cycleofspam | TEST DRIVE MEME

TEST DRIVE MEME

Whet your whistle, try out the setting, and see who you want to bring to the party!
IT'S A MINOR BLIP IN TIME
Maybe you were showering, or sleeping, having breakfast. You might have been participating in your morning commute or fighting off a horde of zombies.

Whatever you were in the middle of, a strange sensation of disconnection comes over you, as though you're watching your life on screen, a passive audience to the proceedings. It's almost like, well, being sucked down the drain like every adolescent nightmare, the feeling of disconnection replaced quickly with a pain so deep, it's as though every atom of your being is pressed too closely together, and your vision goes dark. Then, just as quickly as the pain came over it, it's gone, reality snapping back into place like a stretched rubber band.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK CITY

When your eyes adjust, you find yourself in a slightly spartan room, standing on a platform that seems to be made of glass or some sort of crystal. Energy currents in blues and greens swirl within it, dizzying and hypnotizing if stared at for too long. You're shocked from the vision by a cheery, bubbly voice that belongs to a petite brunette grinning at you from the base of the steps that lead down from the platform. She apologizes for any inconvenience you may have been caused, and hands you a small package, explaining that inside you'll find a phone, a directory of locations within the complex you've arrived in, a charge card with a balance of $500, and a key to a room in the dormitories which can be reached by following the green line on your directory.

She apologizes again for how confusing this must all be, but assures you that everything will make sense soon!

THOSE SEXY PROMPTS

01 ARRIVAL
After receiving your mysterious package from the happy girl who identifies herself as Airy, she suggests you head out and explore! You find out pretty quickly, or have a lot of trouble figuring out, that you're in a vast underground complex that consists of a lot of areas the directory says are "RESTRICTED". Places you can access are listed as "Forest", "Rec Room", "Cafeteria", and "Dormitories".

02 FOREST
Down a hallway across from a RESTRICTED area, a vast room filled with a living, breathing, underground forest can be found. Here, deep underground, the sun shines, a small creek flows, birds sing, and one could really believe they were outside. There's even a pleasant breeze! Weird, right?

03 REC ROOM
On the opposite side of the complex, near the dormitories, one will find another vast room labeled "REC ROOM". Inside, there is a seating area with basic refreshments (water, sports drinks), board games, a more relaxed seating area with sofas and places to read, a separate room that contains exercise equipment, another with an indoor pool, and a small basketball court. In a separate game room, there are arcade machines, an air hockey table, pool table, and ping pong table.

04 CAFETERIA
Across the main hall from the REC ROOM, one will find the double doors leading to the CAFETERIA. Outside, on a easel chalkboard, can be found the menu items available for the meal currently being served. Inside, several dozen tables and chairs take up most of the floor, and the din of conversation is comparable to a high school cafeteria. The older gentleman in the kitchen will come to the counter when approached to see which of the selection you'd like. We'd really recommend sticking to the offered selection.

05 DORMITORIES
Situated in a wing complex near the REC ROOM and the CAFETERIA is the DORMITORY wing. Rooms are solo and very small, ten to a hallway, and contain a single bed, a small dresser with mirror, and a small standing closet. Each hall has a common room at the end with seating and a five shelf bookcase, off of which are male and female bathrooms with showers, and a laundry room with four washers and four dryers.

06 WILDCARD
Start your own prompt! See what that phone can do, facilitate random encounters in any of the unrestricted areas! Go wild! Literally!

( DIRECTORY )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

06 WILDCARD | ANYWHERE

Papa! Papa!

[She knows what that nice woman had said when she arrived but she wants to find her father. Her cloak is pulled over her cheeks but as she runs down the hall it falls showing off long her messy blonde hair.]

Papa are you here?!

[Grace continues to call out, her voice echoing down the long hallways.]

[ With everything that had transpired so quickly, Jefferson's thoughts immediately went to wondering if he had finally lost his last shred of sanity when he heard what he thought was his daughter's voice calling out for him. He didn't know where he was, but he knew where she was supposed to be. In Storybrooke, living as Paige, with her... parents. Even if she did ever want to see him again after what he'd done, she couldn't have remembered him. The clock was ticking and the apparent savior had arrived, but she'd yet to save anyone. How could Grace ever --

But then he heard her again. And again. The longer the words settled the more concrete they became. Maybe she called her fake father that too. Papa. Maybe he was making a terrible mistake, but he couldn't do nothing. He couldn't stand to hear her voice and not answer. He just couldn't. ]

Grace?

[ There were so many emotions twisted up inside that his voice came out too weak. If he was going to do something he had to at least pretend to be strong. For her sake. His feet started moving in her direction, and when he called again it was much louder. An edge of uncertainty remained, but what kind of parent would he be if he didn't even try? ]

Grace? I'm -- [ Keep it together. Keep it together. ] I'm here! Where are you?!

[A thrill of hope shot through the young girl when she heard the familiar timbre of her fathers voice. She turned, her expression shifting from horror to hope. Her eyes shined brightly as she ran down the hall towards the comforting sound.]

PAPA!

[Her feet fly swiftly over the concrete floor, ringing out as she turned down the corner. She didn't see him but she wouldn't stop shouting for him. It's her father! He's finally come back! He's finally here!]

Papa where are you!?

[ She recognized him. She knew him. She... remembered?

He felt his heart constrict, even more emotion than before flooding him. He was so incredibly selfish to even consider being happy that she had her memories, but he'd waited so long to have her as his own again that he couldn't even contemplate how horrible that happiness made him. All he could think of was holding her close and never letting her go again, and that thought made his shoes hit the floor even faster than they had before. ]

Stay where you are! I'm coming, Grace!

[ She was close. So close. His heart was pounding and he felt like he was going to break down and cry before he even saw her. ]

Papa?

[She can hear his voice ringing through the halls. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest as she turns to look for him. She spots the familiar tall protective figure rounding a corner and breaks off at a run.

Grace's arms fly out and wrap around her father in a warm hug.]

Papa! You finally came back.

[ He froze at the sight of her. She was as perfect and beautiful as he remembered and he couldn't stop his eyes from becoming watery. ]

I... I told you I would.

[ He had never anticipated it would take so very, very long.

Jefferson dropped to his knees the second she reached him, embracing her in turn as the tears that had been threatening to spill poured freely. He had so many questions, felt so many things at once, but he finally had his precious Grace back and nothing else mattered. He stroked her hair gently, soaking in the sensation of her closeness. He had missed that feeling more than anything. ]

I'm so sorry I left. I'm so sorry.

[ His voice cracked slightly on the second apology. ]

I'll never leave you again, sweetheart. Not for anything.

[Grace buries her face into her fathers shoulder if only to hide her own tears. She wants to be strong for her father but she'd missed him so very much.]

I love you Papa.

[Her voice is muffled by his shirt and she doesn't dare pull away from his embrace.]

All I need is you.

[ He knew that her strength had never come from him; her indomitable will was the very same as that which had resided in her mother. He had always been so proud of her ability to be optimistic in the worst times, but he never expected it. He could feel the wetness of her tears slowly soaking into the fabric of his shirt, but it was okay. She deserved to cry as long as she wanted to. Hearing that she still loved him despite everything he'd done wrong made him squeeze her even tighter. If this was all a dream, he hoped he never woke up. ]

And I love you more than every treasure in all the realms, my dear Grace.

[ He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

The familiar words brought a small but warm smile to his face as he finally let himself believe them for the first time. Jefferson had never felt like he was enough, but that mistake had come with a price far too painstaking. He had been a damned fool. ]

I know that now. [ His hand fell from her hair down to her back, clinging to her cloak like she would disappear if he let go. ] I'm sorry that I didn't before.

[She's young but she isn't foolish. She doesn't know where her father went but wherever it had been had been somewhere far away. He'd left her and while he had every intention of coming back he didn't. There is a fear rooting inside of her, twisting and turning despite being held in her fathers arms now.

She's so scared to loose him. He is everything that she has.]

Will you stay?

[Grace looks up at him, her fingers quickly wiping away the small dots of moisture pressing at the corner of her eyes.]

I don't care where we are as long as I'm with you Papa.

[ He wouldn't dare blame her for that fear. It had been entirely his fault and he knew it. He had thought so naively that if he gave in to Regina that she would actually make their lives better, but in hindsight he was disgusted at himself for entertaining her proposal for even a second let alone going through with it. He had been so firm in his refusal the first time. Why had he been ignorant enough to stray from that resolve?

In a way he knew that he had deserved what the queen had done to him. To ruin his life for having a hand in ruining hers was only justice. But Grace... she didn't deserve any of the pain she had been put through because of the horrible things he had done.

When Grace pulled back he studied her with a palpable regret written all over his face. He wiped at his face with the back of his hand, a heavy swallow preceding his words. ]

Grace, I... [ He had never even considered how hard it would be to explain things to her. ] I didn't mean to be gone for so long. I thought that if I could give you the better life that you deserved that I would be giving you your best chance too. But I trusted the wrong person and did the opposite. I know I hurt you.

[ He looked down, the shame he felt almost unbearable. He forced himself to look into her eyes again, a hand brushing her hair away as he lovingly caressed her face. ]

I don't know how I'm ever going to make it up to you, Grace, but with you is the only place I want to be. I've spent too long trying to get back to you to do anything but stay. So... can we make a new promise? A promise to never leave each other?

[Grace understands more than she lets on. Like with most children, she's horrible under estimated. She remembers the look on her fathers face when that carriage had appeared at the house. She remembers watching it from the safety of the trees as it rolled away.

Now her fathers here and she can see the regret and pain on his features. She smiles up at him, her eyes shining in a way that only a young child's could. If he's feeling weak then she'd be his strength. All they need is each other to be happy.]

I promise Papa.

[She never wants to leave his side, nothing else matters.]

Just stay with me. That's all I've ever wanted.

[ He should have known better than to think that he could have hid what was going on from her. Grace had always been the perceptive sort -- again, just like her mother.

While Jefferson knew he spent far too often thinking about all the things he wished he could change about his past, he hadn't anticipated so much of it so surface at their reunion. He was supposed to be happy, not... afraid. The look of her smile and bright eyes was all it took for those negative feelings to fall away. ]

I promise too. [ He held her small hands in his, squeezing them. ] I won't break it no matter what. [ He dared a smile, a hint of teasing in his voice. ] I'll be around so much that you'll get sick of seeing your father's stupid face all the time.

[Her head tilts to the side and her smile widens.]

I could never get sick of you Papa.

[Bit by bit she feels more like herself, more like the time before her father disappeared to help the Queen.]

Can we go home Papa?

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[It didn't take a werewolf to hear the girl, but the way the halls of HQ make sound carry, relying on his nose, which was also easy, was always preferable. From the sound of it, she was heading toward him, not away, and he stepped out of a side hallway in front of her, crouching down to be on her level.

He smiles a fatherly smile, immediately reminded of his own little girl.]

Hey, easy there, kiddo. Who are you looking for?

[Grace is huffing softly having ran down most of the halls through HQ.]

My Papa... he said he'd be right back. That he'd come back for me.

[Except he isn't here and she'd been alone for so long.]

[That tugs at strings Gus would really rather be left alone and he frowns before nodding.]

Well, I don't think shouting's getting his attention, is it? My name's Gus. What's yours?

Well, what if he hears me?

[It doesn't seem like a completely awful idea.]

I'm Grace.

HQ's big, kiddo, but it's not that big. If he's around here, he'll find you.

[And he smiles that comforting smile of his.]

Your Papa picked a good name. [He pauses for just a moment.] You like ice cream, kiddo?

Promise? I want to find Papa... He said he'd be home in time for tea.

[Grace bites her lower lip.]

What's ice cream? Is it like milk?

[She's from a world without refrigerators.]

Well, you're a little far from home right now, sweetheart, but we'll make sure you find him if he finds his way here, alright?

[He smiles, standing up and offering her his hand.]

Frozen milk, with flavors. Come on, I'll show you.

[Graces hesitates before taking his hand.]

Okay. When he gets here we can all have a tea party?

[She moves to Gus's side looking up at him.]

With Ice Cream.