TEST DRIVE MEME #5

[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 January 25th, and apps are open February 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: HERE KITTY KITTY
[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 coeurls, from the video game Final Fantasy X for you meet.

These cat-like monsters can use elemental magic to attack, as well as their teeth and claws. When injured, they can cast a spell that will drain energy from their attacker and give it to them - and they are even able to temporarily petrify you. So if you decide to fight, let's hope you can finish them off quick!]


SCENARIO TWO: BURIED ALIVE
[What a wonderful day to find yourself - or a friend, or a stranger - buried six feet under. Covered in thick earth, the sturdy oak walls of the coffin trapping you in darkness, all alone. Not a soul to hear any cries of help.

Either you're in a coffin yourself, trapped, hoping for rescue, or you've got a GPS, a set of coordinates, and a shovel. Will you try to claw your way out of your possible grave, using only your bare hands and pure terror? Or will you be the one digging, hoping that down below is someone you love, waiting for you to unearth them?

Just don't take too long. Their air - your air - could run out at any moment.

This is a mini version of our Buried Alive event this month!]


R A G E

SCENARIO THREE: PET PEEVED
[Everything seems to be going just wrong enough to drive you right up the wall. Maybe your shoes keep coming untied, or you slammed your finger in the door while you were leaving the house. Maybe your friend keeps using the wrong form of 'your/you're' when they text you. Maybe that guy in the shop with you won't get off his damn phone.

Whatever it is, your day has been full of tiny annoyances, enough to leave you on edge and just about ready to explode. They're such little things, nothing that should inspire so much anger, but one after another - well, shouldn't anyone understand why you're mad?

And then someone else comes along, perfectly primed to push your buttons. Maybe they keep pronouncing your name wrong, or they won't stop staring at your scar, or they have hair just the right color to remind you of your last ex. You're already primed for a fight, and they seem just as pissed as you. What will you do?]

Comments

[ijustlovethat]

[Cashmere how dare you suggest Effie will be eaten by a mutt! Capitol citizens do not get eaten by mutts. Escorts do not get eaten by mutts!!]

Did no one teach you it's not polite to lie? [huff!] Where is your escort? And why are you here? You should be in your district, getting ready for our stop there during the Victory Tour!

[Cashmere h o n e s t l y.]

Emily | Until Dawn

[unfollowing]

[here kitty kitty]

[She's going to kill Josh. No, scratch that, she's going to kill everyone on this fucking mountain for this. For leaving her here with these-- what even are these, fucked up mountain lions? God, she should've just kept the flare gun. It'd come in real handy right now that this thing is staring her down. Hasn't she lost enough tonight? She can't decide if this cat thing is scarier than the wendigos she just escaped from or not, but right now, this is the threat, this is the thing she needs to worry about, so calm down, Em. Breathe. Focus.

Shit, is that electricity crackling in its whiskers?]

Shit. Fuck. Okay. Okay.

[Maybe if she stays still... does this thing work like that? The wendigo seemed to lose interest in her whenever she just stayed still, and isn't that a thing, that running away from predators sends them the "I'm your prey, have a fucking ball eating me" signal? Or, shit, is she supposed to try to intimidate it? Goddamnit. If the others weren't such goddamn shitstains, they'd be here, and maybe this thing would be more afraid of her. There's strength in numbers, right? Or hell, she could stand behind someone. Or throw someone at them. Yeah, how would you like that, Ashley? Fuck you. All you do is whine and cry while at least the others are useful somehow.

Okay. Breathe. Call for the only two people who aren't absolute fucking assholes.]

Matt? Sam?

[Okay, fine, she'll take anyone's help at this point, though they'd better not expect any thanks, not after they abandoned her in the first place.] ...anybody?

[ShitshitSHIT, it moved its head a little!

Okay. Intimidation time. Deep breath, yell at the top of your lungs--]

GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, YOU STUPID FUCKING CAT.

[buried alive]

[What the fuck kind of fucked up prank is this??]

This isn't funny, Josh!!

[Can they even hear her? And she can't text them-- wait, is this a phone next to her? With battery? And signal? Yes.]

Oh, you guys are gonna get it.

Get me the fuck out of here RIGHT NOW!!! [...she posts to the network.]

[pet peeved, or: emily's default setting]

[Literally ALL OF HER FRIENDS are fucking assholes. Except Sam, she's not bad. Kind of lame, but whatever. And Matt, who may have goddamn failed to save her when the tower fell, but he tried.

Threaten to kill her. How fucking dare they? And over nothing! Fuck Ashley and her scaredy-cat ass, fuck Chris for not defending her from the others. Fuck Mike, fucking dipshit that he is, for pointing a gun at her.

Emily is so wrapped up in her rage that she doesn't see she's about to bump into someone. So of course she does just that, then turns swiftly to face them as she snaps,] Watch where you're going, idiot!

[64th]

[ sorry Effie. this half of the wonder twins is clearly not to be left unattended. back in Panem Cashmere would have been nice: smiled big, complimented Effie on her dress, made some dumb small talk. but they aren't in Panem and Cashmere doesn't have a babysitter.

she lets Effie finishing ranting (w o w slow your roll lady) and rolls her eyes. ]

Does this really look like the Capitol to you? You look around and you think to yourself, I wonder where I can can get macaroons and a drink! Or a few drinks, I've seen you escorts at parties.

[unfollowing]

[Congrats, here's your damsel in distress!

Emily's eyes betray how scared she is, even as she stands perfectly still. There's a monster in front of her, for fuck's sake!]

Somebody-- please--!

[Oh god oh god someone please save her. She doesn't want to die like this.

She looks around and spots Sanji and--] Hey! Help me! [It sounds like a plea because she doesn't know you, but goddamn if you don't hurry, she'll be pissed.]

[notadartboard]

[A voice. A female voice! Before she can even make the demand, Sanji can hear the please and zeroes in on it like some kind of radar. No time to even wiggle and squee, he's off like a shot, racing across the ground at top speed. Halfway there, a spurt of flame seems to shoot from his right foot.]

Oh no you don't, you overgrown tabby! GET AWAY FROM HER!

[He leaps, twists in midair to come in foot-first, and plows into the coeurl's side. The sheer momentum from the impact sends it flying sideways into the next building over. Sanji lands neatly with his back to the woman, the flame vanishing, his stance all suave and deceptively in control.]

...are you all right?

[werewolfing]

[peter, on the other hand, can generally salvage his pants just fine once he's out of his shirt, because since he made his bargain and lost his face the change comes fast, unless he makes it slow.

it will cost, of course. the moon is wrong, it always costs. but that feeling is so hauntingly familiar. he hasn't really felt it since nic died.

wolf. it will cost, but everything does.

flesh tears, bones crack, there's a yell that becomes an animal howl and then a wolf leaps into view. peter is large and brown (larger than a real wolf, though not as large as some werewolves), his teeth and claws are wickedly sharp, and he growls low at the giant cat.]

[unfollowing]

[Memories of flame thrower guy flash through Emily's mind. That's the only reason she doesn't start screaming when she sees the fire. Flame thrower guy saved her life, and now, flaming foot guy is saving her.

But that doesn't mean you didn't just scare the shit out of her, holy fuck.]

What the hell was that? [And then, hovering somewhere between angry and scared--] You could've killed me!

[She's showing her gratitude by treating you how she treats her friends. Or anyone else, really.]

[unfollowing]

[No way.

No fucking way.

For a moment, the whole world stops, and Emily feels like she's choking on air, on I'm sorry, on I didn't mean to hurt you, on well, not like the way you got hurt-- but if Hannah is here, if Hannah is bumping into her, grabbing onto her, saying we and urging her to go--

This is impossible.

But so is that weird cougar thing, that mountain lion or-- whatever, there's no time.]

Come on!

[And that's as much as Emily concedes before she's off, running as hard as she can. Her self-preservation instinct is too strong, too focused on herself, but the guilt is enough that she's looking over her shoulder to make sure Hannah is still with her. Hell, she might even try to hit this thing if she finds something to hit it with. If she managed to outrun a fucking wendigo born of literal cannibalism, she can outrun this thing, right? And she can-- she can even help Hannah, maybe.]

Hurry, Han!

[Baby steps. Is there a bat somewhere? A shovel? She's looking for one, between the glances at Hannah.]

[quaerit]

[ Gansey watches Noah with growing curiosity.

This is different. There’s a lot that’s different, and the knife is the least of all of it. He sits, crouching, eyes on his friend’s face while he talks. Noah is so very here. He’s so present, and solid. He’d thrown himself into the cat like there was weight in his body and strength in his arms.

This is the boy who had seemed to fracture a little more with each day at home. The boy who could easily, too easily, blend into the shadows as though he belonged in them. The boy who’s consciousness didn’t always seem quite present. If it hadn’t been for the power of the ley line, Noah wouldn’t have been able to be present at all.

Yet here he is, as solid as Gansey has ever known him. How? ]

Noah, what are you talking about?

[ It’s very gentle, curious instead of accusatory. ]

When did you get someone to teach you? I saw you yesterday, and you had no knife. The third time, Jesus. You’re not violent.

What have I missed?

[quaerit]

[ The cat is cold, that’s the problem. It has ice in its veins, and Gansey can see it using that to combat the fire.

It won’t work. Fire will always win that battle, but it’s clear the cat won’t stop trying. It’s equally clear that this woman will fight for as long as it can keep her there, so he turns to scan for shelter.

All he sees is more of those spires. They’re going to have to run. ]

If we can get in there we’ll be safe. How long can you keep the fire going?

[ He’s already backing away, gauging the distance. ]

Can you cage it, to give us time?

[quaerit]

[ Several things register with Gansey while his friend talks. Adam has a phone now; when did that happen? Not only that, but his phone had coordinates of the gravesite, which meant both that this had been some intelligent person’s idea of a game, and that they had deliberately sent those details to Adam, one of Gansey’s closest friends.

Thirdly, Adam knew what it was about, enough to be carrying water and a shovel with him, and lastly -

God, lastly. Adam expects Gansey to already know what this is all about, because he’s supposed to remember it. Remember it.

Christ. He takes all of this in, and reaches for the water. ]

Thank you. [ It’s murmured, and a little rough, and his head feels like it’s spinning while he takes it. He doesn’t know if it’s the taste of the water or everything he’s processing that’s having that effect, but he ends up dropping to sit by the graveside, and drinking the water back.

He hadn’t known he was so thirsty until he tasted it.

Gansey gives himself until he has stopped drinking to calm down. He screws the lid back on the bottle, makes sure that his hands are steady, and takes a breath. His eyes meet Adam’s. ]

I’ve never been here before. [ With certainty. He holds the bottle out. ] How long have you been here? When was I here, and who did that to me?

[ His eyes flick quickly to the grave. He needs to understand. ]

[quaerit]

A griffin. Jesus.

[ As in, the mythological creature.

Gansey doesn’t dispute it. In any other circumstance, he’d feel a thrill at this information. Part of him still does – the same part that flies at once to his books, that tries to remember where he’d read about griffins and what people believed about them.

Today, though, they have more pressing issues. Gansey’s eyes are now on his companion, but he looks briefly towards the roof. ]

The light must come from somewhere. If this is what it’s like in the daytime, I’m not sure I want to see the night.

[ He comes closer, curious. ]

What do you suppose it was? I’m serious about the demon part. And I didn’t mean to offend. [ He looks up, quickly. ] You probably saved my life, you know. Thank you.

[quaerit]

[ Ronan is not fine. He’s hurt, he’s limping -

Christ, they need to get inside. Gansey tears his eyes away from both his friend and the cat, and concentrates on the door. His fingers are already bloodied, and they slide over roughly hewn stone before they find purchase. Then the door struggles to move, as though it hasn’t been opened in years.

Gansey is not inexperienced with that. He pulls until he has enough of a gap to put his shoulder against it, and starts heaving it back. ]

Help me! Just a little more –

[ And then it gives, at least enough for them to get through. Gansey dives inside and holds it for Ronan, keeping it open. The doors will prove no more helpful in the other direction, but at least when they slam shut, he’ll know they’re safe. Providing this is the only door.

His eyes flick back over Ronan, at last. ]

Your leg, how bad is it?

[catankerous]

[Kit - doesn't shudder, but his feathers fluff up a little, his back arching slightly up, feline body language shifted forward into his bird half. His voice is quieter.]

It wasn't a demon, just - just some kind of animal with chaos magic thrown in. I've met demons. It's like getting your mind soaked in acid. They're good at portal magic, though. I wouldn't be surprised if it was demons behind all this.

And it's fine. Someone had to had to help. It - that's all.

[Kit's fine with being feared or hated or bickered with, and equally pleased with impressing people. Genuine gratitude is harder to handle.]

[catankerous]

Victors of what?

[He mostly just keeping her talking. She'll use her air more gradually that way, panic less with something to focus on. He rips into the sod with his talons, floats out the large chunks, flaps again.]

[notadartboard]

[he turns swiftly, all prepared to be schmoopy and heart-eyed, but her reaction takes him completely aback.]

Ah - huh? No, no! I would never hurt a lady! Not even by accident, I swear! I only kick big ugly nasty things!

[unfollowing]

Yeah, well you sure do a shitty job!

[She's talking about her, not the cat. You did good with the cat.]

Is that thing at least knocked out? [Or dead. She kind of feels bad, but ... nah not really, no. If it's anything like those wendingos, then she'll be glad if it's dead.]

What the fuck even is it?

one

[morphinum]

[ Johanna had come back to the colosseum to hunt. Not for this. The one good thing about Hadriel, she'd realized too late, is that there were no Capitol assholes here.

Until now.

Johanna gives Effie a look of pure, scornful, disgust. ]

I really, really hope you get mauled by the giant, man-eating cat behind you.

[ She gives Effie a smirk and a little gesture to the animal that is, in fact, staking Effie. It was probably attracted by the garish clothes. ]

rage

[whichend]

[ No one, absolutely no one, bumps into Arya, calls her an idiot, and gets away with it. Especially not with the rage filling the air, making Arya a little more...sword-happy, shall we say, than normal.

She draws Needle and points it straight at the bratty, older girl. ]

I think it's you who needs to watch where they're going.

[notadartboard]

[wilting! sob, his ego, destroyed.]

I did my best...

[He snaps out of it, though, and looks sharply toward the impact crater in the wall.]

It's not moving, but there's no telling how tough it is. It's still alive, at least. [He can sense it] Don't know, I've never seen a cat like that before.

[quaerit]

[ Portal magic. Is that what happened to them? Gansey had woken up in a grave; he hadn't seen any portal, but then he remembers nothing about actually getting into the grave. Maybe it's right.

He looks up again, scanning the ceiling afresh as if he expects to see a wormhole carved into it. ]

Maybe it is. Though, I'll be honest with you. I always thought Hell would be warmer. And less urban.

[ Standing, he steps back from the cat creature. Demon or not, it's unpleasant. He doesn't overly want to stay with it. ]

Listen, if there was...portal magic. Is that something you would be able to sense? You said wizard, after all.

[catankerous]

[Kit twists, paces, away and then back to Gansey's side again, his long stride eating up the distance, his black lion's tail lashing behind him in mute agitation. It's probably best if they don't stay near it. Things less picky than Kit will probably smell the meat.]

Only if I caught it happening again.

That's how I got here, I think. There was a little door in the air - not little for you, but I nearly crushed my wing when I got pulled through, like - like an ice lump getting dragged through a straw. It happened so fast, though. I didn't have any time to really look at the spell.

[This is Deeply Frustrating.]

[boobityboo]

She's not gonna kill us. And she's a she. Trust me, I know these things.

[ DO U LINDA? DO U?

(spoilers: she don't) ]

Don't be such a grouch, Bobby. You can't let the fact that you're upset about being kidnapped make you stomp all over other people's dreams, all right?

[caterwauled]

Emily?

[ Hannah sputters her name in disbelief, not quite sure if she's imagining things or not, but there's no time to think about that with the cat lumbering towards them — and no time to wonder about the funny, familiar little spark of anger she feels ignite deep inside at the sight of her friend, either.

Emily's off in an instant anyway and Hannah has no choice but to follow, feet pounding hard against the pavement as she runs with all her might. She doesn't spare any more glances back at the cat. She doesn't need to; she can hear it gaining on them.

Keeping her eyes ahead works in her favor, though — she notices the front door is slightly open on one of the strange-looking buildings that line the streets. ]

Emily, wait! In here!

[ She ducks inside, ready to slam the door shut as soon as Em makes it in too. ]

[caterwauled]

[ Hannah takes a few steps back, preparing to turn and run, but this woman gives her pause and for a moment all she can do is gawk at her in confusion. We have to run! she wants to say, but the words stick in her throat. She's sure she's about to witness something straight out of When Animals Attack but then —

Okay. The woman has a sword.

That's... something. Hannah still isn't totally convinced this is the best course of action though. ]

Are you crazy? What are you doing?