TDM #004

[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. The bulletin board feed lights up so you can read about the history. 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.

Take a peep
Content Warnings: Possible animal-thing death
Themes: Slice of life, it's like gremlins... kinda

On the first of April, small piles of dust with brightly colored eggs at the center will spring up over night. After a few hours the eggs will begin to hatch and out will come the smallest and brightest bunny-like creatures (the only notable differences from regular bunnies are the colors, size, and that they make no noise). They're friendly and immediately attach themselves (bond) to the first person to pick them up. One of the natives calls them "peeps" because they don't make a sound. All with unique personalities, the creatures can be found nibbling on the dust and needing no other form of food, and will shy away from any and all water sources.

If, however, any of them get wet - there will be a sudden and brief rain shower at noon - the creatures fur will turn black and they will begin attacking the others that didn't get wet. Stopping them is key, and the black creatures will either dash away from the community if given the chance or will need to be stopped.

OOC: All characters can keep a Peep! Any color! They are palm-sized and never grow larger than an adult hand.

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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Comments

[setpoint]

[He gets a nod in return.]

Please. I'd appreciate it. Why do you think they're hiding information from us?

[oorah]

the first month they told us they had never seen a sound eater. then they took us to see them so we knew they were lying. after that it's been half-truth after half-truth. i get that they want our help and they're scared and all but there's something else going on they don't want us to know.

[ frank syncs their devices and sends over the packet so she can review it at her leisure. max seems bored with the human conversation, because he gets up suddenly and butts his massive head into mako's leg. PAY ATTENTION TO ME!!! he seems to say. ]

that's max

[setpoint]

[Mako is so focused on her device that she starts a bit when Max bumps into her, and her lips quirk up. As soon as Frank says his name, though, the smile disappears. Mako hesitates, then crouches down to rub behind the dog's ears. She's been trying very, very hard not to think of the other Rangers she's lost, but Mako is sure Chuck never loved anything as much as he loved his dog, and whatever their differences were, it chokes Mako up a bit, though she tries not to show it.]

[oorah]

[ he catches it, the reaction to the name. someone she'd lost, maybe, or a reminder. he had too many of those not to recognize it instantly. max rests his head on her shoulder in the semblance of a hug, wagging his tail gently. as if he could somehow sense her upset too. ]

[setpoint]

[That gets Mako to smile again, though it's brief, and she wraps her arms around Max and hugs him tight. She only gives herself a second or so of dog time before she pulls out her device again, takes a breath, and tries to get herself under control.]

How can I help?

[oorah]

[ to his credit, he pretends he doesn't notice the exchange and slips right back into his mayor hotdog hat. max moves back against frank's side too. ]

there's always some or other community project going on. right now it's mostly soundproofing and building out the hospital and the prison. medical staff too is always in high demand. or scientists things like that. what's your background?

[setpoint]

I'm a J-Tech officer and Jaeger pilot with the PPDC.

[Which, she keeps forgetting, no one seems to have any familiarity with. This time she catches herself and elaborates.]

I have military training and a background in mechanics and engineering.

[Which is simplifying things, and not entirely accurate, but close enough to get the point across.]

[oorah]

[ he nods, waiting for her to explain in layman's terms because she's right in her assumption - he has 0 clue what that means. ]

ok i can put you on soundproofing. the natives will assign you a job but if you don't like it i can reassign you easily.

[setpoint]

You can reassign me? How?

[oorah]

[ big ol silent sigh ] by asking nicely? i'm kind of the mayor or something.

[setpoint]

The natives elected a non-native as their mayor?

[oorah]

they put it to a popular vote

[setpoint]

[Mako nods. Okay. She finds it a little strange that they'd let an outsider win, but at least that means they aren't viewing non-locals as captives or something.]

What's your background?

[oorah]

marines: black ops, sniper training, special interrogation. [ basically he's fucked up a lot of people. he waits for it to sink in, then shrugs a shoulder like it doesn't really mean anything. ] i run fight club here too. it's like a dojo, you can spar or just go to blow off steam.

[setpoint]

[Wow, yeah, that's... a lot, but Mako is careful not to react.]

Do you need someone to help train others?

[oorah]

sure, especially someone with your training. most of the instructors i have are a little rough for newbies. i could use a "normal" person like me in there. [ aka not op ladies like the rest of the roster :') ]