Test Drive Meme #34

[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 July 25th, and apps are open August 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: OOZES GEOMETRICALLY
[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.

The only warning you may get is the squish slick sound of movement before a gelatinous cube is upon you. Leaving gross trails behind them and with their see-through bodies filled with the bones of those that they've dissolved in their jelly, these cubes have no real vulnerability other than their limited movement.

Gelatinous cubes are exactly what it says on the tin, giant translucent cubes of jelly whose main attack tactic seems to be cornering people in small hallways and just sort of absorbing them into its mass. They then digest all meat and flesh and leave only floating bones and various metals their victim may have been wearing stashed inside of their jiggling forms.

Maybe it's time to apologize for the last time you brought a jelly mold to a potluck.]

A L L

SCENARIO TWO: MY LOYAL SERVANTS
[Thanks for your service to the gods! In order to power each of them up, it's up to you to pick a deity you like most (or dislike least, as it were) and simply say their name in order to be influenced by them and encouraged to inspire their emotion in others!

What, you don't want to play? Too bad, accidental name calling works just as well, even if you didn't mean to incite them- you'll feel their presence pulling their chosen emotion out in you anyway. Hope you picked a good one!

This is a mini version of our In Need Of A Boat event this month.]

C O N F U S I O N

SCENARIO THREE: I MISS GPS
[Sure, you might be a little confused at being here at first, but that generally goes away within a few days. This time... well, this time, that feeling of befuddlement isn't quite going away. Roads that you take seem to disappear behind you when you turn around, your right turns are left turns on the map you're following, and you're pretty sure that everyone except for you put their shirt on backwards this morning.

Is everyone high? What they're saying makes absolutely no sense to you. You can't find your way out of a paper bag, let alone back to where you've been staying lately. Is that a dog or is it an eldritch horror coming up to lick at your calves?

During this prompt, everything will feel off and it can be very difficult to get your bearings at all. That's Confusion for you!]

Comments

Keith / Voltron Legendary Defender

[blazingsword]

FEAR

[Keith isn't a stranger to weird creatures trying to kill him, at least, though he would probably be more prepared for this particular monster if he hadn't been away during the D&D Episode.]

Shiro? Allura? Anyone? Can anyone hear me?

[The only reason the cube gets as close to him as it does is because he's busy trying to get anything except dead air from his comms system in his helmet. Then there's a distinct squelch sound from behind him, and as someone who has now spent several years dealing with aliens and strange planets Keith can say with absolute certainty that squelch is not a sound you want coming from behind you with no idea what it could be.

He turns quickly, bayard in hand, glowing as it shifts into the shape of a sword that Keith brandishes at the ready.]

... What the...?

[Jelly cube. This is new.]


ALL - TRANQUILITY

[Keith is no longer a ball of teenage rage as it were, but he's still an angry guy and he knows it. He also doesn't want to be that. So, given the rundown of what's happening he thinks first - 'What would Shiro do?' and the word "Tranquility" is out of his mouth before anything else. Peace of mind, a sense of calm - he personally needs all these things and if he gets into trouble he'll want the clear head that a sense of tranquility will bring. So, there you go. Keith, calmly assessing his situation and exploring the city.

He will literally never be this calm again so get that conversation while the getting is good.]


CONFUSION

[Yeah, speaking of...

The wall is already crumbling, so Keith beating on it doesn't really do a whole lot to worsen the wear of it. It does help wear down some of his restless energy and frustration, though. Bad enough to be in this strange place separated from his team, but now he's lost all sense of direction entirely and can't even find his way back to where he started. It's like his whole mind is in a fog that just won't clear.

Giving the wall one more good kick, he yanks off his helmet to toss to the ground before sitting right there against the wall, talking several deep breaths.]

Come on, you aren't a dumb kid anymore. Patience yields focus...

[He just... just has to figure this out.]

[theweakhavepurpose]

[Squelch is never a good sound. Neither is the horrific gloosh that happens when a sledgehammer cleaves the thing in two. It doesn't actually harm it, it'll reform and be good as new in a few seconds, but that's the time they need to escape before this thing gives them the worst exfoliation of their lives.]

Don't stare at it, RUN!

[Behind the cube is a man in a green police uniform brandishing a sledgehammer that he looks a little too weak to be swinging around. But he immediately pulls the hammer back before it can be sucked into the cube and uses the flat end of it to poke at Keith. Enjoy that goopy green imprint on your uniform.]

Come on. Move!

[blazingsword]

What the-

[Yeah, okay, while he shoves at the sledgehammer Keith's reflexes are good once the shock wears off. Especially when it becomes clear that the jelly's already begun to stitch itself back together. He ducks low and darts around the cube, but he doesn't know these streets or how to avoid getting backed into a corner by this, so... Guess he's following the maybe-a-cop.]

What is that?

[theweakhavepurpose]

A cube full of goop.

[So far he's seen it ooze its way under a wall and while he hasn't seen it actually eat anyone, the fact there's a few skulls floating around in there makes him wary of getting anywhere near it to find out.]

They're slow, but there's more than one.

[He pauses at a junction to listen for gooshy noises, and when he doesn't hear anything proceeds around the corner.]

Need to get out of these narrow spaces, they can ooze under the walls and doors.

[blazingsword]

I've never run into a cube full of goop that has enough sentience to eat people.

[Though he has run into plenty of goop. Actually, normally they're eating the goop, thanks to strange alien cuisine.

On second thought he's a little glad Coran, Allura, and Romelle aren't here. He keeps his bayard at the ready. He keeps watch on their back while Pratt figures out where they are going. No sign of the cube following them yet, but Keith's guard isn't going to drop anytime soon.]

So, wide open spaces then. You're a cop?

[theweakhavepurpose]

Yes.

Also yes. Deputy Pratt.

[He looks both ways before kicking down a door. Sure he could have used the handle but kicking it is so much more fun.]

There we go. Much better.

[A much bigger room with a door at the other end and windows up top to indicate that they might actually be able to get outside from here.]

[blazingsword]

[If they can squeeze under doors anyway there seems to be little point to leave it in-tact. At least this way they can see it coming. Once in the room he deactivates his bayard to have both hands free.]

Keith, Paladin of Voltron.

[As in, his own name and sorta title.]

Are the goo cubes common here?

[theweakhavepurpose]

No, but weird monsters sure are.

[You are just lucky he's from middle of nowhere Montana and has no idea what a Voltron is because his satellite internet is terrible and he gets Netflix at about 480p.]

How are you doing that thing with your arm?

[blazingsword]

What thing?

[Because see his mentor actually does have a robot arm - well, did, so that's where Keith's mind first goes to. It's a few seconds later that he realizes that Pratt doesn't mean that.]

That's my bayard.

[He holds it out to show Pratt, now that it's in its dormant state - looking okay, but no touchy.]

It changes into a sword when I need it to.

confusion

[puzzlingly]

You okay there?

「Hey! Where the hell did this one even come from? Who knows, but he's all suddenly towering him — that has to be a first time — as he offers back the helmet, which is a pretty cool helmet by the way. Say something about the hair and... well, don't. Or do, whatever.」

Who took the jam outta your doughnut?

[blazingsword]

[Keith gets enough shit about his hair and has seen enough aliens that all Atem gets is a cursory look. He takes the helmet, though he does frown at the question.]

What doughnut?

[puzzlingly]

... Never mind.

「Don't mind the snort either.」

I meant, what's wrong?

「Can he sit beside him? Eh, not gonna ask, he's just gonna!」

[blazingsword]

[As long as Atem doesn't move to touch Keith he'll probably be okay with the personal space violation otherwise. He's getting better about being around people in general. A few years in near isolation even made him kind of appreciate it.]

I feel like there's this fog over my mind, I can't seem to find my way. Not that I know what way is which here, but... Even the path I literally just took seems like it's changed.

[puzzlingly]

「Why on earth would he touch him, wow. But yeah, that's it, just a little company doesn't hurt anyone, specially if they look so frustrated about things.」

Would you want a tour around? I have to say you might end up a little disappointed. Hadriel can be a lot of things but it's always lacking something.

Who are you anyway?

「Might as well ask.」

[blazingsword]

[Hadriel, is that the name of this place? Keith mouths out the name to himself, but it doesn't ring any bells. He hasn't heard of it before, and he'd hope that he would remember if he's been here before.]

Keith, paladin of Voltron. I don't suppose a man named Shiro showed up here at the same time or any other people who call themselves paladins? They wouldn't all be human.

what a pretty icon dude!

[puzzlingly]

No, haven't heard of anyone going by that name or anyone calling themselves that.

「Sounds important, though. Atem takes a better look at him, his outfit definitely seems out of this world, even by Hadriel's standards.」

When you mean they wouldn't all be human, what else would they be?

it's from the "we're gonna fuck over our animation budget" prettiest scene!

[blazingsword]

[Keith figured they probably weren't here, when no one answered on the comms, but something could have knocked them out. It doesn't hurt to ask.

He still looks a little disappointed before he can stop himself.]

Altean. [Pause, then gestures to his ears.] Think human, then add pointy ears, like an elf. Uh, strange colored eyes, these two colored v-marks on their cheekbones too. We had Galra with us too. They're .. .. ... Purple.

[Look, there's a metric asston of genetic variation between the Galra with the only communal traits being 'bipedal. Mostly purple'.]

tranquility

[unphase]

[Tinya is also exploring the city, but she's doing it from the air. there's not much to explore--it's not even close to being as big and bustling as Metropolis is and so far, everyone seems to be treating her like a kid. she's fifteen, a fully grown, independent woman by her home's standards, and she'd like to be treated like it.

when she spots someone who looks only a few years older than she is, she impulsively flies down to greet him, landing in front of him. she hopes that maybe he'll take her seriously]

Hi. I'm Tinya. What's your name?

[blazingsword]

[Keith does startle a bit, but quickly gains his composure again. Thanks, Tranquility, you're a bro.]

Keith. Paladin of Voltron.

[He's dealt with Pidge and she's easily one of the most capable people on the team, so he's not about to talk down to Tinya.]

Are you from around here?

[unphase]

[in all fairness, no one expects to have teenage girls just fly in out of nowhere unless you're in the 30th century]

It's nice to meet you, Keith. Mind if I ask what a Voltron is?

[she'd be grateful to hear that. she knows that in the past, most worlds didn't consider people adults until they were older, but she wants to be judged on her own merits]

I just arrived here. I'm originally from Bgztl, one of the United Planets.

[blazingsword]

Legendary robot warrior made of five separate robot lions that form together. We've been fighting the Galra Empire which took over most of the known universe where I'm from.

[He also doesn't recognize the United Planets, but either it's from a parallel universe or something so far flung out the Galra have never been there.]

[unphase]

Oh, so you're part of a team, right? So am I, the Legion of Super-Heroes. I've never heard of the Galra Empire, though. Which planet are they based from?

[he looks human enough, but she knows as well as anyone else in the 30th century that it doesn't mean he is human]

[blazingsword]

Their homeworld was called Daibazaal, but it's gone now. For a while just about every inhabited planet was under their control. I've never heard of the Legion of Super-Heroes though so that makes us even.

ooooh, pretty icon!

[unphase]

I guess so, especially since I've never heard of Daibazaal. If it was the homeworld of an entire empire, you'd think I would, especially since it sounds like the Galra Empire is hostile.

[there's the Khund Empire and the Dominators, but neither of them have tried to challenge the United Planets yet]

I need more so badly /sob

[blazingsword]

Must be parallel universes then. [Said like someone who has run into them before.] I wonder what caused us to ... coalesce like this?