TDM #004

[bequiet]

TEST DRIVE MEME
You wake, standing. A thick, muddy red dust coats your skin and clothes - it sticks to your tongue and blocks your vision. Inhale and it chokes you, exhale and your breath puffs out in front of your face in a transparent maroon cloud. It tastes of copper, tangy and harsh. Movement is difficult, every limb tingles and aches. Look to your left, your right. Evenly spaced in each direction stands another person indistinguishable in every way from the next. You're disoriented and lethargic, unable to grasp onto a single thought. A pinprick of light blooms ahead and grows steadily larger; a door has opened.

Hands grip your wrists, push at the small of your back and guide you out of the darkness into a room with four walls and a thin, sagging ceiling. The plaster is peeling, the air is musty, and the floor is slick. White plastic piping juts up from the center and curves into multiple spouts, clean water flowing in uneven streams. Those hands pull your clothes off and clear the dust from your body, redress you in handsewn jumpsuits.

A finger is pressed to your lips. Kind eyes meet your own and a single word is whispered - hush.

Led out of the room in a line, you’re taken down a short hallway and into another, much larger room. There’s a woman waiting for you there, a child hugging her leg, and a cloth bag in her hands. She reaches in and pulls out a device, passes one to each of you. Once finished, she begins to move both hands in graceful gestures, a language. One of the people who helped you lifts their device and the screen lights up, tracks the woman’s hands. Letters appear on the screen and you understand the device’s purpose. She tells you what she knows and it’s not much.

This world is haunted. Noise attracts them, so it is not allowed. Communication is through body language, soundless writing, and the device. She tells you that your feet must be light and your mouth never used. There is a community outside these doors, where you can survive together, but only if you agree to one thing: complete and total silence. You'll have time to talk it over. Acceptance allows you to journey outside. The ground is marked in pathways of sand, lining the paths to each building and everywhere in between. You notice that the locals hold their devices always, aloft and glance to it often. It will not vibrate or make a sound to signal a message.

Notices appear. The bulletin board feed lights up so you can read about the history. Rules. Guidelines. Feet on the sand and never anywhere else. To open a door you brush your fingers along the hinges - oiled and you may enter. If not, take the brush from the can sitting nearby and coat the metal with the dark liquid. You're to settle into your new home.

Take a peep
Content Warnings: Possible animal-thing death
Themes: Slice of life, it's like gremlins... kinda

On the first of April, small piles of dust with brightly colored eggs at the center will spring up over night. After a few hours the eggs will begin to hatch and out will come the smallest and brightest bunny-like creatures (the only notable differences from regular bunnies are the colors, size, and that they make no noise). They're friendly and immediately attach themselves (bond) to the first person to pick them up. One of the natives calls them "peeps" because they don't make a sound. All with unique personalities, the creatures can be found nibbling on the dust and needing no other form of food, and will shy away from any and all water sources.

If, however, any of them get wet - there will be a sudden and brief rain shower at noon - the creatures fur will turn black and they will begin attacking the others that didn't get wet. Stopping them is key, and the black creatures will either dash away from the community if given the chance or will need to be stopped.

OOC: All characters can keep a Peep! Any color! They are palm-sized and never grow larger than an adult hand.

OOC
From your mods:

Please remember to mark your content in your starters or subject lines as material comes up. The threads on this meme can be used as game canon. Feel free to thread out arrival style meetings as well! If you have questions, pp the mod account, use the faq or comment below. Have fun!

NAVIGATION

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Comments

catapults self into u (2)

[lovesbitch]

[ spike has one peep on each shoulder like some sunny pirate captain from a kid's show or something. he's still wearing the bright yellow jumpsuit they'd given him on day one which has seen better days, and he'd ripped the arms off of it shortly thereafter. the purple and green fluffs that snuggle in against him also make him look like a walking easter card.

he spots angel across the field and does a cartoonish doubletake, but by the time his feet carry him closer, the rain has already started. one of the bunnies gets splashed and suddenly they're dueling for the space his face is occupying. he gets a cut on his cheek for his efforts. of all the bloody things to have to rely on his sire for, this is just embarrassing. once he gets the black bun off of him, he scoops the safe purple bun under his arm and slots in against angel's side as though he'd never left. time to save some suspiciously bright-colored animals!! ]

oh hello do I know you?

[ohmandy]

[Angel can take some small measure of comfort knowing that despite what he thinks he looks like, he knows for sure that he does not look like the blond hi-viz atrocity.

There's a quip about how the outfit matches the hair that doesn't quite make it out of his mouth as they get busy saving the world one fluorescent rabbit at a time. He's actually not sure how Spike managed to stay alive if he's been around longer than Angel has when he's not supposed to open his mouth.]

nope definitely never seen the likes of ur poofy hair before

[lovesbitch]

[ by breaking the rules at every possible opportunity and sheer luck basically, so pretty much the usual. it annoys him how easy it is to fall in at angel's side, keeping the rabid bunny-things at bay and protecting the still-cute ones. what a workout. when things seem calm for the moment, he finally turns and regards angel with a tiny frown of disbelief that the other vampire is here. buffy had been a hard presence to swallow, but angel? what do they need him for? if he ends up looking a little sad, well, he's quick to look away once he feels it happening anyway. ]

You can go now. [ the rain still seems to be sheltering their voices to some extent, or maybe it's just more of that dumb luck. either way, no monsters come for them. ]

[ohmandy]

[His relationship with Spike is... long and complicated, to be sure, and there have been a few regrets from back in those days. He'd apologize about everything if it meant anything to Spike but it tends to be very one-sided preaching when only one of them is dealing with a soul.

They're also fighting so much, even if they were inclined to do so it's hard to just sit down and talk.]

Show me the door and I'll show us both out.

[lovesbitch]

[ UM HELLO. FOUGHT FOR THIS SOUL GOT THE STUPID AMULET. jesus no respect. ] Doesn't really work like that otherwise I'd shove you thru it, old man. [ nearly a growl. this is getting reckless but he always was where angelus was involved. ]

[ohmandy]

[Senpai still doesn't consider you worthy notice you. Sorry love.] Keep your voice down. You'll get these people hurt.

[lovesbitch]

[ ugh!!! he hisses back in a whisper ] You're talking too, you oaf. Where's your bloody phone?

[ohmandy]

We're not texting. [Nevermind that his device is sticking out of his jumpsuit pocket. The two oldest people around (probably) clearly are the adults acting very maturely.]

[lovesbitch]

[ he gives angel a look. they're not talking, they're not texting. so what, they just glare at each other? ...wait how is that different from usual again? spike pulls out his phone despite all protests, typing quickly like a millennial girl. ] Fine then I'll just text to myself ya poufter

[ohmandy]

[Wow Spike. You've been hanging around the high schoolers and college kids too much. Angel on the other hand. One. Letter. At. A. Time. Slow and steady like Clint Eastwood. He makes a face and hesitates while typing before turning the screen to face Spike.]

Buff y

[lovesbitch]

[ oh my god he just barely resists the urge to roll his eyes. but ends up just giving angel another LOOK. ]

she's here
She's okay

[ it's as close to a truce as angel is likely to get ]

[ohmandy]

[The eyefucking intensifies. And then Angel tears his gaze away to go back to fingering his phone.]

Good
Keep her safe

[lovesbitch]

That's what I do. [ he juts his chin out, that familiar competitive streak rising in him. he knows they shouldn't fight over buffy. he's trying to remind himself that she chose him when it counted. but it's not that simple. not when it's angel. ]

The other one's here too you know. Faith

[ohmandy]

[Angel can't claim to know the plot to the latest saga in the Days of our Slayers' Lives drama, but things tend to go south when the both of them start going at each others' throats.]

Are they fight ing??

[lovesbitch]

[ there's a pause, but then he shakes his head, squirming a little as his peep climbs in and out of the different pockets of his jumpsuit. ]

they were back home for a bit but they kissed and made up. Proper touching really

[ohmandy]

[Good. this feels like what it should feel like. The Scooby Gang getting along and- and all doing fine in their Sunnydale circle without Angel anywhere nearby to fuck things up. Just one last question and he'll show himself out. He's got that small nod and solemn look on his face, and William knows him long enough to know that Angel's got his mind set on running away from his problems.]

Last q
What re you eating

[lovesbitch]

[ oh right angel is probably going to starve his first month unless... he makes some friends. which is about as likely as spike helping him ou-- oh hell. ]

"Last Q" last q yourself! you do get that we're stuck together don't you? AGAIN

I'll get you some blood if you don't make a big thing out of it. Alright?

[ohmandy]

[ohmandy]

I won t get in your way
Fine

[lovesbitch]

fINE

[ jesus christ!!! he pats his lil peep to make sure it's safe before shoving angel in vaguely the direction of his house. come on old man!!! ]

[ohmandy]

[What's with the people here and their manhandling? Angel stumbles a bit and he's a few paces away from the door when he stops completely and refuses to move. He'd be clinging to the doorframe if Spike tried to drag him inside.]

Is buff in there?

[lovesbitch]

[ oH my GOD never was there such an aggressive eyeroll as this. stupid angel. ]

let me guess youll wait outside like a proper housepet. GUESS WHAT wasn't gonna invite you in anyway.

be careful there's a girl who lives under the porch [ so like stand back a little??? spike disappears inside after shaking his head at his sire to go retrieve his box o blood from the fridge. ]

[ohmandy]

[Angel makes a face and his lips move as if to speak, but no words come out and he otherwise just-... waits outside like a proper housepet. He'd rather strip out of his jumpsuit and run around butt naked screaming out his best Nicki Minaj impression at the top of his airless lungs than stand two feet away at Buffy, look her in the eyes while saying hello and ask her how she's doing.

While Spike fetches dinner Angel is standing a few steps away from the house in the rain keeping one hand over his pocket to keep his bunny safe. He has his head tilted as if he can see whatever's living under the porch. Is Spike just messing with him?]

[lovesbitch]

[ he shoves a bunch of cold blood bags into angel's awaiting arms, pushing the head of his peep down again so the rain doesn't get him.

if angel stared long enough under the porch, there was indeed a tiny apartment set up there though its occupant seemed to be absent. pillows and blankets lined the space and there was wood lattice enclosing it in. ]

thERE. don't say I never gave you anything

[ohmandy]

Thanks. [Angel looks around a bit when he ends up with arms full of blood bags. He can't exactly juggle this and texting and he didn't want either of them to have to explain what they're doing with this contraband.

He wants to ask where Spike got these from but not wanting to make too much more noise, Angel figures he'll work it out when he settles down. Apparently they're 'stuck together again' so it's not like he has to ask his twenty questions straightaway.

Giving the space under the porch one last look, Angel starts backing away and he looks a little lost to be honest. He's prepared to keep his food buried somewhere while he goes out exploring and finding a place to roost before sunrise.]