December Test Drive Meme

[thecenter_mods]

december test drive meme

Thanks for your interest in the Center! Not sure what the Center is? Check out our premise and FAQ.

One of the main goals of this game is to make it easy to jump into, so the prompts are relatively short and snappy. If you have questions about mechanics, ask on the Questions comment, or just wing it!

Reserves open December 1st, and apps open December 15th. We plan to open the game officially on January 3rd, 2021. This TDM can be used as game canon if you want it to, and you can assume that your character has been in the Center since the beginning of December.

Each month at the Center, the Experiences are built around a theme. This month's theme is:

getting to know you

Months at the Center are structured with one rest week and three weeks of Experiences. Experiences each take place for one week. They begin at midnight on Sunday morning and last until 11:59 the next Saturday night.

Gwen will announce the the Challenge at the beginning of the month, and will open each week with a short post describing the Experience. It will be vague, and only allude to the actual Experience to come.

The goal of this month’s Experience is to help you and your fellow Participants get to know one another. You’ll be spending a lot of time together.

Learn more on the Experiences page.

Content warnings for this TDM:
Experience 2: small spaces
Experience 3: references to spiders, general fears

arrival | Experience 1: Icebreakers | Experience 2: Common Ground | Experience 3: Fears

arrival

Everyone arrives at the Center in the same way. You arrive at midnight on Sunday morning of the first week of the month.

You wake up in a comfortable bed in a room you have never seen before.

You feel well-rested and refreshed. Everything around you is washed in soft shades of white. You’re wearing neutral linen clothing, and around your non-dominant wrist is a beautiful, rose gold bracelet. You’ll find it very comfortable, and fitted perfectly. As you sit up, the blank concrete wall opposite your bed flickers and turns into a screen, showing a bone-white, smiling face.

A soft, perfectly neutral voice fills the room as the face starts talking.

“Hello. My name is Gwen. Welcome to the Center. We are excited to accompany you on the most important journey you will ever take.

You are here because you are flawed. You are weak. You feel, in your bones, that you are not the best version of yourself.

But you could be.

Here at the Center, you will be pushed to be your best self. It will not be easy. It may be the hardest thing you have ever done, and what you get out of this journey will be equivalent to what you put in.

Everything you need will be provided for. You can find all other information in the book beside your bed.

Good luck. Please know that we will be with you every step of the way. You are never alone.”

Gwen smiles, and the screen disappears, leaving only concrete.

around the center

The Center has two wings of suites and bedrooms, a cafeteria, and a rec room. Your character has access to all of this. Bedrooms lock from the inside, but everything else is fair game. Read a self-help book, have a chat in the conversation pit, try a kale bowl or a kombucha, give meditating or yoga a try. There is plenty to occupy yourself with during rest week at the Center.

this month's kombucha selection

Seasonal Flavor: Cranberry
Effect: Emotion sharing. When you drink the kombucha, you will be able to feel the emotions of the people within five feet of you for the next hour after consumption.

Standard Flavor: Ginger-Lemon
Effect: Boosts your energy and your powers by 20%. However, in addition to boosting your powers, it will also give you way too much energy. You won’t be able to sit still for at least four hours. The more you drink, the more energy you’ll have, although the power-boosting seems to be limited.

Standard Flavor: Green
Effect: Heals you by 20%. It also makes you very suggestible. You will go into a haze lasting at least four hours. During those four hours, you’ll be very open to suggestions from anybody, including Gwen, about things you should do or say.

experience 1: break the ice

At the beginning of the week, Gwen's post reads:

You must learn to be honest with yourself and others before you can take the first step.

Overnight, little plaques have appeared on every surface in the Center: all the tables in the cafeteria, all coffee tables in your suites, counters in the bathrooms, and on your nightstands.

Every time you pass one, it’s like you’re being drawn to your own reflection in a window. You’re compelled to slow down, stop and read what’s on them: ice breaker questions.

As soon as you lock eyes with the prompt, your Bracelet snaps as if heavily magnetized to the nearest surface, trapping you in place. So do the Bracelets of anyone who heard you read the prompt. Not near a surface? They Bracelets lock you together with another person who heard the question.

Answering the questions seems to be the only way to get free, so you’d better be ready to share some fun facts about yourself!

experience 2: just big enough for the two of us

At the beginning of the week, Gwen's post reads:

You are not as singular, or as special, as you believe yourself to be.

You open a door, and instead of being where you were going, you’re in a small, white cement room with another character. The room is just big enough for the two of you to sit down cross-legged in. It’s a tight fit. Every five minutes you spend in this room, it gets smaller by a half a foot on each side.

On the wall, stamped into the cement is the phrase: Our similarities bring us to a common ground.

The only way to leave the room is to find something that you both have in common and bond over that. What counts as bonding? That’s up to you to decide! If you (or the Center) decides it’s not good enough, Gwen simply won’t let your characters out of the room.

Bonding can look like sharing stories about that thing, talking about why you like it or hate it, what it means to you, etc.

Once you have bonded, a door will open to one of the places that one of the characters was headed before. Yes, you have to go together. You’re friends now!

Throughout this week, this keeps happening to you, often when you enter or leave a room, including the bathroom.

experience 3: are you afraid?

At the beginning of the week, Gwen's post reads:

Facing your fears alone will destroy you.

Overnight, your greatest fear manifests in the Center. If you are afraid of ghosts, suddenly there are ghosts around your person 24/7. Afraid of dying? You’ll see yourself die—viscerally, in a very real way—every time you enter a room. Afraid of spiders? Spiders. Everywhere you go.

Fears will always try to drive characters away from crowds and other characters. They seem to want to get you alone where you're at your weakest.

While nobody can face their fears alone, if you try to fight off their fear with the help of someone else, it works. If you team up with another Participant to face your fear, it will disappear and stay gone for the rest of the week. For example, if your fear is spiders, and you and another Participant face the spiders and squish them all, the spiders will be gone. If you're afraid of dying, if you accept the inevitability of your death with another Participant, you won't have to watch your final moments again.

Notes about this Experience:

• If your fear is a specific person, that person will appear and they can talk to your character, but they are limited to a script of a few sentences, like a pre-programed doll that can only say a handful of phrases.
• Fears won't try to kill anyone—after all, you can't face your fears if you're dead—they will attempt to harm characters and can leave physical woulds and certainly mental scars.
• You can see and interact with each other’s manifested fears. However, only a team containing the person whose fear it is can defeat a fear.

navigation »

Comments

Questions

[thecenter_mods]

Have any questions about the TDM? Ask them here.

For more general questions about the game, please ask over on the FAQ if your question isn't answered in there!

[selfescapist]

Is the TDM canon, or just canon if the participants of the threads agree on it?

And secondly, what if a character's worst fear involves being completely isolated from others? It feels like if someone were to show up to help Lily fight off her fear, it'd be over pretty quickly thanks to the presence of someone else nullifying it completely, but I can't imagine it'd actually be that easy!

Thanks!

Mako | The Legend of Korra

[arclightning]

a // arrival

[ Mako has been awake for about 30 minutes and things don't make any more sense than they did when he first opened his eyes.

He's in clothes he's never seen in a room that makes no sense and he absolutely doesn't want to be here.

The first thing he tried, naturally, was punching fire at the nearest wall he could find, but the thing on his wrist sent electricity zapping along his skin and his bending was weak, maybe because he can't see the sun anywhere.

It didn't seem to work, but that doesn't stop Mako from trying to get out of here.

Maybe you find him in the suite, prowling along the edge of the wall, poking flame into random cracks to see if anything happens. ] There's a crack somewhere. There always is.

[ Maybe you find him in the gym, sans linen shirt, angrily punching out small burst of flame at a poor, innocent punching bag with his fists and scowling at the result. He's worked up quite a sweat but it doesn't look like he's going to stop anytime soon, no matter how much he's panting. ] Is this happening to anyone else?


b // experience 1: but I don't want to break the ice

[ Mako doesn't mean to read the thing out loud. He's already been trapped a few times this week, has worked out a whole system of forcing himself to stare at the ground.

Today, that backfires. He takes a slightly shorter path to the cafeteria, and embedded into the floor—really, Gwen?—is a question that he skims over. ] What luxury is worth the price?

[ Before Mako even fully registered that he read the thing, his Bracelet pulls and he goes slamming to the floor with a very uncool yelp.

His face definitely mashes against the concrete floor, and he has to twist around his stuck Bracelet to even start to get up, scowling. ] Not this spirit-forsaken place, for one thing. Come on.


c // experience 2: stuck in a tiny room with you

Shit, no—

[ That's all Mako gets out before the door snaps shut behind him and then, in a blink, fades seamlessly into the white wall.

He heaves a long sigh and shoves a hand into his hair, glancing at the person who just showed up in here with him with narrowed eyes. ] Okay. You gotten stuck in one of these yet? We have to find common ground or this will just keep getting worse.

[ Yeah, this is not the first time this has happened to Mako this week and he still hates it every time. ]

a

[royalfling]

Now there's a familiar sight. [ Wu whistles, leaning against the door of the gym. Is he here to work out? Nope. He has a kombucha in hand and the robe he found in his room swathing around his body. ] Didn't expect you'd be here, Mako

c

[unmatchedset]

[Mako gets an eye-full of canvas flats as his current companion peers up at him from a handstand. Her face breaks out into a smile and her dark eyes sparkle with amusement.]

Oh, hello! Common ground, you said? Sounds like fun! Excuse me, I just need to-

[Ty Lee nimbly kicks her legs down into a walkover, very nearly (but not quite) kicking Mako in the head. Hey, it’s a small room. A moment later she stands up quickly from her bridge and her long braided hair may actually hit Mako in the face. Oops! Ty Lee carries on undaunted, standing a little closer than necessary even in the close quarters. She bats her eyelashes.]

My name’s Ty Lee, what’s yours?

c

[policier]

( Javert lets out a sigh of irritation. It seems they've found a bit of common ground already, seeing how disgruntled they are at being trapped in this room, but it isn't going be enough to get them out. He's been trapped in one of these rooms before, and it is never so simple. Javert crosses his arms over his chest and frowns, his expression one of silent contemplation, ignoring the other man's look. )

Be quick about it, then. Who are you?

( They may as well begin simply. )

Dean Winchester | Supernatural

[unruly]

experience 1: break the ice

How into self-improvement are you?

[ All it takes is that question read like it's the dumbest thing he's ever read and the bracelet encircling his wrist snaps clean to the wall. Huh. Uh, okay then. Anybody else walking by who might have heard his sarcasm might also see him with his foot flat up against the wall trying his best to free himself.

Yeah, he's gonna be that guy.

So what if it's not budging? He's got this. He's absolutely got this. ]

What the hell are these things made of?

[ He doesn't got this. ]

experience 2: just big enough for the two of us

This is real cozy.

[ Is he sitting down cross-legged? Hell no.

Instead he's feeling around the walls for any cracks, any hidden mechanisms, fingertips brushing over every inch of the white walls he can see. And it's not like there's all that much room to not see everything close up. Hopefully whoever's in here with him is good to watch him try and fail to find a way out. ]

There's gotta be a hidden switch. Or somethin'. C'mon, help me look.

[ There's a beat, and then: ]

Uh, you're not claustrophobic, are you?

experience 3: are you afraid?

[ He might have had a few of those ginger-lemon hippie drinks and he'd been feeling awesome... for as long as it took for him to realize there's snakes. Everywhere.

Anybody who's swung by the cafeteria will find a fully grown man standing on a table top, a chair swung up and held up in his hands because that's the best way to defeat snakes, right? With a chair. Who knows if it's the fear or the kombucha that's making him shake. He's definitely not going to admit to the first. ]

( ooc: over at intobattle if you wanna chat a plotting thing! taken from circa season 8. I'm up to date on the show's finale but won't be including any spoilers! )

2

[royalfling]

Kind of? [ Wu has his arms crossed over his chest, grimacing and not at all helping as Dean tried to find a way out. ] But I'm fine. Yup. Totally fine. We're not going to be trapped in here forever.

Are we? [ Those last words come out as a squeak ]

1, this is going to go swimmingly

[arclightning]

[ It kind of happens out of nowhere: Mako is walking back to his suite, staring at the ground going through the various things he's tried to get out of this place over the last week, when a voice filters in through his thoughts: "—into self-improvement are you?"

He doesn't even register the question fully before his own Bracelet has him slamming into the wall about two feet from Dean, stuck fast. ]

What, no—

[ He tugs a few times at his own bracelet, frowning hard, watching Dean shove his foot into the wall and fail. Okay. Think, Mako. There has to be a way out of this that neither of them are seeing. ] How do you feel about fire?

2

[unmatchedset]

[Ty Lee is, in fact, sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching Dean casually as he feels around the room. This isn’t her first time in one of these.]

Nope! I used to perform in a circus, tight spaces don’t bother me.

[A beat.]

That’s not going to work by the way. [Ty Lee’s expression softens as Dean keeps searching the walls. She’s used to dealing with people who feel like the best tool for any situation is a hammer or a fist full of fire. Some situations require a softer touch.] Gwen won’t let us out until we find something we have in common and bond over it.

Here, I’ll go first. My name is Ty Lee. I’m from the Fire Nation, a member of the Kiyoshi Warriors and my favorite color is pink. What about you?

3

[hearditbothways]

[He hasn't given up on the food. Not yet. Maybe there was a glitch in the system last time and now he'd actually get what he asked for. Plus, the healthy snacks he has stuffed into the pockets of the fashion crime he's wearing are running low.

So here he is, venturing back into the cafeteria.

Annnnnnnnd that's snakes. Lots and lots of them.

Shawn makes a high-pitched, undignified noise and hey, how about that, here's another grown man leaping onto a chair and then onto the counter because that's even higher up than the tables and he likes that. It's great not being on the ground, really.]

Live mice! Eggs! S-snake food!

[The food dispenser beeps pleasantly and gives him whole grain rice, kale chips and some weird looking mushrooms Shawn has never seen before in his life.

Which he starts tossing at the snakes to distract them from the poor guy trapped in the middle of the room. Do snakes eat kale? It's worth a try??]

experience 1: break the ice

[detectivelassie]

[Detective Carlton Lassiter still isn't entirely sure how he agreed to any of this. He's still suspects someone either signed him up as a joke--and he has several candidates for who might have done that--or someone had scammed him.

He's just walking by when suddenly he hears someone ask a question and--SLAM--his wrist hits the wall and stays there. The detective trips, stumbling forwards, nearly crashing into the wall itself, barely avoiding knocking his head.]

What--what the hell!?

[He scowls, mostly at the wall, until he realizes that the other man near him is in the same predicament.]

Did you do this!?

Wu || Legend of Korra

[royalfling]

A. Arrival & Kombucha
[ The floating head of Gwen stops talking and disappears, and Wu finds himself staring at the place where it disappeared for a long, long moment.

The thing is: normally, he would sign up for something like this. A retreat? Nice beds and linens and (hopefully) a spa? That's right up his alley.

Except that he doesn't remember signing up for the Center. Or getting here. Or anything since he was on his way back to Ba Sing Se after the whole Gaoling debacle.

Either way, he isn't mad about it. This place seems nice. He could use a break.

Wu gets to his feet and pads around the room. He's not sure how he feels about the outfit. Beige isn't really his hue, but it's comfortable. He'll have to ask the staff for something different. He pulls on the robe, with a beautiful W embroidered on it. That, he likes.

Dressed this way, he starts to explore the Center. He ends up in the cafeteria, at the kombucha bar. He bobs his head approvingly as he sips on a ginger-lemon kombucha.

He looks up at you walk in, smiling brightly ] Have you tried this? It's so good!

B. Break the ice
[ Wu settles down at breakfast on the day of what Gwen said was their first Experience. Not too much is different except for the little plaques on all the tables. Wu squints at one, reading out: ] What is the most amazing fact you know?

[ His Bracelet snaps against the table and Wu blinks at it. ]

Uh, I was going to answer. Excuse you. It's that flying bison can carry up to 800 pounds and still fly perfectly fine! It's amazing!

[ The Bracelet unsnaps and Wu glares at it, shaking out his wrist. ] That was rude.

[ If you're in the vicinity, your Bracelet might snap to the table as soon as Wu reads the question out loud. He looks at you with a little smile, expectant. ]

C. Are you afraid?
[ Now, this Experience Wu is not enjoying. When Gwen announced an Experience about fears, Wu knew it was going to be awful: being stuffed into a suitcase again and kidnapped, or seeing his friends die, or his country being overthrown again.

What he didn't expect is for his Aunt to stalk him. Her piercing eyes staring at him, her long, pointed nails treatening him. Telling him that he'll run the Earth Kingdom into the ground, that he'll never amount to anything, that he can't be a good King. That's he flawed, a failure.

He's tried to lock her out of his room. He's tried to get away. He's tried everything he can think of, but she's always there. He can't get any peace, her eyes on him, her words, on repeat, drilling into his head. He's on edge and twitchy, and he spends most of his time with his hands over his ears.

So much for a nice, relaxing retreat.

Now, a few days into the week, he's curled up on a couch in the conversation pit, with his Aunt standing over him in her Earth Queen robes, berating him with the same lines she's delivered all week. ]

At least be more creative! Come on. [ He groans, covering his face with his hands. ]

c

[arclightning]

[ Queen Hou-Ting would ordinarily be the last thing Mako expects to see—she's dead, he knows she's dead, she's been dead for years—but at this point he's been seeing his own brother, white-faced and groaning, beyond help, every time he walks into a damn room.

Bolin—not Bolin, he has to tell himself it isn't Bolin—is still behind him, shuffling, making small pained noises that Mako has to grit his teeth through even though they bore right into his soul.

But that's not the important thing here. There's nothing Mako can do about that, he's pretty sure. What he can do is press a hand down onto Wu's shoulder, firm and grounding, glaring up at the figure of the Queen. ] Shut up for a second, would you? You're dead.

B

[hipshoots]

[ Ashe's body jerks towards the table wrist first and she glares at the person who clearly has something to do with it. She tugs back, but the bracelet doesn't move even a smidge. ]

Way to go. Now I'm stuck. What was the stupid, pointless question?

[ Red eyes narrow at him. There's nothing more frustrating than not being in control. ]

[selfescapist]

[ ooc: hello! i've got a very limited number of icons for lily right now, all of them made using this picrew, so apologies for that! i should be getting some proper icons sometime in january, but for now, these are all i've got. and while i'm here, if you're interested in plotting anything with me, feel free to PM me or message me over at Rivenix. information about lily can be found over on her info/permissions page. Thanks! ]

ARRIVAL

[ Huh?

…What the hell is this? ]

Oi!! Get back here!

[ Yelling as loud as she can, Lily scrambles off of the bed and towards the screen, banging her hands against it until they hurt. It’s useless, of course. The face doesn’t return.

Where is she? What the hell is going on?

For the first time in a long time, Lily can feel herself starting to panic. Her heart is racing, pounding heavily in her chest, and her body feels hot and flushed with fear. She’s sweating, and she can’t think straight. Shit… shit! How could she have gotten so careless?

Looking around the room wildly, Lily stays in that state for a few more moments, but… nothing happens. No-one comes into the room, no sudden danger appears... It takes a moment for it to hit her, but she realizes then- whoever took her to this place… they don’t want to kill her. If they wanted to, she’d already be dead.

It’s only that knowledge that finally allows her to calm down. And when she does, Lily becomes annoyed at herself for losing control like that. ...It’s not going to help.

She takes a deep breath… and sighs. ]

Fine. So that’s how it’s going to be?

[ After a couple of minutes spent looking through the room, Lily eventually decides to wander outside. It’s a while until she finally sees someone else – but when she does, she tenses up, glaring at them with all the force that a teenager can muster. ]

…Who the hell are you?

EXPERIENCE 1: BREAK THE ICE.

[ By now, Lily’s realized that escaping this place isn’t going to be so easy. Though, that doesn’t mean that she’ll be giving up, of course. At the very least, she hasn’t seen Gwen around… She knows that it shouldn’t really make her feel better, but to be honest, she can’t help but feel a little relieved about that. It gives her time to prepare for… whatever the hell all this is, anyway. Because kidnapping someone is surely the best way for self-improvement. Sure.

But as she’s wandering aimlessly, Lily suddenly notices a message. It’s written on a small plaque, on one of the tables of what appears to be some kind of cafeteria. She – for some reason – reads it out loud- ]

What was the last thing you were really excited about?

[ And barely a moment passes before she’s suddenly pulled towards the table, crying out in surprise. ]

What the hell?

[ She mutters to herself, and tries to pull back, but only manages to grunt. It’s useless. She’s not going anywhere. ]

You’ve got to be kidding me…

EXPERIENCE 2: JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US.

…

[ Lily’s staring at you.

It’s probably a little disconcerting, but it’s not like there’s much else to look at in here. Or anything at all, really.

This place doesn’t make any sense. She was sure that the last time she’d went through that door, it hadn’t led to anywhere like this - and her first, fleeting thought is that there’s some kind of magic responsible. Which should bring up all kinds of alarm bells, but firstly…

There’s this to worry about.

With a sigh, Lily eventually opens her mouth to speak. ]

Looks like we’re stuck in here for now, then.

EXPERIENCE 3: ARE YOU AFRAID?

[ Oh, god.

No, no, no… this can’t be happening. This can’t be real.

Lily knows, logically, that this has to be – some kind of trick. Gwen had said something about… her worst fear, right? This has to be because of that. It’s not real, it’s not.

But all Lily can see is darkness. A dark void, stretching out before her into eternity. It’s a sight that’s all too familiar to her, but this time… she’s not dreaming.

She can feel her heart racing, and she feels like she’s going to be sick. She’s not dead! There’s no way that she’s dead. She doesn’t remember dying, and she knows that this is all part of this – stupid fucking kidnapping – so she’s not. Dead.

But that doesn’t change anything, does it? No matter what… she can’t change it. This is the fate that awaits her after death, and she knows it well. She’s known it since she was a kid… that she’ll be trapped in this place – surrounded by nothing but darkness and her own thoughts, never even allowed to stop existing.

For a hundred years. A million years. Forever… it will never end.

Lily’s eyes suddenly become wet with tears. She knows it’s not real, but the darkness, it’s everywhere, and there’s no-one else here, nothing but her, a-and... What if this is real? What if this is really it, forever? ]

I... I'm not dead! Not yet!

experience 1

[royalfling]

[ Wu was walking by, intent to go get some breakfast, when he hers Lily reading that out loud.

His Bracelet snaps him toward the same table and he yelps, eyes wide. ] Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's happening? What'd you do?

Ken Ichijouji | Digimon Adventure 02

[ourtomorrow]

[ kombucha ]
[[ ooc: pg-rated suggestions only, please. he's a sixth grader. ]]

[ This drink...isn't bad.

Ken had carefully poured himself a small portion of the "green kombucha" (it sounded healthiest) to sit and sip in the cafeteria, hoping having something to focus on would help him make sense of the situation. He can't say that he wouldn't have agreed to go somewhere he could improve himself...But he'd thought he'd been doing a pretty good job of that already. He's been more focused on the things that really matter, and the future - that's the most important step, isn't it?

Does that make this a trick, then? But the stated purpose of this Center sounded sort of appealing; no one but him has ever taken that kind of interest in examining himself. Still, can a place like this, that wipes his memory of his application, really...Hm.

The headache Ken's been giving himself from pondering in circles begins to ease, and he leans back in his chair, sipping his kombucha. These really are health drinks, aren't they. This is refreshing. He smiles.

Maybe he doesn't have to think so hard, after all. ]

[ icebreaker ]

[ Thunk.

Ken's chin hits the ground, and he grunts; he'd rounded a corner and there it was, one of the plaques, when he'd been trying so hard to avoid them after seeing their effects. Hopefully no one had been behind him to hear.

Gritting his teeth, he tries to wrench his Bracelet free from the floor, but it won't budge, not even when he tries to sit up and grip it with his other hand. He has to escape, he doesn't want to pry in anyone else's affairs, if there's anyone trapped here with them it's his fault, all his fault!

It wasn't even a question he knows the answer to: ]

"What weird quirks have you picked up from your parents?"

[ common ground ]

This doesn't make sense.

[ Ken is pressing his hands against the wall, seeing if he can find any switches or panels. It's highly likely he's younger than the person he's trapped in here with, yet any deference he might normally show to an elder can be shelved in favor of trying to figure this out. ]

Yes, having things in common can bring people closer together. But nothing coerced could ever be genuine!

[ fear ]

Worm....mon?

[ Ken approaches a crumpled green body on the floor; hesitantly at first, as if not sure he's seeing things, and then at a run, so by the time he's gathering the large green larva in his arms he's out of breath.

And he knows this scene, he knows what comes next - no -

"Goodbye, Ken....chan...."

The creature dissolves in Ken's arms. Ken stares at the empty space, not understanding. Had Wormmon really been here...? Is this a memory? ]

I don't want to relive this again.

[ ....The figure reappears at the end of the hallway, lying in its sorry heap. ]

common ground

[miraclekeeper]

I completely agree!

[ Trapped in this tiny room with Ken is a girl, frowning as she runs her own fingers along the cracks. This whole experience has been terrible for Marinette so far. She doesn't have Tikki, she doesn't know where she is, and she is one-hundred percent sure something awful is happening in Paris at this very moment but there's nothing she can do about it.

Which is just horrible.

But! She has to put on a brave face for this kid. Nothing good is going to come from frightening a kid, and there's no way Marinette's going to let them stay trapped in here anyway. ] Forcing people to do things for you is a terrible way to get what you want.

...but maybe we should try it anyway? I don't really want to be stuck in here forever.

James "Bucky" Barnes/Winter Soldier | MCU

[worthallthis]

I. Experience 1: Break the Ice

Anyone passing by can enjoy the spectacle of a large man with a metal arm-- or, well, metal hand; the three layers of linen tunic he's wearing covers most of the arm itself-- trying to yank said metal arm off one of the "get to know you" plates.

If anyone gets too close, he actually bares his teeth at them like an animal, somewhere between furious and panicked, but it might be too late. They might be caught, too, and then they'll have to talk.


II. Experience 3: Are you afraid?

Walking into the central common room to find a big, metal chair with a metal halo and metal straps on the arms is not how the Asset-- James, James Buchanan Barnes, fucking Bucky, why won't the name stay in his head-- not how he wanted to start his morning. He might not remember a lot, but he knows, he knows what that does-- he doesn't want it, he doesn't want--

Suddenly he's plastered back against the wall, trying to keep his breathing at baseline (and kind of failing), and staring hard at the floor to avoid looking up at the Chair. He can't get around it. He's stuck as effectively as if he'd been stuck to the icebreaker plates before.

Experience 3!

[selfescapist]

[ Lily's not sure what she was expecting to see when she walked into the common room... but this certainly wasn't it.

That chair hadn't been there the last time she'd entered. And there's someone else, too, someone who's staring at it - breathing heavily and looking... well, if she had to guess, she'd say afraid.

She looks back between the the man and the chair for a while, curious. She didn't mean to stumble upon this, but... this might be an important chance to get some information, though about what, she doesn't know.

So Lily speaks in a neutral tone, one that suggests that she doesn't care much about his distress at all. ]

That thing mean anything to you?

Valmont | Jackie Chan Adventures

[whitehairedprettyboy]

A - kombucha

They're not - they can't be serious -

[ For someone who woke up this morning to find himself kidnapped into a bizarre self-betterment facility, despite already being the absolute best version of himself he could possibly be, thanks, Valmont's been taking most of the Center in stride. Yes, it's insane, but so's the rest of his life, and this actually seems like it might be a calming sort of respite from the other weirdnesses. He hasn't run across any demons or archaeologists yet, anyway, which are two very solid points in this place's favor. But now he's staring at the kombucha bar, somewhere between baffled and outraged, and it seems like it might have finally broken him. ]

They call this tea? Cranberry, ginger-lemon - see here, being abducted into this ridiculous facility is one thing, but they can't honestly expect me to drink this sludge! I refuse to take one step from this spot until I'm provided with a decent cup of Earl Grey!

[ Yup. Broken. And given that the Center seems disinclined to pay any heed to his vaguely-directed complaining, he might end up standing there a while. ]

B - experience 1

Get off!

[ Sorry, unfortunate fellow question-reader. Your bracelet's just locked itself onto this guy's, and he is not happy about it. Valmont tries to yank his wrist backwards, with questionable success, depending on the arm strength of his companion in ice-breakery. Whatever the result, it's not coming loose, and he growls in frustration. ]

Ugh - I suppose this must have something to do with that inane query, mustn't it...

[ He peers at the question again and sighs. ]

"What are some of the dumbest misadventures you've been on?" Well, go on, you first. I expect my answer will take a fair bit longer.

C - experience 2

[ And here he thought the whole bracelet-locking thing was closer than he ever wanted to be to a stranger. Valmont crosses his arms tightly, as though trying to hang onto as much personal space as possible, and takes a closer look at the part of the wall not obscured by his and his companion's bodies. ]

"Our similarities bring us to a common ground..." Well, it's not the worst case of cryptic inscription I've ever dealt with. At least this one's in English. Get to it, then - any ideas?

D - experience 3

[ Valmont's greatest fear?

Big dragon. Biiiiiig dragon. He's kind of hard to miss - he takes up a good chunk of whatever room Valmont happens to be in, and he's not quiet, either, dropping a stream of scathing remarks at Valmont's expense from his pointy green jaws. They seem to generally revolve around his incompetence, his imbecility, his uselessness - and there's only so much of that a guy can take before he snaps back: ]

Shut up! I will not endure belittlement and slander from a hallucination! The portals were all sealed, you've got no way back to the mortal plane, so you can just bugger back off to the netherworld from whence you came, you horrid - eep!

[ And that's a jet of very non-hallucinatory fire coming from the dragon's mouth, straight at Valmont and whoever else might happen to be nearby. Duck? ]

WILD

[ ha ha idk what I'm doing... hit me up at vethica or PM this journal, or just drop any kind of reply! GO NUTS ]

C

[poorlycopingstrategist]

Well, we're both...speaking English, for a start. I guess.

[Jamie is mirroring Valmont's posture - not deliberately, he's just defensive and a little afraid, and crossing your arms while avoiding eye contact is the thing to do in such a situation. Obviously.]

Kitty Pryde | Marvel 616

[phasic]

[ OOC: If you prefer brackets, please feel free to change it up! I love either way and I’ll happily adjust to your writing preferences :) ]

SEASONAL KOMBUCHA
CRANBERRY

"UGH. What?"

Kitty wipes her mouth with the back of her hand as she sets the glass down in front of her. A grimace distorts her features before settling into a calmer expression that is prompted by the sweet aftertaste.

"Actually, that ain't too bad. Kinda."

Her mouth twists into a purse as she struggles to decide on another sip.

"It definitely tastes healthy..."

EXPERIENCE 2
JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US

Here’s a twenty-something young woman with thick unkempt hair and a dry t-zone, slightly mortified that she hasn’t had a chance to brush away that morning breath yet. Because ohmygod there is someone right. There.

“…Hi,” she says in a mousy tone, careful to not let that breath travel too far ahead.

WILDCARD
THE NETWORK

Feel free to PM me at this journal for any questions! I'll have more character information + permissions/preferences over here.

experiment 2, and hello.

[uncannylife]

"Ah. Hello, Katherine."

The woman walking into the room doesn't even seem to skip a beat, her hair and dress immaculate in spite of the early morning hour. Moira always was an early riser. And while she might look a little older than Kitty remembers, she still has a ready smile.

"Fancy meeting a familiar face here."

javert | les misérables

[policier]

experience 1

( Javert keeps to himself for most of the first week, reluctant to leave his room unless it is to bathe or eat. He doesn't speak to anyone unless he must, and even then it is only in short, clipped sentences. He doesn't wish to get to know anyone, and he doesn't linger in any of the common spaces for very long, knowing that someone may see him and take pity on him. When he is alone, his mind is elsewhere, lost in a reverie he cannot seem to escape.

He only speaks at the end of the first week, when he is in the cafeteria eating his dinner. What are some of your guilty pleasures?, he asks aloud, reading from the plaque, and the bracelet on his wrist clamps tightly to the table. Is this what that woman meant when she said he must be honest? Javert nearly growls, scowling as he tries to pry his arm away from the table, but it is futile. )

So this is how it must be, then? Would you have me confess my sins to you?

( He exchanges a glance with the person nearest him, his tone bitter and annoyed. )

experience 2

( The second experience is even worse than the first. Javert is not a small man by stature, and the room is already much too tight for him and someone else to fit in. He frowns, turning away and pressing against the shrinking walls. They will be crushed if they do not do something, but Javert doesn't appear terribly anxious by the idea. He's died once, and he's not scared to do so again. )

I have never thought myself special.

( He admits suddenly, out of the blue, thinking back on Gwen's message. Perhaps that's a bit of common ground they can begin with? )

experience 1, omg javert so intense

[poorlycopingstrategist]

[Jamie's look of consternation at his companion's comment only intensifies when he, himself, glances down at the plaque and finds his own wrist snapped down to the table.]

You realize there's a difference between "sin" and, I dunno, eating cookies for dinner, right?

Shawn Spencer | Psych

[hearditbothways]

i. around the center

[Okay. The riddles? The riddles he can do with. Getting kidnapped? Trapped in an unsettling place which may or may not be run by a psychotic psychopath who thinks minimalism is an acceptable lifestyle? Fine, yeah, okay. Psychological warfare and mind games, okay, okay, he gets it.

But this? This? This might actually be his breaking point.

He has already collected several bowls of whole grain, oatmeal, chopped veggies and (thankfully) some fruit while experimenting with the magic food dispenser. But of course all of his suggestions (pizza, curly fries, pop tarts) fall on deaf ears. Or at least ears that are really hard of hearing.

Of course he's still eating everything that comes out of the machine, stubbornly chewing on a spoonful of quinoa before trying again, overly enunciating the word with his mouth still full.]

Churros. C - h - u - r - r - o - s.

[The panel beeps and slides open to reveal a stack of celery sticks. Shawn throws his head back with a groan of utter frustration. Before grabbing the sticks and eating them, too.]

Oh my God, this place is evil.

[He spots someone out of the corner of his eye and quickly turns around.]

Hey, yo, dude! Over here! Quickly, repeat after me. [ahem.] Necco. The original candy wafer.


ii. experience 1 – break the ice

What are some common misconceptions about your job?

[Shawn grins because oh, that's a good one, he can work with that. Just do his thing, give the whole psychic spiel, there are so many things that he can slip into the conversation and maybe subtly fish for information while he--

Only he doesn't even get a word in because suddenly he is yoinked forward, his wrist slamming into the nearest surface and trapping him on the spot. Somehow he manages to hit everything else too, chest, face, knees... just the entire squashed bug experience, really. There's a muffled, pained noise while he clutches at his nose with his free hand.

What? He looks baffled and his head bobs up and down between his trapped hand and the wall. Then he tries to – quite ungracefully and a little panicky – tear at his arm but the magic magnet thingy is too strong. When that doesn't do anything he switches abruptly to nonchalantly leaning against the wall. You know. Like it's no big deal that he's glued to the spot by a supermagnet bracelet.

Which is kind of awesome if you think about it.]

As I was saying, people often think I'm a mind reader. I guess that's more comforting than the thought of a spirit staring deep, deep... [He drops his voice dramatically.] deep into their soul. And snitching on them.


iii. experience 2 – just big enough for the two of us

[Our similarities bring us to a common ground.

Another riddle? Man... He's already sick of them and he has only been here for the unspecified duration of five oatmeals and seven celery sticks.

Common ground. Maybe like the bracelets? Maybe now they have to come up with their own little ice breakers? Fine.]

Now. I know this might be a little forward but since this room is like the opposite of all that's good and fun in the world, I'd like to cut to the chase.

[He leans forward with an earnest face, hand clasped over his heart.]

Have you ever seen the rain?

[And, after another moment,]

Coming down? On a sunny day?

iii. experience 2 – just big enough for the two of us

[detectivelassie]

[This isn't happening. It just can't. For one thing, he shouldn't even be here, someone tricked him like those guys in the middle of the mall, in those weird kiosks that try to sell you a Time Share and it looks really great on paper but then it's three years later and you still haven't been to Tampa yet and your...ex...wife is complaining what an awful waste of money this is when you never take off anyway, and all you can say is does crime take a day off? Does crime get .5 hours of PTO a week? Because if crime does, it really needs to go to HR and complain cause that's not that great anyway--

--but even worse than that, he's stuck.

In a tiny, tiny room.

With the one person in the world that would be the worst person in the world to get stuck in a tiny room in.

Our similarities bring us to a common ground.

He's being punished, isn't he?]

Spencer.

[It's like every ounce of pain he's ever had in his life is distilled, boiled down, concentrated in those two syllables alone.]

How is that helping!?

Carlton Lassiter | Psych

[detectivelassie]

a. this month's kombucha selection

[He's never had a kombucha in his life and he wasn't about to start now. Except that he was going to start now, because apparently that was just the thing to do here in this awful place. He still doesn't know how he got here, why would he ever sign up for something as ridiculously stupid as a wellness retreat? He's perfectly well!

Clearly it was mandated by chief Vick as part of some dumb, get-in-touch-with-your-feelings training probably set up by the city because they had nothing better to do with their time than make people get in touch with their feelings, or he was trying to impress someone which was probably the least upsetting out of the options, or someone scammed him. Or a combination of all three. Either way, he's here now and it sucks.]

That's...actually not that bad.

[He makes a face after taking a sip--weird, sure, but not bad. It's got a little kick to it, which is nice, and--

--and he frowns, staring at you. What is that? It's like...

No. That's stupid. He's not feeling the exact same thing that you are, that's impossible...]

b. experience 2: just big enough for the two of us

[Our similarities bring us to a common ground.

This is the third time this has happened to him and he throws his hands up, screaming at the non-descript, blank ceiling.

No. your'e not making him do this again. He won't have it. He kicks at the wall at the same time, then bangs his fists against the walls. Is he having a tantrum? Maybe.

He's also completely ignoring the other person in the room at the moment.]

What more do you want from me!?

I can only bond with so many people! I have a limit!

kombucha

[ourtomorrow]

[ Unfortunately for all parties involved, Ken is feeling all of the following, simultaneously:

- an undercurrent of resentment at this situation
- self-consciousness about being stared at
- fear he's doing something that makes him in this person's way
- suspicion that may not be it
- a desperate desire to hurry up and figure it out because wow, does he dislike not knowing where he stands, and he's the youngest person here, and that's an adult, and -

He blinks. ]

--What?

Elijah Mikaelson / The Originals

[pocketsquares]

arrival

[Waking with a start Elijah sat up with the quick alertness of one who is used to being both predator and prey. He was calm but suspicious at the same time looking around with quick, assessing eyes, relaxing only minutely when he did not see an immediate threat.

Coming gracefully to his feet, the Original looked down at his clothes, touching the linen shirt hem with a frown. He was still looking at the simple fabric, quite different from his sharp suits, when Gwen appeared and began her welcome spiel.

When he stepped out into the common area, Elijah was flexing his right hand; knuckles bruised but with each passing breath the bruises were fading. His jaw was set, teeth grinding but otherwise expression calm as he looked around the room, staring down any other inhabitants without fear.]

Whom,[his voice was soft, perfectly urbane and reasonable, yet somehow spoken at a register that was threaded with menace] should I compliment on this little chambre de chasse?


experience 1: break the ice

[Today he is back in the suit he had been wearing when he arrived. Though he carries himself in a way that maintains the perfect lines of the fabric, he appears more relaxed and approachable then he did in the linen arrival uniform.

He's managed to avoid looking at the little plaques, suspicious of everything involved with this place. But even the best of intentions can slip up. Stopping by a counter the plaque flashed and Elijah found himself reading out loud.]

'What songs would be played on a loop in hell?' [Immediately his wrist becomes fastened to the counter and where he should have been capable of easily freeing himself, he is hopelessly bound. Shaking his head Elijah shifted himself around to look up at the walls, as if Gwen might reappear when he points out.]

Bourbon is much more effective in these situations!


experience 3: are you afraid?

[Everywhere he turned it appeared; as stark against the white walls of his new prison as it was within the hallway of his own mind. Old, misshapen and red. So very red.

Elijah tried mind over matter. Tried to convince himself that his perceptions were being played with, tried to distracted himself with righteous anger at the forces toying with him.

As time went on and he could not turn away without the door appearing back in his line of vision, Elijah began to feel himself unravel. It shouldn't have been possible, not while he was clean in his suit, tidy but no matter how often he washed his hands the door was still there.

It got to the point where he could not pass a sink without stopping and scrubbing his hands, head down, eyes blank and staring, yet still filled with horror as he repeated the mantra over and over.]

As long as I keep clean, it stays closed.

Arrival!

[selfescapist]

[ Lily looks back at Elijah with an impassive expression, meeting his gaze head-on. She doesn't know what a... chamber de chasse is supposed to be, but she can only guess that he's asking who's responsible for this situation.

He must be another one like her - somebody kidnapped, having just awoken, who's now out looking for answers. ]

I'm in the same situation as you. [ She explains, though the tension in the air is thick. ] If I'm right in assuming that you've been kidnapped here, too?

Tsubakiko Harumiya | Iwaihime

[kikochan]

[ooc: Just as a heads up Tsubakiko comes from a horror novel that covers some very triggering content, so please check her content warnings and let me know if there's anything you'd rather avoid!]

ARRIVAL | AROUND THE CENTER

[ At first, Tsubakiko assumes that this is simply another bad dream. A nightmare.

At least it’s not as grotesque as the last. But she still can’t help but be afraid, waking up in a place she doesn’t recognise, as if she’s been kidnapped… she isn’t tied up or anything, but that’s what it has to be, right? She doesn’t remember agreeing to come here at all. So it’s only natural that she’d be scared.

But slowly, that undercurrent of fear she’s feeling turns into boredom… before starting to become panic, as Tsubakiko realizes that this daydream isn’t going away. Could this really be real? Could she really have been kidnapped? What are they going to do to her, here!?

Eventually, though it takes her a while, Tsubakiko calms down a little. Just because she’s been kidnapped doesn’t mean that they’re going to hurt her… okay, that sounds like faulty reasoning, but still! It’s important to stay calm in situations like these!

Now, she’s reading one of the Center’s many, many self-help books. What? It’s not like there was much else to do. She’s already explored pretty much everywhere she can find. ]

How to become your perfect self… what a boring title…

[ She mutters under her breath as she flicks through the pages. It all seems rather generic, though Tsubakiko has to admit she has read self-help books in the past. Maybe there’s one here that’ll help her become the perfect wife… Ha, as if. She can dream.

But as soon as she notices the presence of someone else in the room, she snaps the book shut, eyes wide and fearful once more. ]

W-who are you?

EXPERIENCE 1: BREAKING THE ICE

What are some of your favourite games to play…?

[ And just like that, Tsubakiko’s bracelet snaps towards the wall, pulling her right into it with a surprised yelp. She hadn’t even been aware that she was speaking out loud, honestly – one second, she’d noticed the question out of the corner of her eye, and the next, as if in a trance…

This had happened. ]

Honestly… what even is this place!?

[ Just then, she notices someone else stuck to the wall as well. Oh. Was that her fault? ]

I-I’m sorry! I just read the question, and then…

EXPERIENCE 2: JUST BIG ENOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US.

Our similarities bring us to common ground…

[ Tsubakiko peers over your shoulder and reads out the words written on the white cement wall. Okay, so the last time she read words from this place out loud it didn’t end so well for her, but who knows? Maybe this time it’ll give her the way out!

After all, it’s a tight fit in here. Mostly she just wants to get out as soon as possible. But… ]

Ahhh, what is that supposed to mean! Do you think it’s some kind of clue? Like, maybe we need to think of what we have in common?