dankmemes | TEST DRIVE MEME #4

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!test drive

TEST DRIVE MEME #4

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 December 25th, and apps are open January 1st.

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: A FACE FIT FOR A MEME
[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 on the rooftops watching and waiting for the perfect opportunity to separate you from your group and tear you into pieces. This time, the Door has brought in trolls, from the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop roleplay series for you meet.

These trolls have a height of nine feet and weigh up to five hundred pounds. They may be slower and less intelligent than you, but their regenerative abilities make them difficult to kill. Trolls are capable of healing nonfatal damage dealt to them and can use simple tools, like swords and knives- all the better to incapacitate you so they can roast you alive!]

SCENARIO TWO: RED SNOW
[It's cold. A layer of snow envelops the city, turning the caves into a winter wonderland. Feel free to have snowball fights, scrounge for blankets and coats (there's never enough to go around), and make snow angels! It's just like back home during the holidays, isn't it?

That is, if your home had yeti and white walkers roaming around trying to kill you. Be careful when wandering out and about, because they seem to blend in with the snow, and they definitely want a snack.

Or, uh, to raise you from the dead to murder your friends at their behest. Either way, you're dead.

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

H O P E

SCENARIO THREE: HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
[You're sitting on a couch in a living room. All around you are hints of magic- the mirrors seem to flicker with moving objects and people, the fireplace crackles with light, but no heat. There's a Christmas tree in the corner with soft, glowing lights that are unattached to any sort of wires.

Underneath the tree are four presents- two of them clearly marked for you, two of them clearly marked for the other person in the room with you. Inside one of these gifts is something you badly want- a stack of cash, a magical bow, an out-of-print book- but inside the other is something a little less pleasant. There may be spiders or snakes, or the box may be empty but coated in acid. It could be a wolf in sheep's clothing- wonderful-looking fruits, rotted on the inside- or it could just be a particularly nasty smell.

You can only open one, and there's no way to know which is which. Which gift will you choose?]

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scenario two.

The cold doesn't touch Rey. Not when the heat radiates from her blood, through her skin. She can actually be found wandering the snowy paths, her arms exposed by a sleeveless shirt. A pair of cargo pants and combat boots just barely seem appropriate for this winter setting.

What one won't find her doing is making angels or ammunition with the snow to throw at people. She knows that she is being followed by something in the icy veil, and something out there is seeking her out.

Despite being armed with only her own two bare hands, she glances over her shoulder and only raises her brows in dull surprise at her pursuer. A pale-shaped creature, stalking her among the mist.

It can barely be seen through the cold and falling snow, but it's there: Heatwaves, radiating around her.

Just too bad that fire won't harm a White Walker...

scenario three.

Rey had never celebrated Christmas before. It just wasn't something that happened in her many false memories and lifelines, neither did she spend the last six years with what little family she had partaking in the holiday. Not when you live with a Jainist father and a brother who was raised Jewish.

Still, she understood the concept of gifts, though the presents are met with suspicion as she picks one up from under the tree and inspects it from her kneeling position. This one has her name on it. Just Rey, no-last-name.

"Don't suppose either of these are from you?" she asks the other person in the room.

Edited 2015-12-21 23:00 (UTC)

RED SNOW
( he hates the snow. at the moment, it's a rather bitter reminder of where he isn't. the snow falling sticks in his hair and falls on too-cold skin as he glares at the landscape, as if he can melt the offending fluff with sheer determination. so far no luck, though if he really wanted to make at least some of it disappear, he supposes he could.

making the snow melt isn't likely to make him feel any better, though. having all the magic in the world doesn't seem to help the pains festering in his chest.

he should stay inside, because he can sense the things wandering out in the white, even though he doesn't see them at the moment. he's not sure if that's a sense of magic, or hearing that is far too sharp for his liking. he can't say he's afraid, though, and why would he be? there's not much that can kill him now, and he's the only one wielding the weapon that can. he's not worried about the things hidden in the mix of snow and darkness. )

I don't think you want to do that. ( it's a wry comment to someone walking past him, though he seems disinterested in actually stopping them. no, incredibly vague warnings are much more the dark one style! )

HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
( he's never celebrated Christmas, and frankly he's not super interested in starting now. what on earth did the tree need lights for? murder a tree for no good reason for the sake of festivity, what was the point of that? he's more curious about the magic at first, because he can't quite understand it and that's a new circumstance, considering he's known too much about magic since Emma cursed him.

in the end he's too impatient to get up and fetch the boxes himself, he instead waves a hand and all four find a place in front of his feet. he lifts one with a hook to note the tag, before tossing it toward his company. )

I'm guessing that's yours.

( he's had all sort of titles and monikers in his time, but that's not one of them. )

What are these supposed to be?

"I was about to ask you the same question," Nick answers from the other side of the tree, eyeing the two presents with his own name on them as he takes a long drag from his cigarette. He's familiar with the holiday, but he can't say anyone really celebrates such things anymore -- not where he comes from, at least. In a world where every day is a struggle to survive, gift-giving and the kind of altruism that comes with it is rare, at best. It's a trait that's unfortunately known for getting folks killed.

Not to mention he doesn't have any family to celebrate with. Friends, acquaintances, yes; family, no. Synths don't have such things.

He circles around the tree at a slow pace, his yellow eyes cast downward on the presents at his feet as he reaches Rey. The gifts she's inspecting have her name on them, or so he assumes from her question; she's welcome to come to the same conclusion regarding his packages, the tags on his gifts reading Nick Valentine. There's even a heart drawn around his surname -- a nice touch.

Four presents: two for him, two for her, and neither of them know who they're from. They're off to a good start already.

"I can't think of anyone here who would want to give me a present in the first place."

Rey has had at least some time to get used to Nick's appearance. Not because she's squeamish; just that the synthetic nature of it hits a little close to home with her. But it isn't like she's quick to pull any guns out, not that she has any on her persons at the moment.

More focused on the boxes, she turns the one she's currently holding and hears some movement inside. A brow raises. "Can't imagine why."

Fingers clasping around the ribbon, she hesitates before making any further movements towards unraveling the packaging.

"Are you going to open yours?" Rey asks without looking at the synth.

[ Cashmere catches the box, glances at the tag, and turns a little red when she sees the label. Beebs - a nickname bestowed upon her in childhood and used only by family. it's embarrassing. how fucking dare you, Christmas. ] Thanks. [ she does not sound super thrilled about the present. or that he saw the tag. or any of this. ]

Gifts. [ so helpful. ] Apparently that's what people do for this holiday. Decorate and exchange presents. Though I wouldn't normally open something if I didn't know who it was from. That's just asking for trouble.

[ she shakes the box anyway, because why the hell not. it doesn't make any sound at all, and Cashmere looks annoyed. ] Are you gonna open one?

Nick shakes his head, waving toward Rey and her gifts with his robotic right hand. The synthetic skin is missing on that one, leaving it nothing but a metallic skeleton. Still good enough to hold a smoke, if you ask him -- two of the bare-framed fingers are clasped around his cigarette, wisps trailing through the air behind it as he gestures.

"Ladies first."

Edited 2015-12-22 09:34 (UTC)

one | who is that meme i see, staring straight back at me?

[ he doesn't like it here. the buildings are taller, straighter than he's used to; shadows darker, longer, meaner, an impressive feat when compared to the Spire. he's been searching for a sky, for the sun, for hours now, and found no sign of it, and yet the clouds, the air itself... it doesn't make sense here, and he doesn't like it at all.

at least he has his daggers, Cole thinks, and almost on impulse, he slides one into his palm as he continues down the street. it's a good impulse, he finds, when a roar off to his right shakes the air, and Cole freezes, jumps away when a huge figure comes barreling toward him. it's easy to fall back on instinct: vanish from view, jump on the ogre's back, dig his daggers in deep and rip. the ogre falls, as he expects it to, and there's a moment of confusion when he realizes that it doesn't look like the ogres he's fought before. if not one of those, then what is it?

what he doesn't expect is for it to get back up, nor for a nearby door to open. Cole runs over to stop them, and maybe he forgets that he's got bloody daggers in his hands. ]

No! Get back inside, it isn't safe!

three | knew a spirit of hope once. he was a dick.

[ the mirrors don't bother him, not after seeing what Morrigan had stashed away in Skyhold. the fires surprise him, however; they're different from Vivienne's, and Cole spends a good minute or two sitting in front of them and skimming his fingers through the flames. ]

Strange. It flickers and dances, but it isn't real. How does it work?

[ the boxes are completely forgotten. they don't hold any special interest to him; Cole never celebrated Satinalia when he was alive, and holidays at the Spire were never so cheerful. he's already studied the tree, wondered if the lights were borrowed from the Fade, but it's unclear. they don't feel like ghostlights, but it could be possible.

he's reminded of Skyhold, somewhat: cheery and welcoming, but with a quieter, somewhat uncomfortable note beneath it. it sets him on edge, just a little bit, though he doesn't bother turning to address whoever else might be in the room. ]

They're not mine. [ he's too busy studying the way the cold flames part around his fingers to care about pointing to the gifts, and can't read the labels to know two of them are for him. ] Did somebody leave them for you?

[Spoilers likely!]

Scenario Two

[From a snow-covered weaponized planet to streets covered in more of the stuff. Great. At least he's dressed for the snow, his mask and gloves keeping his extremities warm as he moves through the slush. Kylo pauses in the middle of the street, his hand straying to the lightsaber clipped at his belt. He can sense that there's something watching him in the snow, but he can't see anything but the large snowbanks and the buildings surrounding him.

The deafening roar is the only warning he gets before the yeti bursts out of the nearest snowbank, lunging at him with a clawed hand. His lightsaber ignites and he quickly slashes at the yeti's arm. This produces another roar from the creature, this one of pain as a few claws are severed. This place just keeps getting better and better.

His bloodlust up, he readily engages the beast in battle, darting in and slashing away at it with the skills of an expert swordsman. A dark knight slaying a monstrous beast, just like in a fairy tale. The irony is lost on him, though anyone who is watching the battle might see the parallels.]

Scenario Three

[The beauty of the scene is lost on the Knight of Ren. He's not made for such a comfortable scene. Battlefields and space ships are more to his liking than such a peaceful setting. It can be seen in the tense set of his shoulders and the way his hand occasionally passes over his lightsaber. What he's thinking beneath his silver-black mask is anyone's guess.

The presents intrigue him and garner his suspicions at the same time. He's not used to getting something for nothing. There has to be a trade-off here. Still, maybe this peaceful scene really is all it appears to be on the surface. Seeing the other name on the two presents gives him an idea.]

You go first. [He says, nudging one of the boxes towards the other person with a booted foot. They can serve as a guinea pig for what might be in store for him if he tears open the wrapping paper.]

[Noah looks away from the glittering lights that had previously held his abject fascination. He looks at Kylo Ren, at the mask, down at the package.

He's wary. That' much is clear - Noah never had much of a poker face.]

My friend Adam got a pinata a few months ago, [Noah's quiet as he explains, hold your horses dude there is a point to this story. He very carefully shifts to sit on the floor, pulling the package that was nudged toward him to be next to him, He doesn't yet move to open it though.] colorful paper, the works. It was filled with scorpions.

[Noah makes a face like 'ew'.

They'd broken it open in the middle of a store and decided that it was best left exactly where it was. Hopefully no one else had needed bathroom fixtures, because those belonged to the scorpions. He very carefully picks up the package - it's about the size of a basketball - and gives it a very light experimental shake next to his ear to listen at it.]

... Do you know what a box full of scorpions would sound like?

[Because Noah realizes only belatedly that he has no idea.]

[Rainier has to resist the urge to physically pull Cole back from the fire - the flames aren't damaging, but there's still the desire to keep him from it since he clearly doesn't understand do not stick your hand in potentially harmful things. The kid is going to make him go gray.

Rainier looks down at the boxes and away from Cole when he mentions them. There are two with his name on it, 'T. Rainier' in neatly printed handwriting. However, while he's looking, he notices what his illiterate friend misses.]

Two of them have your name on it, here - [He takes one of them, holding the tag out to show Cole.] C, O, L, E, that spells 'Cole'.

Of course it isn't- Cole?

[ The Inquisitor does a little double-take, bouncing immediately from mild exasperation to stark surprise. Her gaze flickers past him to the troll that's risen a short distance away. It's not a monster she's seen before, but the trend of unknown beasts isn't unfamiliar, considering the months she's now been in Hadriel. ]

It's all right, he isn't anything to worry about. [ Cecily says in a low voice, encouragingly, but her eyes are on the troll. It's a good thing she doesn't go anywhere in their temporary city-home without the weapon strapped to her back, and before long she removes the bow and holds it ready, staring intently at their ugly foe with scrutiny. ]

Are you hurt? [ She asks, glancing sideways at the boy, wondering distantly if he'd arrived alone, what he may or may not remember. ] Can you fight?

[ Naturally, what she means is 'can you fight now;' Cecily is well aware of the rogue's abilities, how he's kept them from the fire in more than one case. ]

That remark earns Nick a scoff. With a face like Rey's, not many people would consider her a lady. Then again, where she's from not many would consider either of them people. Suppose the irony goes both ways.

She nods, abandoning any witticisms as she starts pulling apart the wrapping around the gift. Undoing the bow, she finds that it's a box. She sets it down, and pulls the lid open to peer at the contents.

"Nice," she mutters flatly, her eyes narrowing.

Inside is what appears to be a human heart. Still beating. Blood smears the inner walls of the box.

[ he only idly pays attention when Rainier points out the letters, still more interested in the false fire; still, it might be a good idea to recognize his name, at least. he's never bothered before, but then again he's never exactly received a gift like this. Cole eyes the letters for a moment, before frowning. ]

Rounded and curving, before edges and angles. Sharp, at the corners. It suits me. [ finally, he pulls his hand away from the fire, to take the tag and study it more closely. ] How do you know it's spelled properly?

[Kid, do not make him come over there. What if the fire was actually the kind that burned, would you just go stick your hand in it? Probably, he thinks with exasperation. Running herd on Cole is an impossible task on good days. At least his heart is in the right place and things usually turn out okay.]

Because the rock is spelled differently. C-O-A-L is the stone, C-O-L-E is the name.

[In spite of his frustration with the fire related antics, he is patient as he explains the differences in spelling.]

Inquisitor?

[ Cole's eyes go wide at seeing her, reeling back just a little. of all the faces he'd hope to stumble upon, hers would be at the top of the list. a quiet fear at the back of his mind wonders if this is the Fade again, if she isn't actually here, but that can't distract him now. even if this isn't real, it still hurts to get hit in the Fade, so the not-ogre has to come first. he nods at her questions, stepping back and out of her way as she draws a bow. ]

I'm fine. He attacked me. [ and then he adds, confused: ] They're not supposed to get back up. Why did it get back up?

[ Cole freezes when it roars again, turning to find that the not-ogre is — healed? ] How is it doing that?

Not if it hurt. This one doesn't hurt.

[ his voice is quiet as he says it, almost defensive. almost...petulant, even, but he won't acknowledge it. he'd think that Rainier was Dad-ing him, if he knew what that was like. instead, Cole sits back on his heels, and finally pulls his hand away from the fire. he'll just have to experiment with it more later. ]

Cole. Coal. They sound the same. It shouldn't matter how they're spelled. It doesn't matter to me.

[ still, though, two of the gifts have the letters identified as his on them — that must mean the others are Rainier's. right? Cole looks over at the tags, takes one of the ones that aren't his. ]

This is your name, then? [ he nods appraisingly as he looks over the letters. ] It's complicated. Yours suits you, too. Who are they from?

"Nice to know someone cared enough to give it to you while it was still warm," Nick mutters, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. That's one hell of a gift to give someone; something like that is more likely to be a threat. It's clear from her muted reaction to the gory sight that she's seen some true horrors in her lifetime, real demons and monsters -- not that that wasn't apparent from her appearance. Scars like hers don't come without a price.

Nick sets aside his observation for the time being, getting back to the matter at hand -- or at heart, more literally. "That give you a clue as to who might have sent it? It's not everyday someone goes through the trouble of making sure you've got organs to spare."

Edited 2015-12-23 00:14 (UTC)

[Kylo listens to the story with an impassive air, wondering what a piñata is. Well, that just made up his mind. He's definitely not opening up these packages until he's sure that they're safe. He glances warily at the two with his name on them, half-expecting them to explode or otherwise prove their sinister intentions.]

I don't know what scorpions are, but I think they would sound unpleasant. Imagine if you were locked away in a box with no light.

[He waits to see if Noah will go through with opening the package or if he'll chicken out.]

Some of them can regain their strength. [ "I think." Because this one is new and not quite as nasty as some of the others, but no less dangerous. With a curt nod, she releases the string and an arrow snaps through the arrow, burying itself into the troll's thick throat. It roars, garbled and unhappy, but doesn't falter much at all. ]

Ah. Well... we may need to run. [ Wouldn't be the first time. She hates these instances and it shows in the way her nose flares and she mutters: ] Too many blighted things here we can't stop.

[ Like the so-called gods, for example, and most of Fear's monster lackeys. ]

We have a safe house; I'll explain on the way.

Magic, I assume.

[And Dorian kneels down next to Cole and sticks his hand right in the flames, too. How are you supposed to figure things out if you aren't willing to take a few risks? Besides, it clearly wasn't hurting Cole. He retrieves his hand once he's properly satisfied that it isn't actual fire.]

But not any that I recognize. Odd.

[His attention turns to the brightly-wrapped packages, and he picks one up, reading the names on the labels.]

Two of them are for me, and two are for you. A secret admirer, perhaps?

[Noah has met aliens before, so he isn't quite weirded out by Kylo not knowing what a scorpion is. Maybe he's got gray skin and multicolored horns under the mask or something. Or maybe he's like the Demon and that mask is actually his face. It'd be rude to say something, probably.

Noah holds his hands up a few inches apart to indicate size.]

They're like this big? But they've got two pincers in front and a bunch of legs, and their tail curves up into a point and it's got poison on it. In it. I don't know, they're creepy.

[Noah looks back down at the package in his lap, frowning slightly. He tugs at the edge of the glittery bow on it warily.]

I think they hiss. I guess if they're trapped in here I should let them out at least. A box with no light is not a fun place to be.

[He is feeling bad for these hypothetical scorpions. He wants badly to chicken out here.]

I'm gonna throw the box if there's something scary in it. Or I might vanish. So, uh. Sorry in advance?

A Face fit for a meme

[She'd been trying to lay low, blend in and try to find out more about her benevolent hosts. Things had just started to slow down back home - enough of a lull to rebuild - refocus. She didn't have time for this kind of mess. While her uniform was handy in fights, the cat suit isn't exactly designed for long-term exposure. Add on top of that the black stuck out like a sore thumb against the sea of white around her? Well, venturing too far out into the apparent Winter Wonderland was out of the question. So she stuck to the streets of the city - keen eyes scanning the area around her.

And that's when she spots it.

Something... Something not human.

A shift on the roof to the left of her. Whatever it is, it's big and focused on her. Everything within her shifts from passive observation to fully attuned and ready to fight. Natasha moves off of the main street, heading towards an alley that might give her a few vantages for an escape if needed.

She hears the thud as it descends from the roof behind her and --]

Well, you sure did eat your Wheaties.

[Natasha barely gets her quip out before it lunges at her. She skillfully dodges, skirting beneath its mass so she's behind it. She barely waits a moment before kicking off of a nearby wall to try and reach its arms or even shoulders to grab onto. If she could possible stun it with her Widow's Bites and if that didn't work, she always had the disks. Thank God they hadn't taken her weapons away from her. After a few tries, finding the stuns weren't quite enough - she sticks as many of the discs she has on her on the troll in the hopes that if it didn't kill it, the zap would be enough to at least knock it out for a little while. Gunfire wasn't an option right now, not when she didn't know if there were more in the area that could come running at the loud sound. It was time to take it down as quietly as possible and find a spot to re-evaluate and regroup.

The troll jerks when she triggers the disks, the behemoth falling with a resounding thud as she casually tumbles off of it. With a soft exhale, she starts moving back out of the alley and brushes off her uniform when she notices something.]

Son of a -- I broke a nail.

[It's the little things, really. Please don't mind the crumpled troll behind her. Best to keep moving.]

Hope for the Holidays

[Holidays aren't really something she's ever spent a lot of time focusing on. Not with her work, both before and after SHIELD. Forming ties like that were dangerous in her line of work, building lasting relationships. It's only a matter of time before they possibly come to light and could get hurt. Like Clint's family. They mean the world to her and she would do everything possible to protect them, but she wasn't foolish enough to think they could be kept secret from everyone forever. She lets her thoughts drift as her hand hovers by the flames, giving a little sigh when there's no heat. Figures nothing about this place would qualify as normal.

After refocusing and continuing her silent exploration of the room, she finally spots her name on the two boxes. Her full name. If the fakeness of the environment around her wasn't disconcerting enough, this was certainly the icing on the cake. She doesn't want to touch them let alone open them... But, better she takes them before someone else sees something she's not quite ready to share. She's not in the mood for questions, even if it would most likely be answered with a lie. After lightly flicking one of the lights on the tree, more out of curiosity than boredom, she turns to the other person in the room. Her lips form a smirk, deflecting her worry for something more familiar.]

You shouldn't have.

That's it?

[There's a definite note of scorn in his voice. If this kid is freaked out by such tiny creatures, he's got no spine. It isn't like they're facing down a rancor or wampa. Then again, the streets are already filled with those wampa-like creatures he had faced earlier. This place is full of strange things that lesser people might be frightened of.]

Do what you want. I've got my own ways of dealing with creatures.

[His hand hovers over his lightsaber. He's confident that he can deal with whatever might be coming out of that box.]

"No, not really..."

There weren't that many people aware of the fact that Rey herself lacks a human heart, brain, and skeleton. These things are, in fact, the bionic facets of her anatomy. So the heart would be virtually useless to her, anyway.

She sighs and closes the lid, a little too casual for someone who's holding a box with a beating heart inside. "Perhaps someone with a sick sense of humor." And Rey thought hers was in poor taste.

"Sick is one word for it." Nick's eyes flick back to his own set of boxes as Rey closes hers, hiding the heart away once more. That doesn't erase the memory of it being there, nor does it keep Nick from pondering what grisly surprises await in his own packages, but at least it's something.

He reaches into his coat, pulling out a pack of Gray Tortoise cigarettes, and offers it to Rey. Not everyone smokes -- hell, it wasn't as though a Synth like himself needed to -- but the offer is there, just in case she needs something to take her mind off the gruesome gift. She might be more composed than others would be when presented with the same situation, but Nick knows all too well that some people are just better at hiding their wounds. He doesn't have to rely on his detective skills to tell him that.

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TEST DRIVE MEME #4

Rey | OC

captain hook ⚓once ( SPOILERS FOR S5a!!!)

3.

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two weirdos explore christmas

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cole | dragon age: inquisition

Kylo Ren | Star Wars

Scenario Three

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three

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Natasha Romanoff | Avengers: Age of Ultron

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