Test Drive Meme #6

[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 23rd, and apps are open March 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: BLOBBED
[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 several Blobs, from the similarly titled 1988 movie, The Blob for you meet.

These gelatinous creatures have no weak spots or brains that can be sliced or crushed to kill them. Instead, their only goal is to absorb and dissolve its prey so that it can grow larger. Think that its, er, blob-like form makes it easy to avoid? Think again- it moves faster than one might expect, as shown in its canon 'kill' video here (with a healthy cw warning for gore and 80's movie effects).]

R A G E
SCENARIO TWO: WENDIGONE
[Hey, that snack you found? It might taste a little too familiar. At least you don't have time to worry about accidental cannibalism too much though, because you've now become host to a vengeful wendigo spirit! The transformation will be sped up for the purposes of this test drive, though you can post at whichever point in the change you desire. Want to tear people to shreds? Go for it. Want to try to clutch onto the last few pieces of your humanity? Be our guest!

On the flipside, as someone who is unaffected, you may be trying to arm yourself and take these wendigos head-on... or, you may be trying to figure out a way you can save them, which would involve somehow trapping them on Hope's altar. Think you can handle that?

This is a mini version of our Who What Where Wendigo event this month!]


H O P E

SCENARIO THREE: CARNATION DAY
[You know those moments in high school that everyone used to dread? Where everyone would spend a week or so with the opportunity to buy a carnation or two for someone they like, only for carnation day to come along and dash any hopes and dreams you had of getting a flower from that special someone?

Well, here's your chance to relive that day- but, you know, hopefully make it end a little happier.

In this prompt, some characters will emerge through the Door- or wake up, or just suddenly appear- with carnations clutched in their hands. These flowers can be any color of your choosing, and all have tags on them. They can be addressed to you or to someone else, and in that FROM category? Well, from your secret admirer, of course- or any other character who may or may not have sent it! Here's to hoping they're a good one!]

Comments

[ukase]

You ever had to sell yourself? [It was a fact that women, regardless of age, faced the insurmountable odds of becoming predated upon by some loser with a libido and a dumb idea it was theirs for the giving. She was old enough to be able to sell willingly, young enough to have it taken by force. She might be fleet of foot, but she had to sleep sometime.] Or is that what the dog is for? Keeps you good and clean from the untowards assholes you probably deal with.

[He was curious if he'd offend her. He was curious just how much she could take when it came to prying and when too much was too much.

He didn't know what a speeder was, but he assumed it would be the equivalent of a Ford Focus. An old lady or family car, got people places but had limited guts when pushed.]

Legally fly a gunship or illegally fly one?

[dogsanddaughters]

[Now that was just a bad question, wasn't it? Miriam felt herself tense, face going hard, and had to stop herself from backing up a step because you do not flinch, girl, you never flinch. Barnaby curled around her legs without a word and sat on her foot, ninety pounds of unmovable object between Miriam and the soldier man's rude questions.

Very rude, yes it was.

But. Just a question. Miriam smiled as wide as she could, until it hurt her face.] Nah. An' I'm too pretty for you anyway.

[There might've, maybe, maybe been one time. But that was a thing they did not discuss, no they did not, just like they did not think about the brand on the back of her neck that said - ever so clearly - that she was owned.

And just like that, Miriam plowed ahead with a grin, spinning her new bracelet in her hands just to do something. Movemovemove, can't ever stop.] Nobody checks those anymore. Who'd have the time? Nuh-uh. Maybe I'll fly for a tomb raider, they go everywhere and they don't fight wars - that'd be awesome, don'tcha think?

[ukase]

[Her body language and that of her rottweiler was all the answer that he needed on the subject. He figured she had to have a stiff spine if she didn't break into tears or immediately start to swear at him. It was a fact of life that he found disrespectful and well earning a bullet to the dick for.

He glanced back from where he was filling his bottle with gasoline or whatever equivalent was used in this place.] I would rather eat a bullet then put moves on some woman around the same age as my daughter. However, I know what I'd do to a guy I caught doing something naughty to her against her will. [He offered a razor smile that hinted at the kind of pain he would inflict.

Of course, Rumlow had no daughter. A little lie never hurt anyone on that matter, and there was no one here to confirm or deny his claim anyway.

He stepped away now that his bottle was three-quarters way full and stuff one end of the rag into it to stopper the fumes from leaving and to prime his make-shift molotov cocktail.] I think fighting for something that you believe in is far more worthwhile than running away from the fights happening around you. To each their own.

[dogsanddaughters]

[Well there you go, not so rude. Miriam felt her shoulders relaxing somewhat, though she curled her hand through Barnaby's harness just in case. It felt good to hold him. A reminder that she was somebody, and she had a big scary friend who'd eat anyone that tried to hurt her. And the soldier man had a daughter. So he probably understood at least a little bit.] Aww, you're one of those true believers, ain't ya? Gonna die for the righteous cause.

[It wasn't as mocking as it could have been. Miriam's mother happened to be one of those true believers.]

Me, I got myself, the Sons, or the idiots who set folk on fire to make a point. And they're fightin' over shit that happened a lot time ago like any of it still matters.

[Miriam shook her head, watching the soldier man and his homemade flamer. She wondered what it would smell like once it was lit. Something special, she was sure.] Nah. I'm gonna fly.

[ukase]

[And just like that the situation was defused. He was under no illusions that she would order that beast of a dog on him if he tried any funny business, but he figured he could get his Glock sidearm out of the holster on his thigh and plug one in the dog before moving on to her if he needed to. They weren't near any alleys. It didn't seem like they would be getting to that point at all.]

You betcha. I'm making the world a safer and better place, and if it required my death to achieve it, so be it.

[He had long ago accepted that he was walking towards that ultimate end, but INSIGHT was a precious thing. It would bring about a world peace that no one could contest, and in that time, all those people who thought themselves so clever and wily would get exactly as they deserved. There would be no more need for bad men like him either.]

You're back to witch burnings in space? Damn, and here I thought we had finally moved forward with doing people in. [He began to move on now that he was armed and the car no longer useful to him.] Probably not as easy as it looks.

[dogsanddaughters]

[They were moving again, seeking cover or a new target. Miriam followed close, letting go of Barnaby so the dog could range. Scout out a little bit. He'd probably smell the monsters coming before the soldier man did. Barnaby was good for stuff like that. He'd been designed that way. Miriam put her hands into her pockets, watching the buildings just in case. So far they hadn't seen anyone else. This place felt dead in more ways than one.] Maybe you are. Lotsa people try that. Guess some of 'em make it work.

[That was the hope anyway, as Miriam understood it. She didn't understand the point behind anything that the Inferno Corps or the Sons or anyone else did. Mostly they killed people. Some of them wanted peace or said they did, but Miriam had never seen it happen.

Oh well. Not her fight. Never had been.

She nodded, remembering the smell of gasoline and cooking meat.] Uh huh. Used to just be the slavers they'd burn, but now it's everyone. It's a whole big thing. Well, the Sons don't burn people. Drownin's their thing.

[Each group had a thing. Public executions were all the rage these days. Miriam frowned.]

Gilly said that's what they did to my real parents, but I don't remember and he's a liar anyway.

[ukase]

[Rumlow decided that higher ground would suit them better than roaming the streets like a couple of strays. It was clear that the slimy ooze was in the sewer system, which meant to him that all pipes were probably unsafe to have much to do with. It was too fast to break free of once caught by what he had seen, so the object was to stay away completely.]

If it doesn't work and I still die, I won't give a shit. Dead and all.

[His profession was dangerous enough without worrying constantly about one's own mortality. He was alive or he wasn't, and that was as far as he thought it through.

Of course, they were discussing burning people alive, which normally wasn't a topic for casual conversation. He glanced back at her as he took them to an metal emergency ladder to take them up one side of a three-story building.]

Sons drowned your parents? I suppose it's all about the panic rather than the pain with that.

[dogsanddaughters]

Guess not.

[Dead was dead. Nothing to that except for the persistent need to avoid it. Miriam peered up the ladder, wondering if the soldier man intended to climb it. Barnaby could probably make it, if he was careful. He was good at that sort of thing.] Uh huh. They don't like it when you fight back.

[Killed you nasty, most times, and in public. Miriam had seen a few executions in person, watched more that'd been filmed. The Sons made sure the message got out.]

We goin' up there?

[ukase]

No over-reaching totalitarian or militarian governing body likes it when people fight back. They rule in fear after all. Humans share a herd mentality when frightened.

[There were exceptions to that rule, but in general, he had seen regimes just kill people for the sake of looking wrong. The fear was what kept people in line up to a certain point and then oppression led to rebellion and then rebellion led to war and so on and so forth. It was practically a cycle of humanities society.]

Come on, higher ground is probably safer or at least give us a view of where the enemy might be coming from.

[It also generally gave them time to plan the next move. Sometimes that came with the hazard of breaking one's legs, but it was better than dying.

Once he had the ladder pulled down and set, he started to climb it to the next level where stairs took over. He climbed with only a few glances back to make certain his tag-along wasn't have too much trouble.]

[dogsanddaughters]

I don't know what half those words mean, mister.

[Though she could guess, pretty much. Miriam knew vaguely how the Sons had been formed, though she didn't care much about their aims or what they intended to call themselves once they'd reached whatever goals had been set. Mostly she wanted to get away from it. Find some planet or station where nobody made their hobbies out of executions.

Maybe she'd have to fly really far away to find that, but Miriam figured it was worth the risk.

Miriam bit her lip, and started climbing. It wasn't the scariest thing she'd scaled, wasn't too bad if she was careful about getting a good grip. Barnaby sat patiently on the ground, waiting until Miriam made it up to the second level. Then she whistled, clapped her hands, and the dog zipped right up the ladder like he had opposable thumbs, tail wagging furiously. He'd made it up faster than Miriam had. She beamed.] Good dog! Good boy!