Annexed Mod Team (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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annexedmeme2022-07-31 04:43 pm
modaccount) wrote in annexedmeme2022-07-31 04:43 pm
Entry tags:
Test Drive Meme #1
Test Drive Info
⇝ Test Drive Memes usually take place in a virtual reality simulation occurring in characters' minds that tests them for 'fitness' before they enter the setting officially. However, for the first TDM, it will be set in the real world and centered around the arrival of the first crop of extra-universal "recruits."
⇝ 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.
Welcome to the Broken World.
You can't even remember how you got here.
All you know is that one moment you were in a world you were used to, comfortable in. It might have been a regular day or the most important day of your life, in the middle of a meal or brushing your teeth or the battle to save the world or the moment of your death. Whoever took you didn't seem to care what you were doing when you were taken, and now that you're here, they still don't seem to care.
You wake up after 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."
i. The Rescue
The moment of peace and freedom doesn't last for long.
Even while you're still disoriented from everything that's happened in the past few hours, the person who's just freed you pushes a gun into your hands. If you're familiar with guns, it's simple enough to use, with a recognizable safety and trigger, a magazine of bullets attached to the bottom. If you're not familiar with guns, well...the person who just rescued you will give you a minute-long introduction to it. Press this button, click this hammer back, pull the trigger to shoot. Nothing fancy, but enough that you won't hurt yourself or anyone else you're not supposed to be hurting. Probably.
After being handed the gun, the person rescuing you looks at you not unkindly and gestures for you to follow, leads you through a maze of concrete corridors to the entrance of the building. There, you'll find something of a small warzone, a battle in progress though almost completed, in the parking and courtyard area between several small, squat concrete buildings. There, huddled in the safety of the building's entryway, the person who just rescued you will point across the courtyard toward an encroaching patch of jungle and quickly explain the situation - you've been brought to this place by the Sylphid, long-standing enemies who will "eat your soul" and replace you if they catch you, and the person rescuing you is part of a resistance army intending to overthrow them. You're to make your way across the courtyard and into the jungle, where you'll find someone named Brycen, a blue-skinned man who will get you out of here even as the battle rages on.
The courtyard is mainly open, with a few benches and trees that can be used as cover, and there is a small group of Sylphid - the enemy, the people who took you and are now shooting at you, but who look like average everyday people - who are taking potshots at whoever crosses the courtyard even as they engage with the rebels. You'll be provided with suppressive fire from those same rebels while you cross the courtyard, but other than that, you're on your own unless you want to take the run with whoever else just got rescued.
ii. Race Through The Jungle
Once you make your way across the courtyard and into the jungle, you'll find Brycen waiting for you about a 10 minute walk in. The moment he sees you, he gestures you over and leads you a few feet further into the underbrush where there are a few All-Terain Vehicles parked in a small clearing. Shooting you a little grin, Brycen spreads his arms to present the vehicles, then heads over to the closest one. What follows is a quick explanation of how to use the ATV, a small hovercraft that can seat two. Brycen points out another ATV that is driven by a member of the resistance, and tells you that this person will guide you to the Witches Camp, where you'll be living from now on. But it's on you to pilot the ATV from here to there.
Well, you and your new friend.
See, there are half as many ATVs as there are people, and each one does seat two. Brycen gestures at the nearest extra-universal arrival and tells both of you to hop on. Now, you're both bound for the Witches Camp together, for better or worse. It's a long walk, so don't piss off your pilot!
Or overturn the ATV or crash it, because the path from the clearing to the Witches Camp is rough, without many trails or paths that have been carved out of the underbrush, something the revolutionaries have done to avoid being tracked back to their home. The ride will be bumpy, hover-vehicle or not, with a lot of swerving to avoid obstacles and dodging to avoid branches. Hopefully, you won't have a run-in with any of the local jungle wildlife, which can range from small, relatively harmless animals to lizards the size of small dinosaurs and wild cats.
It's a wild ride, but eventually you make it to the Witches Camp, a sprawling maze of low-to-the-ground buildings and markets interspersed with jungle for cover, and the rebel leading you keeps doing so until you pull up in front of Central Command. This building is one of the nicer ones in the area, and houses the Witch herself as well as the seat of the revolution. This is where all of the rebel plans are made and where new arrivals are put up.
iii. Welcome Home
Once you enter Central Command, you'll find that they've prepared space for you. First, you'll be led to the residential area of the large building and given the keycard to your new apartment, a small furnished studio apartment with a main living/sleeping area, a desk, kitchenette, bathroom with shower stall, and a walk-in closet for storage. Once you've been oriented to your new apartment, you'll be taken to pick your network device from an array of devices ranging from ultra-modern tablets that can fold into the shape of a phone to an equivalent of regular modern-day cell phones to magical tablets or books that can be interacted with by characters unfamiliar with technology. They'll also offer to alter your own phone or device to access the network, if you prefer that.
After that, you will be guided to one of the big board rooms in the Central Command, where you'll find a large spread of food on the table, ready to be dug into - all the staff at Central Command have brought food from home to share with the new arrivals. You'll also find notebooks and pens to take notes, because this is the official orientation, and you'll come out of it having learned pretty much everything about the rebellion, the Sylphid, how the rebellion originated and most importantly, how you got here and how you can go home.
This is where the rebels point out that helping them is helping yourself, because the only way to send you home is to commandeer the device that brought you here in the first place, and the only way to do that is to overthrow the Sylphid overlords.
After this presentation, no matter how accepting or skeptical you are, you'll be given a small stipend and set free to explore the city, linger around and chat over the potluck leftovers, go back to your apartment, make a network entry to meet other people, or whatever else you'd like to do. Want some new clothes? They can direct you to the markets. Looking to start learning magic? They can direct you to the Mage's Sector where you can find a teacher. Looking to dance your cares away in the wake of this terrible upheaval? They can direct you to a club in The Electric Heart that sells cocktails that'll erase all your pain for the evening.
Go wild. The Witches Camp is your new home. What will you make of it?
iv. Network
Once you've settled into your apartment in the evening, you're free to browse the internet and intranet on your new network device. Care to make an entry and meet the others in your same situation?
no subject
Maybe that's why she left. Maybe that's why she knew that she couldn't carry on that fight. Sure she was a traitor to her people, and carried with her the regret of never seeing the ones who choose to stay behind, but she knew that was no longer her world. She knew here wasn't really her world too, but, again, what choice does she have in the matter?
She had realized halfway through that thought she hadn't been making conversation anymore. While she supposes that was fine, it was also very rude. "Congratulations on your victory." She meant it, though her tone rung a little hollow. "We'd..." well, there really is no getting around saying it, "...lost." There was an awkwardness in that, should she divulge the next part? "...but the war was over for me."
She knew that wouldn't suffice, so she turned her head to the side. This, too, was something that wasn't comfortable to say to someone she had just met and who embodied everything she was supposed to be. But perhaps that was why she wanted to tell him? For that small but hopeful chance that he'd understand. "Have you..." and then hesitation, "...have you ever seen your opponent and saw... something you did not know you were missing? To... realize that what you had been taught was so small...?" She wanted to laugh to cut the tension, but the genuine nature of the inquiry was too important for her to diminish. She just looked to the side, pondering if perhaps that was the reason why she didn't want to join yet another battle.
no subject
"A lot of good men and women died. I'm still not sure if it's truly worth celebrating." Yes, the earth and space are technically at peace now, but the cost has been high and forgive his skeptical nature, but he's not sure how long that hard fought peace will last.
"No." His answer is blunt, but his eyes have softened the slightest bit. This conversation isn't comfortable, but he can tell that she's putting herself out there in a way that's completely alien to him. But, he can't help reaching out an olive branch of sorts. To show that he doesn't judge her for it.
"But I've looked at the other side and realized that they're just people. That wars are meaningless battles fought by good men on both sides as pawns for politicians. There is no good or evil in battle, just win or die."
He might be a soldier, that might be all he knows, but make no mistake. He has no love for war.
no subject
What she wanted was a gentle nudge, a reminder that she was a person and not only a soldier or a test subject. "And, thanks. This conversation got very heavy, huh? I guess I got a lot on my mind and it was nice to share these thoughts with someone who was closer to the people I know."
"Has anybody ever told you that you're a good listener?"
I declare them unofficial siblings.
"I don't mind." Heero answers, completely candid. He's never been one to shy away from things that others find heavy or uncomfortable. In fact, he's much more likely to discuss them, because there's actual importance to the conversation. Heero doesn't really do small talk very well. So this, while unconventional, works for him. "It's good, when you can feel understood."
Maybe they couldn't look much different if they'd tried, but Heero's pretty sure they've more in common than they realize.
"A time or two." Heero pauses, lips quirking up ever the slightest. "And Eight? There's nothing wrong with acting true to your emotions. I'm starting to believe it's the only true way to live."
He then defuses the situation as best as he can which in this case means - tucking into the rest of his food like someone was trying to clear his plate away.
I am all for this
Heero's words made her smile softly and nod. She wonders of the more hardcore Octarians could ever be as accepting. Still, it was nice to have the affirmation, even from a stranger.
She felt a shiver go up her spine and let out a high-pitched 'meep!' on hearing Heero mention her name. She hadn't anticipated that, thinking that she was just going to be a causal 'you' for some time before familiarity or repetition set in. O-oh... he really was listening, wasn't he?
The shock wearing away, Eight took a moment to consider Heero's words. They were good words, and provided another kindness that she hadn't been expecting. Eight smiled broadly and only offered a sharp nod to the suggestion.
She shifted her weight to turn her attention away from him, arms folded and the smile lingering. She leaned back, thinking to herself: And you, dear Heero. I hope you find a life free from war. A life you find worth living for. Maybe, one day, she will be brave enough to say that.
For now she is content to enjoy his presence. No longer needing to say anything but just enjoying the quiet moving shape enjoying a meal. She lets out a contented sigh in the knowledge that she wasn't completely alone.
Heero acquiring found family is so great, good for you bud
That's a lie and many times he's been a 'good listener' by ignoring every word out of someone's mouth. But they don't need to know that. He listens when it's important, ok?
At her nod, he just hums. Words completely pointless in his mind right now. They'd said everything they needed to say. So instead he just eats in silence, slowing down slightly now and just enjoying the quiet company of someone who'd been a stranger just a few short moments ago.
But now? They feel more like comrades. He's had very few of those in his life, finding one here and now? He'll ponder the likelihood and ramifications of such a thing later. For now, he's just going to accept the moment for what it is.
One older brother and younger sister get~
As she leans against the back of the chair she decompresses the day's events. Though there was still much more to go and see, a part of her couldn't help but feel this was a capstone for the day, and what remained were the mundane minutiae of getting adjusted to a new setting.
Hmn...
She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. As, she hears the occasional sounds of eating implements the soft rustle of cloth, her mind starts to drift...
Once more I'm found a world apart.
In fate's foul loop; my head now droops.
With old and new warming my heart.