Test Drive Meme - Autumn 2018

[thelostmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

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I. Dragon Catch

You step out of your house, letter in hand to find what Zephyr laid out neatly in written word for you. Dragons, saddles and a brief explanation Zephyr was interested in a cool new book about people befriending dragons! The little godling had set up a corral, some stables and encouraged everyone to try befriending a dragon to ride. Snippets of the book are included for aid. All in all it seems like a lot of fun!

Well, until you look over the Meadous village proper.

Dragons of varying shapes, colors and sizes are meandering about the meadous, clearly having escaped the corral they had been kept in. One dragon has perched itself atop your neighbor’s home taking a nice nap in the sunshine. A gaggle of cat sized dragons have taken up digging up another neighbors garden. A few dragons hang from the beer tree, more than a bit… blasted.

One or two people you recognize are attempting to catch up to the dragons with mixed results. One person is at least hanging off of a saddle looking rather perturbed.

Do you help or merely let the dragon based chaos ensue by going back inside where you’re less likely to get involved?

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II. Be Careful What You Wish For

Well, that... that wasn't quite to plan. You stare down at the crayon drawing from Zephyr showing you exactly what you wished for. Except you hadn't meant it literally. Or you hadn't meant it quite like that, even if your wording had been vague. Now you're stuck with something you didn't want. Or perhaps you made a big mistake and now you're a different species. Or have extra appendages you can't get rid of. Not without making the walk of shame back to the Wishing Pond to wish away the changes. Why this? Why? If only you had been more clear or if only Zephyr understood subtly a bit more clearly.

Hopefully, no one will catch you as you steal forth to undo your mistake. Now that would be quite embarrassing if they saw you like this!

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III. Pumpkin Maze Frights

Fall has settled over the landscape nicely, with that comes a rather customary pumpkin patch maze. A tradition long standing that comes as the seasons shift with the Meadous.

Even long time residents seem surprised at the new heights the maze has taken on, not to mention a new sign warning its extra scary this year! The sign also advises there will be a cool prize to anyone brave enough to venture forth!

A few residents are gathered at the opening, talking amongst themselves over the newly scary-ified pumpkin maze. The maze walls are composed of pumpkins of varying shapes, sizes, colors and carvings. One or two snatch a pumpkin to turn into a pie.

Everything is fairly whimsical all in all until one steps into the maze itself to follow the dirt pathway within.

The dirt path under foot is easy to follow, but offers some minor startles at the occasional loose leaf crunching underfoot.The mixed in carved pumpkins that make up the maze walls provide some shallow lighting along with floating string lights in a light bulb shape hang over head. It is oddly darker in the maze than it ever has been before. It’s almost a little scary. The unnatural quiet of the maze doesn’t help matters any. Walking deeper into the maze only leads to less lights here and there.

Zephyr has maybe gone a bit over zealous with this scary thing.

A wind whips up, making the candle light within the pumpkins flicker and lanterns bobble overhead. A few candles flicker out completely for a long moment before sputtering back to life.

Is that a shadow on a maze wall ahead of you? Will you call out or duck behind a TDM convenient hay bale stacks?

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IV. Bulletin Board

Each month, Zephyr clears away most of the notes from their Bulletin Board and adjusts the decorations, leaving it fresh and open for anyone who might wish to post something new. The Meadous is a fairly rural place with minimal technology. Those used to a network may find the Bulletin Board is the closest they can come to something like that again. Who wants to actually talk to the neighbors when you can post a passive aggressive note about someone making a racket at 2 AM, instead? There's also some measure of anonymity afforded. Just be sure to only post up your notes when no one else is around and can catch you at it.

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V. Choose Your Own Adventure

Whether it's just waking up in the Meadous or exploring some other part of the Setting, you're striking out with your own prompts to get some action started.

Comments

[vacationer]

So are you one, or does everyone just think you are?

[bywolves]

I'd say both.

Hold on. Are we talking literally or figuratively?

[vacationer]

Either? Both. Plenty of figurative monsters are literal ones, too.

[bywolves]

Then both. Yes, I'm a monster, and yes, people think I am.

I've grown into the role. Suits me, I think.

[vacationer]

What have you done to earn it?

[She'll be nice and reserve most judgement until she knows.]

[bywolves]

Oh, it's a long list. Do you have time to sit through my autobiography?

[vacationer]

Sure.

[She stretches, fingers splayed.]

Why not?

cw: description of gore, torture, murder, child death

[bywolves]

[ He thinks about it, and then starts to tick things off on his fingers. ]

When I was seven years old, I fought another seven year old and killed him in order to join a gang. When I was sixteen I joined an assassin's guild. I was very good at that, couldn't tell you how many people I killed. Enough that I was in line for a promotion. When I got out of prison, I assassinated a whole swath of nobles who had been involved in sending me to prison in the first place, in ways that were public and disturbing enough that a whole city was scared of me. I've tortured countless people for information.

[ That's four. He keeps going. ]

I tortured a man to death by cutting his fingers off one by one, and then ripped his tongue out and nailed it to his chest -- oh, twice, actually. The first time was a public display, the second time was years later and with someone entirely different. More torture, more blackmail, few counts of kidnapping, treason, and arson...

[vacationer]

[She listens, impassive, staring up at the treetops rather than at his face.]

So you're just a criminal.

[She says, when he's done.]

That's not so bad. I've heard worse.

[bywolves]

[ Excuse you. Royce snorts. ]

Right. I'm sure you have. How old are you? Twelve?

[vacationer]

No, really. If that's the worst you've heard or done, you should be happy.

[bywolves]

It isn't. [ And that's - weirdly serious. ]

[vacationer]

So you're not a monster, but you've met monsters?

[bywolves]

I've experienced monsters, yes. [ And that's something he doesn't want to talk about with some girl he's just met. ]

[vacationer]

Then don't brag about being one.

[bywolves]

[ He rolls his eyes again. Alright, he's not having a pissing contest on how cool and edgy he is with some teenager. ]

Are you always like this? Mar, I really need to figure out a way to go back in time and apologize to people.

[vacationer]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[bywolves]

Look. Monster is a stupid term. It's nonsense. Everybody is terrible. Everybody. Monster is useless because the definition varies depending on who is using the word. I don't consider myself a monster and clearly you don't either, but I know several people who would lose their minds if they knew the extent of what I've done.

Everybody has done "evil" and everybody has experienced "evil". Cryptically whispering oh, feel lucky you haven't experienced true horror like I have while staring off into the middle distance is melodramatic and self-absorbed. I'm irritated that I nearly fell right back into that mindset a moment ago.

[ He waves a hand. ] My point is, it isn't a contest.

[vacationer]

[Something in Lourdes snaps tight, like a rubber band. It's not anger or frustration; she's not mad that he's saying these things. She's not entirely sure what it is that she's feeling, beyond something that's making her heart feel squeezed.]

Nobody thinks it's a contest.

My Earth, and all those people on it - they're all going to die. It'll probably happen eventually on all the other Earths, too.

[bywolves]

You're right, it likely will. Because all people are selfish, and all people will throw other people under the carriage in order to save their own skins. It's a multi-universal constant, and it's only evil when someone else is doing it to you.

[ He shoves his hood down further over his face. ] I'll brag about being a monster whenever I'm asked. It's a list of reasons as to why I'm still alive.

cw: fantasy slavery/genocide

[vacationer]

No, I mean-- they're all going to die. Soon. They're going to be enslaved, and herded together like cattle, and then they're going to be slaughtered. Some of them will probably be kept and bred first.

I don't know why I'm telling you all this.

[bywolves]

I've heard worse.

[vacationer]

Really?

[She's pretty sure she doesn't actually want to know, but.]

What?

[bywolves]

[ It was mostly meant to be a jab, but - honestly? He's pretty sure Norfinbury is a contender for worst thing to happen to a person. But that isn't something he wants to get into, because it doesn't make his point. ]

I'm not going to turn my experiences into a pissing contest. Sometimes death is a far better alternative.

[vacationer]

You still don't get it. I'm telling you that a bunch of worlds are doomed, and you think I'm trying to start a pissing contest with you?