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Penance Mods ([personal profile] penancemods) wrote in [community profile] penancememes2021-02-23 11:30 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME #21

Arrival
"Judgement has come upon you. God has deemed you worthy of Hell. But don't worry, it can still be undone," comes the flat voice that seems to echo through your ears. The voice promises no comfort, nor sympathy towards your sins, but it does hold a promise of something you can't quite put a finger on.

It may seem like a nightmare at first. Full of hellfire nipping at your skin and a sensation of being pulled down no matter how much you struggle or cry for help. Wretched, unseen hands pull at you, grip tight at your body, tighten on your throat, skeletal fingers grab at your face, slide in your mouth and jab at your eyes as they struggle for purchase. It feels like for a moment, they may snap your neck as they tug and pull. The more you resist, the more phantom hands are added to your struggling body.

It feels like they could tear you apart if you let them. The only thing to do is to let go and stop fighting.

And so you do.

Darkness consumes you for a second.

Initially, everyone opens their eyes to a long, dark corridor made of stone. They find themselves in what appears to be a long queue with other sinners, palm bloody with a contract clutched in their uninjured hand that they don't remember signing.

Characters find their bodies feel heavy and stiff, bruised with odd hand prints here and there that they received during their journey down below. A massive headache throbs behind their temples.

If they look at the list in their hand, they'll notice it's written on with their blood. That explains the wound then. It's an old piece of parchment that details every sin they've committed.

As they move along the queue, they'll find a demon waiting to pass them a communication device that looks almost like a very old Blackberry type phone.

"Welcome to Penance," the demon says gruffly before motioning them on without an ounce of courtesy. "Don't hold up the line."

Once characters have their device and their contracts, they're ushered further down the hall until they come to a set of stairs. They seem to go on and wind forever, but eventually, they come upon what appears to be a lobby of a hotel. Once there, they will notice several boarded up areas around the front desk that look like they may have been open at one point. Shops or rooms, perhaps.

The only exception is a shop named Helluva Cup. Be careful if you decide to check it out, the coffee varies in quality, the pastries always seem a bit stale, and the manager keeps his pet hell rat, Bean caged up right there for all to see. The little fellow likes to bite those who might bother him.

To the side of the front desk would be the kitchens, but they seem to be guarded by a rather burly looking, beastly demon. The demon at the desk looks rather bored, but when sinners approach? He seems to snap to attention to offer whatever help they might need of him. He will at least direct them to a staircase or the elevator if sinners wish to see their new accommodations.

Unfortunately, due to the new management, most establishments around Penance are closed until further notice. This includes Club Penance, the movie theatre, spa, Casino Styx, and the hotel bar as well as the shops contained within the hotel itself. The only open establishments would be the library and Hella Shorty's, and other sinner run establishments.


Stand Your Ground
Erected above the fireplace is a large portrait of Barbas, the new ruler of the Penance community. The portrait stands proudly in the lobby of the hotel, its eyes eerily following all who pass by. Most of the demons seem unnerved by its presence.

As a matter of fact, all around there are mutterings from the demons both favorable and unfavorable. Mostly unfavorable if the grumblings from the staff are anything to go by. There's mentions of school at least being out, as well as murmurings about Lilith being absent and Lucifer's location and how they hope they get to see their father soon. Don't worry, newcomers, if you have no idea what's going on! No one would expect you to.

But that doesn't mean those newly arrived will be let off the hook just because they don't know what is happening around them. No, instead guests are swiftly put to work helping to keep up the hotel. They will be assigned laundry, kitchen, or cleaning duties around Hotel Penance. Some will be asked to help paint and redecorate the garish hotel into something a little more... civilized. Dark greys and burgundy are to replace bright reds and tacky decor. The paintings are to be replaced with unsettling depictions of Hell and a few that feel like they'll drive a person mad should they look at them too long. Sinners won't be able to quite make out what they see as these were painted by divine or demonic artists, unfit for most mortal eyes.

These paintings have a tendency to cause migraines or induce temporary blindness should they be stared at for too long.

Certain guests will be taken aside to clean the dining hall with the excuse that a very special dinner will be hosted there within a couple weeks. It needs to look fit to host a king. Details won't be given if anyone questions what that means exactly.

After a day's work, dinner will be served near the kitchens for sinners. It's best to not question what sort of meat is in the dishes. Tonight's special seems to be a meat pie with the choice of ale to drink with it. Be grateful! Alcohol is a luxury around here lately. It's apparently only being allowed as a celebration for the incoming guests and will be gone by the morning.

After dinner, everyone will be urged to go clean and rest up.

Unfortunately, it seems that bathrooms have been removed from temporary rooms to be replaced with communal showers and restrooms. Each communal area will have four stalls for lavatories and space enough in the shower area for up to six people. There will be no divides in between. If asked why, the staff will say sinners must earn the right for privacy or ask other hotel guests to use their private facilities. Do be careful about that last one though! Punishments will be dealt out through loss of other privileges, such as food or free time if Barbas' favored demonic guards find out about it.

Those guys seem to be jerks about all of this in general. The staff seems to view them as bothersome for the most part.


Reach Up High

Prompt I: If Thy Right Eye Offend Thee, Pluck it Out
WARNINGS: mutilation, blood, torture, extreme gore.

Sinners find themselves in the affectionately dubbed torture room, led there by imposing demonic guards. They will find the door locked behind them, sealed shut no matter how hard they try to force it open. In the center of the room is a rather impressive set up of random instruments to cut with, or remove things with.

A newly installed screen in the room comes to life to reveal Barbas. Unlike Lucifer's soothing touch and tone, Barbas seems to be all stone-faced and business oriented.

"And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell. These are God's own words," he starts.

"Anything that causes you to stumble should be cast aside without second thought or hesitation. I have provided for you your lists of sin. Each of you, read them, discuss them until you are certain you understand the motive behind your chosen misdeed for your partner." Barbas fixes a look on the camera, lips twitching just slightly at the corners.

"Then I want you to pick up a knife and relieve your partner of that which causes them to sin. If they're a liar, remove their tongue. If they have stolen, remove a finger. If they are lustful, remove an eye. Don't worry... these limbs will be replaced. Eventually. They'll have to grow back. I'm told it's an uncomfortable experience, but it's better than doing without entirely."

It's true. After this task is completed, bone will begin to form before muscle and nerves and skin for severed limbs, other parts such as eyes and tongues will slowly begin to regrow themselves in agonizing pain. This will take two days. It isn't meant to be a comfortable process, but at least Barbas has seen it fit to leave no one permanently disfigured.

"Should you hesitate, you will both be severely punished. I will give you ten minutes to decide your course of action."

With that, the feed cuts to leave sinners in an uneasy and tense silence. If they participate without protest, they will be released as soon as their tasks are complete. If they resist, they will find they are consumed with intense pain that will eventually lead to bleeding from the ears, nose, and mouth. They may not die from the pain that is happening to them, but they will leave this room in far worse shape than they went in, and may find themselves feeling unable to eat for a few days as things sort themselves out.

(Ten minutes will translate to ten comments in this case! Any body part is up for removal. If there's something you'd rather avoid, please make a note of it. If there's something you'd prefer removed, please mention that as well as the sins you'd like to focus on!)


Prompt II: Who Needs Sleep?
WARNINGS: Sleep deprivation, mental disturbances.

The unease in the air only continues. While it's easily pushed aside during every day tasks, sinners will find this haunts them at night. They will find their sleep restless at first, jarring awake more than they ever manage to sleep.

Then nightmares will begin. These will be focused on traumatic memories or past sins. It will be a constant loop on repeat of sinners' worst memories and deepest regrets that steadily grow worse with each day.

The only way to alleviate these nightmares and get proper rest? It's simple really... offering physical comfort such as stroking hair, offering embraces, holding hands, etc. seem to keep everything at bay for a time for both participants.

And if that fails? Talking about the dreams lessen the unease, even if it might enrage others to hear what horrible deeds one has done in their past.

It's better than bottling it up, isn't it?

Sleep spells, pills, or any other alternative will be ineffective during the duration of this punishment. It will last no longer than two weeks. Please keep in mind that if sinners refuse to share in their torment or reveal their sins, they will get to the point of total sleeplessness. This may cause depression, extreme fatigue, and eventual hallucinations, or even psychosis.


Follow Me Down

Prompt I: A Hunger Like No Other
WARNINGS: Aphrodisiacs, dub-con, non-con, loss of control.

The succubi and incubi are starving and increasingly desperate as Barbas continues to refuse them their club or proper sustenance outside of the marriage bed. Their glamours are beginning to fade, revealing the haggard wretches beneath the pretty exteriors, the bones protruding as if they've been starved for months. It's a ghastly and unsettling sight compared to their usual beauty.

Perhaps sinners will be able to understand then, when the succubi and incubi begin to trap them in dark corners or sneak into their beds to dose them with heavy aphrodisiacs that leave them wild and desperate, out of their minds with the urge to sate their lust.

It is a lust that will not be able to denied, whether their decided upon partners fully agree to it or not. It's an all-consuming fire that threatens to burn them alive with each moment it goes unanswered. The fever that results is dangerously high and eats away at any rational thought.

It's a hunger so ravenous, a sinner may wish to consume however much of another they can. They will find their stamina increased even if their partner's isn't.

Sometimes, however, the aphrodisiacs will spread to the sinner's partner, consuming them all in irrational need that could last all night.

After the aphrodisiacs have run their course, sinners will find themselves extremely depleted and exhausted. They may also have to deal with whatever fall out there is with their unfortunate choices, which can be worse than any symptoms of being fed on by ravenous sex demons.


Prompt II: Party At Our House
WARNINGS: Potentials for sex, bdsm, pet play, drug use, overindulgence in food, etc.

Other succubi and incubi seem to be trying other other methods to get food, of course. Those that aren't so cruel as to wish any harm to sinners who held no role in their current predicament. They desire to find a path forward that can work for all of them, make certain that both demons and sinners alike have an enjoyable time.

These demons pass around flyers discreetly around the hotel, inviting sinners to come out to the suburbs to an abandoned house. It's crudely drawn and written, but it gets the point across. These flyers can be found in food, tucked under pillows, or slipped under doors.

It may require sneaking past the guards, but it's doable if sinners are fairly quick to get to the exit, or crafty enough to take the windows.

The house itself looks normal from the outside, should anyone go, aside from the red lights and music coming muffled from inside. Once in, sinners will be greeted with a makeshift performance area in the living room.

All around succubi and incubi dance to loud, wild music as they try to entertain their guests. There's even a makeshift pole for anyone to try, if they're feeling daring. Those who have been in Hell a long time may notice the live band from Club Penance positioned by the stereo. They may not be able to play music, but they're at least in charge of which CDs get put on!

This party isn't all about sex. There are plenty of opportunities to just dance and work off steam. All demons present will insist on consent being given as much as they possibly can.

That said, there are plenty of opportunities for sex.

The bedrooms in the house have been repurposed for play. There's one room set up for bondage play, complete with a kennel under the bed. Another is full of toys and machines of varying types.

For those interested in just partying, aside from the music, they can expect to enjoy:

Alcohol that flows freely, even if it may be more of the prison wine variety. It seems as if one of the bathrooms has been turned into a makeshift lab for Frenzy. While unpredictable in general, this variety seems to be even more extreme and volatile. The effects are amplified. Take at your own risk, the demons will not be held responsible for what happens as a result from this drug. Guests who have learned to make their own alcohol or party drugs are encouraged to bring them to the party as well.

The demons haven't forgotten those on food restrictions either! They have managed to cater this event with quite a bit of food to suite all tastes. There's roasted hell pig, sweets, and other foods just waiting to be indulged in. Don't be shy! They know how terrible hunger is and would never want anyone to experience it... even if it leads to just a little bit of gluttony or greed. There are even tiny party favors of non-perishable foods one can take back and hide in their rooms if they need to.

There are also a few games, including darts with Barbas' face and a pool table set up in a game room. There are actual game consoles hooked up to a TV in there, left behind by whatever family might have had this house previously.

Of course not all the demons here are so gracious as the ones hosting the event. Some of the bitter incubi and succubi sneak in among the ranks of those just looking to have a good time bringing cursed food as a prank. Candies that induce insatiable hunger of the very real variety. Guests who are reluctant to feed the succubi and incubi will find a sudden craving for food. No matter how much they eat, it will never seem to be enough. Everything just tastes so good, how can they resist it? These effects will wear off in time ranging from a couple hours to the rest of the night.

The party rages on into the morning, when it is highly encouraged that all sinners make quick escape back to the hotel. If caught sneaking back in, sinners may face cold showers where they will be scrubbed mercilessly clean by demons and denied breakfast privileges or the chance to even sober up before they're put back to work.

Those who make it in unnoticed will have a chance for a quick nap, at the very least, before their day starts again.


Wildcard/Misc.
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kingnamedstark: ([Robb] In Judgement)

[personal profile] kingnamedstark 2021-03-02 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe that was his fault. He had assumed that it would be simple to send Theon to his father with peace terms. Theon had always been casual and warm during their youth, but never truly conflicted. Or maybe he never looked clearly at what his friend suffered, assuming that he was comfortable, given his father treated Theon well. His mother warned him, but Robb never saw, never really recognized anything, only what was on the surface.

He asked too much of Theon, another failure of his judgement. Robb could only look back with a measure of regret and frustration at his inability. He was supposed to be a king, a leader, but he was still a boy in the end. "I shouldn't have sent you." He frowned, looking at the ground. It was easier than meeting Theon's eyes again.

He had been too sharp and harsh with Theon, both calling him brother and then later telling him he wasn't a Stark. How many stones did he lay in the pathway to his downfall? How much of this was built out of his own hubris? "You were my brother-" No matter what he said.
krake: (but when you see him you'll know)

[personal profile] krake 2021-03-02 09:36 am (UTC)(link)

"I begged you to go. I thought -- I thought I could make him proud of me."

He had been so desperate for the approval of a man who gave him away and then resented what he became in his absence. It seems so stupid now. But hindsight is a cruel mistress, one Theon is all too aware of.

"You were mine too -- I almost sent you a letter, I almost told you of his plans -- I should have."

But instead he burned the letter and everything else, and Theon is a shell of who he was before, of the man Robb had called a brother. In the end, they had both been kids, stuck suddenly in a war where they had to make plans and choices they weren't prepared to. They have both been the designers of their own suffering, and each other's, at times.

"I know -- I can't ever make things right between us. I do not dare ask your forgiveness."

Sansa had offered it, as had Jon after some testy waters. He had been the one to tell Theon the truth; he could be both. A Greyjoy and a Stark.

kingnamedstark: ([Robb] Relax You Bow Arm)

[personal profile] kingnamedstark 2021-03-09 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"You should have." Not that it would have changed matters much. Saying this aloud didn't alter what happened or where they ended. They were here and facing each other as something other than brothers. It was difficult, his fierce love for his friend was still there, but buried deeply under the frost of his hurt and rage. Whether it could take root again and grow as strong as before, Robb couldn't be sure. Nothing would ever be the same as before, whether it was his relationship with Theon or his feelings towards himself.

It was maddening that Theon had a second chance to redeem himself, but Robb's only came in this place. A part of him resented that. Ramsay didn't kill him, that was true, and it was even more clear he was left in harrowing condition, but he still had a life for a time. One that lasted longer than Robb's.

But in the end, where did that resentment get him? He was still killed and he was still shit at being king.

He could only smile, more at himself than anything, "What else is this place for but finding redemption and forgiveness?"
krake: (by the pint)

[personal profile] krake 2021-03-09 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)

Theon would always love Robb, even as he feels almost crushed by the weight of his guilt. He does not deserve Robb's forgiveness, nor would he ever think to ask for it. He is grateful that Sansa and Jon had offered theirs, but they had never been as close to him before as he and Robb has been. It was different, for so many reasons.

The life he led had not been much of one. Death was a mercy Ramsay never would have offered him, even when he begged for it. And there had been times he had begged. He may have gotten free, had a chance to redeem himself, but it had come at a cost. It had taken what little strength he had left to pull himself together again, and without Yara's support he might not have done it at all.

"Torture? Punishment?" There is a slight lit to Theon's voice -- not as strong of a jape as he might have once made, but it is still something. He does not understand this place at all. He should have returned to the sea, to the Drowned God, but something clearly went awry.

kingnamedstark: ([Robb] Secretly Amused)

[personal profile] kingnamedstark 2021-03-14 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Their relationship had been deeper and stronger than Robb's with most of his siblings. Save for Jon, there was no one else near his age growing up. The two of them had bonded, as Jon was always the more solemn and withdrawn. Having someone willing to go out and meet others, to run and be wild, it had meant a great deal. It had also made the betrayal that much sharper and deeper. Forgiveness was a wide river to cross and too treacherous to consider. There were too many scars now, too many blades that had found him in the back.

That he could joke at all with Theon spoke of how much he missed his friend, the friend he had before he became king. Even in hating him, he was still drawn to Theon and still needed some form of that connection. Why else would he unburden some of his secrets to him? Even if it meant risking another betrayal, that need went too deep.

It might not be the same jape as when he was young, but Robb still smiled all the same. It was a grim future they were facing together. "Bitter medicine is always wrapped up in some good intention. Remember Old Nan would try to hide some of the syrup in sweets?"
krake: (there's only friendly fields)

sorry i somehow never got a notif for this???

[personal profile] krake 2021-03-19 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)

Theon barely remembers his own brothers, he was so young when they died in his father's rebellion. And they weren't exactly kind to him. He and Yara have only become close in the years since he escaped Ramsay's grasp. Robb has been the closest thing he had to family for so long, but he never felt like a true part of the Stark clan.

He had made the wrong choice, but either way he would have been branded a turncoat. Betray his own family or betray the Starks -- it had been an impossible sort of choice and he had to live with the outcomes of that decision for the rest of his days.

"I do. It mostly just made the sweets taste bad, if I recall correctly."

kingnamedstark: ([Robb] Watches (Steely))

[personal profile] kingnamedstark 2021-03-26 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
"Somehow Sansa still liked lemon cakes. I couldn't stomach them after that." It was a good memory, a small one. That was what he reached for with Theon standing in front of him. In those small memories, he could hide from the darkness and the grief. It might be all they have in this world.

"I wouldn't mind one now." If only it meant he could have Old Nan with him again and Winterfell around him. All of it was gone now, not simply taken, but gone. It was nothing more than a shadow in his mind. Winterfell belonged to others, Jon and Sansa, the other Starks that would follow. He was a ghost.

"I think I just want to see home again."
krake: (all night have set you on dry land)

[personal profile] krake 2021-03-26 08:54 am (UTC)(link)

A sharp pain goes through Theon's heart as Robb mentions Sansa, but he keeps it to herself. He wonders if she still likes lemon cakes now, if she's relearned how to enjoy things. If only there had been time.

"I always envied that. Your home."

Feeling like you had one.

kingnamedstark: ([Robb] Watch It)

[personal profile] kingnamedstark 2021-04-01 09:13 am (UTC)(link)
"I know you did." He understood as well that no matter how well they treated Theon, he would see himself as a hostage. Eventually though, something had to give way. Theon let his resentment and bitterness get the better of him, at least as far as Robb could see. In the end, they were here now.

So where did that leave them going forward?

"Watch your step," he offered, some form of consideration for what they once shared.
krake: (but when you see him you'll know)

/fin

[personal profile] krake 2021-04-01 09:50 am (UTC)(link)

Theon knows he can never say anything that will make what he did okay, nor do the words exist that would be an adequate apology. There is a reason he refused to go to the Wall, refused to take the Black -- he knows some things should not be forgiven.

He does not know where this will leave them; he will follow Robb's lead.

"Likewise."

And with that he turns to leave Robb, he knows there is more to say, but it is not time for it to be said.