test drive meme #13

[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 September 24th, and apps are open October 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: DON'T LOOK AT ME
[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 hop right on you and chow down. This time, the Door has brought in several Boos, from the Mario video game series.

These monsters can be menacing, but are also incredibly shy. When looking directly at them, they will cover their faces and fade into the background- however, when turning away from them, they advance on you until they're in the perfect spot to take a nice big bite. The only way to defeat them is to escape this part of the level- that is, run madly away and try to keep up eye contact while you do so. They may look cartoonish, but those ghost teeth can be sharp!]

SCENARIO TWO: YOU'VE GOT RED ON YOU
[Hadriel is home to many things- temples, irate gods, angry citizens and... well, zombies, apparently. Beware as they start to walk/stagger/generally kind of shuffle around the streets of the city, since where there's one or two, there's usually a hundred more just waiting for the right moment to strike.

Zombies attack Hadriel by the dozen for this prompt, and nowhere in the city is technically safe from them! While they're not necessarily fast or intelligent, they have an advantage on you in that they have a lot more friends and they can't feel pain. So saddle up, bunker down, and try to survive the infestation!

This is a mini version of our Dead Men Walking event this month!]

R A G E

SCENARIO THREE: CAPTURE THE FLAG
[Hey, what's Hadriel without a few mind-numbingly stupid games to forget the fact that you're in a murdercave that routinely tries to scare the crap out of you while also maybe killing you every once in awhile? You're not quite sure who came up with this particular mind-numbingly stupid game, but you seem to be playing, so get your running shoes on and grab that inhaler!

This is a game of Capture the Flag, and thanks to Rage, you're really starting to feel that competitive spirit. You're going to win- you have to. So what if you incur a few fouls along the way?

There's a red team and a blue team for this prompt, with both teams trying to protect their corresponding flags. Try to strategize to take the other team's precious flag, chase someone from the opposing team down, or just go all out and full body tackle that poor guy who got a little too close to your territory- it's all on you!]

Comments

connor walsh | how to get away with murder

[iustitiae]

SCENARIO ONE

[Connor is no stranger to fear. He tends towards it, tends towards anxiety and just a touch of being paranoid and as he's walking down the street he knows he's being followed. It's not something he has to be told, not when every fiber of his body is screaming that something is wrong.

He picks up his step, walking faster but trying to seem like he's Playing It Cool. Turning around would've been better, looking over his shoulder and seeing instead of just letting his imagination run wild with what it could be would've probably helped him more than anything else, but he doesn't, because that would mean facing his fear and confronting it. Flight response has always seemed a lot better.

Anyway, that's what this place teaches and reinforces, isn't it? Being afraid, understanding that there really were monsters under the bed that might kill you. Not just the ones inside of you, not just the ones lurking under your skin --

Connor takes a deep breath. (Perhaps more accurately, he attempts and kind of fails.) One foot in front of the other, Walsh, you can do this. He thinks of how the others would act if they saw him freaking out over shadows, how his less than calm gait would be so obvious.

He scowls - whatever, if they didn't want to be afraid of very real, very obvious dangers that was their problem. Surely if he just makes it home without letting this thing catch up with him...One foot in front of the other.]

SCENARIO TWO

Zombies. Right, of course. Why wouldn't there be zombies?

[He's talking to no one in particular, moving chairs from tables to bar the door of this building that had been (he hoped) abandoned. It seemed a little bit reckless. A dozen questions pop up, like every horror-movie audience in existence: why was this one unlocked? How do you know there aren't zombies in there? Couldn't this just be a trap? But his options right now are pretty few and far between so creepy abandoned building with ability to block the exit is going to have to do for right now.]

And not just one or two, no, of course not --

[The anger in his voice, the incredulousity is a really good alternative to, well, whatever other emotion he might be refusing to acknowledge right under the surface. Easier to be agitated than afraid. Easier to have hysterical laughter instead of hysterical sobs. Especially when he couldn't just give up. In times of crisis someone had to act, and there weren't any other someones here to hold his hand and pull him through a freaking Zombie Infestation, so he had to make do with what he had unless he wanted to be eaten and not in the hot way.

Now he just has to hope this place is actually Zombie Free, but hope was a dangerous thing, indeed, and it could be asking for far too much.]

SCENARIO THREE

Come on, red team, is that all you've got?

[while, yes, connor may be a privileged white baby lawyer he's still fit. he runs every morning and used to play lacrosse and while this place sucks and everything about it is awful, he can't deny that it is kind of fun to be out doing things for fun (is this for fun? is that really the point?) and competition.

he's got his eye on the prize, the precious red team flag on the other side of the field but he's got to dodge a lot of people to get there. it's a challenge he definitely accepts, making up for his lack of bulk with speed. he is a graceful, mighty capture the flag player. he is going to try not to be tackled to the ground like an idiot.

ready, go.]

2

[devilsavocado]

[ It took a while for Matt to actually believe he was being chased by zombies. Without his sight, he first suspected the lack of heartbeat to indicate that they were ninjas. But ninjas don't smell like death or shamble slowly like this. So... zombies. Well, at least he can easily outrun those.

He'd found a fairly quiet building (quiet before you arrived, thanks Connor,) and kept his body as still as possible. Were they attracted to people by heat signature or by sound? Matt couldn't know. He also never learned how to lower his body temperature. Shouldn't have skipped out on ninja training day, Matt. (Thanks, Stick.)

Of course, that's all well and good but what it translates to is Matt leaning on the far wall of this warehouse, in the dark. Being completely silent. But looking otherwise like an average dude in a suit who happens to be blind. Now seems like a poor time to keep quiet and hope his new temp-roommate goes away. ]

They might move on if you keep quiet.

[iustitiae]

[yeah, so connor hadn't actually seen or heard matt at all so he all but jumps, managing, at least, to keep his hold on the chair and not letting it clatter to the ground. so much for being quiet - but maybe if matt hadn't tried to scare an already frightened child this would've gone over better.

at least matt's coherency makes it quickly obvious that he's not, in fact, a zombie. fear slides into annoyance, mad that this rando would lecture him about being quiet when he's the one talking.]

Great, yeah. Maybe try that, too.

[devilsavocado]

[ Oh, you mean it's dark? Well, how was Matt supposed to know, huh?? He steps out of the dark and tilts his head to listen-- the barricade isn't perfect, but zombies can't really work doorknobs, either. ]

Relax. The door sounds like it should hold for a bit.

[ Matt steps a little closer, keeping his voice down. He can tell Connor's agitated (I mean who wouldn't be,) but Matt's a hero, not a jerk. He's not trying to be annoying, promise. ]

I'm Matt. It's gonna be okay.

[ Says the guy in the dark glasses. But he just seems to handle stress really well? ]

[iustitiae]

[it takes connor a moment to put the pieces together, his brain too busy working over ZOMBIES and trying to figure out the best way not to become the blonde cheerleader in every bad horror film. but it does indeed strike him, after a moment, that there's something different about matt. you know, other than the calm in a clearly stressful situation thing.]

Right. What's the worst that happens? Zombies rip us limb from limb and then we wake right back up in this cave?

[it's going to take more than a few words from a stranger to make him feel alright with this situation. anyway, he's not really big on adult authority figures promising him things are going to be alright. it doesn't tend to work out that way.]

[devilsavocado]

[ Matt's probably lucky the glasses hide the fact that he doesn't make eye-contact, but he's surprised Connor hasn't said anything about how a blind guy managed in a zombie apocalypse. ]

That's not gonna happen.

[ He sounds certain of this. Of course, Matt isn't going to disclose his super powers to the first rando he runs into, either. ]

Dying and coming back to life isn't going to solve the zombie problem.

[iustitiae]

Well, no, of course not. But it does make the consequences a little...superfluous, I guess.

[as superfluous as dying can be. which, as soon as he says it, doesn't sound as superfluous as he thought at all. he sighs exasperatedly, looking back at his makeshift barricade and listening to the grunts of zombies outside.]

Maybe they only walk in straight lines, anyway.

[devilsavocado]

[ Well, good, at least Connor only pretends to joke about death. ]

I'm not really in any hurry to die, thanks.

[ No really. Though Matt keeps an ear on the door, noting every creak and shift behind the door. ]

They're not exactly great at turns, no. But it's the numbers we should worry about. Did you happen to count how many were chasing you before?

[iustitiae]

[connor huffs off out a laugh]

Somewhere between five and ten. I didn't exactly stop to take attendance.

[we can't all be superheroes with the concern of all people on our mind.]

[devilsavocado]

Shame.

[ Matt, now is an awful time to tell jokes. It is really Not The Time. But you need a little levity when there's zombies, right? ]

Sounds closer to five than ten... Maybe seven?

[ Surely your average blind man could do that, right? ]

[iustitiae]

[dude, he doesn't care if you're the queen of england. how does that do anything for him and more importantly, how is that any weirder than being abducted into a cave?]

Okay, so your hearing is definitely way better than mine. Are you going to tell me what kind of shoes they're wearing, next?

[devilsavocado]

[ I mean, he could. But that's rude, Connor. ]

I just pay more attention to the sounds.

[ Matt taps a foot on the ground, mostly just to draw attention to his feet. ]

Not that hard to tell what shoes I'm wearing if you can see, right? It's the same thing.

[ Is it? Is it really though? ]

[iustitiae]

[no but connor really doesn't know why they're having this discussion right now. his eyes narrow.]

I thought you wanted us to be quiet.

[he's going to go check for other doors. if nothing else, matt wasn't smart enough to barricade the front door so god knows what other entrances and still unlocked for zombies to come in through.]

2!

[fourthsaken]

[Connor wasn't the only one looking for a good place to hide. It shouldn't really surprise him too much that the unlocked, safe-ish looking building that seemed abandoned, wasn't actually abandoned. Luckily for him, he's not sharing the building with a zombie. Just a scared teenaged girl.

When Jade had found the warehouse, she hadn't bothered to try and barricade the door, too worried about making too much noise. Instead she's retreated to a far corner of the room, hiding underneath a table. She continues hiding when Connor arrives, praying that he'll go away or at least, not notice her.

But it's not long before he's reaching for the table that was formerly her hiding spot. She peeks out from under it, eyes wide with fear.]

--Stop! Please, stop.

[iustitiae]

[connor jumps back, peering down at the girl who looks about as scared as he feels. he takes a deep breath, trying to make himself seem both calm and non-threatening as possible.]

Hey, it's okay, I'll leave the table.

[he crouches down so he can get a better look at her, letting her keep the safety of the table and being underneath it]

Door's blocked now, should be safer. How long have you been hiding here?

[fourthsaken]

[Jade relaxes slightly when Connor makes it clear he won't be taking the table, her tangible link to safety. She even shifts closer to him as he kneels, close enough that he'll be able to see her tear-streaked, pale face even in the constant darkness of the room.]

Thanks. And I dunno. Awhile?

[iustitiae]

I, uh, might have a cliff bar in my pocket?

[he does them both the favor of not acknowledging her crying. he's been there, too, and he's never wanted it pointed out to him. and the fear is like an old friend. he goes through his jacket pockets, patting them to see where it went.]

I mean, it's one of those weird knock-off brands you find here. Like precipice stick or something...but I found one in white-chocolate-almond and that was close enough to white macadamia nut, which is definitely the superior flavor.

[whether he's rambling on for her benefit or his remains to be seen, but he does indeed acquire the knock off cliff bar and passes it her direction.]

Gotta keep up your stamina somehow, right?

[fourthsaken]

[When Connor doesn't comment on her appearance, Jade hopes that she might not look as close to a complete breakdown as she feels. That maybe, this time, she's managed to look like the easiest victim, the very picture of perfect zombie bait.

But then he's rambling and offering her his only food, and she bets that she does look as pitiful as she feels. She's not hungry, but she takes the bar from him with a nod. She has a feeling that he needs to help her more than she needs food. She turns it over in her hand, making no move to open it.]

... Is it, uh, vegan?

[iustitiae]

Yeah, I think so. You can always double check the ingredients.

[god bless you, makers of cliff bars, beacon of gluten free and vegan flavors like fucking chocolate brownie]

I'm sure we'll be able to make a break for it eventually. Or, you know, they'll just go away eventually.

[fourthsaken]

[She does check the ingredients before unwrapping the bar. She breaks it in half, offering one to Connor. She wouldn't feel right taking all of his food, especially when he didn't have to offer her anything. She's not sure why he's being so nice to her. If anything he should be upset that he has to share his hiding spot.]

You can make a run for it. I mean, you don't have to feel like you have to drag me along or whatever. I'm not your responsibility.

[iustitiae]

[he holds up his hand and shakes his head -- ] I ate not to long ago. I haven't been hiding under a table "for awhile." [ and he scoots under the table with her. are they totally having pillow-less pillow fort? you betcha.]

I'm not going to leave you here. If we have to camp out until the murder-cave decides it's done eating our fear or whatever, then so be it.

[fourthsaken]

I'm really not that hungry...

[And she wouldn't admit it if she was. Another thing she won't admit, that she feels better when he joins her under the table. It's nice to know that she's not alone after what seemed like endless hours of hiding on her own.]

Seriously? You'll escape better without me. I'll just slow you down.

[iustitiae]

Too late. We're using the buddy system and we're officially stuck together.

[this is your fate, jade. stuck hiding for god knows how many hours with this guy. at least there's pong on the phones???]

[fourthsaken]

[She rolls her eyes in the most exaggerated fashion to cover up just how grateful she is to have him there and to know he won't just leave her if things get bad. But that doesn't mean she won't keep continuing to give him an out. The last thing she wants is for him to feel obligated to help her.]

Dude, I'm like ten years too old to need the buddy system. You don't have to take care of me.

[iustitiae]

No one stops needing the buddy system.

[truth]

Even grandmas travel in packs.