Test drive meme: November

[ryslighelpers]

TEST DRIVE MEME: NOVEMBER

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

[whiteofcrime]

Fortunately, Kaito is still too soft-hearted to deny a hug from a kid so obviously happy to see him. The force of her smacking into him rocks him back on his heels but he quickly steadies himself. His arms tentatively wrap around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm back," he chuckles. "Um, remind me again who you are...?"

[soft_focus]

"....."

Well, this got three degrees more awkward. As if on cue, Reira's various fiber optic lights immediately shoot from the brilliant rainbow of patterns into a dull blue.

"..." Hug ended, and the six-foot child stands back. "......You don't...remember?"

It doesn't likely help that the past year and a bit have caused Reira to open up considerably- she's more chatty, and it shows in her tone.

[whiteofcrime]

By the gods, this kid is tall. Kaito scrambles to reassure her, waving his hands, shaking his head.

"No! No... Um, okay, maybe, yes. But I'm sure it'll come to me! I'm just having trouble remembering if I knew any, uh..." He squints at her features. They were vaguely aquatic. "Kelpies?"

[soft_focus]

There is a pause- she has to think about this, after all. And then...

"Oh yeah!" Ah yes, of course! "...I was a wendigo, when you left, I think..."

[whiteofcrime]

That narrows the choices down considerably. In fact, there's only one--

"Reira?!" he says incredulously. "What the hell, you're so much taller now! Wait - I thought you were a boy!"

[soft_focus]

... "...Nope." That's it. Just 'nope', no further explanation-

"...I'm a kelpie now though, kelpies get tall." Except perhaps that.

[whiteofcrime]

'Nope,' says Reira, and Kaito emits a strangled little noise of consternation. Sure, it's not like his perception of her for a whole year hasn't just been entirely upended.

"Well... Glad you're not a mermaid," he says, recovering himself. He smiles wryly up at her. "If you're already this tall, I'd hate to see you grown up."

[soft_focus]

"I was a mermaid over the summer?" she offers, before frowning. "...I didn't like it." She just ended up shorter than she started. Terrible!

As it is. "...What's wrong with being tall? There's lots of monsters taller than you, right?"

That's not the point, but she doesn't realize that.

[whiteofcrime]

Thank the gods for that, Kaito thinks privately. He doesn't think he could bear being near someone with scales and slimy skin and bulging eyes... Ugh.

"Nothing wrong with being tall," he huffs, propping his hands on his hips, letting his lip slide into a small pout. "But you're younger than me! It's...it's insulting, that's what it is!"

[soft_focus]

Excuse you sir, she was a furry fluffy seal and a mantis shrimp. No scales only carapaces!

At any rate, the girl stares. Blinks...

And proceeds to turn into an alpaca. Needless to say, she's shorter now. "...Is this better? I'm older than I was before, so that helps too right? Since I'm not as young."

[whiteofcrime]

Mm, crustaceans...

Kaito stares at the very green alpaca now standing before him and, after a few moments, buries his face in his hands in disbelief.

It's a sweet gesture almost. He appreciates it, even if he's not sure Reira meant it that way.

"It's fine," he chokes out. He uncovers his face and reaches out to rub Reira's woolly head. "I'm glad you're here at least, Reira."

[soft_focus]

Well, she's sitting ala-alpaca anyway so. If alpaca can pout, she's probably doing it however. "Mnh! Everyone always does that..." The head ruffling, human or not! Ah well.

"'M glad you're here too! A lot happened while you were gone, but now I can show you what I did with your spike too!!"

Priorities and all.

[whiteofcrime]

"My spike?" he echoes, letting his hand fall back to his side. "You kept it?"

Not morbid at all, kid.

[soft_focus]

"Yeah!"

She somehow manages to access her back holster without turning back into a human- ...probably because she's using one of those seaweed tendrils. It handily pulls off the top of her spear, causing the blade to resemble more of a dagger.

A dagger that, while fortified, seems to have once been...Bone maybe?

"Mana carved it into this, and then Tsukikage strengthened it... ...We used the other pieces for earrings!"

[whiteofcrime]

His eyes widen upon seeing it. He tentatively holds out a hand, a wordless query to hold the item and give it a closer look.

"Wanted to keep a piece of me close?" he asks jokingly.

[soft_focus]

"Mnh, well...! Everyone kept disappearing," she notes easily- perhaps too easily, but then again a lot of the people who 'mattered' vanished in that first year. "...And... ...I didn't want to just have the spike sit somewhere. I wanted to make sure it mattered as something to do stuff with."

[whiteofcrime]

"I see..." Kaito takes a bit more time to appreciate the workmanship of the spearhead before letting Reira take it back. "I hope it kept you safe then. I'll probably end up growing more in a month's time."

[soft_focus]

She nods furiously. "It's been the best weapon when things happen here!" she insists. "Especially when I have time stopped- I just hit, and then let time move again!"

hey so back up to the part where you say you stop time kid,

[whiteofcrime]

"You-- you have 'time stopped'?!" Kaito gapes at her. Please explain, Reira. Did you turn into a god while he was gone??

[soft_focus]

"...No it's still moving right now." REIRA.

"I can only do it for four minutes at once, since Elias gave me a way to do it. So it's better for when you have to do something that's already sort of fast...it doesn't stop for any of his other friends either!"

[whiteofcrime]

"Four minutes is a hell of a long time!" Seriously. You know how much shit Kaito can get up to given four minutes?! Kaito makes a face and whines, "What do I have to do to get that ability?"

[soft_focus]

"Umnnn..." Can alpaca...shrug? She's shrugging. "...I just fixed the park and stole from the Fog God...and then Elias said he wanted to call me one of his 'priests', and that's when I was able to start doing that."

....So.

"...So I guess be the best friend you can be?" There's a pause, and- "...Don't let him do stupid things though."

[whiteofcrime]

Kaito snorts but grows thoughtful. Needless to say, he's plotting how he might acquire that ability himself.

"What's he gotten himself into since I was gone? Still bickering with the Fog god?"

[soft_focus]

"...We're still fighting her...he tried a few things, but they mostly made a mess, so now Marco and I are just making sure he thinks about his ideas before he does them."

No comment on the part where she and Marco and some other guy totally made a dumb plan on their own after that, which of course meant that once Elias got involved it went Even Poorer Than Expected. Whoops.

"...A lot of people like the Fog more though..." A bit upsetting, that.

[whiteofcrime]

Kaito clicks his tongue. "She's the source of all our problems, AND she makes people act out. Can't see what's so good about her."

Granted, it isn't as if Elias doesn't do the same... He does still have vague memories of one of the earlier kills he's made.

"Well, if you want any help, I'm here for you guys now," he says with a smirk.