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TDM 1

AUGUST TEST DRIVE MEME

ABOARD THE MOIRA

Whether adjusting to space travel has been difficult or not, there is always something to be done. From working to leisure, the Moira offers a multitude of opportunities to get to know your crewmates a bit better. Exploration of the ship is highly encouraged, but as another planet grows closer to being docked, things start to get a little hectic. You'll notice a slight change in the artificial gravity as the Moira is pulled into the planet's gravitational field; however, more noticeable changes can be found in the overall morale as you prepare to descend.

☄ on the aft:

Offering an unobstructed view, it's quite easy to see stars that are still light years away. Like your own personal observatory, things are relatively quiet since other members are busy. While visiting, your steps may feel lighter as the ship's gravity is affected most here, but don't worry! The barrier surrounding the aft will keep you from floating away. Take note: if you happen to find yourself alone, no matter how brief, you may hear a distant echo — like a voice calling to you. For the most part, it's harmless. However, those curious enough to attempt to heed those words may find themselves suddenly jettisoned into space through a momentary lapse in the Moira's safety systems.

Hopefully you're wearing your thermals! The MID relay will alert the ship of this emergency, but who knows how long it will take for someone to retrieve you.

☄ in the mess hall:

It's breakfast time! On the buffet lining the back wall, you'll find an assortment of hurriedly prepared foods, but it's not the rations you've been accustomed to since the last port. There are stacks of green pancakes that taste like stale yet metallic bread. Are those eggs? Yes. Do they taste good? Probably not. Since supplies are scarce, there isn't much else to eat. The water might seem a bit brown, but is that really water you're drinking? After a while, depending on how much you've drank, you start to feel lightheaded... That's some strong space liquor right there.

☄ on your own:

There are plenty of other communal areas on the ship to explore! Pick a place, and see where it takes you.

PLANET EXPLORATION

Welcome to Hyacintho!

WARNINGS for possible psychological trauma, suffocation, and hallucinations.

From the outside, Hyacintho appears to be devoid of natives. Its landscape is sparse of vegetation with many slow-flowing streams tinted a murky blue. Craggy rock formations jut up randomly from the ground, hinting at abrupt development and are razor-sharp to the touch. Upon further exploration, dome-like structures can be found and appear to be abandoned settlements. Some are smaller and clustered close to the ground while others are elevated and connected by swinging bridges. Watching your MID here is critical; it monitors atmospheric composition with steady beeps that signal hazardous conditions. Staying on Hyacintho's surface for extended periods of time is ill-advised.

☄ the dormant volcanoes:

Scoping Hyacintho's peculiar topography leads to the discovery of inactive volcanoes and lava tubes. Some are easily accessible while others take more effort to reach—it's a steep climb to the vent. The ground shifts under your feet and can make walking difficult. Yet, the closer you come to a particular one, you may notice subtle changes in temperature and the air smelling faintly of sulfur. Perhaps this planet isn't as latent as you first thought.

Around midday, vibrations are unexpectedly felt and whatever light from Hyacintho's suns is blotted out by ashy clouds the same color as the ground. Small pockets of blue lava seep from those sharp rock formations, and that light sulfuric smell has now become increasingly overwhelming. Time to make a quick escape back to the Moira!

☄ the delirium:

When something terrible happens, sometimes it leaves a trace, a wound that acts as a knot between two timelines. It's like an echo repeated over and over, waiting to be heard... Like a scar or a pinch that begs for a caress to relieve it. An itch under your skin or a memory fading before your eyes.

The faint sound of your MID has grown unreasonably loud. In the back of your mind, you know what it means, but you're too lethargic to attend to its warning. Where once you believed Hyacintho to be absent of life, it is now overrun. Falling back to the safety of the ship is now much too difficult to do quickly. Your limbs are heavy, the natives' faces blurry and unrecognizable as if they're a great distance away, but you swear you can feel them breathing on your neck, dragging their hands down your arms and back. You struggle, falling over yourself and are swayed by the delusions you are rapidly succumbing to. Yet, somehow, the Moira is just ahead. Within reach. Are you at the door now? Are your friends with you to drag you inside? Are they even calling to you?

You ask yourself why you're breathing so heavily.

You aren't.

OUT OF CHARACTER INFO

FAQ | LOCATIONS | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS | NAVIGATION

For mature or graphic content, please label. Test Drive Memes are not game canon but can be used as samples in applications. For questions, please direction them to the FAQ. As always, be kind and have fun!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He accepts the hand holding with ease, lacing his fingers with Loki's as he leans into him a little bit. Well, at least they'd gotten out of one place together, right?]

Close. Slowing down is for people who don't want to get entirely smashed on questionable alcohol.

[He smiles a little in return though, huffing out something like a laugh.]

Right. I'll see if I can float you to bed or something.

[He's not sure this place is all that much better, long term. So many things are setting off his creepy-dar, locked doors and lack of original crew included. But at least so far neither of them are dying hideously, so he'll take what he can get.]

I appreciate your entirely voluntary assistance in not leaving me a drunken heap on the mess hall floor, master Wiccan.

[A long sideways look.]

You could join me. Make an event of it.

[Alcohol or bed, who knows? He's been flirting with Billy for so long, not even Loki can always tell when he means it or when he's being silly or distracting.]

Well, I guess it's not the worst thing I've had to offer my assistance in.

[How many life-or-death situations had they had to work through back in the underworld after all? So, drunken heap does seem very tame.

The suggestion gets a brief, wry look as Billy eyes first the drink, then Loki. It's hard to tell which he means, if it's to have a few drinks or to join him in bed. Either one has become perfectly normal for Loki to suggest.]

I'm not trusting weird space alcohol, Loki.

[He elbows him lightly.]

And we might want to hold off on any 'events' in bed until we know more about this place and what's going to happen.

I knew I kept you around for a reason that wasn't just the very adorable floppy fringe.

[...Maybe he's already a little drunk. Or a lot drunk. Either way, he can't be feeling too bad if he's flirting.

He grins at Billy, shamelessly.]

No, I suppose not, although I'm starting to wonder if there ever will be any events with the way you keep turning me down. Settling in well enough, other than the occasional drunk who needs shuttling to his cold and lonely bunk?

[Being concerned for Billy is an old habit now, although one he still keeps covered with a certain amount of flippancy Because... it's not the same here, not really. The ship isn't designed for privacy, everyone is crammed together instead of separated and isolated. Most of it's sterile and cool, entirely different from the last place they were.

He still suspects there might be some nasty surprises around the corner, though.]

Wow. How much have you had?

[Because he's pretty sure Loki is at least slightly tipsy.

He shakes his head, slightly exasperated.]

There will be events... eventually. [Maybe. Unless something goes crazy here or this is just-- some weird hallucination and they're right back from where they came from.

Not a good thought.]

I guess so. It's... I don't know if I trust it at all. I keep waiting for something bad to happen or for something crazy to turn up. I guess it's a little bit better than where we came from... maybe. [He didn't want to say anything definite yet.] You?

Not nearly enough, clearly.

[If he's mildly tipsy, it's still not enough to make him actually relaxed. Not with things as strange as they are, and not with people around who might find it a little odd how friendly he is with Billy. Not that it's their business, of course.

With his free hand, he reaches up to poke Billy in the side. No getting exasperated, he'll have to start being comforting.]

Always eventually, hmm? Well, if I can wait this long, I suppose I can wait longer.

[He grins, though and leans over for a moment, resting a little more of his weight on Billy. It's not like he minds, particularly, after all.]

I trust it about as much as you do, obviously. But on the other hand, even if every planet we end up visiting is an entirely new vista of horrors and terribad things happening, at least the landscape will be different most times. Not quite as sure about being given a job, though. I could have done without that.

[Small mercies, exactly what they've spent a year and a half learning to be grateful for.

Considering how his last job turned out, though, he's definitely wary of that one.]

I guess we'll see, right? I mean, it doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere for a bit... I'm not sure I want to either. I don't want to go back to where we came from.

[Anything has to be better than endless tortures. At least up here, it seems they're getting something of a break at least.

Idly, he leans in a bit more to Loki, eyes trailing back to meet his. He pulls a little bit of a face.]

I might miss the food though. I mean, there were decent things to eat when it wasn't all rotting at least. The stuff here has a funny taste to it.

Agreed, but now I'm starting all over again on getting you home, master Kaplan.

[There's a small selfish corner of him that's glad about that, that he can have Billy with him just a little longer.

He lifts his hand away from Billy, wraps an arm around Billy's shoulders instead. It's the most overt comforting he'll go for in public, but the fact it isn't at all an awkward gesture might be a clue that this isn't the first time they've been like this.]

I miss privacy and a kitchen. They couldn't provide single rooms? A place and supplies to make meals that don't taste funny? All that work on keeping you from starving to death ruined...

What if we don't get there?

[It's starting to feel like he really might never get home, honestly, and that's... a depressing thought really.

He smiles wryly as Loki continues on. It's true. He misses privacy. He misses being able to keep himself locked away if he chooses it.

He misses being in the same house with Loki and relatively blocked away from the outside. That's-- not going to be an option here, right?]

I'm not going to starve to death, Loki.

[Although he is relatively certain he lost weight back where they came from. It was easy to forget about food.

Shifting a bit, he leans into Loki -- a gesture he'd have never done so easily back home, but when you've been trapped in what's basically hell? You find yourself relying on people you never would have back home.]

This is hardly the time to give up. At least escaping from this one is merely a matter of working out how to reverse-engineer the grab. And no angry goddesses taking things personally, either.

[Or at least, not yet. It's a start.

He looks sideways at Billy, and smirks, poking Billy in the ribs slyly. Letting Billy think too much about things like being trapped... well, it's not a good idea. A little too likely to end up somewhere too close to plan B for Loki's liking. Time to distract him.]

I don't know, you're terribly thin these days. And I've never been very fond of the emaciated super-model look, so don't even try it. Keep eating, or I'll find ways of making your life interesting until you do.

I guess you're right, yeah. It's just that home feels pretty far away at this point.

[But he does try to push aside those worries for now at least, shifting a bit against Loki. He elbows at him when he prods at his ribs.]

Wow. I'll be sure to try to keep myself attractive for you, Loki. [He rolls his eyes. He wasn't quite that bad yet.]

Besides, the food isn't that bad, I guess. It beats when everything went rotten back where we came from.

I suppose it probably does, for you. Homesickness proving to be a problem?

[Loki's home- well, it's always been distant, even on Midgard. Even in Asgard, recently.

He smiles mockingly, putting on a display of ego.]

You should be honoured, Billy. I am a Norse god paying attention to you, even if not the one you'd prefer. You wouldn't want me to stop, would you?

[He shudders at the mention.]

At least it's not causing an entirely unfortunate bout of truthiness, I suppose. I could do so much better, though.

I guess. I miss my family and my team.

[And Teddy went without saying, right?

He rolls his eyes and nudges at Loki again.]

Honored? Don't be a jerk, Loki. I mean, you wouldn't want me to stop paying attention to you, right?

[But they're just words, taunting back and forth. It's weird how comfortable he is doing that now.]

Don't jinx yourself, Loki.

I'm aware. I've been trying to wave my hand and fix it, but no luck so far.

[Hulkling really, really went without saying. Mostly because mentioning him triggers Loki's conscience a little; he shouldn't be this close to Billy, not really, but what else is he meant to have done? Left Billy alone in hell?

He smiles at the taunt, though, the routine more or less familiar by now. He squeezes Billy's hand.]

I don't know, master Kaplan, perhaps I'd quite like a little peace and quiet. A little me time.

[He wants pretty much exactly the opposite of time alone. Time alone gives him time to think, and he'd rather not do that if he doesn't have to.]

Good point. If I have another moment like that, it's your job to stop me saying anything too incriminating.

I don't know how much me time you'll find here. It's not really like a city or anything...

[They probably shouldn't be close, no, but... it works. For both of them, he thinks, when Loki's conscience isn't getting the better of him. Whatever doubts or insecurities he has about what this is between them ease up when they're like this.

He leans forward after a moment though, an elbow resting against the bar.]

I guess I can cover your mouth if it sounds like you're going to give any crazy confessions.

Really? I hadn't noticed.

[So much sarcasm in four words.]

Have you seen the pod beds? A curtain, a spell of silence, and me time should be very achievable. As should you-time.

[As should not letting his room-mates know all about the all too frequent nights of poor sleep. He'd gotten out of the habit of sleeping too deeply, in case something attacked in the night.

He leans sideways instead, elbow on the bar, other arm draped around Billy's shoulders still.]

I give you full permission to magically gag me, if you have to.

Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about those beds...

[But they don't really have a choice in that, do they?]

I'm going to miss ours, I think.

[Not that they shared beds often, but at least they'd both managed to find decent beds down there. They'd also been nice and private...]

Magical gags, got you. No kinky jokes after though.

Better than the bunk beds, at least. A little more privacy, when you finally do succumb to all my efforts in your direction.

[He smiles, teasing, because he's very used to Billy saying no at this point. It's an old routine. As is being the optimist to Billy's pessimist.]

I never thought I'd miss anything about hell, but yes, me too. Don't think it will get you out of the occasional nocturnal visitation, though, even if we're assigned to separate rooms.

[They'd at least had rooms to themselves, anyway. But the few times they had shared a bed had been more for comfort than anything else, teasing aside, and he can't imagine that stopping now, even with other people around.]

But the jokes are the best reason to do it, Billy. You know you like them really.

We're definitely needing privacy for that.

[If the day ever came, anyway. That was a big step. But he wasn't ruling it out either... or the nightly visits.]

Those are definitely still on. Being alone here? Not going to work.

[He rolls his eyes, lips curling up into a slight smile.]

Well, I'm definitely used to them

I'm sure we can manage something, if we have to.

[It's a very big ship, and so far very few inhabitants. He's sure they can find somewhere to spend a little time alone, at least.]

I don't think alone will be much of a problem for you, master Kaplan. You're perfectly capable of making friends. And I'm... getting acquainted with people.

[Assessing them, mostly. It's a habit he hasn't quite overcome yet, which he's actually grateful for right now. Knowing who to be able to rely on is useful.

He pulls a mock-offended face at the comment.]

Are you trying to claim I'm not amusing? I try my hardest to keep you entertained, and you're rejecting my attempts. How very cruel of you.

I guess so.

[It's not like... he wants to push people out. He's a little wary of trying to make new contacts, however. It hadn't always paid off in hell and so many faces had a tendency of coming and going too fast.

He snorts.]

No, you're very amusing, Loki. And entertaining.

Billy...

[No moping. That's the rule. No sitting inside and ignoring the rest of the world.

Not that Billy can do that particularly here, but still.]

Meet some people who aren't me. They can't all be terrible, surely

[He sits upright for a moment, drooping into a mockery of a bow in Billy's direction.]

Mischief doesn't necessarily mean bad things, yes?

I'm not going to ignore them or anything.

[That wasn't a luxury they could afford here, from the looks of it.

The bow gets a snort and he leans into Loki for a moment, a fonder nudge.]

No, it's not always bad.

[The nudge gets Billy a smile in return, because at least someone occasionally appreciates his company.]

Good, I'm glad we agree I'm very good company. And charming, too.

[He has to do it, this is starting to get dangerously close to sentiment. But his smirk isn't quite as mocking as it could be, and he leans in himself.]

Not quite as charming as some people stood right next to me, of course.

Okay, cut it with all the flattery.

[He gives Loki a playful nudge though, reaching over to place a hand over Loki's glass.]

And maybe cut it out with the booze. You're definitely getting drunk now.

TDM 1

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