Test Drive Meme: September

[ryslighelpers]

TEST DRIVE MEME: SEPTEMBER

Welcome to the Ryslig Test Drive Meme! Below are a few prompts to get you started, but you may make up any prompt you desire! Please take a look at the navigation page for rules, setting information, and links to reserves and apps. Have fun!

SCENARIO ONE

You wake up on the beach thoroughly drenched, with your mouth full of sand. The salt water is making all the cuts and scrapes on your skin sting and the sand isn't helping. The air is slightly humid, ruining any feeling of refreshment you might have gotten from your dip in the ocean.

There are lights in the distance, but the unfriendly scent of gunpowder fills the air. If you're lucky, you're alone. If not - you might find yourself staring up into a pair of monstrous eyes or down the barrel of a local's shotgun.

SCENARIO TWO

So you've just arrived, and already some of the natives are trying to get on your good side with offers of food, shelter and other luxuries in return for hoping you don't eat them. They even have some helpful pamphlets to share with you. "How To Deal With Changes", "Alternatives to Human Flesh", "What to Expect When You're Expecting (to turn into a monster)" are all on the more informative end of the scale. There's even some detailing certain monsters, and the changes they go through. Some of these seem to have been passed down from one monster to the next.

Among these however, are some... not so helpful ones. "Bunnyipyips And You", "Axe Thief Axehounds," and "So you're becoming a Fur Bearing Trout" among others. Sometimes they have marks on them from previous readers saying they're lies, or pointing out good "jokes."

Then there are the people who aren't happy to see you at all. Glares and silent, judging stares if you're lucky, torches and pitchforks attempting to drive you out of the town if you're not. You may need a friend to help you.

SCENARIO THREE

"Seek us out," the voice whispers in your head, and before you have time to question it you've found yourself in someplace entirely alien.

Maybe it's the Fog God's ghostly town of Dyster, where exultant followers dance around bonfires and sing their praises to the skies above. Maybe it's the Fourth God's arcade, with small robots wheeling about amidst the lights and colors of old pinball machines.

Only one thing is certain: you are not alone, in this sacred place.

SCENARIO FOUR

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? Feel free to pick any monster type for this prompt, but note that you may not get the same one in game.

Comments

Lucrezia Mongfish-Heterodyne | Girl Genius

[waspyourface]

Two

"How charming," Lucrezia purrs. She has cheerfully accepted a collection of pamphlets by a 'helpful' human native. He was a nervous young man and easily manipulated into buying her a night at the inn and a proper dinner. Having had some roast and vegetables, Lucrezia feels refreshed and almost completely over her unpleasant arrival. She could use a scrub and a new dress, but she can be patient for a little while, especially with such amusing distractions.

Her new friend was dismissed and sent on his way for the moment, leaving Lu to peruse the literature she was given. She's found one with annotations next to the descriptions of monsters in a bright red ink.

Fun and Healthy Alternatives to Human Fresh Cute. These humans will try anything to save their own skins. Here's the Truth: nothing else will satisfy the craving.

She strokes her thumb over the glossy paper and hums to herself. It's a split-tonal sound she makes by humming carefully in her chest and her nose at the same time and it helps her think. It isn't working as well here as it used to at home, but it's still a comforting sound.

Turning to the nearest body, human or otherwise, she puts on a wry smile and bats her eyes. "Now, darling, remind me: do all new arrivals eventually make a monstrous transition?"

Four

By the time the changes started to come, Lucretia was more or less prepared. No use fighting the inevitable, and she'd survived in aspects that were less than human before. There are plenty of benefits to such and she can embrace that. It's a bit of a shame that she only had such a short stint being truly human again, in her daughter's body and then here in this strange place, but with so many powerful creatures around, it is definitely in her best interest to embrace the strength of a monster.

If only she could have known ahead of time what it would be! Surprises are so frustrating. Lucrezia prefers to plan. At least the changes are indisputably leaning toward one type in particular. Ambivalence would have been unacceptable.

The changes so far have been attractive, even. Long, elegant whiskers extend from her cheeks, an her full lips twist and split a little at the center. It's almost cute, until she smiles to reveal a mouthful of ferocious pointed teeth. It suits her perfectly. Her arms and body have begun to grow soft white fur, and she can feel her arms and fingers aching as the bones begin to rearrange and reshape. Her nails lengthen when she flexes her fingers just-so, and she's already taken to grooming them into lovely sharp points. Her ears have begun to move, as well, growing pointed and starting to get soft fuzz like the fur on her body. Already she can hear far more than she ever could as a simple human. Mice scuttle in the floorboards and she can hear the beating wings of the bats outside at night. Even in the darkness she can she the intricate weaving of a spider's web. It all makes her smile.

She is impatient for the poisonous tail and wings of flight she knows are coming, now. She's taken to a nocturnal schedule already, though she never does sleep much to begin with, and will prowl at night in the city, basking in her newly empowered senses and the thrill of stalking the humans that are out late at night. She doesn't yet feel the hunger, but the act of passively preying on others makes her spine tingle.

Tonight, that tingle is stronger than usual. It crescendos into an itch, and then an ache. It's settled just below her shoulders, and though it is tempting to squirm, she holds her posture. This feeling is familiar now- she is about to change. As exciting as that is, the process is unsightly, and she swiftly begins looking for some privacy. A long dark alley, an abandoned building, or even a bridge to hide under. She is going to sneak into a cocoon and emerge a horrible beautiful butterfly, so to speak. At least, that's her plan.

two, making her way downtown~

[invisiblepumpkin]

"Yeah, we all do." By this point, Roxy would be nearing the start of her own transformation, though she hardly knew when the exactly was. It could be anytime between a few days from now to a week, so far as she remembered, "No way to escape it, s'far as I know."

[waspyourface]

"Fascinating." Lucrezia sounds as minimally bothered by this as it was possible for a person to be, really. She almost sounds like she wants to scrape off her own skin and look at it under a microscope. She eyes up the pamphlet again for a moment, before looking back over the girl she's speaking to. Sizes her up a little.

Cute, has potential. Clearly very young, probably near her daughter's age. Interesting. "Any way to predict the species? Early signs? Biological markers? Chemical responses?"

[invisiblepumpkin]

"Far as I'm aware, sometimes you know right away, sometimes it takes a while. May depend on what kind of monster you become but I haven't, y'know, been informed of what options there are myself. I'm sure there are people around willing to help you figure it out once it starts, though." Roxy was making notes in her head to talk to her friends and housemates about what their first changes were like, and whether they knew right away or whether they had to have someone help them figure it out.

[waspyourface]

Oh you poor unprepared little thing. Lucrezia could practically stamp "vulnerable" to this girl's head. She's absolutely going to keep her. "I see. But no way of predicting before the alterations begin? Interesting." She is unconvinced there isn't a pattern to it, but that's not important to impart on this girl for now.

"What is your name, dear, and how long have you been here?"

[invisiblepumpkin]

"Roxy Lalonde," Roxy nearly tacked ma'am on to the end there, as was the couple of jobs she'd taken rubbing off on her, "I've been here almost a month. So, not too long. What's your name?" Yes, this poor girl did not grow up with a concept of stranger danger.

Did she just gain a mother figure who happens to be evil? What even does Lu mean by keep, here? Roxy likely won't know, but having another person who she'd call a friend was definitely on her list of priorities.

[waspyourface]

Lucrezia would have been delighted by being ma'amed, even if she would complain it made her feel old. Signs of respect and deference are always welcomed and encouraged! But Lu won't push her luck, yet. "I see. You've settled in well? You must think me a dotty old thing but I have to say you look young to be out all on your own, so I commend you for taking care of yourself." She hasn't totally had a breakdown about being in a strange place, alone, knowing she's going to turn into a mythic creature. So she's strong, too.

Lu hasn't quite decided for herself, yet. Allies are important and she intends to collect a few even before she develops a solid plan of attack for her new life.

[invisiblepumpkin]

Ah, solid A+ on the planning front there, but alas Roxy doesn't know any of this to commend or curiously poke at this.

"Yeah, I've settled fine. Though, the taking care of myself thing isn't so strange. To me that is." Been doing it pretty much as soon as she could walk and talk. Even with the carapaces around who sort of had taken care of her, as time went on, she was the one taking care of them. Sometimes she had wondered how they'd done it, and how she'd survived, basically raising herself, but this wasn't one of those times.

"And no, I don't think you're old." Dotty she didn't know, really, but old? No, this woman did not look old to her.

But maybe that's simply because her only definitions of old have been Really old human people here and a formerly pretty much immortal alien bug-fish queen.

[waspyourface]

Surely a girl like Roxy will have her uses. Lucrezia knows she's in for a power grab here, but she's only just arrived. It will take time to learn about the power structures here and suss out what the best route to total domination would be. Certainly it starts by being more than a mere human.

It's a huge inconvenience and extremely uncomfortable that she doesn't feel the Spark, here. So she will need to gain and rely on some other form of superiority until she can leave again and return to Europa, or to her priestesses.

"Aren't you sweet?" Roxy's comment about taking care of herself is not mentioned, but not forgotten. So she is strong. Or perhaps in desperate need for a parental figure. Lucrezia will figure out which. She gives Roxy a little pinch on the cheek. "I'm Lucrezia Mongfish."

[invisiblepumpkin]

Roxy takes the pinched cheek with a confused expression, wondering if maybe Lucrezia was being patronizing there. Though for now, she'd just act as if that wasn't the case. The confused 'what the fuck' expression quickly smooths over into something more content. An easygoing smile.

"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you then, Lucrezia ma'am." Already, nicknames were going through her head, but then the ma'am slipped in and she just resolved to roll with it until suitable nickname opportunities arose.

"You got anything planned that you wanna do before or after monsterification?" As it was, Roxy was going to do a bit of shopping today before she'd bumped into Lu, now that she's got the coins and had dropped off some at the museum because, whoopsie, she hadn't gotten around to paying for those stolen gift shop items because of a certain forest getting cranky.

[waspyourface]

Roxy's expression doesn't faze Lucrezia. She doesn't take much stock of it, really. She's confident in her read on the girl and the fact that she won't upset her with the gesture.

She chuckles delightedly, then taps at her lips with a finger as she looks up thoughtfully. "Well I suppose that would depend on what kind of monster I become, hmm? That could change so much."

A smile is offered to Roxy, and Lucrezia reaches to gently rest her fingertips on her elbow, expecting Roxy to lift her arm and escort her. "Shall we walk? I would love to see more of this place."

[invisiblepumpkin]

Roxy does indeed lift her arm, “Yes. I think we shall.” She grins, setting out to show Lucretia some of the places she’s seen while wandering Bavan’s streets. Among the shops and restaurants are places she’s heard of and seen, for monsters, but has yet to actually visit. And. Of course. There’s the Museum.

[waspyourface]

Ah, good girl. Lucrezia is pleased, and walks along with swaying hips. She listens as well as Lucrezia can ever be expected to, because she does want to collect information. She wants to learn the lay of the land, and keep note of the good eateries. Even if she might be eating people soon, nobody will deny her a proper spread.

Her attention does start to wane a little... but the Museum brings her right back. "How charming! What sorts of exhibits do they carry? Is there an in-house laboratory?"

[invisiblepumpkin]

[Roxy gave the woman a look as if to convey 'oh yeah that'd be nice but...' without words.]

There's exhibits of the homes 'verses of a lot of the new peeps, and even some others who've been here a while, I think, that got caught up in it when it formed. Because of course it wasn't there since forever and it just popped up overnight like thanks Fog Goddess you've got a real flair for the dramatics I see. But the stuff in all of 'em are fake, and last time I was in there I was more busy trying to get me and other people out... huh. No harm in going in there I guess to look over the models or if there are any blueprints for stuff. Wouldn't be surprised if there was something like that in one of 'em. But a working lab I don't think so. Unless something's happened between then and now that is. Which is entirely possible I mean I was incoherent for like, part of the time I've been here and busy the rest.

Also from what I've seen so far, nothing is ever really dull around here. Not for long, at least.

[Wow, she's chatty.]

[waspyourface]

Ah, not the kind of museum she expected, then. That's a disappointment. Lucrezia frowns up at the building as if to scold it for disappointing her.

She does glaze over a bit as Roxy continues to talk, but something does get through to her.

"You said everything in there is fake? What do you mean?" Would there be displays of things like her machines from home, but just... useless models? Now that really is rude.

[invisiblepumpkin]

Well, Roxy did notice the shift in mood at her rambling. She resolves to try and not do it as much around her, "Fake like it won't work. At least not as intended. Might be a convincing replica that only has whatever lights and sounds, if it makes 'em." She doesn't mention how her laptop had been one she'd found in her exhibit fully functional because it appeared to be the exception to the rule.

[waspyourface]

All for the better. Lucrezia would have no basis of understanding for a laptop, and that's probably not a rabbit hole either one of them wants to jump down right this moment. Still, it leaves Lucrezia unhappy.

"What a tease, to leave us with such." She glares at the building as if that would have any affect at all. Though... she supposes it may have some uses. "Then all it would be good for is having some idea what everyone else is working with..." She says, mostly to herself.