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

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!

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.

[unfollowing]

[Normally, Emily would back away from someone pointing a knife at her, because no amount of pride is worth getting stabbed (unless she can sue them, but that's another story).

But this is a little girl, and Emily has just escaped from rickety oñd mines and a wendigo or two, so you know what? No. Even without the +5 to rage, no.]

Oh please. Are you kidding me right now? How was I supposed to see your tiny little ass when my eyes are way up here?

[whichend]

[ Arya presses the tip of her sword up against Emily's ribs, not enough to draw blood, but if she pressed any harder it'd definitely cause some damage.

Her words are a low snarl, unbecoming for a 12-year old girl. ]

Call me small once more, I dare you.

[unfollowing]

[Okay, wow. Aggressive much?

Emily glares down at her, but she takes a step back anyway.] Calm the fuck down, okay? You don't need to fucking stab me because you can't see someone's walking.

[She's just. So fucking angry. Emily doesn't need this right now.]

[whichend]

I saw you perfectly well. You didn't see me, remember?

[ She twists the blade, sneering. Her next words are a blatant mockery of what she considers to be Emily's prissy voice. ]

I'm too small.

[ She scoffs. ]

You're awfully stupid. You won't last long here.

[unfollowing]

That's why you were in my way. Okay.

[Emily rolls her eyes. Children.]

Yeah, I'm a dumb bitch. That's why I didn't get killed by a fucking cannibal monster or by my idiot friend's stupid pranks. Nice try, Stabby. You're stuck with me.

[Spite is a powerful motivator. Emily may hate this place, but she will find joy in pissing you off by not dying.]

[whichend]

[ Arya is very familiar with spite as a motivator, and she's not backing down. ]

Why are you friends with people who try to kill you? Sounds terribly stupid to me.

[ She scoffs. ]

And I've seen bitchier.

[ Okay, that's a lie, but it's all part of the comeback. ]

[unfollowing]

[Jesus, this kid's insults are pathetic. Emily wouldn't waste any more time on this conversation on a normal day, but with the extra rage in the air, she keeps at it.]

Because he is a literal psycho. Which isn't exactly advertised when you meet a person. [She rolls her eyes.]

Oh my god, like I care? What a badass you are, wow, you've seen people meaner than me. Am I supposed to be offended?

[She would make another comment about how Arya is a little girl, but Arya still has that sword, and contrary to what Arya may think, Emily isn't stupid.]

kitties~

[thechoiceisyours]

[Come on. Monster cats? Really?

Chris is nowhere near jaded enough yet to actually be used to monsters in general, but he's seen enough by now that there's a level of exasperation mixed in with the fear. After the horror that was the last event, also, his patience is just generally running thin.

So he's been avoiding the cats as much as possible, but a combination of being successfully unnoticed and his frustration with the idea of monster cats forcing him to abandon the supply run he's on means he's stayed out in the city long enough to hear a very familiar voice.]

Emily?

[That's definitely Emily... Yelling at the cat. Not a bad tactic--he's pretty sure that's the right choice with cougars?--but who knows if these creatures will behave like real mountain lions; they should probably not test it any longer than they have to, so...

Chris is still out of sight of the cat, ducked around the corner of a dilapidated building, but he can see Emily and hopefully she can see him.]

E-Em. This way. Go slow.

[unfollowing]

[She hears him before she sees him, turning her head towards where he's crouching. A mixture of relief and violent rage rushes through her-- because while she's glad to see a familiar face, and one so willing to help her out, she still remembers that same face staring her down as he joined in on voting her out of the safe room in the lodge, the low, angry notes of his voice as he said the words that helped almost get her shot dead.

Maybe he's sorry now. Maybe he wants to make up for it. That isn't like him, after all. Which is why his betrayal stung all the more, and why she's felt nothing but anger towards him since.

Still, he's there, and he's-- giving her advice. Advice he seems pretty sure of. So in the interest of staying alive, she nods and does as he says, inching towards him, eyes shifting from him to the mountain lion thing and back until she's close-- just another step or two-- squash the urge to run, Em, focus--]

Chris--

[She's shaking as she steps behind him, pressing her back against the wall of the building and breathing slow and deep with her eyes squeezed shut.]

Did it follow me? [she whispers, voice high and thin. God. Please. Please. No more chases tonight. No more chases ever.]

[thechoiceisyours]

[He isn't sure if she's going to listen, just because it's Emily, but thankfully she starts slowly toward him. He's quiet, watching her and sneaking a few peeks at the cat; if it comes after them they'll have to run, because he's pretty sure the kitchen knife he has isn't going to do much harm.

But then she reaches him, and he's moving to step in front of her as she's stepping behind him, and takes the opportunity to check the answer to her question.

The cat seems to be considering following them, but for now is just padding back and forth a few steps as it considers its options. Chris ducks backs to cover, turning to face Emily fully.]

Not yet but we should really get going before it changes its mind. The house is that way.

[He nods his head toward the direction of the house, too focused on making sure they get safely away from the cat to even think about when he and Emily had last seen each other just yet.]

[unfollowing]

[When he starts speaking, she opens her eyes. She glances in the direction he indicates and nods. There's a second where she hesitates -- should she go first into unknown dangers, or should she go second, closer to the creature whose presence she's aware of? The one whose gaze she's just escaped will have her scent by now, but anything ahead of them might not. Plus, she won't feel too guilty if it gets Chris instead of her.

Nodding at Chris, she steps away from the wall and starts walking, keeping the noise to a minimum. She glances over her shoulder at him, and to make sure the cougar thing isn't following them.

This isn't so bad, all things considered. Sure, there are things around here that could kill them, but it's not as dark or as cramped as it is in the mines. She can breathe here, and there are proper corners to hide behind when she needs to peek out ahead to make sure the coast is clear.]

I don't see anything. We should run if the house isn't too far.

[thechoiceisyours]

[He's also unsure for a moment of who should go first, trying to figure out whether Emily being in front or behind would put her at most risk, but they both come to the same conclusion it seems. Chris has already come from there direction they're heading, so he knows it's pretty clear.

He glances back intermittently to make sure they aren't being followed, and it seems that for once they're fortunate and the cat decided they were too much trouble. At Emily's comment he nods, casting another glance back and then peeking around Emily and the corner they're behind currently.]

Yeah. See those weird looking buildings that look like drunk aliens thought they'd be cool? Ours is like, right in the center of the spiral of them.

[So a run for it should work.]

[unfollowing]

[That raises so many questions. Who is living in 'their' house? How long has he and whoever else been here that they even have a house? How is he so nonchalant about the fact that the architecture here is weird as hell?

But with monsters prowling, she's not about to stop and ask quite yet. Instead, she nods. The house isn't far, and the way there must be relatively safer than what's behind them, if he made it from there to here unscathed.]

Stay close to me in case one of those cats tries to kill me.

[Much as she's serious, Emily is not as harsh as she could be.

With a deep breath, she glances at him, nods again and runs for the house.]

[thechoiceisyours]

Yeah. Got it.

[He will totally shank a cat if necessary, though that would likely not go as well as envisioned nor be nearly as badass as it could be and they'd probably both get killed, but at least he'd try. That's important, right?

He's right behind her when she takes off for the house; he's been doing a whole lot more running lately than he likes, and even with his knee still a bit messed up he's gotten enough practice to at least stay with her. Nothing jumps out at them as they cross the distance to the house, which is unlocked and so the door should open easily enough.]

Cat Prompt-Can I say I laughed when I read this?

[dancedancetrance]

[That certainly was not a very good technique. Not only did the coeurl hear that but also another feline creature except with more human features except for her ears and tail. It looked like the hyur was unarmed and Tala rather did not want her to suffer or get hurt...even if she screamed like a damn kobold.

She knew what to do but to the other...the only thing she could probably could notice was a big potato-like being slam into the cat followed by what looked like a trio of different colored lights hit it at the same time. Then a dome of light surrounding the beast and finishing it off.]

Oh, thank the Twelve I got here in time. Are you alright?

[Sorry, 'Overkill' is not in this adventurer's dictionary.]

You can always feel free to laugh tbh!

[unfollowing]

[Look, give a girl a break. They don't have magic fucking cats in Canada. Wendigos, yes. But not magic cats.

Besides, it worked out. You heard Emily screaming at the predators and came to save her from them. With weird as hell magic, but whatever works, at this point. It's not like tonight can get any goddamn weirder.

Also, there is no kill like overkill.]

Um--yeah? [Way too much going on. Magic cats. Magic powers. Potato things.] Did you just do fucking magic?

:3c

[dancedancetrance]

[It's ok, she does call Titan a big popoto quite a bit due to his look. Better that than Garuda-Egi who is like a shrew even while tamed. Damn bird.]

That I did. Are you not familiar with it?

[If she was spooked by one spell and pet, Tala could picture the girl acting much worse if she went into the Dreadwyrm Trance.]

[unfollowing]

No. What, is that normal to you? Summoning giant potatoes to fight magic cats?

[Honestly, what the fuck. And here Emily thought the shit happening on the mountain was weird.]

[dancedancetrance]

[Not every realm was like Eorzea where killing monsters and magic was as normal as breathing. But Tala is not experienced in otherworldly travel...unless those two times counted. Maybe.

At least the potato line got the miqo'te giggling.]

He does look like a popoto doesn't he? But yes, that's how I fight. Summoners have the ability to call upon creatures to aid them in battle.

[unfollowing]

Summoners. Like, as in someone who summons demons.

[Is this another one of Josh's pranks.

It's another one of Josh's fucking pranks.]

[dancedancetrance]

[Nope, there's wannabe summoners but not her.]

Dealing with voidsent is not within the description. However, an egi such as the one before you is not a demon. Essence from a primal yes.

[Meanwhile Titan-Egi just floats beside Tala. Thankfully she learned how to keep him obeying her rather than hit everything in sight. Lots of trial and error runs.]

Mayhap we should continue this away from any coeurls that might still be around.

pet peeved!

[fictionalised]

[ It was a dog. Emily just bumped into a puppy. (Full-grown war hounds still count as puppies.) Technically, she bumped into its master as well, but it's far easier to be offended if he focuses mostly on the puppy part. The dog is one of those big, muscle-y, drooling types. The kind who isn't even slightly ashamed of its slobber. The human accompanying it isn't much better, staring back with a raised eyebrow as if a challenge has just been accepted. ]

Oh, looks like we've made a friend. If we're already starting with nicknames, I'm not sure 'idiot' would be my first choice.

[ It's exactly the kind of vaguely condescending sarcasm that's engineered solely to irritate people. He clearly has experience being an asshole, or at least enough of one to have perfected the tone. ]

A close second, though. What should I call you? I was thinking 'girl-who-should-watch-where-she's-going-instead-of-bothering-the-adults-who-have-very-important-things-to-do', but it's a bit of a mouthful.

[ He doesn't have very important things to do. ]

[unfollowing]

[Is she supposed to be intimidated by that? Come on. She's dealt with worse. She's dealt with cannibal monsters, all right? A little sarcasm isn't enough to faze her.

If the dog hadn't gotten drool on her pants, she might have been willing to consider feeling sorry about bumping into it. But the human? Fuck this guy.]

Wow, so witty. Your dog could do way better.