dankmemes | test drive meme # 41

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!test drive

test drive meme # 41

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 22nd, 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: JUST A SNACK
[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.

Or monsters, as the case may be. It seems like the Door has decided to grace Hadriel with a small invasion of Fallen Angels, from the mobile game Food Fantasy. You might run into a Hamstero or a Forker, a Fanged Snail or a Purple Dumpling. Actually they're mostly... kind of cute.

But still dangerous, so watch your back! These Fallen Angels can really hurt. They go down pretty easy, but there are a lot of them, and they're happy to hit you with claws and teeth and whatever other weapons they have. Sadly, they will not let you hug them.

L O V E

SCENARIO TWO: SOULMATES
[You look down, and all of a sudden you see something new: a name on your wrist, inscribed as if it's always been there. Maybe you recognize the name, maybe you don't - maybe you're happy to see it, or not at all. But it's there, and you can't wash it off, and you kind of want to know what's up with it.

So why not go looking for whoever the name belongs to? There aren't too many folks in the city, they can't be that hard to find. And when you do find them, prepare for the best new friend/lover/family member you've ever met. You'll get along like a house on fire - until the name on your wrist fades away.

This is a mini version of our Soulmates event this month.]

H O P E

SCENARIO THREE: SCRATCH-OFF
[In your hand there's a ticket. Scratch off the boxes, see if you win - it's a pretty straightforward concept. But the prize is the one thing you want most in the world, and if you can just scratch off the right boxes, maybe you'll get it!

The other prizes are... less enticing. Do you really need a whole turkey, or a new dishwasher, or a lifetime supply of hair removal strips? Maybe you do. But it's that big prize, that golden ticket, that you're hoping for. So scratch away, or find a buddy to help you choose the boxes, or find someone else with a ticket to compare yours to.

Let's just hope you don't run into someone who actually has won the prize... because after all, what's stopping you from just taking it?]

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[He's lucky, because she shares that character trait with him.]

Finn!

[She doesn't throw her staff down, though. She holds onto it tightly as she breaks into her own run, batting aside the small creatures in the way when they get to close, but all of her attention is focused on the man in front of her.

She saw him just seconds ago, and she knows this shouldn't feel like such a dire, important reunion. She knows that she had found him, him and the scattered members of the Resistance, and that she had stowed them all safely on the Falcon to fly them to safety.

She knows all this, and yet this place is not the Falcon, nothing makes sense, but Finn is here. Whatever has happened Finn is here and as she reaches him she waists no time in throwing her arms around him, careful not to smack him with her staff.]

[ Oh good, they're riding the same brainwave. It's been too long. At least a few months by his reckoning, which is practically a lifetime in Star Wars years.

He always misses Rey when she's not around. That never changes. She's Rey.

So Finn goes into this hug with equal enthusiasm, because even while he knows it's bad for anybody to turn up and get stuck here with the rest of them, it's undeniably more than a little bit of a relief to even see her again. He'd been really banking on it when he and Poe finally got a road out of Riverview; stepping into Hadriel instead shoved all those prospective reunions onto a back burner. ]

Are you okay? Are you hurt?

[She doesn't exactly make the conscious choice, but for a moment, one selfish second, she tucks her face into Finn's shoulder and just lets the rest fade into the background. She did just do this, and he hasn't been out of her sight since their reunion, but there isn't any hope in her being able to shake how much of a distance there is between them.

There's still so much guilt she feels for leaving before he woke up, but she knows she wouldn't have changed that. She couldn't have, and she knows he understands, and she knows he wouldn't even consider being upset with her for it. If anyone understands duty, it's Finn.

But she's lost so many now, and the feeling of Luke fading away is still fresh, so yes her arms hold him a little tighter and yes, she is reluctant to let him go. She does, of course, but one hand squeezes his shoulder.]

I'm fine. These things have nothing on rathtars.

[More important, though-]

We have to get out of here and figure out where we are. The sooner we can find the Falcon, the better.

[It hasn't occurred to her that he isn't in the same boat as her, that he might actually have those answers and have been here any longer than her.]

[ She's got a point with the first half, he'll admit it. These-- whatever they are, they aren't exactly the most imminent threat. Finn is grateful for that, in a way. If the place were overrun with rathtars or giant scorpions or anything, there wouldn't be this kind of breathing room to stand still and talk.

Especially considering he's sure not looking to complain about the extra hugtime. It's been a while. Finn's never been much of a personal space person anyway; he's happy to keep hovering in close proximity, to anchor himself around the very real weight of her while he has it.

The rest sort of pulls him along the conversational track he already knew they'd have to get around to. He's 0 for 4 on running into familiar faces who remember anything about Riverview. Or they're... different versions of the same people who just never went there, or however the scientists said it worked. There's a benefit to having it drilled in that he shouldn't get his hopes up.

Always hard to see the benefit when he's gonna have to ask about it eventually. Eventually, of course, doesn't mean it has to be his starting point. There are some immediate priorities to cover here, and the gravity that creeps into his expression over that initial burst of joy and relief might say as much. ]

It's called Hadriel. And there's-- a lot going on with that. Look, I think it would be better if we got into it inside somewhere. Is that okay?

[ If Rey wants to hash out deets out here in the tundra, he will commit to it. But he wants her to know there are other options on the table. Some that include lunch. ]

[If she has her say, she'll keep him in her sight or at least as nearby as possible as often as she can. Sure, there will be times they can't spend every second together, but after the prolonged sleep he'd had and her mission taking her away from him when she needed to be there for him most...

Well, they have a lot of time to make up. Plus, she only has a handful of friends and he's the most important one by far, so of course she wants to keep an eye on him. Of course if there's someone that she trusts, it's going to be Finn.]

You should like you're a step ahead of me. [And she looks relieved, honestly, because they've both had enough of grasping blindly for the road forward.] Do you know where to go?

[ There's something relieving about her relief. It's always been like that, with Rey, with Poe, with Rose after they got over that rough start. Just-- easier. Falling into step together, working together, finding that trust.

He's suddenly keenly aware of how much he's missed this in the past few months. Welcome to the sequel trilogy, it's time for Finn to look at someone like they personally hang the moon again. ]

I do. You'll catch up fast, though. This way.

[ Welcome to the sequel trilogy part two: Finn is contractually bound to absentmindedly grab Rey's hand before he starts heading for the nearest exit. It's kind of nice to not have to book it out of here full-speed. A lot of these little monsters aren't exactly hard to weave through. ]

[The thing now, though, is that she's made it past the block that she had had before that kept her shaking him off when they first met. Finn makes no attempts to coddle or treat her like she isn't capable of finding her own footing. This is a connection that she had spent a lifetime denying she'd wanted, and now? She knows him as well as she knows herself, and her fingers curl around his securely as she follows, content to allow him to lead the way when clearly he actually does know it far better than she can.

It's immediately obvious, though, that they don't have to run. The snails show no signs of being able to keep up, so she turns her attention fully to Finn.]

You've been here awhile, haven't you?

[There's a hint of something like pride in her voice, in the look she gives him as she glances over while they make their way out. It's good, knowing he's finding a place for himself outside of the Order. Of course she's proud.]

[ Rey's too smart not to pick up on that fast. He loves that about her. Not that he's known for his subtlety anyway. Finn's forehead creases, but he offers her a shade of a genuine smile.

If nothing else, it's a start on some of the important notes. ]

A couple of months. Me and Poe. He's here, too. [ Gotta bring the friends and allies bulletin to the party. Before the war criminals bulletin. ] It's-- been longer than that since we were on the Falcon. A lot longer. That's one of the complicated parts. Unless you know what I'm talking about when I say Riverview.

[ It's more question than statement, and not as casual as he hopes it sounds. He's 0 for 4 on this part. Aside from Poe, no one's remembered. Which hasn't gotten any easier to have happen. But he can't not ask, even if he's already got a feeling about where she'll land on the matter.

Time discrepancies: no fun anywhere. ]

[Her attention is on Finn as they move, but not entirely. She's checking their surroundings as they go, taking in as much as she can and having no difficulty with accepting she's never been here and this is definitely not any of the handful of planets she has been to.

It's a little harder to accept she probably won't be seeing the Falcon or Chewie for longer than she likes, but with Finn's hand warm in hers and the promise of another familiar face to see soon, that sting isn't as bad as she would think it would be.

The Falcon has become a home, but so has Finn, in a way. Finn is here and apparently safe, and that can be good enough for now, good enough until they find a way to get back to the rest of their found family.]

No. [And she can see the answer is probably not the one he wants, so she squeezes his hand gently. She isn't good at the whole comforting others thing, but she can try. It's Finn, of course she'll try.] It's not familiar, I'm sorry.

[Sort of nailed it?]

It's okay. It's not like it's your fault. [ Finn is quick to roll that one out, at least, and he means every word of it. 0 for 5, then. Part of him is starting to get a little paranoid about that. Part of him is still helpfully not making it all that much easier whenever this happens. He's been doing great work ignoring both.

Rey has never done anything wrong, ever, in her life: a fact, very unbiased, ghostwritten by Finn Starwars. He goes ahead and keeps them directionally pointed towards the housing spire where he and Poe live. It's probably one of the better places to go. ]

I'm still glad you're here. I mean, I'm not glad any of us are here, but-- it's good to see you. [ Phew good job buddy you saved that one. ] Riverview is the city we were in before this one. Me and Poe. And you. Sort of.

[Her voice is soft when she speaks next, feet bringing her just a little closer to Finn to be sure he hears her, hears what she has to say.]

Something I learned from Leia while you were out was that people don't have to be at fault to share sympathy.

[If he's hurting, she can be sorry about it. That much is a little much to say out loud even now, even to Finn, but she doesn't doubt he can read between the lines and get that much out of it. He's good at that, good at reading her and knowing what struggles to make clear at the best of times.]

If it was sort of me, that must mean it wasn't me in some way. What happened?

[ Oh. A Leia life lesson. And a good one, a kind one. He'll give it that. He's still not always sure where he stands on Leia. Never really got to patching that over before she was gone, unlike the tentative reaching out he and Rey had done.

It's weird to think about. How much got left hanging-- will stay that way, he guesses. Sort of like with everyone this has happened with here.

Finn takes to near any soft word or gesture from Rey like a plant very grateful for spring rain, though, of course. His expression softens to match, all but natural reflex. Rey is good regardless. He's never stopped believing that. Couldn't if he wanted to. ]

Different realities. [ On second thought, that sounds crazy. Even for a quick intro to Riverview Logic. He pulls a face. ] They told us we could come in from different realities. In orientation. Same person, different... world. But the techs also said they were sending us back to the Falcon and we wound up here instead. So.

[ Grain of salt on that one. Maybe an entire salt lick. ]

You and Poe.

[That's the only we can she think of that could ever be relevant, and it sets her to a moment of quiet as she considers it. How awful would that be, to struggle and work towards the ending you were promised and only to have it ripped away on arrival, to be given this place instead of the home you thought you were returning to?

She knows all about that, though, doesn't she? The moment you put your trust in someone, they find a way to use it against you. That was true on Jakku right up until the moment she met Finn, and apparently it's a common theme everywhere.]

For what it's worth, you and Poe were both on the Falcon with me before I came here. Maybe they just... got their realities mixed up.

[Even that sounds like a poor attempt at comfort and she shakes her head at herself, clearly disappointed in what's just come out of her mouth. It might have worked for a version of him that isn't him? How is that helpful?]

Between the three of us we can find a way back. This isn't where we stay.

Yeah. After about a year. [ Finn just tosses it in as a quick affirmation, to let her know she's got that right. Rey left before they did. He never figured out when.

He misses Riverview. More than he likes to say, more than he figures he probably should. Because while it wasn't always the easiest living, it was good. He had a job, favorite places to go, a dumb grumpy-looking fish, friends. More than friends. People he fit with. People who fit with him.

A life. More of a home than he'd ever really... had. One he got to make for himself, a little at a time. Like a real, normal person. He knew it couldn't be permanent, but still, the only thing that made leaving easier was knowing they'd get to finish out their own war. Tear the First Order down. (Get to know Rose better. See Rey again, because no place could be completely home without knowing she's in reach, like she carries a piece of it with her. No matter what's happened.)

The idea she pitches is sort of a comfort? It's less the idea, probably, and more that she went out of her way to say it in the hopes that it might be one. Finn crooks half a smile at her, amused in spite of himself. Grateful.

He'll have to make sure to pre-game Poe for this. Not sure it would be the best idea to just march Rey into the apartment unannounced. ]

Sure. Liberate a galaxy and get home in time to... liberate a galaxy.

[ To think, Finn gets the two best pilots in the universe in one place again and there are no ships to steal with them in a desperate bid for freedom. Tragic. ]

Starting to think we could all use a new hobby.

[She can practically feel it weighing Finn down, a heavy weight of loss on his shoulders that she will never understand when it means that she's missed a full year of his life. He's had a year to live and grow without her, to find his place and who he is.

A part of her is jealous, but it's so small and dies so quickly it's hardly worth noticing, thinking twice about. He hasn't changed in the ways that matter to her, still the same man who seems to always find a way to slot her in beside him and she doesn't think he could ever change enough to make him into someone she wouldn't still care about with all her heart. A year isn't that long.

It isn't. All of this is fine, and they have this place now. She can focus on that, on moving forward.]

I would settle for a hot meal and a long, long nap.

[After a moment, though, she squeezes his hand and meets his eyes.]

I'm sorry you're trapped, but I'm glad you're here.

[ Hot meal and a nap? Probably the two easiest things he can secure for Rey here. Sure, the hot meals are MREs, and he's not sure how she feels about what basically amounts to two mattresses and a bunch of blankets on the floor. But they're there.

Is he overthinking? A little. It would just be good to make sure Rey is comfortable. That's a real, tangible goal to focus on. And always worth pursuing.

He squeezes her hand back, gently.

(She's different. He can't explain how, in the little gestures, and he tries not to put too much into it, but it's there in the way that she looks at him, talks to him. The longer he's with her, the stranger it seems. Rey with the same face and hair and build, the same voice, but she's different.

It suddenly feels like it's been a lot longer than it has, since the last time he talked to her.) ]

I could say the same thing to you. [ And he means that. But as the housing spire starts to loom a bit closer on the horizon, Finn admits to himself that he should probably... maybe pregame Rey, too, in case things end up going sideways. A little. ]

Look, uh. I don't know if Poe's gonna be back at the apartment yet, but if he is, it might be... weird. With him. If I can't reach him before we get there.

[ Finn doesn't throw around his hopes by halves, and he's going all in on this particular belief. He'll explain. Poe will warm up, at least enough to count. Find a fresh chance to give. Kylo Ren is here, same as he was there, pulling all the same stunts, but maybe--

Maybe it won't happen that way again. He'd rather try hoping for that than thinking about how scared he is of the alternative. Because he's not sure he's got it in him to shamble through walking away a second time. ]

Just-- I might have to explain some things.

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test drive meme # 41

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