TEST DRIVE MEME

[rysligmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to Ryslig's test drive meme! If you're considering apping here, this is where you can try your characters out in the game's setting. A few things to note: The State of the Game Discussion produced a lot of great suggestions and we now have a post for Plot Suggestions and Monster Questions. The NETWORK VOTE results are in and PRIVATE MESSAGING will be added some time in November. Lots of people have asked good questions on the FAQ, so do take a look. You can only app ONE character per round so choose wisely. Reserve and application dates have been announced. Test drive meme threads can be used for your roleplay sample! Sample scenarios: SCENARIO ONE: You've just been released from the hospital in Vandare and no one really seems to know what to do with you. The locals offer polite advice but don't seem to want to spend a lot of time with you. You and the other new arrivals stick out like sore thumbs, so perhaps one will spot you wandering about town. SCENARIO TWO: You've become hopelessly lost in Lager Woods. Paths don't seem to lead where you remember them leading, and you feel as if you're going around in circles. Childlike giggling can be heard from no direction in particular. Suddenly, you stumble upon another character, who seems to be just as lost as you! Perhaps you can find a way out together. SCENARIO THREE: The time has come and you've found yourself becoming a monster. Is the change instant, or gradual? Are you familiar enough with monsters to know what's happening, or is it a complete shock? NOTE: Feel free to pick any monster type for this prompt, but note that you may not get the same one in game.

Comments

Roy Mustang | Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 | OTA

[blaze_of_glory]

Scenario One

It wasn't something that he was entirely unused to - small towns and villages did tend to be distrustful of strangers to begin with, particularly when those strangers were of the Amestrian military. The worst part was that all of his memories of Amestris are being treated as some kind of delusion from swallowing too much saltwater or something. He knew damn well that every bit of that was real. He wasn't insane, damnit!

Somewhere in all of this mess, he'd managed to lose his state alchemist pocketwatch. Although, really, he might have been better off without it, his military uniform was generally enough to make people wary of him, even without that additional identifier.

...At least he still had his ignition cloth gloves, even though he was not yet aware of how utterly useless they actually were.

Sighing and occasionally muttering under his breath, he wandered the town and surrounding area, attempting to get a feel for the lay of the land and just what sort of environment he was going to be stuck dealing with for the foreseeable future.


Scenario Two

As though the chilly reception he'd initially received in town wasn't bad enough, the general state of this current situation would be enough to make anyone further question their sanity. Roy was no exception to this fact.

When he had initially ventured into the woods, he'd decided that he was going to adhere strictly to the paths that seemed to be the most traveled - the last thing he wanted was to wind up getting himself lost to the point that incinerating the entire area as a means of finding a way out became a very real possibility.

...And yet, despite his best efforts, here he was. It seemed unlikely that he could be going around in circles, given that he was adhering to the very path that had led him into these woods..and the occasional giggling that seemed to be carried on the chilly winds did not particularly help his sanity either.

Out of sheer annoyance, he withdrew a gloved hand from his pocket and snapped his fingers.

And paused.

And snapped them again.

And paused, color starting to drain from his face as he looked at his hand in disbelief.

His...alchemy didn't work. But how was that possible, when alchemy itself was a science?!

A desperate snap a third time, and still nothing.

Every possible vulgarity and bit of coarse language that he knew quickly raced through his mind in a combination of pure agitation and raw panic. He was completely helpless outside of some previous military survival and combat training. And unarmed. And lost. In the middle of the woods. And couldn't even use his alchemy to generate a signal fire. And more importantly, alchemy not working when it's a science, meant science doesn't work here. SCIENCE DOESN'T WORK HERE.

Everything that he knew about the nature of existence was just falling apart at the seams. And that damned laughter was mocking him again.

Well fuck.

Two!

[dragonspride]

"Keep that up and I'm sure something will come sooner or later." The laconic sarcasm came from above and a little behind, branches close to the trunk of one of the larger trees that Roy had just walked right under.

He could pretty well guess that the man was trying to invoke some kind of power that wasn't working, after blundering down that path and scaring off any hint of game twice. Kain had given up on hoping a deer would wander close enough for the time being, and had settled for leaning back against the trunk, his makeshift spear whittled out of a walking-stick setting across his lap at rest.

It was a Hell of a lot more dignified of a realization that things weren't working than his own had been back in the city when he'd decided to get a better look around, but like Hell was he going to mention that one.

[blaze_of_glory]

At the sound of that voice, Roy turned around and tried to source its location, before eventually noticing the man up the tree behind him.

Great. Someone got to see him fail horribly at making alchemy work here. Wonderful. It's almost like this day just couldn't keep getting any better.

A bitter smirk crossed his lips, however, pulling his composure back together with his usual cocky facade.

"Do you usually lie in wait to surprise people as a way of making friends? The women must love you."

[dragonspride]

If two egos smack into each other in the woods and nobody else is there to hear them, do they make a sound? The pointy smile in return has all the lazy confidence of someone that knows they've got the high ground; sorry, Roy, you're unarmed and he's been watching you wander around for a while now, posturing isn't going to work all that well.

"You're just lucky you're not a deer...and that I'm not taking too much offense to you scaring off all the game for a mile or two."

[blaze_of_glory]

And that cocky expression falters into a wet cat look. The implications of 'I have a spear and if you were a deer you would be dead by now' aren't lost on him. To be fair, it was a pretty good ambush strategy that the stranger had - it didn't change the fact that starting off on the note that it had had pretty much set the tone for this entire conversation.


"So you're just telling me to go away and leave you to your tree-fort in peace, is that it?"

[dragonspride]

Yeah, if his abilities weren't working, then a mage lost in the woods would really not have anything to back up posturing. Kain shrugged lazily. "I'd say yes but I think whatever forest spirit is messing with us has other ideas; you've walked under me three times going straight." That did have some noticeable irritation, but it was aimed with a sharp glance off at the forest. "And an unarmed mage without magic blundering around alone in the woods is asking to get eaten by something."

He might be on another world from his own, but damned if he hadn't taken his honor as a dragoon and a knight as something separate from his nation a long time ago; it'd run against his duty to leave someone like that.

[blaze_of_glory]

There was a slight eyetic at that. Three times. THREE TIMES. And he didn't even think to look up. Goddamnit.

"Not magic. Alchemy." he corrected.

And there was a pause. Either this man was incredibly superstitious and uninformed, or there was something truly odd going on here.

"...Wait. Are you telling me that you're from somewhere that actually has magic and forest spirits?"

The tone might have been laced with a cautious skepticism; but then, even if this other man was purely delusional, it would probably be a good idea to pair off anyway - safety in numbers and all of that. Especially given that he couldn't start a fire to save his life right now.

Re: Roy Mustang | Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 | OTA

[coldhardfacts]

Strange things always came out of the woods, it seemed. Not a scientific principle, but perhaps a truism--the woods were often places of untouched, untamed wilderness, where nature ran rampant, and Darkness could fester in the sheltering shadow of broad boughs and twisted roots. Nature, in all its terrifying majesty, reigned supreme--a place where Darkness and Light could find their own balance, if they were allowed to, and the laws that governed a world could be observed without prior preparation.

The last point was absolutely essential, given that Vexen found himself sorely lacking a laboratory at the moment. So he made do as best he could, with what he had at hand--which meant that he needed to take supplies with him, and be prepared. Jaunts out into such places--especially when locals confirmed how dangerous they were--were neither purposeless nor pleasure walks. What kind of fool would push past the outer edge of the forest without expecting to spend at least a few hours there?

.....Perhaps the same sort of fool who stood dumbstruck in the middle of the path, snapping his fingers and staring horrified at his own hand? Vexen took a moment to mark a tree trunk with a piece of chalk--a note of step count that doubled as a sign of passage--and dropped it back into his pocket, tucking his clipboard into the crook of his elbow and raising an eyebrow at Roy. "Having problems, I take it?"

[blaze_of_glory]

"What does it look like?" he answered, snapping again, only to yield nothing but sound.

His gaze shifted to the tall, blond stranger. He wasn't entirely certain how long the other had been standing there before the man had decided to speak, but that seemed to be a lost cause right now. He might as well cut to the chase, regarding his futile gesture.

"Alchemy is a branch of scientific study. It involves the manipulation of something's shape or form with a combination of the right factors and ingredients. It's not working here. I can't even generate a single flame. What does that tell you about this place?" his voice was dead serious as he spoke, even though odds were ridiculously good that the stranger would have no idea what he was talking about.

..In fact, that was a bit of a recurring problem ever since he'd arrived.

[coldhardfacts]

It looked like he had seen a ghost or been betrayed by his closest comrades, if Roy wanted perfect honestly--but the question was clearly rhetorical, and the man wasn't pausing long enough for an answer to be slipped in edgewise regardless. Vexen simply adjusted his pack and listened, impossibly green eyes locked onto Roy with rapt attention during the whole explanation. He hummed thoughtfully, raising his free hand to his lips as he considered what information he could extract from such a basic overview.

"It tells me that this particular world may be categorized as either a low-to-no magic one, or a higher-magic one with some specific phenomena that either interferes with, cancels out, or is actively antagonistic to practical applications of metaphysical science such as alchemy. That being the case, either the natural laws of this world are outright incompatible with metaphysics of any sort, or we happen to be caught within particular circumstances that interfere with it--and if we were to understand it well enough to be able to either collapse or disperse it, or simply exit its sphere of influence, then metaphysical capabilities would be functional again. Of course, this is all assuming such an incapability isn't caused by something more individualized and internal--some kind of curse or other metaphysical effect, perhaps, or a type of venom or illness....."

Vexen inclined his head to Roy, one corner of his mouth quirking up. "Without further data and analysis, no firm conclusion can be reached, naturally. It also tells me that you work with a particular branch of metaphysical science that I've yet to study, that you must be a relatively recent arrival, and that I have further evidence to support the hypothesis that each foreign individual in this town is from a different world than this entirely."

[blaze_of_glory]

Well, that wasn't at all what Roy was expecting. He wasn't sure WHAT he was expecting, but that most definitely was not it. What kind of ridiculous can of worms did he just manage to open with his face?

There were a few troubling themes that came up in the other man's speech, however. One of them being 'magic'. 'Magic' was the stuff of fairy-tales or what the uneducated might refer to 'alchemy' as being. There was no scientific support at all for anything of that variety. If it wasn't feasible alchemically, then it wasn't feasible at all. Period.

..At least, such would be the case according to the laws of physics that he was familiar with.

Much as he wanted to make some dry comment about how UTTERLY PREPOSTEROUS some of that answer WAS in his mind, he sat on that urge in the name of something resembling diplomacy. Well, between that and not being sure what else to even say.

Actually, the dumbstruck look on his face probably spoke a million and a half things about how unsure to reply to any of that he actually was. Good job, Vexen.

[coldhardfacts]

.....It figured. Answer one question thoroughly enough to do it justice, and suddenly he was being gaped at like a fish! Wasn't that just typical? He'd expected better from a man involved in the study of alchemy, from what vague surface impression the explanation had given. Shouldn't he have a better grasp of these things? Or was he just parroting some textbook definition he'd learned in school? Any half-wit could do magic, so long as they were taught properly; perhaps it was the same with alchemy, as well.

Well, it didn't matter. Whatever Roy was struggling with, it hardly concerned him, now, did it? Vexen was more interested in the new knowledge he'd been offered than how dumbstruck Roy was by his own offering. He spread his hands invitingly, pages on the clipboard fluttering, and graciously offered Roy an easy out to responding at all--or, perhaps more accurately, lost interest in explaining things he already knew in favor of pressing for more information on things he didn't. "Why don't you tell me more about alchemy? Anything you know."

scenario one

[viliorate]

There's something to be said about Kimbley's approach to unknown situations. He doesn't let on about discomfort, not to anyone. Not even to himself, really, though in this particular situation he's actually completely relaxed. His hands are in his pockets when he steps outside, smug and far too calm for a man who has found himself in another world.

Fished out of the ocean, huh? But Amestris is a landlocked country, and the base wasn't anywhere near any body of water. He doesn't care what brought him here, not really.

He'd happily continue to not care if it weren't for the familiar face catching his eye. Well then. That's not exactly one of the people he wanted to see here, if he had a choice, but he's not about to turn down the opportunity. "Well, well. If it isn't Flame."

[blaze_of_glory]

The sound of that voice had caught Roy's attention, and surprise was about the only word for it, honestly.

"..Crimson Alchemist." he replied as calmly as he could manage, before slowly turning to look at the man.

He wasn't exactly thrilled to see Kimbley here either, in all truth, but he also wasn't about to openly advertise this fact. If anything, it served as a nice reminder of the assignment that he was supposed to be on back home, with no real means of explaining how he got here.

..At least it wasn't the surprise he received on the train?

Asking what the other was doing here was a moot point. He was likely here as randomly as Roy was, and with as little explanation for it. It was actually a little bit awkward, given the entire set of circumstances. All he could do was trust that remaining civil would mean less chance of there being some kind of awkward fight in the middle of the street.

"When did you get here?" he inquired, finally.

[viliorate]

"I couldn't tell you," Kimbley replied. And for all of his dishonesty and despite the fact that he isn't making eye contact, he's telling the truth. He'd been unconscious for a few days, and a decade in prison on top of that made it difficult for him to notice the passage of time.

He hadn't entirely counted on meeting anyone he was familiar with in this place, and the person he really hoped was here wasn't around at the moment.

Oh well, that's fine. He wouldn't let it bother him at the moment. "It seems this place isn't so bad for a backwater hick town. At least they were polite enough to fish me out of the water."

[blaze_of_glory]

That was an answer that actually did make a reasonable amount of sense. Ten years in prison would certainly do that to someone's concept of time, not to mention that Roy wasn't entirely certain how long he'd been in this general area, himself.

..With no real idea of how he wound up in said water.

The fact that this was apparently a point of common ground was interesting, however.

"..You too, huh?"

Yes, Roy was well-aware of how painful the irony of the Flame Alchemist getting saved from the water really was.

"..Like a lot of small towns, though, they don't seem to trust outsiders."

That last observation almost carried a tinge of familiarity with it, though. Perhaps there was the small comfort of the fact that it wasn't solely because they happened to be military personnel this time? Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.

There was also the new problem of just what were they going to be doing with their lives, now that they were stranded here?

"..I'm going to see if I can find somewhere around here to get a coffee. You're welcome to join me." Roy offered, finally.

He was going to approach this entire situation diplomatically - it was the more practical course of action. No sense in fighting needlessly, if it can be helped.

[viliorate]

"Can you blame them for not liking outsiders?" Kimbley asks conversationally, examining the useless array on his palm. "Seems a little strange having to constantly fish people out of the water. People who have no memory of how they got here at that." The townspeople are lying about something, either directly or by omission and Kimbley isn't the sort of man who would take anything the people who pity him or who look at him with something quite a bit like fear at their word.

They'd say anything to get away from him. It was the same way back in Amestris.

The impulse to say something is on the tip of his tongue when the offer comes. He wants to say We're not friends, Flame. He wants to say No, I'm going to look for my boss. Mustang may outrank him, but ranks are meaningless here. Besides that, there's only one man he will truly listen to and it's looking like he's not here.

It's not what he does. "I hope the locals are understanding about money. I have a feeling they're not going to take any cenz bills."

two

[sadisticwarfare]

The repeated snapping is actually what drew Archer over here, though now that he's standing several feet away, watching Mustang flail, he has to admit today has gotten a tiny bit better. He never thought he'd see the Flame Alchemist out of his element like this. Archer doesn't approach or interrupt for a few minutes, content to watch Mustang go through the mental gymnastics required to properly understand why his alchemy isn't working.

(Not that Archer understands why alchemy doesn't work here; he wasn't even aware alchemy didn't work here until he found Mustang snapping his fingers impotently. Still, he can pretend he knows more than Mustang.)

He finally approaches, the usual half-smirk in place.

"Good evening, Mustang. I wasn't expecting to find you here."

[blaze_of_glory]

That voice was unmistakeable, and ranking fairly high on the list of people he really did not want to see him like this. Clearing his throat, he attempted to regain what shreds of his composure he could pull together. Because Archer totally didn't see him floundering in his attempts trying to get alchemy working. Of course not. He so did. Goddamnit.


"Good evening, Archer. Looks like I'm not the only one who wound up here."

Yes, let us not address that flailing from a few minutes ago. Let us not. Nope. Perfectly natural. Nothing amiss here. Nothing amiss at all.

[sadisticwarfare]

Oh of course not, we certainly wouldn't want to address that! That would just be hitting below the belt, and everyone knows that Archer is certainly above that--

"It seems as though your alchemy isn't working. What a shame."

Well he looks like his birthday came early. Give him a moment to not look so damn pleased with himself.

"I take it you found yourself here recently."

[blaze_of_glory]

The flame alchemist stiffened. It was a bit off-putting that Archer seemed so pleased with this fact, even if it did make sense. After all, that would put him and Archer on the same level, more or less - and the other man hadn't been spending the last several years using the flame alchemy as a weapon in combat and a tool for everyday usage.

He wasn't going to let it get to him. Not now.

"Indeed. Would I be wrong in assuming the same for yourself?"

Yes, distractions from the fact that Archer knows he can't make his alchemy work right now are a welcome blessing.

[sadisticwarfare]

"You wouldn't be, no." Archer folds his hands behind his back, still smirking. "What made you decide to enter the forest?"

Two!

[soulboundalchemy]

Somehow it'd felt like hours that he'd been wandering around these woods, arms loosely wrapped around himself, making him appear smaller than he already was. Nothing more than a thirteen year old boy wandering around after the townsfolk hadn't even really been very receptive when he woke up, so naturally he wanted to have a look around as nothing looked very familiar.

Exhaling a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, Al hurried his steps up along the path in hopes he'd actually get somewhere but it was starting to seem futile. He'd been at this for a little while and the laughter kept sending chills down his spine, pale brownish-blond eyebrows narrowed in worry and edged with fear. "...What am I going to do if there really isn't a way out of here...?" Said to noone in particular, he shook his head and continued on, eyes glancing around nervously; like something would jump out at him if he didn't.

This path looked well-traveled and such, but by now he was wondering if he was even going the right way at this point. Glancing over his shoulder, that awful laughter rang through the air and Al found another chill running through him which caused a small noise to escape his throat and turn his gaze to what was in front of him in time to run into someone unexpectedly.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to--" His slightly panicked words cut themselves short when he finally took in the general appearance of the man before him, to which relief and a small smile replaced his previous look of worry and definite fear. "Colonel? What are you doing here?"

Yeah. So. Here, Roy. Have Ed's younger brother who currently looks a lot like he did; similar-ish hairstyles and everything down to the coat and outfit.

[blaze_of_glory]

Roy had been snapped abruptly out of his thoughts by someone walking straight into him, he turned to the source of the voice and was surprised by the short alchemist greeting him by his title.

The boy did bear a ridiculous similarity to Edward. So much so, in fact, that he might have actually mistaken him for some kind of younger version of the Edward he knew. One of the larger differences, however, was that Edward had more of a golden-blond hair color..

..Then that meant..

"..Alphonse?" he asked, his tone seeming a little bit surprised and uncertain. There was also this growing urge to make a 'Wow, you've shrunk.' joke, but he would sit on that impulse for the time being.

"Aside from discovering that alchemy doesn't work?" came the more familiar variety of dry reply, as the Flame Alchemist attempted to save face.

"..I decided to try to scout out my surroundings. More importantly, what are you doing here? Where's Fullmetal?"

Roy you are the worst at this whole 'not showing you care' thing.

[soulboundalchemy]

After all that mess back home and sneaking onto that ship to go after his brother, he thought he'd honestly not see Roy again so it was kind of nice to see him here. Even if when he turned around, there was something strikingly different about him that, when coupled with the man's words created something of a shock for him.

"...It doesn't?! T-That shouldn't be possible...! Alchemy works through science using the land's natural energy... why wouldn't it work?" It just seemed a little chilling to know this, and it wasn't like Roy was the type to lie about such a thing which kind of made it worse on a level. He cast his gaze down to his hands along with the transmutation circles printed on them and exhaled a bit of a small sigh with a frown on his face.

At least if the other had been here and around long enough to say things like that, it meant he was okay and unhurt which made him feel a little better somewhat. "I don't really know. I came out here trying to look for him and then I got lost in these woods before I ran into you." The look on Alphonse's face said that he really didn't like being in these woods more than Roy did, if anything now that he knew he didn't have alchemy, it made it worse.

Mainly because without alchemy as a weapon he didn't have much else to defend himself with as he was just a kid otherwise.