test drive meme #16

[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 January 24th, and apps are open February 1st. Please remember that there is an app cap of 20 apps.

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: THE CREEPY CRAWLIES
[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 lurking in the shadows, waiting to impale you on its giant claws and crunch your bones between its mandibles. That's right, this time the Door is bringing you bugs from Starship Troopers, in all their giant and disgusting glory!

Bugs are, well, giant insects that come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the rank, and are way too tall or too heavy than they have any right to be. They can move quickly, most of them have the ability to fly, and their exo-skeletons means that it's difficult to really hurt them unless you've got some muscles on you. Or a really big boot, I guess.]

C O N F U S I O N

SCENARIO TWO: WHO'S THAT IN THE MIRROR?
[Something's lurking in the dark. Something that really wants to ruin your day by any means necessary- that includes preying on your darkest fears, or just, you know, simply killing you. But that's not a problem, right? You're big and tough! Except, so is this creature out to get you. And it knows all of your weaknesses and insecurities too because, well... it is you.

Doubles of characters will be flooding the city and attempting to ruin the originals lives by whatever means necessary. This generally involves killing the original and then impersonating them, but it can also mean killing people you love or just bringing up your awkward teenage years to traumatize you in front of all your new cool friends.

What can you do to stop it? Well, you could kill them first, that certainly won't require a few trips to therapy later! There's always locking them away, or maybe trying to befriend them because hey, who's better at ruining your life than you?

This is a mini version of our Dead Ringers event this month!]

T R A N Q U I L I T Y

SCENARIO THREE: CAN YOU JUST LIKE, CHILL FOR A SEC?
[Embrace tranquility! Or rather, get pulled, kicking and screaming into an event during which you magically have to find some chill, or else Tranquility will force chill upon you.

For this prompt, characters will find themselves in a state of sudden peace and calm, without much anger or meanness to go around. That guy you hate? Maybe you should give him a peace offering. The chick who stole your girlfriend? Maybe you should congratulate her! Everything is peaceful and everything is... sorta gray.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to be able to relax, but we have an emotional spectrum for a reason. Pretty soon, the tranquility of this might turn into something a little creepy, even Stepfordish... but it's hard to really care when everything is so damn pleasant, right?]

Comments

2. MOM HOLY FUCK

[skelebro]

[Yeah, so this is pretty...pretty par for the course, he's learned. He's got a lotta repressed indignation and frustration regarding the people who thought it'd be all well and good to vote Confusion in when all she's done is pretty thoroughly trash the city the gods keep trying to restore. But, hey, none of his business, right?

Lemme tell ya, the only thing more terrifying than seeing the king of all monsters driven to take forceful action is seeing two of 'em squaring off.

All things considered, it ain't real difficult to pick apart which of 'em is meant to be the fake here. Some of the doubles do a better job acting up than others. Some don't bother.

Lucky him, looks like Asgore ended up with one that don't see the point in bothering.

There ain't much you can do against a solid wall of muscle and magic and 80 ATK. Asgore is rightfully one of the strongest monsters Underground, and his double is no exception. Still, a bit of key distraction might be enough to make things - less horrible and slightly more tolerable, if only for a moment.

It takes little more than a slight exertion of pressure to turn the double's SOUL blue, rooting him to the spot. Just a bit of a grounding presence, y'know?]

[journalname]

[They've not quite engaged in an encounter yet, but the feeling of blue magic is unmistakable, and both Asgores turn nearly in tandem to look at Sans.

The real one winces a little, reaching up to turn the tines of the trident aside. The presence of one of his people here changes things. This place, wherever they are, is dangerous. He cannot think about only himself; he should definitely not let Sans get involved in this fight. Asgore lifts a hand, summoning a wall of flames in front of Sans to intercept the fireballs that the double is already sending towards him.]

[skelebro]

[Oh apple fritters.

A wave of fire surges at him, and he realizes very quickly that he's, uh, completely out of his element. He's out of his element ha ha get it goddamnit he is going to die

So now he's just kinda gotten Asgore worried about Sans's well-being in addition to his own. Which is just fantastic for everybody, y'know, just real top-notch.]

I'm thinkin' we should get outta here, your Maj.

[journalname]

You're right.

[Now that he's feeling...well, a little more present, it seems like flight is the only option. Maybe he could defeat this thing alone, but he doesn't wish to leap straight to killing it. What even is it?

With Sans to protect, though, it would be too dangerous. Too likely that he might fail. With Sans, it would only take one stray bullet. For all that Asgore's huge and bulky, he can move surprisingly quickly when he cares to; he sends a harried, spiraling pattern of flame at the double, and retreats back towards Sans while it's distracted.]

Are you hurt?

[skelebro]

[Well, looks like Sans is good for somethin' after all, huh? He ain't much of a meatshield, but he can draw people's attention so that they focus on what's important.

Point is, engaging Asgore's clone - his real clone, and boy is he glad that Papyrus ain't around for this - is liable to do more harm than good at this juncture.]

Me? Nah, I'm fine.

[He's tired and scared outta his skin (heh), but yep, he's fine.]

Think maybe we should take a quick route outta here?

[journalname]

That...may be best.

[There's worried lines around his eyes, but as dangerous as the double might be to other innocent bystanders, he can't let Sans stay here and he knows the skeleton won't leave without him. Probably. It's not worth standing around and arguing the point.

The double seems to have come to the same conclusion, and is trying to close the gap. Asgore steps in front of Sans, summoning a more complex array of fireballs with one hand while extending his other to the skeleton. Let's go, then.]

[skelebro]

[Right, yep, time to exit pursued by bear

Shortcuts are harder when you've got someone else taggin' along, 'specially when that someone else is a very tall, very broad king of all monsters, but he can manage it well enough. Probably best to regroup for the time being, yeah?

One step's really all it takes, and there's a gap in space and they've slid on through in the blink of an eyesocket, ending up neaaaaaaar...some of the spires. Okie dokes.]

Someone's gonna take umbrage with your, uh, clone there pretty soon, I'm thinkin'. Lotsa people here with a lotta talents. [And lots of people with heroic intentions. They see a rampaging goat thing, they'll wanna cut that shit out at the source. Probably.]

[journalname]

[The sensation of teleporting is odd, but this isn't the first time for him. Asgore shakes it off, glancing up at the spires for a moment.]

Do you think they will be alright? I am not sure I should leave...that...to others. [They could get hurt. It seems like it should be his responsibility.] Sans, where are we right now?

[skelebro]

We're, uh...good question. Spires, I think.

[A quick sweep of the area, and he surmises that the ain't very far from the place Frisk shares with Chara and Asriel. Funny how that worked out, huh?]

I'm thinkin' maybe a full-on hand-to-hand between you and him might leave some...collateral damage.

[80 ATK versus 80 ATK is bound to not be so pretty on the surrounding buildings.]

[journalname]

...yes. [that is noooooot what he meant but okay, yeah]

I think any fight he gets into is bound to do damage. [But that's true. He would try to avoid damaging their surroundings, but even so, city streets aren't a good place for monsters like them to fight. There would be a lot of fire.] Do you know where he came from?

[skelebro]

[Sans is super helpful, Mr. King Guy, what're you talking about. He's also great at delivering exposition in the heat of battle.]

My guess? It's the gods playin' their cards again. My money's on Rage or Confusion, personally. Or both.

[#nailedit]

[journalname]

[oh my fucking god sans]

I am afraid I still don't understand.

[skelebro]

[Sans is Super Good at this. Obviously. Give him a minute as he catches onto the fact that he is CLEARLY MISSING.]

You, uh... [three, two, one - noooooow he gets it] No one's given you the rundown on this place, huh?

[journalname]

No. I have not been here very long, and...

[well, obviously a lot of things were happening]

[skelebro]

You haven't...seen any of the kids then. Huh.

[That ain't a question. That's a slow, painful realization that Asgore's two dead kids are right freakin' here in the city and he has no idea.]

[journalname]

[........]

Is Frisk here? [He must mean them and their little yellow friend, right?]

[skelebro]

Frisk, yep.

[And uh those two kids who died horribly!!! Yeah this is fine!!!]

And, uh. Two others. One monster and one human.

[C'mon Asgore, put the pieces together so Sans don't have to be the one to drop the verbal bombshell. Please.]

[journalname]

.........oh...?

[Asgore seems to clearly be put off by where this is going, but weirdly, "both of my dead children have spontaneously come back to life" is not gonna be a conclusion he jumps to on his own.]

[skelebro]

[APPARENTLY NOT. All right. Fine. He'll put it out there. At this point he's just dragging things out. Don't benefit anybody that way.]

Asriel and Chara Dreemurr. [They take the last name "Dreemurr" still, right?]

Ring any bells?

[journalname]

That... [His eyes go wide for a moment. Then he looks away, and it takes a moment before he can continue with a level voice.] That is not possible.

[skelebro]

Yeah. I know.

[He passes a hand over the crown of his skull, scratching the cervical vertebrae, the lights in his sockets casting down to scrutinize the ground. What an interesting ground. He sure wants to just...look at it.]

But, uh, neither is facin' up a life-size clone of yourself that wants to kill ya. Place sure likes to...pull off the impossible yeah?

[journalname]

I would believe that first.

[It's not even like the clone was spewing anything totally outrageous. Asgore's still not looking at Sans, either; we can stare off in different directions and try to suppress our emotions together.]

How.....how...are they?

[skelebro]

Alive.

[Wow, okay, Mr. Sensitivity over here. What's he supposed to say, though, really? Oh, no problem, they're both absolutely fine. It's just that Asriel is consumed with bitterness that he can't feel anything, subsequently consumed with guilt for feeling bitter, and Chara pretty much wants to be takin' a dirtnap in the soil again.

Other than that? They're good. They're both doing just - just great.]

Endin' up here was a...shock. For both of 'em. They been livin' with Frisk.

[journalname]

I see.

[Asgore should be asking Sans to take him there at once. He wants to see them. Of course he does, but...god, Toriel should be the one who's here. He does not deserve a second chance. He's...

...he's a little afraid to face them, after all he's done. There's nothing he can say.]

That's good. I always thought...they would get along.

[skelebro]

[Can't blame him for that, really. He's got no clue what to say to the guy, or even how he images a dad is supposed to act around a pair of long-dead kids for whom he slaughtered six children. There's no handbook for this sorta thing. Sans is the last guy cut out to be of any use.]

You, ah...

[What now? They've got Asgore's murderous twin out and about, his deceased children in the city facing shadows of their own, and there's no guessing what Sans's own double could be up to, is there?

Everything in the city's gone straight to hell. Must be a day ending in -y.]

You wanna maybe...see 'em? They're around here somewhere. Gotta be.