dankmemes | test drive meme #11

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?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Well that's something, they suppose. It's not a park; it's not even something that would really prove to have much fun behind it at all, but... a safe space? They could both use that.

Sans looks like he could use that.]

Okay.

[I'll look into it. It doesn't quite help them now, but-

The idea of a safe space at all is a fairly new concept.]

[Heh, look at them. Regular pair of functioning messes, aren't they? It's not perfect, but things seldom are.]

How 'bout we take a look at one of those Spires, huh? There's beds, stuff to eat. You can have a regular ol' ball there.

[Look, he can't just in good faith leave them here and expect it to play out just fine. They're a stern kid, sure, but they're also one of the few things left over from home. He has nothing else. And now that he knows there's a separation between them and the other one -

It ain't perfect. It ain't even a little bit ideal. But he can't lose this. Not this last thing.]

I even know a shortcut.

[Gosh, with friends like these, who needs enemies? Another twitch of their lips; if the beds in those Spires are anything like the ones at the MTT Resort, then sure. They can have an absolute ol' ball.

They don't even have to be alone to do it. It's an extra bonus, one padded with too much unsaid that probably never will.

Calmly, Frisk reaches over and hooks their fingers into the fabric of his jacket. They're ready, captain.]

[They don't grab his hand, but just go ahead and latch onto his jacket instead. Maybe that makes sense. He's not really sure where they came from, temporally speaking - and wow, nice job Sans, this is the first you've thought of that, huh?

Yeesh. No wonder this kid ends up in those scrapes half the time. Yeah, really did a bang-up job protecting them.

Anyway.

Sans doesn't offer much warning, but one second they're in one place and the next they're in another. He just blips the pair of 'em right over to one of the Spires, practically on its doorstep.]

People just more or less pick their own place to live down here. This one looks like it's got some unoccupied rooms.

[They'll never get used to the feeling of their stomach dropping out when seemingly, they haven't budged an inch. Yet here they are anyway, on the curb next to one of the few buildings about the place that actually looks new.

The distinction between the spires and their neighbors borders on painful.]

So we just have to pick one?

[Frisk's brow furrows, gripping his jacket tightly for a few moments longer... then letting go.

About those 'roommates'.]

We- can we have three beds?

[Roommate.]

[There's something about the tightness of their grip, and then the swiftness with which they release it that's...disconcerting. He can't put his phalanx on it. He's not sure how much the kid knows, or remembers about him. There's code-words and secret code-words and secret secret code-words but he's not sure he should go there. At least not yet.]

Yep. Just settle in wherever. Not really sure if there's a whole lotta other kids here - I've met one so far, but I think he's roomin' with his brother. And there's, uh...

['Course, there's also the other one. He scratches the back of his cervical vertebrae with one hand, like he's nervous or somethin'. Weird.]

Well, people just kinda pick where they go.

[They take note of his response; there's, uh...

Uh. Chara would probably respond to that name. Come when it's called. There's a joke in there somewhere, but Frisk can't think of what it is.

It's going to be a problem, if they try to room with both of them.]

Do you like your roommates?

Yeah, they're all right. Couple'a scientists, a real friendly guy named Wade. Got a real nice appreciation for bad jokes.

[He chuckles, with marginally less than his usual cheerful gusto.]

People pick who they live with. You're a real nice kid, [actually, he has no idea how nice they are since that kind of depends on the state of their SOUL but he's not going there just yet] and I could probably help ya find someone to settle in with. If you want.

[He's not precisely opting to live with them, then, but they've already made their mind up about that.

Is it better that he's making this so much easier on them? They don't know. In the absence of a booming, cheerful voice, a hot dog stand, or a long, golden corridor, there's a distance there that could almost be construed as uncomfortable, a fraction of hesitation between words spoken as the script falls away and two people struggle to build a new one.]

I know who to stay with.

[Whether or not it's better, it is easier. That's probably the thought that counts the most.]

That's, uh...that's good. That's real good.

[He didn't expect such a decisive answer right away, but this kid is a, uh, well, they can take care of themself, and they're a decisive kid. Thing is, he kinda made a promise and all. Not that he could very well keep it, even when he was just standin' back and lettin' the kid take the heat for almost everything - Undyne, Alphys, Mettaton, heck, even his bro, who's pretty damn strong even if he couldn't bring himself to hurt a fly.]

If you're sure.

Yeah, I'm sure.

[As sure as they ever are; given a path and set down it with all the single-mindedness that goes with gritted teeth and a thud in their chest. There's just a little more direction to go with than they've had before; something they can do and work on that could help.

A safe space.

As far as they're concerned, Sans has already done more than enough- it's more than they've ever expected or asked of him. And the smile they aim at his face may be small, but it reflects a certain amount of gratitude, all the same.]

Thank you.

[Promises are hard. He's doing his best, all the same.]

['S weird, hearin' them thank him like this. Him helping them. Ha-ha, hey, look lady - he's keeping his promise. Bit late in the game to be doing a thing like that, but look at that, he's fulfilling that obligation.

Looking after 'em. They're...well, they're a tough kid, he knows that. Tough enough to grind out a path where none should exist. And he's not sure he can forgive them for that. Not sure if they deserve that.

But then, there's a lot he'd need to ask them before he can make that kind of decision.]

Hey, don't sweat it, kid. And if you got any questions, uh -

[Delight's housing, House Number One. Not terribly difficult to figure out where he lives.

He thinks about a kid going through whatever personal crisis kids go through and having nowhere else to turn.

He also thinks about coming home to three dead roommates.]

Well, you should have a phone on ya somewhere with everyone's contacts already listed.

[They can call him anytime, then. Platonically.

Their smile widens for a moment, nodding as they pat their pant pocket. They're all set for a phone, so there's no problems, there. In fact, they'll have to use that really soon; let Chara know that, well-

That they don't just have to sleep wherever they can find a place they fit.]

You can call me too. Platonically.

[Obviously.]

[That's a reference to something that drives itself like a red-hot spike into his chest, a weight he can't and won't put a name to. It takes an incremental increase in effort to maintain the easygoing nature of his smile instead of letting it harden.

Maybe they got no clue.

But hell, they would, wouldn't they? They're the one who changes, the a variable, whether they like it or not. Nothin' else snatches that away from him. No one else.

He compensates by turning and starting to head back out, lifting one hand in a lazy wave.]

Sure thing, kid.

test drive meme #11

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