snowblindmemes | Test Drive

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test drive

Test Drive


TEST DRIVE MEME
If you'd like to apply to Snowblind and would like to test the waters first or get a sample set up for your application, this meme is for you! We've even provided some prompts for you to use if you want (but feel free to make up your own). Here's how it works. ✭ Reply to this entry with a character you're considering apping into the game. You can include the name of your character and the fandom in your subject line. ✭ Comment around to others on the meme, whether you're in the game already or not. ✭ Now you have a sample ready for your application! ✭ So go reserve and apply when reservations and applications are open. ✭ Seriously, do it. Network Prompts ONE: SEE THAT WE CAN SEE It's late and you're settling down for the night when you notice a strange light coming from... outside? Through the heavy snowfall, you can just make out the haze of glowing eyes in the distance. Dozens of them. It's difficult to tell through the window, but they seem to be staring directly at you. Since it's after lockdown, you can't get outside to investigate, but maybe others in town are seeing the eyes too. You'd better take to the Network to see what's going on. TWO: BEHIND THESE HAZEL EYES You can't sleep. You've been trying, trying, trying. But every time you close your eyes, you see the eyes of the prophet etched into the insides of your eyelids. The symbol only seems to get brighter and clearer the longer you keep your eyes shut, the closer you get to drifting off. It chills you awake. Nothing seems to help. Maybe there are others on the Network who are having the same problem. Or, at least, someone who doesn't mind keeping you company through the long hours. Action Prompts THREE: THREE'S A CROWD You and your traveling companion are exploring what looks to be a perfectly normal building when you notice something strange carved into the wall. Is that an eye? Strange indeed, but what's stranger is that new carvings keep appearing, always where you're not looking. Soon, the whole room is full of eye carvings. Is your companion doing this? If not them, then who? FOUR: THE KNIFE'S EDGE Most everyone in town still has eyes that are either glowing or shaped like the prophet's symbol, and your eyes are no different. These are the same eyes that made everyone attack each other a few nights ago. Every time you catch a glimpse of yourself, maybe in the reflection of a window or the video feed on your tablet, you feel a little sick. Unfortunately, your traveling companion's eyes look strange too, and they're the opposite of yours. Both of you are in danger if those murderous urges come back, which makes it difficult to trust each other after what you've been through. It's late at night when a dark thought crosses your mind--you do have a knife. Not that there's any reason to use it, of course... Right?

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Not a bad idea. I'll send out a message on the network, sir. [And so he does!

John glances up from his tablet again, though, at the next comment and catches that smile. He can't really help reflecting it on reflex, then refocuses on the tablet.]

No. I think we're doing the only thing we can do. Follow the spiral. That's to the east. It also just happens to be where there was a nuclear explosion and murder cult. Nice of them to leave us out in the tutorial area to start with.

Thanks. Everyone should at least know what we're seeing here.

[He nods when John replies, expression turning wry.] It's convenient. Leaving little clues around and leading us east. It just so happens to work out, with clues when we get stuck, and with obstacles that keep us motivated without stopping us cold. I don't like it.

Mm... I know a couple of people have likened it to rats in a maze. Strikes me more like some sort of video game. Silent Hill or whatever. [A pause.] Uh, if you... know anything about video games, sir. [He knows the Steve Rogers he knew was a bit behind the times there.]

It certainly feels like training. Testing us, pushing us forward, and giving us time to adjust to the new conditions before raising the bar.

[Oh. One of those questions, huh?]

Video games? [Golly gee, what are those?]

They're... games. You play on a video game console. On the telly. Well. Sometimes you've got handheld ones. Or things you can play on your tablet. [John taps the tablet in his hands.]

There's a genre of mystery and horror games that sort of work like this place, sir. You're playing a character that has to go around and solve puzzles to open up more of a town and gradually the puzzles get harder and you start encountering enemies. Sometimes you've got a boss fight at a really crucial moment...

Don't think we've had any of those, yet, at least.

A console? You mean that weird radio-box that makes all the loud noises? And you say that it works with moving pictures, too? In full color and everything?

[Okay, that's probably far enough.

No, wait, one more.]

What'd you call this thing? A table-set? [Steve walks over and holds up his tablet, then with exaggerated motions sets it right down on the surface of the kitchen table in front of John.] Well, what do you know. It sets pretty well.

[By this time, he's actually smirking.]

Honestly, I'd welcome a fight at this point. At least I know how to deal with that.

[As Steve carries on, John becomes aware that he's being made fun of by degrees. It's probably a good thing it's so dark because his cheeks burn with embarrassment. The doctor drops his eyes from Steve, and clears his throat before mumbling.]

Sorry, I thought you might not know, Captain.

If you really wanna fight the anomalies, you'd need to coat any weapons in the rubble. Even then, it doesn't do much.

[Steve can tell the doctor is a little more embarrassed than he meant him to be--usually the people back home would joke right along with him, teasing him for being out of touch. He answers with a small chuckle and a warm tone that holds nothing back.]

When I first woke up, I really would have asked you questions like that. It all seemed like something out of a cheap thrill novel. And I'm sure there are a lot of things I still don't understand. Don't hesitate to tell me about them, Doctor. I don't always know what you're talking about. Especially with all of this advanced technology. I need someone to lay out out straight.

It's not really the anomalies I'm worried about. They seem like more of a distraction for us. Knowing how to defend ourselves from them is important, but I don't think stopping them will do anything to stop this Prophet or whatever it is. If this is a video game, I want to see the real boss.

Edited 2016-12-21 15:19 (UTC)

[That makes him feel a little better, at least, but John's still more than a bit embarrassed for sounding like a twit just there. He tries to shrug it off and just move on. If Steve can tease him, that means things are okay between them. Right?]

Some people have been waiting on that half a year, sir. You might need to take a number if you're looking to get a good whack in. Although... we keep catching glimpses of what it might be. Rhys, he's the bloke with the robot arm, he's got a way to connect directly to the network with his brain. He tried to crack the system from the inside and said he saw some sort of creature in there that assaulted his mind until it all but fried it and cracked his connection port with it.

That happened... just a day or two after I got here. And people have been seeing some sort of giant creature in the morgue, although we've been told it's just an hallucination. No ones able to survive to confirm, and we've caught video of it.

[Steve is already on the puzzle that Watson is describing. He knows that they can't just waste energy lashing out. That isn't going to get the source of the dangers to reveal itself. It probably just serves to aid in the thing's plans, whatever those really are.]

I'm no computer expert, but it sounds like this creature is trapped in the machines. Is someone else leading us toward the way to shut it down or is it leading us toward some trap?

Either way, do you think it was all a hallucination? I'd trust your judgment.

I... guess Dr. House is sort of leading up morgue experiments. [The face John pulls probably says a lot about how he feels about that. Mainly, not very good.] Every experiment in there ends in death, so it's not exactly the best way to go about answering questions, I don't think.

[He's flattered Steve apparently just trusts his judgement and tries to lay out his reasoning clearly.]

I don't think it's just an hallucination, though, no. We know that there's something very wrong with the revival system here. If there wasn't then all of the people in the mass graves up north would be walking around, the same as us. Why are we different from them? Something is picking and choosing, and maybe it's the Admin. But I think there's something else in the system at work and it might manifest as that creature.

[Steve doesn't actually reply to the comment about House's experiments, but the face he makes at the word itself is probably enough to let his feelings be known to John. His whole life seems like a list of incidents caused by people trying to replicate his accidental good fortune, and he's come to hate the word. Then again, he's not in a place to tell them what they should or shouldn't do to help get the problem solved (yet). He lets it go.]

So there's a process, but the creature or whatever it is might be interfering with that process. That does make sense. Too bad the Admin doesn't seem very open. I have some questions I'd like to ask about her side of things.

[As if he will ever get answers from Eve. Hey, he'll keep forcing the issue anyway.]

What do you think would happen if we tried to remove one of these?

[He nods to the wall with the carvings of eyes.]

She's not the chatting sort, no. I did manage to get where she was born from once. Washington, D.C., for whatever that's worth. [He offers a small shrug before standing up to join Steve in looking at one of the symbols.]

The last time these things appeared, it was long with static. The people who removed them... they were hunted down by the people who drew eyes a few weeks later. It was like something was trying to divide us up. I don't think anyone's actually gotten hurt from removing the eyes anywhere else around town.

So you talk to her fairly regularly. [Or at her, at least. That's what it sounds like to Steve. He drops teasing Watson to ask more serious questions.]

So it was just a test? To see who would remove the marks and who would draw them? How did they get people to play along? I can see a few curious people drawing eyes to see what would happen, and I'm sure some resent this place enough to lash out against anything they find, but everyone?

Which side did you take?

Well, the static sort of... they started messing with our heads. I mean more than just showing us things. Started feeling like you were the only real thing around, like you were alone. With people blinking in and out of existence, that didn't help much. And then the static closed in entirely. It was just that and the eyes that had been appearing. There was this compulsion. Draw eyes on yourself or mark them out. Varied from person to person.

I drew eyes on myself. I dunno. I couldn't help it. It was like I was barely in control anymore. It was the only thing that was gonna protect me, that was gonna protect this person--the Prophet--we didn't know anything about, really. Except at that point that the eye symbol was around clues that helped us open new areas. [John shrugs, looking uncomfortable.]

[John is treated to one of Steve's serious looks. He's never a fan of experiments, and mind control stories are getting to be all too familiar to him. When are the bad guys going to learn? He sets his jaw as he listens to John tell him about the static and things appearing and disappearing. And the part about eyes and compulsions. Yup. Sounds like mind control.]

It's all right. [He's firm, but quiet. It's a statement of conviction. Not aggressive, but without question.] You couldn't help it. Tell me what happened after that. Whatever was getting everyone to interact with these symbols is doing it for a reason. I'm still figuring things out here, so any tips you can give me might help me avoid trouble when this happens again.

[It's a little easier to go on with Steve being a calm, steady, and non-judgemental presence.] Nothing happened for a little while. Couple of weeks. We got on with things as best we could. Every now and again I see them. [He rolls his wounded shoulder unconsciously.] Not like the ones we're seeing here. But the symbol. It's in the corners of your eyes. When you turn to look, it isn't there, though. It's like they're following us... Which sounds completely mental. Sorry.

I guess it's more like... y'know those spots you can sometimes get in your eyes when you rub them hard or move suddenly? It's like that, I think. Something we can see, but no one else and a few blinks and they're gone.

Day 180, things changed. There was a blizzard. We all got snowed in and our eyes changed. The people who'd drawn eyes, ours turned into... that symbol. [John nods at one of the symbols on the wall.] We could still see out of them. Shouldn't've been able to, but we could. That was in the morning. I went blind for about ten minutes, maybe fifteen, and when my vision came back, my eyes were like that.

In the afternoon, everyone who'd marked out eyes got this horrible pain in their stomachs. That lasted a while, and then their eyes changed, too. They were glowing. Nothing much happened after that until lockdown for most people.

[John rubs the back of his neck.] Had a bit of trouble, myself, that day. Doctor Stein wanted to examine my eyes. So, he, uh... knocked me out, drugged me, and removed one of them. It held the shape of the Prophet Eye symbol, and my socket was deformed to match, but there wasn't anything else unusual when he dissected it.

[He's just going to pause there as he closes his remaining eye for a moment and tries not to remember being conscious for that procedure.]

[He doesn't answer right away. Steve listens, letting Watson get the story out and off his chest as much as he is learning from it. He doesn't change expression, not at the story about the eyes or about the disaster that befell them all afterward. He only frowns when John starts talking about Stein and what happened to him.

After a minute of digesting all of that, Steve nods. He doesn't look particularly happy, but there's not so much he can do at the moment for things that have already passed.]

You've had one Hell of a time here. I'm sorry to hear that. I think right now the best thing we can do about these is keep watching them. They might not seem dangerous now, but from what you just said, they might be a warning of some kind. I'd rather not take chances.

[He pauses to look back at the wall, which is covered in carvings.]

I'm going to sleep here tonight.

Okay. I can take first watch, sir.

[Because there are eyes all around and John isn't going to be sleeping much.]

We did have some time last go around. Might have only been a few minutes. I'm not sure how long it lasted for other people. There were these thoughts in our head once lockdown started and all the doors opened suddenly. The world just... froze, and that's when people started wanting to kill. Admin told me later there had been 'errors' that night.

We had a few moments to resist the urge, though. There are a pair of handcuffs in my pack. Front pocket. They're the only thing there. If I start acting strangely, I'd like you to cuff me to whatever you can and just keep away. I'll try to be as cooperative as I can manage.

You don't have to do that.

[It's an immediate response, but after Steve looks over at Watson and sees his expression, he realizes that the gesture isn't just the man volunteering to do the job.]

All right. You can stay up first.

[If he's going to be up anyway, at least he can feel safer if he's keeping watch. And after he's up for a while, maybe he'll sleep better. After what John says he's been through, Steve can't really blame him for being nervous.]

Don't worry. I'm not going to let either of us hurt anyone. You have my word.

[He sounds so confident, and it does bolster John's spirits to an extent. Enough to get the ghost of a smile.]

Captain, I'm bound to worry, but I reckon between the two of us, we'll sort a way to manage. Get some sleep, yeah? I'll wake you up in a few hours.

[If Steve knows anything, it's about silently agonizing over a situation. The past; the impending disasters just ahead of them; forgetting things he holds dear. His smile is a quirk of wry humor at hearing Watson tell him he's going to worry.

You can't keep people from worrying, Steve.

How many people would be telling him that right now? And yet, if that's true, he wants to prove them wrong. Too many conquerors have tried to take the world with fear for him to just be willing to accept it.]

Just make sure you don't let it get to you. And wake me up if anything happens.

[Not that he won't wake up anyway--he'll have a hard time sleeping in this room--but it needs saying.]

Lucky I ran into you here. Thanks for sticking around, Doctor.

Edited (sobs html why) 2017-01-07 19:27 (UTC)

I won't. And... thank you for being here. [There's no small amount of warmth and admiration in his own voice.] I mean, I don't want anyone to be here, but you're one of the people this town and the people in it needs.

[His eyebrows quirk at that statement. It's not new, not by a long shot, but it's still weird to hear it. Every time.]

We're all in this together. You and everyone else have been through a lot more than me, and I have your experience with these Prophet eyes to help me out. I'm just the new guy. I should thank you for trusting me. Sir.

[Because if they're going to be formal about it, Steve will make sure he's doing his share. Maybe it's a little teasing, too, but it's in good humor. He leaves Watson with that before finding a good, clear space to settle down and sleep while still facing the wall with the most carvings on it.]

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Test Drive

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cw: discussion of eye removal

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