dankmemes | Test Drive Meme #40

Entry tags:

!test drive

Test Drive Meme #40

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 24th, and apps are open February 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: SLURP SLURP
[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.

What's that on the ceiling? Who's that skittering along the wall? Why, it's none other than the the Licker, from the Resident Evil series.

The licker crawls around on walls and ceilings and can easily avoid all attacks with their creepy crawly acrobatics. Watch out for those tongues, though- they can whip you with them and catch you off balance. They love waiting in dark corners to jump at you and slash you with their oversized claws, as seen here. Luckily, their brains are exposed and they're quite blind- move quietly and avoid their notice, or attack them in their weak spot to get away safely. Be careful though, they tend to travel in packs...]

T R A N Q U I L I T Y

SCENARIO TWO: CABIN IN THE WOODS
[It's nice outside. There's a heat to the air that permeates through the muggy interior of the cabin, but at night, it's cool enough that you can relax and see all the stars in the sky. The hot tub is a nice contrast to the chilly night air and the possibilities are practically limitless!

So cook something up on the grill, go hunting, or just relax and definitely don't get murdered, because you do happen to have a bit of an odd cabin mate. Why are the two of you sharing this cabin? Well, that's up for you to decide, but whether you're close friends who decided to take a vacation together or random strangers stuck together by circumstances, you're here for awhile so you might as well take the time to relax and get to know one another up here in these mountains!]

R A G E

SCENARIO THREE: MONSTER HOUSE
[It seems like you've just misplaced a few items at first- but after awhile, it becomes apparent that the items are misplacing themselves. Weird, right?

Maybe not that weird, because soon afterward, items of all shames and sizes start to move around, now well within sight. Their intent is clearly to annoy or even harm you, depending on how dangerous the item is... maybe a deathly pair of pants, to a set of keys that keeps running away from you, to a house consumed with the desire to- well, consume you.

Be careful of everything, be suspicious of items that may be trying to lure you in with their stillness, and have fun! This event is based on Hadriel's It's Aliiiive! event this month.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hubris. [ It's said quietly, with Chyler looking blankly at a spot on the wall. She blinks, coming back to herself, watching the pair of them as Ephemera goes to work. ] I've only been trained with knives. Nothing with the kind of weight that can do real damage to armor.

[ She glances down at her useless rifle. A knife would be worth finding.

After a moment's hesitation, she starts unstrapping her armor. She lifts the breast and back plates over her head and sets them gently next to her boots, revealing the Corbulo Academy t-shirt she was wearing when it all went bad. ]

Yes, I'm UNSC. And they're meant to be rough. They should be. If we're meant to fight, never mind win-- [ Her pale skin goes waxy white as she thinks about the bodies of Marines mixed with the white uniforms of cadets. She clears her throat. ] If we're meant to make any kind of difference, the weakest parts of ourselves need to be ground down and broken off. A warrior is only as good as the officer in command, and Corbulo is for the best of the best.

[ SCHOOL PRIDE. ]

[ Interesting, Drake thinks, Ephemera would show any affection in front of a stranger, even briefly. He lets it happen, unbothered himself, then holds very still for the medical attention. Chyler will notice he's tough -- doesn't watch but doesn't complain either, not even a hiss as the needle pierces his skin over and over again. She'll have to watch close to see his face twitch at the pain, the only giveaway that he's having wounds cleaned and stitched up. ]

It won't damage the armor but if you aim right, a knife can do damage to the person in it. Right in the joints, the neck, like that. But most of the stuff we fight here isn't in gear. I'd rather face a whole bunch of what usually comes through the door than go for more than a spar with someone in power armor. No contest.

[ He isn't certain what to make of her next statement. About how she goes pale thinking about whatever it is they're fighting against... probably the Covenant, right? With that expression? Drake knows the stories, and how Hadriel pulls people from all through time and space. Unless she's from the future instead, and something worse happens. He's not sure how to ask. ]

What do you consider the weakest parts of yourselves, that needs getting rid of? I've never heard anyone describe it like that before -- losing something rather than just gaining new skills.

Boot camp mentality, [ Ephemera adds as he works. He's heard it before. Believed in it once. ] Soldier can't flinch, can't hesitate, doesn't question. Only thing that matters is that your drill sergeant's god. Then you graduate and your commander's god and you see it done. Keeps the universe simple.

[ For better and worse. It doesn't make the orders right. There has to be trust, and that has to be earned. ]

Believed that all through basic training, then got it beaten out of me in jump school. Gotta know how to make your own decisions, too.

[ Chyler has a moment to be impressed with Drake's stoicism before Ephemera speaks, and then she's straightening up, squaring her shoulders, not quite coming to attention but snapping into the kind of position that screams military precision. ]

You get rid of selfishness. Arrogance. Fear. It's not obedience for the sake of obedience, it's obedience for the sake of the soldier next to you, and the one behind you. [ She purses her lips, not glaring at Ephemera exactly, but it reminds her so much of something Tom would say--

And the last time she saw Tom, he was dragging General Black's body out of his warthog. Chyler licks her lips, settling a little. ]

We're training to be officers. We're going to have lives in our hands. Yes, we will have to make our own decisions. And yes, sometimes we take orders without hesitation from those we follow ourselves. But we have to learn what it's like to be the followers before we have any right to call ourselves leaders.

[ She looks away from them both, bending to unbuckle the armor around her thighs and calves. ]

I'm not stupid and I'm not blind. I know what soldiers do. I know how their lives can end because of a bad command. [ She sets the leg armor to one side and goes to work on her arms. ] But that doesn't mean what we learn by listening without question isn't worthwhile.

[ Out of respect, Drake listens carefully to how she sees it. And in his opinion, from this very limited conversation, he feels like she's actually got a good balance to it all. Except for one thing. ]

It seems like you've got a handle on it. I remember being taught a lot of the same things except that at the academy I went to, they told us a little fear is good. You can't let it rule you, but it can keep you and others alive. Instinct like that is important. Not hesitation, but trusting yourself.

[ Hnn. Doesn't back down when she's got an opinion. Ephemera nods just once, grudgingly. He doesn't like officers, that's true. But there have to be some good ones out there. Some of them make good leaders, in the end. ]

Just keep your eyes open.

[ His reasons are his own. No need to spell that out. He ties off the suture, then starts on the next. ]

Almost done. They were nasty this time. Hate it when they try to bite.

[ She settles down, satisfied that she's made her point, willing to hear theirs. She doesn't argue with either of them--they're older than she is, more experienced than she is, and she's a guest in their home.

All factors she didn't take into account when she lost her temper, but nobody's perfect. She clasps her hands behind her back, fiddling with them out of sight. ]

Is there anything I can do to help? [ Ephemera has the first aid well in hand, but she looks toward the kitchen. ] I could make the coffee.

[ Another little flinch, but he's almost finished. Drake exhales, letting the pain ebb away again. ]

At least they weren't poisonous or anything.

[ As for Chyler... It's about perspective, Drake thinks, and the fact that she's willing to listen to theirs shows a great deal of maturity. He's already thinking of her as more than a kid -- she reminds him a little of Tinya, actually, another about this age that he's taken under his wing despite not really needing to. He smiles at her. ]

Coffee'd be great, Chyler, thank you. It's in the cupboard right above the microwave.

Small favors.

[ It's true, though. And poison is one of the few things that can really wreck Drake's day. Ephemera hums to himself, working the needle. His hands are steady. It hurts and he knows it hurts, since their positions have been reversed more than once, but it needs to be done. Neither of them complain. ]

Go hard on the sugar for mine, [ he adds. Because black coffee is for heathens. ]

[ Right. Coffee. Coffee! She can make coffee. It hasn't been that long.

Except this machine is like nothing she has ever seen before. She suspects that water goes in somewhere, that coffee grounds go in somewhere else, and that coffee comes from some third and unseen place, yes, though beyond that....

It takes a little doing, but she figures the thing out and the coffees just ready as Ephemera finishes stitching Drake up. She carries two mugs back over to them, offering the one that's got (what she thinks of as) a generous amount of sugar in it and taking a sip from the second mug herself. To Drake: ]

You should wash the blood off first.

[ Do as she says not as she does. ]

We both will, thank you.

[ Right, Ephemera? No accidents with the biohazard, please. But he looks at Chyler again, considering her size. Liv left some clothes behind from the week she was here a few months before, that Drake didn't bother bringing back to the store... ]

Do you want to change into something clean? I have some stuff left from a friend about your size -- she's a little taller but not much.

Yeah, yeah. I'm getting there.

[ If he were really on top of everything, he'd be wearing gloves. Still, Ephemera's fairly confident in his ability to avoid stabbing himself with the suture needle. But he gets up and stretches, waiting for his turn in the sink. There's coffee waiting for him. Motivation!

....he still adds more sugar when he gets to it. There's no point to coffee unless it's sweet. ]

You wanna shower, you can do that too. Got hot water and everything.

[ Something clean. A shower. She stares at them for a moment until what they're saying registers properly.

Chyler looks down at herself, seeing for the first time how filthy she actually is. She can feel her ears going pink. She can't tell if she feels more stupid or embarrassed for not realizing it. ]

That... That would probably be a good idea.

[ Drake finishes washing up quickly at the kitchen sink, and grabs himself a mug for some of that coffee. ]

No rush. Have your coffee, I'll be right back with some clothes for you to choose from, then you can hog the shower as long as you want, okay?

[ He vanishes down the hall to their room, and will be back ~~next tag~~ in a minute with a stack of Liv's clothes. Nothing fancy but at least it'll fit Chyler better than borrowing anything of theirs. ]

[ Ephemera leans against the counter, watching Silva. She's got some color in her now. The sleep definitely helped. ] You feeling better?

[ She takes a deep breath. Better is relative, she thinks. But she is. Than she was? Much better. ]

Yes. [ A pause. ] I'm sorry I pointed a gun at your partner.

[ At least she didn't shoot him...!

God, it doesn't feel right being out of her armor. ]

So did he the first time we met.

[ Drake's grinning when he comes back with the clothes for Chyler, setting them down on the table and reaching for his coffee mug again. ]

See if there's anything you like in there. It's cold on this planet. And don't worry about the gun, really.

Didn't shoot him, though. I appreciate that.

[ Ephemera grins over his mug. Somehow Drake just rolls with everything that Hadriel throws at them. Takes it with grace and comes up with a marching plan. Ephemera always admired that about him. It's good, being able to adapt. ]

Need to get some boots, too. Shops around here have some stuff. Not much of it's armored, but we make do.

[ It's finally hitting her that these men, strangers, are trying to provide for her like she's some kind of refugee. It's kind of them, it is, but.

But. She can't decide if what stands in the way of her accepting is pride, or the refusal to believe she's going to be here long enough to really need the help. ]

This is--it's very kind of you, but I can manage. [ Manage what, manage how? She hasn't thought that far ahead yet. ]>/small>

[ Drake tilts his head -- does she feel like they're babying her? Maybe. They don't mean to, though, there's a difference between that and a hand up. ]

'Course you can. But you don't have to start out completely on your own, either. Especially somewhere as weird as this.

[ He gestures to the clothes he brought out for her to look through. ]

It's not like either of us are using this stuff anyway, right?

[ Ephemera just drinks some of his coffee. He doesn't know how to deal with teenagers, not really. That was always Hunter's thing. Back in the day, Hunter'd been good at talking to everyone but he'd had a special talent for kids. Something about the way he'd take his helmet off to look them in the eye, soften his tone even as he told them the truth. He never lied and somehow the kids - refugees, new recruits, and everything in between - had understood that. Even back in that refugee camp, before things went to hell, those kids - those Insurrectionist kids - had listened to him.

Of course, Hunter's dead now. Has been for a long time. Ephemera never had that talent. Most of the time, he probably makes things worse.

But he can try. For Hunter and Drake and this kid who showed up in the dark, he can try. ]

I had help, when I first showed up.

[ He glances at Drake briefly. ]

This place is - it's a lot of things. But we help each other. We wouldn't survive if we didn't.

[ Like a squad. She bites the inside of her lip, then nods, going to look through the clothes Drake brought out for her. It doesn't take long to sort through them and find a few pairs of things that will work. It's all too big, but she's used to that from the hand-me-downs she used to get from her cousins. The only difference is that here, right now anyway, she doesn't have the tools to make them fit.

She hesitates on her way to the shower. She's said it more than once already, but it doesn't feel right to take what they're doing for granted. ] Thank you.

[ And then she's off to take a ten second shower. TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES, BOYS. ]

[ There you go, Drake thinks, accepting help's not so bad. He gets the reluctance, but it's also unnecessary. They're not offering anything that isn't easy enough to give. There's no sacrifice involved in offering things they can't use anyway, or letting her take a shower. ]

You're welcome.

[ He smiles at her easily, and once she's disappeared down the hall and the water's running, he glances over at Ephemera. ]

She seems a little overwhelmed. You ran into her at the colosseum?

Yeah. Her and a Zealot.

[ They haven't talked much about the Covenant. Ephemera doesn't like reliving the war and it's seemed less and less relevant since the Freelancers showed up. That was more immediate, the relevant threat until they stopped being a threat and became something else entirely. Ephemera isn't sure if he'll ever manage a friendship with Carolina, but he gets along with Tucker, respects Washington. Donut is - Donut, and hard to define. But they don't try to kill each other all the time.

Ephemera rubs a hand over his face. ]

We're gonna have trouble if the gods bring it back. I probably shouldn't have killed it. But I made a call. It was gonna kill her.

A what? [ And then it clicks -- the gods only bring back people, not monsters, so it must've been an alien. ] Shit, the Covenant? Let's hope they just got dragged through with her and not actually pulled in by the Door. Like the temporary guests we get now and then.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject