TEST DRIVE MEME #27

[penancemods]

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 and nothingness consumes you for a second, but only 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.

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. They are urged forward to take a numbered ticket and wait their turn in the long line. As they're ushered forward through the corridor, their first stop will be to see Lilith, standing outside her office.

The woman in a smart suit and a friendly smile steps forward to greet sinners one by one. "I'm sorry for your rough landing. We've never gotten it quite as smooth as it was in the past. Please, let me see your hand--"

Once she has the sinner's hand, there's the warm, almost electric touch of magic that soothes away the aches and pains, heals the wound left behind on each sinner's palm. Lilith looks satisfied with her work and gives a nod. "There, all better. Please continue on until you reach Death's office. He'll have your contracts ready for you."

There's a slightly wicked twist to her lips. "Please do feel free to ask him about any of those sins listed..."

And so on, sinners travel until they finally arrived at another office where Death sits waiting. Here is where you'll receive a contract detailing all sins committed. If they look at the list closely enough they'll notice it's written on with their blood. That explains the wound then. It's an old piece of parchment despite the freshly written letters upon it. Death will also provide slightly more modern smart phone. Think early generation Android.

Seems as though Hell has moved on up from the very old Blackberry type phone.

Once characters have their device and their contracts, they're ushered further down the hall. It seems to go on and wind forever, but eventually, they come upon the lobby of Penance hotel. Once there, they will notice several shops and other areas around the front desk.

The demon at the front 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 to food or rooms to rest their wary bodies, or recommend sights to see around the hotel.


Stand Your Ground

While the Mares have gone, as per Death's bargain with God, and reconstructing Penance is coming along fairly well, the air is carrying with it a cold crispness that sends a chill down one's spine. Lucifer is still nowhere to be found, and if pressured, staff will say he's having talks with the other Lords of Hell, as well as God himself. Things need to be worked out, no matter how difficult it is for Lucifer to accept and swallow his pride. He won't be around to offer warmth to the Penance community and it may, in fact, be mirroring his current mood.

Or it may be the creeping sense of doom that's following so many around now that The Veiled Order has been able to nearly complete their next spell. Local demons will plainly say that God won't help them against this threat, that he doesn't care if Hell is destroyed, and others will be very hush about the situation entirely. No need to scare the local sinners, new or old!

Instead just enjoy the reopening businesses around the local area! Nothing is off-limits. Hellburbia seems to have suffered some extensive damage recently, but not to worry! There's talk of building back better than ever.

Other than that, Helluva Cup has a new spiced drink... and spiced everything. That's right! Pumpkin spice has apparently come early this year... and it may be a bit overpowering and in everything in the coffee shop, regardless of what you order. Even Bean, the 'friendly' hell rat the owner keeps in the shop seems to be feasting on pumpkin flavored meat. That's probably okay. Right?

Penance Library is offering a special reading of Leviathan-specific reads. The local goblins will be doing readings every afternoon for all who care to listen or to stick around and discuss it. These will all be fictional in nature, not historic texts.

Strangely enough, there seems to be a sort of curfew happening. While everyone will not be expected to be in the hotel necessarily, they must take shelter in the newly opened Club Penance, Casino Styx, Hella Shorty's, or other establishments. They must either stay the night in these establishments or be escorted to the hotel by demonic guards. These guards will be doing rounds around the Penance community to ensure no one is out alone. Do not fight them or they may surprise you with how strong they can be.

Additionally, anyone caught defying curfew knowingly or fighting back will be locked in their rooms for up to three days as a potential danger to the community as a whole. There are all sorts of dangers lurking out there and the demons are absolutely trying to keep everyone as safe as they can!

Otherwise, it's business as usual around Penance, so go on an exploration! Bundle up against the cold! Have fun!


Reach Up High

WARNINGS: cutting, blood, torture

Whether you've been here for months or you're freshly arrived, your demonic overlord unfortunately expects some participation despite the current state of things. You can try and shirk the responsibility, of course. You can bargain your way out of it for a while. But eventually, you may find yourself trapped in a room just off the gym that's been fondly dubbed The Torture Room. It has all manner of equipment in there, along with an iron maiden even.

But don't worry about any of that right now. It probably won't be used.

You can try the door, but even with super human strength or every lock picking skill in the book, you won't be able to open it.

It soon becomes apparent what you're supposed to do when someone else is eventually shoved in with you. Both of your lists of sins will appear on a table that's been placed in the center of the room with two handy knives. You can choose to guard these or not care at all that they're on display.

"Unfortunately, due to Father coming back into the picture, I know that He will demand punishment be delivered despite our circumstances. I have chosen a rather easy one, focused on honesty and acceptance of your sins. Please pick up a knife and choose a sin from each of your lists to carve upon your skin. Aid each other in your journey, carve the words to help your fellow penitent be candid with everyone around them!"

The voice rings out within the sinners' heads as it always does, although Lucifer seems agitated at the moment, hesitant in some way that he usually isn't.

"I do apologize for this. If it was up to me, you would have been free of additional torment this month. However, there will be additional incentive for anyone who should try to resist the task I've appointed them."

It isn't a lie nor an idle threat either. The longer you wait to do what's been requested of you, the more shallow cuts that will appear on both of your bodies. Are you really prepared to endure this pain when giving in would be so much easier?

And more than that, are you willing to let another suffer along with you?

Eventually, the cuts will stop if you suffer them long enough, but you'll have failed this challenge and sustained more damage than if you'd just gone along with it. Satan will also be very disappointed in you.


Follow Me Down

Prompt I: Reopening

WARNINGS: sex, drugs, alcohol, aphrodisiacs, body changes, potential kinks, violence, potential non-con or dub-con.

Club Penance is finally back! And with themed nights to start off all the fun. This night's theme is: Anything But Clothes. Guests who enter the adult oriented side of the club will notice the incubi and succubi who serve in it are entirely without clothes (and any ounce of shame!). They're eager to get right back to business. They're very encouraging of others to do the same whether it be immediately or in sexy strip shows.

On their trays, they offer drinks and drugs of all sorts. Shows are being put on on the stage as usual, the offer of sex demos with guest participation are still on the table.

As usual, these demons play under respectable rules in the club, safe words and all. They will also gladly exit the stage and let guests entirely run the show. They're on their best behavior tonight, even if the natural aphrodisiacs they give off seem to be amped up

Guests who refused to undress may also find their clothes randomly disappearing, or being torn off by some eager patron or demon who is a bit too into the theme! Ah, well, no need to worry too much. There will be costumes and lingerie to slip on to go home in. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a walk of shame back to the hotel in nothing but a thong, they'll assure. It's just another night in Hell.

For those who are really adventurous, there are also special concoctions that the club offers. These include:

Frenzy ○ The drug will be given to anyone anyone who asks for it. It can be snorted, injected, taken in pill form, or smoked given user preference.

Despite the questionable name, guests who partake really will feel the best they've possibly ever felt. They won't need sleep or to rest, but they won't necessarily feel the strain on their bodies either. They'll be full of energy and their mood will be amazing with no hint of nightmares or dreams anywhere.

The demons won't let anyone come down either, not once they've started and not until they're told a guest doesn't want any more.

Even then, they may still try to convince them otherwise. It's a party for as long as you can go, or until you completely burn out, it seems.

But with all good things come bad. It seems a side-effect of the drug is an actual frenzy as well. A frenzy for sex or violence or anything a character might want that they deny themselves on the regular. They'll feel this growing hunger, this ravenous need to have and to claim everything they think is theirs.

Some may even fade away into an almost animalistic sort of state.

The more the guest takes, the more they'll experience this sensation. Fighting it won't help either. Though they did sort of bring that one on themselves, didn't they?

Other symptoms of coming down won't be too different to those of other drugs. Fatigue, depression. Guests will begin to feel the effects of staying up for so long without rest or stopping to take care of themselves. They may also feel a certain longing for more, but it can be fought off with enough strength of will.

The drug isn't free either. The succubi expect to be paid in energy or through actual work in the club.

Bond ○ A potion that will bond guests together the minute one speaks to the other. The encouragement is that this should be done consensually, but the demons won't necessarily be checking. Once bonded, guests will feel what the one who took the potion feels. This includes pain and pleasure both with effects lasting a full night. Give someone the most intense pleasure of their lives or torture them until they beg for mercy!

For a really intense experience, both participants can consume the potion with mutual effects.

For the dance oriented portion of the club, the theme is a little more lax. Instead of outright nakedness, patrons may be offered revealing clubwear instead. Things that will look mesmerizing in the lights of the club ranging from neon colors to clothes that seem to flash on the dance floor. The music will be thrumming in the air, pumping down to your very bones as you dance the night away, and all patrons will feel good. It will feel as if they could actually dance all night if they so wanted, even without the aid of any drugs.

It will be an all night rave with all the party drugs and drinks one could want! Live music plays all night. The band also loves to receive requests, so knock yourself out! They seem to strangely know any song they're asked to play.

Knock yourself out, give up any care in the world and have fun. You're already in Hell, so don't you deserve to feel good for a while?


Prompt II: Your Average Hotel Night

WARNINGS: Alcohol and drug abuse, potential non-con/dub-con

With all the sinners, new and old, the hotel bar will be lit up with activity. Drinks will be readily available, there's food in the kitchens if anyone wants to bother serving it, music will be blaring whenever there's electricity, and overall, there will be an energy to the atmosphere that's absolutely contagious. Even if you aren't typically inclined to linger at these sorts of events there may be be a certain pull to stay and have a bit of fun.

You might not get much of a chance to have that in Hell, after all. One drink won't hurt, right? Nor will one more after that, and after that. Ah, sweet gluttony. Why not have a pastry next? There's some delectable sweets available just a few steps away. More of a meat person? Like things salty? Fear not, it looks like someone graciously brought all sorts of snacks and foodstuffs from the kitchens to the bar as the night progresses. Indulge! You deserve it.

Similar to Club Penance, the bar also has every sort of drug available that might tickle your fancy and some you've never heard of. There's no harm in experimenting, is there? You're already in Hell. The staff will offer to show anyone how to use the drugs or give advice for what to try if you tell them what you want to experience. Shockingly, they won't lie! Their advice is good word its just you might not have been exactly prepared for it.

There's a stage and a karaoke machine for those feeling brave or just wanting to torture people with some sweet, sweet renditions of The Devil Went Down to Georgia.

There are tables set up for all sorts of gambling and various bar games to entertain yourself with. Since currency as most are familiar with it doesn't quite exist down here, most of the demons seem to be accepting bits of your soul or offers to do chores around the hotel. You may also get pulled into a fun game of strip poker against one of your fellow guests for a few succubi that are having a night out.

Relax and enjoy your night. Coming here and facing your sins is the hard part, so surely you deserve to have a little fun.


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.



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Comments

[neutronblast]

"Where you go when you're a naughty kitty who suffered the squirt bottle one too many times."

Look, it's the first metaphor that comes to mind. So sue him. Or maybe don't, he's pretty much broke here. He can already tell that any world with a talking cat had some radical differences from his own, so best to break a complicated concept down into bite-sized pieces.

Speaking of biting... damn, son. Better not mess with those teeth.

"Nice jawline. Very solid. You're not gonna nibble on me next, right?"

Not that he's worried or anything. Just checking.

[of_iron]

There's no such thing as suing in the Black Citadel. You got a beef with someone, you talk it out in the Bane, and the survivor stands in the right.

Ferroc stops mid-bite and looks at Kaiba with a confused noise that's probably a rough equivalent of a cat's mrrp? except, you know, in basso profundo and therefore considerably less cute.

"Where I go -- what? Did you just call me a kitty?"

[neutronblast]

"I did," Kaiba doesn't even bother to deny it. Nor does he seem intimidated by it. "Is that a problem?"

Probably. Except there's also denying that he tended to be a bit of a dick, or a really big dick, so he fails to see the issue here.

[of_iron]

First of all, it's fucking racist. Second of all, humans looked more like grawl than charr did as cats, at least in his eyes. But why explain all that when he can just

lean over

and ROAR.


You know that scary infrasound that tigers can produce, that makes even seasoned hunters freeze up for a second or two? Much of the same quality, delivered right at Kaiba's face. Do charr brush their teeth? We don't know, but there's probably some amount of cat breath either way, because at the very least they definitely groom themselves.

"I am charr," he corrects with a hint of irritation and tears another bite off of his roast. Well, at least it seems that despite annoyance, he's not intent on harming another over something like this.

[neutronblast]

Uh. Okay. Wrong word, maybe. Still not scared, but the hair on the back of his neck sure did stand on end. Instinctual response, that's all.

"Cool," he says, oh so gracefully. "Glad we got that out of the way, Charrbroiled."

He'll just return to his beer and indulge a long, long sip. Definitely not scared, nope. Also very much not wishing to be that hunk of meat.

[of_iron]

"Aren't you a funny little mouse," Ferroc grumbles, sniffs his pint of whiskey and oop, down it goes in one swig. "So you're saying this is some kind of an after-death realm. Why would I end up in a place run by a human god?"

[neutronblast]

"Dragon," he corrects, even if that isn't technically true. Just wishful thinking. "And yeah, you could call it that. Most people just call it the afterlife. Either way, you're definitely dead. So are the rest of us. Except for Lucifer and his loyal band of merry musketeers."

And he'll just go ahead and head the next question off at the pass. Ever the pragmatic one, this Seto Kaiba.

"He's the big boss here. Don't piss him off, whatever you do. Or don't do. As for why you're here? Beats me, buddy."

[of_iron]

Ah, the irony. The guy who misidentifies someone else gets ruffled when he's called something he doesn't prefer himself. While Ferroc isn't petty enough to focus on that, he does give Kaiba a weird look at the mention of the word.

Then starts laughing. Slapping his knee and everything.

"Yeah right," he finally just says and continues devouring his dinner. The human had clearly never met dragonspawn, although it was worrying that he seemed to want to associate with it. That's how Sons of Svanir usually started off, wasn't it? Perhaps it's a cause for concern. "How are you so certain we all died?"

He still has doubts. It's not unreasonable to think that it did happen, but he's also not seeing any solid proof for it, and he definitely does not like the thought that human gods may have some sort of power over his soul.

[neutronblast]

"Because I was alive before and now I'm not."

Like, duh, furry dude. Weren't cats supposed to be smart? Why does he have to answer all these stupid questions? Maybe it was just another way of punishing him. Whatever the case may be, he's looking less and less amused by the second. He wasn't very patient on a good day.

"Look, believe whatever you want. If you want to run around howling and yowling at everyone and acting like a two-year-old who can't stop blubbering 'but why!' at everything, be my guest. I'm just not going to stick around for it."

Case in point, he'll just polish off the rest of his beer and be on his way. Or at least that's the plan.

[of_iron]

"That only covers you, cub," Ferroc points out tiredly, mostly ignoring the rest with all the mockery. Nothing new there. He's heard worse every day he'd spent as a gladium. "The dead don't breathe, or joke, or drink. You seem to be doing all three."

He shrugs and finishes devouring the meat. Then he moves to get up and --

a tiny thingamabob slips out of his belt pouch, rolls a few inches on the chair and whirrs to life, floating up like a miniatiure helicopter.

[neutronblast]

Okay, yeah, this conversation was over. Cub may not be an insult he hears often, but he can pierce together what it means on his own.

Except that sure was a thingamob that rolls right in his path. He tenses up immediately, thinking it some sort of explosive because that's just what any proper piece of tech did in any world, but thankfully it proves itself benign as it just whirs around like a child's toy.

At least for now. Hopefully it wasn't an exploding helicopter.

"What is this thing...?"

He's gonna touch it. He's gonna touch the thing. Just try and stop him.

[of_iron]

It's not an insult, exactly, it's the rough equivalent of calling him kid, which he absolutely is, since Ferroc is somewhere in his late thirties.

He pauses for a moment, but as the human appears fascinated, he relaxes a bit. There's even something like a chuckle escaping his muzzle.

"That's a gyro," he says fondly. You'd bet he's given that thing a name. Maybe something exotic, like Frank. "Every scrapper carries a few of those, though I modify mine."

Frank does not explode when touched, although it does sort of jolt and fly out of Kaiba's reach to hover somewhere over Ferroc's shoulders.

"It doesn't look like much, but it can carry up to twenty kilograms of cargo and detonate to kill at close range." And other things that he wasn't going to get into at this point. "There are other models, of course."

[neutronblast]

Cat or charr or whatever, Kaiba knows an engineer when he sees one. After satisfying his curiosity by touching The Thing, he watches it retreat to Ferroc's shoulder. He doesn't exactly look any friendlier than before, but at least convinces him to stay. At least for a few more minutes, not like he has anywhere else to be, though he does keep his distance. Hard to trust a creature that big and that toothy.

"Not really that impressive," he points out. "I'm not really that fond of weapons. I invent other stuff."

Better stuff, he'd argue, but he is dangling a hook: their respective fields were one in the same, if meant for different ends.

[of_iron]

And clawy, don't forget clawy.

"It's a very simple contraption," Ferroc agrees, "though I'd say simplicity leaves less room for malfunction out in the field. My specialty is vehicles... most of what my people build is weapons in one way or another." He doesn't sound too happy about it. He doesn't have as much love for warring as the average charr, he always just wanted to hole up in his shop with his toys and build stuff. Tanks, aircrafts, helicopters, cannons... There was an elegance to them, even though he knew what they would eventually be used for. Trust in iron. Oh, he's missed it.

"What do you make?" He sounds genuinely curious.

[neutronblast]

Hm. Interesting. Not that Ferroc was inherently interesting or that vehicles were all that enthralling, just that he seemed a little smarter than that gruff first impression might otherwise imply. Still just an oversized feline, as far as he could tell, but one with a decent brain.

So a course correction was in order. He wouldn't apologize, but he would leave after all... though not before extending a tentative invitation.

"I'm heading back to my room. If you promise to behave in there, I'll show you."

It might also answer a few questions. Or prompt even more. He isn't sure but now seems willing to take the risk.

[of_iron]

Ferroc contemplates for a moment. It's a little suspicious, but he's quite sure that he has nothing to fear from a single human, and his interest has been piqued.

"I'll be careful," he reassures, clearly thinking the behaving comment has more to do with his size rather than potential for wanton destruction. He prefers building to destroying, after all.

Curiosity killed the cat, indeed.

[neutronblast]

Kaiba turns his back to Ferroc and shuffles on his way. It is perhaps a subtle sign that he really doesn't fear him, even if he could take his head off with a swipe of his claws. Maybe he thought he could defend himself. Or maybe he sensed that lack of destructiveness. Maybe both.

"You're not gonna cough up a hairball in there, are you?"

And maybe he couldn't help but troll. He won't kill the cat, but he may as well kill time.

[of_iron]

He could, yes, but would he? That's a different question.

Ferroc allows the human to take point, then follows after him, surprisingly quietly for a five-hundred pound beast. The gyro floats after him, speeding up and slowing down to always hover around the same point behind his shoulders.

The question seems to catch him offguard. It's like asking a human whether they plan to fart; they probably don't, but it could still happen anyway.

"I don't... intend to? I haven't groomed since the last one."

Because yes, charr do get hairballs indeed. Thank you, ambient dialogue.

[neutronblast]

"So you do get hairballs."

Silly cat. It would've been almost endearing, except even if he was fearless, he's not exactly about to pet the kitty. They do attract a few stares as they walk; hell was hell and the presence of demons was ubiquitous, but they still made for quite the sight together.

"Not surprising. You shouldn't take so much umbrage at being called a cat, y'know. It's gonna keep happening."

And by people a lot meaner than himself, who probably would try to pet him, against better judgment.

[of_iron]

"You don't?" Ferroc teases, then shrugs a little. "I suppose you don't have much hair to begin with."

He's not particularly used to stares; while he did attract looks every now and then back home, generally everyone knew of his people. Here, well, apparently they did not, and there was a certain irony in being side-eyed by hellbeasts. He does his best to not let it get to him, of course.

He makes a vaguely displeased sound -- something between a snort and a growl, though a rather small one. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. Would you enjoy it if somebody referred to your kind as gorillas?"

[neutronblast]

"No," he says, "but I also wouldn't give a damn. And neither should you."

Through the halls they go, weaving around demons and denizens alike. Kaiba appears fazed by none of it, even as some of said demons could probably eat even Ferroc for lunch. Not that they would. It would probably give them a hairball.

"As you can see, there's bigger fish than you in this sea. You don't have to duck your head, but blunting your reactions would be wise."

So says the hypocrite, who blunted nothing at all. But he still knew better than to tangle with the locals, at least for the most part.

[of_iron]

"Above it all, huh?" Ferroc muses. It's not bad advice. It's just surprising to him that he even needs it. He chuffs a small laugh. "Honestly, I'm just used to humans either respecting me or calling me a savage. Implying I'm cute is a new one."

At least he seems to be easing up on the idea... although he might still growl at someone who annoys him, just to see what happens. Surely not all humans were as ballsy as this one. Which is rather admirable, to be honest.

"I can probably take them," he says uncertainly, eyeing a particularly buff demon that's practically his size. "I'd rather not have to, though."

[neutronblast]

"What's wrong with that?" Kaiba asks, almost teasing as he does so. "Cats are cool. Charming and clever and smart. What's not to like?"

Perhaps just as wisely, he doesn't comment on whether or not he could fight a full-blooded demon. He keeps a close eye on Ferroc, though, just in case. He didn't seem too violent in spite of appearances, so he would just have trust him at his word, as much as he trusts anyone.

Leading Ferroc into his suite, the ever adorable Kisara leaps into his arms. The little dragon coos and squeals for attention, and of course Kaiba indulges her whole-heartedly. Poking out her snout over his arms, she peers at Ferroc curiously, though she doesn't approach.

"You'll move into a room like this soon," he tells Ferroc. "For now, you're stuck with what you've got."

Which may be less than ideal. And he knew that firsthand, unfortunately.

[of_iron]

Ferroc rolls his eyes with a huff, but he seems to be relaxing a little, apparently now finding some humor in it rather than pure offence. "They're animals," he points out the obvious, "and they butter humans up for scraps."

That whole decreasing tension thing stops in its tracks the moment Ferroc spots the tiny dragon, though. He sort of freezes up, then slowly takes a step back. There's no way that was a dragon, right? Dragons were not this small. This had to be -- a wyvern, or some weird lizard, or a drake.

Calm down, he tells himself. Breathe. Small dragons could be good. Commander, the renowned hero, had raised one such creature from birth. And yet he can't help but feel wary, carefully watching it.

Then he realizes he's being talked to for a while, and shakes his head a little.

"I'm sorry, you were saying?"

[neutronblast]

But Kaiba hones in on that weakness. He was also a predator; it was instinct. He couldn't help it, just as Ferroc couldn't help his reaction.

"Don't worry," he says in a tone that was almost reassuring, if blunt. "She's friendly. And she can't do much other than light a match."

Kisara looks offended by this, puffing herself to try and look tough in front of their guest. She fails, of course, though her master can't help but laugh. He isn't shy about passing her around, so he extends his arms to Ferroc if he's brave enough to touch.

"Go on. She's stubborn, but she can't resist a good pat on her horns."