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

tsumugi aoba / ensemble stars!

[fineprinted]

i.

[ from out of the well and into some sort of fairytale-land, tsumugi supposes. they even have talking flowers from children's books, how cute!

too bad he just so happens to stumble upon a bunch of grayed-out flowers which are now spouting insults at the poor boy that may even rival a certain fellow magician back at his school. tsumugi shrinks into himself and covers his ears as he endures the verbal onslaught, quivering in his spot. ]

I-I'm sorry! My hair just looks this shaggy, okay? I can't help that! Huuu, and I thought young people are scary enough as they are, and now I have to deal with this too...?

[ for the love of god please help him calm down, they're just flowers. jeez. ]

ii.

[ whoever made these outfits must be really good at their job, tsumugi thinks. though maybe they should have considered its wearability, because tsumugi just could not take a single step without tripping on his feet, even when he's normally not that clumsy. maybe.

nevertheless, he's relieved that he's not alone in wearing these duds, because he will do his best in approaching you post-haste, long hems be damned. ]

Ah, hold on! Would you mind if I try fixing that outfit of yours -- Oof!

[ welp, he almost faceplanted onto the ground but it's still quite a fall. good thing his glasses are still intact. ]

wildcard
[ feel free to hit me up with something else! if you want to plot something out with me, go ahead and PM me or PP me at jikochuu. ]

i for i love tsumugi and i was summoned by your presence

[finethanks]

[Okay, it's a little sad to see Tsumugi over there getting owned by flowers... As tempting as it is to just keep walking along, he decides to step over. He seems calm and put together as always, even as pale as he is, and he has a hand curled near his chin.]

Is something upsetting you, Tsumugi?

[He hasn't become a victim of flower insults himself just yet.]

It'll look odd to others if you're standing amongst the flowers and crying to yourself, so please try to pull yourself together.

if only this worked during his bday,

[fineprinted]

[ hey, he wasn't crying! yet. eichi's appearance does put tsumugi more at ease though, relieved to find an... acquaintance in this town full of strangers. ]

I'll be fine, Eichi-kun. It's just... Is my hair really that terrible?

[ he was certain that he'd asked him this question before, but he'll want another take anyway. ]

LGDFMLGMFDL NOOO DONT REMIN DME

[finethanks]

[Who's worse, the flowers or Eichi.]

It's not that I think it's terrible, really... but wasn't the free way you let it grow always your style?

[The flowers shouldn't be something he worries about over that. But as Eichi takes a step closer and crouches down in front of one, it immediately has criticism for him, too.

"Your face is only average looking. Can you really call yourself an idol?"

Eichi, still smiling, reaches to pluck it right out of the ground.]

These are a little dull, though, aren't they? Perhaps I should collect them all so I can bring them some color together. ♪

Perish

[fineprinted]

Mm, that's true. Maybe my hair's still adjusting to this place. [ atmospheric levels and what-not. ] ...No, maybe I'm just that unlucky. I seem to have dropped my lucky item upon coming here too.

[ sigh. his ears catch the flower's backhanded comment though, and he waits for eichi to inevitably crush it in his hands or whatever.

at least now they know these flowers don't have eyes either. ]

Oh, I can help you with that if you'd like! They look even more average without the colors anyway, so please don't feel too bad, Eichi-kun. ♪

ii :eyes emoji:

[trepidate]

[ It's pretty clear that the train of Phos' gown has been trailing in the dirt and snagging on rock and branch both along the way. They're not, like, super upset at the prospect of ruining these clothes because it's just sleepwear, right? But they are pretty alarmed by the person that's come at them so suddenly and tripped over their own hems. ]

Ack—! [ Shuffling forward to check on this poor soul. sorry if our own dress kind of smacks you in the face in the process though, mugi. :( ]

Hey, are you okay?

;)

[fineprinted]

[ is tsumugi ever okay, because don't expect him to answer that seriously. what he does though is raise up a shaky arm to wave at the - rather sparkly stranger that looks not unlike the one whose arm he broke a while ago, whoops. ]

Don't worry about me, I'm fine...

[ just. give him a moment to hoist himself off the ground first. there. ]

As I was saying, do you need any help? [ ignoring the fact that he's the one who needed help most, but. ]

[trepidate]

Watch your step next time.

[ They feel sort of bad about not.. helping him off the ground but, gems don't touch other gems and all that. It's not really their first instinct. Phos will pat some dust off of your clothes though, maybe? ]

Uh, if you know how to make these pajamas [ GESTURES TO DRESS? ] less heavy, that would be helpful. I can hardly move in them, but it's impossible to take them off, too.

ii

[osteotome]

[ Press f to pay respects--

Nah, no one should be that mean. Grayscal flowers have got that covered and they're in the other prompt. Honebami will kneel down, offering a hand. ]

Yes please.

[ He's just gonna answer that offer, even if poor Tsumugi might need help with his own outfit? The boy here is also short, but he got around by lifting the cape off the ground. It makes his arms tired and useless though unless he lets go. ]

[fineprinted]

[ this is the part where alexa would play on cue if electronics were allowed here. tsumugi mutters his gratitude as he's helped up on his feet, dusting off his garb before taking a good proper look at the younger boy. ]

Whoever made this certainly did not pay attention to your measurements, huh... Let's try this.

[ he'll just go around honebami's back, takes a handful of fabric and does his best to fold and tuck them up and into the boy's collar. it's gaudy as hell, but it will do in a pinch. ]

Is there a general store around here? I can do a much better stitch-up job with a needle and thread than this.

[osteotome]

[ he shakes his head. curse this abandoned town sort of setting. ]

Sadly there isn't one here, but I do have this.

[ He pulls out a tiny plastic case. Last month he raided the general store of his memories for useful things, so... cheap sewing kit, here for convenience. It's non-canon, I do what I want! ]

But fix yours first. Falling like that must hurt.

i for i am here

[sorewatopsecret]

[What a strange shrub in the middle of these flowers---Ah wait, that was no shrubbery. That seems to be... a shaking and crying young man, roughly around Takane's age. She steps closer, then kneels down, prim and proper, to study his face curiously. The flowers start hurling insults towards her person as well, but it ultimately goes in one ear and out the other on her part.]

Good sir, it would seem to me as though you are on the verge of tears. Might I offer you a handkerchief...?

yass queen

[fineprinted]

[ is he really crying? ...yes, there's that stray tear at the corner of his eye. he shakes his head though, not wanting to embarrass himself any further. ]

I'm fine, thank you. [ takes in a deep shaky breath. ] I wonder what's gotten these flowers upset... It's not as if I've done anything wrong, unless my luck is really that low today.

[sorewatopsecret]

[He doesn't seem like he's fine, in more ways than one... However, she won't force a handkerchief on him and further ruin his minuscule pride... Though she'd probably find another way to, without even realizing it. She tilts her head to the side thoughtfully]

From what I have observed, it is not a matter of wronging them nor is it luck. Rather, it is merely their nature... That is to say, instead of releasing scents like normal flowers, these colorless buds release harsh words.

[Insulting others as a process of nature... These flowers remind her of Iori, somewhat. Perhaps Takane should pick some and give them to her as a souvenir, should she ever return to her home world. Anyway, she offers a reassuring smile.]

... Therefore, I would not take their words too much to heart. I know not if this would be of any consolation to you, but it is of my honest opinion that your hair is quite non-offensive. Just from observation, I hope that it would not be bold of me to say that it seems to be charmingly fluffy. Like those "al-pack-ah" creatures.

[Somewhere in the background, a flower yells, "You can't even pronounce modern words right! What century did you come from, anyway!?" She serenely ignores it.]

one

[solocheer]

Hey! Cut that out!

[like a savior from upon high, the outraged voice is followed by a rather diminutive young girl. she may not be the most physically impressive out there, but Himari's expression makes it clear she's ready to knock some heads around if she has to...or blooms, in this particular case.

planting herself in front of Tsumugi's cowering form, she produces a pair of scissors from her pocket. sure, they aren't the most threatening thing in the world, belonging to her school supplies rather than a gardening set, but she figures that sharp is sharp. flowers aren't going to be picky when their lives were on the line.]

If you don't start playing nice then I'm going to use these!

[fineprinted]

[ his knight in shining armor may be a to--cute girl with a pair of scissors, but tsumugi will take what he can get. still, he's a little worried, and that snapped him out of his verge of tears for even a fleeting moment. ]

Ah, please don't harm them! They're still beautiful flowers despite being like that!

[ the flowers are ruthless despite himari's threat as they now turn to her, jeering "Who would ever use 'Hey, hey, ho!' as a cheer anyway?". oh. ]

[solocheer]

[whoa, excuse you.

she's about to agree to Tsumugi's request and suggest that they find somewhere less floral to linger, but that last jab was just completely uncalled for. her cheeks puff out in hurt anger, bottom lip wobbling briefly as if she were on the verge of tears herself. it's bad enough that Afterglow always left her hanging, but to hear it from a plant now too-!]

What do you know about band cheers anyway? That's it, you're definitely getting a haircut!

[you might want to find a little more of your spine, Tsmoog, because otherwise those lovely flowers are going to be getting little petal mohawks in about five seconds. she's diving in with no regrets and revenge in her heart.]

i

[awamori]

[This town just continues to surprise him. Ryuu never thought he would hear flowers insulting him or well anyone as they walked by. He's not too bothered by them cause well they're flowers and being in the entertainment industry helps out too. However, when he sees the young man quivering before them he makes a beeline over to him and leans down enough with his hand stretched out.]

Hey, why don't we move away from them? I don't know what's gotten into the flowers, but your hair is fine.

[He never imagined he would be glaring at a flower, yet here he is.]

[fineprinted]

[ the flowers did nothing wrong, thought! nothing wrong with a little constructive criticism. he will nod at ryuu though, taking a couple of steps away from the bush until they're out of earshot. whew. ]

Thank you. They do have a point though; my hair's a little more unruly than usual. It must be the weather.

[awamori]

[Still, the flowers could be a little nicer! Now that they're away from the flowers he should be able to calm down.]

You're welcome. Really? It looks alright to me. I wouldn't listen to those flowers, sometimes this town can be very interesting.

[Interesting being the nicest thing he can say about Chroma.]

i!!

[doublesharp]

[As nice as talking flowers may seem on the surface, the colourless ones (which are.... most of them, unfortunately) definitely aren't so nice. This isn't the first time the town has had happenings like this, but that doesn't make the insults any less scathing, and.... this poor boy (someone he's never seen before, at that!) seems to be falling for it.]

Hey! That's no way to treat a stranger!

[Is he.... talking to the flowers? Apparently so, but as soon as he finishes having a word with them (?), he's quick to turn back to Tsumugi.]

Don't listen to them, alright?! Sometimes the furniture and flowers say bad things, but none of them are true! It's all to make you feel bad!

[fineprinted]

[ this guy really out here lecturing the flowers... it's nothing like keito's though, so the buds start flinging their own round of insults at riku instead.

but uh - ] Furniture? They can insult you too? Huu, why's everything so rude to me in this world already... I've only just arrived here, okay? How would they know about the sins I've committed?

[ calm, ]

[doublesharp]

[On one hand, he's both heard this before and fully expected it to happen. But on the other.... yeah, it still stings. It's easier to ignore, however, if he keeps talking to Tsumugi!]

It's not your fault! They're mean to everyone, but they still say really terrible things!

["Sins" is kind of intense, but hey.]

Um, that's... I guess it's magic? I don't really get it either, but nice things happen here sometimes too.

ii.

[beswitching]

[ During the mishap, Natsume has draped the end of his cloak over his arm. ]

It's only obvious you should be more worried about yourSELF.

[ He doesn't bat an eye with the current display, only clicks his tongue. Not that he finds pure joy in this, either, and does approach the pathetic scene. ]

Can't even stand on your own two FEET.

[ There's an annoyed huff for good measure before Natsume's crouching down in front of dear ol' senpai to examine him over. ]

You look just FINE. Don't be so dramatic and get off the GROUND, will YOU? [ He tilts his head ever so slightly. ] You did say that something isn't right with my ensemBLE.

[fineprinted]

Ahaha... [ with a nervous laugh he gets off the ground as instructed, dusting off his garb. ] It's not me being clumsy this time, actually. This outfit's making it hard to work on, but I wouldn't want anyone to start tripping like me, so I'd rather start fixing the others' first before doing mine. Not everyone knows how to sew, after all.

[ having natsume here is greatly comforting, despite his usual cattiness. tsumugi manages a smile as he stoops again, needle and thread at the ready. ]

It's a miracle that you weren't tripping along the way here, Natsume-kun. ♪ I don't want to ruin such a perfect outfit on you either...