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pedalbike2020-08-29 10:30 am
upcyclingmod) wrote in pedalbike2020-08-29 10:30 am
Entry tags:
First TDM: Sterile Blues
Welcome to the Test Drive Meme.
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Not all characters (known as Wickie, singular or Wickies, plural) arrive at the same time, surprisingly enough! That’s life for you. Some Wickies find their way to the island at a pivotal (or very mundane) point in their life, or even after or during their death.
Wickies who were standing or walking often find themselves entering the town South Sister, located on Lighthouse Isle, through an open doorway. Those that were laying down, or sleeping, tend to be found lying prone in beds, bathtubs, showers, couches, and similar places within the cottages on Cottage Row. There’s no rhyme or reason to it all! To Wickies familiar with the era, they will realize that everything looks as if it’s come from the ‘90s.
The house which a Wickie finds themselves within could already be occupied. This includes walking into a fellow Wicke, waking up in the same location, or accidentally scaring a room full of people with their sudden appearance.
Oops.
After arriving, Wickes will find that food and water are easy enough to come by, as they can be readily found in the various houses which populate Lighthouse Isle. Medical supplies, on the other hand, are not so easily acquired. Bandaids and other simple trappings can be pilfered from the odd medical cabinet, but otherwise you’re on your own.
Thankfully, if a Wickie or their friend are in need of medicine or a pair of trauma shears, while you won’t find a full-fledged hospital on the island, there is a clinic. The clinic, named Sister’s Helpers, is like the rest of the buildings in town. Its appearance is well kept, and the doors are unlocked. Whether the Wickie goes in through the windows (because they can), or through the front door like most would, they’ll find that the clinic’s interior is crisp, clean, and orderly. There are plastic chairs, a desk where a receptionist would sit, white walls, but then—
There’s a sound. It could be mistaken for a breeze, at first. But as the sound goes on, it becomes more obvious that the ‘breeze’ is an exhale, prolonged and forced. At the end, there’s a murmur, professional and assuring.
“That’s good. Breathe.”
And with that, the clinic becomes awash in shades of blue. Sister’s Helpers itself hasn’t become warped in any way. There is only monochromatic coloring which, upon further realization, is not truly in the building, but a problem with their vision. Leaving without investigating further will mean having blue vision for the next twenty-four hours.
But for Wickies who choose to stay and explore, there is a chance at clearing their vision. This is is especially difficult for those who have a history of not taking care of their injuries. Gradually, it becomes more difficult to walk, as if there are weights on their feet. For Wickies are especially guilty of not tending to their wounds, their movements will become even more sluggish, and weight will settle on their arms and chest, forcing the worst of offenders into a crawl as they explore from room to room.
Laying on the patient beds will alleviate the situation for a short amount of time. The cure, however, will come from characters taking the supplies which they need for themselves and not for others.
If the Wickie fails this, over the course of an hour they will be crushed to death, and will eventually wake up outside of the clinic. Their vision stuck in shades of red with a weakness in their limbs for the next twenty four hours.
The Wickie’s only cure for that is either taking medical supplies for themselves or by doing some form of self care.
It’s the middle of the night when all the Wickies are jarred awake from sleep by the blare of a broken siren. Wailing into the dark, the siren functions as a foghorn might, warning of hazardous conditions to come. Beneath Wickies feet, the ground trembles, pulsating once. Twice. Three times. And again, and again until—
The world changes, and it is no longer the foggy island the Wickies knew.
Ash falls steadily from above, blanketing the ground, and at first glance it can be mistaken for snow. Whether by scent, by touch, or even by taste (an option for the brave, the bold, the few), the truth of the ‘snowfall’ can be easily revealed. It is strange, though, that there are no signs of fire in the vicinity. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be much of anything at all. There’s still no sign of the mainland. There are no buildings in this desolate place, either.
Lighting in this new landscape is hazy and sullen, but still conducive to exploring despite it being the dead of night just moments ago. But while Wickies walk, there’s a growing feeling of foreboding. There’s something… something else with them.
And it conceals itself in the ash.
It attacks by lashing out to grab at the ankles and the calves, attempting to drag the unsuspecting victim down, to somewhere far deeper and hidden by billowing piles of ash. It’s easy to save a Wickie from the pull, so long as they’re quickly freed from their assailants grasp. Retrieving someone out of the ash itself is nigh impossible, though.
Grabbed Wickies who lived to tell the tale, may find themselves bitten. The stalkers in the ash sink their teeth into the foot or calf of their prey, leveraging the force of their bite to take down their target. And once there’s blood, more of these creatures will be attracted to the smell.
If a Wickie is clever or strong enough to draw the stalkers out of the ash, they will find that the attackers are shark-like people. Most of their head consists of oversized jaws housing an impossible amount of teeth, and lacking any eyes. Their bodies are covered in ashen chitin and bone, with elongated feet and thin, taloned fingers. These Ash Sharks do not like being exposed, and will respond accordingly.
Ash Sharks cannot be reasoned with. Trapping one in ropes, magic, or other means will elicit angry shrieks which will attract other Ash Sharks, either to eat the trapper, or trapped, or both if they can. Being dragged completely under the ash will start a feeding frenzy, and the Ash Shark will proceed to rip and tear chunks out of its prey.
In dying, Wickies will reset to a random location within the ash filled fields, completely intact but for a purpling bruise where the initial bite took place.
Good luck.
There’s a beeping alert on all Wickie’s smartphones that refuses to stop until a particular notification is read. The notification is for something called the Heart Game (which, yes, looks annoying, overly bright, and cheesy). And surprise! The game opens up automatically with a loud ping!
The game begins (and ends!) with a question, one which will not go away even if you try to close out of it or shut off your smartphone. It reads:
It’s time for everyone's favorite game! Confession! Heeeeere is today’s question which you must confess!
What is… the scariest thing you’ve experienced? It can be anything!
number five | the umbrella academy | ota
☂ ARRIVAL ☂
[ they were almost there. it was almost over, standing in the lofty barn, with all of them alive. the sum of his actions would finally pay off.
they were so close, and he followed his family out of the old hay barn, each of his siblings trickling out and it was a blink. a free-fall breath that was annoyingly seamless and cold and then he stands on a rickety floor in a house that stinks of sea-side musk.
they were so close.
for a moment, five panics, spins around behind him to look at the once-white, paint-worn door. ]
Shit - [ they were so fucking close and what the fuck was this shit?
if there is anyone there with him, they will see what looks like a thirteen year old boy in schoolboy shorts go in, and out, of the threshold. then blue light shimmers and warps around his hands, and he disappears in a temporal blur.
only to reappear in the same room, almost in the same space as when he first entered. he looks livid, and terribly tired and he might be kicking out at the nearest chair. ] - Shit!
☂ ASHES, ASHES ☂
[ the blaring wail of the siren pierces the dead of the night, but. it wasn't as if five was asleep anyway - it wasn't as though he wasn't tired. he was exhausted. but like fuck would he just go to sleep right now.
but the siren still manages to jolt him, just as the world around him becomes disorienting again, another telltale lurch. then there's silence, settling around him with the fog, and the ash, floating gently from the unseen sky like twisted snow. he tries to swipe it from his face, but it still stains his cheek in soot.
he releases a long suffered groan, before seeing no other choice but to keep moving.
the first time something grabs at his ankles, it manages to unset his balance and he stumbles, knobby knees on the dirty ground, before he's up in a blur of his blink, and landing a good several feet away from the crawling monstrocity.
of course there were monsters. why wouldn't there be. he's more ready when another one tries to get a swipe at his legs, teleporting further away in another dull blink.
a moment later, and he takes off running. if he sees anyone walking in the fog, he will approach them, from a tentative distance and say - ] Mind your feet!
☂ NETWORK ☂
[ he almost chucks the device into the ocean; it was the first thought that crossed his mind. a sure-fire way of making it stop. but of course, the more obvious and pragmatic solution in all of this was to actually check the stupid thing.
his face is an incredulous twist of disgust as the game flashes on the screen. ]
un: no.5
not happening. try again.
☂ WILDCARD ☂ ( feel free to come up with your own prompt, choose your own adventure, anything! i'm open! c: let me know if you'd like to plot a little before hand, or if you'd prefer to avoid spoilers for s2 altogether! )
arrival, no spoilers please!
still, figaro jumps a little at the surprise visit, nearly spilling his his drink on the floor, and puts his glass down when five starts throwing a fit. jeez, kids these days. ]
Hey, hey, calm down -- It's not that easy to leave this island, it seems.
you got it!
he'd like to see you try and open up a time sensitive temporal rift, calculated to the exact time and place and displacement you need to be at, if you're so smart. or so he'd challenge you.
five looks haggard and pissed and while being on the brink of a temper tantrum, as soon as he hears another voice, his shoulders square and tense and his stance shifts into full-on defensive. ] You think?
[ he frowns. no, he should play nice. ugh. still, his body is angled towards the door, a quick blink away from disappearing if he needs to. ] Where is it that we are, exactly?
no subject
all he could really offer is a shrug and a tired smile anyway. ]
No clue. Apparently in a town called South Sister atop Lighthouse Isle, but most of the people I've met so far as just as lost as we are. I only arrived here recently myself.
[ and the fact that that's all figaro knows has driven him to drink, tbh. give him a moment to pour himself another drink. ]
no subject
though knowing five's current disposition, it's questionable if that would stop him :/ ]
You're kidding. [ about the names, that is.
the drink, on the other hand, looks all too enticing. ] You came prepared, or do they have an open bar here?
no subject
They have a general store that sells liquor, actually. Just show them this white card, and there you go.
[ do they card children, though? who knows. it's not like anyone's looking after said store, so it should be free real estate. ]
Want some? If you're of age, that is. I'd still get in trouble even as a doctor, you know?
[ his smile tells nothing. is he not aware that he's offering alcohol to a freaking child, or does he somehow know that the guy's older than he seems? who knows. this isn't the first time he drank with an old fogey in a kid's body anyway. ]
no subject
I'm fifty-eight. [ he says, with the most sardonic twist of a smile. his body language is as closed as ever, but the offer piques enough of his interest for him to uncross his arms and step away from the post he was leaning against. ] Long story.
And I'm accepting if you're offering.
(no subject)
arrival, fine for spoilers!
When Five returns, however, Ben makes the sort of idle comment that he likes to make to Klaus:]
Don't tell me: there's another apocalypse and we have a week to stop it.
[Fortunately for Ben, however, aside from being slightly transparent he is visible and audible to the average person. He's not even blue, like he is when Klaus manifests him. Ben is having the opposite problem Five is, though: sometimes you're just thirteen going on thirty.]
ahhh ben !!
he hears the voice; older, maybe than what he remembered from his childhood. but it's distinctly, heart-achingly familiar as he spins on one heel.
five stares, for a moment.] Ben? [ it's smaller and less sure than he'd like, but he's surprised, and upset.
his brother doesn't look fully real, a shimmer of transparency. ]
Well, I thought we actually managed it, this time around.
[ still, he takes two slow steps forward, with a crease between his brows. ] Is Klaus here, then?
<3
[There's an edge of unease in Ben's voice when he says that. He doesn't know what existence without Klaus is. Klaus is supposed to be here, if Ben is here. Klaus is always there. Even when Ben hates him, when Klaus is at the lowest points and there are no other ghosts around, Klaus is still there and the fact that Ben can't find him sets him on edge. Five being here is good, though. Five can fix this.
Quietly, in the same unsure tone that he always used to ask if he had to use his powers, Ben says:]
I couldn't find any of us.
[There's a kind of unspoken fear behind that statement. Ben being by himself would mean something very different than any other Hargreeves sibling being on their own. Ben's never been alone, because being alone would mean he was well and truly dead.]
<3! sorry about the delay!
it stings, knowing that he couldn't save all of them. that ben died after he left and he couldn't do a lick of anything to stop it.
but he's still here, too, and what a damned relief it is to see him. it's strange, and five's brain already works to try and piece it together, any minuscule clues he has.
but there are too few, for now. he hates that, too.
hates that he doesn't just see a direct solution. ] We stick together, and -
- I'll get us out of here, okay? [ he's not a fan of the implication, but it doesn't change the fact that neither of them are meant to be here. barely know where here is.
he'll keep his family safe, always.
still, a small, quiet moment of consideration. ] It's good to see you.
no worries!
[Ben doesn't comment on getting out of here, because that's a given. It's Five. Parts of Ben never grew up, and his childish belief that Five can solve anything because he's the smartest is still firmly intact. When everyone else gave up, Ben reasoned with Klaus that if he couldn't manifest Five too then that meant Five was still alive.]
Not that I really wanted to spend an eighteenth year with only Klaus to talk to.
no subject
of course, it's good to see ben, semi-corporeal but still very much dead. it still hurts, that loss that he wasn't even there for.
for what it's worth, ben, five will try and not let you down. he owes you, and klaus, that much. ] I can't imagine why. [ comes the dry remark instead, that small twist of a sardonic smile, his hands slipping into his pockets. ] Funny, Klaus said ghosts can't time travel.
[ a bit more gently, because he can't help it. ] How long have you been here?
(no subject)
network | un: dasilva (spoilers totally fine)
omg i actually rewatched this movie like last week,,,
This little thing is going to have a very short shelf life if 'they' keep doing this sort of thing.
Fine.
The apocalypse. [ is he answering the app? the person on the other end? he doesn't know, but kind of hopes it's the same.
ironically though, not a complete lie. ]
ajldkaf it's such a glorious mess of a movie
Honestly, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to just toss the cellphone. I don't know who has given them to us, and they clearly have access to it. [ Dad's advice would be to toss it or, at the very least, keep it in one location, hidden, and use only when necessary. Damn it, why couldn't he be here? ]
So, was it zombies or nukes? [ That caused the apocalypse. She assumes he's lying about because projection! ]
it is!! and sorry for the delay
but he's a facetious little shit, through and through. ]
Well, live and learn.
Nukes the second time around, actually.
First time was the moon crash landing into Earth. [ he says nothing of who caused it....]
it's all good ❤
How'd you manage that? [ even if he's lying, it sounds interesting and Sharon has always loved a good story. ]
❤!
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
ashes, totally cool w/spoilers
She's half-convinced shes in the Metaverse somehow when she stumbles out to the now ash-filled world, but her school uniform's remained the same and there's been no magical transformation into her Phantom Thief clothes so... who knows??
Honestly, the desire to just turn around and hunker down inside had been Very Real, but she thinks she'd rather try to meet up with the couple of people she knows are here first to make sure everything's okay.
Five suddenly calling out to her makes her stop short; of course she's noticed the ominous rustling in the ashes and she's dodged a few of the attacks herself, but his warning makes her stomach clench in fear as she backs away, looking down at the ash and then back up. Five at least looks only slightly younger than herself, so she's immeidately a little concerned.]
Those monsters in the ash, right? They're everywhere! Do you know what they are?
great! & sorry for the delay!
still, he needs to be more careful with his blinks, with timing them right. if he runs out of juice at the wrong time, it may be over for him, or anyone around him.
his jog comes to a halt in front of the girl, his eyes dropping to their surroundings, wary of the ground. ] No clue, didn't stop to ask.
Have you seen anything else in the fog? Cover? [ eager as he is to get out of here, he'd been trained and raised to be a hero first, before an assassin, so its an easy role to fall back to. ]
no subject
I don’t think they can get into the houses, since they just come up from the ashes. So any buildings should be pretty safe when inside.
There was a store down the road not far from here, I think...
[Sumi pauses, takes a breath, and then straightens up with a determined air. Metaverse or not, she couldn’t let this kid run around all on his own.]
We should get somewhere safer. I can protect you until we do, even though I might not look like much now. I promise I can get you to safety.
Please, allow me to help you.
[The determined, reassuring (albeit very formal) way she talks would be nicer— and probably much more effective—if the “kid” she was talking to wasn’t like 3x her actual age.]
no subject
that all falls a little short when she starts saying that - and he snaps his head in her direction with a look that's more than a little indignant. ] I don't need your protection.
[ he fully understands how he looks like to others, and quite honestly he's tired of this shit. he's 58, damn it >:( ] But getting to cover isn't a stupid idea.
[ this would be so much better with a weapon. he'll get her to cover, and then continue along. maybe he can still find his family. ] Come on, then. Yell if you see something move, and I'll do the same. [ a forced, not at all warm smile. sorry...]
no subject
[She looks him over, a bit concerned, but she gestures for him to follow in the direction she last remembers seeing some houses. The ash seems less dense in some areas than others, and she tries to stay in those areas on the path.]
You can call me 'Violet,' if you'd like. May I please have your name too? And... Do you have a weapon, or some kind of power...?
ashes, ashes, s2 spoilers are fine
Gotta be someone he can help.
This is spooky as hell, but he's done spooky. Two apocalypses now. Two! Most people don't have to deal with more than one!
There's a figure approaching. Good. Maybe he can get some answers. Wait, what-]
Mind your feet?
[he gets grabbed and goes over in a pile of still-not-Batman, cursing and fumbling for a knife]
so sorry for the delay ahh!!
shit. diego being here wasn't good, not in the slightest, but a part of five is painfully glad to see him.
seeing him means he can keep an eye on him, and make sure he's safe. but for the record, diego, this one wasn't his fault.
then he sees one of the ash-sharks grab at diego's ankles, and that's all it takes for five to disappear in a blur, propel himself high above them both, and use the momentum to slam his foot onto the creature's head. it's enough to make its grip weaken as is slithers back in an ugly gurgle.
he's dragging diego up as hard as he can, can't help sounding a little more frantic than he'd like. ] Hey, numbnuts, what the hell did I just say about watching your feet?!