Test Drive Meme #3

[modaccount]

Test Drive Info

⇝ Test Drive Memes take place in a virtual reality simulation occurring in characters' minds that tests them for 'fitness' before they enter the setting officially. Because it is set in a simulation created by the Sylphid, the missions, while being comparable to regular missions in the game, will be from a Sylphid perspective.
⇝ Characters will not be chipped during the simulation, and will have access to their abilities from canon, but will be chipped upon waking for the rescue.
⇝ Current characters can easily be pulled into the simulation if they are sleeping and dreaming when it's happening. The Sylphid cast a wide net with the simulation to fill it out with characters to interact with for prospective new arrivals.
⇝ Test Drive Meme threads may be considered game canon so long as all parties agree to it.
⇝ Test Drive Meme threads do count for Activity Check.

i. Awakening

It happens in a dream. You fall asleep and the next moment you feel like you're awakening again, but without any exhaustion, as if you've had a full night's sleep. You find yourself in a comfortable bed in a room full of comfortable beds, all of which contain other people waking up just the way you are. The room is large but cozy, with wide windows that are framed by light curtains, and the sun is shining in from an angle that suggests morning.

Once you're up and moving around a little, ready to explore this new place, you'll discover an open door on one of the walls in the room, through which soft strains of music can be heard, and above which there's a sign saying "Free Breakfast." Once you make your way into the room, possibly with some of the other people just waking up in this strange place, you find a buffet table loaded with breakfast foods - some familiar, and some strange, mainly featuring mushrooms and root vegetables. Quiet, soothing music is playing and there are a variety of tables with chairs available to settle down and enjoy some food.

This is just a dream, right? What could be the harm in eating a bit of food, maybe trying out some cool alien cuisine, and getting to know the other people here?

ii. The Mission: The Fungus Among Us

Once everyone has eaten their fill and gotten to know their new compatriots a little better, there is an interruption in the music playing in the room. Three musical chimes sound, and a pleasant female voice speaks.

Attention, new recruits! We have a mission for you.

The intercom goes on to explain that there is a forest of mushrooms called The Troop that borders on the northwest walls of the city, which releases spores near constantly (though more prolific in fall) that have a hallucinogenic effect on sentient beings. These spores can cause people traveling in The Troop to become disoriented and confused, experience vivid auditory and visual hallucinations, and become permanently lost. Generally, the spores aren't a problem inside the city or in the surrounding area because no one has built close enough to the Troop to suffer serious effects. However, this particular fall, the spore count has been significantly higher than previous years, and spores are making their way into the neighborhoods bordering The Troop. Even worse, the spores are having a slightly different effect on top of the usual ones.

The spores, once inhaled, are growing into microscopic fungi that populate in the brains of citizens and take over the brains of the infected. Once taken over, the citizens who are infected are servants of The Troop, and will do whatever they can to infect others by whatever means possible, whether it's by capturing spores and releasing them in people's faces or by gagging up fungi that will infect others. Beyond that, there is a kind of mania about the people who have been infected - they are wide-eyed and high-energy, they will accost random people with spores or fungi, they will chase people down on the street to infect them.

Beyond that, there's another effect. Those inflicted with fungal infection become distinctly lacking in any kind of verbal filter. They will say exactly what they're thinking, they will blurt out secrets, expose themselves emotionally, and share their innermost thoughts and dreams. After all, it's not like the individual mushrooms in The Troop keep secrets, they're all part of a larger whole, and that's how infected individuals will behave. It's as if they're sharing a consciousness, taken over by the hive mind of The Troop, and see others as simply extensions of themselves.

Will your character get infected, try to help the infected somehow, or just plain stay out of the way of all this madness?

iii. The Mission: Full Fungal Smackdown

As the infection gradually progresses, those who are infected start to become more violent, which is a big problem. The infection is slowly spreading throughout the low-income neighborhood that it initiated in and moving toward the city proper, with increasingly aggressive infected doing their best to infect others. Their methods are starting to become more aggressive as well, where before they would simply spray others with spores or present them with mushrooms, they are now altering common devices like leaf blowers to spread the spores over a broader area and violently attacking people to shove mushrooms into people's mouths, curling fingers inside their mouths to force the fungi into their victims' sinuses and infect them.

It isn't just infection techniques that are getting more aggressive. Their behavior in general is aggressive - the infected are starting fights, are attacking people, often shouting in a strange, unintelligible language. The tone of the attack is that of people defending their own territory, fighting off intruders or predators, even if the person they're attacking made no moves to strike first. Attackers may fight hand-to-hand or even employ weapons that they are familiar with to attack others, whether it's guns, knives, laser swords, or anything else they might use in their regular uninfected life. Even those who were non-combatants will use kitchen knives or other makeshift weapons to attack the uninfected.

They never attack the infected, somehow they seem to know immediately who is and who isn't part of the hivemind.

As the attacks start to really escalate and there is panic in the streets, characters will be informed that a cure for the infection has been found, and everyone who isn't infected should stop by one of the Sylphid trucks carrying syringes of the cure and load up. Anyone who's able to fight, or even who is just capable of carrying and using a syringe, is asked to take a bandeau of them and to inoculate anyone infected. Unfortunately, though, the only real way to tell if someone is infected is by that wide-eyed look, and the attack that comes out of nowhere.

iv. Welcome to the Broken World.

The simulation is over, and you don't even know how you got here from there.

All you know is that one moment you were participating in a mission to save the Sylphid children, to uphold peace talks, and then you were asleep again, after the mission was over.

You wake up in what seems like the blink of an eye, nauseous and dizzy but otherwise unscathed, possessions taken away, barefoot and dressed only in a set of plain grey clothing, like the most bland uniform ever imagined, in an empty room with empty walls and one single door with a small barred window and a single number printed just above it. The door is locked and cannot be broken by any means, you can feel your connection with any superhuman powers you had severed, leaving them just out of reach - you can feel them there, tingling at your fingertips or in the back of your brain, but you just can't get to them. There is no one to greet you or explain what's happening. You start to lose track of time, the only sound the distant ticking of what sounds like a massive clock.

Just when things seem hopeless, when you feel like you're about to go mad, there's the sound of a commotion outside your door. The sounds of a battle, or perhaps an infiltration gone just slightly wrong. Either way, when the door opens, there is a figure there with a hand outstretched.

"Welcome to the Broken World. Come on, we'll explain everything just as soon as we get you and the others out of here."

NAVIGATION

Comments

Questions.

[modaccount]

[tech_nically]

Are those stuck in the simulation stuck running through it until some kind of completion- and if so what would that be? Or can they end it prematurely and trigger waking up somehow, and if so, what would do it?

Boba Fett | Star Wars Legends | playing him from a weird af canonpoint, forgive me

[concord_dawned]

i. awakening

[ A young man in a gray prison uniform stands off to the side in the common room, arms crossed as he watches others fill their plates.

Boba has to admit, he's disappointed in himself for dreaming up something so... escapist in nature. The sunny dining room, the soft music, the plates full of food: all of it seems to him a sign of internal weakness, some pathetic part of him that can't handle the reality of his true circumstances. It would be embarrassing if there were actually anyone other than himself to witness it.

Needless to say, he's not going to risk losing himself to this delusion by eating the food or striking up a conversation with his non-existent compatriots. If someone does approach him, whether they speak to him or not, they'll be met with the same response:

A dubious stare as Boba wonders where exactly that corner of his subconscious mind his dream had dredged you up from. ]

ii. the mission

[ Unfortunately, the nature of the "mission" given to them does nothing to dissuade Boba that this experience is anything other than an invention of his own mind. A plague of mind-altering hallucinogens, unprovoked acts of violence from former citizens, the corrupting nature of it all—little bits and pieces of unwelcome memories, cut up and rearranged into a new shape.

As the briefing continues, a disgust so palpable it feels like nausea swells in Boba chest and it takes effort to try and force himself back into apathy. This isn't real, he reminds himself. Feeling angry about it would be just as foolish as feeling relief. Still, one sentiment remains: if this dream is going to use those memories as raw material, then he has no interest in passively following along.

Calmly and deliberately, he turns to the person next to him. Are they bigger than him? Smaller? It doesn't matter—as far as he's concerned, they aren't real. Which means that he feels no remorse throwing an unprovoked punch at their face.

Sorry, was this dream supposed to be about deranged spice attacks? Because it's about fistfights now. ]

iii. welcome to the broken world

[ When the dream finally ends, Boba is, at first, unsurprised to find himself in a cell. After all, a prison cell is where he had first fallen asleep, before the dream had started. Of course he'd wake up in the same one.

Then comes the gradual realization that this isn't the same prison cell. More than that, he realizes, this isn't even the same prison uniform he'd been wearing before. Had he been transferred? Boba frowns. The timing would make some amount of sense. The last thing he remembers before this "transfer" is speaking to a Pleader and summarily being pled unrepentant. He'd been threatened with exile or execution. But which one is he here for? And why can't he remember being transferred?

Strangely, it's the second thought that gnaws at him more as the hours tick by. From the moment he'd made the decision to kill his superior officer, he'd known that there would be a price to pay for it, whether it was imprisonment, exile, or death. But he's disturbed by the gap in his memories—at the thought of what might have put it there.

The sound of a commotion outside of his cell jars him from his thoughts. It sounds like... someone breaking in? He stands, backing away and readying himself for a fight on instinct; he can think of a lot more people who want him dead than want him rescued. But when the door finally swings open, the figure in the threshold offers forward an empty hand—and a promise of freedom. Boba's eyes flicker warily between the hand and the face of the one offering it. They'd said something about a broken world? ]

You're going to have to be more specific.

ii.

[tech_nically]

[There's something that nags at the back of his mind as Tech listens to the briefing. That vague sense of deja vu, something about the Troop. It's like he's trying to recall something from a dream, hazy, but then there've been other things that he hasn't quite been able to work out the more he starts to think about it. Normally he'll pay close attention to information for an upcoming mission, but there's just something wrong here, and it's downright distracting.

He stands in his armor, his helmet tucked under an arm. But when did he..? Then again, why shouldn't he be ready to go if there's a mission? He frowns to himself, looking around for what feels like the first time since he'd been in the room, really looking around. Something's not adding up.

Movement from beside him draws his attention rather quickly, although not nearly quick enough to completely avoid the punch thrown towards his face. He feels knuckles graze his jaw, the attack surprising him enough that he stumbles back with the blow, his helmet clattering onto the floor. Reflexes kick in, his fists up and prepared for a follow-up even as he seeks opportunity to retaliate while his mind sorts out the details.

His first thought is that the apparent fungus infection is spreading more quickly than they'd thought, his attacker gaining his full attention as he carefully works his sore jaw. Except...there's something familiar about the guy who punched him.]

-wait...

iii

[scarabwings]

[Layla's first thought when the door opens and she sees what's on the other side is, Shit, he's just a kid. Not the first - the Sylphid don't seem to differentiate between youths and adults when selecting their captives, assuming it's actually selection and not some big multiversal gacha machine - but it's a blow every time.

The second is that he looks rougher than some of the prisoners they've pulled out of facilities like this, like he's been here a while, or started out somewhere bad before landing here in worse.

The third is, grudgingly, Smart kid. The wariness is inconvenient to a rescue effort. It isn't, she has to admit, exactly unwarranted.]

Which part?

Donatello Hamato | Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (post movie)

[purplexing]

I.

If this is a dream, it is by far one of the weirdest ones he's ever had. Donatello stands there with a tray in his hands, staring at whoever's lined up for this buffet, his brow twitching slightly. "Gotta say, if this is one of those school dreams I hear people have then I am highly disappointed." But then how's that match up with where he'd woken up? A boarding school of some kind? Psych ward? Granted his experience of school in general has been sneaking into April's high school and watching whatever fantasies popular media tends to portray school life as. Hopefully no one remembers him as the weird green guy that started screaming the moment he found himself in a room full of beds filled with strangers and not family.

Eventually he slips into line, eyeing the available food as his face shifts between expressions of confusion and disgust, although mostly the former. "It's not like I don't mind mushrooms but usually it'd be on a pizza eyew what is that."


II.

"A mission?"

The turtle teen frowns up at the nearest speaker as he listens to the briefing. "What is with the fungus angle? Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have eaten that last piece of mushroom pizza last night," he mutters under his breath. That had to be it. "Ah, a strange mesh of the recent alien incident and poor meal decisions, yes of course! Okay, it all makes sense now." He nods to himself, looking smug.

"Well, if this is the expectation of this weird dream then I guess I'll have to play along. Unless I should be trying to figure out how to wake up instead." His eyes slowly swivel back towards the speaker as he strokes his chin. The music that had been playing would definitely not have been his first choice under any given circumstances. There wasn't even a beat to dance to! Except the theory that he's being hypnotized again falls through since the music's no longer playing. He shrugs.

"Oh well. On with the mission then, I guess."


III.

"This is not what I signed up for!!" It's beyond gross and it's difficult to avoid when infected fungus people are just. Everywhere. "Nnnh, stay away!" Donatello spins his bo, fending off the more aggressive attackers, shoving them back. He leaps into the air, the back of his battle shell opening up for the rotors to activate and take him up into the air. "Hah! Can't get me here- Aah!"

He turns, swinging his staff to block-


IV.

This isn't what he'd expected to wake up to. It's much worse. His tech is gone, his bandanna is gone what kind of monsters take something like that away?! "Wha... where is this..?"

It begins to dawn on him that there's probably a lot more to worry about than the terrible clothes he's been put into, an offense to fashion if ever there was one. He presses a hand to his head, trying to push past the disorientation. Why's it so hard to think? Gradually it becomes clear that he's in some kind of prison, which is absolutely unsettling. Sure, he may have done some less than legal things in his life but he's made sure not to leave any digital trails-

"Calm down Donnie, we got this. Just blow this wall open and slip out before anyone thinks twice-"

He holds a hand out to his side and then blinks. Cold realization sets in. "...no, not again..." His mystic powers- gone?

The sound of something outside is barely registered until the door opens, and Donnie leaps back with a shout, stumbling before landing in a heap on the cell floor. He scrambles around into an upright position, hands held up defensively even as he stares wide-eyed at whoever's come through the doorway.

I.

[incinerating]

If this is a dream, it's not the absolute weirdest, but it's pretty damn close.

Waking up in what feels like the liminal space between a prison/asylum is jarring, but Lio can understand the symbolism. He spends every day fighting for freedom and sticking it to the man, only to lay awake at night wondering if the fire burning within him is a blessing or a curse. Rebel or terrorist. Special or broken.

The man-sized turtle on the other hand? Yeah. That's a new one. His subconscious deserves a gold star for creativity.

Lio watches the turtle make his way through the buffet, openly gaping. Because this is a dream, and nothing he says or does really matters, right? It's his dream and he can stare at the walking, talking man-turtle all he wants.

"I thought turtles ate everything. Aren't you scavengers? Stop being picky, you're holding up the imaginary line."

III

[pupp3t]

Li sees the infected person lunging for someone else and reacts instinctively, running forward, dropping to the ground and kicking hard at the attacker's ankle. The man drops, and then before he knows what's happening Li plunges a knife into his ribs. The angle isn't ideal. It's probably not going to be lethal, unfortunately. What it is, combined with a firm knee inbetween his legs and a kick to his stomach as she gets up, is disarming, at least for the moment.

"We need to get out of here." For someone with blood on her clothes and smeared on her hands, Li's voice is eerily calm, detached, even. Her eyes are bright red, glinting with the light that they catch, and maybe her own strangeness is why she doesn't react visibly to a talking turtle. "Roof," she suggests, "we should get to a roof and discuss strategy? Or at least assess the situation better."

Pausing to slash at the elbow and then the throat of another approaching infected man, she then adds, "I'd suggest moving quickly. They're converging."

Lux Crownguard | Lux/League of Legends

[brightsecrets]

I. AWAKENING

[Light peeks through the curtains and Lux sits up in bed with a yawn then a stretch. Wow. What a good night's sleep. Only... Wait. She hadn't gone to sleep in a bed. This wasn't the rough camp they'd made last night. Is she dreaming? How strange, to wake up in a dream.

Oh well!

Slipping out of bed, she stretches once more enjoying the lazy pull of muscle so early in the morning. Then... it's time to explore! Humming softly to herself, it's not long before she's discovered the door that leads to the breakfast room and she's quick to head towards the feast spread out on the tables.]

Ooooh breakfast!

[Her food is going to be pretty grim for a while back in the real world, might as well indulge her tastebuds while she can.]

Don't mind if I do.

[She doesn't take enough to be unslightly, but she takes a small sample of many of the dishes to try, before going to find a table.]

Hope you don't mind if I join you! It seems silly to eat alone. My name's Lux! What's yours?

III. THE MISSION

[Lux listens to the mission debrief with a sense of seriousness that was in stark contrast to her earlier sunny behavior. But if people are getting hurt? That's serious business. Sure, this is just a dream, but Lux is all too familiar with dreams having an affect on reality.

As the situation escalates, Lux ca be found actively on the streets trying to stop fights. She's glowing faintly, a prismatic barrier of her magic as a protective coating against the spores. Spotting another outsider, she smiles and goes to wave only for her eyes to go wide as she spots an infected person leaping towards them.]

Look out!

[Throwing up her hand, she sends out a beam of light that solidifies and stops the infected in their tracks. Binding them in place.]

Things are getting pretty intense. Are you okay?

[Another wave of her hand as she sends out a small bubble of magical energy - coating the stranger in protective magic.]

How about we work together? There's safety in numbers.

[Lux doesn't wait for an answer, moving to jab a syringe into her captured infected person.]

IV. WELCOME TO THE BROKEN WORLD.

[This time, Lux wakes up with a gasp, hands wrapping around her upset stomach as she's ripped awake. Hadn't she been doing... something? Where is she? Shivering in the strange, unfamiliar clothing, she starts to search the room for some sort of clue about what's going on. Is it the mage seekers? Have they found out about her finally? Oh, Garen's going to be a wreck.

Pacing in small circles, she tries to pull on her light. For a little reassurance. Only there's... nothing. She can't reach it. It's like when she'd taken that foul liquid all over again. This really is it then. Resigned, she drops back onto the bed, staring at the door with sad, blue eyes. Might as well save her strength to try and fight her way free when they come for her.

Only what comes for her is liberation. Taking the outstretched hand, she's whisked into a whirlwind of activity. The gun is unfamiliar, but she's familiar enough with the concept of them to not be completely useless.]

Thank you, but I won't...

[and before she can protest, her savior has moved on. Lux sighs and shakes her head, smiling ruefully. Well, they'll find out about her refusal to kill soon enough. For now, she's just got to make it out of here.]

Oh well, I guess it's just you and me now.

[She turns to the person still nearby with a small smile.]

I can't say I'm going to be very good with a gun, but I'll try my best! But we should probably get moving. If you're ready?

III

[purplexing]

[This isn't exactly a dream Donnie is enjoying. If he remembers when he wakes up, he's swearing off mushrooms on pizza.]

Huh? Wah!

[He ducks at the shout, mostly out of reflex. Usually he's a bit more coordinated than this but with the impending risks and increasingly forceful tactics of the infected, he's been relegated to keep them at a distance with his bo. Hesitantly, Donnie cracks open an eye before looking over at the now entrapped victim. He breathes out a sigh.]

Yeah, I'll say. Thanks- I'll be much better without having to worry about alien fungal infections. [He somehow manages to look a little greener as he says this. He'd seen how some of them were spreading the spores around! It's disgusting!!

While magic isn't something he's unfamiliar with, this particular brand is new to him. He blinks at whatever's cast his way, looking down at himself.]

Whoa... I have no idea what you just did. But I am not about to argue that logic. We'll make this fungi sorry!

[While Lux takes care of things with the syringe, Donatello spins his staff and keeps an eye out.]

I

[pupp3t]

[Li hasn't taken the food, but she's caved and allowed herself some tea. Humans can go a lot longer without food than they can liquids. It's practical. Sitting in the corner to observe others was also practical, if perhaps not the best way to gather information from those out of earshot.

Fortunately, Lux then plops down across from her, causing the other girl to blink once in surprise. Li doesn't even have to speak before the blonde starts making conversation.]

Ah, hello. My name is Li. It's nice to meet you.

[The black-clad girl holds out a gloved hand for the other girl to take, a bit stiff and awkward but not unfriendly.]

Did you just wake up here, too?

Li Ya-Jing | Original | Info in journal

[pupp3t]

1.
[Upon finding herself in a dream, the first thing the fifteen year old does is get up and straighten up. The uniform for her current undercover job must be perfectly maintained, jacket adjusted, skirt dusted off, tie flawless. Even in dreams, habits die hard. On instinct she looks around her surroundings, carefully calling out the name of her handler. His lack of presence is a relief, but not a complete one. This wouldn't be the first time he popped up on delay. This would also not be the first dream where dangers popped up in broad daylight. Her head is held high and her shoulders tense as she walks. Li is no fool.

Food has been a trap for more than one Creature in her position in the past. There's no way to tell what's poison or not. So she doesn't eat any of the food on display, though she does look at it with curious eyes that say she wishes she could. Yesterday was a long day and she'd love to rest, eat and relax, if only she had the luxury. Running a gloved hand through her already mussed hair, she stares at it in contemplation.

Approaching someone else is something she has even more mixed feelings on. Li hasn't spoken to people freely without the threat of supervision in a long time. Even when she isn't watched, she knows she could be, which has always tied her tongue; is there any reason to assume a dream would be any less hostile than the waking one? The unnaturally pale girl mulls it over and eventually forces herself to at least give it a shot, if only once. Just be normal, she tells herself. Don't sound strange or draw attention. Just speak like a normal person.]

Hello. May I ask, what's your name?

[Nailed it.]


2.
[Not acting is not an option. Li knows exactly what it's like to have control of your mind hauled away from you, and she will not let others suffer that same fate. This is an easy mission to take. All it requires is not speaking, and she can avoid compromising herself in any way that might anger her superiors should they appear here or should this get back to them, even if she's infected with spores. That said, fungus is not something she's ever had to fight before, and that makes this something she needs some help figuring out how to combat. Li seeks out someone who looks as if they're also going to take action against this in order to get, if not advice, a second opinion on this.]

How do we fight a fungus? I have combat experience, but not in this context. I'm open to suggestions.


3.
[Finally, something that feels familiar. Attempts on her life, violence, chaos, it's enough to snap her back into Creature mode, and a Creature-mode Li is an effective Li. She readies her knives, sticks to shadows, and slits throats of obviously infected, actively violent people. The big problem, Li discovers, is how many people she's facing down. That, she isn't used to. Fortunately she's fast, borderline superhuman in speed, and dodges attempts to infect her, rolls on the ground under swipes and inbetween one attacker's legs, then keeps running until she can clamber up onto a dumpster and then jump onto a roof, observing those on the ground with a calculating gaze. A fire would be effective, but too likely to chew through non-targets without discrimination. She could go to another building, try to find a way around the largest group, but it's likely the targets she's meant to be saving are through the sea of these people.

She checks her small collection of knives, taking out her piano wire as well, and looks at it on the ground, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. What she really needs is backup, someone to cover her back as they carve a path forward. Creatures often worked in tandem with one another. Is anyone from before nearby, and willing to help?

The sound of someone else on the roof has her whirling around, eyes going from merely red to flashing and luminous, inhuman, as she shifts into a defensive position, silent as the grave and ready to strike. She does not speak. All she does is watch, ready to defend herself if she has to but not foolish enough to pounce when the other person might be far better armed than she is.]


4.
[This time, when she wakes up, Li stares at the ceiling for a long time, waiting for her handler to come grab her. It does not occur to her that he would not do so. It does occur to her that this lack of energy, of the old power she's always had running through her veins, feels odd. She's felt similarly terrible after reconditioning, though. Perhaps that's why there's the gap in her memories and a sluggishness clouding her mind.

Eventually she gets up and looks around. She does not touch anything. She does not attempt to break out. The punishment for those actions is too steep for her to risk it. Instead, she simply paces and waits. Li has waited many times without knowing when she'll be retrieved. Creatures aren't often informed on their future assignments, just recaged and left until needed.

The person who opens the door is not any of her handlers or superiors or fellow Creatures. And only then, finally, belatedly, does it dawn on her she might be away from them. The idea roots her to the spot in sheer shock for a moment.

Then she takes a deep breath, nods, and takes that hand in her own.]

How can I help?

2.

[shieldandarmor]

[Brigitte listens to the mission brief carefully herself, trying to wrap her head around the idea. She hasn't done much in the biology sector, preferring her simple mechanics over focusing on the how. Still, she uses a screwdriver from her belt to adjust something on the inside of her gauntlet. The other girl's words bring her from her focus and she glances over. This person doesn't seem to be equipped very well for a fight, but she's also learned that may not mean much. Her yellow and silver armor gleams and clanks as Brigitte shrugs a little, her face also drawn in concentration as she thinks.]

I guess it depends on what they're doing... Maybe incapacitate them?

[Brigitte turns properly to face Li and gives a wan smile, tucking the screwdriver away as she speaks.]

They aren't giving us much to work with, are they?

Padmé Naberrie Amidala-Skywalker | Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

[politicallyinclined]

I. Awakening

(She can't trust anything or anyone. Padmé sees to her appearance first and foremost, the lessons of her past making the routine instinct. She refuses to think about...anything. This is just...a new complication. That's all. But...

Her babies. Luke. Leia. A hand drops to her stomach, finding it...not flat. Not yet. She didn't give birth that long ago. That had been real.

What about this part? She looks over her fellow dreamers, hoping to see a familiar face. Just one.)

...help...

II. The Mission: Infection -> III. The Mission: Mad Fungus

(Helping comes to her as easily as breathing. Though her heart and her mind are in chaos, she goes to those who are infected. She stays with them as long as she can, trying to reason with them. Diplomacy. Comfort. She doesn't fully believe the words she says, but she says them anyway.)

You will be okay. Keep fighting it. This is...an infection. It won't last; we will find a cure.

(Hands are held and tears are shed when she senses that it is too dangerous to stay with the infected. They...are going mad.)

Please, stop this! You are better than this...

(Those words sound too damn familiar and she picks up the nearest weapon reluctantly. When and where she can, she will strike the infected so they are knocked unconscious. She refuses to kill them.)

When you wake, it will be over.

IV. Broken World

(The simulation ends abruptly, jerking her from one place to another. She paces her room, looking for an escape, whispering names that are obviously too far away to hear her voice.)

Anakin... Obi-Wan...

(Sliding down a wall, she gives into her grief and sobs, hiding her face against her knees. She isn't expecting the door to open, however the rush of air is welcome. Staggering to her feet, exhausted, Padmé nods at her...rescuer? What does she have to lose by following this person? Nothing.)

Show me the way.

III

[pupp3t]

[Li is not opposed to killing. She was simply not raised that way. So while Padmé has been avoiding violence, by the time Li gets to the woman, the fifteen year old is spattered with blood across multiple parts of her body. Her black gloves are getting sticky with it. But she is not mindless in her violence. Padmé is clearly not mad. Li pauses, debating whether or not to approach, before ultimately concluding this woman is likely to get herself killed if left alone down here.

She steps into Padmé's line of sight and holds up her hands in a gesture meant to pacify.] You need to get out of here. Can you climb? They can't. Rooftops are safe havens until this is over.

[An attacker lurches at Li from behind. On instinct, she whirls and strikes his arm hard enough to knock him off balance, then grabs his shirt collar and yanks him towards her as she cuts his throat with her other hand. He drops like a stone and Li wipes off her knife on her thoroughly stained skirt, exhaling an annoyed sigh. Her motions are all well-practiced and her voice reflects zero shock or unease with what she's just done. At the same time, at 5"3 and thin, lean muscle, she looks exactly as young as she is, which hopefully keeps her from being intimidating.]

If you can't climb, I'll carry you. It's what I've been doing for others who aren't affected.

I

[forceguided]

[Waking up in an unfamiliar bed is, strange. But considering he's just walked a friend through the deserts of Tatooine based entirely on memory? Or the giant mushroom that tried to squish him that one time? Waking up in a nice bed isn't even that weird.

Though it being a nice, communal bedroom is maybe a little weird, but all that goes out the window as a voice calls out to him.

'Help'

He knows that voice. Not as well as he'd like, but well enough that he'd recognize it anywhere. He's out of bed in a flash and over to her side, features twisted in concern. Unfortunately, those features aren't exactly a familiar face to Padmé. Though there are certainly hints of both Anakin's face as well as her own hiding in Luke's features.]

Mother! You're- I-

[Woah, slow down. Take it easy kid, she's clearly new to this place and upset.]

Sorry.

[A sheepish smile as he scoots back a little, trying to give her space despite the part of his brain that just wants to cling to Padmé and never let go.]

I know this is probably going to be hard to believe, but my name is Luke Skywalker. I'm your... I mean you're my....

[Damn, he's trying, but it's honestly really hard to keep focused. He's just so giddy right now. Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes, focuses for a moment and then starts over.]

What I'm trying to say is, I'm your son?

[Talk about a dream being a little too surreal. But you know what? Dream mom is still better than no mom, so he's going to take it. And then... probably mope for several hours once he wakes up.]

II

[nouskaiananki]

Vader knew he was dreaming. He'd had enough visions and dreams to tell the difference and had had enough to know when his dreams were being manipulated.

It left him in a foul mood. And he was, for some reason in his 'new' armor - full helmet and collar with full use, black glove, black boots. The rest blue and green-grey to blend with the shadows. No chest box, but heavy belt. Lightsaber on his hip as well as a stolen (and upgraded) blaster pistol. And he wouldn't pretend he didn't have a trail of bodies in his wake, payment and warning for who ever was manipulating him.

And then he heard it.

Voice. Her voice. It's a trap he thought. A trick. He headed fir her anyway. Tracking by hearing, the Force, and his HUD display.

He simply headbutted a crazed individual who got between them, leaving them crumbled on the ground - someone who been headed right at get back.

"Padmè!" It's shouted from his louder than normal but natural voice. "Fall to your left." Is it a barked order? Yes. Does he mean it too come out that way? Absolutely not.

IV

[jedied]

[ Rey hears soft sobs coming from behind the door and pushes it open more gently than she might've otherwise, only to let out a gasp of surprise at who she finds. Padmé had gone, hadn't she? Surely she couldn't have been recaptured and kept here all this time. Luke or Vader would've sensed it, wouldn't they? ]

Padmé? Do you remember anything about how you got here?

[ She hadn't had the time to get to know the woman well before, but she was still family to a number of people she cared about. If the Sylphid had stolen her and kept it from them for all this time, she isn't going to stop any of the men who will be ready to tear someone apart in return. ]

Obi-Wan Kenobi | Obi-Wan (series) | (at some point I'll update his icons *cries*)

[dramaticallydisrobes]

1. Awakening

Obi-Wan's old bones should be aching more intensely, and yes, yes, he's not that old, but he's far from young. He rolls over, frowning, and lets his feet find the floor as he tugs the covers off himself. He sits for a moment, rubbing his eyes.

There are others around him. Soft sounds of waking. The floor's cool under his toes.

No one has attacked, so he lets a little of the harmless facade drop - not that it's all a facade - and gets to his feet. Whatever this is, if those smells of breakfast are true, he might as well eat.

He finds himself with a plate of vegetables and some form of bread, sitting at a table with a blue tablecloth. The food's simple but tasty enough, even the bright purple vegetable, and he's been hungry for a while.

2. / 3. - NB we can discuss if he's infected, or yours is, or neither, or who stole the cookie from the cookie jar

He needs to find Leia.

The child is self-sufficient and brave, and has a mouth that could stop a truck. She is also small, and needs help. He needs to find Leia-!

But the number of people racing around is dauntingly high. Obi-Wan tucks himself behind a corner of a building, and watches, heart hammering in his chest. Stay back, stay safe. Help Leia.

Well, right up until a small boy tumbles to the dirt. Obi-Wan curses under his breath and rushes out to grab him before the crowd tramples him. This isn't good enough. He'll have to help.

4. Broken World

If Obi-Wan had a credit for every time he'd found himself imprisoned, he'd have a considerable fortune and sagging pockets.

He reaches for the Force to try to open the door, but his connection with it has been tenuous at best, and nothing happens.

He sits. And waits. Then moves into a series of stretches, in case there's something that could be helped by being more limber and less arthritic. Then he sits once more.

He's pacing, frowning at the noise, by the time the door opens.

4. (He's from Vader Comic 1, post ESB.)

[nouskaiananki]

Vader was wearing his 'new' armor - full helmet and collar matted instead of high gloss shine, black gloves, black boots also tactically dulled. The rest blue and green-grey to blend with the shadows. No chest box, but heavy belt. Lightsaber on his hip as well as a stolen (and upgraded) blaster pistol. Soft and plate armor under his clothes.

He was working down the hell, yanking doors from the hinges and tossing them down the hall, barricading the Slyphids from entering that way. Captives were pushed toward the other end, to waiting rescuers.

He was not expecting Obi-Wan behind the door. He should have been and cursed under his breath. Hadn't they learned not to touch Kenobi after last time? He didn't even say anything simply reaches, hand and Force to grab the front if Kenobi's robes and haul him toward him. "Keep up or I will drag you."

jayce talis | arcane

[hexarcanum]

I. Awakening

[It would be a lot easier to ignore the food like he should if he weren't so damn hungry.

Of course, a little hunger should come second to figuring out where in the hell he is and why he's here and whether or not this is a dream, but the food smells so good. Jayce manages to keep his head about him enough to make sure he sees someone else eating first, to make sure it isn't poisoned or drugged, but after that, he can't resist anymore. Piling up a plate full of sausages and eggs and toast, he takes it to a table and looks around idly, as if he could find someone there that he knows. It is a dream, after all, isn't it? Shouldn't the usual suspects be here? Viktor, Caitlyn, Mel (in the better dreams), even Vi?

But he doesn't see anyone he recognizes. So he takes a bite of a sausage and chews, swallows, lets out a contented sigh, and then turns to the nearest person he can see. Maybe it's a dream. Maybe it's not, because why should he be dreaming when he was just in the counsellor's chamber, advocating for peace?]

Do you happen to have any idea where this is?

II. The Mission: The Fungus Among Us

[When the call about the mission goes out, Jayce is certainly interested. Abandoning his mostly-finished meal, he stands immediately and pushes his chair away from the table, looking around for anyone who might be in charge around this place.

For a moment, he mills about, feeling entirely out of his element, something that Jayce Talis isn't used to at all. He finds he doesn't like the feeling.]

Excuse me, do you know where someone in charge could be? I'd...like to help out with the research on this fungus thing. Biology isn't my strong suit, but maybe another mind on it might help...

IV. Welcome to the Broken World.

[The awakening is less than pleasant.

He's nauseous, dizzy, disoriented, and it takes him a while to get vertical from where he was slumped on the floor of what looks like a prison cell of some sort. After he gets vertical, he paces back and forth, trying to keep warm in the cold room, shaking his head, fists clenched, uncertain of what he might have done to bring this on himself.

It's not Stillwater Hold. It's nowhere he's familiar with.

There's just enough time before the commotion starts outside the door, to think good and hard about where he is. About all those times he threatened people with Stillwater without really knowing what it was he was threatening. Vi's words come back to him so clearly in this situation, pacing a cell back and forth with no idea how long he's been sentenced to, or what he even did to end up here.

But then there is a commotion, and someone opens the door for him. Light streams into the door and he winces, squints against the sudden brightness of it, but moves toward the exit. 'Welcome to the Broken World.']

The Broken World? What? Where am I?

V. Wildcard

Hit me up by PM or on discord at onlilypads #8008 to plot something or just hit me up with a random starter if none of these work for you!

I

[purplexing]

[Maybe there's something in the food after all- this guy's all green!

Not that the kid seems bothered by it as he sits there beside Jayce, meticulously stacking eggs and cheese and ham onto several interwoven, open-faced bagels in the style of a submarine sandwich.]

Nope, not a clue, weird dream in someone's school? Pretty sure this isn't Eastlaird University but I haven't been to that cafeteria so who's to say?

[His focus seems to be mainly upon his strange sandwich creation as he starts laying down strips of bacon.]

Tsukino Usagi | Sailor Moon

[tiaraed]

I Awakening

[Ohwah! That was a good sleep. Usagi sits up and stretches with a luxurious yawn. Honestly, she can't remember the last time she's been this rested. Night time is usually youma time after all, so she's pretty good at loosing out on sleep. Well, sometimes it's because she's too busy reading manga or playing games, but that's not really her fault, right? Sometimes a story is too good to put it down!

Being in a strange place is weird, but considering this place doesn't feel quite real Usagi's pretty quick to write the entire thing off as a really realistic dream. Because, after all, she never feels this rested when she's awake.

But the plate she takes from the food offering? Full of food almost to the point of overflowing? She would have done that even if it wasn't a dream. All this food, familiar or not and it's free? Oh, she's going to get her money's worth and eat a bit of everything. Looking around for a table, she finds one where someone's sitting by herself and sits down next to them. Before she even introduces herself, she takes a bite. Eyes widening she cradles her cheek with her free hand, beaming at her tablemate.]

I don't know what it is, but it sure tastes good! Have you tried it?


III. THE MISSION: FULL FUNGAL SMACKDOWN

Okay, so maybe Usagi spaced out during the mission briefing. Just maybe. But now she's paying for it, a few infected chasing her down a street as she runs for her life.


Ahhh! I don't like this. I don't want this! This dream's getting really weird!

[Only, because she's a notorious clutz, she trips on a rock and goes flying. Skinning her knee in the process which causes her to wail.]

I thought this was a dream, but why does it hurt?

[Sniffling, she scrabbles down the sidewalk on all fours for a moment before finally getting to her feet. Chancing a split second look, she doesn't see anyone so holds up a hand into the air.]

Moon Crisis, Makeup!

[After transforming, Sailor Moon glances at the infected who still haven't quite caught up to her with a glare.]

You're really mean! I hope you think about what you did. In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!

[Except she doesn't actually want to hurt them, didn't they say they were just controlled people? Summoning the moon stick, she aims at the infected before attacking.]

Moon Healing Escalation!

[They collapse and Sailor Moon cheers, striking a triumphant pose.]

I knew it would work! I did it!

[Only... is that a finger twitching? Did it only stun them temporarily? Too bd, she completely forgot about the serums.]

IV. WELCOME TO THE BROKEN WORLD.

[THIS ISN'T HOW SHE'S SUPPOSED TO WAKE UP. Usagi looks around the room, sniffling as she wraps her arms around herself. Where is she? She's been in captivity before, but never like this! She can't even transform!

She's still crying, because honestly Usagi can't resist a good cry, when the rescuers come. Though the tears dry down surprisingly quickly. To be replaced with confusion as she stares at the gun in her hand. Why a gun?]

What am I supposed to do with this?? I can't just shoot someone!

V. NETWORK
UN; Cutebunbun
[[and yes, some of it is actually pink and stylized. Gotta express herself!]]

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆
Hi everyone! I haven't been here very long, but I had a question for you.
The chips they put in us. How many still have them and how many don't?
It's kind of strange. There was a time when I would have loved to be without my powers, to be normal, you know?
But now... even when they're gone I just wanted them back straight away. Because they're a part of me and I don't feel right without them. Is that silly?

Oh! And before I forget, my name's Usagi, Tsukino Usagi. It's so very nice to meet you! ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡
⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ ⋆

III

[shieldandarmor]

[It's the screaming and wailing that pulls Brigitte's attention, her head quickly whipping around and her hair flying.]

Someone's in danger!

[Her focus shifts back to the infected individual howling gibberish and she's glad she has her hard light shield to provide a barrier. He runs towards her first, his hands in fists and ready to fight. Not easily deterred Brigitte rushes forward too, slamming the front of her shield into him and knocking him prone. It takes less than a second for her to deactivate her shield and the light retreats into the lion head adorning her gauntlet. Moving quickly she pins him with a knee and grabs an arm, fumbling with the bandeau wrapped around her to grab a syringe.

The infected man starts to struggle against her grasp but she manages to stick and inject him. He fights a little more and she grunts with effort until she can safely disengage. She pulls him to safety, leaving him in a semi-conscious state. Without further hesitation, Brigitte runs towards the screaming she heard earlier--though now it sounds like whomever it was can put up a fight.

Quickly rounding a corner she finds Sailor Moon proudly posing over subdued infected, and Brigitte pauses at the edge of the fight, a smile slipping to her face to find everyone alive. She wipes a bead of sweat off her brow and surveys the area.

The squire takes cautious steps forward to engage, pairing it with a friendly wave. She realizes how dangerous she may look to a stranger wearing her distinctive yellow and silver armor and resting a mace on her shoulder.]

Looks like you didn't need help after all. Are you hurt?

cal kestis ☄️ star wars: jedi fallen order

[rebuilder]

arrival

[ Cal wakes up feeling far more rested and comfortable than he has anytime previously, not sore from a quick nap on a cold jungle floor or a cramped bunk space on board the Mantis. Everything feels pleasant and fuzzy, with almost a dreamlike quality to it. It's rare that he has dreams that are anywhere this good so he doesn't question it too much.

As he makes his way towards the smells of food, he keeps an eye out for Cere or Greez, and BD-1. And of course, the Second Sister. It's difficult to truly relax or accept this as a harmless dream when she's been there around every corner since Bracca.

Hungry, he sits himself down in front a plate filled with brightly colored vegetables, breads and whatever had looked mildly appetizing, taking a seat near the exit in case there's need to make a quick getaway. ]

Uh, hi.

[ Might as well get to know the others in this dream, right? ]

the mission.

[ Not too long ago he was more or less interested in self preservation, keeping his head down. But now he's in the fight, he can't not join in. Even if Cal's not entirely sure what's going on here. There's people running around, nobody familiar.

He kneels down in front of someone, injured. Not for the first time he misses BD and his cache of stimpacks. ]

Hey, you alright? C'mon, let's get you out of here... just stay close.

[ Except that the infected is less interested in help and more interested in violence. Of course. He could really use a hand, here! ]

welcome to the broken world.

[ The next time Cal wakes, it's not half as wonderful. He shoots up, panting and looking around and it doesn't take long to figure out what feels wrong. The Force, his newly healed connection to it, seems to be gone. His clothing is different, his saber is nowhere to be found and it seems like he's trapped.

Bounty hunters, again? It doesn't seem Imperial but perhaps they're involved in this somehow.

He paces, meditates and paces some more, looking for any kinds of weaknesses in his room that he could use for a getaway. The commotion has him reaching for a weapon that's not quite there anymore; but he'd gone six years without using the Force or ever pulling his saber. If he has to defend himself... the door opens and the rescuer only brings more questions than answers.

He may not trust it, but he wants to stay in the cell even less. Cal takes the blaster and follows them out. ]

Not really my weapon of choice.

mission

[jedied]

[ Rey's had this dream before. It's enough to let her know that something's amiss, but not remember how to get out of it, or that there's no real use in saving the people here. So when she sees someone locked in a struggle with an infected person, she runs over and holds her hand close to the infected's head. ]

Sleep.

[ The infected woman stops struggling immediately and Rey jams a syringe full of the antidote into her arm before looking up at the person she'd just assisted. ]

Can you drag her inside? She'll be immune now, she'll find her way home when she wakes up.

Vi | Arcane: League of Legends

[arcanefist]

[I: Awakening]
[This place reeks of decadence, from the comfy beds to the clean rooms, and then the buffet line. It's all just so open and bountiful. Almost makes Vi want to puke.

And yet, she's starving. Even if it feels like a dream - and she's had some fairly desperate dreams before, no matter how she tried to push them out - it still smells so real. Plates were stacked high with foods she couldn't even recognize. And some she did.

Maybe she was dead. Caught in a blast, or the struggle with Silco really got her after all. Now, she could stand at the buffet line, picking over what she found delectable - with her fingers, of course - and popping it in her mouth.

She's not alone, and barely stops to wipe her chin when it becomes obvious someone is watching her. Which is when she'll turn to them with a downright scowl plastered across her face.]

What. I'm hungry.

[III: Mushroom Melee]
Hey!

[Accepting the job of a oh-so-pleasant voice from nowhere, telling her what to do, was the last way Vi wanted to spend her time. Unfortunately, when the infections started to spread, and the violent actions of the infected grew worse... She was just too much of a good person to stand idly by. Dammit all.

Which is how she's spending her time now, darting into a group of infected and bodily tossing the innocent person they'd cornered out of the 'danger zone'. To some, rushing in bare-handed might have been suicide. Vi wasn't most people, and she squares up expertly-

WHAM

And sends the first infected to the ground with a swift suckerpunch as soon as he made a clumsy overhead swipe at her.

She cocks her chin - chuckles, despite it all - and waits for them to continue. Not that she cares if anyone else wants to step in.]

[IV: Welcome to the playground]
[Oh. Back to what she's more accustomed to; a drab empty room with bars on the windows, and no way to escape. For a moment, she's back in Stillwater Hold, awaiting her next beating by the prison faculty. At least there, she had the peace of solitary confinement. Minus the beatings.

So, she waits, sits in her bed, punches the wall, tries to bust through the door. No luck. It's just her in here, stuck, like before. So many years, wasted in that hellhole.

Worse, thoughts start to gnaw on her. What was happening in Piltover? Was Powder okay? Caitlyn? Did that weapon hit anything like Ji- Powder intended? What could she do about it? What could she have done before, to make all of this never happen? Just give her a sign.

The universe does, with the rattling of battle outside her small window, and the soft metallic clunk of her door opening when she least expected it.

Her instincts flare up. Second stretch as she leaps from the bed, moving with precision when the door is open far enough to reach through, grab whoever is on the other side, and push against them. "Broken world"? The words don't even sink into her mind. She's already got her fingers dug into the person's outfit, trying to press them against the back wall, if she's able.]

Where the fuck is the exit?

iv

[tech_nically]

[Retaliation of any kind while not completely unexpected isn't the foremost on his mind once he gets that door opened. Tech is not a small man so he's doubly surprised as he finds himself shoved away from the room and back out into the hall. To his credit he keeps from going on the offensive, his gun remaining held at his side though he does brace his feet to keep from being pushed any further. His eyes narrow behind his goggles.]

Down the hall and to the left, then the second right and straight on. There will be opposition.

Mio | Xenoblade Chronicles 3 | will try to avoid spoilers for anyone who'd like to avoid them!

[astepaway]

1--

[Mio doesn't like waking up in a strange place.

She likes less that it's a strange place after... everything. The first thought was maybe this was what their journey and their struggle created. But, no, that seemed wrong; this somehow didn't feel right. And more than that, she was alone... and not alone in the way that she expected to be. So she set out.

Far be it from her to turn down a free meal. So Mio makes her way into the room... and to the breakfast buffet. She pauses, there, looking down at a stack of waffles, eggs, bacon, and... she isn't sure what some of this.]

They didn't spare any expense...

2--

[A mission. It's worth some reflection that a mission feels natural to Mio, even now. It's easy for her to absorb it as something she should do -- even with the experiences she had and the knowledge she has gained.

But it's important. These people, with their spores...

They're a danger. And the people who aren't infected are in danger, too. So Mio didn't hesitate -- well, not beyond thinking of what Taion would do, and wrapping a strip of cloth around her mouth to be a mask. She moves down a street -- and is motioning with one hand towards some people who aren't infected. (She hopes.)]

This way! It's clear, if we hurry!

4--

[It's a sudden, jarring shift. Those aren't new to Mio, exactly -- but this type is. The sudden lack of awareness; the confusion as she finds herself in an empty room, barren walls, and a door. When she tries to call her Blade, it simply... doesn't come. Mio isn't sure what to make of that. Her ears lower, with concern.

She stares at the door.

She tries it, of course -- opening it, forcing the handle, or trying to trip the lock with careful movements. It doesn't work. When the door opens, though, Mio steps back -- raising her fists, and readying herself.

Whoever put her here... well, she has words for them. And she has questions. And she doesn't know where to begin. Of course, it's not her captors coming... but she doesn't know that yet.]

4

[purplexing]

[It's a bit weird being on the other end of things now. He barely remembers how his own escape had gone, and he's been glad he wasn't expected to pull this alone. Down the stretch of the corridor others he'd accompanied go to inspect doors to release any captives, instructing him to do the same.

He pushes open the door, holding his staff aside as he peers inside.]

Hello-oh! Hey, easy! [He waves a hand around as he notices her stance.]