her mouth even curves into a slight smile. She raises her own hand in greeting to the other woman. It really is strange trying to communicate in a completely nonverbal manner.

She pulls out her device. It’s her first time using it to ‘speak’ to someone in the community. ]

Hi. I’m Sarah. Wow, this is weird.

It's creepy, is what it is.

[Clara pulls a face, one that gives plenty of insight into her opinions of everything they've been told today. She's not talking out loud, at least, which means she buys into the threat of danger. It's definitely weird communicating face to face with someone this way, but at least they're getting through the awkward stage together.]

I'm Clara, by the way. I can't believe they actually expect us to keep this up long term.

[ Sarah grins, then biting her lip to stifle a laugh. It’s exactly what she’s been thinking. This whole situation is crazy. How are they supposed to stay silent? She supposes if their survival really does depend on it that maybe they’ll have to learn ways, but honestly? It seems impossible. Maybe death is inevitable. Her grin falters a little at that grim thought. ]

We’re honestly probably doomed, as much as I hate to say it. Knowing my luck, I’ll probably sneeze.

[ frank sits up, eyeing the pile of dust in his hand before letting it go with a pitchy little sigh. reset room, they meet again. what did he do this time? he's cycling through memories, trying to grasp what he remembers and how much, but he senses a presence. he thinks it'll just be one of the natives, or at least someone who gets in trouble with him on the regular. but when he turns his head, his eyes widen, horror shoving realization right out of the way. this place really does have it out for him. ]

Sarah? [ he's still dreaming, has to be. frank reaches out for her, gasping when his fingers meet one jumpsuit-covered arm. she feels solid, there's none of the weird dream shit that came before. just beautiful sarah lieberman in exactly the wrong place. ]

[ The sense of surprise Frank feels is mutual and it shows on Sarah’s face. She hasn’t seen him around, but it should make sense that he would show up in her dreams. Dreams are a place for the familiar. They’re where everything you know shows up. This shouldn’t surprise her, but it does. Sarah blinks, mouth gaping slightly, and sits up a little straighter. ]

Pete? [ She shakes her head. Not Pete. He stopped being Pete a while ago. Sarah corrects herself quickly. ] Frank?

[ Her hands brush the reddish dust off of the jumpsuit she’s wearing. It’s not even her clothing so she doesn’t know why she cares about whether it’s clean or not, but the instinct remains. ]

[ pete actually gets a smile. he shakes his head when she corrects herself, his hand reluctantly falling away as she begins to dust herself off. nothing about her showing up could herald good things, whether it's real or a super convincing illusion, but it's still nice to see her. always is. ]

Actually, it's Hotdog here.

Hotdog.

[ She laughs and shakes her head. Well, it’s as good a name as anything. ]

Okay, Hotdog. So…

[ It seems like he’s been here longer than her, which might mean that he can answer the biggest question that’s on her mind right now. For a few nights she’d been having good dreams, but now it’s nothing but falling and winding up in this strange room with this rusty red dust. ]  What is this place? Where are we?

[ her laugh harkens him back to that first time in the liebermans' house. her making him coffee. him confessing their similarities... he has to take a breath, and it has nothing to do with the red dust filling up his lungs. though that doesn't help. he should get up. but he also has the urge to just not move ever again. go figure. ]

Two big question marks for me too, lady. It's some kinda horror show, and that's the best I've got.

[ It feels like a horror show. With the way so much is left unexplained, Sarah would almost admit that she’s scared, but she’s too proud for that. Besides, there are kids around. If the adults run around acting afraid, how are the children going to feel? There’s a kind of responsibility attached to her age and role, like it or not, so as she sits on the ground in this mysterious room filled with gross rusty dust she tries her best to act like, at the most, she’s only annoyed. ]

Horror show sounds about right. What is this stuff? Rust?

[ She lifts a dust covered hand to look at and rubs her thumb and forefinger together. ]

Edited 2018-03-03 06:05 (UTC)

[ It's that time of the month again - another batch of new arrivals. Rather than let them fend for themselves, Mike makes an effort to wander the city, actively looking for new people, making sure they're okay. He knows when he first arrived, he could have done with someone to calm him down, and he's met new arrivals since then who he's comforted or directed to their designated house.

Sarah looks familiar to him - he's not sure why, at first. He swears he's seen her face before...

Then it comes to him. Her, from the photo! Mike makes his way over to her at once, tugging on her sleeve to get her attention. ]

You're the woman from Frank's photo! Sarah?

[ It seems important to get the lay of the land, so Sarah has been walking around and trying to memorize the community as best she can. The experience reminds her a lot of being a college freshman trying to familiarize herself with the campus, only this is a lot scarier. With the threat of monsters always present, she finds she can’t shake the constant feeling of chills. It’s the same sensation she gets after having watched a truly scary movie. That’s why she doesn’t watch very many scary movies.

When a genuinely cute child approaches her, though, she smiles down at him warmly and glances at her device as he types a message. Her eyebrows wrinkle when she reads the words. Frank? She definitely knows a Frank. Could he really be one and the same? She types in a response quickly. ]

Yes, I’m Sarah. What’s your name, sweetie? And do you know Frank’s last name?

[ Frank... has never actually told him his second name, but Mike is convinced it's the same Sarah from the photograph. ]

I'm Mike. I don't know it. But you're married to David, right? [ He remembers David talking about her, about how much he missed her and their kids but that he'd protect them if they ever showed up here. It made Mike jealous of their children, jealous of what a caring father they had. ]

They'll be really happy to see you. [ Or maybe not because of how dangerous this place is. ]

[ Sarah is conflicted. At first she feels something like relief wash over her. If she’s here, at least she isn’t alone. David and Frank are here with her. Then it hits her. If they’re here, they’re in constant danger, just like the woman told her she was when she first arrived. Her heart sinks a little. It’s a miracle that they’re alright. ]

Yes, I’m David’s wife.

[ She smiles, but then a thought hits her and her expression becomes almost frantic. Sarah types something down as quickly as she possibly can. ]

Is David here with children? A girl named Leo or a boy named Zach?

[ Mike would have mentioned them already, though, wouldn’t he? Sarah feels like she has a rock in her stomach. What is she going to do if she’s separated from her children? What is she going to do if they’re here? ]

They didn't arrive with him? But if you just got here, they could have come here too. People seem to be sent here in groups every month.

I can help you look for them! I think I remember their faces. [ He didn't know their names, but now he does. ] I've looked for missing kids before. [ He's becoming an expert at it. ]

[ him and frank have a booth set up outside this time around, handing out information to new arrivals in an attempt to make it easier on the natives each month. there's a lot of them this time, just like when he first got here not too long ago, but as the next few are allowed out of the room, his heart stops and for a moment he forgets what he's doing.

her appearance is unmistakable -- it's sarah, his wife, and david never actually thought that she would show up here. but none of it should have surprised him, not him and frank have managed to find each other. he's moving before he even registers it, swallowing past the lump in his throat, and when he reaches out he doesn't know if he should be relieved or heart broken when he discovers she's just a figment of his sleep-deprived mind.

but she's solid, she's real, and david takes a shaky, shuddering breath. ]

[ The booth strikes her as just another annoying part of getting checked into this new world, but once she sees David sitting behind it she freezes in her steps. After getting no answers from the people who had dressed her regarding her family’s presence in this place, he was one of the last people she expected to see here. Her jaw drops slightly as she stares at him, half expecting him to disappear right before her eyes.

As he moves toward her, she stays put, far too surprised to make a single move, but as soon as he is within reach she throws her arms around him and holds him tightly. She doesn’t even realize it, but she’s begun crying, tears silently rolling down her face. Sarah quickly wipes them away and makes an effort to stop, for fear of letting out a loud sniffle.

She backs away slightly and smiles at David without saying or typing a single word. ]

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TDM #003

Sarah Lieberman | The Punisher

arrival

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falling down stairs

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