Test Drive Meme #7

[hadrielmods]

Welcome to Hadriel's test drive, and thank you again for your interest in the game! As always, our reserves page is here, and our applications page is here! Reserves open March 25th, and apps are open April 1st.

Two quick points here as well:

1. Any thread made in Hadriel's test drive will be accepted as the sole Action Log sample in the application.
2. All threads made in the test drive can be considered game canon, either through handwaving or through a shared mental experience while coming through the Door!

Test drives will be broken up into specific god mini-events, during which your characters can see how well they fare under the watchful eye of one of the gods. Choose wisely or just simply pick 'em all, and have fun!

F E A R

SCENARIO ONE: HOW UNUSUAL
[The Door brings in all that is chaotic and evil in the world. This may include you, may include the person next to you... and may include the monster behind you.

Watch out as you explore the streets of Hadriel, because you're not alone, and there's always something on the rooftops watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to separate you from your group and tear you into pieces. This time, the Door has brought in a few Rodents Of Unusual Size, from the film/book Princess Bride.

These large creatures are about the size of a large dog and can be stoked into a frenzy once they smell blood. They typically hide in the shadows and wait for an opportune moment to leap out of the dark and strike at you. Though they can sometimes look like overlarge puppets, take no doubt that these monsters are very much alive, and they love the taste of flesh.]

H O P E
SCENARIO TWO: MIRROR, MIRROR
[While exploring, you might be surprised to come across a pristine mirror in this underground city. It could be lying in your path, it could have been dropped into your bag by a mysterious someone, or it could find you some other way, but it will be there. This is no ordinary mirror, however- upon looking inside of it, the glass will show you a vision of a future that you hope for more than anything.

Regardless of what you want, the mirror shows visions that you believe are possible so that you can adequately hope for it- whether or not they actually are isn't really anyone's concern. Feel free to hide in a corner and stare for hours, throw it away, or try to peek at as many other mirrors as you want- we won't stop you!

This is a mini version of our Hopeful Future event this month!]


R A G E

SCENARIO THREE: PAY 2 WIN
[How cool are carnival booths? Super cool, right? And luckily, the grand prize in this one is something you've always wanted. It could be a briefcase of enough money to make all your troubles go away, that sacred amulet you've been questing after, or something a little less concrete- the approval of someone you want to like you, a curse upon someone you don't like, general freedom... the choices are endless.

And all you have to do to win it is play a game or two.

Something strange seems to be happening, though. Each time you finish a round of the game, the prize requirements just get a little higher, just stretch a little more out of reach. Play again, we're sure you'll get it this time! No? Well, you've definitely got it next time.

Get fed up and smash the booth for the prize? Well buddy, now you're disqualified, and tampering with the booth sets that thing you want most up in flames. Sorry, bud. Better luck next time! And look, there's another booth right behind you...]

Comments

Krieg | Borderlands

[fleshing]

I ATE ALL THE FEAR

You know how also loves flesh? An axe-wielding Pyscho who has really been hankering for something deserving to kill. Fighting R.O.U.S.'s isn't like dismembering bandits or burning varkids alive, and Krieg's actually managed to get a little swamped. Once they get past the radius of his axe, they're swarming all over him, nipping and sinking their teeth into his very exposed, very biteable flesh.

"SHE WOULDN'T - STOP - SCREAMING - AT - ME!" He twists around and rams his back into the nearest wall, sandwiching the one clinging to his shoulderblades and crushing it off him.

His muffled grunts and howls aren't quiet, nor are his attempts to dislodge as many of the little beasts as he can.

NO HOPE FOR THE RECKLESS MONGERER

He'd picked up the mirror in one meaty fist, and now its taunting little shadow-pictures won't leave him alone. The images dart infrequently from one extreme to another - there he is, axe in hand, screaming his delight as he rips a man's arm clean off from the roots. And there he is, his face unblemished and unbroken, whole again, whole again, whole again, but that's not allowed, there's no pastries allowed at the cookout, and he crouches back and shakes his head with rough, feral noises of discontent until the image changes again.

We could actually be a functioning person again, murmurs the brain-voice a little wistfully, and Krieg slams one closed fist into the side of his head, which hurts, and does nothing to shut the voice up.

"Don't tell me what to do!" he growls. For all anyone who might watching may know, he's speaking to empty air.

Just look at it.

A long, pained hgnrnng sound peels out from his throat until finally, with little regard for his surroundings or who he might hit in the process, Krieg snatches the mirror up and hurls it as far away from him as possible.

Fear

[liquid_serpent]

Liquid couldn't just stand and let the axe-wielding man get overcome by the huge giant rats. He, himself, had just had a punching fight with a few just now and had cuts and bruises on his face and chest area. He growled with anger and lunged himself at the creatures atttatched to the man. The blond used his super-enhanced human strength and speed to kick and punch at the breasts, sending them flying. He was a clone, a genome soldier, the son of Big Boss. No rat monster would beat him, or anyone else for this matter.

"Son of a-" Liquid swore, as he felt one of the creature's razor sharp teeth bite into his arm. "Get off me you bastard!" He flung the creature miles and then kicked another hoping to bite his other arm. He looked to the man.

"Are you alright?"

[fleshing]

Anyone who jumps on enemies with that much enthusiasm pretty much earns their status as an ally right off the bat. Reductive thinking, sure, but no one ever praised Krieg for being a brainiac.

"Friendship is pain," he growls, one eye narrowed into a slit. Too bad that mask of his is hiding the delirious grin.

"Bottoms up!" And he wings his axe in the other man's direction. It swings right past and slams into a rat that evidently had hoped to slink up from behind the two of them.

[liquid_serpent]

Friendship is pain? What sort of man was this? Liquid guessed he might be some sort of sadist perhaps. Not so unlike Ocelot or even himself. Yet, the axe slicing down next to him caused him to jump out of the way.

"Careful where you're swinging that!" He saw where the blade ended up and frowned. This guy wasn't mucking around. Perhaps he was just an axe-wielding mad man. "I'm guessing you're some sort of warrior."

[fleshing]

Tell him you're a friend, whispers that quiet tone again, and Krieg's one visible eye twitches.

"They cut open my liver to share the toasty hatred!"

...Close enough.

Translation: some sort of warrior, yes. Emphasis on "some sort".

He retrieves his axe, yanking it out from the rat's corpse with a delightfully squishy pop and swinging it about a few times in evident pleasure.

[liquid_serpent]

Liquid had no idea what the man was saying and found it increasingly frustrating to try and form any kind of conversation with him. Mindless brute.

"Did they indeed? I think you're trying to tell me they wanted to eat you. Yes, they attacked me too." He narrowed his eyes at the hulk of a man and decided it would probably be best not to antagonise him.

"What's your name? Do you have one?"

[fleshing]

Could you at least try to make a little sense? the voice is fuming, but Krieg gives his head a fierce shake and disregards it.

"I'm the pain of a thousand craggy Kriegs cracking catatonic catastrophe!" Thunk. There goes another rat, cleaved nearly in two from the force of that strike. The bitemarks itch and bleed, but pain is life and there's no part of him that doesn't hurt anyhow.

Krieg. Just say our name is Krieg. Can't you do that?

[liquid_serpent]

Liquid just stared at the man and frowned. What the hell? Did this man not even know how to string a proper sentence together? It seemed not. Perhaps, this was normal in his world.

"My name is Liquid Snake and you'd do well to remember that." He shoved a gloved hand out to the man and hoped he'd shake it instead of chopping it off with his axe. Liquid wasn't usually one to shake stranger's hands but they were all alone in a strange place being attacked. Gaining allies was a must.

[fleshing]

Krieg makes a feral, delighted sound and claps one beefy hand to Liquid's for the briefest moment before letting go, and waving his axe over his head in acknowledgement.

"Keep it flowing!"

Jeezus, sighs the stupid little mind-voice, and Krieg brings his free hand up sharply to thump it against the side of his gourd.

"QUIET!" he bellows roughly, to apparently no one in particular.

[liquid_serpent]

"Ok....." Liquid doesn't even know what to think when the huge man smashed himself against the head with his own hand. Was he delirious? Or was this normal for him? Liquid just stood unsure what to say about that.

"Why are you hitting yourself? Are you quite well?"

[fleshing]

"I'm not the one with the medical degree!" Krieg snarls, and hefts his axe up in both hands. "Get up, get up! We've got spines to snap!"

He's not wrong, exactly. More rats are coming, evidently attracted to the noisemaker that is Krieg, who's still all worked up into a frenzy with no sign of slowing down just yet.

Mirror

[hybridification]

Of course, the mirror hits Rhys in the head.

Of course, Krieg is ripped as hell and has a strong throwing arm, so the mirror hits Rhys in the head from like, a block away, which is far enough for him to not immediately identify whoever through it and also far enough away to really sting. If he were any closer, it probably would have laid him flat.

"Hey!"

His tone is peevish as he bends over to pick up the thing- cracked, and insignificant enough that Rhys doesn't take a closer look at it quite yet. Instead, he spins, trying to locate his attacker, the handle of the mirror clutched tight in his robotic hand.

"Who the hell threw that? That hurt!"

[fleshing]

When your mind's broken all to hell and your volume control is pretty much shot, there's nothing you can do without putting one hundred percent effort into it. Which is why Krieg is about as subtle as a ballistic projectile, and just as likely to set off a chain reaction of angry sound in the process.

He lumbers on out to glare at whoever just snapped at him, still fuming from the clanging of cognitive dissonance.

Several things about him are readily apparent, but the only thing Krieg's addled brain zeroes in on is his arm's paint job. There's no other company in the universe that specializes in that hideous shade of yellow, is there?

"You've got MUSTARD ON YOUR ARM!"

[hybridification]

Oh.

Okay, consider Rhys about eighty percent less annoyed and three hundred percent more terrified at the situation now. He shrinks away from the giant lumbering sack of muscle and insanity and instead tries to consider any method of escape.

He's... sort of... dealt with these types before, now that he's been on Pandora for awhile. He's kind of experienced. This is fine. He's maybe got this.

"...what?" Rhys manages to squeak out, and he winces at the high pitched tone, before clearing his throat and trying again. "Er. What? No- no, I don't. I don't think they, uh, have mustard in this city."

It's alright, everyone: he's got this.

[fleshing]

Krieg stalks closer, deliberately encroaching on Rhys's personal space. Good manners aren't his priority, but when are they ever? His visible eye narrows threateningly. He might not have a singular awareness of a lot of things, but he knows he cuts an intimidating figure, so he's just gonna heft that big soul-sticker of his and weigh it in both hands.

"Yyyyyyyeww aren't all meat-packaging," he growls. "Don't you know what they did?"

The rattle of the quiet voice in his head is all but silent now. Doesn't want to play, of course not, not while there's a possibility this one might be - what's the word?

Deserving.

[hybridification]

The closer Krieg gets, the further Rhys tries to back away. He's well aware of his own pitiful frame in this situation, and how someone as stacked as Krieg could probably snap Rhys like a toothpick with one hand. It's not an encouraging thought.

"Oh." Some part of what Krieg is saying sort of clicks, and Rhys raises his mechanical arm in demonstration spreading his fingers wide. "My, uh- my arm? Yeah, it's not... meat..."

Not that he wants to think of his body in terms of meat. Does that mean that Krieg wants to eat him?

"I don't know anything, man, I'm just here in this, uh- place, same as you. Please don't kill me."

[fleshing]

Lots of people use Hyperion's stuff, mutters the voice, abruptly and apparently deciding that it's still relevant here. We use their stuff. You know that.

Krieg makes a wordless, drawn-out sound that's really best described as a growl as he eyes Rhys with a cold glare. His free hand opens and closes methodically, straining against the itch to try and rip the mechanical arm straight from its socket.

No. That would be rude, insists the irritating whisper in the corner of his brain.

He stabs upward with one finger, gesturing pointlessly at a ceiling that doesn't open to sky. "The yellow H in the moon!"

[hybridification]

"Ohh, Hyperion."

That makes more sense. Rhys has to take a second to make sure that he's still upright and not currently bleeding internally just from being in proximity to this guy- but yeah no, he's totally fine for the next five seconds, until mister-Psycho here decides that he needs a little disemboweling.

Rhys actually tilts his head up to follow Krieg's gesture, staring up at the ceiling of the cave for a moment before he tries to compose himself and figure some kind of answer that won't get him immediately murdered. It's harder than it sounds.

"Yeah, they did some, uh- pretty messed up stuff. I don't know what you're talking about, um... specifically, though. I probably didn't do it."

[fleshing]

Probably?

Probably doesn't fall in the bounds of the extremes Krieg's mind operates under. He tilts his head to one side, then another, then gives it a rough shake, like clearing cobwebs from his head.

"Better make SURE, jerky-man!" he barks.

That's kind of an overt threat. But the irritating voice-in-his-head is in full support of any anti-Hyperion actions Krieg might take. Unfortunately.

[hybridification]

Oh- shit.

Rhys squeaks when Krieg starts yelling and shrinks back, stumbling a little on the rocky dirt. Bandits not liking Hyperion, check. Is this really a surprise to him at this point?

"Sure! Yeah- yeah, no, I'm super sure. The most sure."

He nods emphatically, holding his hands up to prove that he's unarmed. Please don't kill Rhys in a test drive thread, Krieg.

"Like- can't be any more sure than I'm sure right now. I did absolutely nothing. Nothing bad at all. It's fine- we're fine."

[fleshing]

Being this physically intimidating makes for an easy lot in life, if you discount the fact that most people who see him are more inclined to shoot on sight than trust that somewhere, buried deep beneath the fractalled folds of his gray matter, there's actually the remnant of a rational human being nestled in there.

"If you're wrong I'll break your matchstick legs over an OPEN FIRE!"

For emphasis, he raises his hand in Rhys's face, curls it into a fist and shakes it furiously.

mirror!

[attagirl]

It probably says something about their merry little band of misfits that Axton is able to recognize the sound of Krieg's growl almost immediately. He's jogging when he rounds the corner to find the other man, stepping through the shattered remains of the mirror in the process, and looks a little stunned as he skids to a halt.

(He's got a mirror of his own, tucked awkwardly into one pocket. He'll make the connection soon enough.)

"Whoah," he says, before flinging up one arm. "Hey, buddy! Didn't expect to see you here." He doesn't approach further just yet, though; he tries not to move too fast in Krieg's direction in general.

[fleshing]

He sits bolt upright at the sound of a familiar voice - the first truly familiar voice he's heard since he got here. He bounces to his feet at once, mood swinging from distress to delight - at least externally.

Tell him we're glad he's here.

"I would've mailed you the invite if I'd known!"

In the recesses of his mind comes a disgruntled sigh. The fragments of the mirror still display a few shadowy images, but Krieg does his best to ignore them. There's way more important things happening, like seeing a good murder-buddy again!

[attagirl]

Welp, Krieg is definitely still Krieg, and Axton can appreciate that. If any psycho is gonna show up in Hadriel, it might as well be the one he's already risked life and limb with, right? (And that's definitely an understatement, too: honestly, he's just legitimately glad to see him. Fighting Hyperion alongside someone is a pretty good way to foster sincere feelings of friendship, turns out. It was running into Lilith the way he had that fostered the uncertainty in him -- what if Krieg had the same sort of weird-ass amnesia that she did?

Luckily, that didn't seem to be the case.)

He shakes his head, grinning a little now as he eases his hands into his pockets. "Good to see you, too. Haven't seen any of the others around, have you?"

[fleshing]

"Nobody here but us dead men!" Krieg answers cheerfully, apparently Psycho-speak for no, you're the first other person I've seen that I recognize. And anyway, it's a welcome distraction from the shadow-images still playing about in the forefront of his mind. No point in bringing that up, though, right? Mirror's broken now. That means the problem's gone!

Good, solid internal reasoning there, Krieg.

"Smells like home," he adds, almost as an afterthought. "There's a meat-train right around the corner."

Or you could just say, hey, what is this place, anyway?