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Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE MEME 001
⚰︎ ⍢ ⌲ ⍚ TEST DRIVE MEME:
CONTENT WARNINGS for this game include: monsters, body horror, dub-con, non-con, religion, blood/violence, and marking/branding, loss of autonomy/self, and mental influences.
This log additionally has warnings for: nudity, spiders, waxplay, character death, and references to children in proximity to sexual situations.
✧ ✧ ✧
Welcome to RUBILYKSKOYE — a dark, horror-smut game where player choices will drive a mod-run storyline about the world and its NPCs. For the first round, this test drive serves as characters' arrival into game.
THESE THREADS CAN BE GAME CANON if both players are accepted into the game and agree to it. However, if players who'd prefer to start fresh are welcome to reuse these prompts in their own personal logs upon acceptance into the communities.
If you have QUESTIONS about the test drive prompts, please ask HERE. Questions about the game itself or the general setting should be directed to the FAQ.
FAQ ✧ SETTING ✧ CALENDAR ✧ RESERVES ✧ APPLICATIONS
This log additionally has warnings for: nudity, spiders, waxplay, character death, and references to children in proximity to sexual situations.
Welcome to RUBILYKSKOYE — a dark, horror-smut game where player choices will drive a mod-run storyline about the world and its NPCs. For the first round, this test drive serves as characters' arrival into game.
THESE THREADS CAN BE GAME CANON if both players are accepted into the game and agree to it. However, if players who'd prefer to start fresh are welcome to reuse these prompts in their own personal logs upon acceptance into the communities.
If you have QUESTIONS about the test drive prompts, please ask HERE. Questions about the game itself or the general setting should be directed to the FAQ.
AWAKENING IN PAJAK WOOD
The chirping of partridges in the treetops rouses you. Light barely filters through the canopy, just enough to suggest warmth of the sun. By the time it reaches the forest floor, the daylight has taken on a sickly green tinge. You lie amongst the mosses and ferns, the soil cold and just a little damp on your bare skin. Wherever you were before this moment, whatever you were doing or wearing, when you awaken in this forest, you find yourself naked and helpless as the day you were born.Fortunately, you seem to be alone. The birdsong continues as you sit up and get your bearings — aside from a brief wave of disoriented nausea, you seem to be no worse for wear than you last remember. Amongst gnarled oaks and moss, you see nothing around. No sign of civilization or sentient life. Movement flickers at the corner of your eye, but it's just a curious animal — brave squirrels or lizards who have come to see what stirs in their home.
Then, like the rippling of the horizon at noontime, the ash-gray soil around you undulates. Sea, not earth. Something else has come to greet you — their grey bodies blended in so easily with the floor, but as you stagger to your feet, you see them. Thousands of spiders roll like waves underfoot. They crawl towards you from the darker edge of the forest.
attack
Individuals who attack the spiders will find the small spiders are easy to kill, but the pheromones released by their corpses draw larger spiders in their place. Huge, blood-red spiders the size of hunting dogs drop from the treetops. In addition to their venomous bite, which contains a fast-acting paralytic, these creatures are clever: they will attempt to use their webbing to handicap any trespassers, binding limbs together or to trees. If you're unfortunate to become fully cocooned, you don't have long before this forest will be the last thing you see.
hunt
Any aspiring monster-hunters enterprising enough to try to follow the spiders to their nest will move eastward. This way, the forest grows darker and darker — though the sun never grows warm red-gold with sunset.
In the void, the birdsong is replaced by the click of mandibles and the skitter of many legs, but soon it is impossible to see. Even with the brightest magical light does not reach further than a few inches. The air grows heavy and thick, as if it were not air at all but some more solid mass. Almost like liquid-smoke, it presses down upon you. Slowing your movements. Soon, you cannot move at all.
Turn back while you still can — collapsing out here is dangerous. The void can play tricks on your senses. You may find yourself reliving unhappy memories or hallucinating your worst nightmares.
In the void, the birdsong is replaced by the click of mandibles and the skitter of many legs, but soon it is impossible to see. Even with the brightest magical light does not reach further than a few inches. The air grows heavy and thick, as if it were not air at all but some more solid mass. Almost like liquid-smoke, it presses down upon you. Slowing your movements. Soon, you cannot move at all.
Turn back while you still can — collapsing out here is dangerous. The void can play tricks on your senses. You may find yourself reliving unhappy memories or hallucinating your worst nightmares.
But flee the spiders westward and you will discover that the wood is well-populated with the survival resources that someone might seek — berries bushes and trees bearing stone fruits; sticks and dry leaves to aid in the building of a fire; rocks big enough to fashion into crude weapons; small animals that can be hunted or caught; hike long enough, and you might just find the freshwater stream that runs north-to-south, populated by both poisonous toads and delicious crawdads.
What's more, you may run into others with stories just like yours. Some may have already formed clumsy nudist hiking parties, others may still be naked and confused and processing how they have no memory of how they got here. They all stagger vaguely, as you do, with only the sun for a waymarker — and even that won't last long.
Now is a good time to overcome any hang-ups you have about modesty, as it's going to be a long hike. If you sneak a good look at your new companions, you may four varietals of marks on their bodies. Maybe someone will even point out that you have one, too.
EVERY DAY LIKE THE ONE BEFORE
Hike far enough — or long enough that the sun does go down — and signs of life come into view. The glow of fires and lights, the smooth curve of a stone wall. A town sits at the edge of this wood, a reward to the survivors.The fifty-foot wall of beige stone protecting the town's perimeter has only a single entrance — an iron gate positioned on the southern edge. When you arrive, the gate is already open, welcoming people into town from the winding dirt road. Attentive eyes may note that the road itself bears the mark of many wagon wheels and horse hoofs, but not cars.
guards
The guards grant entry to anyone who attempts a conversation with them. However, if your character is more likely to attempt to sneak in, overcome the guards, or attack them, please reach out HERE.
Inside the wall lies a quaint, historic town with a population around five thousand. The streets are cobbled, and their signs are lit by gas lamp. Wooden shutters protect otherwise open-air windows on the buildings, which are all under three stories with gabled roofs. A number of businesses hug the main street — a clockmaker, a cobbler, a bank — while residential homes sprawl outwards towards the wall. At the far end of the main street, visible about a mile to the north now that the trees and the enormous wall is out of the way, sits a castle with three towers.
No matter what time you pass through the gate, the streets are full of people. The climate of the bustle befits a night market or a busy friday downtown — plenty of people to ogle at your exposed body. But despite any efforts on your part to hide or make excuses, the locals don't seem offended by your nakedness. Even families with children don't gawk or look twice. In fact, the further into town you go, the more you may notice that they all wear revealing clothing that, to your sensibilities, may seem sexually suggestive. Some individuals openly expose their breasts and nipples, while some others may incidentally reveal when they turn around to tend to their errands that their dress is backless — entirely! If anything, they seem to be under the impression that you're naked to participate in the evening's events with the rest of them.
Those still determined to find proper clothing will find that modern clothing stores aren't a thing here. The closest this town has is a tailor's shop, which is closed for religious observance, and a stand in the central marketplace selling scarves and blankets.
Fortunately, the people of the town are very generous! The locals will gladly share what they have with those who ask politely — but those items are as revealing as what they're wearing. You might get a mesh bodysuit or drape outfit. Remember not to be ungracious! it's only appropriate for the occasion.
steal clothing
Anyone unwilling to ask nicely for help could break into someone's house or yard to steal some of their clean laundry. Notably, inside their homes, the people of the town also appear to own some more modest apparel. Be sure to alert us HERE if your character pursues this option.
And what is the occasion? The locals are excited and flattered by any interest in their ordinary weekly prayer: the folks dancing and selling their wares are all offering their energies to give thanks and ask for their god's patronage! The abstractions are all familiar — fertility, harvest, peace. Smalltalk makes them eager to chat and draw you into those festivities — including some ceremonial wax-dripping on the exposed parts of your body!
Anyone who chats at length with the townspeople will gather that the locals feel it's better for the newcomers to dive into the deep-end because, since you'll be settling in here, they expect you'll want to participate down the line. They seem to be under the impression that the new arrivals are a boon from their god.
In addition, many of the locals' choice of clothes reveal the same four types of marks on their bodies as the folx who were wandering out in the wood!
ROOM AND BOARD
Once you're tired out, the locals will help you find a place to stay. The boarding house is several stories tall and spacious, accessible through an embellished iron garden gate and obscured by hanging plants, trees, and vines. 
Beyond the overgrown yard is a bright red door, which opens into a spacious cottage.
The house has clearly been empty for some time — dust has gathered on various furnishings — bedding, sofas, curtains, wooden tables. According to the locals, it has remained empty since its last occupant passed away, and that's all they'll say about that!
Each floor of the house has a shared sitting room, but only the first floor has a kitchen — large enough to support feeding the entire household. Here, a few of the townspeople will help out — they stock the kitchen and help make dinner for the new arrivals.
Get a good night's rest. By the light of day, locals will help get the new arrivals set up on the coal stove with breakfast. You may notice they're dressed in a way you would almost call normal — at least, in a manner befitting 19th century Eastern Europe. As you find your way around town to get your bearings, folks are eager to help you find a place to apply your skills so you can contribute to your new home.
Beyond the overgrown yard is a bright red door, which opens into a spacious cottage. The house has clearly been empty for some time — dust has gathered on various furnishings — bedding, sofas, curtains, wooden tables. According to the locals, it has remained empty since its last occupant passed away, and that's all they'll say about that!
Each floor of the house has a shared sitting room, but only the first floor has a kitchen — large enough to support feeding the entire household. Here, a few of the townspeople will help out — they stock the kitchen and help make dinner for the new arrivals.
finding roommates
Don't spend too much time in the dining room going for seconds, though. You'll want to claim a bedroom quickly because each one only has two full-size beds, and there aren't enough spaces for everyone. The last people upstairs will need to double up to squeeze in. Roommates will not be mod-assigned; players should coordinate directly with one another to determine their living arrangements.
Get a good night's rest. By the light of day, locals will help get the new arrivals set up on the coal stove with breakfast. You may notice they're dressed in a way you would almost call normal — at least, in a manner befitting 19th century Eastern Europe. As you find your way around town to get your bearings, folks are eager to help you find a place to apply your skills so you can contribute to your new home.
no subject
If I didn't know any better, Alina, I'd think you were trying to be rid of me. ( lightly, a touch of humor to an observation that would otherwise be rather uncomfortable. )
Trousers, first. Then we can discuss strategy.
no subject
but she can't very well say so, can she? if she did, she'd wind up in genya's position. the bottom of her stomach drops out just thinking of it. no.
instead, she turns back to the clothesline and keeps sorting through their options. ]
no subject
and, while alina starkov might be the sun summoner and perhaps the closest semblance to an equal he has ever encountered, she is still a child.
with so few choices on their current clothesline, aleksander considers moving onto the next — or potentially breaking into a neighbouring house. he glances across the street, accessing the options. the square had been busy earlier. surely one of these houses has been left abandoned for the evening? )
no subject
[ she tries the door, finds it locked, but then moves to the window and presses her palms to the glass. they are sticky enough with sweat and nerves that she is able to shift it up from the sill, which allows her to wriggle her fingers under it and wedge it up the rest of the way.
climbing in means lifting her bare legs up, exposed beneath the drape of the skirt, but she does it quickly as she slips inside and leaves aleksander in the yard on his own.
the house is empty and quiet. by the looks of it, it belonged to a small family — a couple and at least one child. there are no dishes left out, but there is a book on the table and some papers on the table. three coats on the rack by the front door, across the big open middle-space of the home.
alina makes for the stairs and heads up them, making an assumption about where the bedrooms might be. it's strange, how familiar the layout is, how similar to ravka when everything else is so foreign. by their belongings alone, the people living here really just seem ... normal. ]
no subject
a glance around his surroundings, checking for observers, then returns his focus to the lock. with a twist of his fingers, he coaxes the darkness into a slender tendril that he slips into the keyholes. )
no subject
there are clothes in the drawers. some of them like those on the line, but some that are more clearly work clothes. she pulls the pants out of the drawer and holds them up. too big for her, but for aleksander ...
she throws them onto the ground, furious with herself for considering helping him. she places her hands on the dresser and stares into her reflection in the glass covering the picture hanging on the wall. what is she supposed to do, when he'll know what she's done and she's not strong enough to fight him?
she turns around and picks the pants back up, folds them over her arm.
when she hears his footsteps on the stairs, she steps back into the hall and offers it out to him. ] Here.
no subject
moreover, these trousers appeared to be long enough to provide ample coverage beyond just rear. a definite positive. )
Thank you.
( awkward as hell, but he's definitely going to be pulling these on immediately — over the short-shorts — because his dignity has suffered enough blows today. )
no subject
she turns away while he pulls the pants on, folding her arms in front of her and leaning up against the wall. ]
We really shouldn't linger. The people who live here could come back.
[ her modesty be damned. ]
no subject
Take a blanket, at least. ( adjusting his trousers, he cuts a brief glance toward alina. she might not care about anyone seeing her legs but he certainly does. )
no subject
[ and honestly, she could throttle him for the extent to which he's acting like he has any right to say what she does with her body, what she puts on it. as if it were already his. because she had let him believe that. she had let herself become his pet. ]
no subject
as it is, he's tempted to give her exactly what she wants. the actuality of people seeing her in that state of undress will quickly undermine her defiance.
however, the shadows betray him. they flex and curl like a clenched fist, a stark contrast to his level tone. )
Take the blanket, Alina.
no subject
but there is another effect of recalling what he'd done to genya. protective fury, and that feeds the preexisting outrage that he thinks he has any say over her body.
so instead of flinching back, she gathers herself and steps closer to him, jaw set, eyes hard on his. then she moves right past him to the stairs. ]
I'm going to see what I can learn from the locals.
no subject
but alina rushes past him, darting down the stairs before he can react. it snaps him out of his dark thoughts, brings him back to reality.
truthfully, he doesn't want her fear; he wants her trust and obedience, both of which he currently lacks. so, he follows her. how can he not? racing down the stairs, her name on the tip of his tongue. )
no subject
there is a stand offering what look to be rich-smelling handpies, and alina surveys it with some interest. she can't quite understand what they're saying, though, until she focuses properly and finds that it becomes more than just nonsense. it's a strange feeling, like some lock settling into place inside her skull.
it unnerves her, but not enough to stop her from taking one of the pies. ]
We should split up. We'll cover more ground.
no subject
as it is, he pulls to a stop beside her in front of the stall. the seller seems more than willing to share, and as tempted as he is to decline, aleksander finds himself staring all the same, his mouth-watering. when was the last time he ate? )
And where should we meet?
( in the hypothetical future where he actually entertained going along with this plan. )
no subject
[ in case he thought she wasn't holding a grudge. she bites into the pie like she maybe wishes she were taking a piece out of him instead. ]
no subject
he takes a moment to collect himself, tucking his irritation behind a composed facade. an edge of exasperated resignation enters his voice. )
I've always valued your opinion. ( matter-of-fact. valuing her opinion was one thing; action upon it was another matter entirely. ) Perhaps I haven't always expressed that adequately. But make no mistake, your thoughts matter to me.
no subject
but at the end of the day, it isn't worth it. that argument is between her and the panic attack she is waiting to have about his presence here, and how it suffocates her. ]
The gate. [ she says finally. ] Inside the wall, obviously.
no subject
how many places can a single girl hide in a place like this, really? )
In an hour, then.
no subject
[ that gives her an hour to have a crisis. she keeps her expression stony and neutral, as best she can. her chest feels tight with nerves.
it's not that she's afraid he'll hurt her, just now. but he has her cornered. she only has an hour to find a way out of here, or she'll have to turn herself back over if she doesn't want to arouse suspicion about her flight. ]
I'll see you then.