Test Drive Meme 3.

[awashmods]

Mary, Mary, quite contrary How does your garden grow? With silver bells, And cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row.

Prompt 1: t's probably been at least a little while since you managed to climb out of the well, so hopefully you've dried off by now and are enjoying poking around the Town. But who cares about all of that? More importantly, the Town has a new feature this time, for reasons entirely unknown to everyone. The flowers...seem to be talking. They have no faces, but they will definitely turn to talk to you, and if they have had their color restored, they will very brightly and contentedly compliment you, or your clothing, or wish you well. If they haven't? Prepare yourself for all sorts of horrible, horrible insults, because that's all that's coming your way. Prompt 2: ow are you settling in? Is the Town treating you well? It's not as bad as it used to be; some of the houses have color, some of the food has color and taste as well. It's been polished up a bit since everyone first got here. Granted, when you wake up that morning to find yourself in full fancy wear of many different types (all colorless, and gender has nothing to do with which you might end up in), you'll find that the Town might not be as well put together as it seems. You can't get out of the formal wear. It just won't come off, no matter what you do. Which wouldn't be so bad, but... it seems like these clothes will snag on just about everything in the Town, which is far from smooth. Try not to trip over those loose cobblestones, or your dress snagging on a nail sticking out from a door frame. This is really not the place for this sort of clothing. Prompt 3: e loves me, he loves me not... that's a pretty familiar game, right? For some reason, the urge to pick one of those flowers and casually pluck the petals from it while playing that game is going to grow stronger and stronger the more flowers you see. Eventually? You're just going to have to cave to it. (Certainly it doesn't help that the flowers scream a bit when you pull their petals; they still can talk right now, after all!) She loves you, she loves you not...and by the time you've picked the last petal, you've forgotten who you were even thinking of originally -- instead, the very next person you see is going to be the victim of a very impassioned declaration of love. Don't worry, you'll come back to yourself...after you declare your undying love for everyone to hear. Prompt 4: ut no matter how many people tell you not to go into the forest, however, it's still rather enticing, isn't it? It's sitting right there, waiting for you to explore it, waiting for you to just step a little bit out of the Town... And soon, you're surrounded by the dark boughs of the trees, the twisty, turny paths of the woods, where it feels like you're wandering in circles for hours upon hours -- And then, after ages of tree branches yanking at your hair and roots tripping you up, you find a clearing. And in that clearing? There's a field of flowers. They're colorless -- strangely eerie because of it, but still distinctly recognizable to the flower familiar as Asphodel. And touching any single one of those flowers will suddenly give you vivid memories of one of your precious friends -- so long as they're dead. Anyone around you is going to experience that flash of memory too, so be careful! 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 third 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! An important date to remember is September 1st, 9 PM EST, when Applications will open. There will be no reserves for this app round or any future app rounds, so it will be first come, first served applications. 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. You are of course welcome to use prompts from the previous two test drives. Thank you for your interest in Awash!

Comments

[satanslash]

You're uh... probably not wrong?

[Not that he wants Kohaku to die! They just met after all.

But that dress...

That dress.]

Well, I mean, I'll be goin' anyway so yeah. Just in case, though, have you looked at your laptop at all? I know technology can be weird for some people but it's pretty helpful once you learn it. We use the forum to send messages around.

[spiria]

Um ...

[ She's ... still not quite sure what a laptop is. ]

... Nnnno?

[ LOOK TECHNOLOGY ISN'T AS ADVANCED IN HER WORLD AS IT IS IN YOURS .... ]

[umbraportation]

[ Now that they're both stuck here together, he certainly has the time. Having gotten over his crush and developing feelings for Will along with the months Nico's had away from Percy have helped. It isn't nearly as painful to be in the other's presence as it had been. Working together to survive this place and get home is something Nico can do with more ease than before.

If they could just avoid more incidents like cursed flowers, it should be fine. He can manage to figure things out on his own (though it won't stop him from wanting Will or Annabeth or even Jason to act as a buffer at times). ]

We're pretty far from home so we can't expect to always end up with quests like stopping powerful beings from destroying all of humanity. Though it wouldn't hurt to plan for the worst now before it decides to surprise us. Unfortunately, I'm all out of nectar and ambrosia.

[robitussin]

I hate this entire dress and I keep tripping over the skirt, so I'm cutting it off, but it won't rip no matter how much I tug at it.

[A reasonable explanation, clearly.]

[satanslash]

[... yeah he's used to this by now.]

Don't worry about it, I can show you mine later.

3

[havearaft]

[Calypso couldn't help watching as Nico picked apart the flower. Over the years she'd done her fair share of the same (even though she was well aware that those who came to her island would never love her back), still, it was interesting to watch a child of Hades looking so incredibly lovestruck (not that he and Will didn't look as if they loved one another. They seemed to have a pretty ideal relationship actually.)

It was when he turned to her and professed his undying love for her that caused the frown to partly fix itself on her lips.]

Clearly.

[There was absolutely no way that Nico would be in love with her, In fact, the only one she ever wanted to be in love with her was Leo, who was probably halfway to Camp Jupiter by now.]

Why are you picking flowers anyway?

[The insatiable urge hadn't quite kicked in just yet.]

[thisucks]

[He huffs, his tiny hedgehog face scrunching up into an equally tiny hedgehog pout.]

Did you sleep through everything again? So useless! I'll tell you what's going on if you help me with this first!

[Use your brain, come on! He knows that Kuro's smart, he just needs to actually want to put in any effort! (Lawless hopes. He really doesn't want to wait until the sun goes down enough that he can shift back and free himself.)]

Even if I could reach behind my back I won't be able to take these cursed clothes off, do you think I'd willingly play a role like this? I'm the Phantom of the Opera, not Dracula!

[Since when is he into musicals? Since not really ever, but he's an emotional sap for bonding moments and his rendition of doing the Phantom together with Licht definitely counts as one.]

haha, weird but it happens

[umbraportation]

Remind me to never introduce you to my friend Leo if he shows up here.

[ Sarcasm or not, he'll remember it.

They could try chopping them down. Nico may not have a sickle to cut down those pesky plants but he does have his sword. If those flowers are actually living beasts, he should be able to kill them down the root with a single swing. Or he could just radiate death and make them wither. ]

Other than the fact that we're stuck in some crazy alternate world? I hear the forest is pretty dangerous to wander through. Full of monsters and the trees are more vicious than their flower companions here. I've heard that not even staying in the town is safe as monsters can kidnap people. Or the fact that any food that lacks color taste like ash.

[fistofthejoestar]

[he's way cuter than you are, Giorno. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules.]

Hoping doesn't do much good on its own without some sort of help, no matter where you are. I'm certain that I'll find plenty to keep myself busy with.

[he was that sort of easily pleased person, anyway. and just as determined to eventually return to where he was needed once things were resolved here - it didn't matter what the universe had planned for him in that particular instance. he'd find his way home again if he had to tear time and space itself asunder.

but those weren't thoughts that were particularly weighing on his mind at the moment. he's too interested in watching with open fascination as Giorno transforms a mundane object into a living thing. he laughs aloud, almost like a pleased child, and closes his palm to extinguish the ripple still burning brightly in his hand.]

Amazing! You're far beyond anything that I could hope to do.

[with a broad grin he extends a hand for a shake.]

It's wonderful to meet you. I'm Jonathan, although you can call me Jojo if it's easier.

fancy wear

[oomfies]

The same person who dressed you, obviously.

[ Don't hate on the satchel, it's a fashion statement. Wearing a potato sack equivalent on your head? In. She even cinched the belt to make this thing high-waisted! Definitely not because she's trying to salvage this hot mess, so that when someone's spot her sneaking around town she looks redeemable.

It clearly didn't work, if this reaction is anything to go by. ]

At least I look cute in mine!

[umbraportation]

[ W e l l, that's a thing that happened. Nico has only met Calypso the once when Leo brought her to camp before they flew off with Apollo on a quest but he recognizes her immediately. Hard to miss her even when he spent most of the time arranging the line for other demigods to give Leo a good hit for dying on them all. Even with their fairly brief time together, she knows he isn't interested in her like that at all.

Thankfully, she's someone who understands that people get cursed to do ridiculous things and doesn't dwell on it very long. ]

Don't know, I just felt compelled to pick one after a while. It might be part of the curse.

[ He heaves a heavy sigh and tosses away the remains of the now petal-less flower. ]

You alone?

[ Of course Nico's asking if maybe Leo (or even Apollo or Festus) got dragged here with her. ]

Nikkari Aoe | Touken Ranbu

[oldschoolghostbuster]

{i. Questionable Culinary Choices...?}

[If there's one thing that can be said about Nikkari as a person, it's that he has a very high threshold for weirdness. Whether this is because he's surrounded by strange happenings on a regular basis or because he's a bit of an odd duck himself is anyone's guess, but it doesn't really matter why none of the happenings from waking in the well until this moment have left him largely unfazed.

Even the fact that he's standing in a large patch of flowers that see fit to hurl all manner of insults at him - the current topic being the dress he found himself in - seems not to be worth more than a contemplative expression.]

I wonder, since these flowers have no color, are they tasteless?

[Nikkari, don't make puns that simultaneously insult the flowers' fashion sense and sound like you're threatening to eat them...]


ii. Oh dear...

[Considering his usual outfit and not inconsiderable dexterity, Nikkari hadn't expected to get caught on anything in the new fancy one he's apparently stuck in for the time being.

Now in hindsight, he can acknowledge that he probably shouldn't have ventured so close to a weather vane with a cape on. Why's he on a roof in the first place? Don't worry about it. It's definitely not as important as trying to attract the attention of people below to help get him unstuck.

The next passerby is getting called out to in a (perhaps unexpectedly) calm, friendly manner.]

Excuse me! Would you mind lending a hand? I seem to have found myself with an unexpected entanglement.

[oomfies]

[ Lottie huffs in response - she loathes how he technically isn't wrong. Darn cat..... ]

Well, if there were ever any talking cats that existed, Misty would've already bragged about it in the group chat. And I can't even be around animals, so there's no way they'd ever talk trash about me behind my back.

[ She crosses her arms, leveling a hard stare down at the feline. No more arguing!!! ]

So then that means you can only be from this place.

[rerevale]

[ There's a cliche about how certain people light up a space the moment they occupy it— it's such a trite, meaningless saying that ultimately ends up being more subjective than not, but Momo is utterly convinced that Riku Nanase, brilliant rainbow child that he is, gives credence to that age-old adage.

Seeing that smile helps; feeling that exuberance helps. Momo, ever the champion of happiness, soaks up that greeting like a sponge. ]

—Riku! Riku, is that you?!

[ He rubs at his eyes with mock exaggeration, like a blind man who's finally learned how to see. The wide split of his grin doesn't let up, not once. ]

Ahh, or maybe it's an angel?!

[havearaft]

[She crouches down next to him, but can't seem to feel anything in the way of a true curse. Then again, her powers aren't anything close to what they once were.

But she's distracted by the question. She knows who he's asking after. She's not as strong as Apollo or Leo, and of course, that's what would matter here to a demigod. So she shakes her head. Yes, she's alone.]

The last I saw Leo, he was heading for Camp Jupiter. Apollo and Meg too.

[Which meant that she had been left alone. Not that she was upset by it. She was going to be starting school soon and there were her powers to think about. And Leo would be back soon enough. They'd made that promise.]

You?

[neetvampire]

You can't take them off....?

[Kuro quirks a brow. So Lawless couldn't remove the cape for whatever reason, which meant he really was well and truly stuck. Small, squishy, and stuck in the door of a house where just about anyone could walk in at any given moment.

Uuuugh--]

...What a pain....

[He lets out a dramatic sigh, but he does in fact step into the light and let himself transform with a poof. Tiny kitty teeth latch onto the cape before Kuro starts tugging in an attempt to dislodge him.

Never say he hasn't done anything for you, ok.]

Just don't scream in my ears while I do this, Mr. Phantom.

[umbraportation]

[ Personally, Nico would prefer Calypso over the others if only for the fact that Leo and Apollo can be a bit too much to be around for him - especially if they're going to be stuck here a while. Whether she has the abilities she once did don't matter to him.

They can teach her to wield a weapon if she wants, though they might not be able to help with other abilities. When she tells him she's alone, Nico doesn't look all that disappointed by the news. He got to hit Leo before ending up here and Apollo has a quest he should be on so he really isn't upset that Calpyso's here instead of them. ]

Glad to hear that Apollo joined forces with Meg again. You'll have to catch me up on everything that's happened since you left.

[ Nico knows that even just traveling across the country is wraught with danger for a demigod and beings who were once immortal. Not to mention that it sounds as if Calypso got left behind while her boyfriend gave the god and his friend a ride.

For a moment he's silent. ]

I showed up alone but... Percy's here. As far as I know it's the three of us and his hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary. [ His eyes go to the sky. ] He said Annabeth had been here for a while and then disappeared.

[havearaft]

[She can't help pursuing her lips a bit to stop the frown from the mention of Percy. They'd made amends, and she actually liked Annabeth, but that didn't mean there wasn't a string of anger that remained. He'd forgotten about her, just like all the others, and no amount of 'I'm sorry' could change that.

Still, Percy going missing should have come back to them in some way. Grover might have at least mentioned it before they left. Percy was, after all, practically the shining star of Camp Half-Blood. And with the impending battle it was likely that they would need him to help defend Camp Jupiter.]

We didn't hear anything about that. How long has he been here?

[athorn]

That's right . . . though I'm afraid I'm a touch lost. What does a Fencer do?

[athorn]

[ Is Rosetta's skull made out of bone? A mystery for the ages. ]

Hee hee . . . I'm afraid they have a mind of their own there. I wouldn't worry, though. Sooner or later, they'll go back to being normal flowers again.

But I wasn't lying earlier—I do know of several places that are quieter. I can take you to them. Much easier than wasting precious time and getting dirt on your clothes, don't you think?

[thisucks]

Keep acting like this and I'll roll up and let you deal with the result-!

[He is strangely subdued as he ducks his head, trying to hide how happy and touched he is at having his brother actually help. Lawless will kick up a big fuss and annoy and bother a lot, but when it comes down to it? He's pretty good at reading people and stupid Kuro-Ash will always hold a special spot in his heart that only people with siblings will ever understand. Hell, he doesn't even really get it himself!]

Uuuugh, this is all so stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!!

[Flailing once more dramatically to hide his flustered state Lawless stops in mid-motion when he realizes that shit, he is still a hedgehog. And that might have been a kitten nose he just punched. Oops?]

Ah...!

[athorn]

[She nods along, her interest piqued by his answer. The last of his words draws a laugh out of her.]

Even ghosts crave company, sounds like. How enlightening . . . I suppose all those scary stories about them feed into the misconception.

So? Go on. How do you relocate them?

Calypso || Riordan Chronicles

[havearaft]

1.
[Calypso has never been one to be insulted by plants. Before leaving her island, she used her powers to control them, help them grow and bear more fruit. Now that she'd been working on regaining them it was the same. At least, it was starting to become that way - slowly.

The insults were horrible. Some even betrayed the thought that still mulled around in her head. She was horrible, useless. No one wanted her around. She would always be left alone. On and on it went before finally, she began to lose her temper.]

Keep it up and I will crush you.

[She stamped her foot for emphasis and the flowers all seemed to shrink back from her action. That didn't mean they stopped. In fact, they began to taunt her even more. 'What kind of god would threaten innocent flowers', 'She's here to kill us all' and 'don't trust the useless god']




2.
[It had taken a while before the flowers got to her. Probably because of her affinity for nature - or at least that's what she'd say the reason was if pressed for an explanation, but they still got to her.

Her enjoyment of the little screams, as she plucked the petals off the stem, went back to her earlier encounter with the insulting ones. It was slightly therapeutic to be breaking down the flowers as they had tried to break down her.]

He loves me. [The first tug brought Leo to mind. But there was no question in her mind that he did love her. Even if he was insufferable about nearly everything.] Of course, he does. This is completely dumb.

[And yet, she continued to feel the tug to keep pulling.] He loves me not ...? [No, of course, he loved her. He - he? Maybe he didn't. She should pick more to make sure. So she did. She continued, hoping that the mysterious 'he' loved her in the end, even to the last petal.]

I'll love you for all eternity.

[umbraportation]

[ Calypso isn't the only one who has a few issues with the son of Poseidon which will make living in a close space with him a little bit difficult. Though they can probably all work together if (or when) the need arises without a whole lot of issues if it means getting back to the people they care about alive.

Considering what happened the last time Percy went missing, it would definitely have been a big deal had anyone noticed. Which they hadn't. Which meant there was something odd at work here. ]

No one at Camp knew either so we couldn't pass that message on to you. If he'd gone missing again, word would have spread pretty fast even with our communication lines not working. He said it's been three months since he got stuck here.

[araneidal]

[ she feels u broski B| ]

You're not going to lie here forever.

[ Sternly, because he better not have been planning to feel sorry for himself in the middle of the street indefinitely — it's infinitely preferable to do that sitting on a bench, with a huge plate of something greasy instead. Natasha bends, annoyed by the ruffle of the dress, to help him up. ]