![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
- !event,
- !tdm,
- athena | borderlands,
- benedict dearborn | original,
- carver hawke | dragon age,
- denji | chainsaw man,
- eliot waugh | the magicians,
- ellie | the last of us,
- ivar ragnarsson | vikings,
- logan | marvel,
- octavia blake | the 100,
- quentin coldwater | the magicians,
- robbie reyes | marvel,
- ruth aldine | marvel,
- will graham | hannibal,
- william | westworld
THE SKY WENT OFF-WHITE.
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.
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 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:
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.
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.
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?
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!
denji | chainsaw man
[ You shouldn't be here. If how he felt could be put into words, that would have been accurate. Denji's been running for longer than he cares to count, and he still hasn't reached the end of the tunnel. There's nothing chasing after him, but that's all the more frightening to him - he can't get a grip on himself.
Just before he thinks he'll die of exhaustion, he stops short of slamming straight into what looks to be some sort of old computer terminal about waist high. It occurs to him that he can finally catch his breath, but not before doubling over and heaving. He's completely gassed. ]
Haa, ha...
[ He falls to his knees, quickly turns around, and sits with his back against the desks, staring back into the abyss from which he arrived. It didn't look nearly as lengthy as he thought it was. ]
b. shadows die a few times
[ Denji is no stranger to creatures like these. But he isn't used to them taking such a uniform palette. The devils he had spent his youth hunting and ripping apart were usually more colorful than this - and more tangible. Though he didn't try anything to begin with, he must've gotten on their bad side - a pair of shadows, shaped liked rats the size of dogs, skittered towards him, and even a solid kick went straight through them. ]
Argh, shit! What's with these things?!
[ Another kick sends his shoe flying down the street. Serves him right for not tying the damn things, ever. ]
c. intruder alert
[ A door slams open, and from the outside world comes Denji, practically flying through the doorway. He doesn't take long to slam it shut at precisely the same speed at which he opened it, and in a moment of panic, he holds it shut with the whole weight of his body against it. He looks a little worse for wear, but not so bad that you'd worry he's in mortal peril. ]
Whoa! [ He seems really surprised to see someone else (You). ] This place is crazy! Seriously crazy! What's going on?!
[ He's a bit concerned. Maybe more than a bit. ]
notes: ( Denji speaks Japanese and is borderline illiterate. He probably won't be able to read anything written down and put through a mirror, and even text messages will be a trial for him since he's dumb as a box of rocks. He's also in really bad shape despite how energetic he is. Feel free to PM me or plurk me at
c.
It takes her a second to realize that he's not speaking English, and she slowly sits back down.]
Uh... I don't understand you, [she says slowly, like that will help, shaking her head and shrugging to better get the point across.] English?
no subject
No! [ That's probably the only thing he says that she can understand before he begins to ramble on in Japanese again. ] I don't know any English...what a pain in the ass.
[ He looks stumped for a moment before that aforementioned brilliance shines in his eyes again. Rising to his feet properly, he steps towards her, and squats so that the two of them are eye level. ]
This place isn't Japan. Is it America?
no subject
She watches him while he says whatever he's saying, tensing up when he gets closer -- as far as she's concerned, he's some weirdo in a weird place with whom she can't communicate at all, so she has no way of knowing what he's about to do. He could be telling her he's going to eat her face and she'd just be stupidly looking at him.]
Uh. [Unfortunately for Denji, Athena is from so far in the future that she doesn't know what America is. Taking a guess, she slowly lifts her hand to point at herself.] Athena.
no subject
[ He stares at her, perplexed, as his brain tries to make sense of what little communication they have going on here. It takes all the neurons in his brain firing off before he breaks through the language barrier and realizes what her hand motion meant. ]
Ah, so that's it! [ He points at his own chest with his thumb. ] Denji! I'm Denji.
[ It's a start. But now that their names are out of the way, he doesn't have a clue what do next, and falls on his butt in with a sigh of defeat. Poor idea on his part, there was a reason he was squatting in the first place. The building they were in wasn't in the best of shape, and there was water pooling in certain areas of the floor. Denji's rump landed right in the middle of one. ]
Shit.
[ He quickly makes to move out of it, but stops short while doing so, seemingly more interested in staring at the puddle than making sure he doesn't get soaked to the skin. His head turns back and forth from looking towards the water and back at the door from which he entered. ]
Hey, can you read this? [ He asks, though he's somewhat aware she won't understand. His finger points towards the puddle as he shuffles out of it, and once the ripples in the water disappear, Athena would be able to make out a reflection of the text that she could make out. But a cursory glance at the door itself showed that it was actually written in some other language entirely. ] What the hell's going on...?
no subject
She makes a little bit of a face when he plops down in the water, because ew, but she's not about to do anything about it. That's his problem.
Then he's up and pointing at the puddle, and she's about to be like, no, that's okay, I don't really want to sit in it either, but she manages to parse his words as a question, and frowns at the puddle. What is she looking at here besides dirty water...
...and the reflection of hours of business? Brow creasing, she looks up to the door, immediately getting to her feet when she sees it's not in English at all.] Hold on. You can read this? Uh, that? [she says, pointing emphatically at the puddle. But this probably is too hard to understand, so she holds one hand up to try and calm him ahead of time, pulling her plasma sword out with the other hand.]
no subject
[ With nothing more to go off of than the tone of her voice, he can only assume she sees the same thing he does, albeit in her own language.
When she draws her sword out, he nearly jumps before being reassured by her hand motions that she wasn't going to stab him. Which meant a lot to him, considering how used to being shanked he is. ]
no subject
Hello.]
1/2
[ Except...he...doesn't actually do anything with it. ]
2/2
Yeah. He's law enforcement. Absurd as it may sound.
The top section has a photo of him in a suit with "デンジ" written underneath it, and the badge itself has "POLICE" written on top with the bottom banner reading "公安対魔特異". He's wised up now to the fact that Japanese is, for the time being, useless, so once he thinks she's seen enough, he stops displaying it to her and instead gestures for her to take it and reflect it so she can see what it says. ]
(no subject)
I'm so late forgive me
b.
[Well, until a person pops up on the scene. The shadows shift and warp until they're the unmistakable shape of huge, huge rats, and they scurry toward the boy (man? He looks older than her, but not by too much). He makes a completely ineffectiual pass at kicking one of them, losing a shoe in the process. Jesus christ.]
[Ellie takes out one of her distraction cans-- ie, a tin can filled with casino chips, coins, tacks, and other random crap she's picked up-- and shakes it, trying to get the shadow's attention so the other kid can make a run for it.] Hey! Shithead! Yeah, you!
[...She doesn't realize it's not precisely clear if she's addressing the shadows or the boy.]
who's calling me a shithead
[ Still hurts like a bitch, though.
He kicks the thing away and scampers around looking for his shoe while every so often taking a peek at who had caused all that noise. ]
Hey! [ He shouts at her - in Japanese, of course. He's finally managed to find his shoe and starts hopping around as he tries to snag it back onto his foot while at the same time dodging the shadows. It all looks rather ridiculous. ] What do you think you're doing?! Why are you shaking a can at me?!
[ And sounds rather ridiculous as well. ]
it's a common greeting on her planet.
[And if they do... she'll fucking kill him.]
Stop making fucking noise, dumbass! [She keeps jangling the can, trying to get the rats' attention. Some do turn from the kid, but not all. Ellie groans and gets a long piece of twine out of her pack, beginning to loop it through a hole in the can.]
no subject
Huh?? What the hell are you saying?
[ He doesn't have any idea what she's trying to tell him. "Stop making noise" in English could just as well mean "make more noise!" to him.
It's after kicking aside one more and having it disintegrate, reform, and come back at him that he notices a fair number of them are headed towards the window with the girl in it.
Which can't be good. ]
Hey! [ He nearly trips over his own feet a few times as he dashes towards her (probably the exact opposite of what she wanted) before actually tripping over his own untied shoelaces and landing face first on the ground. ] Agh, shit - that hurts...
[ Meanwhile, the shadows seem to have lost interest in their initial target, and continue to make their way towards the clattering sounds. ]
no subject
I said fucking- Jesus Christ.
[Because Ellie's never heard Japanese before, so it sounds like the same nonsense as Carver spoke. It's completely unintelligable, which means... well, give her a second.]
[Ellie's tied the twine through her tin can, and begins swinging it around, making even more noise and distracting more and more of the beasts. As she does this, she grabs something from her backpack, a small wooden radio. She yells into it, and a moment later, it rebroadcasts her speech--]
Run while they're fucking distracted, dipshit!
no subject
[ He's so caught up with his own bullshit that he's barely able to make out what she said to him over the radio. It almost doesn't even register to him that, somehow, he's able to understand it. But he's back on his feet in a snap, and contrary to what she wants, he's headed straight at her, and running right back into the danger. ]
Screw that! I'm not letting you take the heat for me!
[ And he jumps onto the head of one of the shadows, kicks hard, and leaps over the lot of them, putting himself between them and the window. He raises his arms, ready to fight. ]
no subject
[She keeps trying, though.] Just! Fucking! Hide!
[She's unaware of the stereotype that dictates Americans speaking louder and slower to attempt to bridge the language barrier. And then she sets the radio aside and begins swinging the can on its string again, trying to hit the shadow rats in the face.]
[She's got good aim?]
no subject
It's with a pair of raised arms and a lot of fighting spirit that he manages to push the lot of them back a few meters before they scatter and seemingly disappear. ]
Ha ha! Take that, rat!
[ That rhyme does not work in Japanese, unfortunately. All the same, Denji's ecstatic behavior is short lived, as the enemy reformed just as quickly as they had vanished - the rats were gone, this time replaced with what could only be described as humanoid shapes shuffling towards the two of them.
Their arms were all raised slightly, and several of them were slumping. Though for as long as Denji could remember, it had been silent, he swear he could hear zombie-like groans fill the air. It was, in all likelihood, simply him imagining things.
What he couldn't imagine was how he was supposed to get out of here when they were blocking every avenue available, and he found himself retreating back, further and further, until his back touches the wall with the window near it. And though it was unusual for him, he froze up. ]
(no subject)
1/3
(no subject)
3/3 oh my god I wrote too much
friend, i lost my shit
I was actually going to have him do this a few tags ago
mate its fucking hilarious.
my work here is done
salutes.
C
Bak skíta.
['Back off.' The words come out in a harsh growl, the blade never wavering an inch from where he's holding it.]
no subject
Wha...
[ To him, "bak skita" sounds close to "バカ、好きだ" which roughly equates to "idiot, I love you." Given the circumstances and all other context, Denji didn't want to think for more than a second that that was what the man had meant, but all the same, his face showed how perplexed he was at the thought. ]
No way, man! Gross! [ He even sticks his tongue out to emphasize how disgusted he is. ] Ew...
no subject
While Ivar continues to keep the knife pointed at Denji, he just sort of sighs in a resigned manner, both at the fact once again someone doesn't understand him, and just at life in general right now.]
Morons. Em-k umkringdur at morons.
['Morons. I'm surrounded by morons.' Such is Ivar's life.]
1/2
2/2
[ His face makes this weird confused look like he has a bunch of things to say but no idea how to get it all out at once, so he ends up just pulling his head back and looking away. He realizes there's very little in the way to look at, so he turns back to Ivar, looks closely at the weapon in his hands, and complains. Because that'll work. ]
Hey, stop holding that knife at me.
[ Out of everything he said there, "knife" is probably the only thing that comes out making any sense - Denji pretty much said it the way you would in English. Not that Ivar is English... ]
no subject
Oh, hinn knífr?
['Oh, this knife?' Ivar looks like he's about to put it away for a second, but instead, he throws it just close enough to Denji's head to graze it and draw blood, letting it embed itself in the wall behind him. Well, if it wasn't clear already that Ivar's terrible, this does it.]
no subject
Don't just go throwing knives around, jackass! You could've fuckin' blinded me -
[ There's a sudden pause before he abruptly settles down. He even goes as far as to sit down on his butt and look dejected. A hand reaches up to cover his eye, but before long, Denji raises his head to peek at the other man. ]
... [ He grabs his own shirt sleeve, look at where he had rested his head on. ] Look at this - you got blood all over my shirt. Not like there wasn't blood already on it, though...