TEST DRIVE MEME #1

[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

The hotel is undergoing some improvements already! Thanks to the new arrival of sinners, hell has a burst of energy and growth available to it. One demand of the demonic staff was the addition of elevators. It gets tiresome having to take the stairs all the time. They'll eagerly implore you to help them test out this new system, even going so far as shoving you right in the nearest available elevator with whoever else is in the vicinity.

Unfortunately, things aren't quite up to par just yet. Press a button and you'll find your elevator gets jammed between floors with very little chance of escape. Oh, oops. This is entirely the hotel's fault and will be fixed as soon as possible. In the meantime, enjoy your company and try to relax a bit.

It's definitely a high priority repair for staff, promise.

Prompt II

Maybe you were looking for the hotel gym to work off some stress or maybe you just took a wrong left somewhere, but instead of what you were expecting, you stumble across what appears to be a very well stocked torture room. There are tables with straps to hold down victims, chains falling from the walls and ceilings to bind them upright, and absolutely every possible torture device you can think of. There's even an iron maiden proudly displayed in the corner. Besides that, there's the normal supply of whips, knives, and any other equipment someone could want to inflict the most delicious pain available.

You're free to check it out or give it a go. You're also free to back out of the room very slowly, but with the knowledge this space will probably come into play at some point.

Oh, and a tip: the gym is to the right of this room.

REACH UP HIGH

Prompt I
Warnings: cutting, blood, torture.

After settling in, it really is only a matter of time until your demonic hosts expect some participation. You can try and shirk the responsibility, of course. But eventually, you may find yourself trapped in a room just off the kitchen that's curiously full of knives. 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 becomes apparently what you're supposed to do soon enough when someone else is eventually shoved in with you. Both of your lists of in will appear in the room on a nearby table 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 one of your sins into the other's flesh. Help them in their journey to be candid with everyone they 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

Well, that last punishment was a bit heavy, wasn't it? Or maybe you somehow skipped out on it all together. Fortunately for you, there's a less horrible one to get potentially wrapped up in along the way. You'll hear that all too familiar voice ringing in your ears as you explore the halls of the hotel or poke your head outside.

"Do one genuinely kind deed for someone and we'll consider it a step in the right direction for you."

This can be helping one of your fellow sinners out with a task or helping them find something. It can be a shoulder or a listening ear towards someone who needs it. You can even offer to help the staff clean up a bit around the hotel, or help a poor hell beast pup out of the hellfire around Penance. Careful though, even they have pretty sharp teeth and an aggressive attitude. It doesn't matter what you do as long as it helps someone else out.

Oh, and one more thing! The longer you resist, the more aches you'll notice. It'll start with a mild headache and escalate from there. You can wait it out, of course, and pills may help you cope with the pain if you really can't be bothered to do one nice deed. Although Satan is still very disappointed in you.

FOLLOW ME DOWN

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

With all the new sinners arriving, this feels like a call for celebration! The bar will be lit up with activity. 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.

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 you've presumably done your atonement for the day, yes? So cut back a bit.

Ask the staff demons very nicely and you may even get less scrupulous drugs. Things that will convince your fellow damned souls to tell the truth or perhaps even things that will make someone so enamored with you, they won't take their eyes off you. How dare they give you the cold shoulder earlier, right?

There are also tables set up for all sorts of gambling and various bar games to entertain yourself with.

Relax and enjoy your first night in hell. 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 kinks.


Much like the hotel improvements inside, all these new sinners seem to have given hell the ability to open a new building just outside the hotel. It happens to be quite a happening sex club from the looks of it. Everything is bathed in obnoxious neon lights when you first enter the establishment. There's plenty of space for dancing, and poles for those so inclined. Mood music fills the air, along with something a little too sweet.

As tacky as it is, something may pull you to stay.

Whether experienced lover or total virgin, once pulled in, you may not want to leave for a while.

There are back rooms people can go for a bit of private fun, full of every type of toy and restraint that you could possibly desire to play with. There's also a rather large room with a massive bed that seems to be fit for any orgies you may want to try to arrange. Hell's not judging and may be encouraging a bit.

There are aphrodisiac laced food and drinks available around the club as well, but these will most likely be marked. If one slips through, ah well. Why else are you here if not for a bit of fun? The drugs will only help that out.

Of course outside, this club is clearly marked for what it is and anyone who would rather avoid it are free to do so.

MISC.

Thank you for checking out penancerp's first TDM! Please note that all prompts are opt-out and players are more than welcome to come up with their own ideas while exploring the hotel and hell outside.

All that we ask is that you remember to put clear warnings on any potentially triggering content! Warn for sex, including underage or incest, violence, abuse, non-con, etc. Please put these warning in a visible place, either by the prompt itself or in the subject line. This isn't just a suggestion but a requirement to participate in the game.

Now that all that's out of the way, we hope you have fun! Feel free to ask questions under the appropriate comment before or on the FAQ page. Since this is the game's first TDM, we are also very interested in hearing any suggestions you have or ways to improve the game experience.

Since this is a big event, Lucifer himself will be taking a few questions via his device for anyone so inclined down below.

As a final note, don't forget that reserves are open now until May 1st as well!


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Comments

[conjobs]

Well, at least one of them is thinking about tomorrow, and it's the well-spoken and probably more learned one with better experience in planning for tomorrow. John just wants to survive today.

Wrinkling his nose and gritting his teeth, John tries his best to endure the pain with as much machismo and bravado as he can put up, sniffling and breathing out through his mouth with every pause of the knife piercing into his skin. Yeah, they're in hell, they can lay all their sins and everything else to bare, but he's not giving himself the liberty to act even half as vulnerable as he feels.

"How many times have you done this before?" John asks. His tone is deadpan and it's not clear whether he's asking in jest or just trying to have something else to focus on.

"I mean, sadism's on your list." And the list is suitably vague; Constnatine's not sure if that's the kinky kind or the waterboarding kind. "Does this get you randy?"

[unreconciled]

His appreciation for John's stoicism lasts only until the other man opens his mouth to talk, it seems.

"How is a man to respond to that question, truly?," Andrej snaps, though to his credit doesn't take it out on John, finishing neatly and getting back to his feet, glad to place the knife back on the table. Penitence only goes so far, it seems, when discussing the details of his disgraceful behaviour with a complete stranger is the last thing that Andrej wants to do.

"There. It is done. If this place offers the common decency of a place to wash and antiseptic you may avoid a permanent scar," he frowns, leading discussion more to the matter at hand.

[conjobs]

John ruins a lot of things with his mouth. He's used to people snapping at him. Andrej's reaction rolls off his thick skin and he tries not to make the situation worse by prodding and pushing him further.

"It's a yes or no question mate. But forget I asked." Sheesh. They're already in hell. A bit of honesty won't kill him or fuck him over more than he's already been fucked over.

"Now then. Unless the door's magically opened itself, you're going to have to put out." A piece of skin, that is, but you know if he wants to get his sexy on in the middle of all this, John's going to do his best not to judge.

[unreconciled]

Even though not particularly subtle, that one's a swing and a miss, John. Either sandbagging or simply oblivious, Andrej's response skips over the little double-entendre completely.

"The back then," he replies curtly, already thin lips pressed even more firmly together. "For if there is a future two-and-twenty awaiting, or the like, I have little doubt an unskilled hand will wipe the slate clean." And leave its own scars, but better perhaps than this profane exercise and its intent. He's not keen for any of the list to be etched on his body either.

Andrej's quick to strip off his uniform shirt, and untie the fastenings of underblouse, pulling it over his head - a mark of blood showing on the white from where one of the earlier cuts marked his shoulder, he notices. Is there laundry service in hell? An absurd thought, perhaps.

Stripped to the waist, he's not particularly tall, and not particularly well muscled to look at him, though lean and fit enough, with skin clear and unblemished. No tattoos, or even scars on him. Those carrying the Writ to Inquire were too valuable to Fleet to damage, physically, at least.

"Have at it then, and let us be done with this exercise," he says firmly. Should he put his hands to the wall for stability? No, no the table's edge will be fine surely, this is hardly torture in truth. In terms of pain, at least.

[conjobs]

John was pretty sure they're speaking the same language but he can't really tell when his scouse is clashing with something proper-sounding with cadence and pauses. Andrej gets a bit of a blank stare for a while before John realises he wants him to cut him on the back. He's definitely not putting out, for better or worse.

He doesn't look away, but he can't really think of his current cellmate as sexy given their circumstances. Maybe once they're out, and the sting has faded.

He might look a little nervous, but he's got a steady hand. Knives for him are ritualistic, or related to food. He doesn't make a habit of sticking it in anyone. Idly he thinks 'pompous arse' might be fun to mark someone who can't see what he's doing, but that's not on his list, and that's the kind of thing he'd mess around with using a permanent marker, not a knife.

John's uncharacteristically quiet as he starts working. His lines are mostly straight, but 'pride' has quite a few curves and they're not as neat as they could be. Still, he tries his best, and he gives Andrej a few taps on the shoulder when he's finished.

"You alright mate? That was just the first line of the haiku," he jokes.

[unreconciled]

Gritting his teeth, Andrej does let out a sharp hiss of breath once or twice, gripping the edge of the table. Unpleasant, yes. But there was far worse levelled for minor infractions in Fleet, though it had never been against his own flesh.

Haiku? Was that some regional variant for 'weave'?

Andrej was hardly able to place the origins of anyone here so far. If anything, closest to some mixed lineage from the old and tired worlds of the Core like Stildyne, though that was an unflattering comparison. Stildyne was ugly, there was no other way to put it, and this man was not.

"Only one is required of us, yes? Otherwise we will both will be here for more than a few eights." A little dark humor would serve them both well through the sting, And Andrej made a bit of a face as he wriggled back into his white undershirt. He already had blood on it, so what was a little more? The black of an officer's uniform would cover that for now, too.

[conjobs]

"Yeah. It's done." John's pretty sure he's cracking a joke back but everything just sounds quite serious when Andrej says it. Setting the knife down, he breathes out a sigh and rubs his face. His hands aren't shaking, but he feels like he definitely needs a drink. His side hurts and he's trying not to touch it in case he infects it. He feels like as much of a wreck as he looks.

Tempting as it is to ask 'is that it?', John doesn't want to tempt fate. His eyes just move from Andrej to the door and back to Andrej and back to the door.

"Shall we?"

[unreconciled]

Well look, John's not the only one who needs a stiff drink. And a lefrol to smoke, thinks Andrej, if there are any to be had. There's just a couple priorities to sort out first.

The unearthly voice hasn't said anything to them, and following John's gaze, Andrej nods, almost unwilling to say anything more, as if it would invite further requests from on high to hurt each other. But thankfully the door opens under his hand and he breathes a quite audible sigh of relief, stepping through.

"Is it too much to hope for a medical bay, a first-aid kit at the least, I wonder?" he asks, once sure they're free. "Or are we expected to make do with a bottle of wodac and a scrap of underblouse to tend to our injuries?"

Not that it was much. But more was sure to come in time.

[conjobs]

"Oh I just thought I'd pour a bit of whiskey over it and hope for the best," John quips with a shrug, following after Andrej. Just one of many things he can add to his list of tendencies towards self-neglect.

"Maybe I'll find a nice lass to kiss it better," he adds as he shoves his hands into his pockets and tries not to limp on his way towards the light, presumably the stairs or elevator or something that'll take him to the local watering hole. The place looks like a hotel, there must be a bar attached to it somewhere.

"Or bloke. Or demon. I'm not fussy."

[unreconciled]

In fact, Andrej was about to insist that he at least clean the area before John shares those little tidbits. Ordinarily, in Fleet, he didn't concern himself with the rest of the staff's sexual interests, unless it involved him personally.

But this newfound situation has him reconsidering his ambivalence to the Church and its stances, which include a fairly severe position in regard to men in the company of other men. "With only one small punishment received against that list, and yet you are already prepared to sin further?"

[conjobs]

"Look at it this way, love. We're already here. If we can't 'sin' here where else can we do it?" Besides, Constantine doesn't like the term. It's loaded with religious baggage that he'd like to give the big middle finger to. It's not wrong to him, to have actively made a decision that the extent of the kinds of relationships he can have with other people shouldn't be defined by where their fun bits are or any other physical characteristics. If anything, everyone else is being far too rigid by having preferences.

"Nothing you can do now can undo the harm you've already done to other people. You're taking this 'sinning' business far too seriously."

[unreconciled]

'Love', now, after 'randy'? What was this unplaceable accent, truly?

"In other words, you do not believe in redemption," Andrej half-questions. Religious baggage though it might be in a modern context, the Church was embedded so deeply into Dolgorukij culture that even the least devout atheist could well follow some arcane superstitions, even offer a prayer to the Holy Mother more from pure emotion itself than any sense of actual belief. Andrej didn't really know how do deal with all of this yet. Sin merited suffering in atonement, he could recall the words as easily as if Uncle Radu were standing there next to him.

"And you intend to add to your list simply because you can, if I'm interpreting correctly." That level of disapproval sure is something coming from someone with Andrej's rap sheet.

[conjobs]

"Don't be daft. Redemption's a scam. Who the fuck wants to save you?" John replies dismissively without looking over his shoulder. Yes, he doesn't believe in it. It's dangled in front of all of them right now, like a carrot constantly just slightly out of reach. He thinks he's wiser, recognising how unattainable it is. John thinks... a lot of himself, on most days.

"I've made my peace with who I am. I don't intend to buy my way out of here being a good boy." The implication that Andrej is stupid for thinking he could do that isn't said aloud, but John isn't being overly subtle about it either.

[unreconciled]

Oh, Andrej gets it, and the sentiment stings, for there's a ring of truth to it. Perhaps penance is a fool's errand. His list of sins is long and atrocious, and there are still those he refuses to regret. Challenging his father, for one. Captain Lowden's murder, for another. He likely is irredeemable for those alone, for he would not, could not, be contrite. For those two alone, the Holy Mother would refuse her embrace.

Still, his father had been wrong. Was wrong. And killing Lowden, even if it was for his own reasons... the man had been a stain upon creation itself. He would repent his wrongs, and plead justifiable the rest. If he was able to give up as easily as this man, he would have sought the Malcontent a long time ago.

Though as much as he's started giving more thought to his own religion, this man is certainly not Dolgorukij, even after discounting the accent -- fair, yes, but far too tall, features a little too sharp, too many minor characteristics an poor fit. The Holy Mother looks after her children... but nothing has been said of all the others across space, with systems and religions of their own. He's half tempted to ask after John's own religious tradition. But it's a very personal question, and frankly rather rude, as would be asking just where in all Saints' names he originates; Andrej suspects he would not know where it was either, at that.

Well, whatever. "Oh, fine. Be damned then," Andrej replies a little snappishly. "But I would be remiss to let you leave without tending the wounds I inflicted." From the tone, this is a man who's used to being obeyed -- well in line with his aristocratic, if sometimes idiosyncratic, speech.

[conjobs]

A part of it might have something to do with John being unrepentant (mostly). He's had to make a lot of difficult decisions that no one really ought to have to make. If there can be such a thing as being desensitised to making sacrifices in order to try and beat a rigged game, Constantine is it.

"You're going to kiss me better?" John taunts. He stops and turns, then, facing Andrej, a challenging but playful look in his eyes. Maybe he wants to get a rise out of him. Maybe he's just doing this to get a laugh at Andrej's expense.

"My prick's chafing a little in my pants. You going to kiss that too?"

[unreconciled]

Not even the first proposition he's heard since arriving. Why would he expect else from sinners? Andrej stiffens a little - but not in the fun way, only in his posture, grey eyes cold.

"No doubt there are many other sinners to aid you on that account." They are sinners among a fleet of the damned here, after all. More foolishness it had been, to think that he should try to help another here in Hell. "If you are happy to be scarred, then say as much and I will leave you to your debauch."

[conjobs]

"They don't all look like you," John points out, flirting with adding shallowness to his naughty list. He sticks an arm out to lean against the corridor, deliberately blocking Andrej's path.

"Besides, don't you feel like a terrible human being for inflicting that onto me? You should be the one to do it mate." John lifts his shirt to show off the cuts, wrinkling his nose as he tilts his head back.

"I'll do yours too if you'll do mine," he adds as if it's supposed to sweeten the deal or something.

[unreconciled]

It clearly doesn't, but it's almost too easy to get a rise out of Andrej. Anyone can just see the irritation and pause to control himself. And although that pale stare is piercing, he's also at least half a head shorter than John, and not exactly an imposing figure at that.

Just as clearly to Andrej, the other man is messing with him, something which he rather resents. He can feel the blood causing his shirt to stick to his back, and both the sting and John's attitude are making his sympathies evaporate quickly.

"I think not. It was act taken of necessity. And this is how I am to be repaid with an offer borne of sympathy?"

And if the man had no sense of shame and decency and would not move still, well, he could shove him out of the way unceremoniously. It'd taken months to get to that point with Serge, out of politeness and surprise at being treated so rudely himself. A lot of things were different after the Ragnarok. He was starting to get the feeling it'd be the same here.

[conjobs]

Well now you can't say John didn't try. He usually drops it sooner than this, so he did try pretty hard in his book. He straightens up and turns to give Andrej some room to walk, breathing out a wistful-sounding sigh.

"Alright love. No need to get your knickers in a twist." There'll be plenty of time for them both to be stuck here twisting panties and other fun bits while they suffer in varying degrees of silence. Johnny boy's only a cocky shitstain when others aren't trying to take him down a few high pegs.

"I'll be around a while. If you ever want to, you know." You know.

[unreconciled]

"My list is long and grievous enough already without adding to it." Didn't he say something similar to Lowden not that many days ago? It had been funny, then. He'd also been drunk.

He definitely needed a drink, if such things were to be had, even in Hell.

"With any good fortune, we will not be forced into a such a situation again." Both the carving and the offers of 'fishing'. The delivery is stiff, and it seems like that and the tiniest inclination of the head are the best John is going to get for a goodbye before Andrej turns to head off in the opposite direction.