test drive meme 1.

[awashmods]

Her Pa committed suicide By biting off his head. Her mother saw her uncle's ghost And died of fright, she said. So her unpleasant habits Seem most curious to me, Because she seems to come from such A happy family.

Prompt 1: he forest looms as ever, colorless but not at all dead. The leaves are full, fluttering in the silence, but there's no scent to them, no color. The effect is eerily hard to navigate, almost like an optical illusion, leaves, branches and trunk blending together with the small path -- which already disappears and reappears at a whim. But even so... If you brave the path, it seems as though there is something leading you onwards. A trail of... something, crumbs, maybe, the same shade of colorless as everything else, almost impossible to see. Following those might be a bad idea -- your chances of getting lost, tangled in random underbrush, or wandering aimlessly for hours are pretty high... to say nothing of what you might encounter if you stray too far (hint: even the small, fuzzy things have nasty bites). Still, it's there, and if you follow them... eventually you will come to a small house. It's decrepit, falling apart and in shambles... do you really want to go inside? Perhaps armed with one of the many convenient tree branches that have probably smacked you thus far? Prompt 2: hould you enter the house, you'll be greeted with a creepy, creepy doorman. Aw, how cute! And in that doll's hand, there's...a message. On a slip of paper, it reads, simply and plainly: The more you take, the more you leave behind. Curious! (And yeah, you can destroy the doll. It's just a normal doll. You may even come across said doll already crushed by an intrepid explorer.) Of course, it's a riddle, and the answer's a warning -- the longer you walk around and about the house, the less you'll remember about yourself, until you forget why you were there and why you should leave, and who you are at all, doomed to wander forever. Or someone saves you, that's fine too. Prompt 3: roblem: There are no fresh eggs in the Town. Solution: Catch a feral chicken, and keep it for eggs. That seems simple enough, right? You're totally up for the task... right? But why do all of the animals look so strange in the forest? Mutated, with teeth, or wings that don't belong, or claws. That's... a chicken, right? Catching it will allow you to get some eggs, but that beak looks pretty nasty -- it might be harder than it looks. But you're intrepid and clever, right? Why not demonstrate your Chicken Wrangling Skills that won you the championship so many years ago? Or try to serenade the savage beast? Or wuss out and form a coalition with which you draw lots to see who has to do battle with the chicken? There's safety in numbers! But the prize will surely be worth a bit of blood loss and fowl-related trauma. Do it for the eggs. Prompt 4: here's a new quest on the forum today, and it looks awfully easy! It's listed simply as: Quest XXII. Talk to someone you've never met about their childhood. Quest will be completed when you have reached an acceptable level of knowledge. On the other hand, that's a little vague, isn't it... ? How will you even know when you've completed a quest like that? Still, it looks easy! Maybe go give it a try. You could respond to the forum post to try to find people, or just go on outside, go harass someone about their past. If you're lucky, you'll drag it out of them with very little hassle and it won't take you a good chunk of the day. If you're unlucky, that's what highly persistent stalking is for! But don't forget, you'll likely have to return the favor. And your new friend might not be the only one listening. 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 first 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 March 1st, 9 PM EST, when Reserves will open, and March 7th, 9 PM EST when Applications will open. Keep an eye out for it! 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

[flamebringer]

Two hours. [she's been counting the minutes; it helped keep her alert. she'd been moving rather slowly, cautious of the forest's ominous treachery, constantly on guard. this would be much more bearable if she had Brighid to just scorch a path through the forest.

she pokes at the ground with one of her branches, squinting at the narrow path.]

I was following... ah, there it is. [colorless and barely visible, but it's there. little clumps of dirt, or crumbs or something. Mòrag figured it was better to follow the trail than aimlessly wandering.

but, in the end, she had ended up doing exactly that anyway until she found Pyra. the trail didn't seem to be going anywhere in particular, and Mòrag's progression had been slow with how diligent she'd been in making sure she didn't lose sight of the crumbs (Brighid's Keen Eye would've been so helpful here, too bad), but it's still better than nothing.]

Do you see it? Someone, or perhaps something, had left a trail. It could be worth investigating. Let's not waste any more time dawdling here.

1!!

[flamebringer]

[bro......

Mòrag's already close enough to the front door that she feels no urgency to go stop Akira when she spots him. like, sure, there's merit in taking a roundabout way of doing things, especially when it comes to weird old houses in the middle of the woods, but. still.

she tests the doorknob. it's unlocked.

actually, going through a window doesn't seem like a totally bad idea when she thinks about it.]

You there, boy. [her tone is sharp, but not aggressive.] What do you see in there?

[might as well ask while he's halfway inside.]

3

[awakeywakey]

[ The vampire watches from the bows of the tree limbs above, just a hint of gold in their shade unless one were to think to look closely. True, being one of the few who had color in this place meant he stood out a lot easier, but he was also wearing something that allowed him to blend into the grayscale a little more. The sun was already down but the world should be plunging into true darkness soon. Until then, he was using the trees like a fair-skinned lady did a parasol.

And he thinks my, but is there no one to tell this child not to go wandering into the woods at night? It's like every German folktale he heard when he himself was a child, some 300-or-so years ago. And what a round little boy! Round with rosy little cheeks, all the markers of a delicious meal.

The vampire continues to dab delicately at a stain of white blood spatter on his chest, doing a miserable job of it, until he sees Greg actually manage to catch one of those fowl creatures. Then, after a moment's pause following Greg's dismissal, he tucks his handkerchief back up his sleeve and claps. ]

iv

[flamebringer]

[the task does indeed look simple— and harmless, too, but she has to question what exactly merits it to be a quest in the first place. she regards Charlotte with some level of wariness, but Mòrag isn't quite guarded nor rude enough to brush her off. besides, it isn't as though her backstory is some locked secret.]

Yes, so it seems. [she has a feeling that someone or something would likely be listening in, but what would they even do with information about random peoples' childhoods?]

Too simple, perhaps. Whoever posted the task could have clarified what would count as an "acceptable level of knowledge."

3

[flamebringer]

[the chickens sure are something. they sure are something. but, seeing as there are no actual chickens where Mòrag comes from, she doesn't think much of their weirdly mutated appearance or their unusually aggressive temperaments. as far as she's concerned, they're just ordinary monsters to be dealt with in the way ordinary monsters are meant to be dealt with.

she may or may not have already kicked the shit out of a couple chickens who tried to peck at her boots earlier.

aaand she's dashing after Okabe and his little following of monster chickens, swiftly catching up. look, she feels bad for him, no one deserves to be harassed by these things.]

Stand your ground! Would you let such foul [(no pun intended)] creatures get the better of you?!

[did you try kicking them!!!]

viago | what we do in the shadows

[awakeywakey]

{ 1 }

[ It's been Hell living here for a vampire as much as it has been someone whose diet doesn't subsist on the blood of other living creatures. Maybe he's managed the odd colored denizen that got caught out in the woods at night, but mostly it's been monster hunting.

Viago hasn't had to get physical with any of his prey in a long time; the modern age with its nightclubs and dating apps had made it a fairly simple ( ok, not so simple with the app - he was very much the typical old man with technology ) affair to attract someone into being trapped in his shared flat.

And it really hasn't seemed worth the effort, dropping down from the trees to ambush the odd, colorless and faceless humanoid. Their blood tastes bland at best and exceedingly bitter at worst. He's still maintaining his undead lifestyle, sure, but at what cost? A nightly trip to the spring to try and wash his single outfit on the rocks as it inevitably becomes spattered with grey blood.

Tonight he's hoping to come across someone a little more savory on the path. He doesn't anticipate getting lost.

By some stroke of fortune, he finds a house in the woods when he thinks dawn is approaching. Viago tries not to sound desperate as he taps his knuckles against the door, but the knocking will grow all the stronger the longer he waits. ]

[ ooc; This one has the potential to be an attack or failed attack thread if anyone is interested! He doesn't go for kids atm, though, so no one under 18 for that option, please! ]


{ 3 }

[ Yeah... he's not here for the eggs.

The semi-chicken creatures had seemed like easy prey on his way into the woods for the night, but Viago is finding that to hardly be the case. ]

Heere chicky chicky~~ Hähnchen bitte schon! Gah!

[ He's trying to snap to gain the attention of the fowl creatures, interspersed with the odd and frankly pitiful grab when he gets close. Viago has tried to wander up to them casually now, but they always seem to glean his motives at the last moment. ]

Look at me now! Come along...

[ The vampire is trying to hypnotize chickens. The little shame of it and his growing frustration is making it all the more ineffective. ]


{ 4 }

Guys, it iz pretty drab around here, ja?

Perhaps we should have a party!! That shall help everyone to complete this quest and have a little fun with it, no?

practice

[awakeywakey]

Who is there?

[ The shadows ask, feigning a coyness that does very little to veil amusement. The shadows apparently are apparently vaguely male and German, making 'there' more of a 'zher'. The voice does not seem to be coming from inside of the house, but the trees nearby. ]

[pursestrings]

nah dad's still kicking around
it coulda been worse
got a place 2 stay n i go 2 school so..... it's not bad

[pursestrings]

[Okuyasu out here on the ground, thinking about his mistakes. He grumbles his displeasure with this fancy boy as he sits up, nursing his shoulder, and only then does he realize he is face to face with some kind of haunted doll monstrosity.

Which he swipes off its little perch and tosses toward the door, so, duck.]

What is that thing?! [he says, after he threw it already.]

[refuges]

It doesn't exist.

[That's a simple answer to that question and he's not at all flustered by it.]

I'm not sure if that's a satisfactory answer, but I can't give you anything beyond that since I've never had one.

Three

[nowhererails]

[ Ava leans over min's shoulder, her arms crossed, to get a good look at this...Yeah, it's...a chicken-adjacent creature, but not what comes to mind when someone thinks of the bird. Interesting. And a little disturbing.

She hums thoughtfully as she pulls a thin nail from the pocket of her overalls. She bites down on it like it's a long blade of grass. ]

That ain't no chicken, darlin'. [ She leans a little closer, squinting. ] Actually, I'm pretty sure it's a spirit gone AWOL, so it'd be best to keep your distance. Thing'll get where it's goin' eventually.

[refuges]

[Loosen up Shiki. Nothing will be as bad as the Fujou building, okay? Everything ended up fine in the end, right?

Not that he'd say that out loud, but he is giving Shiki a bit of a baffled look even if part of him understands. Still, he'd face any sort of danger he would have to for Shiki, though this is totally different. This has nothing to do with Shiki... or a job. Just his curiosity involving a random house in the middle of nowhere, which means it's probably a haven for the supernatural.]

Come on, just let me come with you.

[Even if he's just a liability... He's going to follow her anyway.]

[refuges]

[A normal person should hesitate. It would probably do Mikiya some good to actually hesitate in situations that could be deemed dangerous. Instead, he's walking in like he's got this.

He doesn't got this at all despite his confident demeanor.]

Me too. And maybe we can get some answers to this place while we're here.

[Being lead to an ominous house by some ominous force? Well, no one should be able to deny this place (probably) has answers.]

i

[brushy]

[ i’ve seen a peanut stand, i’ve heard a rubber band . . . i’ve even seen a needle wink it’s eye. i’ve seen everything! except a boy that isn’t blond and french fly.

amaterasu makes a sound, a ruff that makes her lips flop out and her tail wag leisurely behind her. hello child, flying child, with a little whiff of godness in your pj’s (you may perhaps see the bright alien shine in her coat, her feathers and her markings, the flare of fire and rainbow colors on her back). you seem a little, ah, down. on another plain, she paints a breeze that tickles the boy’s face, brushing away a few leaves in his hair like a mother would caress her dirty boy. there we go, you’re less of a mess!

as for the forest, it looks pretty big. dull and grey, tsk tsk, but large and still beautiful. she takes a few steps, little buds of flowers popping from the ground she stands on, then looks behind her, and waits. are you coming? ]

[exosolar]

[ Good. ]

How would you even tell when it was complete? Do you need to get a certain number of words, or get answers from a certain number of people or something?

[ Maybe more importantly, who's even coming up with these things? ]

1.

[apocalypticist]

[ At the question, Ryo just shakes his head. ]

I don't. [ All he's got on his person are his clothes and they're as white as an Apple device. ] You could try marking the trees by cutting the bark or bending smaller branches in a recognizable way.

hallway

[parodeity]

[ dave didn't really want to go in, but the chance of learning something Eventually overcame his incredible distaste for creepy dolls. he's only just come in, though, so he hasn't quite forgotten anything at all. a guy in blue, even a skeleton, is soothing to the little corner of his mind that takes comfort in girls in purple who like books and needling, and girls in green who like to garden and have sunshine smiles, and guys in blue who like jokes and the piano.

he doesn't quite relax, but his hands stay shoved into his pockets and he doesn't do much beyond nod, awkward. he's in red, because of course he is, lanky and keeping track of how long he's been inside the house without really meaning to. time's always right there. ]

Figured it made sense, yeah? There was a house, might be someone inside it who knew what the fuck was up. Doesn't seem like that's the case, though.

[parodeity]

Maybe here ended up where we were instead? [ IT MAKES SENSE IN HOMESTUCK LAND

OKAY

dave sounds like he hates the idea tho because why does it make sense. fml ]

[parodeity]

Long time-travel cycle of breaking swords and pullin' them out of things, and then combining them with magical eggs.

[ some of that is very much not correct.

mostly the "magical eggs" part. ]

4, because magic

[brushy]

I do not have a childhood, and I suppose that is sad. Do I get the cookie?

[parodeity]

[ you know what

he'll just take it......... ]

Nice to meetcha. D'you care what I call you?

[parodeity]

are we talking tights and capes or like
wrestling

[parodeity]

I...guess? I mean, the genetic slime I was made from was human. I think. Which technically came from the same genetic source - you know what, I actually don't even wanna talk about ectobiology, it's like the most bullshit science. Where were you born?

[parodeity]

Houston, Texas. Born and raised. Or raised, anyway. As to my "class", yeah, I know another knight or two. Only know one other person in the Time aspect, though.

[parodeity]

It had some paper in its hand but I decided I could have a long, happy death never reading whatever was on it.