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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!
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
[He doesn't sound angry when he says it, more exasperated. Ben's been dealing with Klaus for years and this is nothing new for him. The question about how long he's been here is harder to answer anyway. Time's kind of lost all meaning for him, as a ghost. He squints at a clock on the wall.]
I think I've been here for an hour? Maybe longer.