Test Drive Meme # 1

[hadrielmods]

Welcome to Hadriel's very first 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 September 24th, and Apps are open October 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!

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: ANYONE GOT A LIGHT?
[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. In this instance, the door has managed to grab something truly horrific, and it's definitely out for blood (and brains) tonight.

Smokers are enemies in the video game series Left 4 Dead, who use their prehensile tongues to capture unwitting people and either drag them away for consumption or hang them up to strangle them. With all of the activity of characters trying to find out what's going on and where they are, there are more than a few of them, lingering in the shadows and waiting to try strike at anyone who may be lagging behind.]


SCENARIO TWO: YOUR HEART WILL GO ON
[You awaken in a windowless room, the walls strangely curved. The door, when you try it, is quite firmly locked. No amount of force is able to break through, so it seems to be sealed by supernatural means. Next to the door stands a slender pedestal, about as big around as a large man's thigh. At the top of the pedestal is a indentation, as if something were meant to go there.

But you're not alone in this room. There are two things with you: a person and a corpse. Pinned to the body is a note: Place a heart on the pedestal to leave. Tucked neatly into the corpse's pocket is a letter opener, small and not particularly sharp.

Did you have weapons or tools on you before? You don't now. But look at it this way: what better form of bonding is there than helping a friend or stranger dig a heart out of a corpse with nothing but a letter opener and your bare hands?]


H O P E

SCENARIO THREE: HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BREAK-IN TODAY?
[You're standing outside a storefront, colored glass set into intricate designs. It's beautiful, artistic, but more importantly - there's definitely food inside. Good food, too, by the glimpses you can see through the window. In fact - wait a minute - isn't that your favorite dish in there, just waiting for you? You've been searching for food for hours, it seems, and the city is bare. Your tummy is getting awful rumbly. What luck!

You try the door. Cruelly, it is locked. The food taunts you, just out of reach.

The glass is lovely, intricate, but it's just glass. Or maybe you know how to pick locks. Or maybe there's a back way in. Or maybe some passing friend will be able to help you. There's a lot of options here, if what you really want is a mouthful of the finest... whatever it is you like.]

Comments

Adam Jensen | Deus Ex

[deus_machina]

ii.
Do you know something I don't? Because I don't know what the fuck is going on.

[Adam is quick to include the other person in the room into this mess with himself. If he can avoid messing with the corpse he'll do that. He has moved and hidden corpses before but that doesn't mean he's eager to dive into one's chest and desecrate it for no other reason than to get out of a room.

First he'll investigate other opportunities. As he asks his question of the other person, he's thoroughly checking out the door. His metal fingers are feeling all the seams. He steps back and unannounced he changes his augmented reality view to show him any weaknesses in the walls that he might exploit. A moment later he returns his vision settings to normal and looks to the other (living) person.]

The room's solid.

[gotsjokes]

Yeah, sure do. It’s starting to stink up in here.

[ Ellie said with heavy disdain as the man went around like a lunatic looking for some piss hole to crawl out of. She didn’t think there was going to be any other way, someone made a lot of trouble to put them in here they’re not gonna leave the fucking door unlocked. But what concerned her the most was the fact that this guy seemed to have some sort of weird mechanical component to him that was really making her uncomfortable.

She didn’t want to stare so she took her looks whenever he was focused on something else. She watched as his hands began to claw at the walls, his fingers work with an obvious un-flesh-like tap to the metal hinges and material that made the walls solid. It wasn’t anything that having flesh would make a sound with.

Her lip turned up and she looked back to the corpse before she squatted down next to it to pull the letter opener from the pocket of the corpse’s chest. ]

You want to do this? Because I’ll let you, just saying. But one of us .. we got to.. do it.

[deus_machina]

[Adam gave the teenaged girl an unhappy look as she investigated the corpse enough to find the letter opener. It actually surprised him that she was capable of doing even that. Granted, he didn't know a lot about teenagers that didn't involve the "bad seeds" he dealt with in his years of being a cop, but he wouldn't have predicted she would be able or willing to do even that much.

Hell, he didn't want to touch it either! He gave an annoyed sigh as he walked up to the corpse and crouched down beside it, looking over the unnamed prop's face, clothes, and then to the letter opener she was holding.]

This is some really messed up fun someone is having at our expense.

[Apprehension began to grow in his chest and Adam wasted another minute looking in the corpse's other pockets, even moving the heavy body slightly to see if there was anything underneath him.

When he was convinced there was no other choice, he moved himself so that he was on his knees in front of it.]

I'm not using that dull thing. You... may want to look away for this.

[A soft, mechanical noise came from him and his right arm shifted in its sleeve, with a long and much sharper blade extending from the cuff.]

[full_of_bad_ideas]

[Isaac rubbed his hands together and followed the stranger around the room as he began inspecting the room. While the other did that Isaac couldn’t help but inspect the fascinating digits off the man’s hands. He hadn’t ever seen something like that and he wondered on when humanity was able to flesh together metals and skin.

Though, with the matter at hand, he knew that he couldn’t sit for too long in awe and wonder about the other. They were in a locked room and the only way out was the stipulated heart-removal surgery. ]

Can’t say I’m surprised.

[ Isaac turns his attention back to the body and lifts the envelop opener from the corpse’s pocket. ]

Alright, .. [ Isaac had a thought that maybe if they put a shoe on the thing that it would open the lock, but it was unlikely, rules were meant to be followed in these sort of situations. ] If I had access to get into the panels that controlled the lock, I might be able to rig it but.. as you say, it’s solid. [ There weren’t any screws, any panels visible, anything to help them out any other way. Isaac plucked open the corpse’s shirt and cleared his throat. ]

The thing is.. once we open the skin.. we’re gonna have to break the ribs. [He said more to himself than to the other man. ] Carefully .. we don’t want to damage the heart.

[deus_machina]

[This is so fucked. This is so fucked. Adam stood in quiet disbelief over the other man as he frowned down at the corpse. The letter opener looked dull, but it would get through the layers of skin with enough force. If the other didn't mind doing, Adam was all about letting him. It was nasty work. He made an unhappy sound in the back of his throat.]

If you can make an opening I'll take care of the ribs.

...This is so fucked.

[He shared his summation of their situation with a sigh as he kneeled down next to the corpse and got a hold on it and resituated it so that it was lying down on its back. Trying to saw through skin with the dull knife was going to be hard.]

[full_of_bad_ideas]

Yuh. [ Isaac drew in a breath and shook his head before he pressed his lips together and continued to jab at the skin. The delicacy of the flesh was emphasized the more time the body decomposed. Soon he was tearing the skin like a wet piece of paper.

The sound of it was subtle, low, and only the moisture of the under layer of skin, muscle, and fat made for the base line of that peel. Isaac slowly exhaled through his nostrils.

It really wasn't a fragile process, in fact, it was quick and Isaac was soon face to face with the corpse's rib cage. ]

[deus_machina]

Christ... fuck... sick...

[Adam's running commentary was not at all helpful as he watched Isaac work. When the skin was actually peeled back he had to stand up and turn away a moment, taking a quick pace away and back again as he let out a loud huff.

Now it was his turn. Adam rubbed his face with the sleeve of his coat before he began shifting it off of his shoulders and he tossed the heavy trench coat towards the door. With that done he pushed his sleeves up to his elbows and crouched down by the corpse with its exposed innards.]

Okay.

[He psyched himself before he reached into the chest and began to gently snap the ribs one by one. His metal arms and hands made the process simple enough, and he shook his head as he finished the last one and pulled the sternum and half-ribs free.]

This is so sick.

[full_of_bad_ideas]

[ Isaac watched with fascination on the man's arms and hands as he pulled those ribs apart with ease. The metal, the mechanics of the arm and how the digits responded with what he would perceive to be the same neurological responses that went from the man's head to his body. It was really incredible and he would much enjoy watching the other, learning more about him, and learning about the tech that the other was equipped with. ]

Yeah. [ He said without too much conviction, he was far more interested in this guy's body than the corpse. ] Hm.


[ Isaac then moved his attention to the corpse to remove the heart with his filer to rip at the strings attached to the heart. ]

Alright then.

[ Isaac stood with a frown to his lips and walked over to the platform designed for the heart. ] Here we go.

[deus_machina]

[Adam had noticed the other man looking at his arms and hands but didn't say anything. From what he knew of this place, augments weren't really common. He was mostly done with being self-conscious about them now but still, the looking was noticed.

He also noticed that for how disgusting their butchery/operation just was, this man was remarkably calm. Either he had a stomach of steel or had some kind of experience with blood and maybe even guts before. Maybe he was a butcher?

With some skepticism Adam watched the man put the heart on the pedestal. A few overly long seconds passed before there was a hushed noise and the door opened. Adam sighed with relief and picked up his coat carefully with two fingers and slung it over one arm.]

After you: you did the gross part.

[full_of_bad_ideas]

[ Isaac stood with a frown facing the door as it opened. An interesting air then drifted in, it was cool but heavy with a smell of something chemical. ] What is that.. ammonia? [ Isaac glanced over to Adam before he slowly stepped toward the door. He didn't think there was going to be an easy way through the building on the account on the difficult ordeal they had to endure to even make it out of the room. ]

You know, I don't think it's going to be that easy.

[ Isaac slid back a few steps and then turned to focus on the corpse. He hoisted the corpse up and walked it over to about three feet from the door and with all his might threw the corpse out into the hallway. Then he waited... ]

smooth transition to scenario one~

[deus_machina]

[Adam watches with interest, not sure what the point of moving the corpse is but he isn't going to complain or judge the other man for being cautious. Cautious takes a little of the randomness out of luck fucking you over, after all, and it's not like he hasn't moved around his share of corpses for his own purposes.

He presses his lips together as he watches, and waits, and a few seconds later there's a sound that could only be described as ominous. It's a strange sort of moaning, not quite human, and followed by the sound of either cloth moving or feet shuffling.

Out of instinct he reaches for a gun only to be reminded that all of his weapons have been stripped off and taken. A second after that he's startling and practically jumping backwards against the wall: a long appendage whips out from the side hallway and wraps fast around the corpse, which is pulled back into the hallway with an ease of great strength]

Shit-- [Adam whispers as he glances at Isaac and then back to where there's a smear of blood where the corpse was a second ago. He extends his arm blades, realizing he'll probably have to do the gross part this time around.]

It's STOMPER time.

[full_of_bad_ideas]

[ Isaac wasn't expecting to see the appendage whip out like that. It was enough to make him jump just as much as the other guy. But he had a good hunch that something else was amok. It probably more had to do with his past experiences which was why he didn't ever walk too close to the walls or hang out by any vents.

He nodded once at shit but then he quickly looked around the room to see what he could use, if anything, as a weapon. Though he was lucky to find anything at all, the small wooden door to the cabinet beneath the sink was better than nothing but still a sad choice.

Isaac rips the door off its hinges and walks back to the doorway. ] Sounds like one of those things.. looks like one of those things. And it'll die like one of those things. [ He said with as much enthusiasm as any last liner would give a man facing the odds before he lead the way out into the hall. ]

[deus_machina]

[He has to hand it to this guy, he's resourceful, even if a cabinet door makes a piss poor weapon. Adam gives him a nod before he lowers his chin slightly and looks at the wall. He activates his cranial software that allows him to see through walls, and while he sees something vaguely human shaped it's off. A guttural instinct of fear comes over him and twists his stomach with doubt, but he moves forward slowly and cautiously.

When he gets to the corner of the hallway he presses his back against the wall, takes in a quick breath, then peeks around the corner. Adam only has a second to process the horror standing there desecrating the corpse before it notices him.

Just as it had a moment ago, the humanoid creature whips its tongue out towards him. Adam quickly slashes with one arm blade and he does manage to hack off the end of the tongue, but this only causes a disgusting spray of black blood to whip across his face and torso. The monster starts moving quickly towards them both.]

[full_of_bad_ideas]

[ Isaac could only expect the expected which meant that this monster-thing would be high-tailing it back toward a fresh kill. It always worked like that in the past with the monsters he's dealt with, why should it work any different here? Isaac steps into the hallway and assesses the situation. It would be nice if they had some weapons but whatever means they had to defend themselves here were left at home.

Isaac managed a few weapons to protect himself through found parts, but it wasn't anything high-tech or impressive like the equipment he had back in his world.

Sticks and stones here, sticks and stones. But they made do, it's not like he hasn't seen some familiar faces, and vice versa. But, in any case, back to the present; Isaac flanked the monster, made a grunt at the spill of dark sludge-type blood and while the monster was recuperating from the blow the other man gave it, Isaac made use of this opportunity to give it another blow.

Isaac runs up to it and kicks in the thing's shin and sends it to one knee. The good thing about the reanimated corpse-like creature was that there were weak points on it which made taking it down tactfully possible. Rather quickly too. Isaac let out a huff, puff, and loud grunt as he assaulted the monster's head with his cabinet plank -- until the thing finally shred at the fourth assault. ]

[deus_machina]

[This guy is crazy. Adam watches as the other runs out waving his damn cabinet around like it's a goddamn chainsaw and not a weak piece of wood. Of course he only watches for a second before he runs quickly behind him to help out, slashing at the tongue in particular but also stabbing its torso.

By the time him and his accomplice are done, the thing is a sorry mess of gore. Adam sighs as he makes an unhappy face at it, then looks down at his now filthy clothes.

He moves back quickly and retrieves his coat again, this time saying fuck-it mentally as he slides it back into place before he returns to the man.]

You're uh, pretty good with that cabinetry.

[full_of_bad_ideas]

[ When the piece of wood splinters into nothing Isaac starts using his boots to stomp at whatever he could put his sole onto. It wasn't too much longer before the two of them were breathing heavily and staring between the quite dead mess of gore and then to one another.

Isaac gave a dry chuckle and shook his head. After a breath Isaac stands up a little straighter and looks ahead down the hall. They were both covered in horror and he wondered at the nearest shower and shop. ]

C'mon, lets figure out exactly where we are. Are you new here... I mean, you didn't ask the obligatory questions of a new person.. but I've never seen you around before. My name's Isaac.

[deus_machina]

I haven't been here long enough to get used to this.

[Adam's frowning down at the mess before he looks up to Isaac, glad to have a name to the face.]

Then again, maybe it wouldn't be healthy if I was used to it.

[He sighs as he thinks about having to clean his arm blades later but he's more upset by the gross feeling of blood on his face. Unbeknownst to him his thoughts are similarly aligned with Isaac's: he wants a place to clean up, and soon.]

Name's Adam Jensen.

[mesmerized]

[ I just arrived myself, quiet would tell him if she could, but alas. the most she gives him is a low hum that should tell him everything: no, she doesn't know anything.

she is still her namesake, keeping her eyes on adam as he investigates the room. there is something different about this man, whoever he is. the sunglasses he wears, the indention on his upper left forehead — and his hands look mechanical like big boss', only much more refined. Who do you work for, she thinks to herself. no grip around her knife handle, and that's because it's missing.

when he returns, there's a nod of acknowledgement before raising up the piece of paper from the corpse. quiet is no stranger to blood and guts, if the key really is this person's heart. ]

[deus_machina]

[For the moment he doesn't think too much of her lack of words, he's just going off the assumption that she doesn't have anything to say yet. That suits him, he's not really the verbose type either unless he's trying to talk someone into some shit.

No one talked him into this current shit though and he's a little irritated about this whole thing. Adam looks to the paper she pulled off the corpse and looks at her as he walks up and takes the note to read it over.]

What kind of B-movie bullshit is this? Is this for real?

[Adam sighs and runs his fingers through his hair before turning to the corpse and crouching down in front of it. He starts searching through pockets looking for some I.D. or anything else useful. That's when he pulls out the letter opener and holds it up for her to see in turn.]

What do you think?

[mesmerized]

[ conversations with quiet are a funny thing. there's no reply from her mouth, but instead it's in the look on her face that tells him. with a roll of her shoulder, she tries to tell jensen that she doesn't know. another gesture, this time with a free hand, tries to tell him that they're here now, and the sniper even emphasises by kicking the dead body. ah, speaking of the dead body —

Give me the knife, she thinks, opening up a palm and waiting for adam to hand over the letter opener. with a gesture of her head, she motions over towards the pedestal. quiet will take out the dead man's heart and get them both out of here, if he'll allow it. ]

[deus_machina]

[This exchange left him with some clue that she wasn't simply shy, especially the slightly exaggerated body language. His C.A.S.I.E. software was having a hard time picking up on her facial cues to give him some clues about her personality, and her not speaking would only hinder that process. Adam liked to think he didn't pay too much attention to that portion of his augmented reality but in situations like this, when he can't really rely on it, he definitely notices.]

You want to do the honors?

[Adam hands over the letter opener without any reservation, except for the fact that it doesn't look very sharp and there is an easier way.]

Not that I do, but I do have something sharper if you want me to.

[All of his weapons have been stripped off of him but his arm blades? Taking those away would be just a little harder.]

[mesmerized]

[ Is that so? she thinks to herself, twirling the letter opener between her fingers so quickly as she looks at jensen. one brow raised, a slight tilt of her head; color her intrigued, because if her weapons are gone then so are his. that's the assumption, anyway, because quiet never leaves without her knife at the very least. she can make due with others, but there's always that immediate security with it.

quiet will make due with the letter opener as her immediate security.

the twirling stops, and the sniper points at him with it as if to say, "Show me." ]

[deus_machina]

[With complete confidence, Adam turns back towards the corpse and he holds out one arm, and clenches his metal fist.

Nothing happens.

Adam frowns and opens his fingers and looks at his palm, then closes it again, and repeats this a few more times with growing agitation. Well, this is awkward. He glances over at the woman.]

This usually works.

[Adam pushes the sleeve of his trench coat and shirt up to his elbow, exposing the metal arm that matches the hand. He rotates and flexes it a few more times before he makes a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. When he turns to her again he huffs and motions for her to continue with the dull letter opener.]

I guess this couldn't be easy.

[mesmerized]

[ when jensen reveals his arm, quiet's assumption is correct. it makes the sniper wonder once more about his affiliations, but that can be handled later when all of this gorish game is over. this can't be the only trap they were shoved in, but there's that little hope that there isn't a second. a pessemistic thought, but tearing out a dead man's heart is tasteless.

there's curiosity in her face, as if wishing it would work. maybe it will later.

when she bends down, she immediately stabs the body and drags the blade across the dead man's chest. it's not a clean cut, but it's deep and she splits it with that enhanced strength of the parasites. it's not split enough, so she drops the dull opener and splits the flesh with her hands. once the flesh is parted, she smashes through ribs and digs inside, pulling out a human heart just moments later. a delicate operation would be too slow, and quiet assumes jensen would like to leave as quickly as she would.

she looks over towards jensen at first, but moves on to place the heart where it should be: the pedestal. ]

[deus_machina]

[Of all the fucked up things he's come across through his years as part of the Detroit police, or the last year spent chasing after corporate ghosts and conspiracy filled human experiments, Adam has never seen anything like this. Watching her rip open the chest and punch through the chest, only to rip out the heart? Yeah, that takes the cake.

He feels a little nauseous and is glad for the dark lenses over his eyes as he closes his eyes and takes a slow, steadying breath. Adam opens them again in time to watch her place the heart on the pedestal and he walks slowly towards the door and watches it.

With some relief he sees the door open and his gaze is to the silent woman and he nods.]

Would it be weird if I said "well done?"