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Penance Mods ([personal profile] penancemods) wrote in [community profile] penancememes2021-05-25 01:59 am
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TEST DRIVE MEME #24

Arrival
"Judgement has come upon you. God has deemed you worthy of Hell. But don't worry, it can still be undone," comes a soothing voice that echoes all around you. The voice promises comfort, hope even.

It may seem like a nightmare at first, despite all of that. 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. This trip is gonna take longer, but at least you get a vacation..."

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 door that's alight with white energy. Stepping through, they find themselves on an island.

There's a demon with striking animal features waiting at the start of a long path where an old castle can be seen looming over a quaint, old village. There's music on the air, celebrations clearly taking place. It's explained that while Lucifer rests and recovers, Mammon will be taking his place. Hell is, for the moment, a pleasurable experience they will heartily insist.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of a trek ahead still. The demon urges them on.


Stand Your Ground
The weather is crisp and pleasant in Mammon's domain. It seems to always be a beautiful day and a beautiful night, no matter what. Sinners should rejoice since this isn't very often the case when it comes to the actual Penance community.

While the energy in the air is as pleasant as ever, it's becoming quite obvious that there are unusual creatures roaming the area. Large dragons circle the woods surrounding the village and lately and often attempt to add to their hoard, other oddities have been slithering out. Chimeras of multiple animals wander free in any horrifying combination one can think of. Deer mixed with creatures far more predatory, bears mixed with wolves, other animals are sewn together in grotesque ways. It seems that with Mammon's attention directed towards the battle, he lost a bit of control over his... projects.

Some are aggressive, others are not. They are all, however, a very alarming show of Mammon's greed and lust for more.

Not to worry! Mammon and his servants will assure everyone that the situation is perfectly under control and that the animals are suffering very little to not at all. He just needs a piece to the puzzle to make certain that these new beasts have a productive, happy life. He will also be offering rewards to those who catch these critters unharmed and return them to the castle for safe keeping.

Rewards may take the form of extra food at the taverns, special rooms at the brothels, or a makeover at the salon and fine clothing to match.

Aside from the projects running around, guests may be delighted to see miniature dragons gallivanting around, no larger than the standard chihuahua but most the size of a palm. Some puff little bits of flame, others carry a slightly poisonous bite, but they're all absolutely adorable... and absolutely escaped the pet shop. To prevent larger animals from eating these little guys up, the shop is encouraging everyone to catch one or two or three. They may either choose to keep the little guys or hand them back to the store for safekeeping and a reward of golden Lucifer tokens for the upcoming Dark Carnival.

That's right! It's almost that time of the year again, folks! It seems like the annual affair will be held at Mammon's domain rather than Penance proper. There are promises of no clowns or human zoos this time around, so... that's a positive, right? A section of the village has been roped off and citizens are busy at work setting up decorations, booths, and a few other attractions such as rides and what appears to be a haunted house in a decrepit old building in the village. Careful! Whatever objects are being moved into the establishment do seem to carry actual spirits attached to them.

Should guests be inclined, they may offer a helping hand, but they will not be forced to do so this time.




Everybody Needs a Holiday
While it may be a little disorienting to not only go to Hell, but to be on a sudden vacation, Mammon’s domain is actually very inviting!

Upon entry, there is lively music in the streets and, worth noting, the demons in this area of Hell seem far more hedonistic than those found in Penance proper. They wear fine clothing, silks and furs, and expensive jewelry. A lot of them have adopted animal characteristics or sport various types of body modifications. They're strangely beautiful creatures overall. Although with all of Mammon's 'projects' on the loose, it does make one wonder if they've adopted these characteristics naturally or if there's something more sinister going on...

Best to not wonder about that so much.

The village itself is quaint and old-fashioned, but everyone seems to be rather pleasant. There may be darker aspects to explore for those inclined, but they are nowhere near apparent on the surface. It's sure to be uncovered later, however...

The incubi and succubi in this area seem to be particularly breathtaking and enticing, but sinners will be urged back on track, should anyone seem to be drifting. There will be time to explore later!

For now, everyone will be encouraged to go to the castle and be shown to their rooms. While they will follow the usual housing assignments to avoid further upset to the sinners' routine, the floor plans will be a bit different. Bathing will be done in communal areas with walls separating the showers and large baths that always seem to run the perfect temperature. None of the rooms will have private bathrooms or kitchens attached. All rooms will have a common area attached to lounge in, however. It will have plenty of available seating for entertaining.

No one will have private kitchens, but room service is available at all hours with anything the sinners could desire available. Maybe even things they never thought they would...

TVs, computers, and other familiar electronics will be unavailable and non-existent in Mammon's realm, but there is a library contained within the castle with fiction and non-fiction from Earth (and beyond) all available for perusing. Devices will continue to function as normal.

Mammon's garden will be available for viewing. In every establishment and all around the castle, there's a cider available freely that seems to encourage a good mood and lower inhibitions. The effects aren't overwhelming, but the more one drinks, the stronger they may become as it builds up. Each night, there will also be an option to attend dinner in a rather grand hall, which Mammon frequently attends. There's always a large spread of food and spiced wines and ales available, as well as decadent desserts and other tempting treats. There's frequently live music or succubi dancing for entertainment.

Overall, the atmosphere in Mammon's realm seems to be focused on luxury, indulgence, greed, and sloth.

[It's recommended that everyone read thoroughly through the new location information as it contains helpful hints on what there is to do while on this vacation! It has a list of shops, animals, vendors, etc. Plus a little bit of information regarding Mammon's land itself.]


Reach Up High
For those who still desire to work on their contracts and remove sins from their list despite the fact this is a vacation, there will be opportunities available! They won't even require suffering... much. Rounding up creatures, saving dragons, or helping the carnival set up are all considered good enough deeds to remove one sin from a contract. This is one sin over all, not per deed.

At least it doesn't require any painful torture... though there may be opportunity abound for that as well, if someone wants to go that route...


Under the Surface
Of course this is still Hell. There has to be something going on once in a while, right? Walk down just the right street and sinners may see delectable tortures being carried out in seedy back alley establishments. Loving cuts with knives, harsh blows with whips while your sins are repeated for all to hear. Even the torture seems to have a hedonistic approach and debauchery about it.

Are the victims truly suffering or are they being redeemed in the best of ways? Those who decide to participate may soon realize that the cider everyone has been consuming seems to add a layer of euphoria to pain and punishments. While this isn't necessarily sexual in nature, it encourages a sense of good well-being after and sinners may become addicted to pain.

The crash may not be too fun though, watch out for that.

There are also other vendors in this area that are offering drugs of all varieties, as well as questionable photos of other sinners engaging in true acts of misdeed, unlike the comic shop that seems to be more embarrassing than not. Perfect chance to get that blackmail of your enemy killing that guy...

There seems to be a new vendor in town too. The figure's table seems to be set up like a fortune teller's booth, complete with a crystal ball and the pungent smell of cheap incense. He beckons those who dare look near, urges them to take a seat in front of the booth. The figure remains in dark robes, hood drawn to obscure their face. The only visible part of them seem to be their hands. Unlike the animal-like demons of Mammon's domain, this one seems to have human hands with sharp, yellowed nails. They offer knowledge in exchange for something you will not miss in return, they assure. What is it? Well, they refuse to say. Nothing important, nothing important.

Ask anything! It can be about a specific occurrence back home, the answer to life, the universe, and everything, or something as simple as what does Lucifer truly want. Keep in mind that a price will be taken down the line and it may not be something the sinner actually wanted to lose. Ah, well...

[For knowledge based transactions, please respond here. If a character asks a question of their homeworld or something in their future, players may assume they are told a bit of information on the topic without waiting for mod approval. If a character asks something related to Hell, please wait for a response. Regardless of answer type, please respond to the thread linked here so that you can later receive a decision on what your character has given up for this knowledge. It may be a memory, a temporary loss of a sense, a year or so off their lives (when they return home), lack of resilience to sin, etc. Please be aware that signing up does mean consequences at a later date... and these may not come from Mammon or Lucifer.]


Follow Me Down
WARNINGS: sexual themes, animal-like behavior, dub/non-con potentials, implied bathroom play, mating.

It seems there's a trickster somewhere, somehow who spiked the cider. Naughty little devil! Those who are unfortunate enough to drink the tainted cider may find themselves developing animal-like traits, such as enhanced senses, animalistic urges, and a general need to be territorial or possessive. They may find the urge to keep to their pack or to branch out and find a new one. This may also result in features, such as fangs or claw-like nails that may or may not retract. Sinners will find themselves reverting back to a primal nature that they may not be able to resist.

How utterly embarrassing!

Don't worry, these effects only last a couple days at most before they will fade completely! Unfortunately, 'animal-like traits' may also extend to mating rituals. Sinners may find themselves going into heat. While knotting or other traits will not be apparent, sinners will find themselves desperate for intimate contact. This may mean a poor sinner in heat will be mated by several lovers in a row as their scent inevitably draws them in, there may also be possessive behavior displayed that results in biting and marking, and others wanting to mark their territory in ways that would make even the most seasoned succubus blush.

It may also mean those inflicted with the heat-like state, will present themselves to those they find attractive as mates or find other ways to entice them to get what they want.


Wildcard/Misc.
Don't see something you love but still want to get a feel for the game? Check out our extensive list of LOCATIONS and write up your very own prompt however you'd like to! You can also add a "NETWORK" post option to your TL for quick, easy, and fun interactions.



And without further ado: Welcome to our new TDM for the June 1st app round! As always, potential appers and characters already in game are welcomed to jump right in! This TDM counts as an additional game event as well as game canon for those coming into the game. If you app and are accepted, TDM tags become game canon and can be used for AC! Please have fun and don't hesitate to ask any questions you might have down below.

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, etc., go here.


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minuteofangle: (Default)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-06-30 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Damn then. Okay.

Gabe shrugs. "Nah. There's hundreds. Those are just the two I run into the most."

His life is fun like that. He tips his head to the side. "You don't strike me as a true believer."
krasnaya_smert: Hang on a rope or bated breath (You're a canary I'm a coal mine)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-06-30 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"No?" It's nonchalant, committing neither for nor against, and her actions of resumed painting are just as casual.

"So, if we're not Sons, what's our label, then?" If they're going with the dime a dozen, anti-tech route.
minuteofangle: (011)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-01 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Gabe considers. "Guess we'd be Charborn. They're the freaks out in the ghostlands. Nobody knows what they really want or how they're going to do it. Real mysterious."

It fits them well enough. Nobody knows what they're doing here. Not really.
krasnaya_smert: I love the mayhem (I'm a mascot for what you've become)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-01 07:30 pm (UTC)(link)
She pauses to mull this over, lips bunched somewhat comically to exaggerate the reaction. "Okay." A nod, followed by shifting to paint more. "Yeah, I could get behind that. Do they use codenames?"

Natalia could default to using that over his surname. Make any potential future interactions a tad more personal.
minuteofangle: (008)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-01 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nah. They got regular ass names."

It's almost disappointing. But it makes the rest of the shit they pull that much creepier.

He clicks his teeth. "They were out walking on the surface of the planet with enough sulfur in the atmosphere to melt your face off. And that's not a story, I fucking saw that. They didn't have protective gear or anything."
krasnaya_smert: Tu eres dueà¡a de todo (Necesito otra vida)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-02 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"I think we need to start our own cult then, because you don't seem that stupid and I know I'm not. Plus, half the fun is creating an alias."

What he said about the planet has her curious, though. The crazy cultists, aside. "And was this planet a future, fucked Earth or somewhere your humanity managed to travel to?"

Given the rate at which climate change is tilting the balance for the worse, it's not such a foreign concept or all that difficult to accept.
minuteofangle: (010)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-04 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah? What's your alias, then?"

Do share with the class.

He hums a little, shaking his head. "Nah. Earth's been dead for a long time. We got space travel. Terraforming doesn't always take, though."
krasnaya_smert: Like a moth getting trapped in the light by fixation (BW - My best kept secret)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-04 10:57 pm (UTC)(link)
There's so many to choose from, and though it could have differed in this pretendy times, Natalia hums a moment before declaiming herself, "The Red Death." She points the paintbrush at him and returns the inquiry. "And yours? We can match, being the co-founders." That latter bit containing a slight sing-song inflection, for all that this is plain, silly fun.

Talia's lips turn downward as her tone grows somewhat somber. "That's rough. Have you found some place to call home?"
Edited 2021-07-04 22:58 (UTC)
minuteofangle: (037)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-05 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
The Red Death, huh? His eyebrows go up. That's dramatic. And she doesn't strike him as the type to go needlessly theatrical. Which probably means she earned it.

"I bounce around." He shrugs. "And I don't do aliases all that much. Got called Fifty a time or two, though."

Fifty. Fifty Caliber. It wasn't all that creative.
krasnaya_smert: All those you've loved, all those who've died, all we have left is what lives in our minds (A killer's confession)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-07 06:38 pm (UTC)(link)
She mulls over what little is known about Rodriguez, the name itself, and something that could coincide with her own moniker, and - after shifting to the back of the booth - quips, "What about Poe?"

Natalia has a novella of an explanation prepared.
minuteofangle: (034)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-09 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
His eyebrows go up, the reference well beyond his time. "You're gonna have to explain that one."
krasnaya_smert: There's a jet black crow droning on & on & on (Until the very end of me)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-11 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
She finishes with the painting and languidly draws up into a standing position. "Edgar Allan Poe was a writer known for driving the horror and mystery genres. One piece he wrote is titled The Masque of the Red Death..." Nat points to herself, says, "Red Death," and then points at Gabriel. "Poe.

"That, coupled with Rodriguez deriving from Roderick which translates to 'famous ruler', and Poe being a household name."

Names are everything, and it's rare for the redhead to not put thought into her nicknames, aliases, and the like.
minuteofangle: (032)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-16 11:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah." Gabe grins. "You know, I dig it."

Interesting that she's tying the two of them together, even if it's just playful.

"You're pretty good at this."
krasnaya_smert: I'm gonna love you until you hate me and I'm gonna show you what's really crazy. (Default)

*is back from weekend family visit*

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-20 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Her smile transforms into something most Cheshire-like, it's formation slow as tree sap. "I know. I've had a handful of aliases to create and flesh out in my previous life." Nat shrugs modestly. "It's second nature at this point, honestly."

She drops the brush into the bucket, stepping back with hands on hips to observe her work. "What do you think?"
minuteofangle: (008)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-22 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Interesting hobby."

He's heard weirder. Still, it's a curious thing to mark. He tucks the information away for further analysis later.

He shrugs at the question. "Pretty good, I'd say."

Well, maybe. Probably. He's got no way of knowing but she doesn't seem like the type to half-ass her work.
krasnaya_smert: ...is behind the trigger (BW . Person you'd take a bullet for...)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-22 05:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"You may as well know that I was an assassin. One needs a thousand lives if one means to travel the world and eradicate the lives of others." It's revealed with a hint of nonchalance, driven by acceptance on her own part that it's no longer worth keeping secret when this place means to share them all anyway.

The question was a test, to confirm whether or not her suspicion regarding his eyesight had been correct, and yet Natalia wisely doesn't remark on it. Not yet. There's little reason to bombard Gabriel during their first encounter.

"It'll do, Poe. It'll do."

minuteofangle: (038)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-27 01:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh. His eyebrows go up yet again at that one. "And that's something you just go around telling people."

Well. Each to their own, he supposes.
krasnaya_smert: I know you'll find your answers in the end (Step inside see the Devil in I)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-27 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
The booth was her last task for the day, and so Talia turns towards the castle, matching her pace to Gabriel's if he chooses to follow.

"Not normally, but this isn't exactly normal, da?" She sprinkles in Russian every so often, but lacks the accent when using English. Practice and punishment took that away fast. "We have a physical list of sins that can be seen or displayed at any given moment, we have our secrets just out there and usually by means out of our control, so. I decided it wasn't worth hiding certain parts of me."
minuteofangle: (007)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-28 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
Well, why not? He ambles after to her. Might as well play this out. "Sure," he says finally. "I get that. I don't hide my stuff. But I don't go out advertising it, either."
krasnaya_smert: Can't turn back now I'm haunted (When all I knew was your presence)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-30 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
It's a curious thing to say when he's evidently hiding his blindness, and Natalia looks at Rodriguez sideways and from beneath lashes with lips pursed in what could either be amusement or placation.

"To each their own," she quips, slipping hands into pockets. "Why 'Fifty'?"
minuteofangle: (102)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-30 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
"Short for fifty caliber. Wasn't that creative."

Not all nicknames are. He shrugs a little.

"My speciality back home."
krasnaya_smert: ...is behind the trigger (BW . Person you'd take a bullet for...)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-30 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
Natalia actually slows her steps to regard this potential ally in a different light. Curiouser and curiouser indeed.

Hands flutter like wings out of pockets and settle on hips, and with a cock of her head, she reprimands him. "You know I'm going to want to know more. Those guns aren't exactly commonplace."

Says the assassin with a dark familiarity with said rifle. It's almost as if people of a similar nature are drawn to one another.
minuteofangle: (008)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-30 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
"Depends on the circles you run in."

A fact he doesn't advertise, but has never bothered hiding. Gabe clicks his teeth.

"Private security. I get around."

He kills people for money.
krasnaya_smert: All of the boys & girls are begging to If You Seek Amy (Living electric)

[personal profile] krasnaya_smert 2021-07-30 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
The same, apparently, though she chooses not to add that into the conversation just yet. Let them build to that, even though Nat's already teased it.

The nonagenarian resumes the pace previously established, wearing an impish smirk. "Is there some layered innuendo in those words, Poe?"

Her heart is spoken for, but she still partakes in the occasional, casual flirting.
minuteofangle: (046)

[personal profile] minuteofangle 2021-07-30 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Gabe huffs, flashing her a faint smile. He likes her, he thinks. Her energy, how she notices things. That might just prove dangerous further on down the road, but what's the point of life if it isn't interesting? "Mhmm. I don't go for women."

Never has, never will. But she's fun. Might just end up dangerous to know her, but that's Hell for you.

"But you keep it interesting, Red Death. Always something to be said for that."

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Links SFW (ears)

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-= FIN? =-

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that works!

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