bumfuckidaho | TEST DRIVE MEME, APRIL 2017.

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TEST DRIVE MEME, APRIL 2017.

TEST DRIVE MEME

There was an accident. That's basically the only thing you know for certain. Maybe a car wreck - metal and broken glass everywhere, and the sirens and the screaming. Or maybe there was an explosion. Maybe your bike hit a rock and you careened uncontrollably off a mountain path. You can't can't quite make out the details, not who was at fault or why. Try as you might, the chaos is all you can remember.

It's also the last thing you remember from before you wake up here.

When you open your eyes, the accident is gone. Instead, you're in a hospital bed – the nursing staff greets you with a cheerful smile.

Welcome to Wayward Pines, they tell you. You'll make a full recovery here.

option one
WELCOME TO WAYWARD PINES

The hospital staff had seemed very friendly, but ultimately unhelpful when it came to answering your questions, insisting you shouldn't worry about such things, and that it was smarter to just rest until you'd fully recovered.

That was some time ago. You've since managed to leave the hospital – either via escape, or simply by waiting patiently and filling out paperwork until they finally agreed to release you. Now you've found yourself in the small but hearty town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. It's a charming little place, and the people there are all friendly enough, more than willing to greet you on the street, or give you directions if you need them.

Unless you're asking for directions out of town, of course.

Some will simply smile and give you a hearty pat on the shoulder and ask why you'd ever want to do a thing like that? Others will get quiet for a moment, and direct you to the nearest sign posted near the doorway of every building.

Don't bother taking the road, either. Whether you walk or get your hands on a vehicle, you won't get anywhere. The road simply takes you away from town for a short while before looping around and bringing you right back in.

There's no use questioning things, and it seems pretty useless to try to leave. So really, why not stay a while? Everyone's convinced that you'll find something to love in Wayward Pines.

(For the purposes of this test drive, you're welcome to handwave the existence of basically any local business or activity.)

option two
INTO THE WOODS

You've just heard a scream from the woods.

I mean, it could've been an animal. There's bound to be some kind of wildlife amongst the trees, right? But then again, it did sound awfully... human.

Though all of the locals nearby conceal a flinch at the sound, they'll assure you it's nothing, if you ask them. Why, you're probably just hearing things! (But with an anxious undertone of stop asking questions.) If you're curious, though, and brave enough to go see, they won't make any move to stop you from going into the wooded area surrounding the town.

The trees are tall, and their branches are thick enough to block out a significant amount of sunlight from breaking through the canopy, leaving the forest floor a little dimmer and cooler than the streets of town.

Whatever the source of the scream was, you won't be able to find it out here. An experienced hunter might notice some signs of a struggle, and a few faint boot prints, but they don't really seem to lead anywhere in particular.

What you will find, if you walk far enough, is a fence. A big one - at least 30 feet tall, made of metal and concrete. It goes on quite a ways in either direction as well; follow the wall far enough, and you'll see that it connects with the steep, sheer cliffs that surround the rest of Wayward Pines, effectively boxing the town in.

In actuality, you'll probably feel it before you see it. A full 500 yards from the wall, when it's hardly a shadowy smudge through the trees, you start to feel a little bit tired, a little bit weak. Trouble is, the closer you get, the weaker you feel - like the wall itself is sapping the strength out of you, and the closer you get, the worse it feels. Any powers you may have had grow weaker in kind as you make your way to the fence, but even ordinary humans will find their strength sapping away. By the time you're close enough to read the signs and to feel the crackle of electricity radiating from the thick wires criss-crossing the wall's metal surface, you're too weak to stand.

Do you crawl closer still and risk electrocution, or do you crawl away and assess the situation once you're far enough from the fence to be able to stand?

option three
PTA BAKE SALE

It's that time of year again. The time when everyone digs into their wallet, ignores their diet, and spends a little time supporting the local school bake fair. You know, for the good of the children. And it doesn't hurt that Linda's Blondie recipe is honestly to die for. The school PTA has pulled out all the stops this year in the hopes of encouraging a good community turn out, posters advertising the sale plastering every street corner and stuffed into every mailbox for a solid week leading up to the event, and today is finally the day.

There's at least two dozen different tables set up with all manner of delectable treats, even one or two offering vegan alternatives for those inclined, not to mention a few others catering to some of the townspeople's more... unique palates.

Maybe you've got your own table set up with your wares, or maybe you were simply lured to the park today by the appetizing scents wafting through the air. Either way it seems like the whole town has come out to show their support today and why wouldn't they? Children are our future, aren't they? Or maybe it's just Linda's Blondie recipe.

Yeah, that's probably it.

option four
ON THE NETWORK

Though it's not as high-tech as you might be used to (or hell, maybe you're ren faire and it's centuries beyond anything you've seen), but Wayward Pines does in fact have a network to accommodate its citizens.

Go ahead, post a network post! Just note that the network currently has two basic functions. The first is audio-only and can be accessed from the telephones in each character's home. If an audio-based medium doesn't suit your needs (or aesthetics), be sure to take advantage of the Wayward Pines Message Board from your brand new laptop for the chance to communicate with your fellow townspeople in a text-based format instead!

( a few notes )

Welcome to our third test drive here in The Pines! Just one important thing to note:

Upon arrival in Wayward Pines, characters find themselves struggling to remember entirely who they were or where they came from. Memories return progressively over the next two weeks. You're welcome to play with this mechanic in any of these prompts, but it's definitely not mandatory! For more details on this temporary memory loss, see our FAQ.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

all the scrubs call me a killjoy because they can't handle getting REKT, but it's not my fault their skills are lacking.

omg! are you planning a heist?

sorry have you missed the signs?

Thanks. I wish I could assure you of the same, but… [ she crinkled her nose and kicked the nearest stone. ] but the sheriff refused to give me my light gun. I mean it’s going to take a little more than some nondescript accident to take my skill away. [ she raises her hand like she’s holding her gun and, jerking it back, she makes a pop sound. ] But, still, I’ll do my best. [ she salutes him. ] No one's taking out this army of two.

[ dutch's memory might be fuzzy on some (or many) aspects of her life before waking up in the hospital, but she's pretty sure that's not it. still: ]

what skills are those, again?

[ dutch is not nearly as tall as the man coming toward her. there are scars littered across her body, but none so visible as the scar across his nose and cheeks. her clothing is form-fitting but functional, revealing a dancer's physique, her hair is tied back — and there's no part of her that betrays any fear of him because she isn't scared. it's less because he looks kind of she studies his face, his eyes, and more that she knows, with an instinctive certainty that she can't explain, that she could take him in a fight, even now. ]

I'm all right. [ she's not; she's exhausted and hating it, the way it drags at her — but even if she doesn't remember it, dutch has learned how to control everything about her body, how to push through pain and injuries and exhaustion, through fear and desperation. ]

If it's all around town, it's probably controlling us no matter where we go. [ at least if it's anything like the wall that was around — the name of the place escapes her, and she's frowning for a moment before it comes to her — old town. ]

mopping the floor with n00bs! you know, kicking ass and taking names. i’m a gaming god... but you can call me d.va.

gaming?

... gaming as in video gaming.

definitely not the kind of killjoy i'm thinking of

what kind of killjoy then?

WELCOME TO HECK

"Wait, what is a..." And they're gone, leaving Jyn standing on the middle of the sidewalk awkwardly, unsure of what to do with herself. She shoves her hands back in her pockets and sets off in the direction the townsperson had helpfully indicated.

How is she supposed to find her apartment if she doesn't understand half of the directions. Whatever, she'll manage, mumbling to herself. "What is a petting zoo?"

PTA BAKESALE

Pushing her bangs back, Jyn crouches by the edge of one of the tables, petting the dog sat next to it and maybe stealing a vanilla cupcake off of the edge of it. Nothing to see here. Nope. She shares a chunk of the cake part with the dog before she saunters away. Once she's turned her back on the table, she shoves the rest of the cupcake in her mouth all at once.

It's almost like she knows she is stealing and doesn't want to get caught with the evidence, we just don't know.

Later she is accosted by some tall, willowy blonde in matching pastels and finds herself with arms full of gift baskets and directions to, well, Jyn doesn't know, she wasn't listening. "Um..?" So... she is just going to keep them, that is what she decides in a split second, but she needs to get rid of a couple so she goes to the nearest people and hands one over.

"Here! Thanks for your support." Her idle expression of disinterest does not change with her 'gratitude'.

the kind that kills for money

Poe looks at the basket, then at its giver, the flat-eyed expression on her face.

He can't help it. He grins in reply. "But I haven't gotten anything yet."

[ She is absolutely right; if she decided to attack him at this moment, she'd take him in a heartbeat. Randel's a pacifist, who tends towards clumsiness and doesn't have even the barest hint of killer instinct. If it was up to him, he'd never hurt another person ever again.

Unfortunately for Randel, it has rarely, if ever, been up to him.

It's that kind of experience that keeps his voice low and his tone careful. ]

I know. But you aren't going to win, fighting them like this. Let me help you get back into town.

We can talk.

Nonexistent. Believe me, I've checked.

[ not that eliot doesn't have bigger things to worry about, but you know. ]

[ dutch doesn't remember everything she's been trained to do or everything she's done, but even now, she wouldn't consider herself a pacifist. there's something angry inside her, clawing to get out. ]

Then talk.

[ dutch tells him. she doesn't want to accept his help; she doesn't want to need anybody's help at all and when she pushes off the tree, her knees might shake and her thighs tremble, but she forces a step and then another, glancing back across her shoulder first at the wall and then at randel. ] Coming?

[ oh look, the friend she was asking for. ]

Well

You know what they say

Life UH finds a way.

[ ...this feels like a discussion he's had with the Lieutenant in all the most frustrating ~~endearing~~ ways, but he nods and starts walking. If she wants to stand on her own, if it's that important to her, he won't fight her. He'll just start walking. Though he will keep his stride nice and short. ]

I've tested the wall a couple of times. I wouldn't recommend getting all the way there. I had to use some... unwise measures to get back.

And I'm sure you've seen the signs.

Jyn's expression barely flickers, mouth turned down in a natural frown. Girl has made a life for herself with this resting bitch face and her snippy accent. It's totally unappreciated.

"If you don't want free stuff, you don't have to take it." She will certainly snatch it back even though she doesn't have much of a grasp on all the rest of them. It's a tenuous thing at the moment.

The old-fashioned way.

[ no more ordering in hook ups. alas. ]

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I'm bored.

Nox, [ Harry murmurs quickly after almost jumping out his skin at the scream. His wand light instantly goes out. He hasn't come across any other witches or wizards, and the chances this is also a muggle seem high, so he'd rather not draw attention to his wand, though he still doesn't put it away yet. ]

Hi. Nope... no, not last I checked. [ He frowns, wondering. She does seem a little nervous - ] Uh- Did you scream- earlier, I mean? I heard someone, in the woods.

He backs up just enough to keep it out of her reach, more out of instinct than intent. "I'll keep it! I'll keep it. I'm not proud."

Poe nods to the rest of the baskets in her grip. "Need a hand passing them out?"

True. You have a point.

I mentioned them already.

They'll know I'm talking about them.
We keep tabs on everything.

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