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

[onlytheremains]

He eyes her up an down, taking stock of her properly now that they have the chance to properly have a look at one another. There's a good part of him that wants to shoot a rebuttal but he keeps quiet, instincts kicking in and making him silent.

The question gives him pause though, a small frown settling onto his features as he considers it. Of course he knows; there's little in there he claims as 'his' and to say he knows hat, or even who he is, would be a stretch on the best of days.

"Learning," he mutters eventually, not meeting her eyes. "Can't say I've come to many conclusions."

[vdova]

She's in full gear, Tron-like catsuit and all, hair plastered to her forehead from the sweat of exerting herself in the fight mere moments before. Natasha's at least managed to catch her breath, for whatever that's worth.

"Ah," she says, softening just a little. "I know what that's like."

She considers him, briefly, reaching up to brush her hair out of her eyes.

"They told stories, you know. When I was growing up. About a ghost who could get in and out, who changed history to fit the calling of our superiors." Another pause.

"You look like someone I used to know." As if these two thoughts were related, somehow.

[onlytheremains]

He feels like he should say something, contribute somehow, but the words fail him. Instead he just shrugs at her, eyes going between their surroundings to her and back again.

"You're not the first person who seems to think that." It's almost a joke. Almost.

Whether they knew each other or not seems irrelevant. He not quite the Soldier any longer and he's certainly not the person Rogers seems to think he is.

He's something new, or maybe just the remains of the others. Whatever he is, she hardly knows him now.

[vdova]

She hums at that, her turn to give him a once over, expression carefully neutral. She's quiet for a long moment, and then nods to herself, satisfied.

"I suppose that's true. It was a long time ago, anyway."

She stays quiet for another moment, and then pushes off the wall, checking the bracers on her forearms. When she speaks again, it's in English.

"We should go before those things come back. Or something worse."

[onlytheremains]

He nods, starting to move in the opposite direction from where they had come. No need to retrace their steps and see what's waiting for them. He could do without that whole mess again.

Words don't come easily to him, they feel clumsy and odd in his mouth. It doesn't matter the language or even the situation most of the time. He can easily order those he's working with for a mission and answer the direct questions that used to be posed to him but there's been no missions for a while now and no one is demanding status reports and debriefings.

The common ways of interacting with language, wielding it with nothing but ease and a casual manner, just don't apply to him.

[vdova]

If either of them were anyone else, the silence would probably be uncomfortable. As it stands, she understands where he's coming from, why it might be easier for him to just not speak. She was like that too, a long time ago. So they walk in silence, for a while, Natasha keeping one eye out behind them. Just in case.

There's no exit in sight after minutes, and she breaks the silence with a huff, halting in her tracks.

"I think," she says, annoyed. "We're going in circles."

[onlytheremains]

He nods, silent still but very much in agreement with her. He's not entirely sure what to do about this, so he winds up looking to her, head tilted just slightly, arms spreading out as if to welcome any suggestion she might have on where they should go.