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abraxasooc2021-05-20 09:20 pm
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxasooc2021-05-20 09:20 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME #1
TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to the very first test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the two different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own here. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.
You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.
You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.
There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.
A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.
If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.
Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card baring the image of one of the arcana.
An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.
"I beg your pardon," he says, so absorbed in the pages of the book that he doesn't bother to look up, "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. One of my apprentices will explain everything in a moment, but please refrain from yelling and thrashing about until then. You're quite alright, and screaming gives me a hell of a headache."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the heavy tome, until he stops on one specific page, stares at it for a moment, and then exclaims:
"Aha!"
Ambrose's expression brightens, eyes twinkling with delight. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.
"Success! It's a success!" he exclaims, slamming the book shut and scurrying towards you.
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem quite relieved at his jovial outburst, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.
"Please, come with me, you're an honored guest here," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle, "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."
One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.
Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (everyone appears to have arrived within the last few days), or you can wander around and meet the others.
There's also a dining hall stocked with all sorts of fancy food to meet every possible dietary need, and a library filled with epic tales and legends and the history of Thorne. Given that this is the Thorne library, it may be a biased account that makes the Kingdom look a fair bit better than the rest of the world sees them. Last but not least, there's a study hall where a few junior mages (younger and less experienced than the apprentices from earlier) might be willing to teach you some simple elemental magic. Think holding a small flame in the palm of your hand, or blowing a door shut with a gust of wind.
You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).
Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and spending too much time with the prisoners will lead to some suspicion being cast upon you. If you ask anyone why the prisoners are being held there, you'll be told that they pose a great threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world).
The High Mage scowls, grinding his teeth as he slams the book shut. "Another failure!" he barks at the apprentices, "You lot wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground, would you?"
All four of them lower their heads, and two of them mumble an apology that Ambrose either doesn't hear or refuses to acknowledge. "Well, don't just stand there," he says, waving a hand in the air, "We've put all this effort into getting this wretched creature, we may as well put it to good use."
One of the apprentices drops a baggy, rough-feeling tunic, a pair of pants, and some worn sandals in your lap and glares down at you until you put them on (if you refuse, they'll tell you they can kick you back down that well if you don't want to cooperate). They're glaring at the High Mage as much as they're glaring at you (when they're sure he isn't looking, anyway). You might catch one of them long enough to ask them why they're so upset with you, but all they'll say is that the High Mage knows something they don't, and he's awfully upset about it.
Once you're fully clothed, another apprentice clamps some heavy iron shackles around your wrists and leads you on. The High Mage is far ahead of you already, muttering some long string of Thornean curses before he stands up straight and pauses, spinning to face you.
"One more thing," he says, holding one hand in the air and chanting something under his breath, "Can't have you getting too troublesome."
If you had powers, the slight connection you still had to them slips away completely and you're left with nothing as the four apprentices drag you towards the castle. They may answer a few of your questions (with some insults and curses peppered in), but they won't tell you anything important.
Once you arrive at the castle you're brought to the dungeons and thrown into a locked cell. There are four people to a cell, and two sets of bunk beds with a thin and lumpy straw mattress. If you're over six feet tall, these beds are going to be awfully uncomfortable. You might as well meet your roommates. Once per day you're dragged out to an enclosed courtyard for one hour of recreation (with some crude weights, benches, and balls lying around but not much else), where you can meet the rest of the prisoners, but you can also talk to your immediate neighbors in the cells on either side and across the hallway. Just don't yell too much or the guards will snap at you to be quiet.
Everyone in the dungeon is fed one meal a day, and for a prison meal it's decent: a bit of meat, a bun, and a salad. It would seem that the Thornean chefs take too much pride in their craft to send bad food to the dungeons. The meals are all served in equal portions, though, so the smaller prisoners may be overfed and the larger ones may be getting hungry. Feel free to fight for food or share with your cellmates.
Crudely embroidered on the back of every prison tunic is the same image that was on your card and the name of the sign beneath it. A guard may explain a bit about the sign, and tell you some negative stereotypes they hold about yours.
You may be blessed with a visit from one of the more welcomed newcomers, and they may sneak you some extra food or a small book to read or they may share some of the information they've gathered. However, rumors travel fast and some people believe the honored guests in the castle above are somehow responsible for the lot of the prisoners below. And although you may hope for kindness, there's nothing stopping them from being cruel to you if they wish. The guards will certainly turn a blind eye if one of them wishes to take out their frustrations on you.
Questions
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Whether your character is honored or imprisoned has nothing to do with their personal morality, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into either situation.
Can I try out both scenarios?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.
What happens if my character refuses to comply with Ambrose?
Prisoners will be dragged against their will. Honored guests will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and Ambrose and the apprentice mages will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, Ambrose will warn them once that he's willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight he will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the castle, murdering the castle staff, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other staff would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude (if they are an honored guest) or a punishment like denial of food or temporary solitary confinement (if they are a prisoner), and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Thorneans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
Ambrose will take it especially personally, as this experiment was his idea and too much trouble would risk the summoning spell being scrapped and potentially result in him being demoted. Rest assured it does not take much for him to throw someone back in the well at this point in time.
Is the power loss for the prisoners permanent?
No, although honored guests will regain their powers first due to the lack of interference from Ambrose, the prisoners will be able to regain theirs soon enough as well.
Can the prisoners talk about anything private, or will they be overheard at all times?
There are guards patrolling the dungeon, but they aren't always within earshot. Most of the attention is being focused on the new guests, so the prisoners will have some opportunities for privacy.
Can my character leave the castle?
For now they will be prevented from leaving the castle, even if they are an honored guest. A bit of a gilded cage, isn't it? They'll also find that any powers they regain cease to work outside of the castle walls (this is also a temporary effect) so flying outside is not an option.
Can my character eventually side against Thorne if I choose to make them an honored guest/can they side with Thorne if I choose to imprison them?
Yes, characters in Scenario 1 will be able to betray Thorne, and characters in Scenario 2 can work themselves into Thorne's good graces.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will have a major impact on gameplay throughout the first few months of the game, and potentially a bit beyond that depending on where our players guide the plot. This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.
Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in both scenarios can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.
Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the two scenarios on your application.
What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).
Can a put a character on the TDM if their canon is less than 30 days old?
Yes. For this app round, anything that's at least 30 days old when the game opens on June 12th can be applied from.
Do the apprentice mages have names?
Their names are Jeffrey, Grigory, Noelle, and Jolene.
Arrival
You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.
You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.
There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.
A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.
If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.
Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card baring the image of one of the arcana.
An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.
"I beg your pardon," he says, so absorbed in the pages of the book that he doesn't bother to look up, "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. One of my apprentices will explain everything in a moment, but please refrain from yelling and thrashing about until then. You're quite alright, and screaming gives me a hell of a headache."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the heavy tome, until he stops on one specific page, stares at it for a moment, and then exclaims:
"Aha!"
Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne
Ambrose's expression brightens, eyes twinkling with delight. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.
"Success! It's a success!" he exclaims, slamming the book shut and scurrying towards you.
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem quite relieved at his jovial outburst, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.
"Please, come with me, you're an honored guest here," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle, "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."
One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.
Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (everyone appears to have arrived within the last few days), or you can wander around and meet the others.
There's also a dining hall stocked with all sorts of fancy food to meet every possible dietary need, and a library filled with epic tales and legends and the history of Thorne. Given that this is the Thorne library, it may be a biased account that makes the Kingdom look a fair bit better than the rest of the world sees them. Last but not least, there's a study hall where a few junior mages (younger and less experienced than the apprentices from earlier) might be willing to teach you some simple elemental magic. Think holding a small flame in the palm of your hand, or blowing a door shut with a gust of wind.
You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).
Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and spending too much time with the prisoners will lead to some suspicion being cast upon you. If you ask anyone why the prisoners are being held there, you'll be told that they pose a great threat to the Kingdom (and, by extension, the entire world).
Scenario Two: Imprisoned
The High Mage scowls, grinding his teeth as he slams the book shut. "Another failure!" he barks at the apprentices, "You lot wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground, would you?"
All four of them lower their heads, and two of them mumble an apology that Ambrose either doesn't hear or refuses to acknowledge. "Well, don't just stand there," he says, waving a hand in the air, "We've put all this effort into getting this wretched creature, we may as well put it to good use."
One of the apprentices drops a baggy, rough-feeling tunic, a pair of pants, and some worn sandals in your lap and glares down at you until you put them on (if you refuse, they'll tell you they can kick you back down that well if you don't want to cooperate). They're glaring at the High Mage as much as they're glaring at you (when they're sure he isn't looking, anyway). You might catch one of them long enough to ask them why they're so upset with you, but all they'll say is that the High Mage knows something they don't, and he's awfully upset about it.
Once you're fully clothed, another apprentice clamps some heavy iron shackles around your wrists and leads you on. The High Mage is far ahead of you already, muttering some long string of Thornean curses before he stands up straight and pauses, spinning to face you.
"One more thing," he says, holding one hand in the air and chanting something under his breath, "Can't have you getting too troublesome."
If you had powers, the slight connection you still had to them slips away completely and you're left with nothing as the four apprentices drag you towards the castle. They may answer a few of your questions (with some insults and curses peppered in), but they won't tell you anything important.
Once you arrive at the castle you're brought to the dungeons and thrown into a locked cell. There are four people to a cell, and two sets of bunk beds with a thin and lumpy straw mattress. If you're over six feet tall, these beds are going to be awfully uncomfortable. You might as well meet your roommates. Once per day you're dragged out to an enclosed courtyard for one hour of recreation (with some crude weights, benches, and balls lying around but not much else), where you can meet the rest of the prisoners, but you can also talk to your immediate neighbors in the cells on either side and across the hallway. Just don't yell too much or the guards will snap at you to be quiet.
Everyone in the dungeon is fed one meal a day, and for a prison meal it's decent: a bit of meat, a bun, and a salad. It would seem that the Thornean chefs take too much pride in their craft to send bad food to the dungeons. The meals are all served in equal portions, though, so the smaller prisoners may be overfed and the larger ones may be getting hungry. Feel free to fight for food or share with your cellmates.
Crudely embroidered on the back of every prison tunic is the same image that was on your card and the name of the sign beneath it. A guard may explain a bit about the sign, and tell you some negative stereotypes they hold about yours.
You may be blessed with a visit from one of the more welcomed newcomers, and they may sneak you some extra food or a small book to read or they may share some of the information they've gathered. However, rumors travel fast and some people believe the honored guests in the castle above are somehow responsible for the lot of the prisoners below. And although you may hope for kindness, there's nothing stopping them from being cruel to you if they wish. The guards will certainly turn a blind eye if one of them wishes to take out their frustrations on you.
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Whether your character is honored or imprisoned has nothing to do with their personal morality, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into either situation.
Can I try out both scenarios?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.
What happens if my character refuses to comply with Ambrose?
Prisoners will be dragged against their will. Honored guests will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and Ambrose and the apprentice mages will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, Ambrose will warn them once that he's willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight he will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the castle, murdering the castle staff, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other staff would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude (if they are an honored guest) or a punishment like denial of food or temporary solitary confinement (if they are a prisoner), and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Thorneans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
Ambrose will take it especially personally, as this experiment was his idea and too much trouble would risk the summoning spell being scrapped and potentially result in him being demoted. Rest assured it does not take much for him to throw someone back in the well at this point in time.
Is the power loss for the prisoners permanent?
No, although honored guests will regain their powers first due to the lack of interference from Ambrose, the prisoners will be able to regain theirs soon enough as well.
Can the prisoners talk about anything private, or will they be overheard at all times?
There are guards patrolling the dungeon, but they aren't always within earshot. Most of the attention is being focused on the new guests, so the prisoners will have some opportunities for privacy.
Can my character leave the castle?
For now they will be prevented from leaving the castle, even if they are an honored guest. A bit of a gilded cage, isn't it? They'll also find that any powers they regain cease to work outside of the castle walls (this is also a temporary effect) so flying outside is not an option.
Can my character eventually side against Thorne if I choose to make them an honored guest/can they side with Thorne if I choose to imprison them?
Yes, characters in Scenario 1 will be able to betray Thorne, and characters in Scenario 2 can work themselves into Thorne's good graces.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will have a major impact on gameplay throughout the first few months of the game, and potentially a bit beyond that depending on where our players guide the plot. This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.
Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in both scenarios can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.
Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the two scenarios on your application.
What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).
Can a put a character on the TDM if their canon is less than 30 days old?
Yes. For this app round, anything that's at least 30 days old when the game opens on June 12th can be applied from.
Do the apprentice mages have names?
Their names are Jeffrey, Grigory, Noelle, and Jolene.
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Homelander || The boys (sign; Judgement)
i. Meet your roommates and making friends
ii. The Library and making friends
iii. Dungeons, aka the zoo. Also, making friends.
iv. Wildcard.
okay here we go
His failed escape attempt had, hopefully, gone relatively unnoticed, but really what was the point of a dungeon without a bit of torture? Jesper stayed seated on the ground, back against the back of the cell wall, and just watched that grape move like a cat watching a bird. Ever restless, his foot bounced as well, almost like said cat wiggling before pouncing.
Are you ready for this?
"This isn't torture. I'm being very friendly, but I can't be too friendly with bad guys like you, can I." He waves his empty hand around, "who knows what you might get up to if you weren't locked up in there."
This is for your own good, buddy, that smile says, you know what you did.
is anyone ready for homelander
A hand splays across his chest in mock shock. Fetch him the imaginary smelling salts, he's never heard anything so outrageous in his life.
"Sir, I am nothing but generosity itself. I saved the life of a living saint not two days ago."
If he keeps it all in generals and doesn't point out that said saint is only a few cells over it's all good, right? Surely it's a good enough story to earn a few grapes, anyway.
Well... no. But it's so cure when they try to be
"You're the one in prison, buddy."
Saccharine sweetness and Madelyn would have so proud of him for this, for taking the time to talk to the lesser fortunate. Reforming them in to more productive members of society. Maybe that's why he was brought here in the first place? Homelander holds out one grape, pushing his hand between the bars of Jesper's cell.
"Did you piss on her because she was on fire? Is that how you saved her, little man?"
no subject
Chances it's going to be snatched back? High. But he can't let a little thing like facts and his pride stop him from trying for it. So Jesper reaches a hand out, palm up, waiting to see if the grape will be passed over.
dungeons, also omg that un
His gaze flicks over, from the grapes to the guy's mouth to his eyes. Back to the bowl, the casual posture, eyes again.
He raises an eyebrow. "Sure is," Amos says, voice bright and amiable and meaningless. At least the wall feels sturdy against his back, much as he'd rather not be there. "That really that much better?"
I'm saving the milk-icon for a rainy day, but know I almost had him bring milk to the prison
Homelander's voice goes bright, happy, like he just found the toy at the bottom of the cereal box and he eats another grape. Loudly.
"It's the best place to be, friend. And why did they stick you in a little cell like that?"
outstanding. I love him.
"I'd tell you if I knew," he says, tone not changing. He flashes teeth; an empty smile, a sign of aggression, whichever. No he wouldn't. "But as things stand, I don't. They just pulled me from a well and chucked me in here." Which is actually the truth.
Amos' eyes flick back over to the bowl. He's not that hungry. Not really. But also. You know. Maybe, kind of. Couldn't tell you how long it's been since he's had the chance at a real grape. "Good to know the people here seem to know what hospitality is, though," he says, keeps the smile on his face, closed-lipped for now.
I am so sorry about this, Amos is a sweetheart
The hero they had been waiting for, they'd said, and wasn't that just the truth. He does the best with what he has, without the costume and the cape, puffing his chest out and resting his clenched fists against his hips.
"Have you tried just not doing crime? I know it seems like the only way out of whatever slum-chocked hood you grew up in, but there is always a better way. A right way."
It's beautiful, and Homelander almost tears up listening to himself. "I know a little something about redeeming yourself, little man. All you have to do is ask."
pLEASE i love EVERYTHING about this
Especially when he goes right for the jugular, and. The empty smile doesn't leave Amos' face, but the way he hesitates might let Homelander know that he's onto something. He has to remind himself that there's no possible way he could know. Unless his abductors actually do have the book on Amos and shared it, how what Homelander says was pretty much exactly how his childhood went. If this is all part of something bigger for him.
There's that pause for questioning, and then. He inclines his head, gets up. Makes his way over to the bars, leaning his own back against them, turning his head to keep Homelander within his line of sight. Every movement is slow, deliberate; a predator coiled up, biding its time.
"That so?" he asks, keeping his tone conversational. He's beyond redemption, he's pretty sure, but wouldn't say no to getting out of here. "And how does one go about that?"
tw; bashing of single parent household?
Amos is massive as he comes closer to the bars, but Homelander is stronger. Or, he will be. In just a few days, a week at the most, and he will be soaring the sky again, bringing the ultimate hope to this world. The pitying look falls slowly from Homelander's face, replaced by one of feral glee.
"You can start by kneeling, bud."
And like the flip of a switch, Homelander smiles softly at him, "I'm Homelander, and I am the best hope you'll ever have."
cw sliiightly graphic violent thoughts
Cards on the table. Yeah, he can work with that.
Amos blinks, once. Keeps the empty smile on his face. Tilts his head a fraction, raising his eyebrows. Fucking kneel. He could probably reach through the bars, grab some part of him. Preferably his neck. Thrust that body towards him, have it collide with the bars; a bloody nose, a concussion, bruises in the shape of his fingers.
Get kicked back down that well. Die. It's not worth it.
He doesn't know what the fuck he's going to do, how he's supposed to get out of here, what kind of a society he's really in if this is who they value, a power-hungry bully at absolute best. Probably something much worse. But he'll also never find out if he gives in to any violent impulses now.
So.
"That's nice, Homie," he says, voice chipper and completely false. "Thanks for the offer. Think I'll take my chances with someone else."
Just--- tw this whole thread, I guess
the real challenge will be not having a tw between these two
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iii
Instead he just smiles, somewhere in between an expression of friendliness and a hungry wolf baring its fangs.
"Are you kidding? I haven't had a room this nice since I stayed at Caesars Palace," he says, leaning up against the cold stone wall as if it were the world's most comfortable bed, "In Vegas, I mean. Not Ancient Rome. You never know around here."
!!!
"Uncanny, isn't it?" He rubs a hand over his smooth cheeks, "except of course, for this. I can't really have a beard, it never looks good on TV."
An add-agent had wanted that once, with a full-on Texan accent and a plaid shirt, with Homelander standing in amber fields of grain. Or corn. Some shit like that, wearing a cowboy hat and reassuring the public that Vought and the Seven would always protect them. That idea didn't even make to group-testing, because Homelander had shoved his fist so far up that guy's insides, he could use him as a handpuppet.
"Now, what's a handsome fella like you doing in a place like this. Did you forget to look both ways when you crossed the street? Did you beat up your baby-mama because society and the system let you down?"
Sirup-y sweet and condescending. Homelander holds out a grape. "Do you want one?"
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"Hey now, that's alright. You're handsome enough as-is," he says, "As for me, I'm a perfect gentleman. Can't imagine why I'm in here, but life ain't always fair."
He stares at the grape, saliva welling up under his tongue. Such a pathetic reaction to hunger. He detests it, and he fears that if he spends any longer trapped in this too-human body he'll begin to detest himself. Licking his lips, he looks away from the grape.
"I'm more of a steak and potatoes kind of guy. Don't s'pose you've got either of those?"
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"Do you have any idea how much trouble I had to go through, just to get these in here?" None at all. Who would even dare to stop him, the one who was going to save all of them? The guards? The magicians who called him here? "Nevermind that, if you're not hungry, you're not hungry. I'll give them to someone else down here."
This place was nice. It was good, the fairytale rooms and the costumes were not a disaster. The food filling and the view outside was breathtaking. And it was all so very boring. It itches, having nowhere but the dungeon to let it out. Having to keep up his smiles and his platitudes as soon as he steps foot outside.
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If he wasn't stuck powerless and mortal, he'd try and take a chomp out of this guy's arm for making him plead like this. That'd show him.
"The name's Randall Flagg. It's a pleasure, really," he says.
god what a massive douche
"I'm sorry, I ordered a Prince Charming? Not a piece of shit."
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"Are you okay, child?"
A hero to the nation, and Homelander can almost taste the headlines for this. He's not National news here, no. Not even international. With this move, he will be the best across the multiverse. Interplanetary and larger than life. His mouth draws down in to a caricature of a frown.
"Did someone hurt you and this is why you're lashing out at everyone? Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore, because I'm here to help you, friend."
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"Yeah..." Her voice quivers, the very picture of teenage distress. "I-it-- it was..."
And then one hand snaps out, reaching between the bars of the cell to grab his wrist and slam his hand with
possibly unsurprising aggression into the bars. "Your fucking ego."no subject
"Poor darling," he coos, one big thumb brushing against the angry, red welts on her wrist. "I was hoping you would do something like this."
He snaps her wrist back until it's just about to break an pushes his face up close to the bars. Close enough to smell her as he inhales loudly. Maybe killing prisoners would be frowned upon? Who know, right? He smiles his shark-smile, cold and inhuman.
"I like you."
coraline no
She can't hide the small hiss of pain when his thick fingers close around her wrist, brush tenderly across her burns, and she's forced to move in closer to the bars so he doesn't snap her wrist like the twig he doesn't know she looks like. Which is a difficult feat when she also has to try very hard not to let her bare forearms touch the iron bars, either.
(And it's a strange smell he gets off her, actually. Almost like caramel ice cream.)
The scowl on her face deepens, but she presses her lips, clenches her jaw firmly to stop them from trembling, and growls back in her squeaky mid-teen voice, "Am I supposed to be scared of that?"
And then spits into his face. Hopefully she gets an eye.
tw; gross
Homelander lets the grapes fall, wiping his cheek with a finger. Her spit clings to his fingertips, bloodwarm and viscous. And slowly, so very slowly, he brings his finger to his mouth, sucking it clean with a mmmmm-sound of pleasure.
"Sweet."
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Knowing that, and knowing she shouldn't keep reacting to his bullshit since he's obviously getting off on that, she can't help but gag at the display of him sucking on her saliva, and it takes genuine willpower not to make an untoward comment on it. He seems like he'd follow through.
God, she doesn't want him touching her anymore.
The waterworks come back, only a little bit unbidden, and she starts trying to tug her wrist loose. It very hurts, and makes her voice quaver as she puts on even bigger, tougher airs. "Let go of me, or the guards will throw you into one of these too."
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