test drive meme #23

[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 August 25th, and apps are open September 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: SLIPPERY NAKED PEOPLE
[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.

No big deal, but there's a freaky wall-climbing zombie thing stalking you. Maybe you should get inside? Or run. Or just accept death. This time, the Door has brought in some Descendants, from the Uncharted video game.

Descendents are emaciated, man-eating monsters that used to be normal people until affected by a virus - you know how that goes! Terribly, always. They are fast and agile and quite strong, and they will stalk you and crawl up walls and maybe break your neck if they can. Badass.]

S O R R O W / H O P E

SCENARIO TWO: THE FUTURE ISN'T BRIGHT
[You found a mirror. It's your mirror, created just for you, and when you look into it - well. You might not want to look more than once, because it shows an image of the worst possible future you could imagine for yourself. Maybe you're dead. Maybe someone you love it. Maybe you've lost everything. Basically, it sucks.

What are you gonna do? Throw it away? Smash it? Keep looking over and over because you love pain? Or maybe someone else threw theirs away, and you're the one that found it. You really, really want to look. Invasive, maybe, but your curiosity is killing you. Just a peek...

This is a mini version of our Bad End event this month.]

L O V E

SCENARIO THREE: VISIT ME AND EXPLAIN YOUR PASSIONS
[You know that totally inconsequential hobby? The one that you love? Or maybe your favorite TV show or comic book? Wouldn't it be great if you had someone to talk to about it? Someone who would listen patiently while you explain the family tree from that obscure fantasy novel you reread every year?

Well, wait no longer! Your time is now! The moment you make eye contact with someone, you'll know they want to listen to you explain your obsession. They've just been waiting and hoping you'll come along and educate them! So go to town, buddy, tell them all about your waifu.

Or maybe a stranger just walked up to you and started talking about their favorite knitting pattern. That's... cool. Are you gonna interrupt them? Walk away? Get into an argument about how your favorite knitting pattern is so much better? Now's the time to show your passion, or possibly your complete disinterest! Go for it!]

Comments

[aloadeddie]

[ This is why Arthur prefers to work with people he knows. Even Eames, for all his snide comments and bluster, knows that when Arthur tells him to do something, he should probably just do it, and doesn't stop to ask why.

But it's easy to forget, especially in a situation like this, that he's not in a dream. Or at least, not in one that he has any control over. And she's right - he will run out of bullets, because he can't just dream up more.

This is galling, but assuming she has unlimited - electricity, or whatever - she probably should take point.

He takes out another one, swiftly, bang bang, then steps out of her way. ]

After you.

[evocation]

[Realistically, this is at least partially about Kyna's need to show off, even if she does genuinely want to help. She can't let him have all the fun, especially when he's being so stylish about it.

She decides against a lightning spell, for one rare moment in her life. Instead, she goes with fire, casting it with a quick wave of her hand. Flame erupts a good ten yards away, engulfing three of the monsters in front of them. It would be impressive, all things considered, if two of the other creatures didn't manage to skitter out of the way completely, screeching in something like fear or rage or maybe both before launching themselves forward, right at Kyna and Arthur.]

Shit.

[aloadeddie]

[ It should be noted that Arthur has never seen anyone shoot fire or lightning directly from their hands before - not even in a dream. But honestly? The look on his face at her actions isn't particularly impressed. If anything, it's... kind of horrified.

Fire. She really had to set the things on fire. Now the smell of burning flesh is in the air, which is disgusting, and the smoke will be making their eyes water, which makes it harder to see, and the monsters will be panicking, which is dangerous, and the fire itself could easily spread and spread, uncontrolled, until it engulfs an entire forest or several city blocks...

Yeah, Arthur is not impressed. ]

Jesus Christ, really?

[ The two coming at them are at least not on fire. Bang bang. Bang bang. He drops them, then grabs Kyna's arm and starts dragging her away from the burning monsters. ]

Follow me, and for the love of God, no more fire.

[evocation]

[Kyna is not super into the whole being dragged thing, but she lets it happen, making a face at him as he pulls her.]

It's magic, not a nuke.

[Sure enough, the fire is already dying down. Still, Kyna can partially accept that it was overkill, it's just that overkill is better than being eaten or torn apart or whatever the hell these things do.]

Thanks for the save.

[aloadeddie]

It's fire. It's unpredictable.

[ And therefore too risky to use under most circumstances. He pulls her around a corner, listening for the telltale scrabbling noises of the creatures - but perhaps her little trick had done its work, mostly. They obviously didn't like the fire - who does? Maybe they're out of the thick of it. ]

No problem. [ He says it casually enough, even as he peels off his blood-soaked jacket. It's not worth saving, and if the monsters or whatever can smell it - well, it's best to just leave it behind. ]

So, clearly this place is no vacation resort. [ He adds that after a moment, a wry sense of humor finally showing a slight glimmer through his demeanor. ]

[evocation]

[She clearly isn't a fan of the scolding, judging by the way she wrinkles her nose, but she eases up at the joke he cracks.]

God, you have no idea. When I showed up there were these steampunk wannabe crabs shooting shells at us. At least these guys were just creepy.

[aloadeddie]

[ She's not the only one who doesn't appreciate Arthur's scolding. Not that he's about to stop. ]

Crabs. I feel like I'm already halfway to losing my mind.

[ Which... could be a serious problem, in Arthur's case. ]

[evocation]

Strap in. It gets ten times more insane from there.

[This is definitely the way to comfort a new arrival.]

I'm Kyna, by the way.

[aloadeddie]

[ Yeah, not surprising, somehow. Even his trusty loaded die might not be much use to him, here. And he's always so careful, too. ]

Arthur.

[ His mouth twists faintly, into what might be a smile - or maybe a vague grimace. ]

I can be more charming, when I'm not being attacked by... whatever those were. [ He's aware he probably didn't make the best first impression. ]

[evocation]

Or judging my spells.

[She says it a little huffily, but that's the worst rebuke he's getting.]

Kicking those things in the face was pretty charming, anyway.

[aloadeddie]

I've been called judgmental before.

[ But that gets his eyebrows up a little. ]

Violence is charming now? Huh. I must've missed that memo. [ Now he's just being modest. ]

[evocation]

Saving my ass is charming? And yeah, fighting monsters is charming when you look cool doing it. Where are you from?

[aloadeddie]

Well, I guess all that training paid off, then.

[ He smiles faintly. ]

Where? Oh, I was born in the U.S., but I travel a lot for work.

[evocation]

Uh huh. What kind of work, James Bond?

[She gestures to him.]

Because with this look you're either that or a businessman, and I don't know a lot of businessmen who can kick a monster's ass.

[aloadeddie]

[ He glances down at himself - okay, he's pretty well dressed, business attire, the outfit he wore on the flight. He blends in perfectly in a first class cabin, but maybe sticks out a bit here. Especially with the blood spatter. ]

I'm a cybersecurity consultant. Former military.

[evocation]

Oh. Jesus.

[That makes a lot of sense.]

Uh... Well, you're probably going to hate it here. They give us phones, though.

[She digs hers out of her jacket pocket and holds it up helpfully.]

[aloadeddie]

[ The lie is so ridiculously easy to tell anymore that he almost believes his own words. But he shrugs. ]

I don't mind going off the grid sometimes. I do mind being attacked by monsters and getting blood all over my clothes, though.

What about you? Can't say I've ever met anybody who can set things on fire with her mind before.

[evocation]

I'm from New York. Not the same Earth as you, though. It's kind of a thing here.

[She shrugs.]

Parallel universes or whatever. None of them got you, right?

[aloadeddie]

[ Sometimes it amazes even him how easy it is to be so incredibly vague about his background, and no one questions it too much. Sometimes, the common rules of politeness are a criminal's best friend. ]

Nah, I'm not hurt. Well, I might be a little sore tomorrow, I haven't done anything like that in a while.

[ In the real world, where you get things like pulled muscles. ]

I'd heard of the theory of multiple realities before, but I can't say I've ever given it much thought until now. So magic is just something people can do where you're from?

[evocation]

Yeah, basically. Some people suck at it and some people can do it naturally. Everyone in between has to learn it. I can't picture living without any at all. It's weird.

[aloadeddie]

Interesting. [ Arthur keeps his face studiously impassive. ]

Your world must be pretty wild, if lots of people can do what you just did. Like an action movie, or a dream.

[evocation]

I guess?

[She's never really thought of it that way before.]

It's normal for me. Spells like that aren't really... legal in public places, but...

[aloadeddie]

Really?

[ That must add a whole layer of complexity to criminal law, that's for sure. ]

I mean, fair, no one in my world can just go setting things on fire without getting arrested. Must be tough when it's a psychopath, though.