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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As far as Seel was concerned, Cal was a violent, insane criminal who had been mistakenly raised up high and unless Cal asserted himself, Seel wasn't going to give an inch. But that would have happened whether or not Cal was Cal. It was territory, and Seel wanted it. If and when Cal had enough, what would happen? Seel had a temper, especially when it came to Calanthe. However he was that he was now in a position of respect and authority and Seel really should treat him with the same respect he gives Pellaz. It wouldn't hurt to remind him of that.

He gave the other har a scathing look. Why had he saved him again? And why, even now as Cal pissed him off, did he want to pull him in his arms? But was it to kiss or beat bloody?

"I don't know Calanthe, what do you think?"

"I don't know either, hence the question." It would have been so much easier if Seel's reactions to him weren't quite so complicated. It was Cal's own fault, too, if he thought about it. He'd never imagined Seel would end up in what had been his house after he'd lost his mind, or that it would be Seel's child he had to rescue. Seel's blood or not, he still called Terzian's blood family. Maybe that was part of the problem. Terzian was a beast, but he'd been good to him. He was better off dead now, but he'd loved Cal in his way--even if Cal hadn't quite loved him back the way he'd wanted. He might even have stayed had things not gone so dramatically sideways.

He almost told Seel to be grateful he was even asking instead of ordering but he stayed silent instead, crossing his arms and watching. If it was a staring contest, he wasn't going to give in so easily. He made sure his expression stayed neutral to match Seel's glare. He'd counter the anger with calm. Funny, though. It should have been the other way around.

It was almost funny how their positions had changed. Thirty years ago in Saltrock, Cal had been the angry one, and Seel the calm, neutral force. Thirty years changes a someone. But Seel hadn't given Cal anymore thought, he hadn't daydreamed about how things might have been, if Cal had stayed in Forever, how he had been the one to steal his place. He wasn't stupid, he knew there were some in Galhea who thought that, viewed him as an interloper who had stolen power away from the beloved blonde monster it originally belonged too. They were always going to be family. There was nothing that could erase that fact and Seel hated it.

He knew he should be more grateful, and more careful with Cal's new position, and the how much he owed him. Was it a life for a life? Did saving Azriel and Aleeme erase the debt Cal owed from Orien?

Seel stared back at him, haughty and not bothering to hide his disdain. Who would have ever guessed that it would be Cal staring back at him so calm and collected. "Wait up for me." He could always change his mind later. This way Seel still had the power, and he could take it away.

And there it was. Cal knew he was giving Seel too much slack, but wasn't it better if he wore himself out a little first? Probably not. Now he was going to have to fight him to earn back every inch of the rope. In a way, though, Cal almost felt he deserved it. Sure, he'd endured 30 years of madness and torture to atone for his crimes, but Seel was the one piece of his past he'd never confronted. At least not directly. Not that he could remember. Maybe that was for the best. He wanted to forget most of what had happened in that tower. And if Seel was one of those things, so be it.

"Very well. Although, a warning, Seel--I can play games too. Quite well, may I add, so do be certain you actually want to participate before you begin."

No, giving Seel slack was never a good idea. He might hang himself with it eventually but he'd try and take you down too. He was smart, but his emotions got in the way, and always too late he'd poke a dangerous animal until he couldn't take it anymore. That was just a warning shot, Seel knew. He just wasn't sure if he cared at the moment.

"Oh, I remember you can play games quite well. Have you learned any new ones recently? Has Pell taught you how to roll over yet?" He knew it was a mistake the moment he said it. He knew he had to get back and get ready, but he couldn't stop himself from being intentionally hurtful.

"Is that the theme for tonight then? Are we playing games?"

Cal's face lost all of its expression. Maybe that was a hint of how he used to be--wild and passionate, burning like a wildfire before it burned itself out and only the embers were left. Emotionless was more dangerous than angry. He could strike without feeling it, then.

"You're walking a dangerous road, Seel Griselming." That was a deliberate low blow, as Cal purposely avoided associating him with the Parasiel. Right now he didn't deserve that name. "From what I hear, Thiede taught you quite a bit more than 'roll over,' although that did seem to be his favorite, didn't it? Would you still jump he said so? Would you even bother to ask why or which direction? I've been tempered--not unfanged--so you'd best remember who your Tigron is and dredge some manners up with it in the process. I'm quite content to keep playing at being polite even if we haven't been friends for some time, but do not test your luck further. Some things are off limits and none of your business. Understood?"

Of all the people who deserved to be Tigron, Cal was not on the list. The idea that he'd been raised up was so abhorrent, Seel was almost convinced there was no justice. He knew that Pellaz saw things differently though, and his word was law. Like Cal's was now. Which was just....great. Seel knew he had to get used to the idea, and there was the remote possibility that Cal was actually better. But the prospect would always be there. What lay beneath the surface? What would happen if he poked that scar over and over. Calanthe saving Azriel should have brought him some leeway. And it did for the most part.

Seel twitched in response. Seel Griselming. That was low Cal. Bringing up Thiede was even lower. He worked his lower jaw, trying to force himself into submission. This was the har that had single handedly killed--or not killed Thiede, if he believed that he was just in another plane, raised high. What else could he do? Could Cal be more powerful than Thiede? Or was it Cal and Pell combined? Finally, he acquiesced, lowering his head in a combination bow and curtsy. Calanthe was his Tigron. He needed to get used to that idea. As much as he hated it, it was an easy position for him to be in, one he'd been in for the better half of thirty years. Unlike Cal, he had been neutered. Thiede said jump and he'd jump. Roll over and spread your legs was more Thiede's style of order though. At least with Seel, and he thought he performed that order rather admirably.

"Yes, Tiahaar. I understand." Twitching once more, he adopted a neutral expression. Look Cal! You got Seel to roll over!

[His eyebrows raise up at the guy's reaction.] Yeah... Some sort of themed camp, I think. All the cabins looked different. Is that... familiar to you?

Better, even if Cal might have preferred it hadn't gotten that far. He wanted to sigh, but he'd pulled his claws out now, and he couldn't back down from it. Not without damaging the image of the power that had finally cowed Seel. And something said that he'd need it later. If not to keep Seel in line, then to keep someone else in the same place. Something would come around and he'd have to be Tigron again. This place was going to get exhausting fast if he had to keep fighting with Seel for dominance.

He waved a dismissive hand--that was as close as he was going to get to actually accepting the non-apology. He knew better than to expect a real one. At least he was mostly-prepared. Maybe not to deal with him, but at least to have some kind of an idea of what he'd be dealing with.

"Good. I hope you'll remember that in the future."

The other might emit a soundless sigh that manages to sound patient and impatient at the time. "I heard a cry which sounded like it came a person in distress, and despite my initial jolt of apprehension, my next thought was to find that person and lend them what aide that I could," he replies, with an undercurrent of annoyance in a "don't judge my intentions, I knew what I was doing" way.

Narrowing his eyes a tick, he adds, "And isn't it part of ones duty in law enforcement to put oneself in harm's way, in order to aid the distressed?"

Hopefully they'd only have to do this dance once or twice. With Thiede that was all that was needed. But this was Cal. Was he special? Did their history make this struggle harder or would Seel simply remain cowed? A lot had changed, they had to get to know each other now, instead of remaining stuck in the past and repeating history over and over. It wouldn't be easy. Old habits and patterns were hard to break. But was this pattern any different than their beginning? Cal asserting his will over Seel? No, this was different. Before Seel never bothered to fight back. Maybe they deserved to go back to the beginning. Times were easier then. They had less baggage.

"It wont happen again." At least he'd try. Seel tried to have good willpower, and in some cases he did. Just not with people.

"Would you like me to bring you back some pie?"

Oh, don't worry Milton, Seel was totally going to judge you and your idiotic actions. They were stupid, despite how noble your intentions were, and he was kind of a judgmental ass sometimes.

"Yes, but you can't add someone if you get yourself killed and no one knows where you are. Next time, might want to at least tell someone where you're headed. Did you notice how no one else wants to come in here?" Because he did. Those slight movements everyone makes when the screams come, how they twitch and then try to ignore it. How no one else went into the woods.

"How are you feeling?"

It would happen again, no matter what Seel said or promised now. Seel might have believed it wouldn't, but Cal wasn't that stupid. He could be glad at least that he wasn't so thin-skinned as he could have been. That would have ended far differently. If nothing else, he could hold his own when Seel went on another rampage, trying hard to hit bone. Another day, another dance. They had their steps, and breaking out of them would be difficult, if not impossible. Maybe they wouldn't even try.

He almost told Seel not to lie about it, but bit it back. They'd antagonized each other enough and even if it was uneasy, there was some kind of peace. Who knew how long it would last? He didn't need to end it even faster.

"No. Don't worry about it."

If Cal wasn't who he was now, that confrontation would have ended very differently. Cal had changed and grown. Seel hadn't. But at least he was temporarily cowed into submission, and that was a change that would at least come in handy. Thiede had turned him into a trained dog, he might not like it, but he would come when he was called and roll over on command.

This would be a new dance, with steps from the old. Maybe they could make it into something beautiful, if they tried. Seel raised his head, still angry but at least doing his best to mask it with a neutral look. He grasped for something, some kind of bone he could throw at Cal. Because he was not apologizing.

"Did I ever thank you? For Azriel?"

"No, you didn't.." He hadn't expected that he would have. He more felt that Seel would just curse him for not being there sooner--to stop it or pull them both out before the real damage could be done. Or pretend that it hadn't been him who'd done it. He'd barely been in time as it was and there was a long road ahead of both of them to recover. If they ever did.

Or maybe Seel would find a way to blame him for that, too. Somehow make it his fault that it even happened in the first place. Because every bad thing in the world was his fault now, right? He'd lost his mind and with that came losing everything else that used to make him a person. Now that there were new things, nohar quite believed it. Really, he shouldn't have expected much else.

"Swift did. On behalf of both of you." He'd assumed that would be the most he could hope for from Seel. "You may consider me properly thanked." Since he knew Seel didn't want to have to say it too.

Seel nodded. That was good, since Seel wasn't entirely sure he should be thanking Cal for any of it. His child was alive. Was that even good? Would Azriel recover or would it have been better if they both had died? Was Azriel even capable of leading the tribe after all this? At the moment Azriel wasn't even capable of doing anything but stare at the ceiling. What were they even supposed to tell Flick? He supposed that should probably come from Swift or Cobweb, or Pell, although last he heard Pell wasn't in the best condition either. Had Swift already taken care of it while they were stuck here?

So, while Seel didn't exactly blame Cal for not getting there sooner, he wasn't entirely sure he should even thank him for saving his son. At the moment there was nothing left of him.

Not exactly in the best mood to go to that lunch now, Seel closed his eye briefly and then opened them. "Come on. I think I need a drink now before I go."

Was that an actual invitation? Or as close as Seel was going to get to one, anyway. He could guess what Seeing was thinking. The kinds of wounds that had been inflicted on both of those children didn't just heal. It could be decades before there was any kind of a change--he could certainly speak to that. The only positive that there was in this was that there was anything--even just a body--to bring back. And Aleeme was even worse.

No one could blame Seel for needing a drink. Not after all that. He probably needed a few. More than a few.

"Sure. Do you actually want me there for it?" Would looking at him just be a reminder of how terrible their lives were, even after the supposed happy-endings?

Forever was going to be a different place now, he couldn't help but think. Cobweb couldn't dust away the pain so easily. Azriel was a blank slate, both him and Aleeme weren't capable of walking much less feeding themselves or basic conversation. Maybe they could buy some more paintings and just rotate them so they had something different to stare at. Enough of that and he might start to wonder why Cal brought them back home at all. Vague hope. That they might get better? His child died in that room, all Cal had brought back was a living corpse.

"Not really. But I need someone to remind me to get ready so I don't walk into the neighbors luncheon a mess." He had to get ready and put his game face on.

He could do silent company. Considering the conversation they'd just had it might be better that way. He hadn't meant for it to turn that direction, but it had and it was too late to change it now. Cal didn't even really know how else to respond. He was sure it was a chapter of his life Seel would rather forget and he had more than a few of those himself. He didn't say he understood, or that he could relate. It was much more likely that Seel didn't want to know that they had anything in common, even if it really wasn't all that similar.

So he just nodded, quietly. He didn't offer a hand, didn't make some stupid comment. Part of understanding was knowing when iy was time to shut up, when the other person didn't want to hear it. There was only so far platitudes got you.

"Alright. Let's go."

Milton says nothing to this, at first, a pained look passing through his fathomless black eyes, even a look of dismay, then he looks away, as if defeated, though not completely submitting to circumstances, as it were.

"Maybe I noticed, but it seemed more imperative to find the cause of that scream. Apathy isn't unusual, in my experience, if I'm remembering it rightly: people failing to help a person in distress because they were too busy, or preoccupied or concerned it might be a trap.

"How do I feel? In a few words: Drained. And thwarted. And adrift, to be perfectly blunt," Milton replies. His shoulders might be drooping a bit, and he's back to avoiding Seel's gaze, albeit with a note of irritation now.

[ The comment makes him pause for a moment before looking at her. ]

You shouldn't anyway. This place doesn't need that.

[ dutch shrugs. the indifference is largely faked; she knows she's killed and it isn't a knowledge that makes her particularly happy. ]

If you say so.

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