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

Raina Wallis | Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series (and CRAU) | OTA

[wickedlupine]

1. Arrival.

Judgement. Bah, what did she care about that?

Well, okay, Raina supposed she cared a little when it apparently involved being taken from a nice, cushy existence far from a certain pesky hunter and dropped into a place where the scent of smoke and burning seemed to underlay everything. At least that was the first thing she picked up on when she woke up, her nose twitching and her entire being protesting the new location.

It didn't take long for her to notice the list — blood was a familiar scent, even her own — and she absently licked the cut on her palm as she skimmed it, snorting softly in amusement once or twice. Commit enough sins and you're bound to forget a few over the years. "Boy, if you're hoping for repentance, you should have grabbed a human." she muttered to the room.

She snatched up the rather lengthy list and the Blackberry before she finally made her exit from the room, knowing both were there for a reason, and she stepped out into the corridor in time to see someone else doing the same. Another unlucky guest, she assumed. Raina recalled the cycle from elsewhere; waking up somewhere unfamiliar, with a communication device and a sense of something bigger at play. Perhaps the latter was just her. After all the time she spent around vampires in her first life, she was rather accustomed to assuming there was always some 'big picture' thing going on.

"Would've been nice if they left us a glass of water and some asprin if they were going to give us a hangover." she remarked as she walked toward the other person.

2. Stand Your Ground I.

While it might be natural for someone to be unhappy and verbalize that discontent at getting unceremoniously shoved into an elevator with a stranger, the growl that came from Raina sounded far more animal than human, despite a very human appearance (at present, at least). A glare was given to the doors that closed surprisingly quickly, her upper lip curling in what a careful observer might class as a snarl. Almost immediately she moved to the panel to forcefully hit a button, prompting the elevator to descend briefly before lurching to a stop.

"Seriously?!"

She smacked the button again, then took a few steps backward to better look around the space. Normally elevators were fine but being forced into one and then having it stuck? It was all she could do not to start pacing. The wolf didn't like this at. all. A small closed space felt far too much like a cage and she confined others, she most certainly didn't get trapped herself.

3. Follow Me Down II.

After the ordeal with the elevator earlier, Raina was all too eager for a chance to unwind and de-stress. Hunting was her preference, or just running for a few hours, but the hellscape was as uninviting as a forest was inviting. In the back of her mind she had a hunch that eventually she would have to make due with what was available, however she was in no hurry to explore too far.

The sight of the club perked both her mood and her curiosity and she didn't hesitate to go inside. Almost immediately a delighted smile came to her face, likely the first one all day. It's a little tacky, admittedly, but certainly no worse than one of the supernatural strip clubs back in St. Louis that made use of neon lights and mesh-shirt-wearing beefy shapeshifters to draw in the human clientele. The underlying scent of sex made her inner beast stretch and her shoulders relaxed, a smirk lingering on her lips as she headed over to the bar.

A single alcoholic drink for her might as well be drinking water, which is why she savored a long drink from her glass as she turned to lean her back against the bar and let her gaze wander. Surely there was someone present that might entertain her for a short while — or a few hours. She was very familiar with the kind of back rooms a place like this had, although whether Hell could compete with the creativity of a few werehyenas she once knew remained to be seen.

Raina had no intent of diving straight into her old tricks but that didn't mean she couldn't start testing the waters for her own interest. No wolf liked to fly solo for long, after all.

4. Wildcard!

Choose your own idea! Happy to plot via PM if desired. Run with whatever style you're most comfortable with, I'll match.

[ ooc: Raina is a werewolf, and from a verse where shifters' animal presence can be noticed/felt on a metaphysical level (and sometimes even interacted with separately). Characters attuned to the supernatural or familiar with non-humans are welcome to pick up on what she is or simply that she doesn't feel human. She'll be coming in with minor game history and while she'll be surprised by Hell, the whole "uprooted at random and thrown elsewhere" aspect and meeting people from other worlds is old hat to her.

Also, it's worth noting that her canon history is full of warn-worthy content (heavy on violence and sex; she was in charge of punishments in her pack, and she also made snuff films) so if there's something you'd rather avoid, please just let me know! ]

Follow Me Down II

[conjobs]

"Hellooooo sexy." He could have tried with a dad joke pickup line, those tend to start a conversation even if they never work as they are intended to, but he's had enough to drink that he's almost poured himself over the bar waving an empty glass around asking silently for a top up. He flashes her a stupid grin and his eyes wander from her hair to as low as they can go without him moving and back up to meet her gaze.

That's John's life in a nutshell. Unwittingly, drunkenly leaping dick first into danger.

"Did you..." One flailing hand vaguely gestures the whole falling plop into bed method of arriving in Hotel California.

[wickedlupine]

While she could more than smell the alcohol on him, that grin of his leaves no question as to his level of intoxication. Not that she's bothered by it. Or the blatant wandering of his gaze as he looks her over. Raina knows she's attractive, and she knows how useful being physically desirable is.

So rather than fidget under that gaze, or any other demure or modest reaction, if anything she arches her back a little, her lips pursing with a little smirk as she gives him a once-over in return.

"Yes," she easily replies to the implied question. "I've a hunch that anyone non-demonic, or at least not working in this place, had that pleasant arrival experience."

Raina takes a drink, her gaze settling on his face for the moment. "Are you drinking because you're taking this well, or poorly?"

[conjobs]

Yeah the way she's arching her back makes her tits pop out even more and you know, for all that magic and exorcising and other shit that complicates his life, John's a pretty simple man. He sees nice tits. He likes nice tits. He wants to touch nice tits.

Fortunately for himself he's got a topped up glass to keep one hand occupied with and the other is helping him maintain his balance by perching against the bar counter.

"I've been fucked in an elevator and locked in a room to get cut up by some loony shitbag." Some of his whiskey spills out when he makes a wide gesture with his arm. He brings his drink to his lips and his brows furrow as he takes a sip before he finishes his sentence.

"I'd say it's an okay Tuesday. Cheers." The cheers is supposed to come before the drinking, but at least it made it somewhere in there before he gulps down another big mouthful.

[wickedlupine]

She grumbles slightly under her breath at the reminder of the lovely elevators in their apparent new residence — she'll stick to taking the stairs for at least the near future, thank you very much — but is otherwise amused by his detailing of his day's events. "Sounds like you had more fun in the elevator than I did." Unless he didn't enjoy it, in which case the drinking more than made sense. But from his language it seems the latter was more offensive than the former. "I guess I missed out on the 'cutting up'. I'll have to be alert for that tomorrow." she remarks, half joke and half serious. Although if she got to do the cutting, well then, hand over the knife collection. (She did prefer her claws, but she wasn't going to risk infecting people at random.)

Her own drink is far less interesting than his is to him and Raina turns to face him, leaning against the bar. "You have a name, or should I just call you what you're drinking?" she asks playfully, taking a sip from her glass as her eyes remain on him.

He's not bad looking. A little rough around the edges, sure, but she doesn't mind that. Especially when she's not really in the mood to coddle some innocent type who probably got traumatized the moment they woke up in this place. This one looks like he's seen a thing or two, and probably not in this club just to drink. At least she plans to find that out quickly enough.

[conjobs]

"'twas the only bit of fun to be had until I got here," John points out. Not that he thinks he ought to complain so early on. Maybe nights like these will be few and far between and tomorrow he'll be roasting someone's bollocks over an open flame or something.

He might love his alcohol more than he'd ever love any other person but years of ducking in and out of places like these pulling short and long cons have taught him a thing or three about a woman's attention. He sets his drink down after raking his teeth over his lips and offers her a small smile.

"John Constantine." In his own world, a lot of them knew him down here. It's actually quite nice to be a bit of a stranger for a change. Gives him a chance to do over some mistakes he'd made when he was young and cocky and full of it, walking into hell like he owned the place and coming out battered and bruised after having squandered the rest of his life away without knowing it.

"What do I call you?"

[wickedlupine]

"John Constantine," she echoes, like she's running her tongue over the words to get a feel for them. Some names were certainly easier or more enjoyable to moan or growl out. Not that she always bothered to pay attention to them.

There's no recognition, at least, which is a plus in her book. If she runs into anyone she knows down here, well, really as long as it wasn't Anita she wouldn't particularly be bothered by. But she too enjoys the anonymity. She's not worried in the slightest about being judged in a hellish place, but if there were anyone who knew her also trapped down here it would potentially spoil any fun she might have. After all, what predator liked the prey knowing exactly what they were dealing with?

"The name's Raina." Rather than do anything silly like offer a hand, she shifts closer and reaches out with her empty hand to adjust the collar of his shirt. "And if fun is on the menu, I think we've both come to the right place." she remarks with a slow smirk, smoothing her hand down his shirt. Physical boundaries are a thing, she knows, but that's also not something she tends to pay mind to for assorted reasons. In a club like this, she's also inclined to assume that kind of politeness is left at the door.

[conjobs]

It sounds a lot sexier when she says it. Unconsciously, the way his name rolls off her tongue has John perking up a little. He locks eyes with her until she comes in close to fiddle with his shirt, and then his gaze drops before he looks up again. She's leaning in close enough that he finds himself holding his breath in anticipation.

Her proximity makes him bold enough to initiate back, touching her elbow and hip.

"Raina. Are we taking fun elsewhere or... or is this fine?" He doesn't even care right now if he's going to be struggling with whiskey dick for a while. He wouldn't mind a bit of rough and tumble with the likes of her.

Follow Me Down II

[pococurante]

It's been a while since Spike has been at a party to party. And not just hunt down a target. He's also not really ready to let loose around these people. They're all there for very good reasons, and some of them weren't exactly financially motivated the way he was. So he sips his whiskey slowly and spends more time leaning back against the bar and smoking.

Of course he notices her. It's hard not to. The only indication he has noticed is the way his gaze flickers over her quickly.

You seem comfortable. Been here before?

[wickedlupine]

When she feels eyes upon her Raina smiles a little to herself, hiding it behind a sip from her glass. Some people arriving in this place might be eager to try and hide themselves or lay low but she had no qualms about drawing a bit of attention. It could always be interesting to see who or what became drawn to her, and for what purpose.

It's the voice that makes her turn her head, initially giving a soft chuckle of amusement at the question. "Not at all." Which was true. She might have died once upon a time but werewolves didn't go to a heaven or hell, not where she came from. The spirits of the pack lived on and could be called upon by the living pack, although her spirit had also taken to following — and harassing — the very woman who had killed her. Only fair, really. "But I'm fairly comfortable in places like this." she adds, referring to the club.

Raina turns slightly to more easily give the man her attention, and more easily give him a similar once-over. "What about you? You certainly don't seem to have any feathers ruffled."

[pococurante]

Spike's died a few times himself. Always managed to bounce back until now. Julia died, too. What's the point of trying anymore? Maybe that's why his guardian star went out. "Seedy clubs are seedy clubs no matter where they are, I guess."

A faint smile curves his mouth and he shrugs, nonchalant. "Notice more if you stay calm. Easier to react to things if you need to." His gaze becomes a little sharper as he looks for telltale signs around her pupils, the pulse point on her throat, the muscles of her jaw. "Looks like you're not sampling the harder stuff yet."

[wickedlupine]

She smiles a little at his initial remark, finding it more than true enough. Of course, some seedy clubs were definitely more questionable and dirty than others, but. Well. Even a decent looking club in a hell was still a club in hell.

"Yes, it certainly is easier to react and observe when calm." Raina agrees, equally nonchalant, but her attention's been piqued. Curiosity mostly, a touch of caution that the circumstances of how they all got here playing into more than her particularly being cautious about him. And that he would choose to remark on her apparent level of sobriety? Very intriguing.

"I can't tell if you sound disappointed by that fact or not." Her voice is light and teasing, though she wonders what his game is. Might he be looking to take advantage of someone — which she would be the last person to judge anyone for — or to look after some hapless soul in a pliable state? She leans an arm on the bar, head tilting a little to one side as she regards him. "Perhaps I'm just warming up."

[pococurante]

His brows quirk slightly at her pondering aloud. "Just observing. Why be disappointed over facts?" He takes a drag. "Besides, I don't know if you've noticed, but whatever they're spiking this stuff with seems to be pretty heavy." He gestures to a corner where at least two, maybe three people are doing their best to aggressively copulate through their clothing. Maybe. It's hard to tell exactly from this distance and he's not willing to get close enough to find out.

"Maybe they're just like that anyway."