test drive meme #17

[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 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!]

Comments

[kingslight]

[This is all nothing more than mere chance at best. That much is true but leave no mistake that Regis is planning something. The old king can be quite sly.]

A king needs no throne to retain his crown.

[Regis quickly replies as he turns his attention from the sword upon the mantle and towards the shield beside it. Much like last time, he ghosts his fingers over the smooth surface of the silver shield as if laying claim to it. Is there a method behind his madness? Maybe. Regis did arrive here to restock his arsenal after all. Noctis inherited the Arsenal Armigar after all.]

I would ask you outright but I doubt you'll answer true.

[It's then that the old king finally turns to Ardyn again, his gaze now focused upon the spear.]

Still plan on skewering me with that mere trinket of a weapon?

[daemonized]

[Can you out con a con artist, though? Only time will tell.]

What, this? [He taps the spear to the ground again, the noise resounding once more.] Certainly not. That you think I was planning on skewering you at all is quite offensive. Do you think me so reckless?

[Not that it wouldn't be a novel idea, but as much as he'd like to, give his self-control a little bit of credit.

Ardyn moves to hang the spear where he found it. He holds no fond regard for any of these weapons, barring an appreciation for their sharp edges. He keeps Regis in his peripheral.]

You say that a king needs no throne to retain his crown, and that may be true. But being alive and well is one prerequisite that cannot be avoided. [A verbal prodding, then.]

[kingslight]

[Maybe or maybe not. Regis isn't much for conning others but he'll certainly try to outdo this bastard. That much is fact.]

You're quite reckless given your track record thus far.

[He bristles a little on slight alarm once Ardyn taps the sharp edge of that spear upon the floor. Regis might be pretending to be calm but his nerves are on edge. Hell, he could almost hear the thunder of his heartbeat within his ears now.]

If the prerequisite is being alive and well, then where's your crown?

[You've prodded to hard, Ardyn. It was only a matter of time that Regis would strike at him verbally as his hand ghosts upon another weapon.]

i'm dying. y do u always do this to me

[daemonized]

[The fact that he notices that bristle brings a small wave of satisfaction upon him. In this tense game of verbal control, of what's basically elegant showboating, it's always nice to see the opponent slip, as briefly as it may be.

And then, because of course he does, Regis decides to drop the figurative nuclear bomb.

Ardyn's hand freezes only moments after hanging the spear back. It's half a second, fleeting at best, but there it is, that stillness. From his profile, Regis may be able to see the twisting of a grin, lacking in humor completely.]

And is this the part where I say I don't know what you're talking about?

[He looks at him properly now, from over his shoulder, eyes impossible to read.]

Or have you already made up your mind on the matter?

Cause I have to! It's my focus as a l'Cie

[kingslight]

[Pay no heed to the smug grin upon Regis' face. He saw that, you know, that half-second freeze as if someone ripped the metaphorical carpet right from under Ardyn's feet. First blood has been drawn but too bad Regis didn't do so with an actual sword.

He let his words cut the fiend before him.]

Ah, I knew I would get no answers from you.

[Regis comments flippantly as if they're merely talking about the weather. He would pursue this conversation further if he wasn't too certain that the former chancellor would strike him. The King of Light didn't come here to quarrel needlessly, he came here to seek weapons. Ardyn's miserable appearance was just an unfortunate encounter.]

Tell me, is telling the "truth" so foreign upon your forked tongue? I've doubted your claim to be a citizen of Niflheim long before my death.

i can't believe this is just a tdm thread what a disaster

[daemonized]

[Is Regis' expression still sporting a smug grin as Ardyn faces him, with that cold, considering sort of look on his features? The way he nearly tilts his head in not-so-subtle patronization, because please do not hope to pretend that you have any clue about who he is, or what he's been through.

He actually barks out a laugh, but amusement wanes terribly. He takes a long stride forward, directly towards the King, arms open and condescending. Regis may carry himself with poise and regal grace, but Ardyn has his own brand of confidence he employs, the sort that likes to apply pressure with words and presence alone. There's something suffocating about the presence of an immortal man who carries a myriad of daemons within him, who is basically the walking Starcourge himself.

He used to lament that fact. Now, it's rare that he does.]

And what need does a dead King have for the truth? You've already played your part, Your Highness. [There's a double-meaning there, but Ardyn won't be generous enough to reveal it.] It's only by the impulse of these so-called gods that you live and breathe now. Your gift of newfound life is a farce.

This is no mere tdm, this is your sample for Hadriel (^-^)

[kingslight]

[As Ardyn dares to shamble his filthy corpse near, Regis stands his ground defiantly. He's a king even in death. Nothing Ardyn says or does will ever erase that truth. He will never be forgotten nor will his son. They're the last of the proud Lucis Caelum name, the last of the fabeled Lucii who will bring the Dawn back to Eos. Never shall they be forgotten and in their death, they'll reach Ascension. Regis has no doubt in the purity of their bloodline even when this disgusting shadow of a man threatens to tarnish their legacy.

This is why Regis stands so tall with such defiance. Those bright green eyes are burning with unspoken fury and determination that haven't waned despite the long years of warfare he endured. This is Regis Lucis Caelum the One-Hundred and Thirteenth of his name, King of Lucis and forever the King of Light. He will not back down from you, Ardyn.

He will never back down.]

You know of farces well, dont you, jester? [He asks coldly with righteous anger fueling his words.] And yet you seem not to realise that your role in this farce is slowly coming to an end. Both here and in Eos, your name and all of your foul deeds will be forgotten forevermore.

[He glares judgingly at Ardyn.]

[daemonized]

[Well, they’re at an impasse, then. Regis is unmoving, not faltering (he shouldn’t be surprised, it isn’t, not really), and Ardyn certainly doesn’t budge from his spot.

Jester? he echoes in his mind, and if there was ever a reason to indulge himself in a mental scoff, now would be it. He remembers being called the same thing from Noctis, in what felt like not all that long ago. Like father, like son. How utterly touching. (Sarcasm. Sarcasm at its highest level possible.)

Outwardly, though, Ardyn’s smile resembles something of a sneer, acute enough to show a flash of white teeth.]

You speak with such confidence, it’s almost a shame how ignorant you sound. [As if his name hasn’t already been lost to history once before. As if he actually cares about leaving a legacy of “foul deeds” behind him. All Ardyn Lucis Caelum ever cared about was doing damage. Wiping out a family line. Forcing death upon himself by wringing it from the hands of others. Revenge, potent and poisonous.]

Since you claim to know me so well, dear King, let me ask you this: Do you honestly think I care about being forgotten?

[kingslight]

[The apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree. Regis glares at this monster of a man with the same hatred that spurns his son. It's because of this villain that their lives were destroyed all because this wretched shade longed for an end. The Gods were powerless to stop the beast they created and thus relied on the will of mortal men. The entire prophecy rings shallowly within Regis' ears as he glares at Ardyn with such clear loathing. These eyes Ardyn seen countless times throughout the ages, a reminder of a past never forgotten. They watch him now with muted rage in a different age within a different world.]

Even in the hour of your fabled demise, you still lament over what was. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have gone through such lengths to ensure that your fury would be felt for the ages to come.

[He knows the weasel will try to slither his way out of this conversation but Regis dares him to continue. The animosity between them feels ancient damn near, almost as if the struggle of Good and Evil began with them. While Ardyn himself is a personification of evil in the form of the Star Scourage, Regis still basks in the Light of Eos' heart. The Crystal has always been a source of anguish for them but in different means.]

The obscurity of darkness should've been enough for you when you fell from Grace, yet it wasn't. You had to let everyone share in your malady and let everyone know of your agony. That doesn't sound like a man who wishes to be forgotten. Sounds like a desperate hound seeking for the attention of his master's hand.

[daemonized]

[Ardyn has had centuries upon centuries of practice shielding his emotions, his sincerest thoughts, under a sheen of dismissiveness. A pretense that he had built up so prevalently that the ex-Chancellor wore it well, it came to him without even trying anymore. Now, though, he feels that pretense unravelling. Slowly but assuredly, like a snake shedding its skin.

Regis can probably see it in his face. The way amusement transforms into something far darker, and Ardyn actually has to make a cognizant effort to actually not turn his expression into full-blown sneer.

It’s difficult, because the audacity of this man, the presumption is nearly enough to flip the switch from ineffability to anger in record time. How dare he speak as if he knows him, as if he’s felt what he’s lived with for thousands of years?

At Ardyn’s side, his fingers flex, but do little more for now.]

Prophecies are meant to be fulfilled, aren’t they? [If you think he’s going to slither out of this conversation, you’re wrong, Regis. What’s the point, when the King has literally shown his hand, revealed what he thinks he knows of him? He’ll bite; his fangs are sharp.]

Don’t mistake a man’s purpose for attention-mongering. And do not pretend to know me. If I faded from this world, or from Eos completely, it would do my pride no harm at all. I do hope you don’t think me so vain.

[kingslight]

If it wasn't sheer vanity that begot this quest for vengeance, then what was it? So heartbroken as you were to lament over the throne you lost; pure vanity at best.

[The two of them are polar opposites in ever sense of the word. Here's Regis, a mere pup in all truth standing before the antiquity of Ardyn's immortality and yet he looks like the elder of the two. Theoretically speaking, Regis isn't even half of Ardyn's true age. If one had to guess, Ardyn is well over three thousand years old in comparison of Regis' mere fifty. The audacity of this young pup howling at this old mutt is downright laughable but no one here is laughing.

Not even a single snicker.

Regis remains poised and elegant while Ardyn seems to unravel at the seams like shoddy yarn. The irony of it all doesn't fall unnoticed by those wise green eyes and his lips stiffen into an unforgiving line. He watches Ardyn with such 'holier-than-thou' judgment, his silence speaking more volumes than his words. It will be a time before he speaks again and when he does, his voice is frigid and unforgiving.]

One so used to their lies cannot hope to confess the truth.

[daemonized]

[Regis, if Ardyn loses all of his pretense, what’s left is an ugly thing. Are you sure you want to deal with that?

Well, too late, at any rate. It’s like that invisible rubber band has snapped, and in one fluid, forceful motion, a hand comes up to grasp at the material making up Regis’ royal raiments at his shoulder, and Ardyn turns and pushes. A nearby shield, hung on the wall just a few feet away, clatters to the ground from the force of Ardyn shoving Regis onto the wall. Farther down, swords tilt askew.]

Or maybe the issue lies with ears that are only hearing what they wish.

[Yes, it’s a sneer now, contorted as something that might pass as a sorry thing for a smile.]

You ask what had motivated me? [Despair, screams his mind from some faraway place. Despair twisted over the long years into bitterness and anger, and unending spite.] What else sparks vengeance, do you think? A most twisted sort of betrayal.

[His throne was not lost, it was stolen from him. Though perhaps that was not the part that stung the most. He sees a ghost of that reason in Regis’ eyes, being this close. The cold sting of family itself turning against him, of jealousy guiding their hands enough to make him out to be a monster. Enough for him to become one.]

So, if you will, refrain from speaking about things you know nothing of.

[kingslight]

[A shudder of pain nearly escapes his lips once he's shoved against the wall. The sharp sound of the shield clanking against the floor awakens him from his lofty hubris long enough to realize this conversation could take a nastier turn. Regis slowly straightens as he rubs his left shoulder. Ardyn's strength surpasses his own quite a bit and he was barely using a fraction of it.

The old king glares Ardyn still but now there's a hint of something else within his eyes. Fear? Regret? Worry? That's up for Ardyn to decipher as Regis edges away slowly towards the doorway.]

The cruelty of the deeds done unto you match the evils you've done unto my kingdom, my family and my self. Yet, none of the evils done to us both has brought salvation.

[He does not doubt that Ardyn, at one point, seemed to be saved from the ill-fated curse he endured but eventually the lull of oblivion became more appealing. For someone as long livid as Ardyn, only death could've freed him from the pain.]

Do you bring your quarrels here anew, I wonder? You're apart of this farce just as much as I.

[daemonized]

[That’s what he wanted to see, what he wanted to accomplish. To shatter that terribly annoying look of Regis’, that assuredness in the King’s judgment of him, that holier-than-thou expression that he didn’t deserve to wear. Ardyn won’t halt Regis’ slow retreat back towards the entrance, but his gaze follows him, evenly, slowly.

Just as it had appeared, anger slowly recedes back into its shell, much like the ocean’s wave. He’s made his point; he could have done worse. A bruise on the shoulder is a mercy comparatively speaking. In anger’s wake, something else claws at his insides (something he refuses to properly call sorrow, perhaps only vaguely related), but Ardyn mentally pushes it down and away.

He had thought to already be finished with his quarrels back on Eos. A definitive end, a proper one for someone like himself. But self-control has returned to him, and he leashes those words. Instead:]

You live and breathe, don’t you? My quarrels exist once more.

[He forces a laugh. Now the teasing begins, edged and sharp.]

Leaving so soon? And here I thought this was the start of a myriad of questions. Not so eager to unravel the mystery anymore, Your Highness?

[kingslight]

So you would start this war anew.

[Regis mutters as he slinks away from the villainous hound before him. His hand brush against the wall ever so slightly as he heads down the foyer. He gives the Izunia his back as he retreats from the armory but his reply echoes loud enough to be heard.]

Does the flame question the moth that seeks its fire? I have no need for inquires anymore, Ardyn.

[Regis pauses once the weapons upon the walls of the armory begin to glow. Each armament that Regis' fingers caressed shines suddenly with a fantastic light that threatens to burn. One as long lived as Ardyn knows what this light is and he's lucky that this display of power is nothing more than show. This light intensifies until the axe, the sword and the shield suddenly vanishes without a trace leaving white crytalized embers in their wake.]

Ardyn Lucis Caelum, this city will be your tomb.

[Just like that, the old king vanishes as well. This is a Proclamation of War.]

[daemonized]

[By those wretched Gods, there's something aggravating about Regis using his name like that. But in the display of power, of light, Ardyn had been completely unmoving. A grand show, to be sure, but it's nothing he hasn't seen before in his time.

And when the King leaves as well, Ardyn turns Regis' lingering words over in his head. A tomb? If only it were so simple.

Let the man think that war was what wished to sow again, let him believe that he didn't already know the end of this particular narrative. A tomb, after all, would be little more than the promise of a particularly peaceful rest; something wrested from his grasp the moment he was brought to this land.

But now that he had little choice to be here, maybe a little chaos could go unattended. There was, after all, a Caelum line that was still very much alive, and his body feels heavy with the weight of daemons once more. A spark of motivation, then. He should allow himself at least that much.

Ardyn grins. There's much for him to consider in the days coming.]