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Penance Mods ([personal profile] penancemods) wrote in [community profile] penancememes2022-08-24 10:35 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME #38

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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justmakemoney: (I know you)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-08-29 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, now I know how that goes.

[Saul opens his arms, sort of half-shrugging in emphasis. As if his gaudy bright suit didn't already scream just that without him confirming. Should Phoenix care to look, even though it means nothing in literal hell, Saul still has a small metal pin of the scales of justice on his lapel.]

But what I've found is if you just carry yourself with confidence, people eventually pay attention. It's all about the presentation, and maybe greasing the right palms to get the right audience with the right people.
servesyouwright: (→52)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-08-30 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The movement of Saul's arms immediately draws his attention downwards. Those clothes barely match at all, and it gives him flashbacks to a certain unpleasant, pink-haired man.

(I think it's probably your suit rather than how you carry yourself.)

But that--

There's no mistaking that pin now that he's closer. And yet ... What did he say? ]


You know about greasing the right palms, huh?

[ Well. This is Hell, he supposes. If this guy is an attorney, though, he takes particular issue with that. ]
justmakemoney: (were in the back seat)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-08-30 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[for his part, Saul just raises an eyebrow at Phoenix’s question. It’s the way of the world and how things get done; you want an earlier court hearing, you offer the clerk a cute stuffed animal. It’s always been that way, even before his Saul Goodman days.]

Who doesn’t? You do a job for a guy, he sticks his neck out to get you in with the right people. Networking. You scratch my back, I scratch yours kind of deal.
servesyouwright: (→43)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-08-30 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Right ...

[ You just 'do a job for a guy'. Doubt.

Well. No point making enemies in Hell, so he'll drop it for now. Instead, he smiles, and holds out a hand. ]


Phoenix Wright.
justmakemoney: (you don't slide into it)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-08-31 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
[Don't worry, Phoenix, arguably bribery is the least offensive lawyer crime he's gotten away with for a while.

Saul reaches out to shake Phoenix's offered hand, assuming that a name like that can't possibly be his real name. He's met some people over the years, sure, but Phoenix is still a pretty wild name if it were real.]


Saul Goodman. Pleasure to meet you.
servesyouwright: (→16)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-08-31 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ How is that not something to worry about.

He gives that hand a firm shake, and drops his hand with a slight jerk of his head. ]


'Pleasure' is a bit of a stretch.

[ He can't resist being a little smartass. ]
justmakemoney: (you think this is bad?)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-08-31 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fortunately for Phoenix, when it's not being used against him, Saul appreciates a little smartassery. It makes things more fun. Saul shrugs, pulling a face that acknowledges Phoenix's point given that, well, they're in Hell.]

Hey, from some of the stories I've heard, the way it is right now, we might as well be in the other place. I'd say "just wait," but it's not something I'm too keen on seeing, either.
servesyouwright: (→49)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-01 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Good for Heaven's sake it's not, or we could get them for false advertising.

[ Because, honestly, this isn't what he'd expect Heaven to look like. Not that God actually had a say in what his followers would promise Heaven to be like. Or did he? Does this mean the Bible actually is His word?

This is too much. ]
justmakemoney: (I know you)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-02 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[Now that gets an amused grin out of Saul, as he points at Phoenix to indicate just how funny of an idea he finds that. They're already in Hell, he's allowed to find the idea of extra Hell funny.]

Now that's a surefire ticket to eternal damnation if I've ever heard one. I can't imagine the big guy would like being hit with that.
servesyouwright: (→43)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-02 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ His chest is shaking just slightly with soundless laughter, as he crosses his arms with a shake of his head. ]

Does Heaven have a court of justice outside of God's influence, do you think?
justmakemoney: (he might have owed me some money)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-04 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
I mean, if you ask those roadside preachers and late-night evangelical hosts, he probably ends up as the judge, jury, and executioner.

[Not like a Hell Court would be much better, probably. But that's not the venue they're discussing now. As for what he thinks, that's a different issue entirely.]

Can't imagine they can assemble a proper jury of one's peers in Heaven, can you?
servesyouwright: (→32)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-04 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[ A jury? Huh. Saul doesn't sound European. Of course, he could have been born in America but live in Europe. ]

I suppose God wouldn't exactly have any 'peers'.
justmakemoney: (ever since he was nine)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-05 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
[Thinking too deeply into whether actual God would have any peers or how that would work, along with anything deeper than the "old dude with robes and a long beard" image, is borderline too existential for Saul. Sure, there's literal Hell, but then there's thinking too much into things that probably are beyond comprehension. Like when you get too deep into thinking about how big outer space is.]

We could take it class action, I'm sure we'd get some bites. Those never end up going to court.
servesyouwright: (→46)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-05 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ This is really getting out of hand for a hypothetical situation in which this is actually Heaven. But, well, they're in it now. ]

I think most people would need a lot of convincing to do even a class action against God. You said it yourself, after all. Surefire ticket to eternal damnation.
justmakemoney: (at the copy shop)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-05 08:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[out of hand is just par for the course for probably 95% of his life. If there were actually a chance to sue the afterlife for false advertising, he'd totally do it. He's done worse. that billboard, etc. etc.]

Hey, from down here, what would anyone have to lose? They can't damn us twice, can they?

[they probably can, Saul. They probably can.]
servesyouwright: (→44)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-06 02:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Well, now he's lost track of the plot. ]

Hold on. I thought we were suing God in the unlikely event that this is actually Heaven, which would mean we weren't already damned.
justmakemoney: (I worked my ass off)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-07 06:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sure, they were, but now he's gotten his thoughts off on a bigger and better tangent. That's just how it goes. He waves a hand dismissively, now that he's got this hellish class action in his mind.]

Details, details. We can figure it out once we've got people signed on. These things always unfold slowly, trust me. I've done dozens of 'em.
servesyouwright: (→48)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-08 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
So ... We're suing Him for sending us here now?

[ He thinks he wants off, actually. ]
justmakemoney: (hey it's our old friend B!)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-09 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
False pretenses for damnation, unequal weighing of sins, failure to examine extenuating circumstances, I'm sure we've got plenty of basis for this.

[Look. He doesn't know how it will work exactly, but if he had to build a case against God for maybe not his own damnation, but some other people here, he's confident he could argue it.]

Or are you saying you belong here instead of, say, Ronald Regan?
servesyouwright: (→43)

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-09 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ A shrug. ]

I can think of plenty of people who deserve to be here more than me, sure. But who's to say Ronald Regan isn't in Hell?
justmakemoney: (the law is sacred)

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-11 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
[He pauses for a moment, pulling a slight face in acknowledgement.]

Fair point. He might be locked up in a presidential suite somewhere, and not down here with us.
servesyouwright: (→22)

Love when "mark as unread" doesn't work

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-15 08:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ UHM. ]

That's ... not the point I was trying to make. I meant Hell is probably really freaking big.
Edited (Oh I did have an icon with the face I wanted) 2022-09-15 20:15 (UTC)
justmakemoney: (any winners yet?)

dreamwidth plz...

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-18 03:52 am (UTC)(link)
There's more than this hotel, sure. But beyond this area it's a bit... [he holds his hand out, wobbling it up and down to emphasize just how iffy it looks out there. Not that he's done much exploring, it's not really his scene, but he's been outside for sure.]
servesyouwright: (→10)

More like email phone app pls

[personal profile] servesyouwright 2022-09-18 02:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He cannot be serious. ]

But that-- There's no way this is big enough to fit all sinners in human history.

[ Not even if the world is only a few thousand years old. ]
justmakemoney: (B-12! B as in betrayal)

boo email boo

[personal profile] justmakemoney 2022-09-21 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Again, he pulls a face, raising his eyebrows and nodding his head to the side slightly in acknowledgement of Phoenix's point.]

Maybe Dante had the right idea. You know, levels and all.

[Has he actually read Dante's Inferno? Probably not the whole thing. But the general idea he knows of. But after a short pause, he adds on--]

Or maybe the rest of the world hasn't been as sinful as us poor unfortunate souls would like to believe.

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