test drive meme, june 2017

[officialnotice]

TEST DRIVE MEME

There was an accident. The details are hazy and obscure, but it's still the first thing you remember. Maybe a car wreck — metal and broken glass everywhere, and the sirens and the screaming. Maybe your bike hit a rock and you careened uncontrollably off a mountain path. Maybe something less mundane, even impossible seems to have happened to you. You can't quite make out the details, not who was at fault or why. Try as you might, the chaos is all you can truly remember.

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

When you open your eyes, the accident is gone. Instead, you're in a hospital bed, and the nursing staff greet you with cheerful smiles.

Don't worry, they tell you. You'll make a full recovery here. Where is here? Why, home in Wayward Pines, of course!

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

FOURTH OF JULY

If there's one thing to be said for Wayward Pines it's the town's resilience and staunch refusal to give up on the image of a picturesque little town, and July 4th this year has the community putting it's best foot forward in this regard with its annual 4th of July picnic and fireworks spectacular.

To hear anyone (Linda) familiar with the town talk (complain), this year is a much more sedate affair than any of the years prior, but in a lot of ways today is a very good opportunity for people to reconnect with their neighbors; chat quietly at a table, share a recipe, play some catch, or argue with Jerry over the proper way too cook a burger. Jerry never listens, of course, but thankfully the whole event is a pot luck so there are plenty of other, far more edible options for those with a more... discerning palate.

The day passes pleasantly, and the night? The night brings the fireworks. A beautiful cascade of bright colors and lights in the sky. Sparklers are handed out like party favors while everyone is strongly encouraged to play safe by a long-suffering and weary looking sheriff. After all, the town has had quite enough excitement by this point, don't you think?

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), 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!

( a few notes )

Welcome to our fifth 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.

Comments

thor | mcu

[verdugr]

F O U R T H O F J U L Y

[ the picnic may be a more sedate affair than it had been in recent years, but there is one corner from which raucous laughter can be heard, full-bellied and loud. it comes from a (seemingly) young man with long blond hair and an equally blond beard. he's tall, even sitting down as he is, shoulders brought and eyes very blue. even hidden under a flannel shirt as they are, his biceps are impressive and his thighs muscular when he slaps them.

the perfect example of an all-american male, you might think. ]

— and in return, I smashed his nose. [ he's saying, and laughs again. a moment later, he gets to his feet. ] More beer! Who's in?

N E T W O R K

Who here has heard of the Norse Gods?

[ a perfectly innocent inquiry. ]

Network

[64th]

I haven't. What should I know?

[verdugr]

There are many tales. Perhaps you'd like to hear one of Odin, the All-father.

Network: un: arcarius

[angelic_archer]

I've read about them and the Gods of other cultures.

[verdugr]

And which do you favour most?

network!

[failtography]

Heard of the who??

[verdugr]

I'll take that as a no, shall I?

Network, UN: kscirockstar

[fortunefavored]

i mean yeah in a vague kinda way? I read through norse mythology in middle school because I was bored, but that's abt it. Why?

network. un: takeba.y

[snipers]

I have, but I wouldn't call myself an expert.

Fourth of July

[okaerinasai]

[Nanako definitely can hear the big guy guffawing loudly from her spot at the table, and tries hard not to stare - because that's rude - but it's so hard. He's so loud, and she's never really seen an American before, hailing from Japan herself. Nanako is curious, are they really so loud all the time like that? How come she can understand him? Is he actually speaking Japanese - do schools in America teach that, too, like their schools teach English?

She picks at her food every now and again - having no dad around to tell her not to play with it is kind of liberating - but always seems to turn her head or her gaze at the blond man and his big smile and crow-like laughter. Any time she even feels their gazes meet, though, Nanako stares down into her place again and shoves a bite into her mouth, or picks up her glass of juice and pretends to drink.

Man, she really wishes her dad or big brother were here...or anyone she knew. These people are kinda scary...]

major | ghost in the shell (2017)

[imitable]

t h r e e

[ Major is used to large crowds and the noise of them, and while it's certainly not the large, looming network of a city she's used to, the life the celebration has is a small comfort, a reminder of the place she was before, even as she feels adrift and alone, with no net or Section 9 to connect to. It helps, in it's own way. She stalks through the crowd like a tiger, lingering here and there to listen to conversations, but mostly taking in the buzz of the background noise of dozens of voices melding together into one pleasant (to her, anyway) sound.

At one point, she lingers around the tables piled high with dishes brought from almost everyone in town, but she doesn't take a plate or try to eat. Most of it smells delicious (although there's a plate of burgers she makes a face at — she hopes no one is eating those), and she even reaches out at one point to grab a piece of fried chicken, holding it up to her nose to smell it before putting it back. ]

[ Later that evening, she can be found making her paces through the crowd gathered to watch the fireworks; she's a police officer here, a pale imitation of the field leader she is back in New Port City, but that, too, is a familiarity she'll grasp with both hands. A lot has been taken from her, and if she can keep it, then by whatever, she's going to do it. Mostly she's keeping an eye out for rowdy kids, but she's not adverse to stopping to chat with someone, if they're inclined. Unless you're Linda or Jerry — she's really tired of listening to them complain about having to trim their neighbor's bush.

She does stop when the fireworks start, staring up at the sky with a faint smile on her face. ] Beautiful.

f o u r

A public service announcement: The police station will no longer be taking calls about flower beds possibly spilling over into a neighbor's yard and demanding arrest of the individual in question. Please resolve neighborly disputes in a calm and rational manner.

Thank you.

[ she's not saying it's jerry but — ]

4. un: fuckyou2

[inceptisex]

fucking jerry

[ HE KNOWS IT'S JERRY. ]

un: chroma

[imitable]

We're not calling anyone out by name.

[ it's totally jerry ]

Nanako Dojima | Persona 4

[okaerinasai]

[1.) Hospital:

The hospital setting isn't new to Nanako, though it does confuse her slightly. Didn't she get to leave the hospital with her daddy months ago? Was all that happened after just some sort of weird dream she had while she was asleep, recovering from that spooky thing that happened with Big Bro and his friends? She's not sure, and she definitely know she feels fine now, sitting up in bed easily and looking around her room.

Maybe it's just her, but this room doesn't seem the same at the one she vaguely remembers. Did they move her to another one while she was asleep? The bed feels bigger, and the walls aren't the same color...there wasn't a window before, was there? Those questions pass through Nanako's head only for a moment, before an even bigger, more important one blares like a siren against her psyche--

Where is my big bro? Where is my daddy? I want my daddy.

Despite that, she keeps quiet and doesn't pester the staff too much, or move from her bed. She's a good girl, and does as she's told, though eventually the curious child in her does start to eat away at her conscience, giving way to her inquisitive side. Looking left and right to make sure there's no one watching or passing by her door, Nanako peels back the blankets of her hospital bed and slides off the mattress, peering around her room and through the crack in the door curiously, looking deeply bothered. She doesn't know exactly where she is, and if her daddy is okay - she really wants to see him right now - but at the same time her shy nature and reserved personality keeps her tongue in check.

Only when she's spotted does Nanako shy back towards her bed, but it's hesitantly. She's dying to go looking around to try and find her father - he should be here too, they were admitted together to the same hospital, after all - but she just can't bring herself to drum up the courage to ask. It's a little intimidating for a child of her age, and the nurses and doctors all look so busy, too... She shouldn't bother them...]
---

[2.) Into the Woods:

She heard it. The scream.

Nanako knows better than to wander off into the woods by herself, especially after what she's been through already - daddy told her not to do certain things, and he's a detective! - but it's eating her inside. She's scared, remembering all about the murders in Inaba, and that scary man that took her away...that weird world...and how hard it was to breathe--

Pursing her lips and walking the length of the path where the trees begin to draw closer together - the edge of the forest - Nanako peers into them, turning her head this way and that, looking around in hopes that possibly someone, anyone older might come along and investigate, or offer to help...something! She knows how terrifying it was to get kidnapped, and what if someone's really in danger? Or hurt? Shouldn't they do something to help? Isn't there a policeman or a detective here? Nanako still wants to find her family, but her attention span is still that of a child. She's curious, and has a strong sense of justice (living in a household where you daddy's job is to catch the bad guys does that, after all), and a big heart. If someone's in trouble, we should do something!

But...she's also just a little kid, and she does know better. Daddy said not to go looking for trouble. If you think something is wrong, you find a policeman, or someone older to help. That's what he said, but no one seems to want to listen to her...]

Mmnn... [Nanako licks her lips, and kicks a rock into the bushes, standing still and listening intently in case maybe she'll hear the yell again or something.] I dunno what to do...

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad | Assassin's Creed

[thwry]

— 1 ; // Escape the Area

[The attendants were friendly. Things were quiet and peaceful. Everything was clean and shining. A faint thought said this good, normal. Yet Nothing felt right. Something deep in his bones screamed that this was off. The staff was too friendly, things were too peaceful and cleanly. How was that wrong? It didn't matter if he should have healed before leaving, he simply had to leave.

Gathering his things had been easy but making his way out was another entirely. Halls were intricate and his limbs didn't seem to want to slink him around corners and from shadows as effortlessly as he felt accustom. Why was he so tired? He couldn't recall ever being so sluggish and it was frustrating, to the point Altaïr has to borrow support from the wall as his shaking form trudges into an empty hall.

He doesn't make it much father, just about halfway down, before he's leaning against a window sill.] Only for a moment... [The mumble falls from him as he clutches the bagged effects in his lap.] There is always a way out. [Only to find it.

Preferably without landing himself back in one of these rooms.]

— 3 ; // Home Is Where the Roof Is

[Though trickling he remembers some things that ease his displacement here, things he longs for; the toll of bells, wind whipping past him. The feeling of height and flight. This gathering isn't as close to most of those things as Altaïr would like but the pop of fireworks and flash of color bring a level of comfort all the same. Better still is his view from atop a pavilion, up and away from the crowd.

While there are some children occasionally scattering away from the building in bursts of giggles there are few whispers about it from the adults, who don't seem to believe the small ones clamoring about the hooded man on the roof. Or how he accepts their "offerings" of snacks. So the assassin now lays on the roof, unintentionally full from his own hunger and curiosity of the items brought to him, trying to take comfort from the jovial sounds of the people around him.

At least until he hears someone else approach.] You cannot keep bringing treats, [Altaïr almost sounds lethargic as he sits up with a small noise.] Surely you have better— [He trails, realizing it wasn't more children with food, and stares for a few moments before clearing his throat gently.] Hello.

Buffy Summers | Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[theladylazarus]

[The fireworks and the talking are almost too loud. Even more so after being targeted immediately upon her arrival by a woman with as many complaints as words of welcome. If Linda's commentary is accurate, Buffy silently thanks God that this year was quieter than normal. Words buzz around her, and she can't quite focus on any of them. She smiles anyway, until Linda's gone off to someone else.

Focus or no focus, she won't leave. There's a coziness to the scene, and she wants to be part of it. The longing and the distance, the sense of being a spectator, all feel familiar, although she doesn't understand why. So she's done what she can to contribute. She's brought homemade mint chocolate chip cookies, frosted with the red, white and blue of the day. Buffy brings them to what looks like a dessert table that's covered in the same colors. A giant, mishmashed edible flag, she thinks. Abruptly, to the next person who approaches the table--] Hey, it's a flag you can eat! [She brings back her tiny smile.]

[Later, Buffy wanders throughout the picnic. She tries to stop for a burger, but the arguing from...Jerry? Jerry and someone else over his cooking puts her off, just as much as the thought of the burgers being bad. She can't quite make herself stop at any more tables, though. Even her own cookies don't tempt her. After some halting attempts at chatting with anyone who'll approach her, she begins to head away from the festivities, absentmindedly dumping her sparkler as she goes. She doesn't notice the little sparks on the grass for a second. Then she frantically stomps them out, picking up the sparkler once more and hoping that nobody is looking in her direction.]

alice deane | the wardstone chronicles

[illegalis]

welcome to wayward pines.

[ alice goes about her business in a brisk, purposeful way, collecting her clothes from the sheriff's station and bringing her belongings back to her home. once she's no longer naked, and let's be honest, that's about what the hospital gown amounted to, she sets out to reorient herself to a town she doesn't... quite remember.

this is what brings her to go ask alice, because, well. her name is alice. what are people meant to ask her? why is there a shop with her name on it? she stares at the sign for a full five minutes before she pushes inside. ]

Who is Alice?

fourth of july.

[ unsure of whether or not her lack of memories are making this holiday so elusive from her mind, alice decides to give it a shot anyway. a quiet shot, a nervous shot about grills leaping with flames. maybe she'll just back away from-- ]

Oh! [ she turns immediately when she backs into someone. ] I'm sorry. I was--

[ she gestures back at the grills as if that will act as an explanation. ]

fourth of july

[refusings]

[finn immediately reaches out to catch her by the shoulders. it's not even like she crashed into him hard enough to fall over, but he is still Concerned.]

Yeah, I'd leap away from something spitting flames at me too. [it's with delay that he finally lets go, because he's still figuring out what is and isn't acceptable when it comes to physical touch.] It didn't get you, did it?

[illegalis]

No... no, I'm fine. [ she just doesn't like fire. she doesn't like fire so much that when finn releases her shoulders, she shifts to the other side of him, putting finn between her and the fire.

as u do.

the first firework goes off and she jumps again. ] What is this horrible celebration?

subaru sumeragi | x/1999 | taking some potentially inaccurate creative liberties post-june plot

[hangedman]

around town; (warning: ghosts)

[ People died. He'd heard rumors of the creatures, of the battle that had ripped this small community apart, from which they were still rebuilding, but Subaru hadn't needed to be told to know there had been casualties. He could feel them, death painting the walls of the hospital he'd woken up in, staining the concrete of the sidewalk he'd walked down after, casting a shadow over his new home.

But not just there. Pain radiates from points all over Wayward Pines, and Subaru navigates it like a hawk on the wind. To a house, one that used to be filled with a collection of smiling faces and isn't anymore. He stops outside the front gate and just stands, boots flat against the concrete, coat billowing in the slight breeze. Watching. Breathing. Feeling. ]

Did you know them? [ he asks the first of his neighbors to happen by. ]

at the fence; (cw: blood/injury)

[ Whether or not the human race deserves to survive, the fact is they are surviving, and Subaru has never been as good at apathy as he wishes he was. As soon as he's well enough to do it, he takes a trip out to the fence, his coat on his shoulders despite the heat, and ofuda in his pockets.

The first ward presses flat to the fence with a small rush of air, like a leaf hitting water. For a moment it hangs there, just beyond Subaru's outstretched hand, easy as a flyer nailed to a light post.

Then, it's as if an invisible knife slices the post in two. The ward floats to the ground in two neat pieces. Blood drips into the dirt. Subaru turns his palm to look, to watch the blood trickle down the fresh gash and curve over a rise of muscle, to follow the drops of red as they plummet toward the earth. The pain doesn't seem to have registered.

That's probably not a good sign, though. ]

beyond the wall;

[ It had taken time to convince the Sheriff to let him go out beyond the wall. It made sense; they were concerned about keeping people alive, about keeping humanity alive, and while Subaru isn't sure if that goal is worthwhile in the end (Is this the future Kamui wished for?), he understands their survival is a numbers game now as much as anything else. They want to be sure he won't get killed before they send him out. The fact that he doesn't have much talent with firearms hadn't improved his chances, but yesterday he had shown the Sheriff something that had convinced him all the same, and he'd been approved for a small mission.

(And none too soon. He's felt it for days, an ache that started behind his right eye and grew like a vine, wrapping around his mind and tightening. At first it'd been almost good, just to feel something, anything — but it would need to be handled. )

Today, he's dressed for travel if not for combat, in jeans and a t-shirt, armed only with a knife strapped to his belt and a small satchel he seems loathe to let swing too abruptly. To the magically attuned, for a moment it might seem like he's carrying a black hole around in his side-bag, a seeping darkness gently leeching the life out of everything around it — or maybe it's nothing. Just a bag.

At the gate in the fence, he hesitates. His eyes slide to his assigned partner. ]

There's no need for you to escort me.

[ ...says the guy who looks like a stiff wind could do him in, as he heads out into the flesh-eating mutant territory. Probably fine. ]

network;

Onmyouji
Psychic Investigator and Spiritual Medium
Available for cleansing, wards, exorcisms,
and quelling spiritual disturbances.

1

[misandrism]

[ He isn't the only one that's felt the restless dead. None of them are particularly violent — though the violent deaths they must of have incurred are in no way helping that. There's been a handful that Rei has encountered that she's had to dispel with more... pyromantic methods, but for the most part, a simple ofuda has been enough. It's what she's doing now, going from house to house and leaving the talisman, a gentle request for the people within, if they're still around, to go into the light, so to speak.

She's not expecting anyone else, let alone someone who radiates psychic energy the way she does, and she actually hesitates before approaching, one of her ofuda held between her index and middle fingers. Protection — for herself? Or for the spirits within the house? ] No. Did you?

Jaehyeon Lee | Original

[gwisinbang]

into the woods.

...And if there is a spirit lingering here, are you in pain?

[ And right about then, there's a blood-curdling scream. Big brown eyes go even more wide, Jaehyeon's grip on his microcassette recorder clenching, startled.

That's... not how this is supposed to go. But wait, the scream didn't come from where he stands, by the weathered foundation of a long-ago burned-out structure. No, it came from up the hill, there, deep in the woods. ]

Uhhh...

[ He's still another moment, and then he comes to a decision. He grasps the dangling straps of his backpack, yanking down on them so the shoulder straps tighten, securing the pack to his body. He clips the cassette recorder on one of them, to his left, near his face--he's done this before, he knows what to do. ]

Okay! So it's now, uh-- [ quick glance at his watch-- ] nine-eighteen pm, and I am abandoning my EVP experiment at the alleged site of the alleged cursed chapel to go investigate... whatever the hell screamed up the hill just now. I hope somebody isn't hurt.

[ Brief pause. ]

Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. I love you.

[ And off he goes, climbing the hill. It's quiet, and there's enough moonlight for him to see where he's going as he follows a rough path through the grass and moss, until it breaches the trees. It's a bit more dark in here but he can see another clearing ahead.

He gets there and finds himself looking up at a very tall fence. ]

...What the hell?

[ He'll get closer, he thinks, continuing his approach. He'll dig out his Handicam and get some footage of this, this is wild.

...He's tired, why is he tired? It's a steep hill, sure, but he's more than fit enough for this, he shouldn't be gasping, shouldn't be exhausted

--shouldn't be hitting his knees in the cool, slightly damp earth. ]

I, uh... geez.

Okay there's this fence up the hill. A huge one. I wanted to get closer to get some video but I... I can't seem to walk any further, it's weird...

[ He pushes himself back to his feet, instinct making him turn, start picking his way slowly back down the incline. Somewhere up ahead, there's a sound; he stops short, wide gaze bouncing from tree to tree. ]

Hello? Is somebody there?



fourth of july.

[ Maybe he just seems familiar, as everyone around town does in one way or another, like they've always been here and so have you. Or maybe you've been out to the gas station--the smaller one, past one of the residential neighborhoods, not the big one closer to the town center. The one with two pumps outside a homey little convenience store, the one run by that really nice couple who put out home made sandwiches and rice rolls, who will dispatch their kid to unlock the store if it's after hours but you really need some emergency toilet paper or something.

That's him, yeah, Jaehyeon. Always chipper whether he's behind the counter, or hurrying to it from the kitchen where his mom had him busy assembling sandwiches, or just when your paths cross around town. He's a sweet kid, always polite.

But even the sweetest kid can only take so much of Linda's particular brand of... erm. Sunshine.

She's pontificating away, like she do, this time about side dishes, and Jaehyeon, unfortunately stuck near her as he tries to grab a hot dog, stares at her back with an expression that shifts from polite disinterest to a sigh and a side-eye to the sort of lineface that clearly says can you believe this shit before he cracks entirely. He scrunches up his face and begins silently echoing the words coming out of her mouth, no sound coming out though it's clear his lips are forming the words.

Linda, thankfully, does not catch him at this, but someone else waiting for food does, and when he realizes he's been seen Jaehyeon freezes for a second. Then he breaks into a bright grin, shrugging, rolling his eyes and cocking his head at Linda. You understand, right? Right.

Later, he has been roped into helping distribute sparklers. (Only because he promised to actually hand them out and not just bundle them all together and light them in one go. Mom didn't think that was funny, last year.)

If he asks if you have a sparkler, and you say no, he will produce one from his backpack with a flourish. ]

Ta-da! Now you do. Here--

[ He tries to light them with his own sparkler, and sometimes it takes, but sometimes he has to fish in his jeans pocket for a lighter. ]

I've got enough that you could probably have a second one, if you wanted.



message boards.

hey, hi, so like, if you took the vending machine from outside our convenience store can we please have it back? soon? my mom's gonna have a cow when she notices it's missing.

oh right this is jaehyeon, from lee's market, at the gas station.

jean grey | x-men apocalypse

[synergeia]

𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕤

[ waking up from a nightmare doesn't strike jean as odd per se. it doesn't stop her from scrambling out of the hospital bed on a strange instinct tickling at the back of her head either. her head which is pounding with a tangle of thoughts she can't even begin to sort out, footsteps she can't possibly hear, the conversation of nurses down the hall. her back presses to the wall, eyes closing as she tries to force it all away, tries to quiet the storm in her mind.

go away! she whispers in the cacophony of her own mind, pleading with the voices to fade. to her surprise, the footsteps turn, the conversation abates, anyone coming to check on her reverses course.

oh.

without thinking, jean sprints out the door, hurrying down the hall and following the exits sign before she finds herself outside, blinking into the bright sun as her hand lifts to shield her eyes. this is not xavier's. ]

𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕜

Does anyone know when the next Indiana Jones movie is going to play in the theater?

lila zacharov | the curse workers

[likeacrown]

option one.

[ there are a great many reasons lila zacharov should spend a good deal of time in the hospital, but she does not. she leaves almost immediately and she is not subtle about the nurses and doctors she leaves sleeping in her wake, striding out into town in nothing but her hospital gown. she doesn't seem to mind looking like a homeless street urchin either, tangle of silvery-blonde hair an absolute disaster.

she pushes into the first business she finds, pressing her palms against the counter. her voice is a hoarse, low rasp. ] I need your shower. [ presumably not the business' shower? but a shower, their shower. she needs it. ]

And scissors.

[ once showered and with hair freshly shorn into a short halo of platinum, no time is wasted in finding a coffee shop and ordering some kind of sugary mochaccino type concoction. she likes the foam. ]

option four.

[ posted at three in the morning: ]

what do you dream about?

4

[imitable]

electric sheep.