dankmemes | Test Drive Meme # 2

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Test Drive Meme # 2

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.]

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[ well, shit. he shouldn't have mentioned that.

just as cecily wants to say absolutely nothing of the hallucinations she's had, cullen wants to say nothing of what he saw. she already knows the basics of what he was reliving for a brief (horrible) moment. there's no need to elaborate on it. if he can treat it like it was little more than a memory-turned-nightmare like he often has, shrug it off and keep her talking about something else... it would be better. ]

There was a moment where I saw something that couldn't possibly be real. [ he's not looking at her when he says it. he's inspecting the pommel of one of his knives, running his thumb over the worn leather of the grip. without his mantle to mask it, the tension in his shoulders is easy to spot. ] Someone--I don't know who--came by and managed to disperse it, and I moved on. These creatures found me. You know the rest.

[ end of story. ]

[ She understands. How could she not?

The moment he says "something that couldn't possibly be real," something cold twists in her gut. He'd seen them too, then. Had struggled alone for Maker-knows how long before one of the other captives had shaken it away, easily as cobwebs. Cecily looks fleeting at his face as he avoids her stare, not wanting to press, never wanting to scratch at those old wounds.

Delicately, she lays a hand on his arm. ]

Follow me. [ The Inquisitor sets off across the grass, destination not far. The lake is a few minutes' walk, during which she doesn't speak, reflecting for longer than she'd like on what she'd seen as fear ravaged the town. Of what he might have witnessed just as he was brought here, another unwitting servant to petty, would-be gods.

She stops at the water's edge, looking out for ten, twenty seconds' time before turning back to him. ]

It isn't all monsters. [ She says gently, offering a tiny smile. ] The people aren't so bad, and more of us arrive every day.

[ As to why, though... that isn't so nice. But, one thing at a time. Cecily hovers, as if deciding, and then settles down into the grass, legs tucked off to one side. ]

We've only just learned; it was gods that brought us here, or so they claim. "Hope" and "Fear." What you saw... they said that they feed on our energies, take what we're most afraid of and grow powerful by it. Not so unlike demons, I'd think.

[ he tucks her hand into the crook of his arm as if they were walking into a ball or some other important function and not walking through a city full of horrors that neither of them wanted to come to. he wants to ask her what's made her so quiet and contemplative. and, at the same time, he doesn't. best to leave her to her thoughts.

she settles into the grass beside the lake, and pup settles down next to her, dropping his head onto her lap. with a quiet snort and a rueful shake of his head, cullen sits on her other side and listens.

not so unlike demons, indeed. it makes sense, in a twisted sort of way. makes him feel terrible, realizing he was being purposely manipulated like that, but it also lights a spark of anger in his chest, and that--he can use that. ]

I assume "Hope" and "Fear" don't get along?

I shouldn't think so. One draws strength from our hopes and dreams, the other from our fears and nightmares. They don't often go hand in hand.

[ It makes her think, though; how soon would they face the illusion of hope? Memories, happy what-ifs, made out to be only shadows when their overseer had had his fill? Couldn't that be just as destructive as fear?

False hope. She swallows, casts a sideways glance at Cullen. ]

... Hope mentioned that he was trying to revive the others this way. I'm not so sure how this will turn out, wrestling with our own emotions and minds, but we'll manage.

[ Didn't they always? The Inquisition had proven itself time and again against their enemies. Everyone involved had faced countless hardships, enormous losses, and suffering. Would this be so different than the beginning, when their numbers were meager and power nonexistent?

And, if he's here - Well. It helps to give her more hope for their chances than she might have otherwise. Unfortunately, hope is the other half of the problem... ]

[ in some ways, the illusion of hope, of happiness can be much worse than reality. cullen really doesn't like the idea of being fed either fear or hope to fuel a so-called god's power. but he doesn't have enough information to do anything about it now, so he will wait. he'll plan. and he'll keep those he cares about close to him.

he wraps an arm around cecily's shoulder and leans in to press a kiss to her temple. ] We always do.

[ there's always a way out. a way to win. they just have to find it. ]

Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?

[ or did she just want to drag him off to a lake for old times' sake? ]

[ Anything else...? Right. She's meant to be giving a tour. ]

The lake goes out a ways, but it drops off... and I'm not sure it'd be safe to take a boat. [ She hasn't seen anything down in the depths of the water, but if there are monsters on land... ] It feeds into the river, which drain into the caves, I think. Where the beasts retreat once they've finished with us, not unlike the Deep Roads.

[ Almost systematically. Hope and Fear obviously have some control over them, unsettling as that is. ]

And... I've missed you. [ Cecily adds softly, turning slightly to look up at him, careful not to disturb pup. ] I wasn't sure when I'd see you again once we were brought here.

We won't be dealing with them all the time, then?

[ that's good. a long campaign against monsters--if you could call a handful of people fighting against them a campaign--would be a pain. respites are good.

that cecily has been here long enough to miss him is... not so good. ]

How long have you been here?

Not all the time, and not the same breed, either.

[ When they'd arrived, it had been the creatures with the long, constricting tongues, then the monstrous bears... and now these demonic children. She'd hardly be surprised if demons or darkspawn from their world arrived before too much time had passed. ]

About a month. [ And she realizes just then that she ought not to have said it. A month isn't much time at all, not with how long it takes them to go to and from their missions, moving all across Ferelden and Orlais on Inquisition business, and not always together. No, the reason for her great relief is almost entirely because of what she'd seen as Fear sapped their strength, his illusions growing stronger each day.

How could I possibly love a woman so pathetic and weak? the phantom Cullen had sneered, expression riddled with distaste. He'd said much more, and worse, things that twisted and choked at her insides until she'd felt positively suffocated. Then, there'd also been images of his corpse, littered among all the others of the people she cared for. Battered, obviously tortured, then dead. It was like the horrors they'd seen at Redcliffe all over again.

Her hand shakes, but only just. ]

Not so long, is it? [ Cecily finally says, creating a sheepish smile in support of this attitude of brushing aside any concerns. ] Though, it doesn't seem we'll be able to leave very soon... without action on our part, anyway.

[ As if they would be idle. ]

[ it's different, a month here and a month back home. when she traveled to close rifts or take care of other problems, they could still keep in touch. reports were passed back and forth, and it was a simple enough thing to slip a small note in the package. occasionally embarrassing, but simple.

he tries to think of a month away from her with no word, in a foreign place, all while having a being calling themselves "fear" trying to manipulate him. every imagining is awful. ]

Long enough. [ cullen catches her hand in his own, rubs his thumb gently against the inside of her wrist. she has no reason to be sheepish. to be worried. he thinks she's the strongest, most wonderful woman in the world. ]

We'll find a way back. We must, if I can remember two years you don't.

[ you know. unless it's not actually time travel. ]

You have a point. [ She says, slowly. If they'd all come from one time, it would be different, but... he'd experienced years with her that she hadn't, yet. Which meant she had to go back home at some point, didn't it? ] We'll have to ask Dorian; he knew more about what Alexius did, he's sure to have some idea of what happened to those two years.

[ The ones that had both happened and failed to happen. It's maddening.

The mabari is apparently very comfortable in her lap and has begun to snore, a dull, dragging sound in the background of their conversation. ]

Oh - And you should see this. [ Carefully, Cecily removes the communicator from her bag and passes it to the hand that isn't slipped within her own. ] Have you ever seen anything like it?

[ A woman on the "network" had called it a "cell phone," but even she hadn't been intimately familiar with the technology. ]

[ he shoots pup an exasperated look as he carefully takes the communicator from cecily. of course the dog snores. of course. ]

Hmm... [ he turns the communicator over in his hand once, twice, staring down at it thoughtfully. ] I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking at.

[ turning back to cecily, he quirks an eyebrow. ] Should I? [ it's... not out of the question to think that maybe he's missing something here too like she and everyone else are missing time, after all. but this thing is just weird looking. ]

[ Oh, but he's precious. Never mind the drool. ]

Not at all. [ She takes it back, handling it carefully, but not so adept that she can navigate the buttons (yet) to show him how it works. ] Some of the others seemed to recognize it; you can use it to speak with people, hear their voice, even see their face. They say it isn't magic...

[ Just some kind of innovation, one that's eluded Thedas, apparently. One day, Dorian will give her a crystal through which she can speak with him, but this is astounding, for now. ]

It would put Leliana's birds out of work if we had these at our disposal. [ She says with a light smile. ] Imagine the time that could be saved if you could send a message without any delay.

[ he blinks. well, that puts this strange little thing in a whole new light. ]

It's like a sending stone, but--better. More useful.

[ the circles in southern thedas were the only places cullen knew to have sending stones. that was how news of the cure for tranquility reached them all so quickly. but they were rarely used and guarded well. ]

How many people have something like this?

[ and can they bring it back with them and have dagna replicate it?? because that would be all kinds of amazing, even if it would put leliana's birds out of work. ]

Everyone. [ ... ] Actually, there should have been one with you when you arrived, though it might've been on the ground nearby.

[ Can they replace it if it's lost? How common are these, really? Cecily makes a mental note to seek out the woman (Cashmere?) and ask. ]

We can always -

[ But she quiets suddenly, looking momentarily confused, and then swiftly on guard. They hadn't traveled too far, after all, and they're still in the grips of Fear's influence. A little laugh sounds again, drifting through the wind, now completely audible without the conversation.

Silently, she moves to straighten up, twisting around just in time to see a small band of Grey Children tottering toward them. ]

[ the laughter sets his teeth on edge. there's something not right about it--something so undeniably off that parts of him recoil at the sound. how silly of him to think that because they were further away from where they had been they were safe.

with an irritated mutter of maker's breath, cullen rises to his feet, pup not far behind him. he eyes the grey children, glances down at the dog, at cecily, and then back to the children. ]

You know this place better than I do. Do we stand or retreat?

[ and where in this place can he get a sword because this is just getting ridiculous. ]

Retreat. [ Though she has a dagger in her hand already. They could take out this group fairly easily, but another would eventually arrive, and she has a feeling that the fight won't be ending any time soon. ] One of the shops might have weapons; you'll be better off then, at least.

[ The children don't seem to be in any hurry, their clump ambling toward them. Cecily meets eyes with Cullen before taking off, easily outstripping the monsters on a dash into town. They're lucky in that the beasts aren't very quick and seem to give up before they even make it into the center of town, moving off in search of lazier prey.

The Inquisitor pauses a moment to catch her breath. ]

There'll be more. [ Almost certainly. ] But, ah... this could all be part of our tour, couldn't it? Just some of the city's more hazardous landmarks.

[ There's a huff-like exhale and a dry smile as she sheathes the small weapon. ]

Onward, then.

[ weapons sound good. weapons sound very good. as does getting away from the children because those things are incredibly creepy.

cullen and pup both are right behind cecily as she runs off. it's surprisingly easy to run in his formal wear, for all its tightness. some part of cullen is expecting plate armor to be weighing him down and it's--hard to not run faster now that he's without it.

as they come to a stop, he lets out a sharp bark of laughter. ] I think this may be the worst excursion we've ever been on.

[ the two of them, he means. not them and an army or a handful of soldiers and scouts. ]

I suppose it's too much to hope for a quiet dinner out at some point? [ because if they're going to be living with dorian, sera, and blackwall, there's no way there's ever going to be a quiet dinner in. ]

Do you remember the Western Approach? Or the Emprise?

[ She smiles thinly; difficult though all this may be, at least they can rely on each other. And not only Cullen and Cecily, either; the total party is now five (and one mabari), more than most of the others can say of people from their homes. It's a touch selfish, she thinks, but she's endlessly grateful for the strange spark of fortune.

How is it decided who'll be brought into the coliseum? Another question in a growing list. ]

"At some point?" We can eat now, if you like. If you're hungry.

[ Her smile quirks upward in amusement. ]

No guarantees of the noise, of course.

I never actually had to go to the Emprise.

[ because he has a somewhat cushy desk job. and, yes, he is trying to hide a smile when he says that because occasionally he's a little shit. ]

No, that's alright. I was thinking more in the future. [ when he wants to try to be romantic and do something nice for her. or when he need some time to himself because cullen is an introvert who has gotten quite used to his loft and office away from the worst of the hustle and bustle. ]

Were there any other places in particular you wanted to show me?

[ She scrunches up her nose at him, then releases a heavy sigh. ]

Lucky you. It was - Maker. Cold. It was very cold. Never mind the red lyrium mines and all that.

[ Thankfully, that's in the past. In the distant past, for some people......... ]

The future is fine, too. [ Cecily begins walking again, apparently with a destination in mind, after all. ] And... well, I thought it might end where we're all staying, unless you've another idea.

[ So that they could rest and be safe for as long as they needed, maybe run into the others, potentially see if Rainier has another sword. ]

You may need some armor, if we can find any in the shops... or, at least, something that isn't so stiff.

[ Humming briefly, amused, she smooths a hand across the front of the bright fabric. ]

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Test Drive Meme # 2

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augh late tag is late

shhhhhhh pets

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