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:

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NAVIGATION

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Comments

[infailtration]

[ York thinks he knows where that is -- it sounds like the area right outside where his group had showed up, and he's on the move immediately. He doesn't have any first aid supplies or know where to get them, and so tells Delta to search the networks for any mention of a medical facility. ]

It's really us, yeah. Delta's busy but you can talk to him when I get there, okay buddy?

What's wrong with North?

[brodakota]

Okay.

[Because he would very much like to talk to Delta and have someone familiar around. It's really hard to be brave like this.]

I don't know.

We were attacked and then we ended up here. I think he's still hurt from that but there's no injuries or anything. At least, nothing's coming up.

It was Maine who attacked us.

[infailtration]

[ Oh. He's from then. York's stomach twists a little, and he speeds up. Wash had never told him exactly how North died, and he hadn't wanted to know, but obviously those injuries were fatal. Hopefully the fact that Theta is here with North and can't find anything means he's not that bad off. ]

From what I've heard, that wasn't really Maine. Just a second.

[ It should be around here... York slows down, looking in all directions until he recognizes the building he came out of. Heads that way, and when he turns the corner there's North, on the ground with his back against the wall. Nothing visible, like Theta said, but he's clutching his torso and certainly looks like he's in pain. York drops to his knees beside his friend, reaching out to tilt his head up. Trying to get North to look at him. Hey, man. He's here. ]

[brodakota]

[It's something they can discuss later. Theta flashes into existence when York appears, a little beacon over North's form. If the AI can show emotion, Theta's managing a pretty solid example of relief right now.

North, in the meantime, stirs and blinking, looks up. Theta won't stop talking, reminding him to stay quiet and it's all he can do not to say anything as he finds himself staring at the other freelancer.

He manages a weak smile, struggling not to make any noise.]

[infailtration]

[ York smiles back, leaning in for a moment to press his forehead to North's. The other man probably doesn't remember the last time they met, if he's from the attack, but that's okay. It doesn't matter. What matters is North is here in front of him, now, alive.

When he shifts back again he lowers his hand to rest on North's arm, trying to ease it away from where the other man is clutching at his ribs. Let's take a look, okay? ]

[brodakota]

[The solidness of York's forehead against his is a welcome gesture, enough to ground him for the time being. He's got questions aplenty but those will have to come later. For right now, he seems to be alive and he's not alone.

He lets York move his arm away, and he's not sure if he wants to see the result. Interestingly enough, the wound from the Brute Shot doesn't seem to be there despite some bruising, some evidence that something happened. Still looks like it hurts.]

[infailtration]

[ As gently as he can, York gets the jumpsuit open and examines North's chest. Prods his ribs with careful fingertips, but it seems to be just a bruise. Nothing shifts beneath the skin and muscle, so if North's ribs are damaged they're cracked at the worst. Maybe they should find a bandage to wrap him up anyway? York's good eye flickers up to his friend's face, trying to assess his pain level when they can't speak. How bad is it? Does it feel broken? ]

[brodakota]

[North winces a couple of times, gritting his teeth to stay quiet but otherwise seems okay. Mostly he's just a bit confused, because by his reckoning, there should be a large stab wound there. At least there was the last time he thought to look.

But that was not the best time.

Even so, he's a bit more awake now and taking in his surroundings. Theta's here, York's here, South and Maine are not. He is inside, not outside. What had happened while he was out?

Still, he manages something of a smile and takes up the device that Theta was using]

Gotta admit, this is not the afterlife I was expecting