memesinthenight | TEST DRIVE MEME #03

Entry tags:

!tdm

TEST DRIVE MEME #03

Hello and welcome to the The Next Night's test drive meme for August! Thanks for your interest in this GPSL! In an effort to streamline our application process and avoid future confusion between incoming and existing players, we do not have a reservation period. Applications will be judged on a first-come, first-served basis.

While you're here...

Take a look at our rules and faq pages to familiarize yourself with The Next Night.

Note that we will have an application cap of 10 apps for new players, and that the game has a player cap of 60. An accurate count of current players will always be available on the taken page.

TDM threads can become game canon if both players wish. If the situation isn't something that could happen in-game, you're free to chalk it up to some strange hallucination, a shared dream, or other mysterious circumstance.

Note that top-leveling is not limited to new characters! If current players wish to post a starter, they are welcome to do so. They are welcome to make posts in the main comms for TDM events as well. Please note, however, that actual plot clues or happenings will not occur in TDM prompts.

If you plan to apply, please keep in mind that we do require at least one sample thread on the application to be from our TDM (though it doesn't need to be the current TDM).

You're welcome to use the provided prompts or come up with something on your own, but we do ask that all threads take place in our game's setting.

As we no longer plan to have a bimonthly game-wide HMD meme, we require that all new applications going forward must have a HMD post somewhere on the journal and we will ask for this as part of the application process.

Thank you again, and we hope you'll choose to join us!

log prompts

ARRIVAL: A WATERY GRAVE

Slowly, your surroundings come into focus. You can hear the soft lap of waves on a beach. The air is warm and humid, and somewhere not too distant is the murmur of conversation. A wave breaks and races up the beach - and it's cool, and very wet, and that's when you realize you're lying face-down on the pebbles, soaking wet. And aside from the lantern just ahead of you, which is thankfully out of the water's reach (so far, anyway) and a few dancing lights in the distance, everything is dark.

Wherever you were before, however it is you died, you've woken up somewhere new. But you might want to get moving fast. The next wave might reach a little farther and put out that lantern, which seems to be your only nearby source of light at the moment. What's more, you swear that when the water raced back into the lake, you felt it grasp at your clothing, at your ankles, at your feet, and try to drag you down with it.

The longer you wait, the stronger each little wave pulls. Try to dive under, and you'll find your eyes covered with hands, your torso wrapped with long, flexible arms. The lake laughs as it tries to drown you. Hopefully someone sees you struggling.

IN A CARNIVAL WITH SIGHTS TO SEE

Once you've made your way off the beach and acclimated to your new surroundings, you'll find you've arrived at a very fortunate time - there's a carnival that's been set up for the residents of Beacon. You'll find all the trappings of your typical carnival - booths for cotton candy and funnel cake, various rides (including a roller coaster and a ferris wheel).

Beyond the rest of the festivities, there lies a Fun House, which holds a foreboding air around it, though there's still something somewhat alluring about it, even as you're warned away by spirits. If you ignore them and start heading inside in spite of that, you'll notice things are fairly ordinary at first - a little creepy, with its flashing lights and eerie music, but that's to be expected in a fun house, isn't it?

As you continue down the mirrored hallways, however, you may start to notice that your reflections aren't behaving as they should - instead of moving with you, they appear to be staring at you. As you start reaching the end (or what you think is the end, at least), you start hearing movement behind you, as if something's trying to get closer. You whirl around, trying to find an opening between the panels of glass, and come face to face with your doppelgänger, who begins to chase you as you try to find your way out.

[This is a miniature version of our upcoming event, Cotton Candy Hearts. Feel free to create and control your own spirits as needed!]

network prompts

SONGBIRDIFY

For characters that are musically inclined, they are likely happy to know that a music app is preloaded on every device. Songbird has a huge variety of music, from many different worlds.

There is a slight blip in the system, however, as the app has suddenly started pre-sharing songs. Hey, check out my favorite song on Songbird! The pick might be the character's favorite, to the T... or even one that would be their favorite, if they'd had an opportunity to listen to it. Or, it can be the silliest, most ridiculous song known to man. Either way, it's going to play all the way through, no closing the app or turning it off.

Is it a surprising pick? Did you just have to listen to 3 minutes of rhythmic chanting? Perhaps a song about bidets? Maybe you like that song too? Might as well chat about it!

MIRROR MIRROR

There's a strange post on the network, with a garbled username and title. Clicking onto it provides a video feed. Who is on the video feed? Well, funny you should ask. It's you.

There's nothing you can do about the doppelgänger, that swans a little closer to the camera with an eerie smile. That's all they seem to do, breathe quietly and stare directly through the screen, endlessly. For hours.

The only thing on the tablet that seems to function is the chat feature. Maybe you can ask yourself some questions? Or just see if anyone else can see the monstrosity that smiles unblinkingly back at you. Maybe warn them that shadow isn't actually you... especially as they reach for a sharp hunk of mirror from beside them and finally disappear from the screen.

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Normal conversation. Distant. I called out but nobody said anything. I only heard you splashing in the water. At least, that's the only sound other than the waves coming in.

[ Shadow gave Jessica a long look before shrugging out of his jacket and offering it to her. ]

I think we each get a lantern. [ He uttered casually while waiting for her to take his jacket then the lantern in hand. His was just behind where she stood. ]

[ Well, that was something. Barely. It could still present a threat but a slightly less aggressive one, maybe.

She was wringing water from her hair and shirt while he removed his jacket. It was off before she could argue against needing it. She accepted it with a sharp stare, implying it wasn't needed or even appreciated. Chivalry was just the least insidious thing afoot at the moment.

Jess bent to grab her lantern. Lifting it, its sphere of light spread and illuminated the messenger bag she'd had slung over her shoulder in Deerington. Approaching it, she picked it up and rifled through the contents. Within were her camera and flask, as well as an unfamiliar tablet. She checked her jean pockets for her Fluid device and found nothing. ]

Do you have your Liquid thing?

The fluid? [ Shadow set down the lantern in hand and checked the pockets of his jeans before the ones on the outside of his jacket. ] Unless it's in the inside of the jacket, no.

[ He bent down and picked his lantern back up. ]

You think that means something?

[ Shadow glossed over her look of disdain when he handed her his jacket. If they did encounter others, he considered himself lowering the risk of injury to anyone who might be brazen enough to make a comment over a wet t-shirt to Jessica. He was more protective than possessive. ]

[ Ugh, Fluid. Worst name ever. Jess couldn't remember if she deliberately estranged herself from the proper name or it was her brain doing it unconsciously. ]

I don't know. We had them in Rapture. [ It seemed no less possible for them to have them here. Jess patted down the jacket and fished out a small tablet, alike to the Fluid in technological capability but different in design. ~~Don't ask me how it fit in the pocket, don't ask anyone.~~ His, however, was waterlogged and might be on the fritz. She put it back. ]

I need to see if I have my powers. [ She didn't want weakness to take her by surprise. It would be unkind to ask Shadow to help her test them by bruising her, so she went off in the direction of the deepest darkness in search of a tree or surface to hit, or large rock to heft. ]

What's that? [ He asked about the tablet she pulled out from his jacket. ~~Simple: big guy has big jacket with big pockets! Moving on...~~

Whatever it was wasn't working. The question remained on his face but Shadow didn't utter anything further.

Until she started walking off. ] Jessica, stop. Just shove me. Or throw me. --Away from the water.

[ He really didn't need to say that last part. Shadow trusted her. It was a gentle reminder to be mindful about the water and the darkness. ] Who knows what you're gonna find in that direction. We shouldn't split up.

[ Shadow set his lantern down and patted his chest twice for her to come at him. ]

[ Jess didn't have a good answer for him about the tablet. He saw exactly what she did. Once she answered her own questions, she'd pull out the presumably functioning device in her bag.

The urgency in his voice stopped her and she turned back toward him. She looked him over from head to toe, noticing no visible injuries. That didn't mean she wanted to give him some. ]

All right. Give me your arm. [ She put it over her back and bent to drape him over her shoulders. Straightening her knees, Jess hefted him off the ground with relative ease, then set him down. Raking loosened strands of hair behind her ears, she offered her arm to him, hand up. Jess tugged the jacket sleeve back, bunching it at the elbow. ] Last thing. Squeeze my arm, hard as you can.

[ Her strength was intact. Her durability wasn't necessarily guaranteed. Deerington proper taught her that during the orc invasion. ]

What? [ He questioned yet gave her his arm. A surprised laugh left him at being hoisted on her back. Her body was a welcome warmth under his drenched state. It ended quickly as Jessica set him back down. The question returned to his face as she pushed up the sleeve of his jacket on her arm.

Shadow didn't like what she wanted him to do but couldn't think of a better alternative so he only hesitated a second before doing as she asked. With a huge breath that he held when he started. One eye squinted in a wince, using all his strength to squeeze. ]

[ She was good at masking pain, all things being equal. With foreknowledge of it, her poker face was immaculate. It hurt as little as it ought to, though it would leave a bruise. That would heal in a day and she didn't intend to let him see it. Jess withdrew her arm and shook the sleeve loose. ]

Still firing on all cylinders. [ That she can tell. She dug into her messenger bag and took out the tablet to repay the favour he'd done her. Jess handed it over to him while scanning the darkness around them, ensuring nothing was creeping out. ]

Here. Mine's dry.

[ Shadow remained quiet as she acted unaffected. He wasn't sure what to make of her request and filed away his thoughts while they dealt with their current surroundings. The water had been a danger, who knew what else lurked around. It wasn't a surprise given what Deerington had a habit of doing.

He wasn't sure why Jessica handed him the... what the hell was it? It wasn't like any device he'd ever seen. What was even more disturbing was wishing that Technical Boy was around to help with it.

Apparently it was Shadow's turn to act unaffected and tinker on the device that had a clock, an alarm, a stopwatch, a calendar, a notepad, and basic settings. ] There's a network.

It wants a username. This thing seems like it's a phone and a iPad. Maybe it's a new fluid.

[ Ugh. ]

I wonder what gross name we're supposed to call this one. [ Jess took it back from him and tapped around, foregoing the request to enter a username. It wouldn't allow her onto the network until she did but that wasn't what she was looking for. Under ACCESSORIES she found a map. Opening it up, she took a step that put her side by side with Shadow, so he could he could familiarize himself with the layout at the same time. ]

Looks like the voices are coming from the village, and that way [ she pointed vaguely southeast ] is an armory.

[ They'd crawled out of the lake roughly smack dab between the two. ]

Liquid. [ The word left him with a shrug. It was something of a joke between what Jessica had previously said and the fact that his was full of water.

He watched as she bypassed going on the network and went to another... Oh. Maps. That was useful. Shadow quietly watched then crouched down to pick up the lamps. ] An armory? That's different. [ Question was in his voice and his features. ]

Which way do you want to go?

[ The word "armory" made her think of blacksmiths and leatherworkers toiling away under May fireworks. That, in turn, made her think of rough metal cleaving through mottled flesh and the spittle flying off gnashing teeth and tusks. As prudent as it might be to equip themselves with more than their fists, Jess was loath to choose the armory.

If the village seemed suspect or unsafe, they could double back to it. Even if everything in the village was hunky dory, she might still do that. It would be a secure sleeping place. Prying her eyes from the east, Jess wet her lips and tucked the tablet away. ]

Let's go see what this village is all about. Carefully.

[ Even with their Tolkien escapade, Shadow didn't immediately think of medieval times. Yet neither did he see Jessica wanting to go get loaded up with firearms. He knew better than to predict what she'd do and left the decision to her.

He gave her a nod and handed Jessica her lamp then started toward the village. His now free hand grabbed at the wet shirt clinging to him, tugging at it to undo some of the restriction as they walked. ] What do you remember last? Before the water.

[ Because he couldn't remember Jessica and wondered if she had been near the confessional. More specifically, had she heard anything he yelled in the hopes of being released from the booth. ]

I was up in the Flatwoods, near the fire station. I guess I was too close to the wall and they were spraying pesticides in the cemetery -- it got hard to breathe. I passed out.

[ She all but shrugged. Logically, she must have died; the Flatwoods were largely deserted and it was unlikely anyone would stumble upon her and get her to the hospital. But here she was, dropped into yet another mysterious circumstance, with everything she'd had on her at the time. Alive, for all intents and purposes. And not suffering from nausea or illness, symptoms reported by Sleepers who had experienced death. Maybe Jess had just timed it well and lost consciousness right at the kick-off of another setting swap. ]

I woke up from a crazy dream. Nearly died in it. Found myself in a confessional booth when I woke up. It wouldn't open and there wasn't a priest on the other side, just another Sleeper. Air started to get thin. I passed out too.

[ Which didn't make any sense to him how he ended up with Jessica in the water when they weren't together the last either of them remembered.

He wasn't as quick to think death as she had been, unbeknownst to him. 'Passing out' seemed logical to Shadow. The two experienced changing from Rapture to Deerington and other sleepers had navigated between more settings than they had.

What he did wonder about was why the had found themselves together to start the new setting. If it meant anything after what they had already been through, the rumors, and Laura showing up. Shadow hadn't thought of a way to bring any of that up yet and just walked quietly. ]

A confessional? [ she asked incredulously.

What the fuck was the point of that? Everyone's dirty laundry had already been spray-painted on any available surface in town. Jesus Christ. In comparison, Rapture and the situation in which they now found themselves were practically subtle. Including how they were currently paired off. Surely jamming the two of them into either side of a confessional would have been significantly juicier.

Instead they were playing the long game: Among the photos on Jessica's camera were the rumors concerning Shadow, and she had no reason to believe he hadn't seen hers in turn (though she had evidence of those, too). ]

[ He gave a nod, refraining from making eye contact at her question. Shadow continued to walk for a handful of steps before any kind of response. ] I think the point was to confess in order for the door to open before the air ran out but the other person wouldn't talk.

[ Shadow shook his head bitterly. ] I'm not sure they could talk at all. I don't know what the point was.

[ Was it to voice the rumors that were going around? Some that held truth, twisted to sound perverse. He wasn't going to bring up what he'd read of Jessica. His eyes glanced to their surroundings and their forward trek, continuing to avoid her. ]

I think that might be the most screwed up stunt they've ever pulled. [ And the competition was steep. She was still struggling to believe it. In fact, believing it was on pause as she contemplated what she would have done in that situation. Freely suffocated, if the listener on the other side was a Deerington native or as silent as Shadow's had been. But if it was another sleeper, compliant and desperate?

Jess drew herself back to the present with a downward glance at her lantern. It didn't matter. Whatever that was about, Deerington was done with it. It was moving on, in record time, to the next fresh hell. Getting bogged down by the last nightmare would just increase their chances of succumbing to the new one. Furtively, she looked over at him, but as she'd sensed in her periphery, he seemed keen to look ahead. Jess did the same.

Whoever he bared his soul to in that booth had screwed him over massively. Being fine now doesn't make suffocating retroactively painless. It would be a bad time to bring up his dirty laundry. They should find a safe spot first, someplace to get their bearings. Take a beat. Drink. ]

[ He didn't say anything further. There was a lot on his mind as they walked through the darkness. A mixture of past and present. Shadow wasn't sure what to make of the setting change or what he'd been through before arriving. It was safer to focus on the present.

His eyes searched around them as they walked toward the village. It wasn't until a car length away did he see a series of homes. Some looked like cabins, others like bungalows or cottages. Quaint. ]

I think this is the village.

[ The silence between them wasn't quite tense but it wasn't comfortable, either. Under the circumstances it shouldn't be. She'd like to be able to reassure him despite having nothing to offer. The best she could do was stay by him, protect him with the one advantage she was afforded.

Nearing the village stirred her nerves rather than settle them. Darkness clung between the buildings and lurked inside their windows. Less than a handful were lit, and she didn't like those any better. In the centre was a desolate park. The voices they'd heard were still a ways off, perhaps congregated in a town square or similar gathering space. Aside from an illuminated brick building, which looked official in comparison, his area appeared to be residential. ]

Where is everybody? [ Other sleepers, as disoriented as they were. Deerington messed with people en masse, scooped them up in big batches and dumped them into dangerous situations. Or else it lured them there, typically with the promise of gifts and supplies. They should have sighted someone by now. ]

Maybe we're the first. [ The Deerington Adam and Eve? Shadow shook his head at the thought, refusing to utter it out loud. There was too much biblical thoughts running through his head. He didn't keep his eyes closed for long given their surroundings.

There was one small house that wasn't just dark but had the front door open. It seemed staged yet Shadow couldn't think of a point in that. Then again, what was the point of having a nightmare that he almost died in to wake up in a confessional booth to wake up on the shore wherever they were now in darkness.

Shadow paused, lifting his lantern into the doorway. ]

[ Adam and Lilith, more like, though neither allegory occurred to Jess, nor did she put much stock in his theory. She kept apace as Shadow approached the doorway of the homestead, cutting in beside him at the threshold. She took a step in ahead of him, compensating for his halved light by raising her lantern.

The interior was damaged, with sparse furnishings littering the room they surveyed. The open door clung lopsidedly to one rusty hinge, the next one down broken and the last missing. Dirt and leaves had been blown in some time ago, the former carpeting the floor and the latter bunched in corners and at the base of furniture. There were no tracks or footprints to indicate anyone had been through recently, human or animal. And... ]

There's a fireplace. [ They could dry off, warm up. It might be prudent to leave further exploration until daybreak. ]

[ It only struck him as Jessica moved past him that maybe there was something awry between them. Or maybe Shadow felt everything out of place with the sudden relocation. ] I see. [ He responded simply, reading into the moment for what it was. ]

I saw some logs outside. [ Shadow set his lantern down inside with Jessica and headed to where he'd seen the logs, only the further he went from the lantern, the dimmer the light became and the weaker he felt. He was sweating and shaking, only managing to pick up one log to return with. ]

[ She was reluctant to take her eyes off him but knew what logs he was referring to and that he'd be within earshot. She wasted no time in checking the remaining rooms on the ground floor, and then carefully made her way up the stairs to clear the rest of the house. The second floor was worse off than the first, the night sky visible through a large hole in the ceiling. The splinters of roof beams were strewn underfoot; Jess gathered up a handful to use as kindling and returned downstairs.

She left them in a pathetic little stack by the hearth and went to check on Shadow. Nearly colliding with him in the doorway, she stopped herself and took a step back. He looked stricken, as if he'd been badly frightened. She mistook his sheen of sweat for lake water. ]

You okay? [ Jess set her lantern down, flicking a glance behind him, in case self-defense was imminent. ]

I... got really weak... all of a sudden. [ It took everything he had to make it to the door, dropping the one small log he carried at the threshold when Jessica met him at it. Shadow panted for breath while resting against the door jamb.

He'd left his lantern inside to use both his hands and somehow couldn't carry something he would normally be able to lift in one hand with no effort. Shadow used the back of his hand to wipe his brow before stumbling into the abandoned house.

As he moved closer to his lantern, the flame increased and he felt more composed. ] What the...

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