worldtech: (Default)
The Technician ([personal profile] worldtech) wrote in [community profile] worldsmeme2017-01-28 04:23 pm

West World - Test Drive Meme #1

Test Drive Meme #1

Reserves are OPEN, and Apps open on February 18th!
Game opens March 1st!

 

Your body is gently rocked awake. No, not to the dulcet tones of an Aerosmith ballad, but the rumble of wheels, the creak of wood, the thunder of dozens of horses beating the ground with their hooves. Perhaps you're asleep in the saddle, perhaps awkwardly jammed between strangers in the back of a canvas covered wagon. It's a peaceful prairie afternoon, the sun is shining and the birds are singing, a herd of bison are baying down by the river, but this is the wild frontier, and the tranquility won't last forever.

But first, there's you. What do you remember? Perhaps it's a fabricated history on the East Coast: a huge family of which you are the youngest; a toppled business empire; a brush with the law. Whatever it is, it's why you've hit the trail, a past that you can't return to, your hopes staked on a future in the town of Horseshoe.

Perhaps. Or perhaps those hazy memories are quickly slipping away. Perhaps you know exactly who you are, and you have no idea - none at all - how you got here in the first place. One second you were fighting a space battle in a galaxy far, far away, and now you're eating dust, blinded by the hot summer sun, your ass being beaten sore by the road beneath your feet.

The question is: now you're here, what will you do? The road is hard ahead, but it's dangerous to go it alone.

 


It's Only Horse Play

The thing about horses - and mules, for that matter - is that they're not cars. They have minds of their own, and you can't fix them by swearing at them until they start, although I guess you could try. They have limited energy, so they might stop dead in the middle of the road, holding up traffic. They might throw a shoe--no, it's nothing like changing a tire. Irritated by flies or the whip, or surprised by a snake in the road, they might bolt at random. If the worst should happen, that wicked cool stallion you're riding might just have his eyes on a mare in harness. Be careful he doesn't break his leg trying to climb over the wagon's shaft.

All in all, four feet and a mean set of teeth make for a fun ride. These horses, too, have come an awful long way, and they're getting as miserable, tired and grouchy as their owners. Harnesses are one size doesn't fit all, wagons are heavily loaded, and the horses are bruised and sore, their legs and feet aching from the slog, their necks arched painfully forward to take the strain. To spare your horse, its good to get out of the saddle now and again, but on the trail, that's not always possible. Don't be surprised if, hitching up, a horse resists the harness--and be careful! Remember, that animal is your lifeline. Without it, you and all your worldly goods are stranded out here.


Old Man River

A river crossing. Awesome. You remember this part in Oregon Trail, right? All you have to do is cross the river. But it's not that simple. One wagon might cross easily, but another, more heavily laden, might sink too deep a few feet in. A weaker, more exhausted horse may struggle, or lose its footing in the swell of the current, or worse, one of the wagon's wheels may break halfway across. A horse might even panic, as the water wraps around his feet, jump sidewards and take the wagon with it.

Perhaps you make it, but if not you're going to need help. Brute strength or supernatural powers might come in handy helping you to wrestle across the haphazard ford. Maybe that help is friendly, and maybe it comes with a price.

Rivers are dangerous. One missed step, one misjudgement, and it's the end of the road. Whatever you do, be careful. Make a plan. But whether you like it or not, you have to cross. The road to Horseshoe is on the other side, and you're so close now you can taste it.


It Was A Dark And Stormy Night

It was a dark and stormy night, and the travellers had pulled their wagons into a circle. Firelight glowed from the campfires that struggled despite the makeshift windbreaks, damp wood keeping their glow muted. You're close, one more day's drive away from the town, the scout says. One last night of misery. One night in gloomy, damp wagons, wearing wet clothes. One more night of dried meat scraps and corn meal. If you've remembered who you are already then it's all okay for you, but for some of the group this is it, the end of their long road, their turmoil; their hopes and dreams on the line. There's an air of celebration despite the weather.

If someone still has some bourbon to hand, then now is the night to pass it around. Stories will be told, songs will be sung. The constant sound of a fiddle or a banjo cuts through the night, keeping all but the heaviest sleepers awake. Tired horses doze standing up around the edge of the circle, one hind foot cocked as though to catch them if they fall. Now is your last chance to really get to know your fellow man, in the cameraderie of the trail, before the town swallows you up. Tell your stories, struggle with reality, teach someone the words to Yellow Submarine. Sleep when you're dead.



Wildcard

You're on the trail, so why not let your mind wander where it pleases as well? Perhaps your character is riding out to scout the trail ahead. Maybe they're law enforcement or ex-army? Maybe the wheel comes off your wagon, or your horse drops dead and you have to beg for a stranger's help. Maybe you're Superman, and you want to frighten the natives by flying off ahead, or you're a faith healer, who can revive a broken down horse with a touch. Start a gunfight, or go shooting rabbits, or soothe a stranger's teething infant with an alien lullaby. It's your adventure, so make it up as you go along.

(p.s. if your character absolutely must fly off ahead to get the lay of the land, they won't be able to find the town. That would spoil the fun of getting there, wouldn't it?)



Mods notes: A quick reminder that characters can have either no memory loss, OR a partial memory loss which allows them to recollect their past at a player's chosen speed. Characters are also allowed to have NPC family members (who may or may not be on the wagon train with them), for instance an NPC wife or kids who might give them a hard time about not remembering who they are. NPC family members are not mandatory, we just thought they were a fun thing that you could play with if you wanted! We also accept OCs and game-based OCs,as well as canon characters! If you have any questions about gameplay, please check out the FAQ!
peopleater: (From Russia)

[personal profile] peopleater 2017-01-31 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[Kat wondered if getting his face knocking into things by a horse so often had changed something drastically enough to make him look he wanted human companionship. More likely, he figured this guy was bored. Or lonely.

Or, much worse, this Sam guy was just that nice and friendly. Kat sipped the coffee and considered its quality before shrugging.
]

Kat. [Okay, so the coffee might actually be nice and Kat might have really needed a hot drink after the crappy day.] You can sit. I don't bite people who bring me food.
guzzles: (Grim Reaper)

[personal profile] guzzles 2017-01-31 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Little bit of all three, maybe. Sam was used to having people around him--even if that meant just his brother, Dean.

He hummed, softly, and sat down beside the fire. It would be rude to take his boots off, and besides, whether or not they still felt like they were filled with water, it didn't mean that they actually were. That and it would just look awkward. Also they were his feet. Nobody liked feet, and his least of all.

So the boots stayed on, and he lifted his palms up to the flames instead, to war, them.
]

Well, I'm going to take that as a win. [ It didn't occur to him to take the biting comment any more seriously than that. ] You traveling alone?
superposition: ((but i submit...))

4.

[personal profile] superposition 2017-01-31 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
You really need to ask?

[The man who accepts the coffee is clean-shaven and well-dressed, though it might seem a little odd that every piece of his suit is green, even the long overcoat. Not green are the stylish top hat and pince-nez glasses (that he doesn't actually need). But even he hasn't escaped the wear and tear of the trail.

It may be worth noting that he is still fully immersed in his fabricated backstory. But coffee, that transcends time and space. He drinks a good third of it in one go.]


Mm. Thank you, friend. [Sigh.] Almost there. ... Hard to believe, isn't it? Just think, less than a day and we'll be back to sleeping under proper roofs again. I won't miss waking up in an inch of water every few days, that's for damned sure.
guzzles: (Lucifer)

[personal profile] guzzles 2017-01-31 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's plenty where that came from. Maybe it's just a sign of how much the pioneers love their coffee, or maybe it's just that with light at the end of the tunnel it's less necessary to scrimp on the grounds, but the coffee actually isn't that bad, or anywhere near as watered down as it had been even a few days before. Sam can appreciate it, anyway, but then he'd grown up getting his coffee out of a motel vending machine; any kind of coffee flavored water was better than that.

He looked the guy over, then moved a little to one side to make room, disturbing Riot, who was trying hard to ignore the laughing and dancing so he could get some sleep. There were blankets rolled up on the ground beside the fire, which made it a little more comfortable to sit down there than in the dirt, and the stranger looked like he was taking care not to get his suit scuffed. It was a nice suit, even for the over the top color. Way nicer than anything Sam had ever owned, anyway.

He chose to keep his feelings about hay mattresses and horsehair pillows to himself.
]

Yeah. I've honestly never been so wet in my life. I think it's gone down to the bone.

I'm not going to miss the saddle sores much, either. You?
dragonian: (Contest)

It was a dark and stormy night!

[personal profile] dragonian 2017-01-31 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Daenerys was enjoying herself. When she'd awoken here, she hadn't expected that she'd find herself so...well, so anonymous. It was freeing, in a way, and even though she had worried sincerely about Drogon, concerned that the dragon would only cause problems among these strangers, she really needn't have worried.

Now that the dragon was fell fed, sleeping under one of the wagons, Dany stepped out to enjoy the festivities. She drank a little of the liquor, though stopped when it seared the back of her throat, and she allowed herself to clap along to some of the songs, and dance to others. The dances were strange, but unlike Dothraki celebrations, no throats were slit, and no women were stolen. It was all good natured, jovial, and it made her feel young in a way that she had never been, all of the weight and responsibility, fear and suffering, lifted from her shoulders.

Viserys was briefly forgotten. Mereen, Westeros, even for a moment Rhaego, her unborn son. She listened to the new singer, and drew closer. The lyrics were oddly melancholy; they told a story not unlike the one she knew herself; a song of rebellion and unseen desires.
]

More! [ She called, over the voices of the others, and then offered what was to her an encouraging smile, trying to imply eagerness, trying to be more polite than the shout allowed. She was listening. ]
demonicbeauty: (Mischief)

[personal profile] demonicbeauty 2017-02-01 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
Ariadne turned to look at the strange woman. She had kind eyes and she smelled faintly of ozone. Ariadne didn't know her name, but she remembered that hair. Alastrians were always drawn to people with pastel hair. It was only a shade or two less yellow than her Aunt Anya.

With a dip of her head, she squared off her shoulders, slipping into a second verse:

IN YOU I SEE ADVENTURE
I SEE COLOR, I SEE LIGHT
I HEAR THE MUSIC OF MAENADS
I HEAR POEMS I COULD WRITE
AND IF THE GODS COULD HEAR ME
IF MY LIFE THEY’D REARRANGE
I’D FOLLOW YOU INTO THE UNKNOWN
I’D CALL YOU MY SOMETHING STRANGE


From what she knew about the song, which wasn't much, it was meant to talk about the first time an Alastrian encountered an Elf. There was a whole legend built around it. Star-crossed lovers. The usual. But they said that it was because of this encounter that Alastrians could change their forms.

No one ever mentioned that it was also because of this encounter that Alastrians were hunted down like animals by the humanoids of the realm.
Edited 2017-02-01 00:07 (UTC)
peopleater: Stop now (Chill man...)

[personal profile] peopleater 2017-02-01 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
Mostly. [Kat's attachment to anyone in the wagon train was negligible. Kat's attachment to another human being was also in question. Generally he liked to avoid people as a whole, but he liked them better than horses.]

What about you? [Kat glanced at his coffee.] You look like the family and friends type, but if you had someone here, you wouldn't be bartering coffee for conversation. [Would he? Maybe he was gathering intel. Spying, as it were. Kat looked Sam over critically.]
superposition: (So let it be known)

[personal profile] superposition 2017-02-01 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
[Well gee, that looks like an invitation to have a seat. He obliges.]

Oh, don't get me started. There's no end to the little indignities one could moan about, if he'd a mind to. [Genially, he offers his right hand, albeit without removing his glove.] Folks call me Professor Q. Yourself?
guzzles: (Poker)

[personal profile] guzzles 2017-02-01 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's in the middle of pouring more coffee for himself with the ladle, as Qubit settles down beside him. It's more to keep himself busy, he probably shouldn't be drinking it, not if he expects to get any sleep tonight. Hell, he's practically vibrating in his own skull as it is. ]

Sam.

[ Setting the ladle back in the pot, he takes the hand instead, and gives it a firm shake. ]

Professor? What do you teach?
guzzles: (Well?)

[personal profile] guzzles 2017-02-01 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
You don't know that for sure, [ he pointed out. ] Maybe my family and friends are just that insufferable.

[ But it's a fair enough comment, and Sam grins despite it, dropping his hands back onto his knees and glancing up at Kat again, looking him over a little more critically. ]

If there's anyone I know around here, they're keeping it quiet. I'm sure it won't be for long, though. My brother has a habit of showing up no matter how far we get away from each other.

[ If he was lucky. If not, he was going to be stuck in wild west hell for who knew how long. ]
superposition: ((william hartnell eat your heart out))

[personal profile] superposition 2017-02-01 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
Well, now, a little of everything, I suppose. [He shrugs.] My specialty is in physics, but I doubt the children are going to understand too much of that. Honestly, I'll be happy if anyone's taught them to read.

[Yup, someone decided to make this guy a rural schoolmaster. Be very afraid.]
guzzles: (With Baby)

[personal profile] guzzles 2017-02-01 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ The world is not ready.

Sam couldn't help but chuckle at that, ducking his chin toward his chest as he reached out to pick up the tin cup again. He wrapped his hands round it to warm them.
]

Well, I guess almost anything would be an improvement on actual illiteracy, right? It's a hell of a thing coming out here to teach though, right?

[ Sam bit his lip, and thought about that for a moment, then raised an eyebrow over at him. ]

--I mean, unless you're the adventurous type?
trainspotter: (hey: sick train)

3

[personal profile] trainspotter 2017-02-01 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
[Ned knows his way around campfire food well enough to get by, fortunately. He hasn't had to cook scraps over a fire in years, but it's something that sticks with you, and at least now it's come in handy. The rabbit over his fire came from someone else in the caravan, but it's his turn to turn the stick a few times all the same, which means this is definitely his rabbit to give away if he wants.

And the lady with the—the definitely-not-a-hound? Ned's noticed. He'd have wandered over to ask about the creature himself, if not for the rabbit. So now-]


That I can! There's plenty. [ah. eager.] I daresay there's even enough for your... [A gesture and a nod, indicating the dragon. Him?? Anyway—] Hmm.

What's your pleasure? Maybe a leg?
trainspotter: (okay: no)

2

[personal profile] trainspotter 2017-02-01 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
You can say that again.

[Avoiding people is all well and good, but there's only so far one can go when the fire is here. Ned doesn't mean to eavesdrop, necessarily - he's just sitting down himself, to take off his hat and drop it in his lap as he holds his hands out toward the fire. He might be in period dress himself - you know, relatively, to other people - but it's still cold and wet and miserable just wearing a coat and vest.

Still, he's somehow in good enough spirits to punctuate his arrival with a dry chuckle and a glance at his new fireside buddy. Cheerfully.]


If you want a tip, [unsolicited, there isn't really an "if"] it helps to squeeze them out every now and then. The socks.
superposition: (Through hell and high tide)

[personal profile] superposition 2017-02-01 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[A sly smile.] You could say that. [I mean, it's... not the primary reason he's out there. But it's not technically false.]

Anyway, children are our future, as the saying goes. Somebody's got to civilize the lawless frontier. [Takes a drink of coffee.]

Enough about me, though. What brings you out to Horseshoe, Sam?
guzzles: (Poker)

[personal profile] guzzles 2017-02-01 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
I uh...

[ Oh yeah. Proving he's the most literate, and capable of talking in complete sentences. What brings him out here? "Angels" probably isn't the right answer, no matter how convinced he is of the fact that it is the right answer. ]

Oh, you know. Any excuse to get away from family.

[ He hadn't even thought of what he'd do once he got to town. If all the people on this wagon train had a trade, it wasn't good cover not to have anything he could lean back on. ]

I guess I'm just hoping to make it a little less lawless.

[ Unless it's haunted, in which case he might have to make a sudden career change. ]
notthatpond: (6)

[personal profile] notthatpond 2017-02-02 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
I know...

[Trailing off Amy wasn't sure she should share how she felt. That night. Sat on the bus. Hoping that it would stop and Sam would get on, take the seat next to her. But it didn't. It never happened. It was just a foolish dream. Never to happen. The dream faded fast as Amy learned quickly how to keep herself fed. Keep herself and the humans around her safe.

Amy was on her own. No son to worry about for her. It hadn't happened for her.]


Part of me still secretly hoped.

[She paused, only for a second.]

Are you going to kill me?

[Amy had to ask. It was information she needed to know. Didn't need the sword hanging over her head. If it was going to happen, then it was going to happen. The kitsune always felt like she'd been on borrowed time somehow. If any hunter was going to do it then Sam wasn't the worst person to be the one tasked with it. She hoped after everything he'd make it easy for her. Amy didn't have any certain ideas for any potential reunion between them, but none of them were like this.]
dragonian: (Mother)

[personal profile] dragonian 2017-02-02 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ Dany glances toward Drogon when he's indicated, and then smiles briefly. Well, so long as the stranger doesn't think it's a dog, it's an improvement on the rest of the pioneers. That, and he's willing to share his food with her. Her mouth is already watering, anticipating. ]

That would be wonderful, thank you.

[ And then, of Drogon: ]

I think he sated himself earlier. There seems to be a surfeit of game in these lands.

[ Enough for a young dragon to be able to hunt alone, without his siblings. ]

Are you a hunter?
amos_moses: (Default)

Amos M Kamiya | OC

[personal profile] amos_moses 2017-02-02 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
A: River Crossing: The advantageous thing about having Amos on a trail drive - or any other herding adventure with animals - was his ability to mentally communicate with animals. He had not, exactly, let on about his talent to anyone he was travelling with, but they had all commented on his 'way with animals'. Amos eyed the river and then reached out to the horses and cattle and chickens in the group, speaking with them in their various ways and explaining about the river crossing. The horses, prey animals that they were and leery of hidden predators, were not so keen on the idea. The cows, however, knew the river was a great way to get rid of flies, and were delighted. The chickens in their cages clucked nervously and hunkered down to have steadier footing.

Amos turned to his own horse. "Well, my lady, let's go get wet!" His New Orleans 'Yat' accent was heavy in his happiness, quick and snappy. The sorrel mare flicked her ears at him and snorted the trail dust from her nose, and followed him readily down to the riverbank, her reins tied up on her neck by a knot in her mane. Amos preferred to give even captive beasts a choice about how close they might follow him - which, for the record, was sometimes close enough her hooves clipped the heels of his boots.

B: Dark and Story Night: Amos was sitting at the main campfire, under a slicker someone had loaned him: his hat was also borrowed, but this was the way of things. Amos was so friendly and cheerful people tended to give him things on good faith. He was singing happily along to the hymn the man with the guitar was playing. Some things stayed constant despite the era, and having grown up Catholic Amos knew many hymns.

The song finished and Amos glanced over at the person next to him with a bright friendly grin. "What should we sing next?" he asked in his snappy New Orleans accent, quicker than your typical Southern drawl. His dark sloe eyes were bright, and the firelight glinted off the Monroe piercing in his left cheek, his multiple earrings.
amos_moses: (Default)

2!

[personal profile] amos_moses 2017-02-02 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
Hey! You okay, ma'am?

[Amos's quick New Orleans accent rang out as he turned his horse and urged her into the water. The sorrel mare went readily, assured by Amos's ability to speak telepathically with animals, and Amos bent down from the saddle to offer Amy a hand.]

[He wasn't actually going to get into the water if he could help it. he did not like the cold.]
amos_moses: (Curious)

1!

[personal profile] amos_moses 2017-02-02 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
Amos grimaced as he rode back to where Kat lay on the ground. His own sorrel mare stopped several feet away, unwilling to approach Kat's demonic aura that clearly said predator to her prey animal senses. Amos dismounted and patted her reassuringly on the neck before walking off (leaving the reins looped over her neck) and up to Kat. The mare stood as if tied, watching with pricked ears.

"Are you broke anywhere?" Amos asked, leaning down over Kat.

He glanced after Kat's horse, who was expending her ill-temper in another series of leaping bucks. A true bronc, he mused, and not a wonder she was certain she could take Kat if he decided to eat her.
dragonian: (Contest)

[personal profile] dragonian 2017-02-02 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
Daenerys smiles, appreciating the fact that Ariadne looks at her before she moves into the next verse. It makes her feel almost as though the words are being sung just for her, although of course the opposite is true. Songs are sung much for the pleasure of the singer, in most cases.

She settles quietly, on one of the upturned - and now almost empty - casks of salt, raising her eyes to watch, still listening, intent upon approaching the woman once the song ended.

While before, she'd wondered about other things, now she wished to ask her which gods she served. It was the first time since arriving here that she'd heard the word used in the plural, as it was for those in the old world of her own kingdom. Perhaps they were the same gods.
amos_moses: (Default)

1

[personal profile] amos_moses 2017-02-02 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
"Actually, that's a sneeze," Amos informed her, walking up to the pair. The horse pricked its ears as Amos mentally greeted it, and offered a hand. The horse sniffed his palm. "Hello, sir," he told the black, cheerfully but respectfully because stallions were strong-willed and full of themselves, then looked at the woman beside him.

"Hi. I'm Amos. Need a hand getting up? Or should we find you a shorter horse?" Amos was pretty sure there was one in the group, and no doubt a trade could be made.
amos_moses: (Default)

2

[personal profile] amos_moses 2017-02-02 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
He's right, you know. You might not be thirsty now, but you should probably have a drink.

[Amos ambled up beside them, speaking in his snappy New Orleans accent. His own horse, a leggy sorrel mare, followed him with her reins looped over her neck. Amos, being able to talk to animals telepathically, had convinced her he was a good herd-mate to have, and she wasn't very keen on running away. She waded out into the river, with a look askance at the dog, and began to paw, splashing water everywhere in great gouts and wetting her chest and belly.]

[Amos laughed and moved up beside Sam's buckskin.] So go on, have a drink, girl.

[Only then did he look at Sam.] Hi! Need a little help? I'm good with animals.
trainspotter: (you are missing the point of $$$$)

[personal profile] trainspotter 2017-02-02 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh—well, she's high society, certainly. It's hard to tell at a glance after days on the road, with everyone a little miserable and worn around the edges, but there's no mistaking her status after hearing her speak, Ned thinks. He can't guess which high society, considering...

But he'll try to rip this rabbit leg off with a little flourish and delicateness, just because. He shakes his head.]


Not quite my scene. I'm a businessman, actually, but well— [A shrug.] Campfire, wagons, horses... Somehow I've got a nagging feeling there's no room for my kind of business until we get where we need to be.

[He doesn't have any plates, so after another minute pause he holds the rabbit leg out to her as politely as one can... brandish a rabbit leg.] Dinner is served.

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