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.

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[ He shifts his hand from the bike's controls (the grip, a ghost says in his mind) to his hip. Where there should be a weapon, but isn't.

His expression doesn't waver. In fact he grins at her, apparently as relaxed as can be. ]

You bet your ass. How else would I learn anything?

"If they were trying to keep something out, the—the—fatigue zone would be on the other side," Dom says. It's the matter-of-fact tone of someone who has Seen Some Shit, although if asked, she would currently be somewhat uncertain of exactly what That Shit was. She's begun to get inklings, though...

"Plus, those signs. You know the ones? In town?"

"Yeah." So much for the small hope that he was being paranoid.

Paranoia is a way of life, a familiar voice teases, but the recollection is gone before he can pull a face to match the voice.

"Yeah, I know 'em."

There's a negligible chance they're not being watched, even now. His smile returns, a little sharper this time. "Sorta makes me want to rip them all down."

"Seems like?" Elena was sharp and caught into his phrasing. "You are suffering the cases of memory loss too?"

She wondered if they had been acquaintances before and simply didn't remember. It was a strange unsettling feeling as if she wasn't in control of her life. It was odd but a familiar worry, one that sent a brief flare of anger through her chest. Anger, that she remembered, her temper was sometimes more than she could handle.

"Maybe we should focus on the pie. It'll be a sweet memory for later." She smiled easily, forcing comfort into the conversation.

Me neither, but here’s to hoping it’s no monster. [ as cool as they could be she didn’t revel in meeting one face to face without her weapons. ] Yeah… [ she trails off, scanning the immediate area for any signs of a struggle. ] If we were able to hear it from all the way out there, then it couldn’t have been all that… h- hey, Kal, I think I found something. [ stooping down she frowns, a few blood spatters strewn across the leaves and trees. ]

She smiles, just a little, and glances around quickly, in the manner of someone accustomed to getting the sitrep in a strange place and not looking like a gawker as she does so.

"Me too," she says. "The whole place, it's like this book I read, when I was a little kid. There was this planet that was a total Stepford, white-bread American suburb like this one, where everyone did everything all creepily in sync. All the kids bounced balls with the same rhythm, that kind of thing. This place—it's not as obviously that creepy—I mean, apart from the friggin' wall—but it reminds me of that."

Option Two: Into the Woods

Kaulder can't convince any of the nearby locals that he heard what he did, and honestly, he isn't the sort of man to waste time trying. That sounded like a scream to him, and so he thunders off into the woods without a glance back to see if anyone has decided to follow him.

There's no one. The woods are eerily silent around him now, and that sets him on edge for reasons he can't quite remember. Neither can he remember why he's able to pick out broken branches, scuff marks in the dirt that no animal made; he was never a hunter, was he?

(Hunter. That resonates with him, someplace deep.)

No, never a hunter. One can tell by the way he turns a full circle and calls out a booming, "Hello?!" His voice echoes back to him, but it isn't chased by evidence of the sound that drew him here in the first place. There's nothing but the sound of his own breathing - and maybe the snap of a twig as someone approaches. He turns.

Option Three: Bake Sale

[You might think Kalder doesn't indulge in double chocolate chunk cookies, but you'd be wrong. They're not even a dirty secret: people know exactly who will buy one (or four) if they're waved under the right nose.

It doesn't hurt that proceeds go to the school. In some memory-muddled and deeply subconscious part of his brain, he knows Elizabeth would have gone here if she had lived. Doling out somewhat generously to fundraisers like this one is a private way of honoring her. Thus, he's all smiles with the soccer moms, gentle teasing with the students, and politely curious about anything he might not recognize.

Like gluten- and dairy-free brownies.]

So how do you make brownies without any of the ingredients?

Option Four: Network

[On the Wayward Pines Message Board]

Just looking for a little conversation on a slow Saturday evening. Never thought you'd see me admit to that, did you? - K

A smart human too! But to speak with birds...

[ smh, amateur mistake. she circles once, but laughs almost... cutely? at the answer, even as she puts one hand on the front tire, leans in close, and gestures for poe to lean in close as well. ]

The bird doesn't know every secret. [ :3 ]

[Shit, Kenzi did NOT want to laugh at that laundry day comment, but here she is, smirking and snorting and trying to look away. No one should be allowed to be that charming or smooth in a freaking hospital gown. But Kenzi's been there. She can definitely relate.]

Usually I like to save a pair of pants when I know I'm getting close to the maximum laundry day threshold. Bonus points for getting out of the hospital in nicer weather, when I tried that stunt, it was freezing.

[He's probably still cold. Spring has sprung, but that wind can be brisk as fuck. All she's got to offer him is a hoodie, but at least it should fit? She borrowed the thing from Jefferson.] Here. You need this more than I do.

[ His smile doesn't waver, but he does give her hand a very pointed look, leaning in just enough that he can dodge back if she takes a swipe at him. ] Put a hole in that tire and we're gonna have a problem. What secrets don't the birds know?

Pants would clash with the top.

[ He doesn't hesitate at the offer, though, shrugging into the hoodie and enjoying at least partial relief from the breeze. ] Thanks. I'll give it back.

[ He studies Kenzi, the motion this time innocuous instead of suggestive. ] Yeah? What'd they have you in for?

"Stepford?" He shakes his head, not familiar with the species. He can get the gist of it, though. "Reminds me of..."

Of, of, of what. He closes his eyes for a second, trying to pull something out of the fog.

Poe grimaces and opens his eyes again. "Not sure, but nothing good. You're new here? They tell me I'm not new here, but I think I probably am."

i. i'll seek you out (exiting hospital)

[She fled.]

[The moment she felt that there weren't eyes on her, she fled.]

[As confusing as her mind is right now, as much as she's afraid of the images and voices and faces that flash about in her mind as a reality that she can't claim as her own, she doesn't want to chance being kept longer than what's expected for waking up from an accident. Perhaps if she's caught she'll be taken back, and they will hold her for longer and longer and longer, but. It's a chance she's willing to take right now. As cloudy as her mind is now, she doesn't need or want it to become murkier. Let them come, she tells herself. She will not go silently, nor will she go kicking and screaming. Instead, she shall fight. Though they be blunt, it shall be tooth and claw to bring her back.]

[Vanessa draws her stolen coat around herself a little tighter. Although the weather is not wholly unpleasant — staying in the sun is warmer than creeping along the shadows — that does not mean that the crispness of the spring morning air does not seep down into her bones. Vanessa keeps her hand gripped tightly around the wallet in the coat's pocket. She walks hurriedly down the street, ducking into the first clothing store she sees. She doesn't bother with trying anything on. Instead, she makes a beeline for the undergarments, grabbing what looks like it could fit, and then quickly to find a sweater and skirt. She only stops to briefly test that the shoes she's selected will fit without giving her blisters. The cashier and handful of other employees give her a few looks (and perhaps you are, too), but she's careful to keep her eyes downcast. It's an old trick, one she'd learned a long time ago. (Or was it a long time ago?) Keep quiet and don't make eye contact. Make yourself small. No one will say anything, and assume that any intrusion upon seemingly bizarre behavior will result in an outburst or escalation.]

[She pays cash and disappears into the restroom to change, careful to lock the door behind her. The slippers stay to act as socks, but the gown is stuffed deep in the trash, covered with discarded paper towels. As for the coat and wallet, Vanessa leaves them behind inside the stall. Guilt twists itself in her stomach as she pockets the leftover money. Vanessa pauses to look at herself in the mirror, and then looks away as she unlocks the door to the bathroom.]

[It's a clean break that she's hoping for, but unfortunately, she's collided into someone. Or perhaps the door's collided with someone instead.]

Oh! I-I'm sorry, [she says, quickly regaining her balance.] Are you alright?

ii. flay you alive (pta)

[It's the smells rather than any knowledge of the bake sale that draws Vanessa toward the park. She merely observes for a few moments before making the decision to cross the street. She peruses for a long time, weaving her way through the crowd and tables to look at the wares. She listens carefully to conversations around her, finding it all to be quite mundane. Parents are coordinating with other parents to set up playdates and other projects. Organizers of the event are quickly shuffling around to split up any potential disputes and to make sure there's enough money at the various tables. Others talk about the weather. A few talk about municipal concerns that are of no interest.]

[Eventually, Vanessa settles on purchasing some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They may be a bit out of season, but she doesn't particularly mind having the taste of October in spring. As she's beginning to eat one of the cookies, she does something she isn't sure she should do or not: she speaks to someone nearby.]

These are quite delicious, [she says with a smile.] I would ask for the recipe, but I'm afraid it would be in poor hands.

iii. one more word & you won't survive (network; un: scorpio)

I could use someone to talk to.

[That's it. That's all she chooses to write.]

iv. and i'm not scared of your stolen power (wildcard)

Wow! I'm seriously loving the fact that you prioritize style over core temperature! No wonder you were admitted!

[THE SAAAAAAAAAAAASS! He's not the only one that can serve it up. She smiles wider, enjoying the banter a little more than she probably should.] No probs, and you better. It's my housemate's.

[The funny thing about this place is that history has a way of repeating itself. Does she really wanna dump all that on him before he's even got his clothing back?] Oh, it was terrible, I had this insane temperature and was burning up and literally nothing could help it. My diagnosis? Just too damn hot.

pta bake sale

[Ren has been planet-side before, and externally this one seems average at best. Breathable air, only a small amount of radiation, inhabited. Once on the surface though, at least in this particular village, things seem off. Not that Ren really knows how he's gotten here. Crash landed, he'd guess, judging by the accident the local medics have called it. Except they don't even have bacta, and Ren is left without what he imagines is a massive chunk of his memories missing, mind unhealed from whatever damage it has taken.

Worse still is the conflict in his head (that somehow feels familiar as a concept, even if the subject is new), thoughts and memories that can't possibly be his. They contradict certain truths and leave him in a constant state of frustration. As loathsome as it is, there's one truth even worse. He's stuck here. With no ship in sight, he's left to wait for someone to fetch him, though who or what that is as much a blank as so many other things.

All there is for him to do is assimilate. Try and endure the mundanity of this backwater planet and hope that he regains his memories. While he's strangely been provided with housing, Ren is largely bereft of food, and while he has the equivalent of credits to purchase more, cooking is beyond him. The temptation of a place with readily made food is too much a temptation, even if he has to endure the thoughts that come unfiltered into his mind. He tries to shut them out as he makes his way through the throngs of women, hoping he doesn't end up running into one of the people here that claim to know him.]

on the network

[un: knight]

Who is Lisa Frank and where is she seeing all these multi-colored animals?

[ Oh no, he likes this one already. ] What d'you know, we were in for the same thing.

[ He tucks his hands into his borrowed pockets and rocks back on his heels, smiling sidelong at her.] So, you go around handing out clothes to half-naked men, or am I a special case?

[ Jefferson's not sure what it is about it, but he's absolutely fascinated by watching the man speed along the street on his bike. It pings that part of him that likes to sing THERE MUST BE MORE THAN THIS PROVINCIAL LIIIIFE. So, after watching from inside his house, he finally sets foot outside as the mystery biker comes to a stop just a little ways up the block.

Alas, Jefferson approaches him just before the man tries to sass at a bird, so he catches that little display. ]

Oh, is that Rhiannon up there?

[ You know, because it's totally normal to talk back to a bird. ]

I believe. That shit's contagious.

[And he is a mega hottie, though she probably should not be checking him out so hard. But hey, she's married, not dead. There's a difference. And he keeps making her laugh, which is a huge plus.]

You're definitely a special case. If I didn't see that ass hanging out of your hospital gown, I wouldn't have even bothered. [It's fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.] Seriously, though, do you need some help? Maybe an escort to see the Sheriff and pick up your stuff, because I bet you a coffee that's where it is.

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what you mean pandas don't look like this where you're from?

she's a very disturbed woman that either stopped taking her medication or replaced it entirely with LSD

[Question: Why is Anthy here? This isn't a fundraiser for her class. She's obviously not a parent. She hates getting involved in functions of any sort and would, for the most part, prefer to stay in the background.]

[Answer: We just don't know. Anthy doesn't, either. She wandered in here, and she thinks she may have had a reason when she first entered into the crowd, but now--]

[She just hates crowds so much. This was a mistake. Was she looking for someone? And now some woman is talking to her. She looks up at Vanessa, wide-eyed and tight-mouthed.]

Oh. [She opens and closes her mouth for a moment, then adds, stupidly:] Pumpkins are hard to clean out.

Must be why they're so endangered.

You believe she's hallucinating?

i think it's bc they're too lazy to fuck :(

How self-defeating. Maybe it's better that way.

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