Test Drive Meme 2.

[awashmods]

These are the mem’ries that last. These are the mem’ries that will never pass. And time waits for no one. It’s gone in a flash. And only the mem’ries will last.

Prompt 1: he forest looms, uninviting and full of menace, an unwelcoming place for sure. Time to go explore! It isn't as though there's anywhere else to go, now that you've looked around the Town. The trees whack at you with branches that have far too much mobility for normal trees, strange and mutated animals watch from the shadows and boughs, and there’s the constant, constant sense of being watched -- But eventually, nonetheless, you’ll come across a small house in the forest. It sticks out like a sore thumb, bright and colorful, which is probably the first warning that something is way off, and it’s...covered in candy. It’s a candy house! It looks delicious. (It’s empty, too, not a single soul in it, without even furniture, but everything is otherwise edible and utterly delicious.) But if you eat the candy? You’re going to have a terrible, overwhelming urge to do one of two things: Fight the first person you see Kiss the first person you see Unfortunate. Prompt 2: he problem with a Town like this is that now that color is starting to return, bit by bit? You never really know when color’s going to come back -- or disappear. Maybe you’ve made a delightful, delicious sandwich from handmade bread and tomatoes and deer meat, all of which have color now… and then suddenly, when taking a bite, you get only the taste of ash and bread and tomato as the deer meat loses color. Also, someone probably died for that color to fade away. Alarming! Or maybe you’re walking along when suddenly your makeshift clothing is a hideous mix-match of colors; it had seemed fine when it was all grey and colorless! Or perhaps, even worse, you’re walking out of a house when suddenly, the flowerbed in front of it has full color, bright and maybe a little blinding after so much monochrome. Damn those color mechanics. Prompt 3: he quest seems simple, on the Quest Post: Quest 33: Feed the Cockatrice. Requirements: 2 of any color Key word, of course, is seems. First, you have to find the cockatrice. Maybe grab someone to drag into the woods with you, since there needs to be at least two of you. Time to stomp through the woods in search of the elusive cockatrice. Of course, once you find it, the quest...looks a bit harder. The monster hisses, ready to turn anyone who approaches to stone, as cockatrice tend to do. What do you even feed that thing? How will you get it to take it without getting stoned up? There are so many questions. At least the stone will wear off...eventually… if you’re unlucky enough to get petrified. Prompt 4: ut hey, you did it! You fed the cockatrice, it seemed satisfied, and now you can go fetch your reward from your home. It must be something amazing, with the work that you put in. The only change in your home, though, is what looks like a...picture book. It's got a colorful cover (in your character's color shade), and has their name on the cover, so it definitely belongs to them. And when they flip it open, it's clearly full of pictures scribbled in, as if drawn in scribbly crayon. Unlike the rest of the Town, this book is fully colorful, every shade of the rainbow in those crayon strokes... which depict, page by page, your character's worst moments in their life. Every single last horrific experience or tragic moment -- it's all there, in colorful, cute children's drawings. Congratulations! Extra: Got something in mind? Want to play with the setting more? The sky's the limit, so feel free and make up your own prompts to play with! Welcome to Awash's second Test Drive Meme! Please check out the FAQ and rules as you test your characters out. The setting is yours to play with, so be creative and have a good time with it! Important dates to remember are May 1st, 9 PM EST, when Reserves will open, and May 7th, 9 PM EST when Applications will open. Keep an eye out for it! As a side note, TDM threads are not canon, so please feel free to assume established CR for the sake of the TDM if it will make threading or showing off your character's voice easier. If you have any questions about the TDM, feel free to ask us here. If there are any other questions, you can catch us via PM, the FAQ or the contact page. Thank you for your interest in Awash!

Comments

[costaliris]

It's certainly a shock to the system, to say the least.

[Gladion would likely find himself in a similar state if he was in Max's "boring" world, if only because of how different it was.

Sivally nuzzles up against Gladion's side again, earning a tiny but actually present smile from the teen.]

My entire team made it here with me, thankfully.

[whichcraft]

Ugh, man. You wouldn't believe what I'd do for a packaged processed nonperishable piece of terrible-for-you junk food right now.

[There's so much she's tempted to say to him right now, so much she'd express if she were a different person under different circumstances with far different levels of utter terror herself. She'd commiserate, for one thing; she'd say something like, I thought that too, once. She'd say, I know someone who can do that. She'd say, I think he's the one who sent me here.

But the most that she knows about Prompto Argentum from Eos right now is that he reads comic books and likes taking pictures of birds, and that's not nearly enough to warrant that kind of spilling of her best-kept secrets.

Kind of a shame, that.]

I think you're right, though. There's got to be a reason. People don't do things like this without a reason.

[photoshooter]

[He sighs.]

I dunno if it'd be better or worse if we knew what that reason was. ...Better, I guess. Because at least then we'd have an idea of what we're up against, if it's something bad.

[Which it Probably Is, let's be real. After a second, Prompto shakes his head and returns to putting all his heart into being cheery and uplifting.]

Nothing we can do about it just worrying about it like this, though. I dunno about junk food, but one of my friends back in town managed to grow real potatoes! I bet we can find a way to make it terrible for you if you want.

[hydrokinetics]

[There's a grin because yeah, he's rude, but he's curious anyway. Twenty-three isn't that old, actually.]

So not that old. That's not too far from being a teenager.

[whenitsgone]

[ He laughs. ]

Probably, but that's not the title they gave me.

[ It used to be a part of a longer title, but he wants a clean start, so he won't go into that. ]

[whichcraft]

Are you kidding me? I would give you five whole dollars for a real potato, junk food or not.

[A figure of speech that is usually a safe bet, given that she hasn't lived in a place where the word dollar means anything for months. Still, the point isn't really about whether or not she'd pay money for it, anyway, now is it.]

...That was a smooth subject change, by the way. Very graceful, good follow-through, stuck the landing.

[photoshooter]

Hehe.

[He preens a little himself, leaning up higher on the balls of his feet, adjusting the fall of his hair across his forehead. It's not a real compliment, of course, he wouldn't know what to do with himself if it were, but playing along with jokes is his thing.]

I gotta earn those dollars somehow, you know? If you need any more subjects changed, I'll be here all week. Uh, probably.

[...]

So what's a dollar?

sakamoto ryouma | hakuouki | possible kyoto winds spoilers

[teradaya]

1.

[Well. Needless to say, that little hike through the forest was...interesting.

Ryouma doesn't spook easily, though, so even though everything about those trees was unsettling, as well as what may or may not have been watching from beyond them, he still manages to get to the clearing without much trouble. His clothes are rumpled, as if he'd been somewhat manhandled, but the skin of his face and hands appear unscathed.

Lucky guy, huh?

And maybe, if nothing else, he can use this house as shelter if his explorations end up fruitless. Though it's also a little unsettling that no one seems to occupy the house, nor does it look like it's been left in a hurry, what with the lack of belongings left behind. Or maybe that's promising. No evidence of some evacuation or disease that drove people away, hinting that the same could happen again.

Oh, yeah, and it's actually colorful. Kinda nice, though.

Still, it smells particularly sweet. And when you manage to find your way to this clearing, as well, Ryouma will have just (totally accidentally!) broken off part of a window shutter, the piece flaking off sugary dust in his hand. And he looks up at your presence, offering a warm smile and his free hand raised in greeting.]

Oh, hey there! I'd invite ya inside, but that might be kind of assuming, huh?


3.

[Feed the cockatrice, they said. Surely it'll be easy, they he said.

Yeah, that little quest post failed to add in some vital details. Like this could end in certain death if one weren't careful. Or at least a lot of unnecessary pain.

Ryouma will pass on that, thanks.

But he leans against a tree, hiding from the beast, his revolver raised as he presses one last bullet into the wheel gun and closes it. Yes, the quest just said to feed this thing, but as the hissing continues to echo behind him, he grows more certain it's going to involve some more...aggressive action. Not to mention, a ranged weapon will be more effective in this situation than the sword hanging at his hip. Surely most reasonable people will figure that out.

He turns toward his questing companion, however, not anxious to jump right into this mess, considering they know nothing about the creature. Right? Probably.]

Oi, what'd you manage to grab food-wise? Maybe we can just...throw it real far.

[Flawless plan.]


Wildcard!

[Other ideas? Throw 'em at me, I'm ready.]

two weeks, one illness, and a lot of canon review later whoops

[batteredhat]

Very good.

[Gandalf nods both in acknowledgement of the answer and approval of the contents. It's the sort of answer he likes to hear - 'we're fixing things'. Proactive and determined for the better.]

In the spirit of fixing things, I don't suppose you could tell me about the requests I have seen writ upon the -- laptops, I believe they're called. Are those part of fixing things?

[Or are they something else entirely? He's still unclear on that matter.]

two weeks, one illness, and a lot of canon review later whoops

[batteredhat]

[Truly, her innocence warms his heart, and he hopes she never encounters anything that would shatter it.]

Alas, I am afraid they ran away when they were beaten, but we can always hope that they will have learned for next time.

3

[tosa]

(He's tired. He'd just wanted to channel his energy into something productive like an easy mission and now here he is! Hiding behind a tree and watching a giant chicken monster. That's just wild. He's heard of a lot of spirits and monsters before but a giant demon bird like this is new to him.

He's been keeping count of their bullets and he knows that Ryouma is on his last one (two?). Mutsu's been using his bullets a little more sparingly. Guns are more powerful than swords, at least, against ordinary people and creatures but the difference doesn't really seem to matter here. He's wondering if he should go at it with his sword if they have to but a dead bird can't eat.)

Huh? (It's really not much but reaching into his sleeve, he holds out a half loaf of bread,) It's what birds eat, right?

It's all I got, though.

apologies for the long delay!

[batteredhat]

[Gandalf laughs at the reason she gives for needing to be nice. Thanks Oona, indeed. He would express his appreciation for her respect, but with the shift in her attention, he decides perhaps it's best not to bring her attention back to his staff. The mirth fades into a sigh as he glances down at the book once more, nodding.]

So it would seem. Or if not mocking us, then at least trying to send a message of some sort. If only we knew who might have made them!

1

[festal]

(Sakura jumps when he breaks the shutter and she gives him a terribly guilty sort of look, like she's feeling all of the guilt and shame he should be feeling for damaging someone else's property. He smiles and her and offers a hand but in return, she has nothing to give. Instead, she continues to look pale and nervous and keeps her hands held tightly around her Japanese bow.)

I r-really don't think we should be here... (She's just a jumble of nerves after coming out of that forest,) In case whoever lives here comes back. I-I don't want us to get in trouble.

(She tries to not make a point of it but she sure did glanec at his hand.)

[teradaya]

[Half. Half a loaf of bread. That that murderous bird could undoubtedly gobble up in one easy bite. Ryouma looks at it for a few long seconds.]

Well, if it's all you got.

[He holds out his hand.]

How 'bout this. You take half, I take half. One of us throws our piece as far away from us as possible to see what it does. If it works, then we throw the other half and run like hell.

[This is sound, right? It's logical.

And if it doesn't work? Ahaha...]

[tosa]

(HE THOUGHT IT WAS A SMALL BIRD, HOW MUCH DID YOU EXPECT HIM TO CARRY??)

Ya don't gotta say it like that. No one said we had to stuff it.

("If that's all you got" Just who do you think you are? What did you bring to the table, Ryouma!!!)

And if that doesn't work, we'll just stand in front of it and let it decide which one of us tastier, right?

(He's arguing but he's breaking it in half, okay.)

[teradaya]

[Oh, dear. That unease is the most obvious. No doubt her trek through the forest was similar to his, if not worse. So he softens his expression and lowers his voice, dropping a few pegs from outright friendly to comforting. It wouldn't do to let this girl stay frightened, not when there's no current threat.]

Nah, I don't think you gotta worry. The place is as empty as a desert. Whoever lived here before seems to be long gone.

[He looks at his hand, the sugary stuff starting to stick the longer it keeps contact with his skin.]

Mm...but if they did, I'd take the blame, fair and square. You're off the hook.

[...Ah, but then he smiles a little more and points at the ruined shutter.]

Unless you'd rather go for broke and just have a taste anyway.

[Not that he'd make her do it if she were really against it, of course.]

[teradaya]

[Look, maybe you had a variety? Like bread and seeds. Or bread and bugs. Worms? Birds eat bugs, right...

Then again, seeds and bugs wouldn't do anything for something of this size, huh. Oops.]

What if I had gotten hungry after this great search and wanted some, though? Now we gotta sacrifice it all.

[He's...he's actually way too calm about this whole thing. Calm enough to joke, but he still takes the half when Mutsu finishes separating it.]

No, if it doesn't work, then we immediately run like hell. I'm pretty fast. Think you can keep up?

[tosa]

(Now you want him to carry bugs? What does he look like? A bait shop? ... Bait?!)

Then you can have all the yakitori ya want later.

(It would be easier to just hunt this thing down and eat it, tbh. But wow, what kind of question is that? Can he keep up?)

Really? I'm right behind ya. (Tossing Ryouma his piece.) How's your arm?

(Ryouma looks like the type that would like baseball.)

[festal]

(It's okay, Ryouma. Sakura here lives her ilfe in a constant state of anxiety and nerves.)

Maybe...(She doesn't sound too convinced and she keeps looking back at the forest, feeling whatever is watching them. She doesn't like it but it's the only way back home. Ryouma's change in tone is enough to put her somewhat at ease but she won't completely relax.) Oh! I didn't... No, if something did come, th-then we'd take care of it together! I-I could explain that it was all an accident or something.

(She doesn't want anyone to get in trouble. She doesnt want any trouble. She looks at the piece in his hand and frowns. As much as she loves candy, she's a well behaved shrine maiden princess.)

N-no thank you. I... I think we've done enough.

[foeyay]

There was something gross in the well earlier today. I think I'm being more sanitary this way.

[It was Keigo. Keigo is the something gross.]

[teradaya]

[He's not judging.]

Oi, oi, careful. You'll woo my stomach, yet.

[He looks at his hands, then switches the bread and his revolver. If he's going to have any chance of lobbing this thing, he might as well use his dominant arm.

Also fuck yes he'd like baseball are you kidding.]

Let's find out.

[Taking a breath, he turns just enough to toss the bread around the side of the tree, then pushes himself off of it and runs in the opposite direction to hide behind another tree. Changing location is the key!

...You coming, Mutsu?]

[teradaya]

[His eyes widen, though a smile stays on his face.]

Ohh? You'd do all that for little ol' me?

[It's nice to hear, even if he'd rather not make things more complicated, despite this being a (probably) hypothetical situation. But when he's gone through a decent portion of life under suspicion, warranted or not, just to have a little bit of support means a lot.]

But, y'know... If I'm gonna get in trouble somehow, then I might as well enjoy the fruits of my crimes, yeah?

[Which means he's finally going to eat that shutter piece. All...pure sweetness of it.]

[tosa]

( He's absolutely being judged and Mutsu hates it. He's a good sword. He doesn't deserve this.

Their new cockatrice friend turns at the sound of movement. The loaf of bread falls lightly and it makes a loud, threatening squawk as it comes over to where it is and... steps right on it. The bread clearly hasn't caught it's attention and it's more distracted by the sound of whatever bigger thing moved. What a hecking waste of bread.

The cockatrice comes over and Mutsu manages to sneak around his current hiding spot to out of its line of vision but they sure are separated now. But hmm... their monster friend is curious enough but it looks like they need to drop their bait somewhere where it's easier to see?

Mutsu thinks. Had they passed any sort of clearing up until this point? Yes, a little while back, they'd found a small one earlier in their journey into the woods. Trying to get Ryoma's attention, he beckons and points back to where they'd come from. They need to run back? Retreat? )

[festal]

I saw you a-and I know you didn't do it on purpose.

( It was an accident and accidents happen! Surely anyone would understand that? Maybe? Oh, dear. Now this man is saying things and she just knows he's going to do something. He's.... he's a very confident type of person, isn't he? Almost a little too bold for her liking. )

What...? ( Enjoy the fruits...? ) Oh, no, w-wait--!

( And he just takes a bite of his piece of house and she looks as pale as a sheet. They're going to get into so much trouble! She was hoping they could just.... put it back but they can't if it's in his stomach. )

Oh, dear....

i love you snarky

[messianic]

[Oh.

Well... yeah. Minato nods quietly at that, and:]

The quests, yeah. We tend to get rewarded for doing them. And sometimes, I think completing a big enough quest brings back some color.

[It's magical.]

But it also feels like us just being here...helps somehow too.