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

[alsoagirl]

With a confused scrunching of her face, she glances between him and the singer a few times. "Karaoke? You never seen that?"

Yeesh. Wizards made her feel like her life was less backwards than it had been.

"It's, y'know," starts her explanation with a gesture up to the stage, "singin' for fun? You pick a song you like and sing along. No one's makin' anyone do anything. Usually."

Sometimes dares or booze had ways of being super convincing.

Her head tilts. "Is there even music for wizards?"

[theonewiththewand]

"...No," he answers slowly, still looking faintly bewildered as Jessica explains the general idea of karaoke. "So it's entertainment for them... is it meant to be entertaining for the audience as well?"

Some of the people who performed were very entertaining, but for some, it was just... a bit painful. He'd missed Jessica's earlier performance, but he has seen some equally distressing ones since. It was interesting, though Draco really wasn't much of a singer, and not terribly inclined to embarrass himself in front of the rest of hell.

"Of course we have music. There's the Wizarding Wireless Network, though they tend to only play the older stuff... Celestina Warbeck, and the like." His mother was a fan. "Personally I'm rather fond of the Weird Sisters, but I haven't heard any of their stuff around here, and I'm not at all familiar with the songs they do seem to play."

It's been a bit disorienting, honestly, though some of it is beginning to grow more familiar over time. The jukebox only had so many songs.

[alsoagirl]

Jessica laughs, but her inward wince seems to come out at the tail end of it. "Yeah, it is. Either the person singin' is good and you can enjoy it that way...or it's real bad and you can laugh at 'em. Or maybe try to stop your ears from bleedin'."

The following explanation of the wizarding world's music makes her squint. "Right. Okay..." This is sort of how she felt when people tried to explain some of the normal things she'd missed out on as a human. "So you're sayin' you've never heard normal music?"

A logical conclusion, of course.

[theonewiththewand]

"Ah," he intones under his breath with a dawning understanding. "So mocking is permitted then." That would make the experience more entertaining, at least for him. He enjoys laughing at people.

Jessica's confusion over wizard music is about the same as anyone else he's tried to describe this to. No one's ever heard of anything he's most familiar with.

"That would depend on what you consider 'normal' music. Why, what sort of music do you listen to?"

[alsoagirl]

Jessica makes a face. Sometimes Draco said things that really made her side eye him. He randomly gave off snob vibes at the weirdest times. "I didn't say all that, but I mean, if you want to? Might not be the nicest thing." She says, as if she weren't loudly laughing at some people before. "Like, no one's supposed to be hurtin' feelin's."

After shaking her head a bit, she moves on, shrugging a shoulder. "I like country. And pop. But I like to think I got an open mind. I'll give anything a listen. Y'know, long as it doesn't deal with someone singin' about how much they love Jesus."

See? Totally open-minded!

Then an idea hits her. "Well, hey. Maybe they have somethin' by your weird ladies up there? You should sing a song if they do! I won't laugh, I promise!"

...Probably.

[theonewiththewand]

She makes a good point, mocking isn't the nicest thing to do, and given he's already been acquiring new and interesting sins for his list, he should perhaps consider being nicer to people on occasion... though it's not exactly easy. Draco supposes he could at least attempt not to hurt feelings.

"I don't know what any of that sounds like," he admits a bit dryly, though it's not as though he isn't interested. "Pop as in... bubbles?"

He blinks in slight terror at the prospect of singing in front of... well, most of these people. It's not exactly Jessica he's worried about.

"You know, I think I'm just fine with watching, honestly." He tries to sound as casual, convincing, and not-scared as he possibly can. "But I'll be more than happy to cheer you on."

[alsoagirl]

"Country is country. And pop as in...I dunno. It's catchy." She looks thoughtful for a moment. She'd never really taken the time to figure out what "pop" was supposed to mean. "Maybe that's why they call it that, 'cause it makes you happy?"

The intricacies of musical genres falls to the wayside in her mind, however. That change in demeanor hadn't gone unnoticed, but she hasn't worked out why yet. She eyes him curiously.

Then suddenly, Jessica grins. "Oh, I see. Can't carry a tune, huh?" There's a soft snort of amusement. "You'd think I could, all the years I spent singin' stupid shit. But hey, not everybody's meant to sing. Guess God skipped over you on that, too."

[theonewiththewand]

He nods sagely, as though everything she's saying makes perfect logical sense and is not confusing at all. He is confused, of course, but he's mostly used to following Jessica's logic by now. He's even growing a bit fond of it, which is honestly mildly terrifying.

Anyway, she's called him out now, so he ends up scowling a bit weakly.

"I suppose. ...But I am an excellent dancer." At least, in his own opinion. "We can't all be good at everything, that just wouldn't be fair."

[alsoagirl]

Her head tilts, and after some thought, she lets out an impressed hmm! "I'll give you points for that. Dancin' is way harder than singin'."

There's a long silence where she's simply staring at him with an eyebrow raised, her look expectant. Then, when she realizes most people aren't telepaths, she holds a hand out to him. (After rubbing it on her hip to warm her palm up, of course.)

"Gonna show me some moves, then? Wouldn't mind learnin' from a pro."

[theonewiththewand]

"Not sure what the points are for exactly, but if they're anything like house points then thanks." It will take him awhile to sort out that they aren't real points, but in the meantime-

Maybe it's the accent, but he looks bemused at her hand until it sinks in what she's asking. Well.

"If you insist," he drawls slowly, but he's smirking when he immediately turns her into a careful spin that coils his arm around her middle, enough to guide them both toward the roomier center of the bar. He doesn't notice her coolness yet, but he tends not to run terribly warm himself. "Hardly the music for ballroom, but we'll sort something out."

[alsoagirl]

"Wait, what?"

Her mind's still trying to catch up, even more so at his taking the lead. Points and houses and just about everything else falls out of her head. Did he say ballroom? Suddenly, she's not looking so confident.

"Hey, hey," she starts, still too thrown to pull herself out of this new and harrowing situation, "I never said anything about ballrooms! I was talkin' more club-ish! Like, just movin' to the music!"

Thank God she doesn't have a heartbeat. He'd probably be able to hear it at this point if she did, flustered as she's become. His closeness isn't helping, either. Sometimes she needed to learn to shut her dang mouth.

[theonewiththewand]

"Of course," he says reassuringly, a laugh only barely concealed. "The music here is far more suited to that sort of thing anyway."

He'd only been teasing, but her reaction had been well worth it. Draco presses up behind her for the moment, and rests his chin on her shoulder while his palms find her hips, and his hips find the beat.

"After all that fuss though, perhaps I should offer you some proper lessons."

[alsoagirl]

She doesn't know if she should be annoyed or impressed. She goes with both.

"Oh, har har," she intones flatly, but she's smiling. Wasn't often she found someone who had a knack for fucking with other people like she did. She wasn't upset with the outcome, either.

But while she wasn't upset, Jessica was a tad frightened. It was the good, nervous kind, though some true fright was mixed in, too. Pretty much all the "sexy" dancing she'd done in her life had been of the solo kind. She turns her head slightly to hide her constipated-looking face as she works to fall in line with his movements. After a few false starts, she gets there, and her confidence slowly builds back up.

There's a bit of a lilting tone in her voice when she next speaks, a grin pulling at her lips. "Whatcha gonna teach me? I'm a good student, you know."

[theonewiththewand]

If Draco notices any awkwardness he doesn't mention it, a rather large departure from what he might once have done, but he's not quite that cruel anymore. He's content he got her worked up in the first place.

He guides her hips with his, and a hand at her waist. His other hand migrates to take one of hers, and pull it back to rest at his own hip, so she can get a better feel at what he's doing. It probably looks a bit awkward as well, but it's effective. Blaise once taught him something similar, back when all Draco knew how to do was ballroom and nothing else.

"That depends on what you're hoping to learn, and whether or not we're still talking about dancing." His tone is dry, but clearly amused as he tilts his head to catch her eye.

[alsoagirl]

The atmosphere seems to shift as their eyes meet. It's strange how it feels like this is the first time she's really seen the gray of his, noticed little things she hadn't before. It's probably a product of unconsciously trying to push people away, or at the very least, keep a wall up between her and others. Funny how she did that when one of the things she craved most was to never be alone.

Her voice is softer as she says, "I could be talkin' about a lot of things." She presses her fingers into his thigh. She feels more acutely aware of his body now, how it's moving against hers. To her surprise, it's nice. For so long, she'd felt locked into being with one person forever. Now...she could do what she wanted. No guilt. No worries.

One of her eyebrows goes up slightly, her teeth working at her lower lip as she smiles. "Maybe you should put us on the same page?"

[theonewiththewand]

He's been watching her for awhile, here and there. She's difficult to miss wandering around the suite all the time and she possesses a sort of unquestionable beauty, even when she's being the most awkward vampire he's ever encountered. He's even almost becoming fond of her hair.

Draco's smirking of course, he's rarely not, but it tilts more wicked when he can feel the shift in the way she moves with him. It's a sort of easing, and aside from being more comfortable it makes him significantly more inclined to press firmer up against her in the dance. He takes a moment to shift her hair more properly over one shoulder, if only to give him easier access to her ear... some of the bar patrons have been getting a little noisy.

"We might've found the page on our own, don't you think?" The song changes, the rhythm shifts, but Draco finds the new one all too quickly.