singillppl | August 2023 Test Drive Meme

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August 2023 Test Drive Meme

AUGUST 2023 TDM

PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: A group of newcomers 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.

PROMPT TWO — HOPE NOBODY NEEDS THIS ANYMORE: Once recovered from their journey, newcomers are free to explore the town of Milton for supplies and find any signs of the townsfolk.

PROMPT THREE — THE SIREN OF MILTON BASIN: A mysterious woman haunts the frozen lake of the Milton Basin, trying to lure newcomers to their deaths.

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

WHEN: Day One.
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 days, maybe longer. The fire is cold, the dishes in the sink are a little mouldy. 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.

But it won’t be long until you see it: the lazy trail of smoke rising in the air. Fire.

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. As you head into the outskirts and 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, are dark and lifeless, some of them are boarded up. Other than those heading in the same direction, towards the smoke, you won’t find any townsfolk coming to greet you, or even looking at you from behind curtains. … Where is everyone?

Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building from which the smoke 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.

“It seems like a great deal of you have come.” he muses finally. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. Please, warm yourselves. Eat. Get your bearings. Mother Nature has not been kind to you.”

The room is dim, lit mostly by the weak 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, places to rest for a moment and get your bearings, or just trying to recover from the cold or any injuries. Down the other side are tables and chairs, and long, foldable tables laden with food, drinks and bottled water similar to one might find at a soup kitchen.

There are canisters with hot herbal teas and coffee, along with soup and stew and trays of charred moose, deer and rabbit meats, 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.

If you ask him where you are, he will simply respond: “This is Milton, of the Northern Territories.”

If you ask how you came to be here, he will shake his head: “Something has changed. The sky, it was… full of light. The Flare. I felt you coming, a great arrival. But I cannot say for certain how, or why you are here.”

He is regretful, genuinely so. He wishes he had more answers for you, but he does not. Instead he will simply insist you rest, get warm and eat. There is plenty to go around. Eventually, when you feel well enough, Methuselah will gesture to the door: “When you are ready and able, explore the town. Many left, others could not make it out. I have found no one but the dead. They will have no use of the place now, perhaps you might in the meantime.”

HOPE NOBODY NEEDS THIS ANYMORE

WHEN: First couple of weeks since arrival.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: frozen dead bodies, unexplained deaths, suicide, murder.

Other than Methuselah in the Hall, the town of Milton is void of life. While not a particularly large town, there’s a few stores and even a gas station. Life here is rustic. Function over form. Homes are simple but sturdy and warm, it’s a rugged place and one can easily deduce that the folk living here led simple, self-sufficient lives.

Commercial buildings and stores of note include a bank and post office, a hunting/fishing supply store, a grocery store, and a clothing store. There is even a church just on the outskirts of town. The buildings are ripe for picking, with most of them still with the doors unlocked, including the residential buildings. Others are locked, but can be broken into easily enough. A few are even trickier, with some of them boarded up or with entrances blocked. In terms of contents, a third of the residential buildings seem to be almost empty, as if the owners moved out long ago. There might still be things left behind of use: old, warm clothes good for the wintery weather, tools and cooking utensils — but little in terms of food. Even if the former residents move some time ago, they didn’t completely empty their homes.

Most of the homes in Milton seem to be left as if the owner stepped out only a short while ago, and with very little disturbance. Some houses, however, seem to be abandoned in a hurry, with a mess of items strewn about in some last-minute dash to grab essentials: keys, identification, treasured personal items, supplies for a quick exit. Cupboards are typically filled with an abundance of canned goods, and some chilled goods might have survived in the cold weather within the fridge-freezers, but it might be a gamble if one wants to try and eat them. Any and all electronics within homes: televisions, computers, mobile-phones — although dated, will all appear cracked and damaged, and will not function or turn out at all. The same will go for any vehicles around the town: there is no hope of starting any of them.

Diaries and journals kept by the former residents may remark on a change in the weather, with the cold and harsh climate becoming more hostile as of late. Others remark strange lights in the skies, dating several weeks or so ago, strange noises in the air, issues with power and electrical items. Some make mentions of changes to the wildlife, with wolves coming close to the town even when they had never done so before. One or two mention problems on the Mainland, with increasing difficulty of reaching out to loved ones who don’t live in the Northern Territories, or deliveries being unable to arrive. The growing trend is that something odd and terrible has been happening, although no one can truly explain what, and the problems have been growing increasingly worse and worse up to the final entries. You might note that the actual years and dates might not line up with your own: the current year given in these entries is 2014.

The newcomers are free to take over these homes, if they wish. No one appears to be stopping them, and even Methuselah seems to shrug about moving in. And as he’d mentioned, he has found no one but the dead: and plenty of them can be found.

Bodies of the town’s former residence can be found scattered over the town. In homes, in stores, out in the snow. They appear still relatively fresh, although it may be hard to tell if it’s from the cold or if it’s from very little time passing. Most appear to have died from cold exposure, some appear to have simply dropped dead on the spot. Others may be found with a gun in hand. Some, worryingly, appear to have perished by another’s hand. You won’t find the entirety of the town’s population, but there’ll be at least several dozen. Men, women, children.

Methuselah seems to have begun laying the dead to rest, but there’s too many for one man to do. Maybe you can work out what to do with them, try to bury them in their backyards, or try to take them to the churchyard.

THE SIREN OF MILTON BASIN

WHEN: Until the next Aurora.
WHERE: Milton Basin.
CONTENT WARNINGS: mental manipulation, malevolent mythical creatures, falling through ice, attempted drowning/possible successful drowning, potential character death.

Those who venture further south of the town will find themselves traversing the steep, winding paths down towards the Milton Basin. The way down is treacherous, but if enough care is taken you should be able to make it down in one piece. The water is just about completely frozen over down here, thick and sturdy enough to walk over for the most part. Within the Basin there’s more wildlife to be found: deer and rabbit are plenty. And there’s even plenty of foragables, too.

Out on the water are two small ice-fishing cabins, enough to fit one or two people inside comfortably, which hold a few forgotten supplies to try out some ice-fishing if you want to see if anything bites. Both even hold little log burners to keep warm. An old hunter’s shack can be found along the water’s edge, for those not quite brave enough to travel out onto the ice, to take shelter in for when the weather gets a little too difficult, with an old log burner still working within it.

But it’s calm down here, for the most part. Peaceful even. It’s an excellent place for fishing and hunting, and a little more sheltered from the freezing winds.

Until you hear the voice. Something soft and feminine, echoing across the ice. The Basin helps to amplify the sound, and for a long time you can’t quite be sure of where exactly it’s coming from. It’s singing, she is singing. Something old, in a language you can’t quite understand. Maybe it’s not even a language at all, but simply melodic vocalizations. It’s... beautiful, you’ve never heard anything like it before in your life.

And then you see her: a woman standing upon the frozen waters of the Basin. You realise she’s probably the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen in your life, even if you can’t quite even begin to describe her. She appears different to everyone who beholds her, some one might see her hair is long and dark, others might see her with neat red curls. Some swear her skin is dark and rich, that looks almost plum when the light hits it just so, others claim it to be cool-toned that glistens like sunlight on snow. Whatever someone might find aesthetically pleasing is how she’ll appear, and even then to describe her to others will bring you at a loss for words. And she’s singing… to you, for you.

You’re compelled to go to her, although you can’t explain why. You’re drawn to approach her, to hear her better, see her better. Your feet carry you onto the ice, out into the midst of the Basin. You ignore the calls of everyone and anyone around you, fixated on the woman before you. She smiles when you’re close enough, beckons you a little closer.

… Then everything changes. Without warning, the woman leaps for you, her face contorting into something hideous, mouth opening to scream to reveal rows upon rows of tiny, needle-like teeth. She collides with you, and the force (paired with the slippery ice below you) is enough to send you off your feet. As you fall back, the ice cracks beneath you with an almighty sound, plunging you into the frigid depths below.

The woman fights to put you beneath the water’s surface, those needle-like teeth bared like some ferocious beast. She can be fought off easily enough, but she might just drown you before you’re able to. If you’re lucky, someone might be able to help pull you out. Tools or weapons made of iron or silver are especially harmful to her.

Once you’re pulled from the water, getting somewhere warm will be the utmost priority — otherwise the cold will kill you quicker than the woman would. The woman, you’ll find, will have vanished, and the ice where you’d fallen will have restored itself, as if it had never been broken at all.

FAQs

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. If asked how he knew that the Newcomers were arriving, he concedes that although it is a strange thing to know, it is much like how one knows a storm is coming.

HOPE NOBODY NEEDS THIS ANYMORE

1. Characters are welcome to take up residency in any of the homes of Milton. Methuselah will strongly advise characters to leave a huge, dilapidated house — known as Milton House — well alone, due to extensive fire damage.

2. More information about Milton can be found here.

THE SIREN OF MILTON BASIN

1. Characters with hearing impairments will not be susceptible to the Siren's song, or may only be somewhat susceptible depending, but may be entranced to a degree by looking at the Siren. However, this will be far easier to snap out of.

2. The Siren cannot be killed, only fought off. She will disappear for a length of time to recover before she attempts to lure her next victim.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

ARRIVAL

[ Something isn't right.

Mal's very familiar with the whipping pain of freezing cold but this cold feels different. Not the kind of sting that he's used to. He opens his eyes and finds himself staring up at the tattered ceiling of...something. Mal stays very still, not wanting to move in case he'd been captured. But, he can't remember that. The last things he remembers are words that don't make sense from a voice he doesn't recognize.

Eventually, his curiosity becomes too much and he sits up. The cabin that he's in is empty. He can hear wind whipping hard outside. Getting to his feet, he peers out the window and into a snow covered landscape. No one is around.

A creeping feeling of unease starts crawling up his back but Mal does his best to ignore it. Instead, he focuses on pulling his jacket tight around him and stepping out of the cabin.

All he can see is just snow and trees, the occasional shrub and rock. There's nothing else. The unease grows and he starts walking, boots leaving behind footprints that he doesn't even try and cover.

He needs to find people, find somewhere warm, find something. So, he walks, head down and shoulder pushing into the driving wind. ]

SETTLING

[ The fact that he's still here bothers him, makes him restless. But, he's not alone, at least. There's plenty of other people that have found their way here. While Mal's talked to some of them, he's mostly kept his distance, observing, watching, making silent judgments about people.

Today, he's sitting outside of the small home he's been bunking in, a journal on his knee from the home's previous owner. He's skimming through it, brow furrowing more and more as he gets deeper into it.

That unease continues to grow and grow. ]

DROWNING

[ And then one day that ease explodes.

Mal remembers the woman's face, remembers thinking it someone else, someone lost to him right now and being drawn to that person, that face. The next thing he knows, he's being pushed underwater. He tries to gasp for breath but swallows water and it's all he can do to splash and flail, trying to stay as close to the surface as he can.

The woman is strong and he sees black spots popping up in front of his eyes. He doesn't know how he does it but he manages to get an arm up and disturb her hold on him long enough that he surfaces, coughing and spitting.

The woman is gone.

And he's left to pull his shivering, choking body out of the water and onto the ground. He pants, staying there despite the freeze that seeps into his bones. ]

[ the ice is hardly the safest place to be, but mal isn't moving and the woman is far from dead. the pull of her song still rings in his ears, pressing him to move faster as he skids to his knees by mal's side. ]

Up go you, Oretsev. [ nikolai looks a little worse for wear, but nowhere close to the bedraggled rat vibes that mal is currently giving. he's concerned the man will go into shock from his spill into the icy waters, but he doesn't have time to fret. or at least he will fret and move at the same time. ] I'm sure we can find a more comfortable bed for you, maybe one that doesn't come with a homicidal girlfriend. Rather lovely voice on her, though.

[ he takes a moment to take mal's sputtering face in his gloved hands, patting his cheeks. ]

You're okay, Mal. Look at me and tell me I'm handsome.

[ He doesn't want to move. He just wants to stay there and close his eyes and just...fall off into the peaceful sleep of the darkness. But someone stops him from doing that. Someone with a familiar sort of voice from somewhere else.

So, he can't be here. Except when Mal opens his eyes, the voice belongs to a person and that person is someone he recognizes and why is his tired mind showing him Nikolai of all people? ]

Why am I dreaming about you?

[ His words are slow, almost slurred and his feet don't want to work properly but he does get to his feet and he does start walking.

Guess his body still works.

At Nikolai's words, he stutters out a laugh that turns into a cough. ]

Never saw an uglier face in my life.

Many people dream of me. [ nikolai wiggles his brows, in step beside mal as he gently hurries him off of the frozen lake. ] What salacious things did you get up to in your dream?

[ best to keep him talking, even if it's mal telling him to shut up for however long their trek might be — and he certainly hopes they can find shelter sooner rather than later, considering the damage the biting cold and harsh winds could have on mal's currently soaked form. ]

This isn't so bad. It's like Fjerda's borders, but without any inbred Fjerdans. [ nikolai notwithstanding, but at least he's not inbred. probably. ]

I can't remember.

[ Right now, his head was a mess of blurry visions, lights, color and darkness. What he says isn't exactly the truth but he doesn't have enough strength to pull together what it all means.

He shakes his head and glances over at Nikolai. ]

Where did you even come from? You weren't here before.

[ Not that Mal been paying all that much attention for awhile. ]

[ he's expecting a response with a little more rancor, and the fact that he doesn't get it worries him. at least mal is walking in a relatively straight line, but it could be because nikolai is beside him as a useful focal point. ]

I woke up here the same as you. I presume, anyway. Maybe my uninvited guest dropped me off into this wasteland as a funny joke, but that doesn't explain your presence.

[ nikolai slips off his coat and tosses it over mal's shoulders to shield him from the worst of the cold. at this rate, they'll both freeze to death. will the monster die with him? hard to tell. ]

I feel like I'm back in the First Army again. [ nikolai grins cheerily, steering mal toward the thick woods. ] At least no one's shooting at us.

[ Mal makes a face at the thought of someone shooting at them because wouldn't that just be another great part of this already great day. Mal coughs a few times and then turns to spit out some water that was still caught in his lungs.

He looks up, squinting, half expecting someone to start shooting at them now that Nikolai had mentioned it. ]

You see anyone else out here?

[ Or had luck been with the both of them that they'd run into each other before anyone else? Was there even anyone else around? It can't be just them. ]

[ nikolai doesn't bother hiding his grimace as he watching mal hack his lungs up. with his coat thrown across mal's shoulders, he reaches over into the pocket and pulls over a handkerchief with the lantsov double eagle stitched into the soft fabric, offering it to mal, then turns his gaze forward, urging him to walk again. ]

There's a town not far from here. [ "not far" is quite relative in this state, but there's no reason to start giving mal unimportant details. ] We just have to head north and not freeze to death. There are others here.

[ though no one he recognizes. mal is the first, and he's absurdly relieved to see him, although he doesn't say that. there's no reason to share that, either. ]

Have you had any strange cravings lately? [ he asks this as casually as possible, both to keep mal talking and because it's becoming a genuine concern. he's felt different since arriving here, and not in the normal way one might feel upon being thrown into an unfamiliar wasteland. ] You know, not just for good herring.

How long have you been here to know that?

[ And what was he doing back out in this mess if there was a town where you could be warm? He knows he couldn't be looking for Mal specifically so was he just out here, risking his own stupid life to find people?

What an idiot. Brave idiot but still an idiot.

Mal coughs a few times, sucking in the cold air and feeling it burn his throat. It's a wake up, a jolt to his system that he needs to keep putting one foot in front of the other when all he wants to do is sit and rest. ]

And not really, no. Why? Should I be craving something? I swallowed a bunch of water back there so I kind of don't want anything right now.

malyen oretsev — grishaverse

drowning

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