awoosh | test drive meme 1.

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test drive meme 1.

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ ... He knew he shouldn't have entered this house. It's got 'bad news' written all over it; it practically screams 'bad news' with how it looks exactly like something you would find in a horror movie. Josoke doesn't particularly like those kinds of movies, but when he does chance upon them, it's always such a mystery why the characters would go on prodding around when it's obviously going to spell their doom. When watching in from behind the fourth wall, though, it's easy to say 'I would never do that'. Now he's here, he followed the bread crumbs like a storybook character and he's entered the creepy house. There's a freakin' ... creepy doll with a creepier message sitting right there in front of them. ]

Talk about a creepy welcome ... What does this even mean? Is that a warning for thieves?

[ Who would want to steal from a run-down house like this, though? ]

We probably shouldn't touch anything...

[It looks like Okuyasu's house, but black and white—no, this house is a lot worse actually and Okuyasu doesn't think this is a good idea either... but Josuke went and so Okuyasu followed, like always. They're here, the doll is creepy and the house is worse, and he's peering around Josuke's shoulder before he sidles in through the front door himself.

Josuke can puzzle out what the message means—Okuyasu shrugs and gives him a look, you know, the "you're the smart one" look, and oh look at that he's already crouched down to lift the doll's creepy hand off its lap and fown at it. Oh no. Touching things. Free creepy doll, Josuke!!]

Oi, Josuke-- What do you think its hands are made of that makes this noise? [he's making the doll clap its hands now]

I don't know. Some kind of resin, maybe? Okuyasu ... [ It's creepy as fuck. Don't touch it. This isn't the time to be a picking things up on the ground like always!!! Josuke waits, staring at the doll and half-bracing himself for something to pop out, or for some spell to be activated, or for the doll to start moving (he's booking it if it moves). While he's never been the sort to go believing just about anything, he's seen enough crazy stuff to consider every (often bad) possibility. He came in here to better investigate this new world. He's really hoping he didn't end up leading his friend into a trap.

After a few seconds of clapping, Josuke feels like he can relax a little. Nothing happened. ]

Looks like it's just a normal doll after all. [ Feeling less paranoid now, Josuke moves over, picking up one of its hands with his fingers. It feels like a normal doll too. ] I was kind of expecting the worst for a moment there.

Man, leaving this thing here though ... Someone's been watching way too many horror shows.

[He's touching it! He's touching it right now!! Okuyasu keeps clapping these awful doll hands until Josuke takes the one hand from him; he makes the other one wave at him instead.

There is a distinct possibility he's not taking this seriously.]

What do you think it's doing here? I mean, they could've left a note on a table like a normal person...

[He says this, which is almost serious, but he's still leaning forward to try and touch the doll hand to Josuke's face. Spooky.]

Dude, what if it's haunted?

[ Goddamit Okuyasu. Here he is, preparing to punch out the first thing that harms you, and this is what you do to him. ]

Don't say stuff like that! [ And that fucking doll is coming right at him. Now he's thinking about the possibility of it being haunted, and the moment it touches his cheek, Josuke pulls back in fright, tripping on an uneven plywood in the ground and falling on his ass. ] Ahh!!

Dude, you know I really hate that stuff! Even your house gave me the creeps when I first saw it ... [ Why hasn't Okuyasu renovated his house, is the real mystery of Part 4. ]

[Aww, Josuke really does care. This doesn't stop Okuyasu from tenderly stroking his face with nasty doll hands, laughing and hobbling after him on his knees when he falls back. Come back here!!]

Don't be such a wuss! I think its hands are made of bones...

[touch touch.....touch]

[ This friendship was a mistake. Everything is a mistake. ]

I-I'm not being a wuss! I can't help what makes me uncomfortable! [ He doesn't mind Okuyasu going after him like this but he does mind that he's holding a fucking Chucky, and insisting on touching him with it. ]

And stop saying that! There's no way it's made of bones! [ He's just going to keep scooting away, now. What are they even doing in someone else's house ...

Eventually, Josuke gets so worked up, he kicks at the doll, sending it flying right at Okuyasu's face. He hadn't meant to do that. ]

Come back here and hold its hands if you're not afraid of it!

[Shown: Okuyasu bullies best friend about legitimate fear. He's a great friend and Josuke should appreciate him, chasing after him very slowly with a haunted doll...

At least until it gets kicked into his face, and now Okuyasu is the one stumbling and tumbling backwards, a noise of surprise and a little bit of pain - this doll's head is fucking ceramic? ow - sputtering out of him as he falls.

He's dead now... goodbye.]

[ His fear is forgotten immediately when he hears Okuyasu's cry in pain. Struck with both concern and guilt, Josuke crawls over to where Okuyasu is, assessing the damage. The doll is lying there against his leg, but he doesn't find himself that afraid of it anymore. ]

H-Hey, sorry, man ... I didn't mean to do that. [ Don't die?!??! Josuke's got some impressive physical strength, so that probably did more damage than it would getting kicked by anyone else. He takes Okuyasu's face in his hands, tilting it so he can see better. ]

Is anything broken? [ He's going to call out his Stand just in case. ]

[Okuyasu mumbles something irritable, eyes screwed shut in apparent pain when Josuke grabs his face. He's dying, he's clearly going to perish here from this doll...

And it does hurt, actually, there's an impressive reddish mark on his forehead threatening to leave a bump, but he's had considerably worse so this isn't even a problem. Totally not. All things considered, this is probably the best possible ending. But.

He cracks one eye open.]

Josuke... You came into The Hand's range.

[And that's when Okuyasu's Stand dropped a haunted doll on Josuke's shoulder.]

[ top 10 anime betrayals

He probably should have expected this, but he was consumed by guilt before, so he didn't. When he sees the creepy doll on his shoulder, its face leaning against his, Josuke's first response is to let out an undignified sound, smacking it away. ] Eek!!

[ It flies into the wall, away from them, and more importantly - away from Okuyasu, so he can no longer use it to be a menace. Josuke takes a moment to catch his breath, and then the expression on his face sours as he looks at his so-called 'best friend'. ]

Sheesh ... You had to go that far, huh? I almost don't want to heal you.

[ But he will, because .... he loves Okuyasu. Crazy Diamond comes out and places two fingers on Okuyasu's forehead, healing that bruise. ]

[Okuyasu has already won this, it's too late for Josuke now. He stays where he is flopped on the ground, laughing and making a half-hearted grab for the doll as it sails away from him. Nooo...!!

But he's still got a shit-eating grin on his face, that gets a little less obnoxious and more genuine when Crazy D heals his idiot forehead. What a reliable guy, that Josuke.]

On the contrary, I made our walk around the haunted house about a billion times better! [They haven't actually walked anywhere. It's fine. He sits up, hooking an arm around Josuke's shoulders and finally, finally looking serious.]

So, Josuke... I have no idea what that note said.

Edited (whoa) 2018-02-28 02:23 (UTC)

[ He wants to protest that, but he's content just letting Okuyasu side up close. At least the guy had fun -- even if it was at his expense. There's a sigh, and Josuke crosses his legs. ]

It said something about having to 'leave something behind' if we took anything. That's why I told you not to touch anything ... That could've been a warning for thieves, and touching the stuff here could have triggered something.

[ But they played with the doll, and it's all fine. Maybe he has nothing to worry about after all. ]

Oh. [Well, oops, he feels a little guilty now. Enough that he twists around for a second to look at where the doll flew away to, wondering if that counts as taking something. Surely not, right? Surely they can just sit here on the floor and not be haunted for life.]

Well, nothing happened, so maybe it was just a shitty prank. How long do you think we have to wait to be sure?

It's been long enough, so maybe we'll actually be fine. [ He's really hoping, anyway. The last thing he wants is to get cursed or visited by a ghost. How do you even fight that?? ]

I don't really want to stick around to find out, though. [ Which means, he thinks that they should leave. There isn't actually anything to investigate in this house, and it still gives him the creeps. When he glances back at the doll, it's almost like it's watching him no matter where he moves to.

Josuke motions to get up. It's then, that he spots something shiny at the corner of the room. When he had thrown the doll against the wall, the impact made a small, ornate box fall to the ground. The cover is lying slightly ajar, and inside ...

Some coins are falling out. It's money! ]

If you say so. [He has... total faith in Josuke's ability, here, for real. About 95% and the remaining 5 is mostly just confused staring, so it's pretty much total faith. They kind of have okay luck with ghosts, but who wants to stick around and test that?

So, getting up: can he do this without moving more than 5cm from Josuke? He can and will, pulling them both up to their feet and following Josuke's gaze—ah.

Ah.]

J-Josuke... [He leans, somehow, even closer, to mutter conspiratorially as if the house can hear them. Maybe it can and that's the whole trick, but-] Nobody's gonna miss a few, right? Just a few. Somebody must've lost 'em here, so it's not like it's stealing...

[ And Josuke is completely fine with this entire invasion of his personal space, staying there glued against Okuyasu like they're a pair of siamese twins. His attention is mostly focused on the box, and how the coins still manage to retain their glimmer even if the whole world is monochrome.

Okuyasu's reaction doesn't come as a surprise at, like, all. ] Dude, it doesn't get more 'stealing' than sneaking into someone's house and taking their money. That's what we'll be doing, if we take that.

[ So that's a 'no', because he's a good child who does not steal. ] Not even talking about the note here -- we'll have the police to worry about too.

[ If, there are police in this town ... he hasn't seen any. Anyway, while Josuke appears to be taking the higher moral ground, he's also staring at the box with some intent. ]

But, it's true that we're flat-out broke in this place ... [ Ugh. Why is being good so hard? ]

You and your morals— what police? There's nobody here! I'm telling you, nobody's coming back for this junk.

[He can tell, because he also is a weird squatter and he knows... the signs...? No, really, he just wants this cash. He looks at it again, frowning with a contemplative hum.

This takes him a moment before he perks up again.]

Oh! I get it! We just have to leave something behind, right? That's what the ghost doll said. Take off your shoes.

[Between them both, Josuke's shoes are probably the most valuable item!! Give them up for shiny coins, best buddy.]

[ His face sours more than it could ever sour, and he shifts one of his feet out, pointing at the sole so Okuyasu can see its brand. i'm just going to handwave the brand so assume it's Expensive]

You've gotta be kidding me ... These shoes are from a high-end italian brand! Do you have any idea how much they're worth? Maybe if you spent more time thinking about your style [ Josuke starts poking his best friend accusingly. ], rather than picking up whatever's on sale, you would understand where I'm coming from.

[Wow, this guy. Okuyasu takes about a poke and a half before he starts poking back.]

Maybe if I had free ghost money, I could spend it all on shoes like you do! [This is the worst goft of the magi parody ever conceived... Anyway, Josuke looks fly all the time but he's a big moron when he gets his hands on some cash, so Okuyasu is pretty sure he's right about this one.]

You gotta learn a lesson, Josuke. The lesson that we can't always keep our prissy Italian shoes when our buddies are in need!

[ i need more angry icons

Yeah, he's just going to keep poking, hoping it drives his point home. Even if it is true that he's a big moron about cash. ]

But why does it have to be my shoes?! [ He would normally be more open to sacrificing something of his, but not the shoes ... Anything but the shoes. They are his whole life. He's allowed to be selfish about this one thing. ] You could give up your shirt or something! These shoes are probably worth way more than what's in that box!

[ Speaking of -- just how much is in that box? Getting curious, Josuke glances in its direction. Only a few coins are visible, but it looks like there's much more inside. ]

First he gives me grief about my on-sale clothes, then he's trying to pawn 'em off for ghost cash... make up your mind!

[His shirt is cheap as hell and came in a pack of 6, Josuke. Just ask him nicely to strip?! For ghost cash??!]

Let's count the money first. Then we can leave something. Man, I'm on a roll today...

[ Hmm...

Anyway, the shoes are off the table. Because they are staying on his feet. He might not even get a similar pair again, now that he's in this colourless place. ]

Alright, alright... I'll come take a look. But I still don't think it's a good idea for us to take anything.

[ That's what he feels right now, anyway. His morals might start to sway when he sees the mountain load of money that's actually inside the box. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

test drive meme 1.

wildcard aka prompt 2

it's him...

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