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singillppl2023-10-09 11:52 pm
singmod) wrote in singillppl2023-10-09 11:52 pm
Entry tags:
October 2023 Test Drive Meme
OCTOBER 2023 TDM
PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: A new group of arrivals find themselves lost in the frozen wilds and vulnerable to the dangers of nature. With luck, they make it to the town of Milton, and to a friendly face offering food, warmth and shelter — not to mention the fact they are not the first to come here.
PROMPT TWO — GUILTY PARTY: Interlopers are kidnapped and held captive by a being and forced to confess their wrong doings, or face fatal consequences.
PROMPT THREE — OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: Interlopers get more than they bargained for when a mysterious albeit friendly dog comes across them and persuades them to follow them into the wilds.
ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST
WHEN: Mid-October.
WHERE: Milton, Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: potential animal attacks, potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk.
'You are the Interloper. You are not part of nature’s design.'
It’s the last thing you hear. A dark, deep voice. Impossibly ancient. You feel afraid. Maybe you’re dreaming, maybe you’re wide awake. You saw the lights, and then your world went dark. But you hear it in the blackness, you won’t forget those words.
You awaken. You are not where you were before. It’s different for everyone, there doesn’t seem to be much of a pattern in where you find yourself. You may open your eyes to find yourself in a cold, dim and dank cabin. The air is stale, dust hangs in the rays of weak sunlight that shine through the tiny windows. Someone lived here once, but they aren’t to be found. You look around, it seems like no one has been here in several weeks, maybe longer. The fire is stone cold, the dishes in the sink are mouldy — it's possible the place has been ransacked, as if they've gone through the drawers and cupboards looking for something. It is quiet. The wood creaks around you. Or perhaps you may awaken to find yourself shivering in the yawning maw of a cave, the freezing stone below you. Or maybe you’re unfortunate enough to sit up to find yourself lying in the snow, in the middle of the wilderness. Snow lies thick around you. It’s freezing out. You haven’t felt a cold like this before in your entire life. Cruel and biting. You have no idea where you are, and what’s worse — you are completely alone.
You may feel different, too. Any powers or magics you may have feel... absent. Disconnected. Things that may not have affected you previously now do. Something in you has changed.
You know you can’t stay where you are. You’ll need to move, try to work out where you are and how you came to be here. So you walk, head out into the unknown, in hope of finding a trail or a road. You’ll find one soon enough. It’s here you may find someone else in the same boat as yourself, equally freezing and confused. You’ll both need to keep going. It won’t be easy. You hear howls of wolves around you, and the terrain is difficult: slips and falls are likely. You’re completely vulnerable out here in the open.
Or it’s possible you may come across someone else here. Someone who looks far better prepared to deal with the freezing cold and frozen landscape, out hunting or gathering. They’ll likely offer help and get you into town. However, for the unlucky ones who don’t come across anyone, you’ll carry on until you see it: the lazy trail of smoke rising in the air. Fire. Not just one, but several. Civilization...?
Follow it, and soon enough the way you’ve taken will certainly become a path or road. Unfolding before you in the mountainous forests, you’ll see the most welcome of sights: a small mining town tucked up in the valley. Battered, rusted road signs will direct to “MILTON, POP. 947”. You’re almost there, you keep going, and it looks like other people have had the same idea as you. In fact, you’ll hear the muffled sounds of life. People! In the town!
As you head into the outskirts and then further into town, you’ll find it’s a little easier to walk but the cold has gripped you hard. You’ll find the buildings, both shops and homes, some are dark and lifeless, some of them are boarded up, some of them are occupied. People are going about their business, or stood watching from their tiny porches of their small, timber homes. For a town this big, there doesn’t seem to be many people. Several dozen at most, but no more.
Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building from which the biggest of the smoke trail rises: a school-house of sorts, or some kind of community hall. Perhaps both. You’ll find more and more people all drawn to this place, each and every one of them in the same position as yourself (and your companion, if you’ve found one). Some are in worse states than others: some are bloodied, nursing bite wounds or cuts; others might have some other kind of injury sustained in the journey here from falls. Others may look as if they could faint from the cold at any second.
The door opens, and you’re greeted by the gnarled, wizened face of an elderly man, dressed in thick furs. He has a kind face. He smiles warmly, and with pity, ushering you in with haste.
“Ah, more of you have come.” he nods, just as he suspected you might. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. You are not the only one, the lights are changing things. Come. Mother Nature has not been kind to you, but there are plenty here to help.”
The room is dim, lit only by natural daylight through the windows. A roaring fire sits at one end of the huge hall. It crackles, bright and cheerful... and warm. Even as big as this place is, the room is pleasantly warm. You’ll also find basic cots set up down one side of the hall, and while it seems there's a few people already living here, there's enough space for those in need of them. There's places to rest for a moment and get your bearings, or just trying to recover from the cold. Down the other side are tables and chairs, and long tables laden with food, drinks and bottled water similar to one might find at a soup kitchen. Once again, Methuselah offers a feast, aided by some of the other Interlopers.
There are canisters with hot herbal teas and coffee, along with soup and stew and trays of charred deer and rabbit meats, plus some grilled fish, instant mashed potatoes, and tinned vegetables. It’s very basic, but it’s hot and filling. A feast. The old man has been busy. And Methuselah will continue to busy himself, still; there is plenty to do. He will fetch blankets, tend to wounds, serve food and drinks. He does not have much time to talk. More and more people seem to be coming in from the cold. He will not stop to sit and rest until everyone is seen to, taking up a place by the fire to gaze silently into its flames. He is troubled, thoughtful. The arrival of so many is not something that sits well with him. The others from town will eventually trail in too, to eat and warm themselves, and search amongst the new faces.
He will encourage newcomers to get warm and eat, and when they are ready to — they can explore the town and find one of the many empty homes to call their own. He will not speak much, but perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.
GUILTY PARTY
WHEN: Over the next month.
WHERE: Paradise Farm Outbuildings.
CONTENT WARNINGS: forced imprisonment; forced honesty; supernatural beings; confessional themes; threat of death; possible character death; possible death by throat injury.
You don’t remember how you came to be here. The air is cold and damp, the rot of wood is strong, and… blood. Why does it smell of so much blood? You can’t seem to see all that much in the gloom, but you think you’re in some kind of outbuilding of sorts. You find yourself chained to a chair, the metal is heavy and cold against you and no matter whatever you seem to do, you can’t seem to free yourself from them. No struggling can ease their hold, and there’s no lock to unpick or break. They weigh you down in your seat, you can't even seem to tip yourself over.
But you’re not the only one here. Across from you in the dark is someone else. One of your fellow Interlopers is trapped here with you, too. They too don’t remember anything either, they’re equally as confused and uncertain as you. Perhaps frightened. Not only this, they’re also sat chained up just as tightly. You have a little time to talk before you realise the two of you aren’t alone.
There's a glooming green light, the feeling of a presence. A huge figure steps into view, cloaked in black. It’s hard to tell whether it’s a man or a woman, and it’s difficult to make out much detail of them. Their face is obscured by a stone mask in the shape of a monstrous, horned and fanged Jackal. Green light glows from behind it, foreboding in the dark. It will not answer you if you try to speak with it.
“WICKEDNESS LIES WITHIN YOU.” The voice is a fierce chorus of whispers, but yet so loud. It sends a shiver down your spine. “I HAVE SEEN IT.”
... You can’t help but know it to be true. Something inside you knows what they speak of is true. Any misdeed or wrongdoing done by your hand, any cruel word you spoke, any life you took or heart you broke. You feel exposed, seen. The figure knows what you have done.
“CONFESS.” the figure demands. “UNBURDEN YOUR HEART AND BE FREE. BE SILENT AND CARRY IT TO THE GRAVE.”
The figure holds an item in its hand, something that glints in the light that glows from its mask. Now you realise why there’s so much blood in the air: it’s a sickle, dripping with blood. You are not the first to be brought here. You will not be the last.
Speak, unburden yourself, and if the figure is satisfied — you will, in fact, go free. Refuse, or not take the demand seriously, and the figure will deem you unworthy. They will move within the blink of an eye, striking you with the sickle in the neck — let it be a mercy that they kill you quickly.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
WHEN: Over the next month.
WHERE: Milton / Milton Outskirts.
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural creature; trickster creature; themes of peril; possible character injury; possible dead body discoveries; potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk; possible character death.
The weather will continue to prove difficult for all who try to navigate this world, but with the current footfall in and around Milton, it’s at least helped to keep paths and roads somewhat clear despite the snow’s best efforts to cover up these walkways. Still, it’s a pain to get around, especially on particularly snowy days. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes necessary to go out on such days — survival doesn’t stop for the weather to pass.
And so journeys must be made, hunting must be done, forageables must be collected. You try to keep to the paths and trails, where the terrain yields before you for an easier journey.
… Until you hear barking through the trees, the sound of paws through the snow. Given the recent wolf activity of the last month, it’s understandable to be on edge. However, it isn’t a wolf that comes into view: it’s a large dog, bigger than any dog you’ve seen before. Coated in thick and shaggy black fur, this animal doesn’t seem to be like the wolves that have been found so far in this world. While the wildlife has certainly been altered, this dog remains very much like anyone would expect a dog to act in terms of behaviour. It’s playful with some, certainly friendly, constantly trying to play chase with you as it loops around in circles with a wagging tail.
However, there’s an insistence with this dog. It wants you to follow it. It will bark incessantly, trying to pull you from the path to go after it into the woods. It wants to show you something, take you somewhere. It will even try to gently pull at a coat-sleeve or trouser-leg to coax your forwards before heading off, keeping just in sight for you to go after it.
You’ll find it increasingly difficult to keep up, even if you pick up the pace as you head further into the woods. There’s less snow here, but the forest floor is filled with holes and tree roots that will trip you up. Falls are likely. But even worse is when before you know it, the ground simply gives way beneath you, sending you tumbling into a small valley or getting you stuck deep into soft, muddy earth. With it, perhaps, twisted ankles or worse. Or perhaps simply battered and bruised and unable to climb out of trench of earth. Maybe you come face to face with the body of some other poor Interloper who'd met their own end in similar manner — trapped and injured in the ditch.
Or worse still, the dog might just have you stumbling over a cliff face and tumbling into the Basin. Whatever fate befalls you, it’s as if the dog simply led you into it. And said dog, however, will be nowhere to be seen. It will have left you stuck, hurt, lost in the woods.
You’re sure you can hear some dark chuckling on the wind. Maybe it’s just the trees.
FAQs
1. Arrival threads can be treated as game canon.
2. Items characters have brought from home can be found either strewn around them when they awaken, or in the community hall — as if someone left them out for them to collect. Methuselah will not know how they got there, and will be quite bemused by the happenings.
3. Reminder that all characters are now depowered upon arrival. They can choose not to notice it at first, or can immediately sense something is different about them.
4. If asked any personal questions, Methuselah will smile and say "Oh, you don't want to know about an old man like me. But I have lived all over in these parts for all my life." He will be more concerned with trying to help Newcomers, and is genuinely concerned for them and their well-being. Other Interlopers will say much of the same — there's little to know about him.
5. More information about Milton can be found here.
1. Characters will find that once they have confessed, they will pass out. When they awaken, they will find themselves lying or sitting on the floor — the being, chairs and chains have gone. They are free to leave.
2. Attempts to search the outbuildings at later dates will prove fruitless. There is no sign of the being, nor the chairs or chains that held characters, but there will be blood on the floor that can be found.
3. One character can confess, or both. Player choice! As long as someone's doing some confessing.
1. Gyests, sometimes called Ghests or Bargyests are evil creatures from Northumberland, UK folklore. They seek to lure travelers away from a known and safe road to their miry and marshy demise, or perhaps lead them to walk in the darkness of a Cheviot night over the edge of a precipice. Often taking the shape of horses, donkeys or large dogs, Gyests could also shape-shift to appear as men, or even stacks of hay. But always their intention was to trick humans, for their own amusement, and lure them to their doom.
2. Attempts to lure or trap the Gyest will not work.
no subject
[ Fraser leans down to offer her a gloved hand, intending to help her to her feet as Diefenbaker circles nearby, tail waving like a flag. ]
I'm very sorry to have interrupted your exercise for the day, but Diefenbaker and I appreciate you showing us to the town.
[ Could he find it himself? Easily. But that wouldn't give her an excuse to make her way back out of the cold to recover, ideally indoors, ideally near a warm fire and with something hot to drink. ]
As newcomers, it'll benefit us to get the lay of the land. Which I can also improve by taking on some of those patrolling duties... with your permission, of course.
no subject
[ He's so polite and helpful that it catches her off-guard. Even most members of Starfleet don't reach these levels, aside perhaps from cadets still trying to earn their commission. It's not a bad thing, not by any means, it's just... unusual. And kind of nice.
She takes his offered hand, leveraging as much of her own weight as she can but still needing his help far more than she'd like to get upright again. After a few moments to stabilize herself, she lets go of his hand and gestures for them to continue on their way. ]
I'd appreciate any help you care to give, as would the others. There are a few of us who keep an eye on the borders.
no subject
[ There's a brief pause, and then Fraser pulls from his belt a small, collapsible spyglass. This, he sets to one eye, proceeding to study the edge of the treeline, at which nothing has moved and no animals have appeared.
There's a satisfied look on his face as he lowers and collapses the glass, before he turns politely to the Lieutenant. ]
Would you kindly excuse me for just one moment?
[ In the next instant, he's making his way steadily across the snow towards a spruce tree, Diefenbaker trailing idly along after him. Some motion of his causes the tree to shiver and shake, dumping snow on his hat and on the ground around him, but he comes jogging back a few moments later, his gloved hand full of fresh spruce needles. ]
Pine needles; full of vitamin C. If you'd allow me to brew a little tea for you, it should help you get back on your feet that much faster, sir.
no subject
Thank you. That sounds lovely.
[ And extremely useful. With their supplies being what they are, it's little things like this that will help them survive in this place. Though she's never glad for anyone else to end up trapped here, she is grateful that someone with this kind of knowledge has joined their ranks. ]
I take it you have quite a bit of experience with terrain like this.
no subject
I was born and raised in the Northwest Territories, and spent much of my professional life in the Yukon. For lack of a better term, this is... home.
[ There's undisguised, if reserved, wistfulness in his voice as he looks out over the bleak terrain. Deifenbaker is back by the treeline, sniffing along after the tracks of some small animal, clearly as delighted to be back up North as Fraser is. ]
I haven't been back in... Well, it's been too long. But I can understand the difficulties which people new to this climate would have.
no subject
[ What she wouldn't give for a working computer, even the primitive ones that were available in 2014. She knows they aren't actually living in the Dark Ages, but it certainly feels that way at times. There's nothing here remotely like what she's used to in the 23rd century. ]
It's good that this feels familiar to you, though. Both of you. That'll help you survive this place.
no subject
[ No electricity, no power, a never-ceasing and all-encompassing silent cold that can kill almost without warning; Ray would hate it here. He feels a sudden and aching twinge at the thought – Ray would hate it, but he wishes the detective were here, anyway. ]
Is there anything else you feel it might be important for me to know?
no subject
That voice you heard before — it's dangerous. There was a time when it spoke to everyone near-constantly, and the things it said... It was trying to convince people to end their own lives.
And we don't know entirely what happened to the people who lived here before. Some appeared to have perhaps turned weapons on each other, but others just laid down or dropped into the snow. As strange as some of the things here might be, we have to be prepared to face even stranger in the future.
[ This is something she's uniquely prepared for thanks to her time on the Enterprise, but not everyone else has a minimal exposure to the strange and unusual. He's taken most everything in stride, and she has to hope he'll continue to do so. ]
no subject
[ He glances at Diefenbaker, who looks back up at him before trotting off to investigate a trail of rabbit prints in the snow. ]
Where I grew up – in a place very much like this – the land itself seemed almost a conscious being. There were many strange stories about what happened to people who became lost out in the mountains or on the tundra. But what I found is that, almost always, there was an answer behind even the strangest of disappearances. We just had to look in the right places.
Perhaps we'll be able to find the right places to look for answers here, too.
no subject
[ Again, she's struck by how comforting his steady presence is. There's just something about the man that entreats rather than demands her trust. Gentle but sturdy, welcoming and warm, like a port in a storm. The combination prompts her next words, which she tries not to second-guess once she's spoken them. ]
There's a community hall up ahead, where there will be hot food and drink. Methuselah comes in when people arrive and then leaves again, but some of the others live there. The rest of us have taken up residence in the houses for a bit more privacy. Given how some might react to [ she pauses just long enough to recall the wolf's name ] Diefenbaker, if you find yourself needing somewhere to stay, there's an extra room in my house that you'd be welcome to. I'm near the edge of town that way.
[ She gestures in the direction and keeps her eyes forward as they move closer to the community hall. It feels strange to offer shelter to a stranger like this, but she finds herself almost craving the sense of someone being close by. She misses being on her ship full of people. ]
no subject
That's a very generous offer. I, ah, wouldn't want to impose...
[ His attention is caught by a familiar bark, and he looks over to see Dief, having successfully flushed a rabbit from its hiding place, now gamboling over the snow. Would it be fair to Dief to say no?
And the Lieutenant, too; she's still recovering from her illness. Wouldn't it be the right thing to do to stay and help her with chores and ensure she has everything she needs to successfully convalesce? ]
... Perhaps once in a while. But for the moment... may I walk you home?
no subject
Of course, she isn't worried about being a woman alone with a strange man. Even in her weakened state, she could easily defend herself, but she knows in her gut that she won't ever have to with him. She's learned how to read people over the years and she trusts her instincts. ]
Sure. [ He's being polite, not overbearing, so it's easy for her to accept the offer. After a few moments, she adds: ] And you wouldn't be imposing. I would enjoy the company. I'm used to being aboard a ship of over 400 souls. Compared to that, this place is...
[ She can't find the right word. ]
no subject
He doesn't think he's imagining the faint, tightly controlled edge of loneliness underneath her words, even as she adds them so practically. And so his own voice is soft, almost a murmur, when he replies, gently offering a word: ]
Quiet.
[ But more than quiet. He's used to loneliness; used to being alone. But there's a certain element to the quiet when he's missing someone, something aching and sore. ]
Well, I don't know if I make the best company, but Dief and I will certainly appreciate having a roof over our head... and a friend nearby.
no subject
Truly, the only good thing about being trapped here for so long is the time she's had to process her grief over James. If she'd arrived back in her time as planned, she would have had to hide that pain from everyone who knew her well enough to see through her stoic masks of professionalism. Here, few make that list... which is, of course, a problem in itself.
Taking a deep breath, she shakes her head, dismissing the idea he might not be good company, and then she gives him a small smile that reveals a little of that sadness she tries so hard to keep hidden. ] I've learned recently how important it is to have friends you can count on. Especially in situations like this.
no subject
[ There's a sorrow behind her smile that arrows directly into his heart; all the more so for its familiarity. Friends. He's had few enough of them in his life, but cherished each and every one. And now, he'd give almost anything to hear Ray Vecchio's exasperated voice come floating over the snow, a litany of complaints cursing everything from the snow to the lack of daylight to woodsmoke getting in his eyes and stinking up his silk shirts.
Ray would hate it here. But Fraser wishes with all his heart that his friend were here, anyway.
He clears his throat, which is feeling slightly tight. ]
It's possible to survive in a place like this on your own. [ He knows; he's done it. That isn't the point, here. ]
But to thrive... people need each other. The way wolves need a pack, or caribou need a herd. We're not meant to be alone.
no subject
[ She almost wistfully repeats those words from a man who changed her entire life. If Chris were here... He would be able to manage all of these people so much better than she has. He would know every name and have learned their strengths to put to good use. And he would spend every minute possible trying to give them hope.
La'an isn't like Christopher Pike, but she does try to reflect the best parts of him. Aside from his cooking abilities — that would be nothing short of a pipe dream. ]
no subject
[ She understands, and he's relieved, but not surprised. Despite their many differences and the years -- centuries -- between them, there's much that's familiar and settling about her, too. ]
We'll simply have to find a way to live here, too. I think we can.
no subject
[ The people here will need that, even if they don't realize it. She'll need it. There's only so much of this weight that she can carry on her own.
They're approaching her house now. Her steps slow as the sign beside her door becomes visible, the handwritten La'an with Starfleet's delta symbol beside it. So far, no one here has recognized it, but she has to hold on to hope. Some days, it's all she has left. ]
This is mine.
no subject
Optimism. Something Ray mocks him for, but which he has also come to appreciate. At least, Fraser believes he has. Occasionally. ]
Well, I can't predict the future. But I can tell you I've seen people band together and turn a hopeless situation into a triumph more than once. There's no reason the same thing couldn't happen here.
[ As they come up to the house, he politely stands aside, waiting for her to open the door. ]
Once I make that tea, I'll let you rest. I wouldn't want to take up all your time today.