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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code bases by tricklet

Comments

follow me down i

[favoriteforgery]

Rabid dogs have never been much of a red flag. Hell, they're practically a fucking invitation. That's how he ended up here, he thinks.

"Mediocre, Lynch."

Prokopenko is the same loose and milky creature he'd been in Henrietta, but there's something sharper about him now. He sips whatever's in his glass and leans back against the bar next to Lynch. He'd watched the whole fucking fight and had stayed out of sight. He's already snorted half the drugs put in front of him tonight, not really caring what they are or what they'll do.

He's not ready to deal with Kavinsky. Maybe ever.

[inbello]

Ronan steps over the leftover broken glass and plants himself on a bar stool like a spike coming out of the ground. He gets another beer from the bartender and pretends for a good long minute that he doesn't even notice the other boy. But Ronan isn't good at ignoring things that bother him, so finally he spins to face Prokopenko, glaring daggers as a defence mechanism.

"What are you, a dream no one get to wake up from?" Well, they did say this is hell, but how the fuck does this even work? Ronan forgets to remember that Prokopenko was probably a person once before. Honestly, this whole thing is grating on him.

[favoriteforgery]

Proko rolls his eyes but he doesn't seem particularly put off by Ronan's bite. He's already in hell, what's the worst that could possibly happen?

"Something like that," he answers before he downs the rest of his drink. He sets the glass down, expecting a refill from whoever is giving them. While he waits, he looks at Ronan again and a dazed grin cracks his face.

"Shit, man. You are just--" He holds his hands up like a picture frame. "You wanna get in a fight with me, too, Lynch? Will that make your Catholic ass feel better about all this?"

He gestures broadly at their surroundings.

[inbello]

Ronan has no idea how any of this even works (or actually how he got here), but between Kavinsky's stupid fucking face and that knife thing, he's honestly just had enough and has to nurse his wounds, real and proverbial, for a bit.

"Dead people staying dead far away from me would make me fucking feel better," he says, not bothering to look back at Prokopenko. He doesn't elicit quite the same hair-trigger response in Ronan that Kavinsky does, which is probably better for both of them.

[favoriteforgery]

"We're all dead now, right? Isn't that how you get to Hell?" He picks up his new drink when it appears. "Maybe not. Maybe you and fucking Yosef are alive and well. Cheers to fucking you."

He knocks half of it back in one go. At least shit like this works here. At least drugs and alcohol still exist and do something to their bodies, whatever it means and whatever it looks like.

"Maybe this is our penance, man. An eternity with Kavinsky. Must've fucked up real fuckin bad."

[inbello]

"I don't remember dying," Ronan says, savagely, and means it. Kavinsky clearly does, but that makes sense since he orchestrated that whole fucking bullshit incident. "He's pretty fucking dead though." He has no idea how any of this works at all anyway, and he's not into deep metaphysical analysis outside of "I pulled this out of a dream" and "a demon wasp is destroying our dream forest."

Ronan is also grateful that booze works, because there would be no other way he could even think of to deal with this.

He almost laughs, but it's as nice as everything else about him, which is to say not at all. He doesn't deny that he deserves it. Ronan doesn't lie, after all, regardless of whatever that stupid sin list says. "Maybe you're right. But I didn't realise you weren't looking to play lap dog." He actually finally looks right at the other boy, actually seeing him. Ronan is always so wrapped up in Gansey and Adam and Glendower; there's a lot about other people he never bothered to know or care about.

[favoriteforgery]

"Yeah, well. It fuckin' sucks when you do." He's blase in the face of Ronan's savagery. What's the worst that could possibly happen? Proko scans the crowd but he's lost sight of Kavinsky. Maybe for the best.

He looks over at Ronan at the lapdog comment and a scowl twists his mouth. "You don't even fucking know me, man. And given the way I remember Gansey holding your fuckin leash, you are the last person that gets to give me shit about being anyone's dog."

He lifts his eyebrow, daring Ronan to deny it or to throw a punch.

[inbello]

Ronan stares for a second. He almost asks about the remembering death comment, then reminds himself that he doesn't give a shit. He takes a drink again to fill his mouth with beer and not words.

He doesn't deny the dog comment, just scoffs about it. He hadn't denied it when Kavinsky said it, with Gansey right there. Gansey hadn't denied it. He doesn't give a shit about that either. He's done fighting for the moment, though that can always change with him.

"Do you want something? Why don't you catch up. Isn't your choke chain getting tight with K far away now?" It was rare he'd seen them apart, when he'd been paying attention to Kavinsky at all, after all.

[favoriteforgery]

Proko tips his glass up, finishes it, and sets it down for another.

"I'll choke out before I come at his call right now." Maybe he's at the very edge of his leash, maybe he'll never be able to completely cut himself off from Joseph Kavinsky, but he's keeping as much distance as he can manage. Part of him knows that the second they're close enough it'll be all over. He'll forget all his anger or it'll get redirected somehow and he'll disappear into the hazy smoke of Kavinsky's influence. And he'll love every second of it.

Right now, he has his anger. He's keeping it.

[inbello]

Ronan tilts his head, considering. That response is...unexpected. So, okay, the Prokopenko he last knew was a forgery. He's aware. But dreams don't end up in hell as far as he knows (even if Ronan is technically half dream himself), do they? So this one is the real one.

So what happened to him? Ronan suddenly finds himself caring a great deal, because it might tell him something about Kavinsky he doesn't already know. Or it might tell him something he does know.

"That's a different song than the one I remember," he spits out, choosing his words carefully but keeping his usual dangerous tone to avoid sounding too curious. Even in hell, this has been a long fucking night already.

[favoriteforgery]

"That's because you heard the remix, not the original," he snaps back. His jaw ticks and he glances at the bar to see if his drink is refilled yet. He wouldn't be opposed to ending up on the floor under a bar stool. There are worse places to be.

Proko rubs his face, feeling worn down to the bone with all his nerves exposed and raw. But it's fine. He's in Hell. What else could possibly happen?

[inbello]

Ronan settles for a snort and a drink, because what the actual fuck else is he supposed to do.

"Better hide before he finds you then," he says, "because he's never gonna let you go." Clearly, since he had literally created another one. Ronan had no idea what had happened to this one, the original, an entire person and not a dream. He figured he was probably better off not knowing, because there was no way he was going to like the answer.

[favoriteforgery]

"You're right," he answers, almost hollow. "He won't."

Prokopenko's known that for-- he doesn't know how long. All his memories have felt muddled. They aren't all his, yet they are. He remembers the substance party, he remembers chucking molotovs at an Evo with Ronan and Dick Gansey, of all people. But he was already dead... right?

He shakes it off and looks down.

"He won't let you go, either."

[inbello]

Ronan wonders if this is some kind of weird ass trick that Prokopenko and Kavinsky are playing on him, but he gets the feeling that it isn't. Whatever happened between K and the real Proko, this one in front of him, it was nasty.

He finds himself almost giving a shit and rolls his eyes away.

"Fuck off, I'm not his pet."

[favoriteforgery]

"You think that means you aren't his? Shit, man. I'd say he won't let you go until he dies, but..." Proko shrugs and gestures around them. "He's still hanging on, isn't he?"

He finishes his drink and sets the glass aside.

"Maybe you don't come when he calls, man, but he's got his hooks in you. Why'd you fight with him if he doesn't?"

[inbello]

Ronan finishes his drink and slams it down on the bar, just like he had earlier, and he hates himself for being predictable. He's playing into this, still. But rather than even sort of admit that Prokopenko is right, he just shakes his head.

"I'll fight anybody, man. Woulda thought you'd know that."

[favoriteforgery]

"Yeah, I know. But especially Kavinsky."

He shrugs. He's not gonna fight because he's pretty sure that Ronan knows he's right. Prokopenko sighs and pushes away from the bar.

"Look, hate me or whatever, but if you wanna hang around someone that's not our fucking mutual friend, I'm around. Welcome to Hell and shit."