THE TEST DRIVE MEME: MARCH - APRIL

[checkingin]

THE TEST DRIVE MEME

SO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE CREEPY HOTEL BRIGADE.

Well, welcome potential apper! Here we have the handy dandy test drive meme so you can get a feel for how your character might react to the game setting. This post can also be used to cultivate some of those required sample threads for the application.

Feel free to play any scenario you so please. However please note that TDM threads cannot be used for Activity Checks (for existing players) and will not be considered game canon unless transposed comment for comment into logs in checkingout. We also recommend avoiding playing the initial arrival, so that the intro log doesn't become repetitive and boring for you. Other than that, go wild.

Here's a few additional useful links:

PREMISE | THE HOTEL
TAKEN | RESERVES | APPLICATION

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS.

No time for losers, because we — have waffles and pancakes and crepes and delicate bowls of ripe bananas and juicy oranges. We have bacon and oatmeal and cereal and milk; we have coffee (that's really hot and will burn you quite spectacularly) and tea (that, on the other hand, is miserably cold and bland). And we have orange juice (that might just kill you)!

Basically, every component one needs to start the day off right. Which is good, because this is the only meal ever served in the hotel. So come one, come all — get it while it's hot and try to pick among seats amidst the crowded circular tables, or stand along the wall. Bemoan the lack of hashbrowns or fight over the last fork. Mix, mingle. Have "fun".

DON'T YOU LOVE MY TASTE IN MUSIC.

What starts as soft, subtle musical notes wafting out of unseen speakers?

Yeah, that quickly manifests into blaring, loud, aggressively high pitched notes — so distorted, and reverberating so magnificently in the main lobby that even those impenetrable windows rattle in their frames.

And what's more, there doesn't seem to be an off switch anywhere in sight. Good luck finding one.

GOING DOWN.

Right by the stairwell in the lobby is an old timey elevator, the sort that really ought to be manned by staff to insure that it's in decent working condition and won't kill you. But it's usually not. And usually doesn't run.

But today, your ears are treated to an oh-so pleasant ding, and the doors will slide open, offering a ride to the floor of your choosing. Finally, no more calf workouts on the stairs, right?

...well, you probably should have taken the stairs, because three seconds in the entire carriage shudders, screeches to a halt, and refuses to move.

Then the lights begin to flicker.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

Don't see a scenario that appeals to you here? Make up your own. Get crazy with it! Good luck getting outside.

Comments

[facemyenemies]

[When he stands she notices the pain, just barely, as he takes off, leaving her looking bewildered at his retreating back. She cut herself off from calling his name, not sure if it was something she said or...]

[He returned. With a banana and strawberries. Oh. So it was something she said.]

[She rested her chin in a hand that was propped on the table, her fork still held in that hand, pointed out. Watching him, curiously now.]

[It always kind of amused her, in a odd way, when he would ramble off things about himself. Like this. Pumpkin Pancakes? He had surprised her when he ordered them the first time, and surprised her still to find they were his favorite.]

[She wonders if they can be made here...]

[Being the silent type, she watched for a bit, then took a breath, reaching her fork out to cut a small triangle of pancake and banana, taking a bite.]

Not bad. The textures match.

[ingrantitude]

You have excellent taste. [He grins.] Important to be fair to the strawberries too.

[Even if they are clearly inferior, but he's not going to say that. Instead he just returns to his grapefruit, watching her.] When I was a kid my grandmother babysat my brother and I.

[The way she said pumpkin implied it was like she knew. So he'd helped her fix her face.

He'd helped someone. Actually helped someone, helped someone who was needed. For the first time since arriving there's a sense of peace at that.]

I think she's the reason I like breakfast food so much. She'd make it whenever I asked. [Morning noon or night. His smile is rueful.] I was an overweight kid.

[facemyenemies]

We must be fair. [She said in return, a small nod of her head and she cut a small wedge of pancake and strawberry next, giving it a try. Not bad. She happens to like strawberries, thank you, but banana's are better. Blueberries cooked inside however will win her over someday.]

[It surprised her that he kept talking. About when he was young. He never went into details with her, but she knew he had a tough life. She never pressed though.]

What happened to your grandmother? [not the best question to ask, that is for sure, but she was curious if he had family he liked anywhere... alive or not.] And I have a hard time believing you were ever over weight.

[ingrantitude]

She's dead. [His tone is blunt but he snorts and smiles, lowering his eyes.] It didn't last long but it's true. It's because I was short.

[Silent.] We need to talk strategy. With Coulson arrived there's a very real chance that the rest of his team might be inbound.

How do you feel about that?

[facemyenemies]

[She gave a simple nod to the dead part. A brow raise to the short part] Having a hard time seeing that as well. [short, ha.]

[and as she popped another bite of fruit into her mouth she paused, chewing thoughtfully as he spoke of the possible problem group here.]

I'm not wild about the idea. [She's trying to learn, to reprogram her self. She's Kara now, not Agent 33, not Whitehall's personal bodyguard, but... the Whitehall issue is still there. Coulson killed him and that still burns. Like she couldn't protect the man. That he took something away from her.]

[Ward would notice she got a glazed look in her brown eyes, staring at the table as she thought about it. With a blink she drew back, shaking her head and trying to talk, in a whisper too.]

They're going to be a problem with you, aren't they?

[ingrantitude]

[He breathes.] Skye knows I'm here.

[he snorts] She thought I was a ghost, it was pretty hilarious.

[By which he means that it's not. At all. He lets that slide and cuts into his grapefruit.]

We do not engage, for the moment.

[facemyenemies]

[she gave a huff of breath, as if she didn't find the ghost comment all that funny. Sitting her fork down she tucked into the conversation instead of breakfast now.]

Do not engage. All right. But when they decide they need to engage with you, then what?

[ingrantitude]

Be polite, be respectful.

We have a unique opportunity here to decide where we stand as far as options go. We need to wait and see which way the wind is blowing.

...They may be able to help us get out of here.

[facemyenemies]

[Her mouth opened, then closed again, clearly she had a problem with these people being here, but was holding back for a moment.]

[Be respectful. She could do that.]

[After a moment's consideration, she admitted in a whisper]

I... still want to hurt him.

[Coulson. She's been trying, over all this time, to reprogram herself. To break the brainwashing. To make sure no one can say the words and make her bend to their will again. But...]

[Inside her head she knows she failed Whitehall, and she knows Coulson is the one that shot him. That made her fail the other.]

[She doesn't want to fail Ward as well.]

[ingrantitude]

[It's an impulse. He reaches across the table for her hand and takes it in his before holding it with both.]

Me too to be honest.

[he smirks, and shrugs] But sometimes if you wait patiently people will end up outing themselves and hurting themselves.

I think that's going to be the case here.

[facemyenemies]

[A flutter. That's what it feels like when he takes her hand like that. It sometimes annoys her that she allows such a girlish, weak feeling to over come her, but after all this time she just... she wants him.]

[The worse part? Once he saw who she was he seemed... okay with it. More so. He greeted her like meeting her for the first time.]

[But now it's gone backwards, and she berates herself for letting him keep her hand so long. She focuses on the now.]

It would be easy here, to do something about it. He'd have no where to run. [and yet she wasn't sure that was how she wanted to play the game.] But yes, I suppose you're right.

[ingrantitude]

Believe me, this isn't going to go his way. [He withdraws and nods at her.] we have an opportunity to influence things and with Skye here...

[He shakes his head] Remember we know something the rest of them don't. Coulson's daughter has abilities.

[facemyenemies]

[She draws back and picks up her fork again, poking at a bit of fruit but not eating it.]

Is that really going to make any difference here?

[ingrantitude]

They still work in her case.

[They're a part of her, but he doesn't know that.] It's quite a bit of leverage but we have to wait to play our hand.

...I don't know how many people here might stand against us.

[facemyenemies]

[She can wait. She won't be the one to tell anyone these kind of things. If she had more information to give him, she would have.]

Most of them, I am sure. Anyone ho sides with them. [Because why wouldn't they? They seemed to like to ruin everything else.]

[ingrantitude]

[Yes. Good Kara exactly. It's us against the world. Trust no one else. See no one else.

No matter the twitch in his chest.]

They need to be the enemy. It does mean waiting so I thought that...You know while we waited and I rested up you could fill me in on what happened. You said I helped you fix your face.

[facemyenemies]

[Us against the world was pretty much how they had lived for all this time. At least that was how she felt. She trusted no one anymore. No one but him, ad even then she had wanted to tell him to Stop a few times, over a few things.]

You did. If you can call this fixed. [This grotesque face with the mask turned off was pink and burned, healed under the mask. It as a mess. He had welcomed it so openly when he saw it, but to everyone else she wanted to hide. Even now she tipped her head down a bit.] We found someone to make it work, but can't get it off.

[ingrantitude]

[He lowers his head.] I don't see anything wrong with it. At all. Scars mean that you're a survivor.

I look at you and I see somebody who's taking charge of their own destiny. [He means it. It's the least that he can do. This woman saved his life and she...she needs him.

There's a degree of understanding between them. She needs him. Like Skye had needed him before. At that thought he stares at his hands before meeting her gaze again and smiling warmly. He can do this.

He can be there for her.]

You're put together. And together there's nothing that anyone can do to stop us.

[facemyenemies]

[At least here she doesn't have to make the same shameful mistake she made with greeting him with Skye's face. She knows now. And it's the warm smiles and comments like that that make her feel like a stupid girl. Did she do that when she was Agent 33? Flutter at a smile like that?]

[So stupid. And yet she couldn't help but smile faintly at that. She still wanted a clear face, but she was at least Kara now. With a single nod she kept her voice down still]

Taking charge. Yes. I'm... trying. [But with all the men that were living still, living proof of her fail to Whitehall (that programming still deep in the back of her mind, damn) she was finding it harder and harder.]

We've got me put together. Now to get you back on your feet again so that statement will stand true.

[ingrantitude]

[It's not really intentional. Ward laughs and he points at her] See? You're off to a good start. We've learned that you're funny today.


Get back on your feet so that statement will stand true.

[His smile is briefly, ever so briefly genuine before it fades into something warm and fake - something so may or may not be able to tell anymore.]

[facemyenemies]

[The comment wasn't intentional, and it took her a moment to understand what he was laughing about. She blinked, then smiled faintly at that.]

You know what I mean. [She let her smile fall a bit, still there but not all that real either. With her left hand she pushed the banana pancakes closer to him.]

Eat. If you go about this like you did before you'll be back to standard in no time.

[ingrantitude]

Not until you pick.

[He points.] Because you're sharing these with me. Bananas or Strawberries.

[his voice is quiet] I'm not going to force you to make up your mind, but you deserve something nice for all the help you've given me.

[facemyenemies]

What? I can't pick from both?

[she says as she takes a banana round with a fork, then cuts at the strawberry pancakes, mixing the two.]

[His insistence on her having something good makes her raise a brow is all.] I have had plenty of nice things since helping you. Do not worry about that.

[ingrantitude]

[That makes him smile for real.] Well all right.

...thanks for ...being there with those ghosts.

[facemyenemies]

[she smiles faintly to see a real smile and that was enough for her right now]

I'll always be there, so long as I can be.