TEST DRIVE MEME #1

[cursedmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME #1

A Blood Offering

---

You wake up cozy in bed at the Saturn Motel. As you observe the room you may realize that it looks a little dated. Or, perhaps from your point of view the lamp and TV are wildly futuristic. Or, like Goldilocks, it may seem just right: close to the world you just left behind. Either way, you just had a very strange dream (see the arrival scenario) and now you're here. And you're not alone: there's a bed next to yours and someone else is waking up just like you are.

You can chat for a while if you like, but if you try to leave you'll find the door is firmly locked and no amount of kicking, punching, or hitting it with an object will do you any good. Instead, there's a letter on the nightstand which reads:

"Good morning and welcome to your new home!

You may be wondering why you're trapped in this room. Fear not, the door will open easily if you offer a bit of blood. More than a few drops but not enough to be a serious wound. A handprint's worth will do, let's say, and it only needs to come from one of you.

I'll let you sort that out yourselves. See you on the other side.

Sincerely,
The Mayor"

And indeed, a handprint's worth of blood pressed against the door will unlock it and let you out into the world. Do you volunteer your own blood? Do you take it from the other person by force? It's up to you! But there's no food in here, so you better figure it out eventually.

Roller Rink

---

As a celebration of your new lives here (and an apology for the whole blood offering thing - they were just testing something out, really) the Mayor has invited everyone to the Crazy Eight Roller Rink for a private, after-hours party.

Attendance isn't mandatory, but it is heavily encouraged so that you can meet your fellow Cursed and know who's in on the whole secret. It'll help you down the line at some point if your Curse gets out of control and you need someone to wrangle you.

As a reward, everyone who shows up and completes at least one lap around the roller rink (you must be wearing skates, but you can crawl the lap if you can't get the hang of them) will receive a free walkman with a mystery tape inside. The color, style, and mystery tape your character gets are up to you.

Mallrats

---

Everyone loves the mall! Right? Right! And this group of newcomers is lucky enough to be here for the White Pines Mall Grand Opening celebration! Feel free to walk around the mall and partake in sales galore, check out the attractions, or just get to know the layout of the place.

The Mayor has given everyone a gift card for $100 that can be used anywhere in the mall as long as they attend the Grand Opening.

They also strongly suggest that you familiarize yourself with the mall and its layout, just in case you ever get stuck there for a while and have to compete with others for food and resources. But that probably won't happen.

Extra Info

---

The test drive meme and the IC intro log will have the same prompts, and threads between two accepted characters can count as game canon.

The first prompt is flexible: technically you're supposed to be with one other person, but if you want to do larger groups that's fine.

Rooms at the Saturn Motel initially contain two beds for the prompt, but upon leaving and returning characters will find that they all have their own rooms with one bed. If you want a roommate, someone better be ready to sleep on the floor or snuggle up! The room doesn't have to look exactly like the reference image as long as it's not too fancy and suitably dated.

Comments

[savethem]

Hop was stoic when he was concerned, so when he was quiet that was the time to worry. If he was loud and complaining things were sure to be ok.

He wasn't loud or complaining right now.

She looked him over for injuries, newer ones anyway as he showed signs of being through the wringer already.

"Hey, these are our kids, they take care of themselves a whole lot better than they have any right to."

She tucked into his side and rested an arm around his waist. "Have you eaten?"

[onlycould]

That's all we have, right? Time?

[ Since they were all stuck here. Cursed or whatever. Part of her wants to ask about the accent, another part of her just can't care anymore. It felt like nothing worse could happen to her than what she'd already been through. ]

[onlycould]

[ She scoffs in agreement, shaking her head at the ridiculousness and that physical thing to hook onto and make fun of. The absurdity of it all minced down to a singular event -- a singular item.

Any retort she might've had quickly leaves, her jaw dropping slightly. If Steve had been edging for a distraction outside of shitting on the mall, he'd found his mark. ]

I can't believe no one ever dragged you to the arcade. [ Granted, they'd all been insanely busy and part of growing up was finding out how much you cared about looking cool versus just being yourself. While she'd never expect Steve to go in on his own, she'd have expected one of the guys to have dragged him in there a few times. ]

We have to fix that. Maybe they'll take these stupid gift cards for game credit.

[ While that wouldn't be wise, considering the mall had changes of clothes and other amenities she'd need down the road, she'd have to set foot in there first to get them. Besides, she was used to washing her own clothes and getting creative with it. ]

[3inches]

She was right, of course. Their kids had definitely proved that they were resourceful and fearless, but that didn’t quite make him feel better. Life was precious and not guaranteed for anyone.

He was happy for the change of subject, though.

“No, actually.” He said as he lifted a broad arm and settled his hand on her back. It was the easiest way to make room for her at his side. “I’ve been so focused on trying to get a look at this place, I didn’t even think about it.”

[janescayre]

[To have her theory rejected so swiftly almost reminds her of home. Fukawa squawks, hot at the ears.]

And t-time travel is?

[How does he figure that? Technological trickery was ten times more likely than getting flung across time and space. And yes, there were a lot of abnormalities to account for, she wasn't forgetting that (like she ever could), but such things could easily be explained if they were hooked up to a virtual reality. Anything could be coded in. It would only take the click of a few keys and voila! A ghost, a time-traveler, an autotranslater in your head!

She'd even believe this was a kooky cult holed up in some secluded sanctuary, dressing the place like it was the good old days and snatching outsiders for indoctrination. Maybe the weirder stuff was just subliminal suggestion? Hypnosis? Straight up brainwashing? Again, all more plausible than the alternative. To jump right to H.G. Wells and skip Philip K. Dick seems downright insane.

Then she realizes the implications of everything else he said. Her skating slows as she bobs her head back, totally agape.]

N-no it's not. [What in the world?] It's 2014! And technology is close enough! Th-there's AI with personalities already!

[funhinged]

It's hard to go wrong with a bit of teamwork. I've always said that.

[ Debatable, but no one is here to say he hasn't said that. A win for Stedes everywhere.

He belatedly glances around like this person in orange ear muffs is going to magically manifest in front of him just because he's thinking about it. So many people here have so many little quirks. There's something nice about that. ]

Must be something like that... walkmen... I'm always forgetting to think about regional dialects. Not that it's very easy to do that when I don't know what the region is. [ He gives himself a little push-off and lets go of the wall for a rousing 2 whole seconds before he has to grab it again. ] Bit of an oversight on the Mayor's part.

[3inches]

“Yesterday.”

Hopper took a drag and then tapped the end of ash off his cigarette. It was a difficult feeling for him to deal with. Him being able to sense that something was off about the place, but not being in much of a position to investigate. Not having any leads to follow.

It made him feel a little … useless.

“I’m Hopper.” He said, “Jim, but but nobody calls me that.”

He offered his free hand out to Bev for a shake.

“I don’t mean to pry … well, actually I do, but you didn’t wake up here in a locked up room, did you?”

[funhinged]

[ Stede tries to picture what a "lame" version of a roller rink looks like, in the specific not actually trying to picture it way that any middle-aged man tries to figure out Kids These Days.

How lame could it be if there's still rolling in the rink? Sounds fake. It must be subjective. ]

If we had one, I'd already know how to do this with flair. I'm afraid it's a bit ahead of my time. [ By exactly how long, he doesn't know and won't bother researching. ] Might take it home with me, though! I think the crew would love this if we found the space for it.

these two are fully out here Trying Their Best and i respect them for it

[funhinged]

[ Positives: a very clean door sounds objectively less awful to have to stick a cut hand on. Stede's no medical professional. He just appreciates that it might be less gross.

He gives 'I'd never imagine myself in a room with you' a little head tilt and face-pull combo in the vein of rude, but fair. Stede Bonnet is many things. The sort of person people imagine themselves alone in a room with is not one of them. Unless that's just what his imagination wants him to think. Then again, of things he's imagined or seen, there's nothing about this room or girl familiar enough for him to have made up? Mind games... so complicated.

What a terrible day. And now the Mayor and their letter have gone and upset his-- random room sharer? Fellow captive? Something like that. It only makes sense that she's upset.

This is a glaring mark against the Mayor's etiquette, obviously. ]

Alright, alright! They're very much a two-bit sleazeball hack, but let's not give anyone the satisfaction of knowing we're worried about it. [ That's rule number one of getting terrorized, right.

Never mind that this is being kidnapped and not being insulted at a social event. He takes his hand off of the door so that he can just hold both hands up in "I come in peace" fashion. ]

Besides, I can't help noticing some unprompted use of the term "death trap." So we might wanna take a step back and unpack that, because the vibe I was picking up was a much tamer "blood trap". Very different! Would it help to talk that over?

they're never getting out of this room, bless their hearts

[janescayre]

[Fits and fury accomplish nothing. Of course they don't. She edges off the door at his extremely reasonable encouragement but her ire has scarcely abated. Instead her soapy hands fly to her scalp (if it could cry with joy it would, she hasn't washed since last week) and begin to rake and tug. A harried cry follows. It's all very dramatic. If Stede has any experience with teenagers he'll recognize that universal call of distress. If not, welcome to your first hissy fit! Please buckle up and enjoy the ride, keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times.]

D-don't you get it?! We're completely at their mercy! Oh, suuure, it's only a bit of blood now. But that's never enough. Just you watch!

[She lays off her poor greasy head and thrusts an accusatory finger at the nightstand, where the incendiary note still lies.]

They might start small, but soon it's g-going to be "kill your friends if you want to escape!" Or "detonate this bomb, it's d-definitely not going to blow up a bunch of kids!" Have you been living under a rock?! That's how these games go! It always ends up t-t-totally twisted! Always!

[Really, only the complete lack of insignias gives her the slightest bit of doubt. And this retro theme room. And this Stede guy's clothes. And his general lack of having a single fricking clue.

Other than that, she's getting deja vu in all the worst ways.

She's distinctly out of breath by the time it's over. Her hands are shaking. She has to dip a finger beneath her glasses to catch a tear before it falls. Great, now she's going to be a snotty mess as well as a crazy one.

Quieter now, still bitter:]

I'm just s-so sick of this same old joke.

ope sorry this is so late! was out of town during tdm week, bad luck

[flatly]

Alec blinks, mouthing helicopter?! like he's not actually sure he heard that right. He will process her offer to go out into town with him in a moment, right now he's busy with the follow-up.

Because her reaction is, a lot, in general. He belatedly considers that maybe he should be more careful about his tone, but holds a hand up to hopefully try to de-escalate the situation either way. He's got younger siblings, so he's not unaccustomed to Drama™, but also it's probably not particularly acceptable to just trap a strange teenage girl in a headlock until she chills out if she gets too out of hand like he absolutely would feel comfortable doing to Jace or his little sister. (What else are older brothers for, after all?)

But she should definitely get new clothes that don't look like they've been through a woodchipper with her, regardless of whatever he's up to, so while he's not exactly going to contradict her he still interjects: "Okay, calm down." He still sounds a touch exasperated, but honestly he's making an effort here! He's not in diplomat mode, and he tends to be a little catty even when he actually is, so. "Did you get a giftcard, too?" He gets the feeling that, like himself, she is not from around here. Call it a hunch.

[flatly]

That... is very helpful, actually. As Alec considers his newfound options, he runs a hand through his hair. He should probably, you know, thank Wren for their kind assistance, but he's very busy trying to decide if it's worth it to have a salad (which he probably should, if he's not going to be getting his regular demon hunting exercise), or if he absolutely has to have something he'll actually enjoy the taste of. Give him a moment.

"Are you familiar with any of the places in town?" Alec hadn't really been looking for restaurants during his first day, too busy trying to keep everything under control as it became more and more apparent that Magnus might not actually appear out of nowhere to portal him back home and lend a sympathetic ear to all of Alec's petty complaints about the place (and the 80s, which he blessedly missed the first time around and isn't thrilled about getting to experience firsthand now.) "Or are you— new here, too?" Clearly he does know better than to be particularly open about he circumstances of his arrival, so that's something.

A beat, and then a touch sheepishly: "Uh, I'm Alec." Gratitude coming soon, honest! Probably.

[corrodedcoffin]

[ Eddie inspects his hand once Wanda's finished, though he's not exactly sure what he's looking for. It's going to have to be good enough for now. ]

Nice. I always thought that'd be cool to have.

[ He waves his hand horizontally from side to side and shrugs. ]

A few weeks ago I would've definitely said yeah, you're crazy. But I've seen some shit now that makes telekinesis seem as normal as being able to whistle. So did you get made in a lab or something? That's what my friends said gave their friend powers.

[maritorious]

Her life was very well outside the norm, it was quite alright.

Nancy pauses her drinking of coke (what exact flavor even was it!) to listen to the idea of pizza. "Oh! That sounds wonderful! Like a whole meal in just one thing. I think they have something like that, up in Kensington or the like. Y'know, all posh and what not. And they have it here?"

And if her kids could enjoy it, she was sure she could, too.

"You have children? What ages?" There's a lightness in her voice, a genuine warmth and curiosity. She'd always wanted children of her own. She supposed, the gang, and, well, Oliver Twist in particular, would have to count.

[maritorious]

Oh bloody hell.

[She looks at the door.] D'you have a hair pin or something? Maybe I can pick the lock from inside.

take it back eddie madonna's great

[bodyoftheseus]

[ Well, the looks were what he expected, at least. So no surprise there. He'd always made it a point to leave an impression on people so at least it was still working even here. Maybe it wasn't so much his intention here - especially not most of the visible tattoos - but he'd take being the token freak. ]

If I knew the mall had a record shop I probably woulda skipped this shit and gone straight there.

[ He could have spent his time looking for shit he knew and liked rather than crawling along this wall like a newborn deer trying to walk. It had been so long since V was actually bad at something, and he recalled how much he hated this feeling. ]

Bein' real - I'll take anything at this point. Whole lot better than havin' nothing.

[ It didn't help that there was a ton of music here that V flat out didn't recognize, and what little he did was, well, it was almost 100 years old. There sure was no Samurai here, no Kerry, no Bea. There was even a chance Johnny himself hadn't been born yet and, fuck, that man was an actual fossil.

It was really cementing in V's head just how much he didn't belong here and how much he'd lost. His gold-plated boyfriend wasn't born yet - not even a thought, he was sure - and so far in the future V would never see him again; his music was all gone, his cyberware taken from him, and... Well, V never really had hobbies, he just found creative ways to waste time. ]

So, uh, I'm just curious and you seem pretty nova - I'm from a place way bigger than here. Lot more people, lot more shit to do. Place like this - what do you do for fun?

[ He knew that Eddie likely wasn't from here so they probably didn't know what all was around but if this place was comparable to where he was from, well, he'd have a much better idea what to do here than V would. ]

[savethem]

"It's pretty wonderful, and it saves me from cooking probably more often than it should." Joyce remarked with a smile, she didn't mind so much as long as the kids were fed.

"Well Jonathan, my oldest, is turning nineteen this year, Will and Jane are 15." She paused, as though the full weight of that was just setting in. Her babies weren't babies anymore. And like all little birds they'd leave the nest one day.

"Jonathan is getting ready to go off to college, so pretty soon it'll just be the three of us."

[savethem]

"Come on, let's get you something. I think I saw some burgers and stuff over on the other side of the arcade."

With a gentle pressure, she guided him toward food, the smell of which was making her stomach growl. And only belatedly did she realize she hadn't eaten either, it was just easier to be reminding other people to take care of themselves and sort of fall into it herself.

[westviews]

[Time's never been kind to her. Wanda presses her lips together for a moment.]

Did you have a strange dream, too?

[losers_club]

"Hopper, got it."

She shook her hand, her grip strong but not challenging. Nearly a foot shorter than him, she had to tip her head up to eye him before turning to the side to exhale smoke.

"Yeah, I did." She put her cigarette between her lips and held up that hand, the palm there had a short red cut across it. Oddly it was only one of the scars there.

"Not exactly and arm and a leg, but it wasn't cheap."

[westviews]

[The question is innocent, but something in Wanda's expression sharpens. He doesn't know, of course, couldn't imagine if it's a friend of a friend, but it takes Wanda a moment too long to respond.]

Something like that.

[A volunteer for an experiment that woke up something within her.

She's quick to move on.]

We should get out of here now that your hand's wrapped.

Belladonna Dove De Rossi | Original

[dovetouched]

1. A Blood Offering

[Well. For better or for worse, this isn’t an entirely unfamiliar situation for Bella to be in. At least, it’s not her first time being suspended in a void only to be informed she’s been cursed. Everything else is kind of new.

Including the room she wakes up in. It doesn’t look like any of the castles or inns she’s stayed in before. The beds are fine and good but the decor is strange. She has no idea what that funny little box is or what it’s for! The front of it looks like it’s made of some sort of crystal, though. That would certainly sell for a hefty price...

No - No! Belladona Dove De Rossi! There are other pressing matters to attend to! Such as the other person in the room and the contents of the letter asking for blood of all things.

She wrinkles her nose. Then looks down at her hands, still in her gloves, and then to her temporary roommate.]

Well, what are you waiting for? You can’t expect a lady to dirty her hands as such.

[Rather, she has no idea how much this curse differs from her curse or if she is stacked with two curses now, but she’s not willing to risk it. The gloves stay on.]

2. Roller Rink

[Bella has made a terrible mistake.

Easily seduced by the prospect of a prize (even if she doesn’t know what a walkman is) she courageously adorns the “roller skates” and attempts to run a lap around the rink.

Only to eat shit in a mere manner of seconds.

So now, she is still in the rink but is hugging the wall as her legs slip and slide beneath her.] T-this is impossible!! What manner of jape is this!

[Why is she SO BAD when almost everyone else is SO GOOD. It must be a spell! A prank!]

3. Mallrats

[Why does this feel like she’s just been given an allowance by her parents to keep her busy and out of trouble?

Hmph! Well, that won’t work on her!

Except it will. Because she spots an incredibly cute dress in a window and she kind of needs to at least try it on. The style of this world is so different from her own! She’s curious!

Bella approaches you, cheeks red with excitement and nerves.]

E-excuse me, are you the shop keep?

4. Wild Card

[Hit me up with anything if you’re not feeling the prompts. Bella’s info is in her journal but tl;dr she is a noble lady by day and a thief by night who stole from the wrong person once in her home world and ended up cursed. So now she is like, Super Cursed.]

Roller Rink

[dovetouched]

[Oh, thank the goddess she is not the only one hugging the wall. It was only a matter a time before she doe-legged her way to another.]

Don't they?! I think it's a spell. The shop keep gave us these silly little shoes, who knows what they've done to the-EEK. [As she gets worked up with her conspiracy theory, one of Bella's legs jerks beneath her and she slides down the wall in an attempt to keep herself standing.]

- it must be! A hazing or, or, or an initiation of some sort to make a mockery of us!!!

Roller Rink

[dovetouched]

[Billy isn't exactly the most approachable guy in the room, but he's the first person who doesn't work at the rink that Bella has heard talk about the prize they're hawking, regardless of sarcasm.

She'll take what she can get.]

Pardon! If I could trouble you for just a moment... [Noble speak probably won’t work on him, but it doesn't hurt.] What is a "Walkman"?

[maritorious]

"If it's anything like this chicken, I'm sure it's wonderful."

She's going to wind up eating herself sick at this point. And she's alright with that.

"College! He must be real smart, then. Not just everyone can go." College, University, they were all only for smart, rich people. Not at all like her. "Jane and Will- are they twins, then? They'd be about the same age as my brother, Dodger." It was easier to call the gang of pick pockets her brothers. They were all raised by the same man, after all. For better or certainly for worse.