Test Drive Meme #29

[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 February 21st, and apps are open March 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: FRACTURED FUTURE?
[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.

This time, the Door has decided to bring in some monsters who already have a taste of what it's like to win their war. Welcome to the Risen, from the Fire Emblem franchise!

Risen are reanimated corpses, dedicated to obeying their master's will. While they have some form of sentience, they cannot be dissuaded from their goal and attack all who oppose them with a singleminded desire to execute their purpose, which unfortunately for you is "killing indiscriminately". Still, they're not all bad and some of them may even be relieved to finally be put to death. Have fun!]

T R A N Q U I L I T Y

SCENARIO TWO: ONLY THE GOOD STUFF
[Tranquility has decided to take over Hope's food supply regimen and- well, if anyone thought he was a self righteous hipster before, this is probably what's going to seal the deal. All the food provided in the shops is now extremely vegan-only, from basic lettuce to the most bland fruit you can stand to look at.

None of it even tastes like anything, either- it's all like you're eating water. Maybe to Tranquility, this is a feast, but for you, it's difficult to register that you're even full. Better start prepping those salt mines- it's gonna be a long month.]

R A G E

SCENARIO THREE: YANDERE LIFE
[Unfortunately for you, you came at a time when Rage was very unhappy with everyone- and now you get to suffer for it. Is there anyone who catches your eye? Anyone who you might want to get to know a little better? Well, you're about to get to know them a lot better, because now you're obsessed with them.

It's not the innocent kind of obsession, either- this is a full speed ahead, breakdown, pull out the knives and rope kind of obsession, where your desire to be near someone is synonymous with stalking, being a creep, and overall just not really anything remotely approaching healthy.

Better look out and hope that nobody gets a crush on you either.

This is a mini version of our Kiss me Kill me event this month.]

Comments

keyleth | critical role

[fernbeleafer]

ｆｅａｒ—

Holy shit!

[ this tall redhead with antlers and simple leather armor manages (at the very last moment) to duck away from her reanimated attacker. but as she backs up she notices whoever it is she's about to slam into and tries to redirect, and suddenly the antlers and the head they're attached to are heading for the ground with a thud and an oof and then a groan...

man, she'd barely gotten a look at her surroundings and now some glowy-eyed fuck is trying to get fresh??? ]

Oh come on! What the hell, man?

ｔｒａｎｑｕｉｌｉｔｙ (ｎｏｒｍａｌ ｍｏｄｅ)—

Is that a mango? Ooh and pears!

[ if the antlers that seemingly sprout from her head aren't attention-grabbing enough, maybe it's keyleth's multitude of tattoos which swirl over her skin that jump out. or maybe it's the long wooden staff she carries, a few winding designs only just starting to take shape toward its tip.

she makes a beeline toward the produce in question and promptly snaps up a pear to bite into, anticipating the sweet sharp crisp refreshing-- ] Blegh! Oh my god. [ ok or she's just gonna go ahead and spit that right back out onto the floor. and then turn red and stoop to scoop it up. yeah this really is normal, sorry. ]

I'm so sorry. I'm just-- I'm gonna...

ｔｒａｎｑｕｉｌｉｔｙ (ｗｅｉｒｄ ｍｏｄｅ)—

[ ...what redhead? there's just a doggo here, sniffing about. must be looking for food, since it's obviously without an owner. friendly, though-- and fluffy too! her poofy honey-brown tail wags away happily as she wanders about... ]

ｗｉｌｄｃａｒｄ—

[ surprise me! if you wanna chat first, send a pm my way <3 ]

tranquility. The normal kind?

[perpetualgenius]

[Perhaps if he weren't distracted by the bizarre antlers on top of the head of someone who could quite possibly be wearing the best cosplay of a walking, talking deer - or equally bemused by the swath of tattoos running up her arms, or maybe perhaps if he weren't trying to work out if the cane design was spirals or if there were actual words etched in the wood he might have been inclined to speak up about the intense lack of taste in any of the fruits on offer here.

It happens too late. A snap-back to reality in the very same moment as she starts to bend in order to scoop it up and the withering look on his face tells the story of his disgust well. There is no way to backpedal. They've both seen it, they're both aware of it and neither of them will be spared this awkward moment.]

Pretty sure the five second rule doesn't apply if it's been in your mouth already.

[Still, gentleman that he is, Tony's gaze flits across the store front for a bin-- or other receptacle to dispose of the mess and he sort of kick-slides a barrel between the two of them.]

as normal as she gets, unfortunately :\

[fernbeleafer]

What? No-- I wasn't--

[ oh, she super was. her hand freezes on its way back to her mouth and the sound of a sliding bin offers her a sort of relief she isn't sure she deserves. still, keyleth hucks her shame into said bin, lacking grace and discretion.

and continues that lack, feeling obligated to offer some sort of explanation. ]

I don't normally do, uhh, that. It caught me off guard?

[perpetualgenius]

Uh huh.

[He doesn't believe you. That much is evident.

They probably could have parted ways, and Tony would forever at least for a week remember the deer lady with the tattoos as someone who was in equal parts weird, and far too polite for her own good.]

Food that tastes like nothing. This place went all out.

[Mostly, he agrees. Only Tony had been adult enough about it to swallow what was in his mouth before the ditched the rest of it.]

Even the stuff that should be candy.

[fernbeleafer]

[ a weak smile in return probably doesn't help with that whole convincing thing, huh? it puts her at ease, the way he agrees and pushes the subject away from her social blunder. ]

Aww, they ruined candy? That's not tranquil, that's a riot waiting to happen.

[ she's only half-serious, smirking as she reaches out to inspect what she'd thought was a mango before and seems now to just be a misshapen apple maybe? either way, she dives back in with a cronch, and her nose wrinkles. she talks around her mouthful: ]

Man, gods suck.

[perpetualgenius]

It's dire.

[He could be cruel, but without everything he's so used to out here it would be a mistake to go making enemies right off the bat. Right? He won't mention it if you don't.

Apparently the food isn't bad enough that it would stop her eating it. He's had his fill.]

That's what they're saying. Sounds like this is tame in comparison, have you heard much about what else goes on here?

[fernbeleafer]

Oh, you're new too? Thank gods!

[ more inappropriate relief floods keyleth, making her stiff shoulders melt a little. tony has unlocked ramble mode, and off she goes! ]

So, I tried reading the historical records someone told me about but have you seen the books here? I got mine to make light, which is kind of weird for a book but technically useful. Just not in the way books are supposed to be useful, even if it's pretty impressive magic...

[ and out comes her phone, turned about until she finally holds it upside down for tony to behold as if it's a drawing he'll be hanging on his fridge later. ]

nothing to see here

[perpetualgenius]

[Tony's not entirely sure why it's a good thing that he's fresh off the press, and equally why that means that she's so much more relaxed all of a sudden but he can't bring himself to care too much beyond recognition of the fact.

As she talks, his eyebrow gradually arches, because he hasn't seen any books of the sort. His arms have folded across his chest, guarded - because magic isn't something he's grown to appreciate yet, and books with light...

It all changes as soon as she pulls her phone out and one of Tony's hands immediately comes up to cover the bottom half of his face, palm stretched over his mouth. Wow.]

Yeah that's not--

[When he's certain he's not going to crack up, Tony's reaching into both his pockets simultaneously. Out of one he produces something looking very similar to the one Keyleth has. The other is a Starkphone. Tech of his own making. Sleek, powerful... at least it will be until it runs out of battery.]

This? Mobile phone.

it was weird something just wooshed by!

[fernbeleafer]

Bless you.

[ :) ]

Neat! Is that a different archive or something?

[perpetualgenius]

[He's staring.

This is going to be harder than he wants it to be. His home-grown phone gets popped back into his pocket for the time being.]

It's not a book. It's a communication device. Okay, here. Gimme.

[It's not being handed something if he takes it.]

[fernbeleafer]

Hey!

[ she rankles a little, and mumbles something that sounds like "snatchyyy" under her breath. but she's ultimately unabused (and more curious than proud in this moment) so she leans in to try to get a look at what tony does with it. ]

What's the range on it?

[perpetualgenius]

You're learning.

[He already knows how to call himself. Of course he does. He knows all kinds of stuff because he is just that awesome. A few seconds later he's tossing her phone back to her, and speaking into his own - taking a few calculated steps away.]

Wanna find out?

[fernbeleafer]

[ she grins, pleased at the compliment-- don't bother telling her it isn't, as keyleth can see praise in anything. and then she nods eagerly, mirroring his movements and lifting the phone to her ear. ]

If it beats five-hundred feet, I might be impressed.

[ she takes her own strides backwards

and promptly bumps into someone

and proceeds to apologize profusely......

it's gonna be a second ]

some weird tranquility!

[othlir]

[ He's so very unsure about this food. First and foremost, it just...looksboring. Sure, he likes a good orange or two as much as the next guy, and it'll be a fantastic break from eating what's left of the jerky he'd stolen from Grog, but..things are weird here. He's not sure he trusts it.

Still, he's experimented with worse. So Vax is definitely just kind of cruising around, idly tossing an apple up and down in one hand. Still a little bit on the fence about eating it, but getting closer to it with each passing moment.

Until he notices the wagging tail, however, and a smile will cross his face. Has he seen any animals here? Not outside of the monsters, he doesn't think. He whistles, trying to catch its attention as he pulls out a small piece of jerky. ]

Here, boy. Want a treat?

[fernbeleafer]

[ when you're a doggo, you get a sense of how people really are. how they treat a stray can tell you so much about someone-- and for the most part, you go unnoticed, too. it's freeing for keyleth in particular, who still doesn't feel like she fits in anywhere.

so when she hears the whistle, her ears perk up, her nose goes to work, and she's already making her way to a new friend-- except here's an old friend.

with a loud, happy, yip, vax is about to get a lapful of furry friend. and maybe she's a little too caught up in the method acting, because he gets a few happy licks as well. ]

[othlir]

[ It's a surprised laugh that comes out of him as the dog jumps into his lap, and Vax thinks it might actually be the first genuine smile he's made since getting here. He hadn't realized before now just how much he missed having a pet; what he wouldn't give for some good, gross Trinket kisses right now. ]

Hey, hey now. [ Still smiling as he says it, his hands finding their way to the dog's ears and scritching at juuust that perfect spot. ] Nice to meet you too, buddy. Where's your—

[ And then he gets a good look at the dog, at it's green eyes and the color of its fur. And it feels like the air has been sucked from his body. ]

Keyleth?

[fernbeleafer]

[ another yip! of course it's keyleth silly why wouldn't-- oh. oh right! duh.

a green shimmer and the faint smell of ozone precipitates her return to form. she has to shove her long hair out of her face (fortunately the antlers on her circlet are short and it doesn't take too much picking). she can't help but laugh nervously as she rambles her apology: ]

Sorry! Sorry-- I was just trying to see if I could find not-terrible food, and I got excited about jerky and you know how I get carried away with the whole beast form thing. I can't help it, I just go method sometimes... [ breathe, kiki. ] But, uhm-- hi?

[othlir]

[ There's an overwhelming relief as the dog poofs into Keyleth — who's still in his lap. Vax doesn't mind, though, just lets her ramble as he stares at her instead of responding. His hands touch her cheeks, her long hair, before settling on her shoulders. Just, y'know, making sure she's real.

And then, antlers be damned, he pulls her into a hug, as tight as possible. ]

It is so, so good to see you, Keyleth. [ He laughs, shaking his head a little bit. ] Hi. I've missed you.

[fernbeleafer]

[ oh that's a lot of touching wow ok yep she can just be chill about it and freeze up and let it happen yep that's fine it's good. but hugging! hugging she can do! she returns the embrace in kind, relieved both to have found vax here in the chaos. ]

You too! I've just been wandering around trying to get my bearings. It's wild here, right?

[ she pulls back, realizing her hair is still in a bit of a state and her staff has clattered to the floor and rolled away and they're both just kinda on the floor in a shop in the middle of a bunch of people.

her cheeks are never not going to be red, huh? she gestures around them and then reaches for her staff, suppressing an embarrassed chuckle. ]

Maybe we should, uh...

[othlir]

It's pretty ridiculous, I'll give you that.

[ He glances around when Keyleth mentions it, meeting the couple of stares they're getting with a sort of embarrassed laugh. Vax pats Keyleth's shoulder as he stands, then offers a hand to help her up. ]

How long have you been here? When did you get here? I..

[ Honestly, he's kind of at a loss for words, just smiling at her. ] I'm so happy to see you, Keyleth.

[fernbeleafer]

Thanks! How long? Uhh-- not long at all, really...

[ she's up and at 'em in no time, thanks to vax's helping hands. and keyleth looks around as she moves with vax out of the shopping crowd, but not yet into the heat of the sun. ]

Let's see. I blew my highest spell getting us back to Greyskull through the Sun Tree before I got here and I couldn't sunbeam those undead bitches back to hell when I woke up, so-- not even a day? Why?

[ she asks, because it's natural. but then she starts to really look at vax. at all the little things that don't quite match up. keyleth frowns, worry taking root in her chest. ]

Vax, how long have you been here?

[othlir]

[ Separately, it all sounds normal. Sun Tree? Keyleth always claimed they were friends, so sure. Greyskull? It's been a while, but he remembers it fondly. Undead assholes just seem to be their daily — or seemed to be, so okay.

But all of them at the same time makes little to no sense. Vax studies her face, then notices her hair again — her long hair, that he'd touched with his own hands. That's not the Spire of Conflux she's holding.

Okay. Ooooh-kay. ]

I've..been here for a few months, now. But you... Keyleth, tell me in detail: what do you remember? Of..anything. Which undead assholes couldn't you sunbeam? [ There's a bit of a laugh. He's trying! ] You have to agree, we've run into a lot. It's kind of important to be specific.

[fernbeleafer]

[ after the word months, keyleth feels like she's trying to hear his words from below the surface of a pond.

then there's a beat. a moment of nodding and congenially smiling back despite not knowing what the punchline is, she gestures back in the direction she thinks the Door is. ]

The undead back in the Coliseum. [ another beat. another nervous laugh. ] ...Months? That's impossible. You were right next to me on our way to see Uriel.

[othlir]

[ Of course. The one time he doesn't hang around the Door is when Keyleth shows up. Guess he's just going to have to hammer home this habit he's building.

It still doesn't tell him much, though, until she mentions Uriel. All the color drains out of his face, eyes gone wide. And it takes a moment, before Vax finds his voice again. ]

Keyleth, Uriel's dead. He has been, for— For over a year, now. What d'you mean, we were going to see him?

[ The last time he'd seen Uriel, even a trace of him, had been just as the Chroma Conclave attacked. He'd heard of folks not remembering things, but... ]

Do you even remember the dragons?

[fernbeleafer]

[ keyleth frowns. and then it deepens. and her eyebrows threaten to overtake her eyes entirely.

as far as she can see it, there are two options: overreact because vax has clearly lost his damn mind or assume he's just messing around. ]

All right. Uh huh. Look, I know I'm gullible but I'm not Grog! [ she swats his shoulder lightly because she super duper means business. ] I mean, thanks for trying to lighten up an otherwise sort of terrifying and incomprehensible situation or whatever but you can stop showing off your acting chops, now...