Test Drive

[snowblindmods]

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: TIME TO CHECK WEBMD You've found the pharmacy, which is really convenient, since you're not feeling that great. Actually, you're feeling terrible. Maybe you have a fever, maybe you're coughing up blood, maybe you're vomiting... Whatever it is, you should probably try to get some medicine for it. Well, if you can figure out what it is. Maybe someone on the network can help you out? Alternately, you know exactly what you have--but for whatever reason, the medicine here isn't something you can easily understand. You have to choose between a couple of options, and you don't know the difference. Hopefully someone on the network can tell you which will heal you and which will probably kill you. TWO: NOT SO HELPFUL AVATARS Every tablet has the option for a customizable avatar that will talk to you and keep your tablet in order. Maybe you set it up, maybe you never checked it. Either way, it keeps popping up unrequested and being sort of... Odd. Flickering, talking in strange, mechanical voices, offering advice that's unhelpful at best and actively harmful at worst... Maybe it's even telling the entire network some things you've been doing you'd rather everyone didn't know. Time to call tech support. Unfortunately, the best option is other people on the network. Good luck. Action Prompts THREE: SCHOOL DAYS You've ended up in the elementary school. Maybe you're grabbing more food, maybe you're exploring. Either way, this place is creepy; the atmosphere is the sort that gets the hair on the back of your neck rising (potentially metaphorically, if you don't have hair or a neck). It's not long before strange things start happening. The sound of running and screaming children, doors slamming in far off or nearby hallways, pianos playing... What's going on? It's hard to tell what's really happening from what isn't happening. Maybe someone who's also exploring has some idea. FOUR: SUPPLY SCRAMBLE You've just walked into a house, and look, there's fresh fruit sitting right out on the counter! How long has it been since you've had some of that? It'll definitely help provide some much-needed vitamins and maybe it will ward off scurvy and the like. There's even more than one piece! ...And there's more than one person here, too. So, what are you going to do? Are you willing to share, or are you prepared to stab someone over a pear? Time to find out just how badly you want that food.

Comments

[rubikscomplex]

[This would have been more fun at the beginning of this conversation. Still, House can roll with it.]

This ass can go for hours. [In a direction away from Ramsay.] Hope you've got some good stamina from all those other hunts. Not that I want to hear about the other wolves you've been with. Gentlemen don't cut and tell, do they?

[Because he doesn't actually want to hear about something like this if it was just for this guy's sick pleasure. And let's face it, there's no way any of these hunts could have been done for anything else.]

[rubikscomplex]

I'm guessing show. [House's thoughts are in line with Harry's on that.] It's been a couple of days and I'm already getting the 'you're all labrats' vibe. Fun, but I had other things I was doing, and I might get my license pulled, participating in some non-FDA approved trial! These idiots just have no regard for a guy's career. [His comment is laced through to dripping with sarcasm.]

It would be nice if they at least had an objective for us. Ready, set, go and fight for scarce resources feels way too Lord of the Flies.

[flayerhater]

Why, I've never hunted a three legged dog who took legitimate pride in their physical prowess!

[And, well yeah. House is debunking Ramsay's generally unsound state of mind pretty quickly. Even though Ramsay himself would happily argue that each and every single man, woman, and child he's killed and or/hunted in his lifetime have been 100% justifiable.

Spoiler, it's actually more like an estimated sum of about 0%.]

And you are indeed right, I can't exactly give away those scrumptious little details. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise! Granted, given what you've told me, I'm certain you are going to prove to be an entirely different beast.

[rubikscomplex]

[So mean! It's just a helmet, Al. Time to let the light shine in. The light of knowledge particularly, because this has to be the least educated, poorly cultured kid in existence.]

Siberia. Like, in Russia. Like, the great white north expanse, home to socialists and commies. What's up with that anyway? I'm pretty sure it's something about being frozen most of the year.

And virtual reality as in a fake reality. As in, what you get hulking this tin can around for you. [He's let go from around Al's neck and settled back into his arms enough to raise one hand to rap on the armor's chest plate. Bad idea. It's cold and it's hard. House hisses, pulling his hand back to his own chest.] It's a projection of reality with machines. Very Star Trek.

Also nothing to say this place isn't half-real with half the things we see in it as hallucinations. You could probably put something in the food, the water, the snow, the air. Low doses ever so often. Get people feeding off of each other's paranoia and fear to 'create' things like those 'creatures.'

[Not... that he wants Al to stop, but just pointing it out.]

Psychosomatic pain from perceived injuries happens all the time. Brains short circuit. We're all total wimps.

Thanks for a truly AWESOME test drive thread. This has been so much fun. Good luck with your app! 8D

[rubikscomplex]

['Three legged dog.' Hah. Funny. He's been called worse.]

Guess we'll have to see. Kiss, kiss, my lord. I'll be waiting.

[audio]

[turtleissues]

Who says I'm gonna save you? I'm still waiting for you to show me the meds I asked for.

OH MY GOD thank you so much for this. iluforever. GOOD LUCK TO YOU TOO!

[flayerhater]

I know you will. I will look forward to our inescapable union, Lord Lone Wolf!

[T O B E C O N T I N U E D . . .]

[audio]

[rubikscomplex]

[Just going to delay and deflect.]

What kind of superhero is that? Aren't you guys supposed to be all about rescuing everybody?

[turtleissues]

I can run just fine. [For... a minute or two. Then the cold and illness will catch up with him and he'll be in more trouble than when he started.]

You don't need to worry about me. [He really doesn't want her worrying about him. He can handle himself.]

[cowcatcher]

[ Jane breathes out sharply through her nose at the mention of 'safety in numbers', a hand coming to rest on her hip. If she had a dollar for every time she heard that... The stare she initially fixed Harry with gains an edge when it becomes clear that he's not going to listen to her. She has half a mind to turn and walk without saying anything at all.

Not many people can do uncomfortable silences better than someone used to going it alone, which is exactly what Jane is.

In her head, she runs everything Harry's showing her against the people she's come across before. His face, age, tone, the words he chooses, how he hasn't come through the door yet -- it all gets compared to previous run-ins, and what they wound up meaning for her.

The hard look on her face doesn't let up, but slowly, the hand gripping the club comes to rest at her side. Finally, her gaze lets up, scanning the room over again (she's counting exits, though that's second nature now) before she shakes her head grudgingly, sighing. ]

Look around if you want. I haven't found shit, so once I'm through with the walk-in, I'm gone. [ It's not an answer to his question, but it is as much of an invitation as he's gonna get. ]

[audio]

[turtleissues]

I'm more about punching aliens in the face. [Despite the horrible wheezing, it's pretty obvious he's perked up slightly at the idea of alien-punching.]

[vesicant]

Jesus!

[Meg jumps a foot and pulls back when Yona comes barrelling down the stairs, and only relaxes slightly when she appears alive and (mostly) unharmed.]

It chasing you? [moment's pause for consideration.] Also, are you real and not some, like... ghost... echo... thing?

[A better person would probably have helped Yona up immediately, but in her defense, this is a valid concern right now.]

Re: 2

[vesicant]

tell me about it. i'm not discounting the possibility that its some wannabe hacker's idea of a cute prank. cabin fever + too much time on your hands = this crap.

not that long? i mean its pretty ignorable most of the time, but then it screws with my posts and starts its little spiel when i'm trying to focus on shit. i don't suppose this virus(?) is on your device too?

[vesicant]

[Well, that's a relief. Things are dire enough without duels over besmirched honor. Instead we can kill each other over good honest regular-people reasons!]

[She makes a scoffing noise at the question-as-dodged-answer, but goes along with it. Particularly since it's a detail that's been nagging her.] Beats me? I mean. If I was charitable I'd say these tablets belonged to the townsfolk before they all up and left, so they'd be manufactured by some corporation probably miles from here. And those are evil and all, but not like... focused personal evil.

But the way they've been modified, and how everyone seems to have an identical model? Unless this was a company town, nobody wants the same tech-toys as their neighbor. I'd bet they came from whoever brought us here.

[Which adds up to "beats me."]

[lancingintherain]

I might not need to, but with the way you sound, I can't help it. —Hold on. Quiet, a minute.

[she creeps up to the pharmacy door and listens at it. For a few moments he'll be able to hear nothing but water dripping from nearby ice stalactites, and then she straightens, shoves open the door with her shoulder, and slips inside.]

Where was I? Right; how long have you been ill?

[audio]

[rubikscomplex]

[House snorts.]

Hanging out a lot in Area 51?

[lancingintherain]

[once they've got another door between themselves and whatever's lurking outside practicing the piano, she straightens up and lets her voice rise above a whisper. She scans the room for anything unpleasant, her ears turning this way and that. Flatly:]

If they're too difficult, I could probably carry you. And stop calling me that; my name isn't "Hop Along". It's Freya.

[she takes out her piece of paper. There's a map drawn on it, but it isn't detailed, and she looks frustrated when she pockets it again. Thick dust muffles their footsteps; the only music that's been made in this room lately is the draft blowing through the risers.]

Have you got a name, or should I make one up for you?

[baymaxing]

Not so much wars as one on one. Which is totally legal. It's when you bet on matches that it's. You know. Less legal. But Megabot has won every fight so far.

[Until he was dragged to SFIT and chose to take up studying there instead. Which isn't to say he might not still check out some local fights when he has time, but he's not near as often seen around the scene anymore. Which is probably a good thing, since Tadashi is not there anymore to bail him out when people get pissed at the tiny nerd hustling them.]

Well, my brother's been here about a month, apparently? Something like that.

Re: 2

[disapotheosis]

Where one is barely familiar with the normal, it is foolish to assume that any deviation is a mistake. It may instead be serving a purpose of its own. For example, where better to encrypt information than in something too annoying to pay attention to?

Mine is in perfect working order. I feel almost out of the loop.

[rubikscomplex]

[Now that she's told him to stop, he's probably not going to. It's much too tempting, and she's been tolerating it.]

Hop Along Freya. Got it. Also, the carrying thing? That's not happening. [That last part, at least, is returned just as flatly.] I don't take rides from chicks. Not that kind of ride. [A small pause.] Or any kind of ride when they've got more hair than me. Furries aren't my thing.

[House makes note of the map, curious, but doesn't ask quite yet. It's obviously nothing useful in here, but maybe something for the wider world. He's grateful for the dust as the move along.]

And people call me Strider, the Dúnadan. [Sure. Why not? If he's going to dick around with her, might as well make it cool and ironic.]

[rubikscomplex]

Psh! Legal is for weaklings and future scrapheaps. Megabot, huh? I can dig it. Personally, I'd go for La Poupée Sanglante, but I'm a traditionalist. [And again, there's that hint of actual enthusiasm.] Sucks balls you didn't get to bring it with you. I find any tech, I'll let you know so we can start getting something together. [House? Helping someone else? Well, when they're going to build him a sweet robot or hoverboard, he's all for it. Probably not the hoverboard, but a guy can dream.]

A month in the arctic circle? Not bad. Tell him congrats, he might survive a Jersey winter. They're kidnapping connected people at different times, though. Interesting. [His tone turns marginally more serious at the end there. That is actually interesting. Whoever they - the admin - are.]

[armoured]

[He genuinely has no idea what House is talking about.

He's used to not understanding some terms from other worlds, but he has to wonder for a few moments if House is slipping in and out of a foreign language. Siberia, Russia, Star Trek... none of this makes even a tiny bit of sense.

So he'll focus on the one explanation that he can understand, albeit vaguely, making a humming noise of thought when House has finished his diatribe.]

Maybe that could be so, but there are a lot of inconsistencies with picking any one of those theories. A fake reality, that might explain meeting people from worlds that don't match up with your own, but it doesn't explain the prolonged length of, and detail of, this kind of setting.

[He turns slightly to change direction, which unfortunately angles them directly into the wind. He doesn't feel it cutting into him personally, not really, but it can't be comfortable for his passenger to be against such cold metal. Besides which, when he knocks on it, the hollow ring from within is pretty clear. Al chooses to ignore that, as uncomfortable as it makes him, not wanting to start up conversations about his insides again.]

Drugs might make sense for the length and surreal dangers, but not really for the clarity. From what I've read, drug induced hallucinations tend to be disjointed, or at least far less linear than this, and that's even without questioning how we're all interacting in the same hallucination.

[neverknowing]

I thought it was...

[But whatever she saw doesn't seem to have followed her down the stairs. She casts a wary glance in the direction of the stairwell before her expression contorts with confusion at Meg's second question. Yona looks back to her with some hesitation.]

I'm... not a ghost. You're not a ghost either, right?

[She really hopes she's not a ghost.]

[lancingintherain]

[she stops short and whirls around to face him, her eyes bright and her teeth bared. Her voice is low for stealth's sake, but full of indignant fury.]

Why, you—how dare you! And when I'm trying to help you, too, you—you old—!

[she struggles for adequate words, then gives up, and takes a deep breath to force herself to calm down. It sort of works. She glares at him.]

I could leave you behind, you know. I could.

[she couldn't, and she knows it.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House curls in on himself as much as he physically can in Al's arms, shivering. Screw the cold. Screw wherever this is... whatever this is, and especially screw the admin. He never thought he'd be this desperate to get back to the hospital, but the 'charm' of this place had taken all of a couple of days to wear off.]

So it's a combination. [He favors Occam's Razor, but he's not in the mood for critically thinking over the most elegant solution at the moment. Maybe when he is concerned about catching frostbite... or getting killed by incorporeal shadow things.] Half real town, a bit of virtual reality and puppetry, kick in drugs when they need to induce some hysteria, and you've got Snowhell, population everyone who doesn't want to be here.

Sounds to me like we're just lab rats.