Test Drive Meme #22

[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 July 25th, and apps are open August 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 WRONG KIND OF SCARY
[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's an odd shuffling to your right and to your left. Do you know what that is? Maybe not, but at least nobody else does either. You might peek at an eye stalk or a stinger, you might catch a glimpse of something that can maybe pass for fingers... or maybe it just has a mouth on its butt because its creator was feeling particularly sadistic that day. That's right, you're looking at the creatures from Spore, EA's infamous alien creation game with the most awkward alien creator imaginable.

These particular Spore creatures are the carnivorous kind, the kind who seek out and eat other creatures so that they can instantly procreate to pass on their victim's genetic code and make their species even more wild. You might not want to stick around and watch the mating process. I promise it's just as weird as you think.]

T R A N Q U I L I T Y / C O N F U S I O N

SCENARIO TWO: STEPFORD SUNDAY
[You wake up one lovely weekend morning to the sounds of birds chirping outside and sun streaming through your window. What a wonderful day to be perfectly normal and happy in the suburbs! Your family is all around you, like a Norman Rockwell painting, happy to go about their average day in their average life in their average city.

So what if your sister is an archdemon? Or your father is somehow a dragon? It's just the way that things have always been... isn't it?

The perceptive of you may begin to see cracks in the veneer, may begin to wonder why everything seems to be so perfect... and as the truth begins to unfold, it paints a much darker picture than the one you're seeing. Are you sure you don't want to stay, just a little while longer?

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

R A G E / D E L I G H T

SCENARIO THREE: CAKE WARS
[There are plenty of ways in this world to rouse your competitive spirit. Many of them involve athletics- few involve such beautiful edible artistry as this.

That's right, you're in a cake baking competition, and no matter how competitive you normally are, thanks to Rage's influence, you want to win. Competitors can be in teams of two or alone, and they have until morning to bake their cakes to the fullest and bring it to Delight's temple for judging.

So what kind of cake baker are you? Do you revel in your artistry? Do you measure everything and carefully prepare each icing tip? Or do you know that you suck at cooking and decide to use the opportunity to sabotage your opponent's cake instead? Nothing is off limits, and all's fair in cake and war, after all!]

Comments

[unfollowing]

[Well, fuck them. As long as she can, Emily will stand by Glacius's side no matter what.

And speaking of standing, her first instinct is to decline his offer to carry her. Then it hits her: the exhaustion of a sleepless night spent half afraid of a murderer and half running for her life from a literal cannibal monster. She could tough it out and walk to the clinic if she were alone, but over a year in Hadriel after a horror movie night with her friends have taught her that she doesn't need to be so fiercely independent.]

That's a good idea. [She gives him a weak, sincere smile.] I'm ready when you are.

[glacius]

I'm ready. [In so many more ways than one. Glacius steps up before Emily, starts to lower himself down so that he can get a proper heft--but being this close makes some of that longing unbearable, and the alien finds himself gently butting the smooth curve of his forehead against her cheek.] I--I missed you, my friend.

[The alien hesitates a moment more, clearly having more that he could say... but he must steel himself. So he pushes himself into action once more, hooking his burly arms around his friend's shoulders and under her legs, carefully hoisting her.] How's this?

[unfollowing]

[Leaning into his touch is instinctive. Emily may not have consciously remembered Hadriel while she was gone, but she did miss Glacius and her other friends here. Some part of her remembered, and now she feels whole again, his cool forehead against her cheek a familiar comfort.] I missed you too.

[When he lifts her up, she leans against him, relaxing into his secure but gentle hold. She feels as safe now as she did when the police got her and the others off the mountain. Back in Canada, the wendigos couldn't hunt her anymore. Here in Hadriel, nothing will hurt her if Glacius is here.]

It's perfect. [Now that she doesn't have to stand, all the exhaustion from last night hits her at once. She feels like could fall asleep against him, maybe even not have nightmares. But instead she'll stay awake. The night's not over until she gets patched up. Whether it be Pell or Carlisle or anyone else at the clinic who heals her, she'll be better off than if she were still at home.

Shithole cavetown has its perks.]

[glacius]

Gracious, as always. [Glacius murmurs, giving her a quiet and slightly rueful smile. He can't imagine that anything about this situation is perfect, what with the fact that she's been dumped back in cave where she's to be tortured for the power gain of depraved beings--and sporting fresh injuries to boot--but then, he is perpetually underestimating the impact he has had on the lives of his friends here.

In any case, said injuries are pressing. The alien starts walking, his strides quick but even--he doesn't want to jostle her.] I'm sorry that I... did not arrive soon enough. If I could have kept you from this pain and suffering...

[unfollowing]

Damn right. [She is a gift to whatever world she may be in, okay.

It's not graciousness that gets her to gently protest, however. It's honesty, and it's the fact that she cares about her friend.] Oh-- no, I got like this on the mountain. I fell into these creepy mines from pretty high up, a piece of the fire tower got me in the leg, and the bite is from a wendigo. Then Sam blew up the lodge, so I mean, I was gonna look like shit no matter what. You saved me from that fucking wendigo wannabe though.

[glacius]

Makers. [Glacius can't help but blink, quietly astounded as Emily tacks trauma after trauma on in her explanation. That... is a lot for one person to go through in one night.] I know you said that... things were difficult, back in your own world. But I had no idea... I'm sorry, Emily. I... if I could have made things better, I would have--but I am here now, and you are here as well, and I... I promise I will be here for you, moving forward.

[If she's going to be stuck in another terrible world where awful and harrowing things happen on a regular basis, the least he can do is try to help her through him.]