test drive meme #11

[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 July 25th, and apps are open August 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, 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: WORKING TITLE
[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 lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect chance to swarm around you and chow down. This time, the Door has brought in a few Working Joes, from the Alien: Isolation video game series.

Once simply androids meant for mundane jobs, working Joes have had their programming altered to isolate and eliminate threats onboard their ship- which they now believe to be Hadriel. Super strong, yet slow and plodding, an android may ask you for identification before throttling you when you don't have the right answer. They are quite sturdy and difficult to destroy without the right tools. Have fun!]


H O P E

SCENARIO TWO: BEAUTIFICATION DUTY
[The city has always looked a little drab, but now with some tools from Hope, it's up to you guys to spruce it up a bit! Your character will find themselves in a shop filled with various paints, home improvement tools, window stickers, streamers, and various other items and tools used to improve the appearance of the neighborhood.

You're encouraged to add your own little flair to the project in order to improve living standards and make Hope the happiest god in the pantheon. So, what will you do? Paint a mural? Sweep up some rubble? Install a skylight! The cave is your oyster.

This is a mini version of our Extinction v2 event this month!]


S O R R O W

SCENARIO THREE: CRY ME A RIVER
[When you wake up in the morning, something feels... off. It feels like you just watched 20 ASPCA commercials in a row and then topped it all off with the first ten minutes of Up. You're beaten down, depressed, upset by all the horrific acts and trauma in the world, and it's enough to make you want to cry.

Turn on the waterworks, because Hadriel is about to have a shortage of tissues and everyone's getting dehydrated. You might run into your neighbor crying while you're scavenging for food, or you might just find that one whole asshole in the entire movie who isn't affected.

Either way, it's time to get some hugs, some kleenex, and maybe a little bit of chocolate. Happy... crying?]

Comments

armand. the vampire chronicles

[oversear]

two.

A mural.

[ What he was being instructed to do was not possible. He would not, could not do this. He had not painted in centuries and despite time dimming the memories, the emotions still burned in his chest. His father's words, the exclamation of "not made by human hands". He had painted for one god and was now being asked to paint for another. It was unthinkable to turn his back on his Father in such a way. ]

I cannot paint.

[ He says this with enough force and conviction that it's obvious there's strong emotion behind this decision not to pick up the brush. ]

Perhaps there is another task I could do. If I must coddle a god.

[ Sweeping rubble was demeaning and beneath him, but perhaps he could be strong armed in to it. ]


three.

[ Rarely did Armand ever feel the need to cry. Not since his fights with Daniel, nothing made him sob like those little battles. But today was different. Something bitter was creeping in his throat, making it feel tight and hard to breathe. To his absolute horror he felt wet on his face. He brought his fingers to the corner of his eye. Tears. He knew what everyone saw, fat red tinted tears rolling down his face. There was no hiding the blood now leaking out of his eyes. By now it was no secret what his true nature was but it still rattled him, anyone seeing the obvious hints of his wicked nature. Delicately he dabbed his white cuffed shirt to his face, ignoring the urge to cringe at the ugly stains now on the expensive fabric. ]

This is unsightly. I apologize, this is very unlike me.

three, and oh my god yes

[pullback]

[ Victor's eyes are rimmed red as well, though through tears, not blood. And yeah, if it's now no secret what his true nature was then sorry Armand, you get to deal with Captain Prejudiced. After all, the last two years have been Victor trying to battle back creatures of the night such as vampires (except for those few months it was witches). He looks at Armand with a scowl and an expression of pure disgust on his face.

Of course, considering that Victor's crying as well and snot's coming close to running down his nose, any attempt at looking dignified is just failing. But dammit, he's going to attempt to keep composure! ]

How odd. I didn't know your kind could cry to begin with

viiiictor, what a good pair tbh

[oversear]

[ Perhaps on a better day Armand would be willing to be more patient and forgiving with the personal attack. After all, no one knows better than a vampire how evil their own kind is. They deserve vitriol. But pride is an issue here and his own composure is failing fast. It's a matter of principle when he shoots back. ]

For a doctor you are very ignorant. Do you not research? We perspire, cry, and hunger. Let that be your first lesson.

[ Then he lets out a particular ugly crying hiccup. ]

they'll be perfectly horrible together

[pullback]

Oh, I know very well that your kind hunger.

[ but it's said through sniffles and drippy eyes. Victor is not dignified. Victor is trying to be dignified but oh man how he is failing. He's still trying to hold his head up and seem cold and calm impressive but it is just not working at all.

Especially since Victor just reaches into his pocket, pulls out a handkerchief, and loudly blows his nose. ]

Considering your kind tried time and time again to kill me, I found it hard to research you.

[oversear]

[ Through his watering eyes, Armand cracks the smallest of smiles. Nothing like seeing a gentleman stripped bare of his poise. He was laughing a bit at Victor. He ignored the fact that the only reason mucus was not running down his own face is because he was dead and had no need for it. Ah, the perks of immortality. ]

It does not surprise me that you'd be a vampire's victim. You'd make perfect sport.

[ He let that ominously hang in the air. Nosey, opinionated, prime of his life. Victor was very to the taste of a certain blond vampire that Armand knew. If Victor was a true scoundrel then every vampire in the city would be lining up for his neck. ]

The blood is dripping out of me quite fast now. Perhaps you'll allow me a Small Drink. An act of friendship so we will quarrel no more?

[ Now he was just trying to get a reaction. To see how explosive and mean this man could get. ]

[pullback]

[ Victor responds to Armand's opinion of him as perfect sport by...blowing nose again. Look, it's dripping and he's not going to get snot everywhere. He can't fix the crying right now for some reason, but he can at least not be literally snot-nosed.

Though, the idea of Armand taking a drink of his blood couldn't help but make Victor raise an eyebrow. Not in an interested way. Just in a sort of "you have got to be kidding me" type of manner. He still knew woefully less about what sort of blood vampires liked but he had a good idea that his blood, as tainted with morphine it was, would be a horrible drink.

He outright scoffs at the idea of friendship, though. That glare just deepens. ]

Even if I wanted to be friends with your kind, which I do not want, my actions and my history have put us firmly on the side of enemies.

[ It's hard to be friends when you've killed a lot of vampires. ]

[oversear]

[ Armand takes a moment to wipe at his face with his finger tips. Idly he pops his index in his mouth and sucks the salty blood off. ]

Enemies?

[ He lets out a light little laugh through his tears. ]

You would have me branded an enemy when we know nothing of the true nature of one another.

[ He's not saying Victor's wrong about him though. Just out of curiosity he starts skimming Victor's thoughts, for anything interesting or useful. ]

One of these days I will take your blood, and then you will know true rapture.

[pullback]

[ Victors thoughts are a tangle of memories. Trying to save Malcolm Murray's daughter, Mina Harker, from the clutches of the vampire Dracula's followers. Later, fighting Dracula himself, in an attempt to save Vanessa Ives. Victor remembers shooting the vampires and later in the conflict, after he just fumbles with his weapon, attempting to just dispatch the creatures with a pipe to the face.

The majority of his thoughts are burning hatred. And yet, there's a small modicum of scientific curiosity. After all, they had a captured a vampire early on during their quest, chaining him up in Malcolm's basement. There's a small part of Victor that longs to return to that scientific discovery, longing to figure out just how vampiric biology actually worked.

Needless to say, he outright scoffs when Armand mentions true rapture, a scoff that's lessened by the tears trailing down his cheek. ]

I've seen the effects your kind have when you turn someone to your kind. What you call rapture, the rest of us call destruction.

[oversear]

[ These vampires in Victor's thoughts, they are so unlike Armand's own kind. More like the vacant minded monster that Louis found in Romania. His lips twist downwards as he sees Victor's memories of the study of this caught vampire. Oh such hatred! Armand wondered if this is what Lestat thirsted for. For someone to acknowledge and hate their kind, instead of falling into a thrall and to love them completely on sight. Armand had to admit there was something thrilling about this little talk. ]

Destruction, yes. I would not turn another in this life time or the next.

[ He thinks of Daniel and hatred boils in his gut. It's a good thing he's crying. Saves him the embarrassment of watering eyes thinking of his fledging. ]

The simple act of sharing the blood is euphoric. Write that down in your little notebook of study, Doctor. There are things the mind cannot comprehend until they experience it.

[pullback]

[ Victor still looks disgusted. Why on Earth would blood be euphoric? Would there be some sort of hallucinatory agent in the blood? And if so...how could he figure this out without the vampire biting him? Perhaps Victor could find someone else to act as a guinea pig. ]

Call me rude, but I'd rather not experience it myself.

[oversear]

[ There's a ruthlessness to Victor that Armand appreciates. Using someone to sate his curiosity, giving them fully to the belly of the beast. He was growing hungrier and hungrier the more he cried.

Just the smallest of smiles. ]

My dear doctor, what makes you think you will have a choice?

[ Quicker than the human eye can catch, Armand stood next to Victor, curling his fingers around the back of his neck. ]

You will not feel a thing.

[pullback]

[ Victor tenses as he feels Armand's fingers on the back of his neck. He's not Ethan or Vanessa, he's not the sort of person who would instantly respond to a threat with retaliation of his own. Instead, he simply spins around, hoping to see Armand (if he's still back there) and at least to get the damn creature's fingers off his neck. ]

I'm afraid I would find myself a poor meal for you, vampire.

[two]

[fearlessherosheart]

Do you know, that is what I said when I first was taught to paint.

[Tazendra is a bit oddly dressed, given her height (over seven feet) makes it a bit off a search to find clothing in Hadriel.]

[oversear]

[ Armand looked up at her. All the way up. Back when he was mortal, 5'6" was a respectable height but now it was woefully on the shorter side. He had never met a woman as tall as Tazendra. ]

But you've learnt to love it?

[fearlessherosheart]

It is interesting. Very good practice for when I decided to deepen my study of sorcery. They are both very deliberate arts.

[oversear]

[ Armand's lips curls into a soft smile. He thinks she's joking. ]

Sorcery? Is it a practical craft?

[fearlessherosheart]

In the Dragaeran Empire, it is.