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

[mttbrandlegs]

Mettaton's eye tracks upward, and he lets out a startled little gasp as he realizes what he was doing. Oh...no, no. He can't run away from this. Then he'd be leaving Blooky again. How would he ever be able to live with himself?

"I'm sorry, I won't...I won't go, just..."

He floats backwards, towards his slumped robot body, fading back into it. He'd made his point, he wasn't going to help it by staying a sad little ghost.

No more tears. Not from him.

Once he's repossessed his body, Mettaton draws himself up and moves closer to Napstablook. Even if he isn't crying anymore, the look on his face expresses that he probably would be...if he could.

"I won't leave you again."

[soundtest]

That's okay, Napstablook is crying enough for the both of them. They don't move as Mettaton drifts back into his body, and as his robot form starts to move, it almost feels like the ghostly form of their cousin was just an illusion.

But...

They've seen that face before, robot or not. They've seen that expression on their cousin before. Napstablook lowers their head, not meeting Mettaton's eyes. They can't stop crying.

"i'm..." Their voice sounds shaky, "i'm not mad..."

They don't get mad, so maybe that didn't mean much coming from Napstablook.

"you... really want to stay...?"

when the icon hurts just right

[mttbrandlegs]

"Blooky, I want nothing more than that. I will make the apology you deserve however many times I must, whether you're angry or not..."

Mettaton feels so vulnerable right now, certainly far more vulnerable than he'd felt when he had done this back on the surface. It's to be expected; he's been through a lot. But he can't even begin to explain that to Napstablook, can he...?

"I've missed you. It's been so long since I've last seen you, sweetheart."

Unable to stop himself, Mettaton reaches forward and draws his now-human cousin into his arms, hugging them tightly.

There is so much I want to say to you...but I don't want to upset you.

/smooshes them together

[soundtest]

Napstablook is pulled into the hug without any kind of resistance. A part of them wonders if they should be mad - after all, it still hurt. Even now, it hurt.

But they can't bring themselves to feel that way. They really did miss him. And it's not like Napstablook could really blame him for leaving. Mettaton never wanted a quiet life of snail farming, and even Napstablook could see his restlessness for something else.

"... i missed you too. my life pretty much didn't change while you were gone, so you didn't miss too much... haha..."

It's a weak attempt at a laugh, and their eyes swell up with tears again. At the same time, they realize their face is pressed against Mettaton's chest plate.

"thank you... for coming back..."

forever

[mttbrandlegs]

"This place cannot be so terrible if we're together again."

That's all Mettaton says, because he's content to just stay this way. After nearly a year of being separated from his cousin after reconciling and including them in everything he did (within reason, he wouldn't push Napstablook into something they didn't like), it had really stung to be without them.

Staring at the stars on the observation deck of the Moira had always made his SOUL ache, and he really did feel like garbage without his family. Maybe it had a little bit to do with why he felt so gifted to have been accepted by the Dreemurr family, and why it had hurt so much more to have Chara despise him.

But that didn't matter now, did it? Because even if he lost one family, he'd found his true family, and if he had to hurt missing one to have the other...so be it.

[soundtest]

No, it can't be. Even if this place has given them a few scares, or forced them into a new body. Wherever they were, it wasn't the Underground they knew - but maybe that could be okay too? Napstablook knew their life wasn't going to change too much, whether here, back home, or even on the surface. Except here they were...

"I've been practicing being corporeal... this body wasn't my idea, but i think i'm starting to figure it out some... maybe..."

They're not good at it. They're not a good human. But they've got no option but to keep trying.

[mttbrandlegs]

This. It's familiar. He feels a little more like himself this way, and as Napstablook comments on their own corporeality, Mettaton feels a swell of something familiar in him. Something good and normal and truly affectionate.

"I'm sorry it wasn't something you meant to have, that must be terribly uncomfortable," he says softly, pulling away so that he can look down at his cousin. "But I am so proud of you for putting forth such effort in getting by! If there's any way I can help, then please let me know!

I have had to experience humanity within recent memory. It's rather nice, but only if you take care of your body!"

[soundtest]

"oh gee... honestly it doesn't feel like i'm really cut out for all of this..."

Their body is uncomfortable, with so much management that they never had to worry about before. Sleeping was their biggest challenge - there was supposedly a balance to sleep, where you wake up and didn't feel so sluggish, but Napstablook hadn't figured it out yet.

Often times they just stayed up long enough until they didn't remember falling asleep.

"but i guess there are some nice things... like um... right now..."

Touch was nice. Even right now, there's a kind of warmth between them that feels so much different.

"i guess you'd know a lot more about humans than i would, heh..."

Not that Napstablook knows that Mettaton was literally human for a little while.

i was going to make this cute, but then...

[mttbrandlegs]

He'd know more about humans, huh? Yeah...yeah, he does. Mettaton thinks to himself that it was rather nice being in a human body, if he didn't count the whole getting sick part. He enjoyed taste and touch, and he'd be happy to have them again.

But at the back of his mind there's a niggling thought.

You don't really like humans all that much anymore, do you? Because there were just as many humans as there were aliens on the Outpost.

He swallows, pushing those thoughts back. No way. There was no way he would ever tell Napstablook about that. Ever. They have more than enough to deal with, and Mettaton's baggage was his own.

...He realizes he's been quiet for, perhaps, too long, and he finally speaks.

"Mm? Ah, yes, well. I never made it secret how much their culture intrigued me, did I? Haha. Oh, but I actually did become human for a short time--on the ship I used to live on."

Damn it, he doesn't want to talk about the Moira, why did he say that?

sad undertales gonna sad

[soundtest]

Napstablook pauses for a few, long seconds. Their cousin always had a fondness for humans, even before he left home. It only made sense that he knew more than they did. But when he goes and says that, it's not the answer they expected.

"you were... on a ship?"

And human? But one question at a time.

[mttbrandlegs]

"Mm...yes, I was. For quite a while."

Mettaton might have slipped a bit, but...he's not going to offer much about the subject. That's not what he wants to talk about, especially not when he's finally found a place away from it all.

"Oh no, having some poor thoughts are we? Why don't you tell them what's on your mind, dearest?"

He clenches his fingers so hard that the metal comprising his fingers causes a scraping, grinding noise. Shut up, just shut up you fake...

"Blooky, is there...anywhere else we can go?" he questioned, definitely sounding as stressed out as he looked. "It's noisy out here."

[soundtest]

Before they can ask anymore questions, the double's voice cuts through the darkness. None of it makes sense, why Mettaton is so troubled, why he was on a ship and why he was human for a little why.

Nothing seems to make a whole lot of sense these days, not since their arrival in this Not-Quite-Underground. But the stressed look on their cousin's face prompts Napstablook into action.

"the temples... are usually pretty quiet. i can show you..."

Their fingers twitch for a second, and they catch themselves about to take his hand to lead him in the direction of the nearest temple. They second guess themselves and keep their hand at their side.

"um... it's this way..."

Napstablook's normally speaks quietly, but they drop their voice just a little more - in case the other Mettaton is still listening.

[mttbrandlegs]

"Please do," is all Mettaton has to offer. He glances around, as if expecting his doppleganger to hop out and take the first opportunity to try and catch him by surprise.

So much for a head start. Mettaton knows himself though, and that he wouldn't be able to resist progressing the story. Not for long anyway.

It doesn't make the jeering voice any less aggravating though.

"You're only upset because you know I'm right," his other self taunts. But it seems he's not caught on to what Napstablook said, at least.