testdrive | welcome to the new age.

[geistnet]

testdrive meme.

1. First Day At Falner
You have just arrived at Falner Estate, a sprawling, beautiful, 400-hectare co-located space between Britain, Germany, and the Philippines, and the main base of Netsach. The flora and fauna in the area gives both a sense of familiarity as it looks at first glance like things you’ll find on Earth, and a weird sense of otherworldliness. Given the size of the place, the Estate is less of a compound and more like a town unto itself. The older buildings within the estate are gothic in their construction, and clear throwbacks to 19th Century Europe. The newer facilities, however, sport cutting edge contemporary designs that were clearly inspired by Fourth World architecture and technology.

If you want a better idea on what can be found on the estate, you can refer to this link.


2. A Day On The Job
You are pushing papers at Methuselah, doing research at the Arcanum, or going out on patrol -- whatever it is that you're doing, it's just another day for you as a Hunter of the Vigil.


3. Let's Head Down to Haven
Find yourself itching for a night out on the town? Why not head over to Haven, the classy nightclub that looks like a large, monolithic black building with no visible windows from the outside and the name of the club emblazoned in bold, white letters on one side.

Haven is located in Makati City, and is open to the public (especially the local supernatural community), but you might want to prepare yourself to wait in line for a very, very long time – unless you’re a Hunter, of course.

Falner’s Maenad Division holds office on top of Haven, as does Ordo Daywalker. Some of Haven’s staff also live above the night club.


4. The Awakening
Want to tag out your character's origin story? Set the stage and let's see where things go.


5. Choose Your Own Adventure
If none of the suggested premises hit the mark, feel free to set things up and let's do a tag round.


Instructions for the Testdrive:
1. Specify your chosen scenario number on the subject line.
2. Should you wish to tag with a specific character already established within Waking the Dead, indicate who. The current list of available NPCs can be found over here.

Comments

[mistermarlowe]

"Just you."

He could say things, at that point, about the arrogance of Suicide Cultists and how it was precisely their weakness of will that ensured that the majority of them never became what they so desperately wanted to be, but that wouldn't be very nice.

(Maybe he could say them later.)

"I would think that after what he tried to do to you, you would not be so worried."

So much for being nice.

[fumed]

"He was all I had."

The words fall out of his mouth before he has time to catch them, curb them into something a little more reasonable. It's desperation, it's not common sense. He tried to drown you, he was too far gone. He hadn't thought that Ishak would go and get himself wound up in some damnable religious nonsense that would end them both for the sake of ritualistic what have you.

"Everything."

[mistermarlowe]

"Ah."

He drops the topic because he actually gets it on several levels. Some of those levels are uncomfortable.

108 comes to mind, along with the Numbers they had to put down not too long ago. He perishes the thought instantly, especially since he can feel Father stirring in his head.

"What is your name?"

[fumed]

Anri is looking down at his fingers as they walk through the snow, thumb grazing the edges of all his cuticles. It keeps him awake, the sharp picking at his skin because everything is cold and even if he's the most alive he's felt in a long while, he feels as if he cold also sleep forever with the chill in his bones.

"Anri," he mumbles. "Obel."

[mistermarlowe]

"I see. Then I wish that we could have met under better circumstances, Mr. Obel."

Gabriel means it, even if his tone is low and almost ineffectual. Perhaps the measure of his care can be seen in the look in his eyes as he turns, once more, towards his young companion.

"Once you have warmed up and eaten something, we can discuss what happened to you."

[fumed]

We can discuss what happened to you.

What did happen to me?

I happened to you.

She doesn't say it, he just feels it, a soft stroke between the eyes like someone settling a beast. His heart is fluttering, racing to pump blood to his fingertips, to every freezing extremity. It slows everything down, the sensation of her, eases him in an oddly cold calm, one that he doesn't mind. He takes a deep breath and and blinks slowly once. Maybe she cares. Maybe she just doesn't want him to pass out from the shock. It's either selfish or kind. He doesn't know.

"The sooner the better," he says, meeting his gaze with a firm resolve. I have a lot of questions. He's not warm, but he definitely feels like he can make it to the car easier than before--stepping quickly now.

[mistermarlowe]

The plasm is practically bleeding off of the boy. Understandable: he should be dead, and now the Other in Anri Obel's head is working overtime to sweep away whatever damage she could from her new vessel's system.

"Looks familiar, doesn't it?"

It always does, father.

"Then you are lucky that there is a Maenad-controlled coffee house in this area."

Gabriel says that quietly as the two of them break free of the woods and find themselves both moving towards his car. It's nice and blue and the only vehicle in the area at the moment.

[fumed]

"'Kay."

He's short on words, in favor of keeping his teeth clenched so he doesn't accidentally bite his tongue when they click together.

The lonely look of the car being the only one in the area makes Anri briefly rethink his choices of following a complete stranger, but anything is better than sitting in the snow and freezing to death. She swarms and swells and while he doesn't want to admit it, it feels a little better.

He looks down at the door to the car and wraps his cold fingers lightly around the handle. He won't pull until there's an indication that it's unlocked or he can, but it's nice to move his fingers like this. Even the car is warm in comparison to the rest of him. A warm drink had already sounded good, but warm food might be even better. He doesn't know if it's reasonable to feel so hungry after something like this, but there's a certain comfort that a full stomach brings.

[mistermarlowe]

The car alarm goes off with an obedient chirp, and Gabriel slips into the front seat. He turns the engine on immediately, and turns the heater on. He waits for the boy to get in and shut the door before locking up.

"The towel I brought is behind you." He pauses there, and lifts the tumbler sitting on the cup holder up, holding it in Anri's direction. "Have this." It's warm coffee, fresh off the press.

Then Gabriel's pulling out of the parking lot.

[fumed]

The air in the car warms and almost stings, but it's more a blessing, even with the stinging against his skin. He turns around and grabs the towel behind him. He's rubbing his hair dry first when he sees the lip of the tumbler, letting the towel slide down his neck and taking it. Fingers wrapped around it, he nods. "Thanks... a lot. Really."

The car lurches forward easily, but Anri doesn't find himself leaning back easily into the seat, instead glancing out the window at the footprints left in the snow trailing back into the wood towards the lake. He shouldn't dwell on it, he knows that, but he does anyways, fingers drumming against the warm container before he lifts it to his mouth. The coffee goes down easily and the heat it gives radiates from his chest outwards.

Even if the lake water clings to his clothing like an old friend, heavy and dark, he smiles just a little bit, bringing the tumbler down. He's done all of his crying by the shore, why bring it anywhere else? Leave it.

[mistermarlowe]

Gabriel is quiet at first, if only because he's focusing on the road for the first five minutes of the trip. Then he's letting the car go on autopilot, and drawing up a light screen in the air in front of him. His fingers fly over the virtual keypad, quick and efficient.

"I will handle things with your government, and with the Methuselah. You will be registered as a Sin-Eater of the Fifth World." He turns his gaze towards the boy. "Is there anything you would like us to pick up for you? I do not think you can stay here anymore."

Official and easy things first. The rest can come once they are both settled.

[fumed]

Anri's brows furrow tightly and his lips thin. He turns to look at him, disregarding the question about his belongings for something more important now. His voice is steady, even, body growing warm again. "So where will I stay?" If not here, then where? He's never been out of his own country, ever, at all. To the sea once, but that's the farthest he's ever gotten.

[mistermarlowe]

"The Falner Estate. Supernaturals like yourself are considered 'special cases', and all special cases of the Vigil are brought there."

Gabriel fires off one last message (to Kyoya this time; an apology, a promise to make it up to him), and then speaks again.

"I have already contacted my superiors. I will be your guardian until things have settled down."

That did, of course, mean that he was going to take care of pretty much everything. He didn't mind.

[fumed]

The finality of it hadn't struck him until the last sentence. There were limited choices to be had, and for one thing, Mr. Marlowe was right. Looking out at the areas passing by, trees and soft lights and snow... all of this was best gone from him. There is no home left, just an empty shell, and there's no one left for him here, no family, no anchor to keep him bound here.

"Where's that? The Falner Estate," the quiet note from his voice lifts into curiosity as he inclines his head slightly. Open up, he thinks to himself. Not everyone gets to breathe another breath. Some, but not all.

If he'd been in his right mind, Ishak would have wanted him to move forward. His mother most certainly too.

[mistermarlowe]

"The Philippines, Germany, and Britain. It's a co-located space that serves as the headquarters of Netsach."

"The boy is remarkably calm."

We haven't talked about anything difficult yet.

"Fair point."

"You will not need to worry about much of anything for a while," Gabriel added. Admittedly, he was speaking out loud more for himself than for Anri at this point; Father's curiosity was starting to rise to the surface a bit quicker than he had predicted. "The people at Falner will take care of you, and I plan on making myself available until you are settled."