Test Drive Meme # 2

[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 October 25th, and apps are open November 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: THE LAUGHTER OF A CHILD
[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 some little friends for you to play with.

Grey Children are enemies in the video game Silent Hill. They usually move in pairs or groups of three, clinging to your legs and pulling you down so that they can laugh as they stab you to death. They're not particularly sturdy, but since they hunt in packs, they can kill you just the same. Let's hope your group is bigger - or that you can get away before they get ahold of you. But don't be too mean. They're just children, after all.]


SCENARIO TWO: FEAR ITSELF
[You turn a corner, and there it is. The one thing that terrifies you more than anything, that turns you into a frightened child, that makes you want to run or scream or fight wildly. It could be anything. That person you trusted, who betrayed you. A monster that haunts your dreams. Spiders, maybe? Whatever it is, it's exactly what you fear the most.

And then there are footsteps next to you, and someone else is there. Maybe they can help you. Maybe they can save you. But everyone's afraid of something, and the moment your savior gets close, their fear will manifest as well - and if you're really unlucky, combine with yours to make something even worse.

It's not real. It can't hurt you. Not unless you let it. But if you let it, it will destroy you.

This is a simpler version of October's Fear Event.]


H O P E

SCENARIO THREE: THIS IS NOT MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE
[A moment ago, you were making dinner. Not alone, but with someone you care about nearby - your beautiful spouse, or your amazing child, or your beloved sibling. Then, in an instant, you look at them and you know: this isn't real.

This perfect house, this perfect family, it's not yours. You can remember your real life now, and that person you care for? You might not even know them. A moment ago they were your world, and now you know this isn't actually your life. Your life is something else, somewhere else.

Above the fireplace sits a painting of you and your happy family. You know that if you destroy it, you'll return to your life. But do you really want to, when you've never felt this contentment, this happiness before? You could have it all, if you wanted. And what about your companion? This is a decision you should make together - if you want to.]

Comments

[divulsion]

[It doesn't matter. She had this coming. Perhaps she'd picked the right side in the end, but not without using her powers in awful ways first. A lump forms in her throat as her eyes well up further with tears, more and more until at last they spill down her cheeks. Thankfully, she's not looking at Steve now. He may be able to see, but while she gazes back at her brother she still has the illusion that her grief is her own.

She doesn't want to break the illusion. There's a part of her childishly and selfishly insisting that she'll live in this illusion and die in it. She and Pietro were never meant to have been parted from one another--certainly not the way they had. But whatever it is, it isn't real. As much as she'd like, she could never live like this, knowing he wasn't real and clinging to the wish that he were.]

You can't see him...you can't see the picture either, can you?

[americanclassic]

No. I just see you and me in the middle of a street.

[Probably for the best the city was abandoned, otherwise he'd have to lift her up out of the way in case of passing cars. Not that he'd mind, but he didn't know what that would do to the illusion, what part of it might shatter or not.]

We should leave, Wanda. Things... have a tendency to get dark here. Bad.

[The last thing he wanted was for this moment of hers to get ruined because Fear twisted it into something else.]

[divulsion]

They already are.

[She's not certain how she knows that the destruction of the painting will break the illusion. It came to her as easily as all of her memories. Wanda doesn't question it, not when it's taking all of her focus to call her power to her. She lifts her hand up, aiming at the portrait that only she can see, and sends a bolt at it.

She doesn't look at Pietro as she does, not wanting to see him disappear before her eyes. Instead she watches the portrait explode, and the illusion bleeds away, leaving her crying in the street with only Steve Rogers remaining. Swallowing once more, she attempts to will away her tears. Even reaches up and wipes her cheeks dry, for all the good it does.]

Where do we go?

[americanclassic]

[He stands by her, offering her his presence if not a literal shoulder to cry on. Which he'd offer as well, but they were still getting to know each other, still circling and finding out where each one fit in their lives. But he was there and he reached into a pocket to pull out a handkerchief, holding it out to her. Yes, he carried hankies.]

I have a place I'm staying at in an area that has housing that isn't too bad. You're welcome to stay in one of the extra rooms, or you can find your own place nearby.

[divulsion]

[The only thing that Wanda can be grateful for at the moment is that if anyone had to watch her, had to stand there and witness what happened, that it was Steve and not someone else. She takes the handkerchief with the slightest widening of her eyes, followed immediately by an appreciative nod in thanks.

As she wipes her eyes, she considers the options he lays out for her. Ten minutes ago, twenty, however long she was in the illusion, she might have opted for her own place. Somewhere quiet to have some privacy. But now, after, she could sorely use some company, even if it's just the knowledge that someone else is in the other room. Hearing someone else move around even if she holes up in a bedroom.]

If I would not be imposing for a night or two...

[americanclassic]

You're not imposing, Wanda. The room's yours, if you want it. For as long as you want it. It's not exactly my name on the lease. Besides, maybe it's better if we stick together. Have each other's backs until we can get out of here.

[And even after that. That was the point of being an Avenger, after all. Take care of those who couldn't themselves.]

Head's up. Bruce is here. Everything's been fine so far, but... with what this place keeps trying to do...

[He shrugged. He trusted Banner, but he'd seen first hand how susceptible to mind illusions the doctor was.]

Maybe... be prepared to give him something nice to think about if worse comes to worse.

[divulsion]

[It helps, hearing that. She expects no less, but all the same the confirmation that she's not alone in this, especially when she's been so cruelly reminded that she's more alone now than she ever was before she met the Avengers.

Of course, whatever relief she feels disappears as he mentions Bruce. After their encounter in the Avengers Tower, they hadn't spoken to one another again. They'd spent only a handful of moments together and they had not been the best.

And here he was in this place of illusions that could set him off...]

I don't think Dr. Banner would let me anywhere near him, no matter what I promised to show him.

[americanclassic]

You'd be surprised at what the doc will allow if it keeps him from... having too many regrets afterward.

[Of course, Steve had a few thoughts about things regarding Bruce at the moment that he hadn't bothered to fully check out yet. Time and place and all that.]

He'll take that over the worst case scenario.

[divulsion]

[Her lips press together into a thin line. Worrying about Bruce almost takes her out of her thoughts of Pietro and the illusion she just broke out of. It's just enough to help her dry her eyes for more than just a moment. Let's her collect herself and try to control her emotions.

But in the end she can't focus enough. Shaking her head, Wanda takes a slow, deep breath. Forces herself to look back at Steve.]

I see. Perhaps we could discuss it more elsewhere. Is your home far from here?

[She isn't tired but this isn't a conversation she wants to have on the street. Besides, which, whatever time it takes to get to his place is time she can use to try and find some emotional equilibrium.]

[americanclassic]

Not too far. I was doing rounds -- patrols. Never know what might crop up out here.

[And he was glad he did. What if one of those damn bears had come through while she was lost in la la land?]

It's not much, but it's got running water, heat, light, and we've got some food stored up.

[divulsion]

I don't need much.

[She's spent nights in buildings half-crumbling from shelling. Nights without food or water, and not only no heat or light but no ceiling overhead. Rarely, but it's happened once or twice. She hasn't spent enough time in America to get used to the luxuries, so what Steve has to offer is enough, yes.

Wanda falls quiet then, letting Steve lead them there. The further they travel, the more she takes in their surroundings, and the more unnerved she gets by how alien it all seems. The feeling doesn't leave, especially when she sees what the houses look like. Wanda casts Steve a glance as they approach his front door.]

Is it so strange looking everywhere in this city?

[americanclassic]

Strange looking or broken down. Seems to be one or the other.

[He opens the door and lets her in ahead of him, closing it after and moving around to go find one of the spare rooms to set up for her.]

We've all seem to have done without much in the past.

[Steve had lived through the Depression. He knew about lack.]

But we've got a store of food and water in the basement for emergencies and new food keeps cropping up here and there, which helps even out having to hunt down the bears.

[divulsion]

[The interior of the house seems, well, normal enough. Nothing out of the ordinary compared to her expectations based on the exterior of the house? Wanda doesn't follow Steve as he moves deeper in, but waits not all that far from the front door, clutching his handkerchief in hand. She wants to argue that Tony at least grew up rich and privileged, and Thor was essentially a Prince in his world, things like that, but perhaps it says something about how emotionally draining Hope's illusion had been for her that she stays quiet on that topic.]

There are bears here?

[In a broken down city like this? How very, very strange.

[americanclassic]

Seem to have been brought in when the batch I came with was. Big, ugly, angry bears. They seem to be mostly kept to the tunnels now, but I wouldn't say the streets are exactly safe. It's best to keep an eye out, just in case.

[Tony... well, fine. Tony had had everything money could buy, but he seemed emotionally bankrupt. Thor, on the other hand, had both parents and was spoiled. But he'd also seemed to have found himself and wasn't anywhere near Tony levels of egotistical.

Anymore.]

[divulsion]

[She nods in acknowledgement. Everything feels like a blur, and the conversation is surreal enough that it's hard not to feel as if she's still trapped in another illusion. Wanda's not used to being on the other side of things and it's an uncomfortable feeling.]

I'm used to the streets being unsafe, so this is no problem.

[All that's changed is the kind of threat, and she's better prepared for whatever may come than she had been a year ago.]

[americanclassic]

Good. Keep an eye out for others. I haven't met any people here that aren't brought in like we are so far, but I didn't realize they'd keep bringing in others.

Where were you before this?

[divulsion]

Headquarters. You had just seen Stark off. You and Romanoff had called a meeting of the Avengers...

[And then she'd found herself waking up at the arena, just in time to fight her way out and eventually find herself on the streets. None the wiser about what was happening or how many loops she'd been thrown for.]

How did I get here? What is this place and why have we all been brought to this place?

[americanclassic]

I don't know. We haven't been given much in the way of information. There's two here that seem to be 'in charge', and they're claiming they're not human. Fear and Hope. Hope says Fear started this, brought us here, but... I can't really say I trust either of them.

[divulsion]

If they're not human then what are they?

[She couldn't get into the mind of Ultron, not without seeing his thoughts through Vision, but perhaps she could get into the minds of this Hope and Fear, determine more about them. Their goals and motives.]

Have they set conditions for our return?

[americanclassic]

I don't know. The way they talk, it's like we're too dumb to understand it. And no, no conditions. They just... want our emotions, apparently. Fear wants his and Hope wants his. It doesn't make much sense, if you ask me.

[divulsion]

[The explanation makes her quiet. Whatever had happened to her had been due to the efforts of one or the other. Fear or Hope. She had not been fearful of her vision, not even once she'd realized she would have to break it.]

I had not thought Hope could be so cruel until today.

[Hand tightening on the square of cloth he'd given her earlier, Wanda clenches her jaw.]

We must find a way out of here.

[americanclassic]

[He nods at that, at both comments, really. He couldn't imagine how that must have felt, but he felt sympathetic about it.]

For all of us. No one here wants to be here. We need to make sure we can get everyone out.

[divulsion]

[She nods immediately. Like Sokovia, they would work together to get everyone out and just try to survive until an opportunity could be exploited.]

And who can work with us to accomplish this?

I'll whoops you

[americanclassic]

I'd imagine those that are here. No one seems to want to be here, so I think if you give them an opportunity to try to leave, they'll help out. There's a couple kids, mostly young adults. Not so many of us, which is both a good thing and a bad one.

[divulsion]

[Kids. Young adults. Wanda's guts tighten at the thought. She and Pietro had been too young to be exposed to war. No one ought to be here, but the young even less so.]

How do we proceed then?

[Steve is one of the few she'd trust to have his head on straight in such matters. He's already proven himself to her, and his experience trumps any opinions she might have. At least at the outset until she gets a better feel for what they're up against.]