Rules in tags (TW: This RP includes heavy themes, such as various mental health problems and death)

(Since the Silent Hill 2 remake, I wanted to do this again, but I revamped and changed some things.)

(SPOILERS FOR SILENT HILL)

You recently received a letter from your best friend, who died a bit ago. He tells you that he "can't wait to see you again" and to "come to the town of Silent Hill to meet up."

Loaz stares a hole through the letter, turning it over, reading and rereading it over and over. It has to be a joke, right?
It's his handwriting. Who else writes like this?

"I give you full permission gto haunt the hell outta me," they'd once told him. They never intended their joke to be taken literally.

No. No, they're just trying to find connections. This is some sick joke junk mail. Worryingly accurate sick joke mail. Loaz is grieving; grief messes with you bad. This doesn't mean anything.
...
But what if...
No. This is a murder tactic!
"God, but what if!" Loaz grumble-shouts. The edges of the card crumple at the edges in their grip.
Silent Hill. Had they ever even been there? Heard of the place?
Do they want to know?

After hours of frustrated deliberation, Loaz caves. As much as they'd refused to admit it to themself, they were fascinated by the letter. They're honestly more interested in how someone could fake something like this so perfectly; they kinda want to meet the guy just for the heck of it.
And if it is a murder tactic, they'll find someone to haunt the hell out of themself!
Or, maybe it is real, and they're about to make one of the best stupid decisions of their life.

Loaz shoves the now thoroughly crumpled letter into their pocket.
"Worth a try, eh?"

The man turns around

"Hello."

"Hi!" Loaz half-yelps, instantly retracting their hand. "Sorry to disturb you! We were just..." They glance back at Noah, "looking for someone. Have you seen anyone around?"

"... In the bowling alley. Why?"

"Bowling alley. Noted!" They beamed back gratefully. "We're looking for friends. We just haven't seen much of anyone here. Just me, him," they pointed back at Noah, "and you. I'm Loaz by the way. Lovely to meet you and thank you for the lead." Loaz spoke so quickly it was surprising they weren't stumbling over the words. So there were people around somewhere. The more people they found, the more hope there was of this being legit.

~He might really not be gone!~

".. I'm Hank."

"And the one back there being quiet and not associating is Noah." They introduced the other enthusiastically. "Thank you again. Honestly. This is good." They looked back to Noah grinning ear to ear, hands clasped excitedly against their chest.

Noah waves timidly

Hank: "You're welcome."

(Hi omg sorry it took me so stupid long to get back to you I completely forgot)

“Welp, we got a lead, we good to go?” They started moving again before turning back towards Hank. “Do… you got anywhere to be, dude?”

(It's completely fine, lol)

Hank: "No."

Noah speaks

Noah: "You ready?"

“If you say so.”

They wave to Hank and nod to Noah. “Yup. Let’s get moving! Bowling alley!”

"Yeah. I help you find your friend, you help me find mine?"

Do you go with Noah?

"Sure." Loaz can finally offer a legitimate smile. Yes, they had just thought this was a murder plot. Yes they were still very intimidated by the very concept of being here. But also, they kinda needed a person to talk to, and if this was a ruse and they never found their friend, even if Noah or someone did take them out, at least they wouldn't be going out without due social interaction first.

What great circumstances to be making replacement friends. Loaz is trying not to think too deep about things here.

"Alright.. You wanna check out the overlook at Toluca Lake?"

"I'm going to trust you know where that is!" They announced. "Lead the way!"

Noah and you walk to the overlook

It's no less foggy here, not that Loaz was expecting it to be. Still, the fog seems to insist on interrupting their merely taking in the environment. Who knew clouds could be rude.

Is it polite to start shouting 'hello's and 'are you there's? The town is empty so there's nobody to disturb other than Noah, but it is supposed to be *Silent* Hill.
They also most certainly still feel off.
But also how the heck else are they supposed to find anyone here?

"Hello?" They called out into the mist.

You see a man leaning on the overlook

Hope! Or imminent doom.
WHO CARES!

Loaz approaches with only mild caution. "Hellooo." They greet casually.

The man doesn't acknowledge you

"Excuse me?" It can't be that he's out of hearing range unless his ears absolutely suck. Loaz is naturally just a bit too loud and always a bit too close for their own good.

They lightly tap the man on the shoulder. "Sir?"

"If I remember correctly.. The bowling alley is.. Thhhhhhis way."

Noah points in a direction

“You got it!” Loaz gave a thumbs up and skipped off in the indicated direction. The fog may be thick enough to bite but in Loaz’s head the sun is shining.

Noah follows

"You're a cheerful one, eh?"

Loaz shrugged. “Hope’s hope, right?” They spun on their heel and carried on. After a moment their shoulders started to settle. “I probably shouldn’t be. I’m just setting myself up for disappointment, but… I like it better being the guy who’s unrealistic than 24/7 miserable.”

"I like it.."

You both eventually arrive at the bowling alley

A little run down, looks empty as ever, and not another face to be seen on the way there. Taking the "silent" part very literally. Quite impressive, really.

A bowling alley certainly isn't the first place they'd really get their hopes up about. Maybe a bar or some diner with one of those jukeboxes; they never have good music but he always liked them anyways. Loaz never got the appeal of anything other than the colored lights.

Then again, maybe the bowling alley's got one of those and he's in there having the time of his life. Loaz wouldn't even judge anymore if that were the case, it wouldn't matter.

They were eager enough to get inside they coulda kicked the door down, but they, with such beautiful restrain, politely shoved it open instead. "Helloooooo!"

You see someone sitting at one of thr far lanes, eating a pizza

Noah follows you in

"Hey, there's someone over there."

It's happening. This is ACTUALLY happening!
~Reel yourself in, you don't know for sure.~
It takes a gut punch of rational thinking to keep Loaz from hyperventilating out of the sheer rush of emotion just being in this building with another living, breathing human being.

They take in a deep breath, fix their star glasses, tuck their hands in their pockets, and walk further in. It's an effort to look, move, and sound as distinctly 'them' as possible.
"Heya."

The man doesn't turn around

That dealt a blow to Loaz's confidence for sure, but they weren't gonna let it crush it out.
"Helloooooo~" They chirped "Guess whooooo~!"

After much consideration, you head to Silent Hill. When you arrive, you see the run down looking welcome sign. You look past, and see a ghost town with a thick fog blanketing the entire area

Yeah this definitely felt like a murder tactic. Foggy ghost town in the middle of nowhere, invited by ominous letter from someone who’s not even around anymore, whoever sent it Isn’t exactly subtle.
But Loaz is stubborn. They’re not about to let some still-hypothetical killer stop them from seeing this through. Until they see a guy run at them with a weapon, they aren’t going anywhere.

Loaz carries on past the sign and into the fog. Their friend hadn’t specified *where* in Silent Hill he’d be. Leaving it to them to guess, Loaz assumed.
That did sound like him.
Maybe there’s a little hope after all.

You walk past the welcome sign and see someone walk out of an abandoned building. He's wearing a black unzipped jacket with blue jeans. He has messy black hair and green eyes. He'd holding a crumpled-up piece of paper. He looks at you and smiles

"Oh, hello!"

The man nearly startles Loaz right out of their boots. They stumble back a bit before processing that they aren't in immediate danger.

"Hey!" Then Loaz notices the paper. Their hand almost instinctively slips into their pocket to fiddle with their own crumpled letter.

The boy gives a wave

"What are you doing here?"

"I..." May as well say. What's this guy gonna do with the info anyways. "I came looking for my friend. He told me to meet here, the town, just generally." They pulled out their letter. "You wouldn't happen to have seen anyone else here?" The hope in Loaz's voice was kinda pathetic, especially by their standards

Noah tilts his head

"No, sorry.. Wait, your friend told you to meet him here? Me too!"

"Huh. Funny." They stare down at the paper in their hand. Perhaps they should ask the status of this boy's friend but that was probably not information a stranger would just give them. Loaz themself wouldn't. Sensitive stuff.
Loaz finally looked up. "Uh, what'd you say your name was? Sorry, I guess I should've asked."

"Oh sorry, I didn't, heh.. My name is Noah!"

"Noah." Loaz repeats. "I'm Loaz." They glance vaguely over their shoulder. "So... uh, common friend hangout spot, eh? Foggy empty town. Classic." They at a slight twinge of humor, as if the fog itself could visualize their own awkward tension and that tiny twinge of a chuckle could slice right through it.

The man sighs and turns around. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, and he wears a blue polo shirt and jeans. He wears a backwards cap on his head.

???: "What?"

Not him.
Still not him.
Outside is foggy as ever.

"Hey, sorry to disturb you. I... thought you were someone else." Loaz made an attempt to mask their disappointment, though it wasn't all too convincing.

???: "I don't look like many other people."

Noah slides in beside you

"Hahah, yeah.. I guess this is a weird place, but, I still wanna find my friend.. By the way, have you seen a man around here, around 6'1", dirty blonde with blue eyes?"

"Nope. You're the first person I've seen." Loaz shook their head.

"Ah.. Okay.."

Noah looks dejected

"So we're both lost. Fun!" Loaz jams their hands into their pockets. "Guess it's 'scour the whole damn town and keep our fingers crossed they're even here' time for me! I shouldna expected 'im to be right at the entrance. Honestly, some people." They sigh, half-humoredly resting their forehead on their fingertips.

They lift their head. They already went over that they probably shouldn't ask; they hardly know the guy, but. Also means it can't really hurt the relationship any more that way, right?
"Uh, excuse me if this is a weird question, but," Loaz tries to word this as gently as they can, "your friend, is he... alive?"

Noah looks confused

"Uh... Yeah.. I hope. He went missing two days ago."

Loaz nods. Their jaw clenches. "Yeah, uhm... yeah, I hope so too." They tried to offer a reassuring smile, but it looked as forced as it was. "If anything he's probably here if that's the case."

It was their turn to mention their guy, wasn't it. The question wouldn't make sense otherwise. But they're trying to do the comforting here and dropping the 'my friend who invited me sure as hell *isn't* alive and should not be here' bombshell would more than likely do the opposite.

"Hey.. I have an idea.."

"Yeah?" They straighten up.

"How about we help each other out?"

"As in, you come with me?" They wouldn't be opposed to not being alone. That's why they came here, wasn't it? So they wouldn't be anymore. "Or, I go with you? Or whatever."