THE SKY WENT OFF-WHITE.

[wastemods]

WHO: Anyone and everyone.
WHAT: Our inaugural test drive meme.
WHERE: Anywhere in the world core.
WHEN: Whenever your character arrives.
NOTES: Expect surreal horror and possible violence. Please use common sense when warning for other content.

Art by Basile Godard

THE SUNLIGHT SPLINTERED.

You reach the end of the ash-gray hall at a run, hands fumbling for an antique door handle. And then you stumble, fall, tumble—any number of adjectives, depending on where, exactly, the door opened—into a radio station.

The equipment is old and dusty, but devoid of cobwebs to the observant eye. And it's dark, save for whatever light makes it through the windows. They display disjointed locations; perhaps one shows an upside-down tower, while its neighbors frame the crumbling pavement of a rotting car park and the stripped out interior of a sewer. Whatever the case, peering through one window reveals a landscape that impossibly doesn't connect to the next.

The door is still there, the only exit to this grubby room. It opens somewhere, anywhere else in this distorted world. And once you leave, it no longer leads back whence you came.

Where do you go?

THE LIGHT, DIVIDED.

A sun on one horizon, a full moon on the other. They're luminous but unreal, like they were plucked from a sky and pasted to a flat, starless backdrop. You can see only one, depending on which side you entered; it's essentially random. Both "sides" overlap like alternate dimensions and you can't see anyone who isn't on the same side as you. Light or dark, you walk in the light of a muted sun or an overbright moon. It never feels quite real.

Neither star nor satellite seem to move from their position. The passage of time is at a standstill.

Regardless of which side you're on, you'll find signs that you aren't alone. What someone does on one side affects the other, so moving an item or writing something down will translate to floating items and mysteriously appearing letters. Speech doesn't travel...unless there's a radio. Radios may turn on and off, with voices audible through the white noise. And if you walk past a mirror, the reflection isn't your own. Instead, it acts as a window to the other side.

In-character observations:

• Anyone sensitive to time, space, and related dimensional shenanigans will feel they're distorted. And it isn't something they can fix, at least not with powers.
• It's possible to cross dimensions if a character has related powers, but they'll suffer backlash and significant stress from the transition. Successive jumps aren't gonna fly.
• If a character is affected by the sun or moon, they'll find neither holds sway over them here; e.g., vampires can walk in daylight and werewolves won't shift in the full moon.

TL;DR: Whatever this is, it isn't natural.

THE SHADOW REALM.

Outdoors, there are shadows on the prowl.

Silent and eerily insubstantial, they trail after you like blind spots given form. Staring at them too long is unsettling but, for the most part, they're content to watch you back...if they can watch. They don't seem to have eyes.

When that isn't enough, however, they attack. Stealing the shape of monsters from other worlds, they may lack special powers, but that doesn't keep them from being dangerous. When in doubt, you're safest indoors.

But maybe that isn't good enough for you. Or maybe you just fucked up. Either/or.

RADIO WAVES.

If you aren't wondering how you got here, you're probably at least asking why. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anyone around who can answer your questions. Everyone else is as clueless as you.

But, some time after you arrive—whether it's days, hours, minutes, or seconds—the dead air stirs. The atmospheric pressure drops and playhouse lightning arcs across the facsimile of a sky. It's a storm that warns of what's to come, as an earthquake shifts the ground beneath your feet. Around you, buildings flood, and water pours out in falls only half aware of gravity. Wind hurls debris at such high speeds, it turns into shrapnel. Rain pelts you from above and below as the temperature plummets. It starts to snow.

Somehow, the sun and moon remain visible through the turmoil. A collection of mirrors scattered through the world don't reflect their light; instead, it passes through them and illuminates the other side. These specific mirrors, all set in ash-gray frames that match the halls, are untouched in the unfolding natural disasters, and standing before them will shield you as well. Consider them havens in the chaos, proverbial eyes in the storm.

In the dark, a radio turns on of its own accord. Is someone—something—talking to you?

INTO ALL OUR DARKEST FEARS.

Welcome to THE WASTEYARD's first test drive! Some quick things to remember:

• Our TDMs tie into the game plot. As such, any applicants can keep their TDM threads as game canon.
• The network is exclusive to in-game characters. TDM characters can only use radios.
• There is a language barrier, so please mention what language your character speaks somewhere.
• We don't have a fixed day ratio; instead, you pace yourself at your discretion.
• Characters may face backlash when using any powers.
• Mark if your character is on the sun or moon side of the divide. The choice is yours as the player.
• If you have any questions, please direct them to our FAQ!

And that's all, folks. So take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!

NAVIGATION.

PREMISE
RULES
FAQ
ACTIVITY
APPLICATIONS

TAKEN
HIATUSES & DROPS
CANON UPDATES
REWARDS
TPC CLAIMS

WORLD
EXPLORATION
DEVICES
QUESTS
INFORMATION

CALENDAR
SUGGESTIONS
MOD CONTACT
SETTING INBOX
CODEBOOK

Comments

divided light.

[itselbitch]

[ eliot's been trying to get his own bearings of this place, trying to map out what he can manage to only to find that every turn is a little bit different. in fact, when he turns down a street he thought he'd already been through, it turns into an alleyway. down the way sits a rusted car, and the magician is surprised to find he's not alone.

the man leans over the hood of the car, looking at the windshield. eliot squints, approaching as he does, to try and make out what exactly is so interesting about it. the letters appear as the man moves back to the side of the car -- ]

...hello, [ he reads aloud flatly, then furrows his brow, realizing the man was clearly just goofing off. ] That's one way to leave your mark, I guess.

[channellings]

Christ on a cracker, [klaus hisses out, stumbling backward away from the car and raising his hands in what appears to be a defensive position, although the placements are all wrong. not that it matters though, because he's lowering them soon after, eyebrows arching contemplatively.]

Well, have you got any other ideas? I'd make a joke about leaving breadcrumbs, but it might be in poor taste, given our situation.

[after huffing a sigh and brushing the dirt smudges off onto his coat, he tilts his head, studies his new acquaintance through his eyelashes, considering.] Totally serious, by the way. Whatever you can bring to the table, I'm all ears.

[itselbitch]

[ bring to the table for-- ] For what? Not. I dunno. Backtracking? Getting lost? Because if that's what you're trying to prevent, you're better off not getting too attached to any one place.

[ the man gives him a once over, so it's eliot's turn to appraise him as he steps closer, chin held high in assessment. scruffy looking thing, but tall despite. he's not bad looking at all once you get past the unkempt way he carries himself. mm. yes, eliot can dig it.

he offers a small smile as he stops a few feet shy. ] You can always find enough to get by though. [ his gaze flicks across the man's full height again. mm, indeed. ] Thankfully.

[channellings]

Wow, this place really sucks ass. [he raises both hands, presses them against his cheeks and drags them downward, pulling his lower eyelids with his fingertips as well. sorry, eliot, he just needs a minute to be Dramatic first—

and once he notices eliot's looking him over in kind, klaus blinks, straightens his posture somewhat, lips quirking slightly as he lowers his arms back to his sides. hey, if someone's checking him out, he's gonna attempt looking his best, even being covered in dust and looking more disheveled than usual.]

Thankfully, [he's echoing, bridging the gap between them a bit further by stepping toward the other male.] My pockets aren't completely empty, so that's good. [another shuffle forward.] And it's not all bad now, I suppose.

[itselbitch]

[ it's quite rare for anyone to respond so readily to eliot's flirtations, even on earth, so the fact that it happens here and at all is something he knows better than to take for granted. company is useful, especially with how lonely and desolate this place is otherwise.

the other man draws nearer, and the corners of his lips quirk further upward. ]

It helps to find a bag. [ eliot gives a slight shrug, and the bag hanging from his shoulder answers in protest. ] You can carry more that way.

[ thought the subject changes, eliot takes a step closer, not wanting his new friend to think the underlying implication of his interest forgotten. ]

The real trouble is water. Most of it nigh undrinkable, and the real test is finding anything that is that is also untouched. I've only found one bottle of water since arriving. The rest I've had, I've needed to clean and boil.

[channellings]

[company is exactly what klaus happens to be most excited about. someone handsome's a huge plus, for sure, but knowing he isn't the only one stumbling around is an even more wonderful feeling. eliot's friendly advice might be winning him over, too.]

Didn't... really think that one through. [attention briefly flickering to the bag, he raises a hand, thoughtfully taps his cheek then spares a glance around them.] Knowing my luck, every single one I find won't be usable. [sigh.

there's less than an arms-length between them now; if klaus's hand were to move just right, he'd be able to touch eliot's hand or forearm, but he's still somewhat hesitant. touching someone he doesn't know is ordinarily fine and dandy. when it comes to this outlandish, ever-changing place, how's he supposed to differentiate between what's real and who could disappear at any given moment?]

I'm completely unsurprised. The one thing pretty much everyone needs and we've gotta purify our own. If we're lucky enough to find it, yeah, and how've you been doing that? A pan over a fire is what I'd assume, but...

[is fire still a thing here? please, let it still be a thing.]

[itselbitch]

[ eliot chuckles. ] You'd be surprised. There's a lot of junk. You may end up spending more time trying to decide which one is better to keep only to regret it later though since you rarely ever find the same place ever again. At least in what I've experienced thus far.

[ this part is cheaty since technically he can purify it without a vessel before filling it all into his endless flask, which, even desperately emptied on his arrival, turned out to be one of the most useful things he's managed to bring into this strange world. eliot hums, thinking of the best way to respond to the inquiry. ]

I personally have something of a trick for it. But there are definitely pots and pans around. Sometimes you can find apartments with tap, though the water is...possibly not the greatest thing to use. There's something of a balance you have to find, I suppose. Knowing when is worth sacrificing and when it's better off not being risked.

[channellings]

Okay, but hear me out: what if I just put more bags in my bag? That way I'll have extra room to carry stuff and I get to take all the ones I like. [a beat then:] I'm hating the always moving bullshit, just so you know. Everything's already disorienting, why's it gotta be constantly moving around, too?

[isn't that convenient? both the flask and purifying trick. hopefully, eliot won't let klaus in on those handy things or he might have to deal with a stray following him around-- and all the time, more than likely.]

Some kinda tip you can share, I hope? Totally fine if not, I'm not gonna pry... but I'll take whatever help I can get. [here's where he deems it safe enough to take a chance; he reaches out, upturns his palm somewhat, revealing the hello that's inked across his skin.] I'm Klaus, by the way. You got a preferred name, darling?

[itselbitch]

[ er. ] That would. Get heavy pretty quickly, I imagine. And. Then defeat the purpose of really having a bag at all.

[ more importantly though, he offers his hand in return, glancing the hello and offering a playful smile as he meets klaus' eyes again. ] Eliot. El, if you'd like, sweetheart.

It's not that easy to just give tips when I can't account for every circumstance you may encounter, but. I suppose I've the time to spare to at least help you through something reasonable. If we can find the necessary equipment around here.

[channellings]

Wait, how heavy are these bags we're talking about? Shouldn't be more than a few pounds at the most, unless... they're weird-world bags and have different properties.

[eliot's hand settles in his own, a warm, solid weight and klaus exhales a relieved sigh. thank god, he's an actual person, not a figment of his imagination or someone who's going to up and disappear on him.] What if I like both? Both's always good. More options and all that, but let's go with 'El' for now.

Having water to drink would be a good start. Suppose that'd mean hunting down a pot or pan of some sort and then finding an apartment with a working tap. Are there any other specific places you know of where water's been found?