dankmemes | test drive meme #17

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!test drive

test drive meme #17

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 February 22nd, and apps are open March 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: SHOOTING HOOPS
[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.

There you are, calmly exploring this super cool cave city, when all of a sudden you see something roll toward you. What could that possibly be? Why, it seems the Door has brought in some hoop snakes, which are definitely real.

Hoop snakes are poisonous and aggressive reptiles, able to pursue fleeing prey by grasping their tail in their jaws and rolling after them like a wheel. Wow, so efficient! Hard to get away from, though, and kind of... terrifying? If you want to get away, you better be a fast runner. Or maybe you should climb something. Good luck!]

S O R R O W

SCENARIO TWO: YOU GOT THE BLUES
[You woke up this morning on the wrong side of the bed. Not the angry side - the sad side. Somehow, everything just seems to be going wrong, and you don't know why. You were out of milk for your cereal, the fruit you picked just yesterday is already going bad, and instead of getting frustrated all you want to do is feel sorry for yourself.

Even the good things aren't going too well. Maybe your friend just told you your hair looks nice today - doesn't that mean it looks bad the rest of the time? Probably. They've just been too nice to tell you. And your crush smiled at you - that probably means they know about your feelings and are getting ready to let you down easy. That's the only explanation.

No matter what happens, your mind is giving you the worst, most depressing interpretation. You can try to fight it and be aggressively upbeat - or maybe you just want to cry on somebody's shoulder. Yeah. That sounds good right about now.]

D E L I G H T

SCENARIO THREE: PUCKER UP
[For once, Hadriel looks rather lovely, all covered in snow and seasonal! Sure, it's not quite the right season anymore, but who really knows what month it is? Not the residents, and certainly not the gods. But for whatever reason, Delight has decided there should be snow on the ground and ugly sweaters in the shops.

And, of course, mistletoe. On your wanderings around the city, you may find yourself under the mistletoe with a friend or a stranger or even an enemy. Regardless of who they are and how you really feel about them, the mistletoe will give you a gentle compulsion to plant a kiss right on those appealing lips of theirs. You can resist if you want - it won't force you - but don't you kind of want to go for it?

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

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[There's nothing about this that Prompto should fancy, honestly.

Ardyn opens his arms wide, as if barely put off by the threat. As always, his gestures are a bit theatrical as he speaks, while his mind churns through the many paths to guide this conversation along. He certainly doesn't feel like Prompto has influence over how this might go, given how he can see his anxiety from up where he stands.

How novel, that brave face the boy is trying to put on.]

Come now, I only wish to talk. We've a myriad of things to sort out, haven't we? Dear Prompto, put your guns away.

[talk, says izunia, as if it's nothing dangerous; as if he can't affect anything by merely talking. but prompto knows better, about how the chancellor's words can twist and gut at what he believes to be true. words are as dangerous as a knife to his chest.]

[except, clearly, prompto has no control over where this is going. to attack would be foolish--an act that would lead to nowhere. to talk would only return him to being vulnerable; to the devastating grip the chancellor held on him not too long ago.]

We both know I can't trust you.

[brave face as he keeps on, it's honestly disheartening how the lack of proper violence is making prompto reconsider keeping his guns out of this.]

That's a bold assumption to make. [His grin widens, his "amusement" expands at Prompto's expense. Which part was the assumption, one might wonder? The fact that he's untrustworthy or the fact that he says that he should know; as if their memories lined up, as if their knowledge of recently transpired... events were even the same.

Chancellor Izunia probably knows much more than he's letting on, but then again, how is that news?]

Do we both know? [He chuckles, and Ardyn actually crouches down where he stands, forearm rested on a knee, as if those few extra feet were enough to bring him closer to Prompto, as if they'd make his words sharper, more persuasive. More apt to get into the young man's head, and writhe under his skin.

He pauses, considering, then offers:] Still sore about Gralea? Oh, or am I saying too much?

[prompto gets that sunken feeling that ardyn is playing games with him, trying to trick him into assuming and believing and thinking differently. it's frustrating how easily it happens--so subtly he hardly notices the ideas already festering in his mind.]

[does ardyn know? there's no reason for him to pretend he doesn't. wouldn't he gloat instead? at having tricked noctis by impersonating his best friend; at having kept said friend under lock and key, a puppet to be used, baring forward the very weakness in prompto that stems from his most hard-kept secret. indubitably, ardyn keeps hold of prompto's biggest weakness, emotional as it may seem.]

[and yet, when ardyn crouches down, despite the obvious distance still between them, prompto flinches and takes several steps back, as if trying to keep ardyn's words as away from himself as possible.]

[(if only)]

[it's at the mention of gralea, and the obvious insinuation that he knows, that prompto-- that prompto puts his guns down, pointing at the ground (but not away).]

I won't play your games anymore.

[despite being so close to falling for it. noctis had told him some of his powers don't work here. could it be the same for this man, unknown as he is? perhaps prompto, he thinks, needs not fear him too much.]

What do you want with Noct?

Edited 2017-02-20 05:08 (UTC)

[There it is, a reaction, a recoiling. Enough to make Ardyn’s gaze turn from toying to condescending, right on the knife-edge of being downright cruel. It’s the same way a cat looks at a mouse, right before sinking its claws into it.]

But we’ve had so much fun. Are you saying you didn’t enjoy our time spent together? [Okay, maybe not just on the edge of being cruel. Maybe he’s already dove head-first into that.

Still, the question isn’t ignored, not completely. Swept aside, yes, but he does reveal a bit of truth in his answer, enigmatically.]

I don’t particularly like having to repeat myself, Prompto. Please spare me from the tedium.

[That’s all he offers, opting to watch the boy’s reaction instead.]

[for his part, prompto visibly flinches at ardyn's words and their implying. the implying that there is worse to come should prompto by any means deliver unsatisfactory information. on the other hand, it's telling; it tells prompto that ardyn is trying to fish for something.]

[so prompto does the opposite of what ardyn would want of him, turns the conversation around into something that can be equally unknown to the both of them:]

We're not in Gralea anymore. Things are different here.

[the unknown of hadriel.]

[it seems like prompto has overcome himself a bit, but his words are layered thinly with existent weakness.]

[Prompto had been right; Ardyn was fishing. And he's not so keen on letting the boy nudge the conversation in a different direction, one full of unknowns. He was very aware that Hadriel remained a mystery, a variable that he found himself burdened with, uncertain what to make of just yet -- he didn't need Prompto to point that out to him, by any means.]

Just because the grand stage has taken a different setting, doesn't mean what transpired before all of this- [He makes an open gesture again, as if to indiciate at their surroundings] -means nothing. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that, Prompto.

[And then, without any real warning, Ardyn stands. He walks, slowly, along the little winding path down the steep incline that had led to his sanctuary from the snakes. The creatures are of little concern to him now (they weren't ever a concern before), and his gaze never leaves Prompto's face as he draws closer.]

For instance, you want to protect your friends, don't you? [Prodding for information. What friends of yours are here, Prompto?] Or did they abandon you after learning the truth? [Prodding for information, part the second. What was the last thing he remembered in the Keep? Was he from beyond that point, did his implication mean little in the face of everything? Or was the opposite true?]

[the man approaches in such a way that prompto finds himself frozen to the spot. the idea terrifies him, but at this point there's nothing he can actually do to ward himself from the sore spots the words strike into and the venom seeps through.]

[it's paralyzing almost, how words like did they abandon you after learning the truth anchors him to a deep-seated fear that lingers ever more profusely within him.]

[with ardyn here, it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out, if the man so desires. (prompto doesn't know just how much ardyn loves toying with others, but prompto sure knows that he doesn't want ardyn to at any one point get bored of trying to mess with his head; that's when things could go really sour for him.)]

[he's surprisingly quick when he says:] There's nothing to learn! They- We're fine. You just-- just stay away from them!

[His steps are slow, probably excruciatingly so for Prompto, but eventually he makes his way onto level ground. He approaches, each step purposeful, idly wondering to himself just how frozen on the spot Prompto is going to allow himself to be.]

What do you mean there's nothing to learn? [He actually laughs at that knee-jerk response, showing a flash of white teeth.] Don't play coy; we both know that I am more than aware of the skeletons hanging in your closet. Your origins as little more than a test subject. [Ardyn lifts up his wrist, tapping at it with his other hand. Indicating at where that barcode of Prompto's would be on the boy's own skin.]

Have you shown them your little tattoo yet?

[it'd be nice to say he is otherwise unaffected by ardyn's words, but he finds himself dismissing his guns in a flurry of crystals for the sake of grabbing at his wrist, to hide between fingers the permanent mark of his otherwise quietly-kept secret.]

[with a man who has lived and seen through so much such as ardyn, a twenty-year old holds no chance against his ways of deceit and tricks.]

[prompto submits easily, fear ensnaring him. to hear those words said out loud (test subject) could very easily shatter his world apart. it's fortunate that no one else is here with them.]

[his eyes don't quite reach ardyn's face anymore, the unequivocal shame on his expression, the distinct worry on his features. there's no denying that ardyn has found his weakness, and can now exploit it as he wishes under the threat to deliver these news to his friends.]

...nothing's stopping you from saying anything.

[although a statement, it's a question. he knows what ardyn's after, in vague terms, but the last thing prompto wants to do is to accept it as a fact.]

You're right. Nothing at all. [He emphasizes that sentiment, answering that unstated question lingering in the air. Prompto knows, surely, how things go from here; but Ardyn will be nice enough to speak the words aloud, so that there is no confusion, no assumptions being made. So that he can see the discomfort flit across the young man's face.] Of course, if you prove to be even the smallest bit of use to me, Prompto, my lips may remain sealed for the time being. They'll not discard you so quickly if I remain in a generous mood.

[He leans forward a little, tilting his head. Trying to catch Prompto's gaze with his own, and knowing that he won't, because the boy won't look at him, and isn't that just utterly satisfying in its own way? How easy it was to wrest control from him -- perhaps Prompto never had it to begin with.]

Tell me who I can expect to see here. Those hailing from our star, from Eos.

[The way Prompto's guns had disappeared in shattered light was already telling. But he wants to hear it precisely.]

Just... myself, and Noct.

[a great sense of shame befalls him after he says that. he does not want to rat out his friends, but considering how things are, how ardyn can read between the lines, prompto knows he's just confirming something the other man already knew as fact.]

[his vision of his own boots blur, and it's with something akin to pain that he sputters out:]

Gladio, too...

[but he'll be damned if he were to admit that king regis and lady lunafreya are here. he won't give that much away. prompto hopes that his small stunt to pretend to have not wanted to mention that the crownsguard was here would make ardyn think that's the only name he's been keeping to himself.]

[Poor boy. How hard it must have been to admit even that much to Ardyn. (The ex-Chancellor feels no sympathy, he only finds twisted pleasure in how strained the words seems to be, and yet they flow regardless.)

He has no reason to believe that Prompto is withholding information, just as he has no reason to believe that he isn't. Loyalty is a hard thing to wrench out of the hands of another when it runs so deep, especially when friendship is involved. But it’s that exact same thing that makes Prompto so vulnerable to his words, and he knows it.

(And he knows, also, that this very notion that threatens to shatter the boy’s world, the idea of being a test subject for the enemy, is — well. He knows how readily his friends would accept him, regardless. That despite his differences, they still considered him one of their own.

It makes him sick, this courtesy that he never received himself, millennia ago. He hates it. He wants to twist this pain for as long as he can, because why should they accept him for being different, for being inhuman, it was hardly fair—)

A hand reaches out, grasps at Prompto’s shoulder. Fingers press into skin, but not hard enough to cause pain.]

Is that all?

Edited 2017-02-27 16:23 (UTC)

[prompto visibly flinches at the touch on his shoulder. even if it isn't painful and ardyn does not mean to cause him harm this way, the concrete-ness of this man's presence makes prompto's blood run cold; it nearly floors him with the force of how terrified he feels.]

[yet he tries to steel his resolve. put on a brave face.]

[he gulps, audibly, and it takes him a moment to nod, his voice a quiet stammer]

Y-yes, that's... all.

[He lets his hand linger on Prompto’s shoulder, if only because he knows how uncomfortable it makes him feel. There’s a moment of silence, and for a fleeting second it’s impossible to know how Ardyn will respond.

Until:] See? Now, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?

[And finally, he relents just enough to remove his hand, straightening.] It’ll just become easier for you as time passes.

[There’s that implication, again. That this won’t be the last time he expects such information from Prompto. Such borderline treachery.]

[the tension seems to lift when ardyn's hand is removed from himself, and prompto immediately snatches at his own vest as if to keep him centred. it's as if he can breathe easier again, now that ardyn seems to have bought his words.]

[prompto looks down and keeps his head lowered, unsure.]

[he knows he can't even try to be brave by asking and if i don't comply? because the fear of that answer--or any threat close to that answer--brings him back to a weak resolve and deep-seated fears.]

[and although he knows he won't get a straight answer, prompto dares ask,]

...what, will you do? Now?

[Ardyn gives Prompto a considering look, almost surprised that he would pile on enough bravery to ask him such a question. And he's right, of course. Ardyn may not give a straight answer.

Or maybe he will. Regardless of what Prompto thinks of his response, he speaks in lilting tones.]

What I imagine most here may find an interest in doing. That is, finding a way back. [His smile is unwavering.] Eos awaits us, after all. I daresay your own aspirations may even be similar, though even I must admit that what will greet you on the other side won't be kind, Prompto.

Right.

[prompto takes a step back at the unwavering smile, somehow unconsciously knowing that ardyn is not done with his small spiel. somehow thinking the man will go on and say they should all work together, towards a greater good!, prompto leaves himself open for a cheap shot]

[an unexpected but not at all surprising attempt at his self]

You don't know that.

[he'll believe wholeheartedly that he and his friends, that noctis will defeat the darkness threatening their home.]

I do know. I've seen it. I've lived it.

[A pause, for the sake of exacerbating the tension in the air, for thinking on exactly how he wants to weave his tale -- a story that isn't completely untrue, to be fair.]

A future wrought with loss, and pain, and death. And a long, long dark.

[But one must not give too much away. Best to sprinkle the most hurtful sort of lie to mix in with the truth.] And for you? An endless sort of loneliness. How terribly sad, for one who had been so close to his friends before.

[he feels sick]

[he would think twice before believing ardyn, but didn't gladiolus arrive here at the same time as he, without recollection of what had happened in altissia? on their way to tenebrae? these time loops or whatever they were, they were quite real.]

[which is why the kind of lie that ardyn feeds him strikes so much as a truth that prompto would much rather avoid, no matter the cost.]

There's gods here too.

[prompto takes a wise step back, then another]

Different from the Six.

If you want a way back, it's most likely with them.

[don't tell noct, is the reason why he explains a bit more about hadriel]

[Ardyn doesn't move when Prompto begins to back away. That thread of anxiety is still there, and he can tell he's still wrapped up in it, like trying to untangle oneself from a spider's web. A relatively futile effort, but Ardyn allows him the distance. Allows him to detach himself, to stew over the words he's offered him.

Mention of the Six is almost enough to make his smile twitch downwards into a frown, however, but he avoids showing such an emotion in this moment in time.]

Different how, exactly?

They don't favour kings. And-- well, they're not quite Astrals...

[the confidence he once began with simmers down into a pool of how much he doesn't really want to be holding a conversation with this man; much less, inform him of something to later find the man displeased that it's not sufficient, or too true, at all.]

[prompto forces himself one last chance at courage (since he has no fight in him that could pose any threat to ardyn; the least he can do is ask, so to speak)]

...I'm gonna go.

[ardyn's being here is inevitable. they're likely run-in with each other again is, also, inevitable. prompto wishes to put a distance between himself and the other when he has the chance to. but, despite that, he doesn't really move, wary of what ardyn will say--or do.]

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test drive meme #17

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