singillppl | February 2024 Test Drive Meme

Entry tags:

February 2024 Test Drive Meme

FEBRUARY 2024 TDM

PROMPT ONE — ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST: Yet another 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 — OF FAIR FORTUNE: After spell of bad luck, finally, the Interlopers find A Very Good (albeit slightly spooky) Boy.

PROMPT THREE — BAD PICKINGS: An error is made when foraging for mushrooms that have been altered by the Aurora makes for some interesting situations for the Interlopers.

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

WHEN: Mid-month.
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. Interlopers who arrive during the month of February will find themselves especially likely of falling foul to accidental injuries and the like. It's as if the bad luck of finding yourself in this place only gets much worse. Maybe you get yourself horrendously more lost than you mean to, maybe you end up with a sprained wrist or ankle after a fall, torn clothing from fighting through the thicker parts of the wilderness.

But soon enough, you'll be able to find a path to town. A little more worse for wear, but alive. It’s here you may find someone else in the same boat as yourself, equally freezing and confused — battered from the journey. 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. Some of them will direct you to the Community Hall, tell you to head there — you've been expected.

There is a sombre mood to the town. Although you can't quite place why, maybe you should ask?

Towards the center of town, you’ll find the building from which the biggest of the smoke trail rises: a community hall, by the looks of it. 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, but looks sad. He smiles warmly despite the sadness in him, and with pity, ushering you in with haste.

“Another batch of poor souls from the wilds.” he nods gravely. No, this is not the first time that this has happened. “I am Methuselah. I welcome you Newcomer, although I’m sorry for how you’ve come to find yourself here. The lights are changing things, bringing more of you here. Come, we must get you warm and fed. Mother Nature has not been kind.”

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 perhaps a rare canister of 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 very troubled, thoughtful. Much has been happening. The others from town will eventually trail in too, to eat and warm themselves, and search among 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, his mood is... low, mournful. but perhaps you might be able to get some answers from those fellow arrivals who’ve been in this place for some time now.

This time, if he is approached, particularly by those who have been in Milton for some time, he will frown in thought. He is… considering something. Finally, he will speak:

“I had hoped that the secret cache I and your fellow Newcomers had found two months past would be enough until the spring comes.” He hesitates for a moment, his gaze moving to one of the many windows of the Community Hall. “If she ever arrives, that is.”

He doesn’t believe it will.

“More and more of you come. Life will continue to get harder with the numbers rising.” Methuselah explains. “Milton is but one town, and the way out to the south is blocked.”

He means the road out — the one that follows out of town, past the gas station and through the mountains. The tunneled road ends there, caved in with snow and stone. There is no way out that way. Methuselah is quiet for a few moments.

“... There must be another way out. For all of our sakes. It must be found."

OF FAIR FORTUNE

WHEN: The month of February.
WHERE: Milton Outskirts, Milton area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: otherworldly animal;

The Interlopers have discovered that it is not best to trust the canines in this world. The wolves and volatile, aggressive — prone to attacking the town, people. There has even been an instance of a dog leading Interlopers off the beaten track some months ago, into trips and falls and all sorts of mischief. To come across any sort of dog these days would draw suspicion, perhaps even aggression from Interlopers.

And certainly, coming across this particular dog is enough to turn plenty around and start heading in the opposite direction.

There is something…. Otherworldly about this dog. In terms of breed, one might recognise it to look a great deal like an Old English Sheepdog — but far bigger and hardier. It almost looks as if moss and vines are matted in its long fur, which seems ridiculous — but it’s true enough. The dog does not bark, but instead will stop and look at you silently when you come across one another. If approached, it will not run off, but it does not want to be petted and prefers to keep a respectable distance between you and it.

Then, it will turn to look in one direction and begin heading that way. It looks as if it wants to take you somewhere, but it won’t run off for you to catch up. It keeps to your side, silent and steady as you head through the snow, the woods. Wherever you’re going, there seems to be no rush in getting there.

It’s a little unnerving: where did this dog come from? Why does it look so… strange? Where is it going? Where is it taking you? But even with these questions, it doesn’t seem like you’ll find much in terms of answers, not at first.

Soon enough, you’ll find it. It’s different for everyone, but it seems like it all has some recurring theme. Perhaps out in the cold wilds of the Northern Territories, you’re in desperate need of shelter or warmth — you and the dog will find yourselves facing an abandoned cabin, a place of safety from the cold, perhaps with warmer clothing within. Or perhaps the dog may lead you to some secret stash: a metal cache half-hidden in the snow, a small stone cairn — with vital loot hidden within: matches, flares, maybe even food. It may even lead you to foragable foods: mushrooms, berries or of the like — all safe to consume.

Whatever the strange dog leads you to, it is a fortune. A small one, but a fortune nonetheless. It seems as if it wanted to bring you to something to aid you in your time here. Upon finding whatever it is the dog leads you to, the dog disappears — never to be seen again.

BAD PICKINGS

WHEN: Mid-month onwards for a few weeks.
WHERE: The entirety of the Milton area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: altered food/foraged foods; drugs/hallucinogens / negative hallucinogenic trips; severely altered/warped moods; temporary amnesia; personality switches; loss of senses

The Northern Territories may be harsh, difficult conditions to survive in, but certainly not impossible. There is an abundance of wildlife, hardy enough to withstand the weather — even in the extreme, unpredictable times such as these. Foraging will soon come to be a staple for those stuck here in this world, and is just as important as hunting down any deer or rabbit. Flora is not only useful in terms of sustenance, but in its use in medicines and tinctures.

Mushrooms can be found here and there in particular areas: taking advantage of the wet, rotten wood of downed trees, or nestled in the sheltered undergrowth of the more densely wooded areas where it’s a little more suitable for fungi to grow. But not even the flora of this world is safe following the recent Auroras. The world is changing, and for the next few weeks — foraged mushrooms will have some… interesting effects, when consumed.

Interlopers that come across these mushrooms in the wilds will find themselves compelled to pick and eat these mushrooms right away. They're perfectly fine to eat raw, just more enjoyable to eat once cooked.

The effects of the mushrooms will last between eight hours to a full day, depending on how much was consumed. Nothing can be done to alleviate symptoms. You will feel incredibly hungover the day after the effects have subsided, and feel completely fine after that. The Aurora’s influence on mushrooms is only temporary, and the mushrooms will cease their effects after a few weeks.

Reishi mushrooms This mushroom will temporarily take away one of your five senses: sight, touch, smell, taste or hearing. You may find yourself feeling completely numb to touch; or unable to hear or see anything.

Oyster mushrooms Eating one of these mushrooms will give you temporary amnesia. You may forget yourself, things about your life, even your own name. Or maybe you will forget those around you. Or perhaps both.

Black Morel Eating this mushroom will seem to switch your personality to its complete opposite. Introverted sorts will become extroverted, those prone to anger will become more calm and chilled out, cheerful sorts will become more morose — and vice-versa.

Chanterelles Your mood is lifted and you become more cheerful and affectionate with those around you. You may even become more enamoured with the next person you happen to meet, regardless of your feelings towards them previously or your own orientation/attractions.

Amethyst Laccaria There is nothing supernatural or strange that happens when this mushroom is consumed. You just have a super bad hallucinogenic trip of your own horrible making. This mushroom is literally a nightmare. Sorry about that.

FAQs

ARRIVAL: METHUSELAH'S FEAST

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.

OF FAIR FORTUNE

1. Please Do Not Pet That Dog.

BAD PICKINGS

1. Interlopers that pick a variety of the mushrooms and cook them together to eat will suffer the effects of whichever mushroom was in the largest quantity.

2. The mushrooms are fine to eat raw, and characters will feel compelled to eat them raw.

TALES FROM THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES NEWSLETTER

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

> 01. arrival

[ Caves are something Maccready has always associated with comfort — waking and finding himself staring up at a rocky ceiling should make him feel safe. The cold, though, that's a different matter entirely. It is bitter, cuts right to the bone, and Maccready's tattered coat does nothing to stave off the chill. This is not a place he should stay, not unless he wants to freeze to death.

Outside is harsher than anything he's experienced thus far; save for maybe the rad storms. There's a rising sense of urgency as the snow begins to soak the hems of his trousers. He needs to stay calm and figure out where he is, and more importantly, find somewhere he might be able to gain access to supplies. An old town maybe, or a supermarket. It'll be slim pickings, he expects, but something is better than nothing.

He makes his way through the snow, arms pulled tight around himself and looks for signs that should point him in some sort of direction — things that people would leave behind; carved trees, suspiciously arranged debris, or even just tracks in the snow. He trudges towards the path, and by the time he reaches it he's limping and visibly favouring one side. When he catches a glance of a figure moving along it, he'll throw all caution to the wind, and pick up his pace, stumbling as he calls out. ]

Son of a— Hey, wait! A little help over here?

[ Friend or foe, he'll do what he can to gain their attention, in spite of it going against every instinct of self-preservation he has. ]

> 02. feast

[ Maccready is not one to easily trust strange old men offering food and shelter; kindness is rarely offered up so freely in the wastes, even if someone showed him it can be. He should politely decline, but he finds the allure of the warmth radiating from the building pulling him inside all the same. The fire is the first thing he gravitates towards; holds his hands out in front of himself and basks in the heat of the flames.

Eventually, he finds himself sat at a table with a bowl in front of him, eating like someone who has never seen soup before. The broth tastes like nothing he's ever eaten, so used to eating rancid meat or centuries old processed foods. He ought to be pacing himself, really, but he shows no signs of slowing as he picks up the bowl and slurps from it noisily and with little regard for the people around him. They'll have to forgive him, he grew up in a cave.

Anyone who happens to sit near him will find themselves on the immediate end of questioning. ]

D'you know what this is? It tastes incredible…

[ He's gesturing to a plate beside his soup, laden with meat, potatoes and vegetables. Even before receiving an answer, he'll dig in, face alight with something close to childlike wonder. Meat that isn't from a horribly mutated beast of some kind, what a concept. ]

> 03. bad pickings

[ A man who spent his entire childhood in a cave and subsisted largely on mostly mushrooms, of course he's doing he's due diligence and inspecting them thoroughly. Thing is, the mushrooms he's gathered look nothing like the kind that grew on the cave walls in Little Lamplight, so he's kind of at a loss. Mushrooms can be tricky to work with, that much he knows, but… it's probably fine, right? That's what he thinks as he begins eating reishi mushrooms raw anyway.

The effects of the mushroom aren't immediate — it starts like a strange glowing aura, almost like a migraine, blurring his vision on one side. He wanders around town, bumping into folks he seemingly doesn't register are there. Over the course of an hour it gets progressively worse, colour and shapes become less defined and appear to him only as light and shadow.

Then there's simply nothing but black. He tries not to panic, really, but he fails miserably as he staggers around, arms outstretched and hands reaching for something, anything. Maybe he grabs onto you, or maybe he's about to grab onto something he really shouldn't. ]

[ Vash is very much minding his own business, helping clear the more traveled paths between the commonly visited locations in town from snow to make it easier for everyone — but the newcomers especially — to get around more easily. It's one of those annoying tasks that returns again and again no matter what; like laundry. There's never an end in sight when the weather remains as frigid as it's always been since the first time he woke up in this mysterious place among the first batch of Interlopers. At least it's one of those mindless tasks in which he can lose himself for a bit while the physical exertion keeps him warm.

When he hears someone approach from somewhere behind him, he's not paying it much mind at all. Milton is abuzz with new arrivals still settling in and in the relative safety in the center of it all during the precious few hours of daylight they've got, he's not particularly on guard. When it's obvious the footsteps are directly coming his way, he's already prepared to pause his tireless shoveling and give a friendly greeting, see if it's a familiar face or a new one—

Except he doesn't get the chance.

Suddenly the person is upon him, hands grabbing hold of his red pea-coat without warning and Vash drops his shovel with a startled yelp, twisting his torso to catch a glimpse of his assailant(?). ]

Ack, sorry!

[ Why is he the one apologizing when he's not the one doing the bumping and grabbing hapless strangers? Who knows. But fortunately, a glance is all that it takes for him to notice the distress and realize something's wrong. ]

Are you alright?

[ Maccready's fingers curl into the fabric of the coat he's found, and his expression turns sheepish at the exclamation and clanging of metal — he hadn't meant to grab a person. ]

Sh— Sorry!

[ Wait, why is the other guy apologising? His eyes, glassy and unseeing as they are, move towards the source of the sound, like he's trying to look at the man's face in spite of himself. There's still nothing, in and of itself, highly disconcerting. The question is enough to keep him grounded, though, and has him frowning deeply, offering a shake of his head. When he speaks, there's an anxious edge to his tone, seeping into his words. ]

No, no, I don't… Everything's gone dark, like I can't— [ realising he's still tightly holding onto the coat, he drops his hand at this point. ] I can't see anything.

[ He takes note of the glassy eyes and how they fall just short of finding his face, but he doesn't immediately assume that it might be out of the ordinary. This is someone new (to him anyway) and the people that are brought here are from such different walks of life and worlds, not everything is as it seems to be at first glance. Vash himself is a walking example of how appearances can be deceiving — seemingly human until the Aurora comes around and reveals his true nature to be anything but. Possibly this person has always been blind and that has nothing to do with his current distress, maybe his eyes just look like that, there could be a myriad of reasons— ]

Oh.

[ Oh dear. ]

What happened?

[ Now that he's been released, he can turn around fully to face the unfortunate fellow properly. Once he's turned, he does offer a gentle, steadying hand to the man's elbow; providing a point of focus and maybe the tiniest bit of comfort to ease the anxiety that's (understandably) pouring off of him. ]

Do you know?

[ Because this is Milton and sometimes horrible things just happen for no clear reason. ]

[ There are numerous reasons for the anxiety. Life in the wastes means dangers are everywhere, relying on his hearing alone won't always suffice, and he's a sniper by trade; he needs to be able to see. Maybe it's because he's always had to be keyed in to potential threats, that the hand on his elbow startles him a touch, he's not expecting it — though, he doesn't pull back, it is reassuring to know that someone is there. He won't be able to just waltz off and walk into someone else. ]

I- I don't know, I— [ now, hang on. ] There were some mushrooms, but they, they tasted fine.

[ Can mushrooms cause spontaneous loss of sight? He's never heard of anything like that happening before, not even with the weirdness that the radiation has likely caused with the mushrooms he grew up eating. He's heard of hallucinations, becoming ill suddenly, but nothing like this. ]

No one said not to eat the freaking mushrooms!

[ no one made him eat them… ]

r.j. maccready | fallout 4

3

no subject

no subject

no subject

2

no subject

no subject

no subject

1!

no subject

no subject

no subject

shoot, am I allowed to wildcard you?

absolutely!!

no subject

no subject

3

no subject

no subject

2

no subject

1

no subject

no subject