TEST DRIVE MEME #4

[penancemods]

ARRIVAL

You remember a dream.

Or maybe nightmare is more accurate.

It was full of hellfire nipping at your skin and a sensation of being pulled down no matter how much you struggle or cry for help. There's a voice that feels like it's coming from all around you at once. Contrasting with the nightmare unfolding around you, it's smooth as silk. It makes you want to listen with every bit of attention you can muster in the moment.

"Judgement has come upon you, but not to worry. It can still be undone."

The voice promises you redemption for your sins. It promises you a better life and everything you could ever want, if only you just stop struggling so much.

And so you do.


Everyone wakes up in the same room initially. The room is done up in red with a cushy bed, a window, an old TV in the corner on a desk, and a few Hieronymus Bosch paintings lining the wall. There's a bathroom to clean up in and any belongings will be sat around the room to be gathered later. There's a duffel bag provided for your convenience.

After feeling a sensation of falling or dropping onto the bed, characters wake up feeling like they've just slept for a week. Their body will feel heavy and stiff, they'll have a massive headache at first.

They'll quickly notice the list of their sins written with their blood on a bedside table on an old piece of parchment. This will mean the list is tied to them and can't be changed or tampered with. They'll also receive their device to connect with others and the network. It won't be anything terribly fancy. As a matter of fact, it looks like a very old Blackberry type phone.

Once characters are ready to leave the room, they'll head down long, winding halls. They're dimly lit and ominous feeling. They may encounter fellow sinners or demonic staff that will direct the newcomer down to the lobby to get their actual room key to settle in. They may be pushy, they may border on courteous. It really just depends on the mood of the staff at the time and how they're treated in return. Eventually, everyone comes to stairs that lead downward.



Once down to the lobby, you'll notice the front desk manned by a demon who looks bored out of its mind. To the side of him is the door to the kitchen where guests may help themselves. To the right is a small duty free shop that seems to have a surprisingly normal, expected stock of items. Look around a bit further, there will be a tiny bar tucked in through a corner door. It seems pretty well-stocked and best of all, self-serve if you want to get away from your demonic hosts for a bit. Of course there's some seating, bar games, and a jukebox tucked in the corner if you'd rather stay and socialize a bit.

Please note that all the songs on the jukebox are appropriately hell-themed. Hopefully Sympathy for the Devil is universally loved.

STAND YOUR GROUND

Prompt I

It seems like not long after everyone has either returned from the maze or arrived fresh to hell that the storms started yet again. A bit more sporadically and not the constant downpour of the previous month, but it's still blood and fire raining from the skies, along with claps of thunder and lightning strikes that seem far too close for comfort. Fortunately, there's not as much flooding this time. Unfortunately, a particularly loud clap of thunder and lightning that strikes close to the hotel seems to leave it and surrounding establishments in the dark. Quickly, the hotel becomes a cold place, urging all guests to to move to the lobby for some warmth.

A roaring fire will be going and there will be hot drinks and snacks kindly provided by the staff while they try to work on correcting the problem.

Eventually, some rather panicked goblin-like demons come rushing up from the basement. They're half-singed and dirty looking from their adventure, so it doesn't seem to bode well for the power returning any time soon. Guests who listen closely will hear the demons apologizing profusely for 'letting them escape' and much more worrisome than that, about how it looks like there might have been some tampering going on down there. The staff is quick to tell the demons to hush and go, not to worry the guests or let word get back to Lucifer.

Once that whole scene is squared away, the staff will be urging guests to volunteer and pushing them into a drafty, creepy basement with nothing but candles and flashlights to lead the way.

It's okay, they reassure, it's not that bad down there! The lights provided all seem to flicker dangerously though, almost completely going out at times, as you descend creaky stairs to a lower level. Apparently the demons are tired of risking their hide to get the power back on, but they're quite happy to risk all the guests'.

The basement is slightly flooded in some areas, bloody rain making its way through cracks in the foundation. It reeks of dampness and mold. There are things that skitter in the corner of your eye as you venture in further. Rats, bugs, and a few smaller beasts.

No one will be given more to go on than they're looking for a breaker box to reset, and hopefully, that'll get everything back up and running again. Unfortunately, there are so many twists and turns that it gets confusing after a while... How come the basement looks much bigger than it has any right to be anyway?

The basement is also jam packed with boxes just begging to be gone through. Most of them just seem to house an odd amount of clothing and what may be personal items left from previous guests, others hold decidedly more satanic and occult items. But if there's anything you're looking for in particular, from jewelry to a coat to a rad new walkman, you'll probably find it down here.

Keep going and you'll come across a room with a heavy steel door. If anyone should venture inside, they'll see a dungeon inside. There are demons chained to the walls in various ways, strung from the ceiling, or caged up that seem to be wasting away and forgotten. If they notice you, they'll try to plead with you to let them out, bribing you with information on Lucifer that no one else knows, but it's probably for the best you don't. There seem to be a few free spaces waiting for new additions after all... and besides, they've got to be locked down there for a reason, right?

Let them go against all better judgement and they'll most likely just rattle something off while they take off running as quick as they can.

Listen closely enough and you might hear tortured screams as they're presumably killed upon reaching the main floor of the lobby. It was probably inevitably, so don't blame yourself.

Anyway, moving on you keep going past the dungeon, and you'll finally find the room with the furnace and breakers to reset. It shouldn't take long to flip them back, but they'll continue to trip on and off for a while and may require multiple groups to make a return trek down to reset them until the demons finally correct the issues with the wiring that is causing these outages.

Speaking of issues with the wiring and what may have caused them... Hang around the bar or lobby enough, or around any area of the community, and you may hear muttering of something called The Veiled Order from beyond the gates. Some of the demons seem excited, others seem nervous. If asked, the demons may brush guests off. If drunk enough or given proper incentive, they may tell a story about a group of rebellious demons that Lucifer tried to cast out. They were damned to live in the burnt forests outside the gates, but sometimes, they still cause trouble.

Apparently, they thought they could be better rulers than Lucifer and were quite discontent with how he maintains Hell.

Some may say they're worried the Order is causing mischief by messing with the hotel, having had ample opportunity to sneak back within the gates. Others will laugh heartily and insist that it's a dumb tale to scare young demons, nothing more. Certainly nothing to worry about.

Another thing guests may overhear or bribe out of demons around the bar or club is talk about the call of infernal nightmares. If pressed for more info, the demons won't give much beyond the fact that it's a miserable thing, entirely miserable.

Prompt II

Apparently what the goblin-like demons accidentally set free are strange demons that possess fungi, dust, and dirt. They don't seem to quite be from this world, but they're called Coal Tars apparently. They're harmless creatures for the most part, but they do have a love of following around people with dark or sinister natures.

The staff will be offering a reward of a gourmet dinner of the guest's choice if anyone around the hotel will help to capture these little pests and bring them to the front desk. Afterwards, they'll be returned to the basement and locked away again.

Otherwise, people are free to ignore them or laugh at the people who can't seem to shake the little creatures following them around.

Careful though, breathing them in can make your lungs rot. Nasty way to go probably.

REACH UP HIGH

Prompt I
Warnings: cutting, blood, torture.

Whether you've been here for months or you're freshly arrived, your demonic overlord expects some participation. 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 soon enough 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.

"Know that honesty is a good place to start on your road to redemption. Sure, it can be terrifying at first, but that's why you've been given a partner in this journey. Pick up your knives and carve at least one sin into each other's flesh. Help in the journey to be candid with everyone you should meet here!"

The voice echoes all around you again, just like in the nightmare, and once again there's the pull to give in. This voice really does seem like it has your best interests at heart.

"If you need a bit of encouragement, we'll be giving it shortly."

It isn't a lie or 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.

Prompt II

"A generous nature is an important part of being a righteous person. Greed is a sin my Father frowns on quite a bit. What I ask you to do today is to go out and find a gift for that special someone or friend of yours and give them something to smile over."

With the items available in the basement and the shop in the hotel carrying a few new items, Lucifer would like to spread the good will of gift giving. It doesn't matter if you're not well acquainted with each other yet. You don't need to be! Anyone can spread cheer by giving a gift.

And if you don't, expect to be in excruciating pain for a few hours, and struggling for a breath. If you can't share a gift, then you don't deserve to share all that oxygen, do you?


FOLLOW ME DOWN

Prompt I
Warnings: Alcohol and drug abuse, potential non-con/dub-con.

With all the sinners, new and old, the bar will be lit up with activity and absolutely bustling with guests and demons alike. Food and drinks will be readily available and provided by hotel staff (although they might not always know what humans eat. What do you mean, you don't like fried kitten?), music will be blaring, 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 will be a certain pull to stay and have a bit of fun.

You may not get much of a chance to have that in hell after all. So one drink won't hurt, right? Nor will one more after that.

There will also be every sort of party drug available that might tickle your fancy. There's no harm in experimenting, is there? You're already in hell and the staff is handing it out and so helpfully showing you how to use it, or recommending a type that would suit what you want.

You've presumably done your atonement for the day, yes? So cut back a bit, let loose. Hell might be pain and torment, but it's also a nonstop party in the bar.

There's even a brand new stage and a karaoke machine for those feeling brave!

Ask the staff demons very nicely and you may even get less scrupulous drugs as well. Things that will convince your fellow damned souls to tell only the truth for a fun prank, or perhaps even potions that will make someone so enamored with you, they won't take their eyes, or hands, off you. How dare they give you the cold shoulder earlier, right? You've got them now.

There are also 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, if you're in a gambling mood. 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, right?

Prompt II
Warnings: sex, aphrodisiacs, potential dubcon/noncon, potential kinks.

The club within Penance has always offered many options for debauchery, but now it seems they're stepping things up a bit. There are themed rooms for sex machines (the same that were present at the carnival) that can be controlled by a demon or a partner. If asked, they'll gladly set you up on stage to put on a performance for the entire club.

They won't side eye you for any other kink you ask for either, however depraved it is.

But the succubi are handing out potions again, that can be taken willingly or not. The purpose of them is to strip away all of your inhibitions... or in certain cases, your mind as well as your will. It will leave those who take the potion as a perfect little pet or slave for someone.

It doesn't matter if you're generally strong-willed or not interested in submitting. You'll find yourself wanting to please someone until it's the most important thing on your mind. Maybe until it's the only thing on your mind. It doesn't even matter if you generally hate or adore the person you've attached yourself to, you'll find yourself sinking down on your knees anyway.

This is the perfect time to play out all those daddy kinks, domination and submission scenes, or perhaps a bit of pet play. It doesn't matter what theme of the game you choose, you're suddenly all for it no matter what.

Because you just want to make someone happy, even if what makes them happy is hurting you as much as pampering.

MISC.
Thanks for joining us for our fourth test drive meme, sinners! Reserves are now open for the upcoming app round on August 1st

If you want to speak with Lucifer, you're free to text or pray to him right here

If you let a demon loose in the dungeon, reply here to see what tidbit of info they revealed!

If you have a comment, suggestion, etc. please go here!

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Comments

Leo Fitz | Marvel TV (crau) | ota

[hypoxic]

stand your ground 1

[Fitz volunteers to head down to the basement early into the process. They mention it ought to be as easy as flipping a breaker, but it's been clear to Fitz that absolutely nothing here is that easy. Simplicity is just not in the cards here. But he'll go, because they'll need someone who knows their way around electric design if issues end up complicated.

The dungeon makes him pause, though. The demons chained here don't look particularly hostile, and they certainly don't look any different than the demons that are everywhere else. There's no reason for this torture. If they haven't stopped yet, they're stopping now. He plants his feet firmly and gives his traveling companion a solemn look.]

Well we can't just leave them like this. They'll die down here.

[And that's all there is to it. What could possibly go wrong?]


follow me down 1

[It seemed like a reasonable idea at first. There'd been some horrendous, dirty work down in the basement. Come out for a drink, they'd told him. He didn't want to be rude, so he followed. But this is a little too much for him, as far as partying goes. His idea of a good party is five friends settled around a Netflix documentary. This is abrasive. He grows silent at once, withdrawn. While other people laugh and dance, he gravitates to the perimeter, pressing himself against a wall. He tries not to look as uncomfortable as he feels, but... This is fun? Why do people think this is fun? He doesn't understand. Hopefully he won't have to stay very long before he can mumble some excuse about wanting to beat the rain before it gets bloodier out.]


follow me down 2

[He thinks he's had too many. Or maybe he had just one shot of something that didn't agree with him. But he's been sitting still for three songs straight by now, and he thinks that's a bad sign. It's just that he doesn't feel particularly motivated to move himself when it occurs to him at all. It's like he's hollowed out somehow, distant and lacking purpose.]

... I must be quite drunk. [He announces it to no one in particular as he slouches down further in his seat. He's sure he'll find the will to get up eventually. Maybe. Surely someone will remind him why that was important. He's sure he could break out of this malaise if someone asked nicely enough. It would be wonderful if he could make someone else happy for once.]

stand your ground i

[noassgardian]

They're demons though...

[Billy doesn't want to seem cold or callous, but honestly... after the carnival, he's a little wary, and part of him doesn't particularly want to show sympathy to demons when they show none in return. Besides If they're locked up, they must have done something bad, right?

On the other hand, he can't quite stomach any type of torture and he can't imagine one worse than starving to death...

Crap.]

... If they try to eat us or something, I get to tell you I told you so.

[hypoxic]

They can't help what they are. That doesn't mean they deserve to be mistreated.

[The ones here probably aren't the ones involved in that carnival disaster. That all seemed to be perfectly sanctioned and endorsed. The humans were the only horrified ones.]

If they try to eat us, we'll have bigger problems than you gloating. You might not have a face to gloat with.

[He tests the chains for signs of rust or rot, something that could weaken them enough to break. They might be able to make it look like an accident if they're fortunate.]

[noassgardian]

I mean, they probably could have if they weren't horrible humans or however this works.

[Maybe they were born demons? Billy isn't entirely sure, but there's a pretty pathetically squirming demon.]

But you're right, I guess. No sinking to their level. I'm going to assume you're not hiding super strength or anything, right?

[He reaches out for one of the chains, giving it a rough tug.]

I might be able to break them with a spell. It'd keep us at a safer distance too.

[hypoxic]

The pups we took care of weren't horrible. [There's no reason to think they were ever human. They're just the natives here. They don't know any other culture, most likely.]

None of that fanciness, no.

[He presses his lips together at the mention of magic, but he has the sense enough to keep his commentary to himself. Magic has its place, even if it's largely frustrating rubbish.]

In that case, please be my guest. [He'll back away from the chain obligingly.]

[noassgardian]

Okay, point. [Maybe. They were kind of adorable in a hellish sort of way.

But right now, he takes a step back and motions with his arm for Fitz to move back.]

Get behind me? If they're strong enough to do anything, I can still cast a shield between us and them.

[And he'd rather make sure they're protected first and foremost. Once Fitz seems a good distance though, he's stepping forward to focus a bit of magic.]

Iwantthesechainstobreak...

[The chant seems fairly effective at least -- the chains on one of the demons seem to crumble away... and yeah, as he expected, it looks like it's on the move as soon as it can be -- though more skittering towards the exit than them.]

[hypoxic]

[He doesn't question the orders as they arrive, scrambling behind Billy as soon as he's told. He's concerned, but not so much that it might manifest as a deathwish.

The chains don't erode quietly, and for a moment Fitz is concerned that this might present a larger problem than he thought. But before he can vocalize his concern, the demon is already free and rushing to leave. Fitz releases a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.]

I'm sure he'd thank you if he wasn't so frantic.

[noassgardian]

I'm pretty sure he wouldn't, but... I guess we're not in it for the thanks.

He looks around a little bit, trying to see where it ran off to.]

Do you really think he'll be okay? Like, there's only one place for him to go and that's up...

[hypoxic]

[He's not sure. There's a lot of things he's not sure about here.]

He's got a chance now. Maybe one he wouldn't have gotten otherwise. It's better than wasting away down here.

[noassgardian]

Maybe. But-- the next one, let's see if we can figure out what they've done to deserve this, yeah? We might be releasing demons who are going to do who knows what to us in our sleep.

[Maybe there is a reason they deserve to be down here, even if they don't look like they can do any harm at this point.]

[hypoxic]

You really think anyone in charge here minds when demons end up in our rooms at night?

[The first few weeks were particularly bad for that, weren't they?]

Seems more feature than bug in that regard.

[noassgardian]

No, but-- doesn't it kind of worry you?

[he gestures idly to some demon squirming in his chains pathetically.]

After everything they've done to us... how bad did these guys have to be to get locked down in a basement for who knows how long?

[Just going to ignore the demon insisting he's done nothing, because of course they'd say that.]

[hypoxic]

Maybe it's not bad when it's done to us. But maybe they were trying to do something to stop the process. Whatever process this is.

[He shifts, not sure if this is the right time to confess a doubt.]

Because it might be something bigger than the players we're currently aware of.

stand your ground 1

[deaddrop]

Assuming they can die.

[That remains to be confirmed as far as Natasha is concerned. It's also entirely beside their objective today, and the longer they're down here the more their lights flicker, threatening to pitch them entirely in the dark surrounded by chained demons.]

I get that this is hard to see, and I don't like it either. But you're not thinking through what happens if we let them out. Where do you think they go from there?

[To say nothing of what could happen to the two of them. Natasha knows how they seem now, and she also knows that there's no promise the demons could make that she would trust. How could she? Put anyone—any thing—in that position and it would promise the sun, the moon and the stars.

That's the nature of torture.]

I don't know that you'd be helping them by rocking the boat.

[hypoxic]

Even if they can't die, they still deserve a chance away from all this.

[It's still suffering. Blinking lights can be fixed, but this is something more real. It's worth the detour.]

Boats like these deserve to be rocked more often.

[And that's really all there is to it. He looks to the wall closest to the entrance to see if a key's been left on-site.]

[deaddrop]

It's not about what any of them deserve. Any of us either.

[Wouldn't it be nice if it were? The whole rhetoric of who deserves what is seductive, but it also rarely gets anyone anywhere.

Does everyone here deserve to be in hell? Probably not. But they're here anyway.]

Have you thought about what happens if you start letting all of them lose?

[hypoxic]

[He doesn't need to think about it to know it's the right thing to do, but he'll rattle off a list of things off the top of his head as they occur to him.]

Revolution? Disruption? A distraction that might allow us a tactical advantage? Information we could use to stage our own escape later?

[deaddrop]

[Natasha's brows rise slightly, the only commentary she offers on the idea that he might know more about fomenting revolution, collecting intel or exploiting tactical advantages than she does.]

If you want to to let them ought, I get that. But now you're rationalizing it.

[hypoxic]

[Yes, that's absolutely what's happening. He didn't quite expect her to call him out on it though.]

Long as it still ends in free prisoners.

[Ah, there's a key.]

[deaddrop]

[Natasha reaches for is wrist before he can snag the key, pulling him up short.]

You do this, you're not going to be able to undo it. Are you ready for that?

[hypoxic]

[He stops when she grabs him, looking to meet her eyes.]

You could live with yourself if we don't?

[deaddrop]

If I have to. [For values of living with herself.] We know they're here now. We could wait until there's a real plan.

[hypoxic]

And if we don't have a chance like this again? We just forget about them?

[It sounds untenable.]

[deaddrop]

And if we try letting them out now, but we're not ready for what happens next. We won't get another chance at it.

[She lets the question about forgetting them slide. If he wants to think that of her, she won't change his mind by getting indignant.]

[hypoxic]

[He gives her a long look, considering, before he lowers his hand. He gives the closest demon a sincere look, and proceeds to make a promise he has no idea if he can keep.]

We're coming back for you. Stay strong.