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

[cestmagnifique]

[ She is more than ready to draw her weapon on him--something that she should have out to begin with, but the closeness of the forest made Mitsuru decide to keep her presence as compact as possible.

It's not someone she recognizes, unsurprising in an unfamiliar place. His stance of surrender is a wise one as her hand floats above the hilt of her sword. ]

...Am I correct in assuming that you've also somehow found yourself wandering an unknown forest?

[glaciers]

You're not wrong. [But Shouto's always been about picking a position and working from there. They don't have all the facts yet, but they need to pick either share or don't. So while this teetering back and forth that Midoriya's doing makes sense, Shouto would rather just post on the forum.

My name is Todoroki Shouto. Do you want to talk about your childhoods?
I had three siblings but I didn't really grow up with them.]

I can test it out.

[Because he does trust Midoriya to help him if something awful comes of this.]

[inheritance]

[That gets his interest immediately.]

You can gain powers later? How does that work? [He reaches behind him, as if trying to grab something, when he realizes he doesn't have his notebook for taking notes on this. He sighs, looking forlorn for a moment.]

[kaiserin]

Nothing here? Isn't there plenty around?

[She looks amused though, shifting so she can kneel in the grass. Her hand reaches out to pat Phos's head in a soothing sort of manner... But also because she was curious to touch their hair.]

Although, the lack of color does make everything a little drab, I admit... But aren't you curious as to why?

4

[keepsexploding]

[Well well... This quest seems almost entirely too easy! And with someone leaving a very simple-to-understand form out here, there's nothing wrong with just filling it out. The keyboard isn't what she's used to... but she's still a quick enough typist to get everything down in a few moments.]

1. Saena
2. I did.
3. My mom's a dealer. She's got pretty black plumage and brown hair. Dad's a redhead like me, but with white plumage. He teaches at a primary school. Have a brother too, he's in training for the defense force. He's really small and light, and one of the quickest fliers I know!
4. I wound up moving to Atlin after I caught the eye of their ruler! We can't meet face to face as much anymore.
5. Of course I did. I played cards sometimes, the same as any Angha. I also liked these model kits where I could build miniature airships from scratch. One time, I made one that could really fly.
6. Can I just say 'science' is my hobby? I always loved experimenting with things to see what happened.
7. Don't everyone's? Back then, I just wanted to be 'the smartest, strongest, coolest person ever.' Now I have a more reasonable goal: finding a way to produce crystals safely.

Did it work?

-Kari

[jokered]

Different. Really different.

[at least naoya has a reason to be suspicious, because—yeah. this is so completely bizarre. definitely more so because they're holding eggs, but akira has his priorities straight here. persona business first.]

I've never dealt with demons. I can gain the mask of Shadows to harness as Personas. [he's kind of being brief about this because he's just not the wordiest, and not quite ready to explain phantom thievery.]

Igor's assistants can... change them into new ones for me.

[...there's something else to address here about what naoya's saying, but one thing at a time here, right?]

[cestmagnifique]

[ A very interesting turn of events. This is clearly someone who is not only familiar with the name Kirijo (which is difficult to avoid, especially in certain parts of Tokyo), but also understands the need for confidentially. It's certainly not someone who needs the notoriety.

My family works with them.

It has to be...

Nanjo.

...Considering how she recently spurned that proposal, there is a small wave of panic. But it subsides. No, if this is indeed the case, she must stick by her convictions. She made the right choice. There are no clear hostilities in this text. They are simply two people in a strange situation. (Though it's hard to believe in coincidences at this point.)

She'll follow the lead of this known, but unknown person. ]

Yes, I agree. Our shared history would invalidate the results. Nevertheless, even if this doesn't fulfill the request as stated, it's still valuable information to me, so I appreciate your willingness to participate.

[ Who could it be? ]

4.

[erune]

[ despite being familiar with using a transceiver, he hasn't become fully accustomed to this new device in his room. also unlike the former piece of tech, he realizes, this one cannot travel far at all. but, regardless, he does his best to slowly familiarize himself with it.

but, it's soon that he ends up ... upon a certain string of characters.



...



ah. ] lyria?

[ honestly, he should warn her at the risk of putting her name in such a public venue, but it doesn't exactly strike him as something he should mention before preemptively meeting with her. he figures it could come at a later time. some things had precedence, after all. for example, finding out where she is. but, asking in public also would be problematic? ... would it be better to put his location? he seems to deliberate over this and doesn't realize ... a minute or two has likely passed. ]

i'll come to you [ except, he really should have...

put who he is, huh? ]

[aegisdriver]

[Oh boy she sure is touching him. The occasional friendly pat of assurance between him and Pyra was nothing new, but Mythra is kind of a different story–-in that this feels a lot like his face has been doused in gasoline and set on fire he is on fire.

also he's pretty sure he's about to be killed by his own blade.

He winces momentarily as she speaks. Okay, he might still be alive, but his pride? Obliterated.]

...Th-that's right. I bonded with Pyra and she shared her life force with me. And I've done just fine as your driver, thank ya very much! [he's gonna...try to take her wrist...]

And as your driver, I think we need to get out of here. I have a bad feelin' about this place, Misty. [Misty? Wait, that's not right...]

Miss...Mitheral...Mithy...?

Titan's foot...!

[HE'S GONNA TUG HER WRIST GENTLY AND TRY TO LEAD HER OUT OF THE HOUSE WHILE HE STILL HAS HIS ARM...]

[flamebringer]

[for a moment she's silent, quietly regarding that crack in Charlotte's composure.

ah, well, anyone would be frustrated in a situation like this. Mòrag would be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little annoyed by the whole thing, too.]

You mustn't give in to frustration. Not when there is no justified target for your anger.

[wait until they find whoever (or whatever?) had brought them to this colorless world, at least.]

In the meantime, it certainly wouldn't hurt to forge bonds with new allies.

[4th]

If we were to harm this creature, we may not get any more eggs in the future.

[ it's as simple as that... even though it seems angry enough that it wouldn't ever lay its eggs anywhere civilization can reach. anyway, he gives him one (1) egg for the trouble. ]

Likewise, it would not sit well with me to owe you a favor. [ just don't eat it in front of the mother?? ]

[kaiserin]

Nostalgic... [She echoes him, not able to really understand why, but that's probably fine. She doesn't need to understand it in depth, she supposes.

She steps up to the tree, mimicking him by placing her own hand against the trunk of the tree.]

Did your world lack in color as well? [She doesn't think so since, well, he has color, but she's just making guesses now.] Or... Perhaps the forests are gone?

[bloodrive]

[She's totally doing the "holding your face while blushing like a god damn maniac" thing. It's gross. It's totally gross.]

Who wouldn't know the great hero Deku from class 1A?

[Low, vaguely villainous laughter growls under her breath.]

But it doesn't look like there's any way to get back home, is there? We don't even know where we are...And of all that things that aren't missing, one of the things that is is my cellphone.

Do you know what that means, Izuku? Deku? They don't want us to contact the outside world!

[thriftea]

I'll help you look! And if we find something tasty, maybe you can make a meal for everyone. It would really help brighten the mood around here, don't you think? And then you'd be a cooking hero! Just like Lunch Rush!

So what was the first meal you cooked all by yourself?

I'm sorry for inflicting Kei upon you btw

[totheno1]

[With the Korijo Group breaking off of his own family's group, Nanjo was getting ready to stick his hand into the business a lot more than his family probably wanted him too. But that is always how he had been - rebelling at his family in his own, subtle ways.

Her writing was refined, worthy of the heir of Kirijo. It left him no guesses as to who she might be. He knew the weight of his own family's burden, he could only imagine what it was like for Mitsuru in a male-dominated society such as Japan in a world of large, powerful corperations.]

I agree, Miss. [His own clue that he knew who she was.] Perhaps you could indulge me in answering your own questions? Or perhaps we should meet in person instead?

1

[cynicholism]

"Dude. Are you trying to get killed?" Stan's tone isn't nervous, just deadpan from where he's sitting on the creaky old stairs. He holds a gray bottle between his fingers, empty as it had been when he found it, and stares at Kenny's arrival with something far from surprise. He should have guessed the others would show up sooner or later.

He sighs and pushes himself off, letting the bottle drop and roll across the floor to get to his feet. His hands get shoved into his pockets and he eyes the stairs up behind him before looking back to Kenny.

"There's no one else here."

[passio]

[ the incredible—and a little sad—thing about dextera’s own past is that having maybe a total of four memories is that losing them doesn’t mean he loses clarity. he makes it back to the front room, and uses the fractured pieces of the doll’s body as a half-hearted trail away from it. sorry, friend.............

then he turns around, facing the interior once again.

even without knowing who, what, when, where, how, or why, the bone gently tugging him upstairs suggests that that’s where he should go. the second miracle, after finding the stairs, is that he produces a voice to accompany his search. ]

...hello?

[ there was... someone else... ]

[flamebringer]

[is Mòrag aware of how ridiculous she must look with these branches?

nope, not at all. splinters are serious business. she frowns at Pyra's question, as if she isn't making any sense at all and dual-wielding sticks makes total sense in comparison.]

But of course. They'll make fine bludgeons. [splinters!!] And should they break, we're surrounded by trees.

[unlimited branch works. she's ready for anything.]

[passio]

Was your friend good, or were you bad?

My brother and I would play, but only one of us could be awake at a time to make a move. The games took days.

[ they are supposed to be talking about their childhoods, but the vagueness isn’t just dextera giving an artistic rendition of his youth. this is about all there was to it. ]

[imperialsun]

[Huuuuuh. For a few seconds, he stands there in silence taking that information in. The mention of Shadows gets him to rub against his earring briefly. Since when were EARRINGS last in fashion?]

Shadows huh...you're right. That's nothing like us. [He's not that great with words either.] I didn't think Belladonna and Nameless were taking over the Velvet Room.

[pyrafect]

[ Pyra doesn't know whether it would be appropriate to continue on with this tease and laugh, or... or somehow convert to playing it straight. Because that's how Morag seems to be taking this. ] I. Suppose that's reasonable.

[ Haaaaah. ] But if we encounter any beasts, we'll have to fight separated. [ Because her fire would burn those weapons of hers to a crisp if they get caught up in the blaze. ]

[satanslash]

another hero from your world? [That name can't be real.] uh very first? tomago it was bad too much salt and i didn't know how to crack eggs right at all so there were shells in it...

[unghost]

[ Phos is lucky that Cairngorm doesn't remember them for the time being, or they'd feel more than comfortable calling them an airhead, and other such insults. Instead, they'll just get a grumpy look, fist clenching by their side. ]

Well, I'm assuming you came in through the first floor. Unless you climbed through a window.

[ Very deliberate once over. ]

You don't seem capable of that, though.

[flamebringer]

I'll be sure to take caution around your flames. [she isn't about to go underestimating the Aegis, of all people, but she's confident enough in Pyra to have no concerns about fighting by her side.

with flammable branches.

but best case scenario, she won't even need to put these totally dangerous bludgeons to use. and it seems like she won't— the foliage abruptly opens up to a clearing, the trail they'd been following leading to a crumbling house that looks like it hasn't had human contact in ages.

Mòrag's grip on the branches tighten. this is what the trail led them to?]

... Stay on your guard. [well, obviously she wants to go investigate the spooky old house.]

[unghost]

[ About 90% of what the other just said flies completely over their head, but thankfully they're not the type to question every little thing that they don't understand. From their short time here, they can already see that the world they came from is quite unique, and lacking in many of the cultural and societal norms that existed elsewhere.

So they'll just, deepen the crease in their brow, pinching their nose out of confusion. ]

I don't think lack of color or presence of it makes that big of a difference... [ If everything is still functional, it seems a waste to leave it behind. That's just being unpractical. ] There had to be some other reason for the species that lived here to leave. If they left by choice.

Where I live, it is not uncommon for individuals to be taken away without much of a trace. I was thinking that maybe a similar fate happened to the inhabitants here... it would explain the lack of civilization while the buildings remained.

[ The lack of struggle may just be invisible to them; who knows what kind of predators could have hunted the people here. This ghost town just feels like a dystopian future for them - what their home world would look like if all of their kind were snatched away by their own predators. ]

And it seems like there were plenty of jobs around for people to do here, considering what the rest of us having been doing all day.