West World - Test Drive Meme #1

[worldtech]

★ 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! ★

Comments

[notthatpond]

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.]

[guzzles]

[ Sam shook his head, straight away. It was instant, actually. The last thing he wanted, the very last thing, was for Amy to die, least of all by his hand. And yet as he pulled himself back he realized that he couldn't promise that. She'd proven that, pushed to extremes, she would hurt people. She'd do it for her child. So Sam had to give a second answer straight away after the first; a more honest answer. The one that his internal Dean/John monologue was already yelling at him. ]

I can't promise that. You know that. I know that you don't want to harm anyone, but you can't promise me that either.

[ He fixed her with the most imploring of his puppy dog looks, and let his hands slip away from Riot's ruff, instead moving over to sit beside her on the step of the wagon. He wasn't afraid of her, no matter what he'd just said that might seem to the contrary. ]

But you're...you're here, and I have to figure out the reason for that. I don't know what's brought us here together. I thought maybe it was an angel thing, but...

[notthatpond]

[She knew he was right. She couldn't make that promise. Not to anyone. No matter how determined she was to avoid becoming her mother. Amy was going to answer him but that look and sitting next to her. He was still one of the handful of people that could do it. Sit next to her and she wasn't so worried.]

Angels?

[That took her away from everything else. With everything else in her life she didn't need there to be angels. There. They didn't exist. Then again to most she didn't.]

Is that a joke?

[guzzles]

[ Sam sighed, shook his head, then even laughed a little bit. It was true, it sounded crazy. Nobody believed in angels, and for good reason, but they'd come into his life in such a big way that there was no getting around it. ]

I wish I was joking.

[ He glanced across at her. ]

Believe it or not, I've been thrown back in time by them before. Although it was always on purpose. This is my second time in a place like...like this.

[notthatpond]

[Amy had heard about them, her mother had even mentioned them bt she just didn't believe it. Now... Now she might actually have to. It was going to take a while for it to sink in still.

She turned to look at Sam. She had so many questions then. So many that she wasn't sure where to begin with them all.]

Sam...

[She put a hand to her mouth.]

Why?

[guzzles]

We were hunting a phoenix, believe it or not. Pretty sure they're extinct now, but you never know.

[ He smiled at her, catching her expression and chewing it over. ] Don't worry about it. My life's just been like that, you know? I mean you're--you know. You're what you are, and I'm still pretty sure you've been living a more normal life than I have.

[ He rubbed Riot's head, if only to avoid fixating on how awkward that last comment had been, and then pulled another morsel of dried meat from inside his pocket, offering it to the dog as he settled down at their feet. ]