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

[trainspotter]

[Don't say "and your weakness for pearls," do not say it—]

Uh huh. Well, the snakes are new. [nailed it] I guess I'll have to find some other token to pay you with.

[queensberry]

[It's a good thing he didn't, because Jacob wouldn't look so... weirdly right now. It's better than being sad over if top hats were still in style, at least.]

I didn't say I wouldn't take anything you give me, Wynert, don't fret. I just don't see myself being able to craft anything as safely with them. [Hm. He purses his lips, looking up to the rocky ceiling in consideration.] Maybe some things to make you you don't get skinned for both our sakes.

[trainspotter]

[Ned makes another face; don't even joke about crafting with snakes. He's not so sure Jacob wouldn't try, just to be a wiseass. Do not snake craft.]

Me? I can handle myself just fine, without whatever you're thinking up. Save your effort for something that needs it, Frye.

[queensberry]

[He's going to make himself a nice pair of snake skin something and wear it just to ruin Ned's day, now.]

Because you're totally equipped for whatever this place has to offer, right? I'm not so sure.

[trainspotter]

[Don't snake craft!!! Anyway, not everyone has to take their shirt off and scream at dudes in an underground fight club to prove their mettle, Jacob. Interesting strategy, though.]

How delicate do you think I am? I'll be fine.

[queensberry]

Delicate enough. Trains won't stop you from getting stabbed. [A beat,] Sweater trains. Not real trains.

[Like that needed to be clarified. Anyway.] You'll call me if you're in trouble.

[trainspotter]

[Man, he'd stab someone for a real train, can he do that? This city needs a proper Wynert Underground, stat.]

Right, just like I did last time. You'll find me first, Frye, since you can't resist.

[queensberry]

I can so. I'll walk away right now.

[Another beat. Hm. Well.]

Don't try and stop me.

[Yeah!! There he goes, leaning back and brushing Ned like he's got places to be. People to see other than Ned. He absolutely has those.] You'll hardly ever see me!

[trainspotter]

Alright, alright. I'll see you when I see you.

[See, he's letting him go. He totally believes Jacob has places to be and people to see. Totally.

Or: he waits until Jacob has actually walked a Distance away before he calls out,] Hey, Frye!

[there's nothing, he's proving a point,]

[queensberry]

[Jacob's nearly got himself convinced he can walk the rest away without so much of a glance back at Ned. He doesn't have any business elsewhere, but he'll make it just fine. He's already thinking about other things! Like--

Like stopping so he can turn around to look back at Ned so readily.] Yes, Wynert--

[Wait,] That-- This doesn't mean anything!

[trainspotter]

[10/10 would screw with Jacob again]

Of course not! [No, nothing at all, which is why Ned is doing Jacob the favor of sauntering after him and sparing him having to walk all the way back. Hello, he's still here. He holds his hands up to gesture for emphasis while he totally rags on Jacob being a dweeb,] I'll hardly ever see you! [ha ha, nerd] Come on, it won't kill you to have a look around with me.

[queensberry]

It just might. [Jacob heaves a sigh like this is the absolute worst thing that could ever happen to him. Ned, coming after him with that smug face of his? Awful. He'll die.]

First a kiss, now you want a date? I suppose I'll have to owe you a favor for that, too.

[trainspotter]

[Jacob, rein it in. Jesus.]

If you're offering. [Favor?? Please.] You brought it up, not me.

[queensberry]

It was a... speculation. Not an offer. [Uh. Yeah. Totally.]

I'll take a walk with you, Wynert. But if we're window shopping, it's not coming out of my wallet.

[trainspotter]

[You know he'll count it anyway, Jacob. Two whole favors!!]

Okay, don't get so sensible on me now. Let's find you a sweater for the cold. [Jacob may be wearing a big coat, but... it's no awful sweater.]

[queensberry]

[One favor!! Then another one out of "the kindness of his own heart." Yeah.]

Some of us don't freeze so easy. [Jacob says, while rubbing his very cold hands together. He's fine.] But alright, a sweater. It has to be flattering!

[trainspotter]

[That's worse than just calling it a second favor. Just for the record.]

Hah. That part's all on you. [You know, considering Ned unironically loves this train sweater. Jacob can decide what he thinks look okay and Ned can tell him no. That works. He'll do him the favor of leading the way back to wherever he found this awful sweater, though...]

[queensberry]

[Ned's sweater is nothing compared to what Jacob's dug up through the old shops. Absolutely nothing. He's kept his back turned to him for the entirety of his search for the perfect sweater.

He did find one that properly fit him, but it's set aside for the ugliest thing he can find. He sets his coat aside to pull on the worse possible piece of clothing he could find and turn towards Ned.] I am the most gorgeous man in all the underground, Wynert.

[trainspotter]

[Ned doesn't need to browse more horrible sweaters, so he spends most of Jacob's "shopping" time just loitering, occasionally lifting a nearby sleeve to raise a judgmental eyebrow at any given sweater. These are terrible. His train sweater is the only sweater worth wearing.

He looks up and over at Jacob when he hears him speak, and the speed at which his expression goes from idle curiosity to abject disgust probably breaks a few records and the sound barrier. That's disgusting.]

No.

[That's it. Just no. Burn it.]

[queensberry]

What?! [Jacob's fighting a laugh, like this is something to seriously defend. He outstretches his arms as far as they can go, because clearly this is not meant for a man his size. It's a miracle he's got it on.] Tell me I don't look dashing!

[Don't tell him, that, he knows,] It's not like you've found any better. I think this is the one.

[trainspotter]

[Good lord, sweaters were not meant to stretch this way.]

You keep that sweater and I guarantee you will never see me again until someone sets it on fire. Spare my eyes, Frye.

[queensberry]

And here I thought it'd be right up your alley, Wynert. [Jacob drops his hands in defeat, wrestling it off his shoulders. He's going to dump it on the floor where it belongs and press a v-neck to his chest in its place.]

I suppose you don't want to suffer seeing my chest, either. [Ignore the gingerbread man on it, it's fine.]

[trainspotter]

[Gingerbread man v-neck is not horrible nutcrackers, so. It's progress.

Almost. Ned holds up his hands and sighs.] If it's the lesser of two evils—which I'm not sure about, looking at this thing now- [Here, he reaches forward to flick at the sleeve of this gingerbread monstrosity.]

Well, put something on.

[queensberry]

You just don't like them because they have an acceptable amount of trains. Which is none. [Jacob tilts his head in a pout, but he knows the sweater against him is just as ridiculous. He makes some effort to fold this one back where it came from.

But it isn't all terrible. After discarding a child's sized, a cat-covered, and a keyhole sweater, he pulls a heart-patterned lesser evil. Even better, one his size as he pulls it overhead. Nice and cozy.] This truly speaks notorious assassin.

[trainspotter]

Maybe for once in your life you'll be subtle. [Subtle, in that thing. That's the implication, that even this cute heart sweater is subtler than Jacob on a usual day, shouting about being an assassin. Ned is usually right, so. Keep it.

He looks down at Jacob's discarded reject pile like he'd rather repress this memory, then scoffs.] I don't know about you, but I'd be happy to never see any of those again. You don't look half bad in this one.

[very....soft]