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

[calculo]

[ something clinks, clatters and his head whips in the direction of the noise. he doesn't move towards it though, not wanting to get caught in some sort of ambush because he was dumb enough to go walking over and leave himself exposed especially when he's unarmed.

but he also doesn't want to turn his back on that spot in case someone is there. the last thing he needs is a literal knife in his back especially when the other guy's not making a sound.

he swallows. he has to do something because standing out there isn't going to accomplish anything. ]

Look, I'm not here to hurt anyone. [ he doesn't even know how he'd do that in a place like this. ] I'm just trying to figure out where I am.

[ or how he'd gotten here. as a show of goodwill, robbie raises his arms, gloved hands in the air and turns to show that he wasn't carrying any weapons. ]

Come out. Or I'll come find you.

[ascocarp]

[Inside the brightly colored plastic tube, Ellie rolls her eyes. That's what everybody says. She's got nothing for him, anyway. She doesn't know what this place is, either.]

[...Except, wait. What the fuck. Was that a threat? Ellie pulls out the shiv she fashioned out of a plastic fork, and tenses, waiting. Sure, come find her, fucker. She's played cat and mouse with the best of them.]

[She tries not to think about how well-fed he looks.]

[calculo]

( that's how it was gonna be, huh? he doesn't really want to go on a scavenger hunt but there's someone here and a sign of life in this place is something he's not going to just let go. so, he walks, turning his back on the noise and towards the tube.

the dirt under his feet billows a bit and he stops to slide his fingers through it. it's grainy, gritty but even it feels soft. like it shouldn't be here. )

We gonna play hide and seek?

( that had been one of gabe's favorite games once upon a time. when things were different. better. )

Haven't played in years. You got an advantage on me, though. I have no idea if you're a person or one of those weird shadow things.

[ascocarp]

[Sure, Ellie thinks, Keep talking. Lemme know exactly where you are.]

[She picked the tube system because it shoots in three directions. She picks the one facing away from her attacker (because that's clearly what he is, right?) so she can silently scoot backward into the comforting darkness of the swirly tube slide.]

[She holds the shiv tightly in hand.]

[calculo]

( whoever's here is being very cautious which robbie takes to mean two things: they're used to people coming after them and they think that's happening right here or they're about to be the one doing the attacking. either way, his guard is up and he really, really wishes he had a weapon right now even just for defense. )

So, should I count to ten? And then find you? Because I grew out of that game when I was a kid. My brother used to love it though. He was always a pretty terrible hider though.

[ his eyes flick around the area, pinpointing possible spots for someone to hide. this place is a maze and everything is crumbling, turning simple corners into nooks that someone could tuck away in. ]

I'd really rather not play that right now. I'm tired. I just wanna know what's going on.

[ascocarp]

[It doesn't occur to Ellie that this man might mean well. To her mind, it's taunting, and fear creeps in. She catches her hand shaking, and scowls at it, as though a reprimand will cause it to stop.]

[In the end, what makes her stop is a hole opening up underneath her. The plastic of the slide directly underneath her suddenly rots into ash, and her tennis-shoed foot slips through, exposing her position.] Shit! [A high pitched voice, a young girl's.]

[She gave away her position, and she could swear more, but she doesn't have time. She crawls down the slide-- it's too rotten and tacky to actually slide, intending to run when she hits the end.]

[calculo]

( dios, that's a kid's voice. that's...not what he expected. he doesn't know what this place is but it shouldn't be bringing kids here. he doesn't start forward because it's a kid and he'd really like to avoid scaring her more than she is but he takes a few steps forward, at least. )

Kid, look look, I'm not here to hurt you.

( it's easy to say that, he knows. harder to believe. ) You got no reason to believe me, I know, but you seen anyone else wandering around here? I haven't. Maybe that's telling. Don't run.

[ascocarp]

[This is all the shit anybody would say in his position. Once, she knows, she would have held out faith and hoped for the best. She would have tentatively trusted. She's not that dumb anymore. She hasn't been for a long time.]

[He doesn't look armed, though.]

[She emerges, dusty and dirty and a little more skinny than a normal kid should be, but she tries to make the little shiv she's holding out the most prominent thing. Her stance is wide, preparing for a fight, ready to spring. She keeps her back to the curving spiral of the slide, so it'll be harder for his buddy to sneak up on her.]

[Does he actually have a buddy waiting to nab her? There's no reason to think he does. There's also no reason to think he doesn't; that's just the way things work.]

No funny moves, asshole. [Big words from a kid her size.] Try anything, you'll be down a frickin' eye.

[calculo]

Jesús, ¿qué está pasando? ( the words slip out as he stares at the sight she makes in front of him. he's pretty sure he could avoid that shiv but she's the first person he's seen and though she's holding a knife on him, he has to try and talk to her.

so, he turns his hands over, palms out again, to show her he's not going to be making any moves. )

I'm not gonna try anything, kid. ( he just wants to know what's going on and why there's a child here, of all things. ) What's your name?

( he doubts she'll give it. ) I'm Robbie. From Los Angeles. You know it? It's hot there. ( small talk'll make it easier to reason with her, right? let's hope so. )

[ascocarp]

[Names don't mean anything, she knows that intellectually. Still, it feels like giving in. She ignores the request, and the words in a languages she recognizes but doesn't understand. Her fighting stance stays unchanged.]

I've heard of it, [she admits. She's never been that far west, and they went pretty fucking far. And then they backtracked, because-- her memory clouds with hurt and confusion, and she shakes it aside, her eyes still stuck on this guy saying all the right things to calm someone down if they're fucking stupid.] You're saying you haven't seen anybody?

[She doesn't believe him, but she wants to hear what he says. That's a big thing to just throw out, that you've got no people and nobody will come for you if you get fucked up or notice if you don't come back. It's why Ellie isn't admitting that she's in the exact same boat.]

[calculo]

No. In case you haven't noticed, this place ain't really a tourist destination. ( everything was rotting and falling apart or it was shifting and switching, making him wonder if what he'd seen had been actually what he'd seen or was his mind playing tricks on him. )

You don't exactly look like you've been entertaining guests either. ( he nods at the broken tube that that she'd just come out of. ) Doesn't look very comfortable.

( decent hiding spot. )

I've seen shadows. I've seen reflections that aren't me but you're the first person I've talked to since whatever happened to me happened.

[ascocarp]

[She rolls her eyes.] Yeah, yeah, you were late and missed orientation. [The way his eyes glide over her hiding-spot, to then comment on her comfort... it makes her nervous. It reminds her of the cold in a way this place's plummeting temperatures don't.]

You're saying you've- fuck!

[Speaking of shadows, there's one, right on time. It looks like the bleary memory of a dog, or something canine; the way the legs move aren't right in a way Ellie can't put her finger on, and doesn't care to analyze. In a moment, she's scrambling back up the slide, not inside but on top. Higher ground is good; the thing isn't huge, and might not be smart enough to figure out how to climb to her. What the other guy does, well, shit. It's not like she can help him.]

[calculo]

( how the hell do you fight a shadow? this isn't like the ghosts the darkhold had created. he doesn't have the chain anyway and even if he did, he doesn't know if it'd work. he can still feel the rider inside of him but something about this place is twisting him up too, making it hard for him to come out.

so, when she runs, he doesn't. he turns to face it, arms at his sides and eyes flicking around the area. there's debris all over the place but would it hurt a shadow or just distract it. )

Look kid, I can cause a diversion if you want to get out of here. ( he takes a few steps back, rocks crunching under his shoes. the shadow moves closer and he moves away, keeping some distance. )

Because if this thing does whatever it does to me, you're not going to want to be here. (
¿entender? )

[ascocarp]

[She doesn't trust this guy, she doesn't understand this guy, she doesn't know this guy. And no fucking way is this guy dying because of her. The visceral reaction, no, is too fast and heavy to consider or refuse.]

[So she grabs something else out of her pockets, a rusty can full of bottle caps and casino chips. She shakes it vigorously, and it does get the shadow's attention.] Hey, motherfucker! Go fetch!

[She throws it, and the shadow... doesn't follow. Instead, it begins rounding on Ellie, attempting to clamber up the slide like she did.] Ooooh, fuck. [She drops and makes to run, intending to lead the creature away.]

[calculo]

( of course. of course. why does he always end up around people with no self preservation skills? he's more than happy to lead this thing away but before he can, she takes charge and he'd be angry if he weren't so shocked.

what breaks him out of that surprise is when the shadow moves towards her. that shoves him into action and he moves towards the two of them, reaching down to scoop up a discarded piece of wood on the ground. it's not much but he hopes it'll do something.

the shadow's attention is on the girl so he has a clear shot to move up behind him and he swings, hoping that, by some miracle, the board strikes solid and doesn't just pass through the thing.

give him this bit of luck, please. )

[ascocarp]

[Ellie would stab him if she found out he thought she had no self preservation skills, but then again, the list of infractions for which she would not stab him is currently short. Not that it's obvious, given how she's refused entirely to let this stranger take the bullet for her. Maybe there's a difference between preservation and survival. Preserves are pickled in a jar somewhere, right?]

[Anyway, the strike lands, though the temperature of the wood goes cold as ice upon contact with the shadow.]

[The shadow itself moves shape, unsure what to attack. This is compounded when Ellie begins to maddeningly stab it with her shiv, only to draw back in horror at how bone cold that was. Her hand feels almost burnt.] Fuck fuck fuck! What are you? [But she's back to stabbing again, trying to get her hits in while she has the momentum.]

[calculo]

( this isn't working. his fingers are almost numb from just swinging a hunk of wood at the shadow there's no way she's not feeling it too. this isn't working and it's only going to end in them getting injured with no medical attention in sight if they keep it up. )

Kid, we gotta go.

( he backs away, gesturing her closer. she's gonna have to make a choice to trust him right now or to try and keep stabbing a shadow that barely looks like it's taking damage. )

Dios, let's go. I don't want to leave you here but I will. ( he wouldn't. ) This isn't working so let's go before one of us gets hurt.

[ascocarp]

[We. It always becomes a we somewhere, doesn't it? She hopes she doesn't regret this. She doesn't have a choice. Deep down, she knows the truth: she could bolt in a different direction, sure, but she doesn't want to be alone anymore. She's spent what's felt like hours, maybe days, alone in this place. It felt like dying.]

[Not that she'd know what dying feels like.]

[She nods, quick as she can, before darting toward the nearest open doorway. Her hands ache, and if she's injured... fuck. She doesn't know what to think. She doesn't know what to do, but she can't let herself panic. So she just keeps running, not letting herself cradle her aching hand.]

[calculo]

( thank god. he actually hadn't been sure if she'd listen to him or if she'd keep stabbing the shadow until her entire arm was blue and about to fall off. but no, she runs and after a moment's hesitation to make sure the shadow's not going to follow, robbie takes off after her.

he keeps her back in front of him, occasionally shooting looks over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. )

Keep going.

[ better safe than sorry to put some distance between them and any other shadows that might be lurking. then again, how did you even know where a goddamn shadow was? he doesn't know this place, doesn't like how it keeps changing and he feels constantly on his guard. ]

[ascocarp]

[She slips in the door and, to her possible credit, doesn't immediately slam it behind her. She leaves it open, and keeps running up the steps behind it, a clear pathway blocked by a medicine cabinet and a grandfather clock crashed down and blocking entry.]

[She's seen this path before, if not... in this building. Wasn't it in another one, hours ago? Weird. But also convenient. She knows the way through this particular puzzle; she's done it before. She uses her off hand (her dominant hand is tucked inside her jacket, cradled and favored) to pull open the door of the grandfather clock.]

C'mon! In here!

[calculo]

( the kid's fast, he'll give her that. he can keep up but only because his legs are longer. if they were the same size, he's pretty sure she'd be leaving him in the dust. but she doesn't and she even leaves a door open, one that he crashes through, taking a moment to kick it shut behind him.

he's back running quick enough, closing in on her. she opens the door to something, he can't even tell what it is, but she waits for him so once he's close, he nudges her inside, slips in after her and shuts the door.

he puts a finger to his lips to keep her quiet and then waits to make sure whatever's out there passes. )

[ascocarp]

[The grandfather clock opens a doorway to another room, though it's not the one Ellie remembers. Last time, it was a huge library full of blank books. This time, it's a giant kitchen, full of dusty ovens and sinks. The door behind them, once closed, vanishes.]

[Ellie is too distracted to notice. The adrenaline is still ebbing, and replaced by wonder at this huge room. She's never seen something like this before.]

Woahhhhh. [Without thinking, she murmurs,] You think this could feed, like, a billion people?

[calculo]

Maybe not a billion. ( but it is a good sized kitchen. the only thing is a kitchen's no real use if there's no food to go along with it. he peers behind him at the door that's no longer there. there's not even a trace of it.

he presses a hand against the spot it had just been and it's solid. nothing hollow, nothing hidden. what the hell was this place? )

You see any food anywhere? ( because the longer they were here, the more pressing things like food and water were going to become. he turns away from the wall and steps further into the kitchen, trailing a gloved finger along the dust. it's thick. this hasn't been used in awhile. )

[ascocarp]

Uh- [She frowns, looking momentarily guilty. Unused knives and other cooking implements hang above them. Her hand is so cold, her teeth chatter. The memory rises up, and she fights to kick it back down.]

[With her good hand, she reaches inside her backpack and tosses him a wrapped piece of jerky.] That's all I could find.

[Still, unease remembered, she keeps her distance, unsubtly putting a counter between them. She fiddles with the sink, trying to get the water to turn on.]

[calculo]

I didn't mean you should give me your food. ( he puts it down on the counter, wisely keeping the distance she's set between them. he puts his hands on the counter next to the food and fixes her with a look. his own arm is still cold but he'd backed up much quicker than she had. he can't even imagine what she must feel like. )

Your hand hurt? ( even if she says it doesn't, he knows it has to. ) What's your name? Unless you'd prefer I just keep calling you kid.