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

[mendingmancer]

[ Quentin probably should've moved aside quicker, as the stranger barreled through the door and crowded up to him, making him stagger back in a way that was in no way graceful or neat. It didn't help that the man was really tall, almost as tall as Eliot, which was saying something. Still, he managed to keep his feet and not drop his radio.

At the question he took a quick look around the garage. It was pretty wrecked, honestly, every surface covered in a layer of dust. He suspected the toolbox in the corner was probably empty, too, just because most of the stuff here didn't work. There wasn't even a car, if they had them in this world. ]

Not that I've seen anywhere. But I don't think we have to worry. It's really weird, actually, the monsters-- they seem to just not come into the buildings. Maybe they're very polite nightmare abominations.

[ He goes to the window, looking out to see if he can even see the shadow monster. It definitely looks like there's... Things out there. ]

I still probably wouldn't wanna go to sleep here without a lock on the door.

[channellings]

Sorry, [it comes out instinctually, a little breathless and almost a whimper after he attempts peeking outside. at the moment, he sees nothing, so he turns to look around the garage instead, nervously chewing his bottom lip. he is apologetic, regardless of the insensitive way he comes off, but the creepy shadow-being racked his nerves pretty good.

taking in their surroundings, it doesn't seem like there's anything to lock the door with unless they roll the tool-chest in front of the door? then that provides a different problem: making a quick escape if necessary. god, why couldn't one thing go right today?]

Okay, well, I'll just have to. Sit against the door. [which he immediately does, dropping onto his rear-end and propping his back against the dilapidated frame.] Just in case, you know? No matter how polite they might be, I'm iffy about risking those odds.

What do you see? Anything with tentacles? [klaus cranes his neck, attempting to catch a glimpse of what quentin's looking at, despite his dumbass choice to remain seated on the floor.] With all the nightmare fuel outside, I'm never gonna sleep again.

[mendingmancer]

[ The apology gets a bit of a shrug because, really, the guy was running for his life. Quentin wouldn't have really blamed him of he'd slammed through the door and crashed right into him. Not much, anyway. Or he wouldn't have been a dick about it.

He watches out the window for a few minutes, pretty focused on what he doesn't see. Through the fog, he can make out a shambling nightmare thing. ]

Yeah, but it's just kinda shadowy, too far away for me to see it. Maybe it forgot about you. Or whoever it was chasing.

[ He keeps watching as the monster shambles around, moving farther away, rather slowly. The whole time his heart is pounding so loudly he has to wonder if any of the other creepy monsters would hear.

Klaus's words about nightmare pull him back out of his focus, and his fear. He tears himself away from the window. ] I used to think, after all the shit me and my friends went through, that maybe I'd just get used to the monsters and the death and the almost dying. I guess I kinda did, but all of that came with enough nightmare fuel to power a plane. I mean, all the magic and the adventure sort of makes it worth it, I guess...

[ An idea strikes him then. The sort of thing he hasn't been able to do in more than a year, thanks to his own actions and then later because of the fucking Library. He also isn't really great at this particular bit of magic, either. Nowhere near as good as Alice or Eliot or anyone else, really.

He takes a step back from the window, shaking both his hands before he moves and stands in front of the door. ]

Anyway, I might have a lock-- well, something better than a lock. The monsters are pretty far so, can you move away from the door for a second?

[ He holds up his hands, flexing his fingers, waiting, and hoping he remembers the right order of the tuts. He usually let other people do this one, but it's on him now. ]

[channellings]

[a gesture that makes klaus's shoulders slacken a little, at least. he quirks the left side of his face in the best half-smile he can manage then averts his attention to his where his legs are crammed against his chest, reaches to curl his fingers over his knees, keeping mostly silent aside from the soft shuffling noises of his movements while quention watches.

he huffs a mirthless laugh,] Yeah, we can only hope it did. Fuck off, you Lovecraftian shitshow...

[and quentin's heartbeat isn't the only one going a million miles a minute. blinking thoughtfully down at his sneakers, the medium lifts his head and turns to look up at quentin again, eyebrows arching consideringly. let's address the initial thing:] So, this isn't your first time seeing monsters? [then he twists around against the door, tilts his head, looking far more curious now.] And what's this about magic?

[is he legit about to see some fucking magic happen here? whenever quentin asks about moving away from the door, klaus blinks, glances over his shoulder a moment then crawls out of the way, albeit with some reluctance.]

What exactly is better than a lock on a door? [it's a genuine question, seriously. how's quentin going to secure it? unless he isn't bullshitting him about being some kinda wizard or whatever (which wouldn't be that farfetched, considering his own abilities, but he can't help being cautious).]

[mendingmancer]

It's not. Except most of the monsters in my world started out as people. Some of them are still people, like the well-intentioned extremist types. [ Quentin's world is more like the complex, shades of gray type of story than the more simple children's books he used to love. Sometimes he thinks it's too bad, really, since it would've made dealing with a lot of shit easier if so much didn't have the worst consequences, if he and his friends were just shiny heroes fighting against super evil villains who were evil just because.

He could say he’s a magician, but he figures showing him works just as well, too. Once Klaus has moved, Quentin holds out his hands, fingers moving together in a series of elaborate gestures that end with him holding both palms upward in front of him.

The ward crackles to life over the door, white tendrils branching out like webs to cover it. Quentin takes a breath, hands slowly falling back to his sides. Wow, that was... sort of satisfying. He'd only cast small spells since he arrived here, so there's an accomplishment that fills him at having done something just a bit larger. Not the same sort of thing he gets when he performs minor mendings, but still, it's nice to cast again. ] We call it a ward, it's like a shield, it'll stop anyone from coming through even if they break the door down. Unless the creepy nightmare fuel can do magic. [ Yeah, that's not a comforting thought.

He wanders over and slumps down beside Klaus, pulling his legs to his chest. ] I'm not as good a magician as my friend Eliot, but this should work for a while, if you wanted to rest.

[channellings]

Oh. So, like, you mean the actual monsters in the world? Not these kinds that you never expect to encounter in real life. Some kind of Scooby-Doo type shit. [listen, quentin, if you wanna hear stories about superheroes and villains, klaus probably has a few he can remember offhand. a lot of his past life has been repressed and tamped down underneath years of drug use, but entertaining a cute fella like quentin could be worth the headache. also, it's not like he's been under the influence for days now? even more of a reason to try.

initially, he's planning to blow it off as something the other male's doing just to reassure him at the sight of finger-tutting, but the moment he sees white zigzags from his peripheral, he whips his head completely around, dark-ringed eyes widened in awe.] What the actual fuck? [beauty, grace, the epitome of eloquence—] That. Was some actual magic. OhmyGod—

[klaus blinks over at quentin once he comes and sits beside him, gaping like a fish out of water a moment too long before reaching to rub across his eyes, smearing leftover eyeliner, dirt and god knows what other kinds of grime from this place over his cheeks when he drags his fingers down them.] Eliot? [has he heard that name? he can't remember, time's kind of blurred together here.]

I mean, if you're offering, I could definitely catch a power nap. I'm fucking exhausted.

[mendingmancer]

Yeah, life would be a lot simpler if every asshole trying to kill us was just like a walking cliche going on about those meddling kids. I used to think that's how it was when I was a kid. Everybody probably did, but then you grow up. [ And even though it turns out magic is real and life becomes better than it could've been, those assholes trying to kill you aren't cartoon villains.

Seeing Klaus's reaction to his magic just now, it reminds him for a second of that time that he'd used his mending to repair a broken model airplane right in front of his dad, showing him what he would be doing with his life. It's a bittersweet memory, it was even then, and it hurts to think of it now, enough that he shoves it down, reminding himself that it probably won't be long before he sees his dad anyway, and absolutely not thinking about the rest of it. Or trying not to anyway.

Luckily, this stranger he's sitting next to now makes that easier. ] Actual magic. [ He says it with a bit of a smile, remembering that he had loved it at some point, still kind of did, or was starting to before-- well, before he died. ] I guess they don't have it in your world? Or they do and it's a big behind the scenes secret like it is in mine.

[ He leans back against the wall, eyes closing for a moment, but he's looking at the other almost instantly again. ] Yeah, have you met him? Tall, dark curls, hazel eyes, he's got this fancy cane right now, a nice long black coat, and he's probably been really flirty with people. [ He takes half a second to study Klaus - yup. Eliot definitely would've flirted with him if they'd met.

He gives a little shrug. ] Yeah. If you want to. I'm not really tired, so maybe I'll just look around. Quietly. I'll sleep later. When I'm dead.

[ Ha. ]

[channellings]

You grow up, the magic wears off, your imagination dies, et cetera. [klaus puffs a sigh, flutters his fingers toward the ceiling like he's trying to catch it all before it floats away then drops the hand back to his knee.

perhaps it'd been simple magic, other people wouldn't have even been phased, but to someone such as klaus who's only seen more physical kinda attributes (vanya aside, although her powers are magical all on their own), seeing actual spellwork is jaw-droppingly amazing. much to klaus's luck though, the magic doesn't bring painful yet pleasurable memories along with it. although, imagine the surprise he'd feel if quentin were to say anything about sparking even just a little of that happiness back into something he loves.]

Well, uh, ac...tually... [since quentin has shown his off.] I don't have anything I can do to prove it, I've got supernatural abilities, though. Nothing like magic, really, but my family and I, we used to. Be superheroes. Kick bad-guy ass.

[well, it's a start, at least. he adjusts his position slightly, stretches his legs out in front of him then immediately crisscrosses them afterward.] Oh, that Eliot. Okay, yeah, I've met him. [eyefucked him a little.] Really sweet guy. Offered to help me out with some water trick he knew.

And please, don't go getting yourself killed? You did kinda save my ass, so I owe you one there. I'm also enjoying your company. [shifting yet again, there's a brief moment where he stares contemplatively at quentin's shoulder, hems and haws a solid fifteen seconds.] Besides, I might be thinking about using you as a pillow if you aren't against that, either.

[mendingmancer]

I mean, I guess, I had some moments when I went that far, but... I dunno, the world's not that bad, my friends are safe, magic is real. And it's really kind of amazing in a lot of ways. [ he ponders for a moment, considering everything, and how Alice had helped him see things more clearly. ] For a while, with how incredibly fucked everything's been lately, and I probably shouldn't be going on about this to a random stranger I just met in this crazy horror movie world. Sorry. [ he gives a slight shrug and tries to smile, he's been pretty vague anyway and hasn't said anything he'd just tell anyone about. Although from what he's said, this guy might be one of the few who gets it.

He seems pretty interesting regardless. ] Wa-- seriously? With capes and costumes, like in the comic books? Because that is actually. So cool. [ Yeah, just a brief nerd moment here. He shouldn't be that surprised, really, but fuck it, this is still pretty amazing.

He smiles, leaning his head back against the wall. ] Yeah, sounds like Eliot.

[ His smile doesn't really fade either when the stranger keeps talking. ] I'll try not to, I've died enough times, it'd just be a really boring twist at this point. And I probably won't get to come back. [ Just like he can't when he eventually leaves this place. Which is... Yeah he doesn't know. ] I'm still almost positive those things don't go indoors, I just haven't seen any going into buildings. But the wards'll help.

So, uh, yeah. You can sleep on my shoulder. [ good thing Klaus isn't on his right side, where his shoulder is made of wood. Still, saying he enjoys Quentin's company and asking to use his shoulder like a pillow? That wasn't flirting, right? If it was, it reminded him a lot of how Eliot flirted with everyone. Because this guy hadn't even known him for very long so it really can't be anything else.

At least this guy he does like this person and he's glad he's run into someone who doesn't seem to be a sociopath, contrary to Ellie's fear. And honestly thia stranger is pretty handsome, too. Not that Quentin's really concerned with that right now but... Observation. ]

Um, anyway, I'm Quentin.

[channellings]

Knowing people you care about are safe is just mmn. [he clicks his tongue, absentmindedly lifts a hand and makes the a-okay symbol with his thumb and forefinger, letting it fall back to his side almost immediately afterward.] Also, you don't gotta apologize. I'm liking the chatter, it fills the eerie quietness of the place. Gives us something else to focus on besides the ridiculousness outside.

[and as tired as he is, klaus's thoroughly enjoying the magic talk, kind of wishes he'd offered something better than what he did. although, quentin's childlike wonderment's so heartfelt, it isn't all bad. he flashes a half-smile, one that even reaches the corners of his eyes while he scoots ever-so-slightly closer.] Costumes, yes, but no capes. Domino masks. Definitely lots of comic books.

[gosh, quentin really is just. so damn adorable, in spite of his little nerd moment. or maybe almost because of it? his sincerity was too good, obviously.]

You too, huh? [which isn't... a joke whatsoever, regardless of how nonchalant he's making it sound.] It's alright, I'm pretty sure we're dead, anyway. If we aren't, then I have no idea what kind of in-between bullshit this is. Thanks, whoever you are, I fucking hate it. [he sighs, a pitiful, hardly audible thing.] I trust your magic though, that's for sure. Feels solid.

[oh, how convenient quentin's agreed, seeing as klaus didn't waste any time moving to prop his cheek onto the other male's shoulder. dark eyelashes fluttering, he tucks his coat ends against his narrow midsection.] Ahhh. Yes, that'll do nicely. So much better than sprawling on the floor.

[which had been his initial thought. figuring asking hadn't ever hurt anyone, the worst answer he could get was ‘no’ and look at the rewarding outcome from taking the risk— no reason to remove his coat for a pillow and another body he can snuggle against to sap heat from. it's a win-win situation all around, for real.] Oh, shit, my bad. We totally didn't even exchange names. [rather than lifting his head, he reaches to squeeze quentin's knee instead.]

Nice to meet you, Quentin. Name's Klaus.