TEST DRIVE MEME #38

[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, And it seems to linger for a long time. There is nothing at all. It must be lonely. But it won’t be forever.

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 take your care package and continue on until you reach the stairs."

On their way out, sinners receive their 'package', a contract detailing all sins committed. If they look at the list closely enough they'll notice it's written with their blood. That explains the palm wound then. It's an old piece of parchment despite the freshly written letters upon it. They will also receive a slightly more modern smart phone. Think early generation Android and a pamphlet made by other sinners during their stay here with useful tips.

After that, sinners will be ushered on to a set of stairs where a guard waits. "Welcome to Penance," the demon says gruffly before motioning them on without an ounce of courtesy. "Don't hold up the line."

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 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

Curiously, every television within Hell seems to be covered with a sheet and wrapped in chains. If one listens closely at night, they'll hear murmuring coming from them. If any curious newcomer should try to remove the coverings, they will find them magically enchanted in some way that makes this impossible, however. If asked, the staff will explain that they're undergoing a cleansing to remove a curse placed upon them by evildoers. If pressed further, they'll hear talks of The Veiled Order.

But not to worry! There's plenty to do. Helluvacup needs to be rebuilt so the coffee demon and his prized hell rat on a harness and leash quit wandering the halls... the staff is rather tired of being bitten! Additionally, it feels like reality is shifting more often to showing what the pristine hotel may actually look like. It hasn't been that long since the buildings were flooded by lava and utterly destroyed. The beautiful interiors were too good to be true, and the veneer is cracking more severely now. At times, the illusion drops to the burnt out husk of a building, to rotting wood and torn, old furniture. Sometimes it's jarring enough to leave one dizzy before it simply flashes back to normal. Unfortunately, whenever these glitches occur, it is entirely possible to find one's self in an entirely different room than they meant. Wanted to grab a midnight snack? Have fun in that blood room. Wanted to take an innocent pee, minding your own business? You may accidentally walk into someone's room.

In which case, it is probably very advisable to not relieve yourself and find a more suitable area. What could possibly go wrong?

At least there does seem to be a break in the heat? Hell is an almost comfortable temperature, but there are already talks of the dreaded Fall coming soon. In Hell, Fall tends to feel more like the dead of winter, bt hopefully, there will be a skip to the usual snow and frigid temperatures.

.


Reach Up High

Prompt I:

WARNINGS: drills, torture, blood, lobotomy

Part of redemption is suffering, Darlings. That’s why sinners are drawn here. They will hurt, but they will also learn to become better people. One way or another.

The demons who bring sinners here have tied them quite firmly into a contraption that forces them to recline back with their heads trapped in a vice. If they look up, they’ll be able to see the whirring flash of metal from an active drill poised just overhead. They can squirm if they’d like, but it might be unsettling for the person bound behind them. Before they can vocalize any questions, they’ll hear the sound of Lucifer’s warm, soothing voice.

"My dear guests, I’ve done a lot of thinking about what I can do to bring you closer together. Father often says that humans should love their fellow man. Maybe you just need some help building trust. I assure you that you’re both perfectly safe. If you stay still and chat, the drills will cause a little scratch, but nothing you can’t live through. Talk about your sins. Talk about your day. It’ll just take a few minutes before you can leave. Be nice, and whatever you do, don’t move a muscle."

It’s at this point that sinners might notice that although they are rendered immobile from the waist up, their legs are free. They can push back their chairs and avoid the drills which are suddenly moving forward. But since they’re bound to someone else, pushing back will send their partner forward into their drill and surely condemn them to a messy death. If neither sinner moves, they can both survive. The drills will move close enough to tear the skin at their foreheads and perhaps scratch the skull underneath, creating a mild concussion at worst. But if the sinners were unable to make peace and stop themselves from moving, the drill is quite capable of pushing past bone and into the soft flesh of the frontal lobe. You can technically live with the kind of brain damage caused by an injury there, but do you really want to do that to your new close friend?

You have three minutes to figure it out.


Prompt II

For those fortunate enough to escape the unplanned lobotomy, well, there's an easy task for you! As previously mentioned, Helluvacup and the hotel's own pool both need to be tidied up, or rebuilt in some cases. Any sinners who volunteer will be treated to free drinks and snacks, and receive appreciation from demonic staff. Plus, chipping in and helping your fellow sinners (and demons) is something God often encourages! It will be good for one sin removal overall. There will be building supplies, cleaning supplies, and anything else sinners need to push forward!

The staff also won't be put out if sinners would rather do a little bit of cleaning instead...

Besides, it's a rare opportunity to help import supplies to Hell. There are large crates of unnamed items, new furniture items, torture items, clothes, and more. There's also several boxes of nothing but pumpkin spice that veteran sinners, who know what every fall entails, may cringe at the sight of.


Follow Me Down

Prompt I

WARNINGS: fire, disobedience

Speaking of pumpkin spice and torture devices... Well, sinners may find the prime opportunity for a bit of a bonfire if they're so inclined. It seems some demons are not looking forward to the months of pumpkin spice flavored foods or, well, working, really. These are young, reckless demons, but they've decided to help some of these new shipments get 'lost' by starting a large bonfire in a secluded place in Penance proper. They'll be asking sinners to help out. They'll supply the booze as they watch everything burn later!

If questioned about it, the demons will insist that it's just another part of the importing project. Everyone's trying to tell you to grab the crates and haul them somewhere, right? Into the fire is somewhere. Of course it's fine! You get points for being good little boys and girls every time you shut up and do what you're told. Why would anyone lie about that?

Perhaps it will come as a surprise, then, that anyone who participates will receive one sin added to their contract in the form of arson.


Prompt II

WARNINGS: sex, aphrodisiacs, non-con, etc.

Club Penance has new shots for all to try! Eager incubi and succubi stand around with trays of them, eager to pass them off under the strobe lights and pounding music. The air is sweeter than even usual, the demons amping up the aphrodisiacs to ensure everybody has a good time, and there's plenty encouragement to get lost in the atmosphere. These shots all have a unique influence, although that part may have been left out... Oops.

Apple: Causes one to fall lust with the first person they see. They will absolutely be overwhelmed with the desire to have them and do whatever they must to receive their affections.
Cinnamon: Causes one to fall into love with the first person they see. Their heart will skip beats, they'll feel the urge to recite poetry, anything! Your love must be known.
Pumpkin: Causes one to fall out of balance. Just the perfect meet-cute, isn't it? Hopefully you won't fall into anyone in a bad mood.
Sour Apple: Causes one to fall into a rage. Ah, oops. Maybe they didn't think that one out. This one causes aggression and the need to make certain others know you're the top dog around here.

Wildcard/Misc.

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Daisy Johnson | Marvel TV: Agents of SHIELD

[agentskye]

Stand your Ground

A:

[ Daisy is once again staring at a TV that has tightly been wrapped in a sheet and chains. She has asked some of the staff about it, actually glad that they have been taken care of in some manner at least, only to hear mentions of the Veiled Order. She remembers reading the name in the pamphlet but really, she has no idea who this Asmodeus dude is so she hasn't been thinking about it too much. Yet. Now she is pretty sure that it's better to know what there is instead of being completely caught off guard. Nothing here happens without reason it seems, after all.
So, she may or may not just approach a random person she comes across to ask them.
And if she already knows the other person then she may just come straight out with the question:] What can you tell me about the Veiled Order?

B:

[ The shifts in reality are both concerning and extremely inconvenient. She has just been on her way to the kitchen only to wind up in someone else's room! ]

Uhm, hello? [ Is the other person naked? Casually reading a book? Is this their room or somewhere else entirely? ]

Reach Up High - Prompt II:

[ Having talked to Tony about it previously, Daisy is more than willing to help with repairs. It's not like there is a lot to do apart from it, anyway. It's also not like she has any idea what she's doing so she is likely to ask for help or focus on cleaning the pool for now.

The pumpkin spice strikes her as weird even when considering the time of the year ... so she turns to someone else to just outright inquire about it. ] What's up with all of the pumpkin spice?

Follow Me Down - Prompt I:

[ Not knowing about the consequences, Daisy also helps out with the building of the bonfire, not realising that it's weird until it is much too late. She does make it a point to try and only carry the boxes labeled 'torture' to the pile because surely it's good for less of those to be around? ]

Follow Me Down - Prompt II:

[ Idle curiosity is what got her to check out Club Penance to start with. And it's weird at first, surely, but the aphrodisiacs in the air have been helping her to relax a little. So much so, that she does end up trying the shots the staff has been pushing.

Pumpkin: She isn't usually this clumsy - she swears - but somehow when she gets up from her seat to leave, the laces of her boots end up getting tangled and Daisy is falling face first, her arms flailing slightly - but oh! Luckily her fall is interrupted by someone who just happens to be there. This is either the right place and the right time or the exact opposite! ] Oh shit, sorry!

[ Sour Apple: So, you thought that sitting down next to her was a good idea? Or just the next table over? Well, you thought wrong. Congratulations. Whatever your transgression, Daisy is coming at you, and judging from her expression you are one wrong move away from getting your ass kicked. Maybe just meeting her eyes is enough. ] What are you looking at?

Wild Card!

{{OOC; Want something else? Pls reach out via Plurk (Yzaksama), discord (yumi#8048) or PM OR just hit me with your best shot :> }}

Stand A (time to dance around what we're not sure about?)

[hypoxic]

[It's probably not all that random when Daisy comes storming into the lab demanding answers to a mystery she's just uncovered. They were always going to have to talk about the Order at some point or another. It's even close enough to a work request that Fitz doesn't immediately send her away when she approaches.]

They're lunatics that hate us for getting to sleep in comfortable beds. [It's the short version, at least.] If they're active, they'll likely start a fresh round of kidnappings soon. They're fond of sacrificing us to fuel their spells.

[There's no eye contact, and he doesn't bother raising his voice out of a distant mumble. Daisy speaks Fitz well enough to get the important parts.]

[agentskye]

[ Daisy is taken aback slightly by the fact that he gives her an answer instead of simply ignoring her or throwing her out. There is no doubt that he is going to keep this strictly professional, however, since he doesn't look at her at all. It's okay. She can focus on getting information. This is fine. She keeps her distance, lingering by the door as she listens. ]

So they are an outside force? Made up of ... what? Demons? Other beings? How often have the kidnappings happened yet?

[hypoxic]

Primarily demons. Sometimes they try to recruit. It's possible some residents here are members we don't know about.

[When she asks about the kidnappings, he rolls up a sleeve and extends a wrist, giving her a look at a knotted tattoo burned into his skin.]

They come for us a few times a year, usually when they've regrouped enough to try something new. If they had their way, we'd all spend our days bleeding out into their blood pits.

[agentskye]

What'd be a reason for joining up? Great health insurance? [ Why are there frigging double agents everywhere? Why is this a thing?

She stares at his wrist for a long moment. ]

... and those blood pits then fuel their spells. So, this again boils down to trust nobody except yourself, doesn't it? [ Depending on what's going on even that might be a stretch sometimes. ]

[hypoxic]

They usually mark their victims. They're different each time. The wizards seem to think that the marks are linked to the spell they're casting.

The one I saw was used to drain Lucifer of his power. They wanted to kill him. If you've talked to enough people, I'm sure you could see how some of them would find an appeal in that.

[Those people are misguided, he thinks. They don't understand Lucifer the way he does. Lucifer's been the real victim all along, but so few people see that.]

As far as I've been able to tell, the marks don't hold any meaning after the rituals are over. Lucifer says this doesn't burn him.

[He pulls his arm back and covers it back up.]

[agentskye]

[ Daisy hasn't been here long enough to have made up her mind, nor had she really talked to enough people to get a proper read on different factions or anything like it. So she simply nods in acknowledgment of what he is saying. She would be lying if she pretended that the way Fitz talks about Lucifer doesn't rub her the wrong way. But at the same time, he has been here for a long time and has worked to help the situation they all find themselves in. She just really hopes that he is not putting his faith in the wrong person, that he is not being taken advantage of. ]

How did you get out when you were taken? [ She has something else she wants to ask - like 'How did you come to trust Lucifer?' - but she decides against it. It seems like Fitz would stop talking to her at once if she did. ]

Sour Apple

[laserbaby]

[Homelander isn't in the greatest mood, after weeks of uneasy dreams and soul-sucking TV bullshit. He's never visited the club before -- Billy has strongly advised him against it -- but at the moment, he's not terribly concerned if this is a smart move or not. It's not like hell won't find a way to fuck with him, one way or another.

He's wearing a nice pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt, doing his best to blend in and not call the entire room's attention to himself for a change. His shoulders are held stiffly as he looks for a place to settle, trying to adjust to the... very loud and colorful atmosphere. He hasn't even sampled his own drink when the woman sitting a few bar stools away takes offense at nothing more than a stray glance.]

...What?

[Usually people wait for him to at least say something before getting this hostile.]

[agentskye]

[ A part of Daisy is questioning herself and why she'd go off at this stranger like that. But she is just so damn angry that he would sit down and then look at her as if he's entitled to do so. ]

You looked at me. What? Were you checking me out?

[ She'd usually be joking about it, but nope, the mere idea pisses her off. ]

{{OOC; I am so sorry, lol. Pls don't hurt her. xD }}

[laserbaby]

No, I was just--

[Wait, why the hell is he justifying his behavior to a random fucking nobody? And a very rude random nobody, at that.]

You shouldn't flatter yourself. Clearly, I can do better. [He gives a dismissive snort.] And I do. Frequently.

{{OOC: lol he's a baby, he probably won't... }}

[agentskye]

[ She may be random and she may be rude but have you seen her? ]

Don't flatter yourself? Are you serious? [ She huffs and puffs. ] Where can you do better? In fantasy land?

[laserbaby]

Anywhere.

[He gives her a tight smile, tapping his fingers against the shot glass.]

You're like a shrill little barking chihuahua. I'm a superhero.

[Is she objectively hideous? Well... no. But she is an asshole, and so is he.]

[agentskye]

[ He basically called her a bitch without calling her a bitch. Well played. But sadly enough she can be baited in her current state of mind. ]

A superhero, huh? What have you saved recently? Earth? Humanity? I sacrificed myself so that alien robots wouldn't conquer the whole planet, so what have you done, Mr High-and-Mighty?

[ She takes another shot - this one thankfully not part of the special menu. ]

Reach Up High - Prompt II

[endofcompliance]

[Daisy speaks to him, and it takes Bucky a second to recognize her, but once he does, he doesn't even address her question, first.] It's nice to see you without a screen between us.

[A breath in.] Not sure. The demons seem to think we like it, so they stuff it in everything.

[agentskye]

I was just about to say the same thing. [ The whole TV thing honestly didn't do him justice at all - look at him! - but she is not going to tell him that. But she is definitely grinning at him and really glad that she didn't kill him and he's no longer stuck. ]

In everything, huh? They totally subscribe to the whole 'Can't have too much of a good thing' idea, don't they? [ Which makes sense but urgh. ]

[endofcompliance]

[Bucky would not know what to do with that kind of information. But, hey, he does look at Daisy from the side, sneaking curious glances at her.]

Glad to know we feel the same about that. [There's a chuckle.]

Yeah.... Everything. They put it in beer. Whiskey. Mashed potatoes. Tainted the meat with it. Everything. And they get very proud about their work.

[agentskye]

So am I. [ And it actually gives her an idea. Her smile turns a bit more mischievous. ] Wanna hold hands for old times' sake? [ Not showering him with compliments doesn't mean she can't hit on him in other ways, right? ]

Okay, that's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard. [ Were the demons watching too many Starbucks commercials or something? Just imagining Pumpkin Spice mashed potatoes is enough to make her laugh out loud. ] Any way to protect ourselves against that kind of menace?

[endofcompliance]

[Bucky's smile tightens to that, lifting, and his shoulders quake, as though he lightly laughed. He does say:] I'm not sure the others helping would get it. [But he doesn't say no.]

The most disgusting thing? [Bucky asks with an amused raised eyebrow.] You really haven't been here very long, then. [He's mostly teasing.]

Make your own food. Definitely don't trust anything the demons bring to you for a while.

[agentskye]

Oh, you know, it can just be our little inside joke. Keep them guessing. [ With a grin, she holds up her hand, palm towards him, fingers slightly spread, just the way she pressed it against the TV screen. It's almost like a challenge for him to take her up on. ]

Nope. Definitely not. Every single thing I encounter still has a shot at being the worst thing ever. [ She can still find the humour in it too, at least. And she definitely needs some levity after some of the things that already have happened, even if objectively none of it had been that bad. ]

Good, solid advice. [ She nods at him, smiling, and doesn't mention that she sucks at cooking. But there are always things you can eat as is, right? ]

stand your ground b

[compelledtoprotect]

[He'd sort of gotten used to people popping in lately. Lots of residents came and went through Steve's suite, as a rule, but most of them had long-standing permission not to knock. The visitors he'd been getting more recently weren't friends or even casual acquaintances, not that Steve really minded. He liked meeting new people.

Then again, they seemed to come at the worst possible times. Steve came out of the bedroom, a toothbrush still in his mouth and just a towel around his hips. He was also wet.]


Hello?

[agentskye]

[ Daisy would have knocked had she wanted to open the door to someone's room. But as things are, she had wanted to open the door to the kitchen and now suddenly is staring at Steve Rogers. A naked Steve Rogers. Her hand is still resting on the door handle as she blinks several times, lost for words for a moment before she recovers. ]

Sorry, I'm ... This isn't the kitchen. [ Great first impression. ] I mean, I thought this was the kitchen. I'm sorry. [ She is flustered and behaving like an idiot. Great. She is also still staring at him. ]

[compelledtoprotect]

[He came farther into the room and took the toothbrush out of his mouth to smile. He gestured behind the lady.]


Actually, you're in the kitchen. My kitchen. I'm Steve. You hungry?


[Steve was already heading towards the fridge, dropping the toothbrush in the sink as he passed.]

[agentskye]

[ Just a bizarre first meeting with her not-quite-dad's personal hero. This is fine. She still looks pretty confused, but there is a small smile on her face at least. ]

Your kitchen, yeah. You're Steve Rodgers, I know. I'm Daisy. Daisy Johnson. I used to work with Coulson. [ That seems like the thing to share here with the Avengers. They don't have to know when exactly that started or ended. But she would hate to have to hide Coulson in his entirety when he has been so important to her and still is. ]

I'm ... I could eat something. But I can just wait here and you can take your time. [ So that he can dry off and get dressed. ]

[compelledtoprotect]

[Lots of people knew Steve even if he didn't know them, and he brightened at yet another potential friend, then the smile dimmed as she mentioned Coulson. Ah hell. He'd been one of the goods one. One of the best ones, and Steve had had only a few days to know him at all before the man was gone. It was one of those cruel twists to his life that happened all too often.

Steve headed for the stove, grabbing a pan and setting it down to heat as he next went to the fridge. He didn't mean to be rude, but the memories were still bright and sharp of those cards hitting the table. He also forgot he was in a towel.]


Nice to meet you Daisy. Grilled cheese ok?

[agentskye]

[ Daisy watches his face fall at the mention of Coulson and she matches his expression with a sad smile of her own. ]

I know. I still miss him, too. He was the closest thing I ever had to a dad. [ She moves to his side, trying her best to be reassuring which is hard considering they only just met. ] And he would have a fit seeing us this sad when we should be excited to get to meet. I know he would have been.

Grilled cheese is great. But really, you should get dressed first. [ Maybe super soldiers don't get colds, but really, she didn't want to disturb him like that. ] And then we can sit down and talk?