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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There were five things that Max remembered about his life before: a girl named Clary showing him how to read a manga book, that he loved to read (especially folk and fairy tales), that he had angel blood, that his family hunted demons... and the names and faces of his siblings, even Jace.

So when he heard someone ask if his name was Max and he turned to see who it was, his expression lit up in hopeful recognition. "Alec! I remember you! You're my brother Alec, right?"

Max turned to look at the girl, blinking at her for a moment before his eyes widen in slight recognition. "Clary... You're Clary, right? I remember you showing me how to read a manga..."

[ He comes back with a whiskey for her and a simple beer for himself; he doesn't even really like the taste but he doesn't dislike it and it's good to cleanse the palate from the rest of the afternoon. ]

Not really a night for wine.

That's what I was thinking too. Nobody else seemed to really care.

[He also takes a moment to study this guy, his frown deepening as he looks him over. It feels almost the same as walking in the woods felt... like he should remember something but can't, a sense of some sort of familiarity there.] Do I... know you?

This can't be real. The thought echoed through his mind, but the dream, hallucination, wish, was too real for Alec to deny. There were too many details that were right. Max's smile and his little brother sounding so happy to see him. His heart broke at that. By the Angel, he couldn't remember the last time Max had seemed so happy to see him. That had been almost as great a regret as his choice resulting in Max's death.

No matter how afraid he was to believe what was in front of him, he couldn't let his brother notice anything except how happy Alec was to see him. Kneeling down, he smiled at Max. "Yeah, I am. I remember you too, Max, but my memory's been fuzzy for a few weeks so I wasn't sure if it really was you." If Max noticed anything different, hopefully that would explain why Alec seemed so lost as he tried to comprehend how this could happen. "Izzy's here too."

When Alec knelt down, Max moved forward to hug him in relief and maybe also to reassure himself that Alec was really real but he wouldn't admit that easily. He didn't cling on for too long though, pulling back so he could look Alec in the face as they continued their conversation. "My memory's really fuzzy too," he said with a frown. "There's a lot of things I don't remember..." Here, he hesitated for a moment before he went on. "I don't remember anything about you. Just your name and what you look like and that you're my brother. Izzy too, and Jace. I remember a girl named Clary showing me how to read a manga... but I don't remember anyone else. Was I really in an accident?"

Good man.

[ dutch smiles, most of it teasing with some warmth underneath it. a whiskey seems like just the right thing to settle her inside her own skin again after that encounter with the wall. maybe not just a whiskey, but for now, it'll do. ]

I was wondering if you remembered.

[ He didn't think he was terribly memorable. Especially before he'd gone off to war. ]

You've never told me.

'course I do, soldier boy.

[ he'd been plenty memorable. almost too sweet for dutch's taste, but — some of his other qualities had more than made up for that and honestly, sometimes even dutch enjoys being looked at like she's more than what she is. ]

A R R I V A L.

( Everything hurts.

That's supposedly the sacrifice made when you walk out of a hospital before being discharged, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant. By the time he walks out of the sheriff's station it's a sorry sight indeed, but at least he has clothes now. And a number of other belongings, actually, each more confusing than the last. More than anything he feels the overwhelming urge to investigate though, so...

Well, that's exactly what he does.

It's slow-going, due in part to old and new injuries, and mostly because he can barely remember a thing. Stops are frequent and extended, and the real problem is that Sam has no idea where he needs to begin in his line of questioning. More than once he stops, shakes his head and tries to laugh as he starts again. It's not funny, it's frustrating, but he's trying at least. )

Sorry, I'm- it's been a long day. ( And it looks like it, too. In fact, long day doesn't begin to cover it, but he just straightens up and swallows before continuing. It's fine. ) So...how long did you say you've been here?

I N T O T H E W O O D S.

( Of course he goes out into the woods. All it takes is the scream and Sam is off, moving slowly and carefully through the woods and looking intently at everything. He knows that he's looking for something, but how exactly he knows what to look for is beyond him. It's working though, so he keeps following the evidence of the trail and wonders what exactly he'll do when he finds the source of that sound.

As it turns out, that's not what he needed to wonder about, at all. Instead it's scary walls and ominous signs, and maybe he should listen and turn back now, but that just doesn't feel like it's the right thing to do. So he frowns, already feeling sluggish, but he pushes through. There's got to be something about this wall, something...out of the ordinary. Something not natural. Closer investigation is clearly needed. )

N E T W O R K.

Seeking information on an accidents occurring in the last 1-3 weeks. Sightings, reports, anything you've got. Recommendations for the best cup of joe would be good, too. Thanks in advance, everyone.

PS. If it means anything: Poughkeepsie.

Wow. You're a nerd. Cup of joe? Why're you like this? I thought I taught you better.

Poughkeepsie, little brother.

[ If you asked Randel, he'd say that he looked at her like she was exactly what she was. It's not his fault that other people don't know how to value those people. ]

Randel.

[ His eyes go to his own drink for the moment. ]

I run an animal shelter now.

[ somewhere inside dutch, there's a monster waiting to get out, clawing at her skin. he doesn't see that; she's not sure how he can't. ]

Well, don't try to get me to adopt any.

[ He might see it. It's the sort of thing that he can forgive in anyone but himself. ]

You're welcome to visit the cat cafe in the afternoons. A little time with the cats and then you get to go home.

( is he supposed to be surprised his brother is here too? he had been, he thinks, maybe, but then when he gets the message - it doesn't surprise him.

weird. )

Why are you like this? People talk like this, I've heard them.
I'm just blending in.

[ hypocrite. dutch judges others no more than she judges herself. or as much as she does. ]

That's a ploy, isn't it?

[ He looks up at that with a blink. ]

What?

[ A moment to think the accusation through- ]

No. It's for the cats to get socialized. And to let people who don't want the responsibility of a cat to be able to enjoy them.

[ Memories are funny. Dean's nervous and paranoid, but that's just Dean's natural state of being. At this point he'd be confused if he wasn't paranoid. ]

Okay, Ward Cleaver.

You're blending skills are awful.

Try gee golly next time.

[ what catches Emma's attention is that long day is written all over his face (not to mention what she's getting of his injuries elsewhere. the laughing's a little strange, but so is this town, and she knows what it's like to be thrown into it. she nods, accepting his explanation for what it is. her eyes are still filled with concern, this guy obviously needs something more than small talk, and while she might commend him for asking the right questions, this isn't the right time.]

I didn't.

[ she didn't say how long she's been here. as far as her story goes, she grew up in this town, and that's the answer she's required to give him. it sucks, but the truth is reserved for places where they won't be heard, and they're too far into the center of town to assume they can speak freely.]

Listen, I'll answer your questions some other time, privately.

[ trust her, it's not an effort to flirt. if big brother is watching, she doesn't intend to get caught.]

[ how is he actually like this? she believes him, even if she's constantly looking for the ulterior motive with anyone. ]

And you want me to socialize your cats.

I haven't, but it sounds like one hell of a story.

If you like cats. And you don't want to adopt one.

[ If she doesn't like cats, obviously not. Though he doesn't quite understand not liking animals. Animals are some of the easiest things in the world to handle. ]

I like obvious, actually.

[ animals don't really do what dutch tells them to do. especially cats. so she's not sure she's into that idea. ]

I'll think about it.

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