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dankmemes2017-03-21 09:07 am
hadrielmods) wrote in dankmemes2017-03-21 09:07 am
Entry tags:
Test Drive Meme #18
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 March 25th, and apps are open April 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 'P' IS SILENT
[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.
The only warning you get is the flapping of wings above you- leathery and noisy, not unlike a herd of bats, before you are descended upon by a creature with a long, sharp beak, beady eyes, and an appetite for blood. Unfortunately, you've come across a pterobuzzard from Stephen King's The Mist.
Despite the difficult to pronounce name, a pterobuzzards' job here is actually quite simple: to eat. With their large bodies, sharp claws, and savage beak, they can rip chunks of flesh from your body and feast on various entrails after you bleed to death. So that's... fun. Maybe you should run inside, where you could totally be safe, until you realize that one of them has the strength to shatter through a window.
Underground bunker, maybe?]
L O V E
SCENARIO TWO: VERY VERY EXTRAORDINARY
[Something is different about today. From the time you wake up, to the moment you look in the mirror, to the minute you greet your usually-annoying neighbor who you sort of hate. That difference is... love? Surely not- your cold, dead heart has been... well, cold and dead for an eternity!
And yet, you find yourself forgiving your own past mistakes, overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way between you and your acceptance of yourself and just... letting it be. You're a pretty cool person, you know, and you should appreciate yourself a little more! During this event, you're damn well going to, with some self love and acceptance.
Everyone else is on your Nice list as well, though- maybe you have a friend that you've been crushing on? That's dialed up to eleven, now. Or hey, that stranger has some cute shoes and you love them so much it hurts. All's fair in love and... love.
This is a mini-version of the beginning of our upcoming All you need is love event!]
T R A N Q U I L I T Y
SCENARIO THREE: CLASS IS IN SESSION
[Breathe in, breathe out.
It's a pretty simple concept, but now that you're supposed to be focusing on your breathing, it seems like the most complicated thing in the world. How does breathing help with concentration? Are you breathing the right way? What are you supposed to be thinking about? Do these yoga pants make your butt look cute?
There's too many things to think about and clearing your mind is hard, but the good news is that you're not the only one in Tranquility's yoga class who's having troubles. There's familiar squirming and fidgeting from the people around you who are probably lack just as much chill as you and are having difficulty finding their center.
Whatever that means.
Maybe the person next to you looks just as lost as you are, or maybe their side crane pose is really on point and you want to ask for tips. Either way, whispering is allowed as you contort yourself into human pretzels, so chatter away!]
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Life changes.
She nods. ] We should. Like they say. Keep your friends close... [ everyone knows how the saying goes, and she gives a breathy sigh with widening eyes. They need to know more, they just do. Are the gods their enemies? They can't know until they know.
Another nod, smaller, lips pressing together. ] Exactly. Siphon...ers, they strip power from anything with magic, including vampires. Obviously, they didn't know what they were doing, and really, growing up with that ability's...it's not particularly easy for them. [ Of course it's not, because everything in their lives can be summed up with the worst case scenario hitting every base and sliding into home.
Never mind how difficult it is to look at the adult siphoners she knows, how their lives panned out, how destructive they are. Each of one them, straight down from the quiet Beau all the way to Kai, all have sociopathic tendencies, some worse than others. Unbalanced, unhinged: Caroline's girls aren't there, but she'll still vow to do everything she ever can to be confident that they have a real home, with true support. As much as the two of the two girls walking had while growing up in Mystic Falls, if not more.
She smiles, faint and edging toward wry. Until she laughs, gaze casting down in a moment of soft abashment that rings with a small dose of humility, only because of who she's speaking to. ] We did connect, and, hey, we won't know until we meet them and get them dragging themselves out of the house more often, right? [ Her face lights up. ] Plus! Being stuck in a cave is no excuse for writing off parties. [ She'll host. Of course she will.
More than anything else, Caroline wants Elena to feel at ease. At peace, in the moment. Any that she can find. It's why, when they return, she makes sure that the necessary items for styling are in their proper place (they are), and then she goes to pick out suggestions for them to wear. Reverting back to the fashion of her younger years has never been a consideration, but she does want to make this specific day, that should turn into a fabulous evening, accommodating to a certain idea.
She opts for a couple of dresses, casual and too summery for a cave but that's why she picks them! Along with wanting them to match more than not, to take a step back and thrive in what she knows she can be comfortable in, even if her own wardrobe has shifted. If they're vetoed, that's what persuasion is for (no, she's set aside jeans and cute tops too, but they're hanging up and out of view in a closet. She likes the dresses, okay? They're fun. Flirty. Both of which they're allowed to be! Plus, there's equally cute sweaters to go with the dresses.)
She hears the water turn off, pondering which outfit she thinks Elena would be drawn to. Holding a pair of earrings against the fabric of one, she brings them up into her hand before letting them, ruby and gold, ones she showed up wearing, tumble down onto the dress. A frown, forehead creasing. ] I -- yeah, let me...think. [ How did she not know about this: being entangled with ensuring that Elena's okay, that's how. She needs to get on her A-game as far as listening around them, outside of her immediate priorities, goes. Especially if they really are stuck.
Her lips purse to the side, gaze inward, arms loosely crossing over each other. Looking back at Elena, she starts ] It's not the only bar. I've heard people talk about more than just one. But from what I hear, it's, was, the best, which...really makes me wanna know why it's just, gone. Like, what happened. [ It's not a question, because they're both just as in the know -- it could be dangerous to check out Delight's right now, though. The idea flashes through her eyes, not hidden, but she blinks it away. ] Let's...bar hop, at least in the strictest sense, until we find one that has enough people there to make it worthwhile to stay. That way, we'll see even more. And... [ A long beat. ] maybe we'll find out about what happened. To Delight's.
[ She gives a slight smile, looking over to the dresses she laid out on the bed. ] So... [ that obvious implication presented, she looks back to Elena to get her sincere reaction about them. ]
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Originals aren't unstoppable. ] It doesn't sound like they know how the Door works any more than we do. They could've brought us under better circumstances, but, maybe they can't control where we all wake up. Or, why. [ She's justifying, she is, but she's not wallowing. They decided. Today is yoga. Today is different. ] We shouldn't assume anything.
[ She listens to other people, she asks questions, when it's polite to. But, Elena has always been a girl of her own impressions. Tell her all you want about someone, but she'll decide what she thinks. And maybe, that decision will evolve. Elena Gilbert can be fickle when it comes to what she sees in people. ]
Are they [ She hesitates, she doesn't want to ask Caroline if her daughters are dangerous. But, she dated Tyler Lockwood. A werewolf whose bite was fatal to her. Caroline's no stranger to danger. ] they're not dangerous to you now? [ After she gave birth? No matter the year, the age, if time has passed between them, Elena worries for her friends. ]
I think you wrote that in my yearbook Freshman year. [ Teasing. Something along those lines. No reason to shirk a good party.
While Caroline racks her brain and rambles, Elena takes a few steps over to the dresses Caroline put out, presumably as options for her, she thinks. Normally, she'd opt for something darker, the red v, and the belted patterned dress both say something, but in the spirit of the day, she picks up the pink dress, holding it up to her and looking to Caroline as if to ask, 'What do you think?' ] With the necklace?
[ She's since lost the one Stefan gave her, Rebekah's, she's reminded and the one necklace that came with her doesn't match. But, the one Caroline picked does. Shocker. ]
If anything, we can get a better idea of what's out there. [ And maybe drink. This cave doesn't seem like it has a strict drinking age. Setting the dress down, she moves over to the hexagonal drawer to pull out undergarments. Is it weird that she's used to not having a choice with where they go? It was always the Grill. Or, Tyler's. Before that summer. Before Stefan.
She reminds herself Stefan didn't do anything. She's the doppelgänger. Stefan was there to help protect her. And Damon. And Caroline. And Bonnie. She misses her other best friend. She stops herself from asking about Bonnie beyond the mention of someone named Enzo.
Walking back into the bathroom, she only closes it enough so she can put on her underwear, leaving the door ajar so she can hear Caroline. ] Bar hopping will be a new experience.
[ For Elena, anyway. Caroline tried to drag everyone out Freshman year, with fake ID's hot off the press. If Elena went, Matt would've followed, even Bonnie, but three of them opted to take the safe root. ]
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She and Elena, their views on this work to balance the unknown. Caroline is quick to judge, to assume, to be at the ready to employ a string of words to criminalize those in suspect. Some aspects of her personality have evolved, but constant is her judgment for those who bring or suggest harm to her friends and loved ones.
For every judgment call she makes, she knows that Elena's there with a clearer head. It's hardly a surprise: Elena's always allowed herself to see all of the good sides of someone that nestle among the bad. Caroline may know there's good in everyone, but that doesn't mean she doesn't make snap judgments when necessary.
Glancing over when she hears the care Elena takes with her words, her brows pop, head moving to shake before she stops it. ] They're...not dangerous. We don't know everything about their type of magic, and they're strong. Really strong. Sometimes when their tempers flare, they'll lash out, but they're just kids. They need instruction. Ric and I, we've, been trying to give them help with what we know. But, we'll find someone else to help, too. They don't want to hurt anyone. They don't, either, not really. [ A lot of words, but there's an area where Caroline isn't completely confident. She can't be, not when her kids are part of the picture: but, her and Alaric will find a way to help the girls.
A chuckle at that, nodding. ] Do you remember how many hearts I drew next to it? Or smiley faces. Both?
[ Of course it matches: this isn't amateur hour! Head tilting, she moves closer to Elena, reaching out to pull the dress the tiniest bit out and to the side in front of her friend. ] It'd be perfect on you. Both of them would be.
[ Glancing over to the dresses and their accessories again, fingers run along pink fabric while Elena moves about the room. She knows it wouldn't be as comfortable, as easy, to be in that room if it wasn't that she was able to share it with one of her best friends. ] Exactly. [ Oh, they'll be drinking, if Elena wants to partake in that, anyway: Caroline would never force her to drink (or, older Caroline wouldn't do peer pressure...has she before? Probably.)
Details about Bonnie would include ones about Jeremy, which would be...the world's worst transition into a night of fun. When it comes to their other best friend though, Caroline wouldn't hesitate to give details: it's part of the girl code. You can't not answer questions about friends in this situation.
She's already assessed that she doesn't need a shower (sorry that she didn't break a sweat and forced you to work through a yoga class, Elena), but she does take these moments to take off the workout clothes, change her underwear and pull the darker of the two dresses to herself.
Holding onto it, she says, voice slightly louder to make sure she's heard -- ] The pink will make your hair stand out, really well. [ And she pauses long enough to get a reply to that before she starts to slip the garment on, reaching for the belt, holding it around her waist without fastening it, glancing down and deciding whether or not she wants to include it.
It stays. ] You can drink however much you want, too, I mean. I'll be there for you. [ This isn't a pub crawl, Caroline; Elena's mature, but she hasn't lived through the college years yet. ] I think you'll have fun, too, not being restricted to just, you know, the Grill. [ Which is probably what Elena was getting at with that comment. ] Instead of the one place, we might have...oh, I dunno. Three? [ She laughs. ]
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Elena doesn't have trouble separating the Alaric's she knows. The Alaric Esther brought forward sits in the forefront of her mind, but knowing something was done, that he survived and had children and raised those children with Caroline. Elena manages. She's an understanding person. Freaking out wouldn't help Caroline or her. ] You'll find someone. [ When she gets back. And when Elena does. How that even works. ]
I remember you wrote it in pink, and you drew a heart in place of the word love, but you also added hearts at the end. Also exclamation points, and probably a smiley face in there somewhere. Or, your exclamation points made a smiley face. [ Yes, that's it. It's just like it was yesterday. ]
Because that's what I need, [ She replies, emerging in a simple black bra and panty set. ] More people looking at my hair. [ Then, Caroline did say she'd do it. And Elena can do it. She just.. hasn't. Her hair's not cooperating lately. Maybe one of the gods has seen a straightener before.
Caroline, they drank other places. Stefan and Damon's. Your house. Her house. ... The graveyard.
Slipping the dress off the hanger, she unzips the back, stepping into it, putting it on. She manages to get the zipper up most of the way before she turns back to Caroline. ] Thanks for the permission, but I don't think here's a place I should go overboard, vampire best friend or not. [ Not when this is about meeting new people. ] I'd like to go as long as I can without vampire blood in my system. One day was enough. [ Her fingers find the metal pendant of her necklace that hangs low, fingers moving to smooth her skirt. She looks to Caroline in the mirror. ] Unless you mean that you could prop me up as we stumble home, then, if it comes to that, I fully accept the offer. [ Not we, her. But, she says we. Because it used to be 'we.' Not that she ever went overboard. One or two cups at the falls. A shot here or there. She's never been the lush. ] You said Meredith Fell had Damon's blood. [ She doesn't discuss things in the future, even in the immediate future, but this comes up naturally, and she finds her curiosity piqued. In small doses, she accepts small truths. ] How did she get it?
[ She knows the last thing she wanted to be was a vampire. She also knows that injury she sustained was worse than she'd been told, worse than they'd all been told. ]
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Every time another aspect of just how far back Elena is from rises up, the effect Caroline feels is nothing short of emotional whiplash. Through this, she perseveres, yet there are countless reminders of how different everything used to be. Of how much they've all been through. Alaric enduring what he did at the hands of Esther, she doesn't imagine that could ever be removed entirely from his mind, his being, but more recent stints of madness have certainly overshadowed that past reality, at least for Caroline.
Contemplating the ins and outs of emotional baggage that others, who aren't even there, may feel isn't a good use of anyone's time, though. Not that Caroline is doing so, in the exact way she could in terms of what Elena might be thinking of these different Alarics: because Elena's considerate nature blends into what she chooses to do, to say.
Can Caroline admit that she's seriously happy that this is the version of Elena she gets to spend time with again?
She gives a quick nod. ] I know. We will. The longer we're part of the world of vampires and witches and -- [ a shrug ] too much else to name, we learn more. Imagine that. [ A spread of a smile. ] There's networks. This one, Ric's been involved with a lot lately. The Armory. It's like [ she sighs, half rolling her eyes ] obscenely perfect for him; an organization that collects magical artifacts and stuff. [ Talking about the facts of the situation instead of feelings, that's easier. ] We'll find someone, maybe someones to help with the girls.
Those smiley faces were one of the best parts of my signatures, thank you very much. [ She laughs, spirits high: it's a fond memory, and she really can remember signing her friend's yearbook just like that. ] Don't forget about the I's being dotted with hearts, too. Unless I stopped doing that by then. [ Her head cants in a brief nod to the side: they both know she hadn't stopped by then.
Dressed already, her brows lift when Elena's voice draws closer as she moves out of the bathroom. Her nose scrunches. ] Once I get done with you, that attitude will be long gone. [ She means it!
As Elena's dress goes on, Caroline looks herself over in the mirror, smoothing fabric down, sizing up whether she's completely happy with it: turns out she is, at least enough. The dresses are sweet, simple, and she's glad she picked them.
Her eyes try to catch Elena's, forehead creasing at the tone she thinks is present with those initial words. The expression grows, brows furrowing more deeply when vampire blood is brought up, and she moves up behind Elena to zip the dress up the rest of the way.
A step away, lips pressing together and brows lifting very high. Then, that question about Meredith, which makes the expression hold, eyes casting to the side for a moment. ] That is what I meant, for the record. So I'm glad you accept. [ As if she's going to randomly offer blood after that one day of panic. Caroline turns, moving over to a nightstand, picking up her phone for an idle second. ] She took it from him [ a look over her shoulder before she turns back around -- memories of Meredith aren't the brightest; not because of the doctor herself, but because of what happened with Caroline's dad. Alaric. Elena. ] -- vervained him, from what I heard. [ She heard about it eventually, anyway. ] I wasn't there, and...I wasn't, completely getting along with him then. So, I didn't ask. Then. Which you know. The not getting along. So, I didn't really need to say so, did I? [ A nervous laugh. ]
I mean, you know what he was, or is, like. [ A blink. Sheesh. Talk about awkwardness in timelines. No one wants a full discourse on the growth of Damon Salvatore, do they? Her eyes widen as she casts a look to the floor.
Then, she's smiling again, head tilting. ] You always look nice with curls -- what do you think? [ Change of subject? Or simply rolling with the multiple levels of the conversation. Naturally. It's not like Elena can't keep asking some of the more difficult questions as they go. Caroline knows that when Elena needs or wants to ask anything at all, that she will; neither of them are shy. ]