Test drive meme: January

[ryslighelpers]

TEST DRIVE MEME: NOVEMBER JANUARY

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

Yuuya Sakaki | Yugioh Arc-V | ota

[pendulumheart]

1.
Yuuya’s first clear sensation upon gaining consciousness is that his mouth is full of sand. He spits and sputters, gagging a little in trying to get it out, rolling over and getting to his hands and knees hoping it would help somehow. Open cuts on his palms, arms, and legs stung and protested the movement, yet he froze before he could get to his feet when he looked up to find himself staring at a gun.

“S-Sir-“ He made a face even though the sand still stuck in his mouth should be the last of his worries, “Sir. Can you. Please lower your gun?” He wasn’t accustomed to seeing them around. Most people where he’s from solved things by dueling, after all, and most civilians weren’t allowed to own any sort of firearm. When he tries to see if the man had a duel disk on him, he became aware of the lack of weight on his own arm.

Oh no. Okay, Yuuya. Can’t get paralyzed by fear here. Smile and be friendly and pray this is a misunderstanding. Maybe ask if there was anywhere he can dry off and get new clothes, too.

So he did. He didn’t smile wide, but he did and moved slowly to get a better look at this elderly man who was holding a shotgun to his head.

“Sir, I think this is just a misunderstanding. Could you please lower your gun? I’m sorry if I’ve spooked you somehow.”

The man was shaking as much as he was, though he didn’t think it was from being waterlogged and cold, as bundled up as the old man was.

“It’s alright. See? I’m unarmed.” Yuuya had the common sense, thankfully, to go slow when he raised his open palms to the guy, wincing both at the sting and how the man put the barrel right up to his forehead.

Okay. Okay. Just stay calm. Maybe someone nearby will help him out. Maybe if he just waited patiently, this guy will see that Yuuya isn’t anything or anyone to be afraid of.

2.
Yuuya doesn’t make it out of that tense situation on the beach without confrontation. Albeit, a tense, conversational confrontation which may have also consisted of having to dodge a literal bullet. The old man showed him back to a dock and then pointed further into the city with a shaking finger. Said there would be people around who would help him out if he only asked.

What he hadn’t mentioned were the stares he’d get alongside pitying expressions. The brochures handed out to him which talked of strange things, with sometimes even stranger commentary written on them in different colors. Some of this commentary, and a few of the pamphlets, detailed something he couldn’t quite make sense of. “How To Deal With Changes” highlighted by red colored text saying how you can’t prepare for it until you know what you’re turning into, among other things. There was an “Alternatives to Human Flesh” and the blue, snarky sounding text about how there is no alternatives unless you become a monster who is dependent on some other aspect, like human blood, or energy, or souls, made him mentally take a step back.

The fourteen year old was of half a mind to just throw them all out in the nearest bin he could find, at this point. They all only spoke nonsense, to him. Sure there had been more… interesting duel monsters designs where he’s from but there had never been a case of a human turning into, well, something like that.

He’s also of a mind to ask someone about these things, if any of it’s truth or if this is just some kind of prank that people here play on newcomers. It’s not in the least bit funny if it is. He may have found a good-hearted family that helped clean and put bandaids over his cuts. He may have found a woman who was passing out thick blankets for free which he profusely thanked her for, and it was now one of the only things keeping him even slightly warm. The contrast was confusing, to say the least.

Wild.Card
Hey ya'll, here's my Plurk for anyone who wants to stop by and plan something, but feel free to throw a curveball!

2

[slipperyslope]

Ugh... Jesus.

[A middle aged man in a damp, flashy suit gives a pamphlet a cursory glance before casually tossing it in a nearby trash can. He turns and is about to continue on his way when he spots Yuuya hesitating over his own handful of pamphlets.]

Hey kid, do yourself a favour and ditch those. Trust me: it's a whole heap of...

[He trails off, giving Yuuya a bemused grimace and a derisive chuckle as he looks him up and down.]

Nice outfit. Did I arrive just in time for Comicon?

1

[noasark]

"Now now..."

A purring voice breaks the silence, and the one holding the gun pauses.

"Don't be hasty...you know we come back, don't you?" the voice chuckles, pacing in the fog half-visible. "Is this really the first impression you want to make..?"

The gunman trembles- and in the fog, Noa grins.

Pyra arrives four years late with a prompt 2

[lunakiss]

Nanao's also completely new to Ryslig and fresh off the boat himself. He's spent his time quietly gathering information and talking to the locals, and frankly, he's not super impressed with the situation. However, he figured if aliens and magic boys existed, he may as well believe these things... or at least some of them.

The young man's sipping some warm tea when he sees a boy walking by, a little younger than his kouhais back at home, his arms filled with brochures and pamphlets.

"Neh, neh. You're going to lose your blanket if you keep holding onto that. And believe me, most of those aren't worth it," the blonde boy says, a charming smile on his face.

Athena | Borderlands

[kissmyaspis]

[One]

[Waking up in unfortunate places isn't a particularly new thing for Athena. After she left the Lance, before settling down with Janey, she didn't always have the money for a place to stay, so she's slept in some pretty weird places. No, what's weird about this is that she doesn't remember falling asleep here; her memory and the ability to recall almost anything with perfect clarity is something Athena very much prides herself in, so this... this sends an uneasy feeling crawling down her spine.

So does the fact that she's alone when she very much wasn't when she fell asleep, but she's going to crush that feeling down. She needs information. Worrying can come later.

(it's fine she's fine janey will be fine she can take care of herself)

So for now, after standing up and brushing off any sand from her clothes and armor, Athena stomps over to the nearest person and grabs them by the shoulder, turning them to face her.]

I need information. Now.


[Two]

[Athena's used to people staring at her with fear, mistrust, and wariness in her eyes. She's used to being looked at like an enemy, like some sort of monster that could snap and kill them at any moment. And most of the people who looked at her like that? They were much more threatening and heavily armed than the townspeople currently surrounding her; about a dozen men, holding shovels and pitchforks and various other farming tools, looking like they're caught between charging forward and running away. The cool, even glare Athena's locking on their leader - taller than her by at least half a foot, but as unsure as his companions - isn't really helping much either.]

If you're going to use those things, use them. I don't want to stand hear all night waiting for all of you to make up your minds.

[She moves, but all she does is cross her arms. Several of the men shuffle, as if caught between charging forward at Athena's movement and running back. It doesn't look like the woman needs help, but since she's not making the first move, someone's going to need to.]


[Four; Minotaur]

[People handle turning into monsters differently. Some refuse to accept their current life for as long as possible, some people accept their fate and try to make the best of things, and many fall somewhere in between. Athena.... leans more towards the second. She didn't particularly like the idea of becoming a monster, and she absolutely hated the idea of becoming no better than a common Psycho by eating people, but... she can't change this anymore than she could change her past as a Lance Assassin. So she'll deal with it.

She hasn't fully grown in to her new form yet, but her changes are noticeable; while her legs look human, they're now covered in shaggy brown fur only partially covered by the new knee-length shorts she wears, and a pair of horns have sprouted from the side of her head, curving forward and slightly up at the tips. Perfect weapons if she attempted to headbutt anyone.

But she's not headbutting people now! In fact, she's just... standing in front of a tree in the outskirts of Bavan, in the process of stretching for her morning workout. When she'd awoken earlier, she'd felt different, like there was a surge inside of her. It reminded her of the energy buzz that came after the replenishing effects of a rejuvinator, so maybe... hm.

After her stretches, she moves closer to the tree, shakes out her arms... and then lunges forward, swinging her fist with all her might at the direct center of the trunk--

CRACK!

... And with that solid hit, the center of the tree where her fist made impact shatters, and with a groan, the tree begins tipping over.]

... Nice.

[And she just grins like punching over a tree is no big deal!]

one

[scholiast]

Alright.

(Can't say no to a direct command like that! Lucretia lifts her hands up between the both of them, palms out, to signify peace. Athena may find that there is a little more eye on her than she had bargained for, as all four of Lucretia's are quite wide with surprise.)

What would you like to know? I'm– well, I am still quite new here, but I will do my best.

one

[heartchaining]

[ And when the woman grabs her shoulder, she stiffens. Freezes up. She's face-to-face with a woman whose expression can be described only as severe. At first, she doesn't know what to say, or even what to do; she'd been in the castle not long ago, she'd said goodbye to Sora....

Naminé is completely clueless, and she hates herself for it. She hates that she can't provide any answers. ]

I'm sorry. I just got here, so I don't know anything.

[two]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

You heard her. Either use those on her, or hit the road.

[Among the men enters, surprisingly, a woman. And still, she doesn't look like she's here to pick a fight... with Athena, that is. She steps through the crowd and takes a stance next to the gladiator, hands clenched into fists evenly at her sides.]

Oh, but please, if you're thinking about trying anything, just know that you'll have to deal with me too. If you can handle that.

Eisuke Hondou | Detective Conan

[notsoclumsy]

1.
[The first thing Eisuke was going to do on waking up on a beach was, apparently, squint around while struggling to dry his seawater soaked glasses with his equally soaked shirt.

Which was, quite obviously, proving to be rather futile. But hey, it was better than panicking over why he had woken up on a beach somewhere, which was also something that he was doing, judging by the way he looked around before putting the (now wet and smudged) glasses back on to see if there was anyone around.]

2.
"...Are these serious?" [He was staring at a handful of pamphlets, apparently unsettled by their contents. Under normal circumstances he might have dismissed them, but waking up somewhere and finding that the locals seemed kind of wary of him wasn't exactly normal circumstances.

Then again, it could be some sort of prank. The one about fur bearing trouts seemed completely ridiculous, even by the standards of the other pamphlets, so maybe he was just working himself up?

Deciding it might be wise to try and ask about the pamphlets rather than just working himself up, Eisuke began looking for someone who seemed willing to talk.]

3.
[Apparently, Eisuke's usual bad luck was still in effect on top of whatever horrible luck led to him being stuck here, because he'd managed to trip over one of the robots in the arcade and faceplant right into the floor. That had to hurt.]

"Ow..." [At least he was getting up again.]

2

[ilovepuppies]

"I dunno! I've been trying to find a fur-bearing trout for months!"

There's a winged girl peering over his shoulder at the pamphlets.

"They're SO CUTE! I wanna pet one!"

3

[whiteofcrime]

Wow. How do you trip over something that's sitting in plain view?

[ This snarky comment from one apparently very normal-looking 19-year-old who has just come into the arcade's communal area from one of the corridors at the back. Kaito stands easily with his hands in his pockets, a half-smile (half-smirk, really) lingering as he looks down at the other boy.

Besides the wayward hair and Bavan-style clothing, he looks disturbingly familiar... ]

Hozuki | Hozuki's Coolheadedness

[hellsrighthand]

1 | A Washed Up Official

[There, laying on the beach, dressed in a now ruined black and red yukata lies a man of some sort. The pointed ears and horn on his head mark his inhuman nature. He feels like shit, and he's just waking up, a truly fearsome combination for this demon.

His eyes begin to clear, head lifting to glare up at the form standing before him with sharp eyes and a clearly displeased scowl, revealing his fanged mouth and red-lined eyes. Whoever it is, they're on the grumpy end of his temper right now, and have only a few seconds to explain themselves before he reaches for that club that he... doesn't have.

Fists work just as well.]

2 | The Less Than Friendly Locals

[Confident steps carry Hozuki throughout the town, his resting scowl expression scaring off most of the locals from approaching him alone. He does, however, collect a couple of the more informative looking pamphlets, reading them as he walks. Werewolves, kelpies, trolls, and vampires... Yes, all very well known monsters made up in the mundane world. It seems this place he's arrived in is quite fascinated with them, how curious.

If the pamphlets are to be believed, he'll turn into a monster himself, in a months time. Wouldn't that be ironic, a demon turning into a mundane monster? Though it's quite convincing, there are even a few monsters (actual ones!) hanging about nearby.

He needs some questions answered, which is likely how you find him standing before you, short brows furrowed despite his passive tone.]

Pardon me, is this some sort of local festival or celebration?

[gameselect]

[The young man crouched over Hozuki's prone body doesn't seem deterred in the slightest. Instead, the finger that's been inching closer and closer with the intent of, apparently, booping Hozuki on the horn, remains in motion.]

Oh, hello!

[Yeah, this guy is immune to death glares. Actually, if we're getting into JRPG mechanics, he probably absorbs them.]

Friendly(?) locals

[justpure]

Oh?

[You've managed to find a tall, lank fellow wearing an odd school uniform with a strange face mask. Probably would have been mistaken for human if it wasn't for those skeletal hands poking out of his sleeves...]

If you are talking about the pamphlets, then you're gravely mistaken. [His tone is calm, almost chillingly cool. His gaze is fixed on the horn on the other man's forehead.

It hasn't been a month since the new arrivals were first spotted, which means...]

You haven't been here long, have you?

Symmetra / Satya Vaswani | Overwatch

[vaastavikita]

[Satya Vaswani has been to many new and strange places in her life. That's usually fine; typically she has time to prepare and research and learn all that she can about her new destination. But now, that's just not the case; as she wanders the streets of this unfamiliar town, she shies left and right, eyes wide and glassy as she takes in each new horror, each new set of teeth and claws and eyes and wings. It's a nightmare, it has to be, even though every cell of her body screaming at her to wake up is doing absolutely nothing to make it all stop.

She pauses in a darkened shop doorway, placing a hand on the lintel to steady herself, squeezing her eyes shut tightly enough to see fireworks erupt in her vision while she takes a deep breath. Satya, you must calm yourself. See the world as it truly is—

A pamphlet is thrust at her, and Satya's eyes open wide, startled. She takes the pamphlet in both hands, one flesh and one metal, and peers at it mostly to give her brain something to focus on that isn't fear.]

Fur...bearing...trout. [Her voice is flat. She lets out a hollow, flat laugh.] Now I've seen everything.

[scholiast]

Don't be so sure. Every time I think I've seen everything there is to see, the universe finds a way to, uh, 'raise the bar'.

(Case in point: here comes Lucretia, newly minted Nephilim. If Symmetra were to ignore her lion's tail, her four eyes, and the golden glow of her dark skin, she would find her fairly normal to look at. As it is, Lucretia may have one of the more tamer appearances around here, but only because she is still fresh.)

Are you new here?

Kanana Kana | Final Fantasy XIV

[mamafell]

i. pamphlets and pampering

[ had too much positivity in horrorville today? well, you're in luck: sitting on a park bench near you is a small woman with the most sour expression you've ever seen. no, further down - heavens, she can't even be a full three feet tall. when she sees you approach, she actually takes the time to acknowledge you, size you up, and finally state in no uncertain terms: ]

Piss off. [ and if you're already going through changes of your own, she'll add a little extra just for you: ] What, can't even go for the good eats?

[ feisty little thing, innit. ]

ii. the arcade

[ lots to get used to in this place. the monsters. the locals. the foulest attempt at cuisine this side of ala mhigo. and not to mention the bleeding cannibals at the center of it all.

but kanana kana... she's a resourceful woman, ain't she? she's lived through worse, a dozen times over, and she'll be living through this yet. even if she's stuck in a dark room with flashing lights, magitech what she doesn't understand one bit, and prickles on the back of her neck like she's being watched.

oh, hell. she's being watched. she may not have her axe, but she's made do; she turns and swings a broken chunk of concrete at the end of a rebar piece, with a strength thoroughly unbecoming of someone her size. she doesn't hit them - they're not even close enough to hit, she's sure - but she's probably sent a message. or at least, the sudden chunk of wall missing in the arcade has. ]

Hey, now, hey now, none of that. One more step and I'll mash you into a pulp, you hear me?

iii. changes are a'comin (werewolf)

[ now she's had about enough of this.

her first changes have come and gone easy enough. she's a pirate, ain't she? what sort of shite excuse for one would she be if she couldn't handle losin' a few teeth - if she couldn't handle her bones getting roughed up a bit? so she's up on her feet in the first few minutes, gritting her new fangs and dealing with the pain the only way she knows how: smashing a window, grabbing a bottle of whiskey, and ignoring it entirely.

when she finds a prone form in the middle of the street, going through some changes of their own, she doesn't hesitate. she rolls them over into a recovery position, holds the bottle to their lips, and speaks with a surprisingly authoritative voice: ]

Drink up. It'll make things easier.

iii

[scholiast]

(Lucretia is not changing so much as simply struggling to be out in the streets at night. Nephilim are... 'allergic', to the dark. There's a joke about being up past her bedtime somewhere but she can't find the strength to make it, as she's currently dissolving rapidly in the middle of the street. Thankfully the moonlight seems to be helping with holding her together, but as it is she's flickering, hazy at the edges, and her skin has lost its lovely, golden glow entirely.

She might have looked like a human if not for her tail, thrashing about her, or her four eyes, two of which are currently screwed shut in a prolonged wince. This does not feel fantastic.)

No, thank you– (Somebody is holding something against the general concept of her mouth. Lucretia shakes her head and puts an elbow up, trying to lift herself. She feels positively weightless, like she may blow away in the wind.) You know, I read all about this but I– didn't think that it would affect me quite so much as–

(Hmm. She's just raised her head and caught sight of the stranger, fangs and all. Yikes.)

iii. monster is wendigo

[vaastavikita]

[The Architech known as Symmetra is finding herself in a difficult and most undignified situation; laying in a gutter with claws and bones erupting most painfully from her skin is hardly ideal, but at the moment her knees have jutted backward and she's finding it incredibly difficult to wrap her head around standing upright, let alone walking to a more secure, a more private location. For now, all she can do is wheeze and gasp and mutter in her native tongue to keep herself from shrieking in pain—

—and then she's being rolled over and something strong and fiery is on her lips, burning the back of her throat as she gasps and chokes it back. She sputters:]

What foul poison is that?!

2

[notsoclumsy]

[Eisuke was not having a good time. First he tripped over one of the robots in this place, and now he was being threatened by someone with a concrete and rebar weapon. Hands held in front of him, he scrambled back from the person, trying to avoid getting swung at again.]

“Sorry! I was just looking for someone else in this place!”

Earl Merle Hightower Highchurch | The Adventure Zone: Balance

[soulwood]

a. | little umbrella shaped margaritas

[ For a split second, as he comes to, Merle could have sworn that he was at home. It was hard to think otherwise when the first thing he heard was the ever changing roll of the ocean and the sound of crunching sand under foot.

He groans, getting to an upright position as he surveys the landscape. This is certainly not any beach he's been on. ]

Well, shit...

[ He grumbles as he stands to his feet, head still on a swivel, trying to find any sort of familiar landmark, or at the very least, someone who looked familiar.

It's not too long before someone comes into view, and starts walking up to him. ]

Hail and --

[ Wait, no. He starts over again, his voice getting more raspy and Christopher Lloyd-like. ]

Hail and well met! You wouldn't happen to know where, uh... the nearest town is?

[ Once the person gets into view, so does the double barrel of a shot gun. The dwarf's hands shoot up in response as he laughs nervously. ]

Is this where I ask you whether you've shot five or six times?

b. | coconut oil, tan senioritas

[ Merle isn't exactly sure as to how he managed to get into Dyster. One second he was bumbling around a busy quarter of Bavan, and then the next he ends up in a completely different town. If he's bothered by it, he makes no sign of it. This still doesn't feel like the strangest thing to have happened to him, whether it's been since his entry to Ryslig or just his entire life. Hey, c'est la vie.

What he does gawk at, though, is the crowd dancing around the bonfire as he comes across it. ]

... Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I'd say a party at Golden Corral got a little out of hand here.

[ Does this mean that the Fourth equivalent would be, like, a Dave & Buster's? ]

c. | now I know how Jimmy Buffet feels

[ If you got anything else you wanna do with good ol' Merle here, gimme a heads up! Plurk is hnnng if you have anything pressing or w/e! ]

a

[andhekillsyou]

[The human doesn't have the good graces to laugh at that, which is a shame because it was a perfectly good pop culture reference. Instead he just levels the shotgun with clear intent. This has been happening for long enough on this stretch of beach that he's run out of patience for it. No more welcome wagon. No more gentle but pointed directions into the city. It's too much trouble to be dealing with. It's gun time.

A rock flies out of the middle distance and clocks him right in the jaw. The shotgun discharges, but in his surprise the human jerks the barrels up and so it fires harmlessly into the air above Merle's head.]

Ah, what the h--

[The smooth beach stones that litter the sand beneath their feet begin to rattle. Something very large is rapidly approaching from the same direction as the rock came from. It's maned, tusked, and wearing a tailored suit. WYD?]

Cloud Strife | Final Fantasy VII

[actuallyadork]

One
[Mouth full of sand is not a way to wake up. The itching and burning from the scratches filled with saltwater can be ignored. What was more important was focusing on the smell that usually meant war. Gunpowder.

And here was Cloud looking irritated. Where was his sword and materia? How is he supposed to fight if there's a fight. At least he thinks he's alone for the moment.]

Two
[The pamphlets are... something. Enough to make Cloud reconsider eating the food offered when he reads about human flesh alternatives. After a second of consideration, he simply shrugs, and starts eating whatever is handed to him as he keeps going through the pamphlet.]

I'm not a cannibal... [That he's aware of...]

Four (Wendigo)
[The changes were annoying. The teeth were too. The claws that ruined his only pair of gloves stuck out through the leather like white little sharp pins.

The antlers at least weren't too long at the moment. It only got bad when they snagged the occasional branch, though taking off his shirt was impossible without the whole thing being torn apart. The changes that pissed him off like no other was the tail and the constant hunger.

Everyone that passes by will get eyed as a potential meal as Cloud tries to figure out just what to do with all... this. Those human flesh alternatives were sounding good right about now.]

Reiji Akaba | YuGiOh ARC-V | OTA

[royalpurple]

II

[As both a duellist and as CEO of the largest duel monsters card schook and company in Maiami City, Reiji is used to crowds, and to minor celebrity. He's not quite as used to it being so... in his face, however. Uh. Literally. Papers, wads of currency, more papers, a skewer of smoked fish(?), a loaf of bread(??)--his glasses fall askew, multiple people talking or even shouting at him for one reason or another.

He's outwardly taking it in stride, his impassive mien never flickering as he gets tripped (intentional? accidental?) and gets pushed back upright (accidental? intentional?) but this is really a situation he was not prepared to handle and certainly not while itchy and soggy and still with grit in his teeth and salt in his gums.

He doesn't have much opportunity to get a word in until suddenly he finds himself face to face with someone else, very suddenly--]

Ah.

[It really doesn't matter whether it's a monster or not with just centimetres between his face and theirs--this neutral look and monosyllabic remark is both his greeting and his expression of surprise.

At least he'll speak if spoken to.]

III.

[Reiji doesn't generally think of himself in practical terms, but when it comes down to it, he is an extremely practical person. Kind of to a fault, actually--Reiji Akaba is actually practical to the point that it loops around to being impractical.

Case in point: whispering voice in his head.

He could ignore it. It isn't the weirdest thing that's happened to him, even before he woke up with a mouthful of sand and salt on the shores of Monster Peninsula. But if he ignored it, he would not know its cause. And if he doesn't know its cause, then he doesn't have a means to address it--whether that involves ignoring it later on or not, he'd prefer it to be an informed decision.

Well. He's certainly found... something, anyway.

The sense of something else hovers him, like the lightest touch on the back of his shoulder, but without any definable quality other than its presence--and no evidence of its cause, which is not so much discomfitting as it is a steady drain on his ample patience. Walking doesn't net him any more answers. The flickering light of the bonfires projects haunting shapes in the fog, revellers and reverents casting shadows into and against the light.... and Reiji himself, looking grossly out of place in his turtleneck and boat shoes.]

Hmmm.

[You'd think a sixteen year old man known for his intellect would have something more insightful to say.]

Wildcard

[He's actually much chattier, I promise. He just chronically underreacts because he's a ridiculous nerd.]

III

[noasark]

[As a talking cheetah with a 12 year old's face, Noa is used to more unique reactions. Granted, he's not sure this fellow has noticed him quite yet, perched up on this roof as he is...but one would think a more verbal response to large bonfires and cult cheering would be given.]

Lost in thought? [Noa 'asks', announcing his presence from the roof nearby. He lounges about as comfortably as any cat would, eyes gleaming.] ...Considering residence, perhaps?

Dr. Ray Stantz | The Real Ghostbusters

[ghoststanning]

2

[While most people find the weird pamphlets cheesy at best, Ray is reading through all of them with great interest. Like, to the point that you're gonna find him relaxing in a coffee shop reading through them. He's practically beaming like a child on Christmas as he gushes about them.]

Wow I hope I can see a fur bearing trout in person! It wouldn't be great if that's the monster I end up turning into, I like using my hands, but I think it would be neat to see one in person!

[No one tell him.]

4a (werewolf)

[Ray's been here for for awhile now, enough to know that he will turn into a monster at some point. Honestly the scientist side of him was desperately curious to find out what monster he would end up as.

And hey the fog's rolling out now! This should be a great opportunity to figure out what monsters he's going to become.

As the fog progresses, there's a series of texts on the network.]

It's taken me a little while, but I think I've figured out what monster I am!

Lupine ears, yellow eyes, elongated teeth, I think it's safe to say I'm becoming a werewolf!

This is really neat! It's happening just like in the horror movies! Except I have a sense of self control, so it's a lot easier to document like this! :-)

... It does kind of hurt, though. Ow. I remember reading that werewolves transform at night and become human during the day again? If I had my choice I would prefer to stay like this 24/7. I think I look pretty cool like this!

And also the idea of going through this pain nightly is less than appealing to me.

[It's fine he's fine.]

4b (werewolf)

[Honestly Ray isn't the kind of guy who would go into hiding after turning into a monster. If anything he finds the monster thing really cool!

... He dreads the day that he's going to start wanting to eat people, but he's gently repressing that worry right now.

So you're likely to see him around town, being really weird about becoming a werewolf, including practically warping to any small sound he hears out of curiosity, and testing out his new sense of smell. The latter mostly by guessing what brand of soap you used that day.

Later on, he decides to try out that new "travel size" thing, which he had read about being a possibility for were and he was dying to try it out for himself.

It takes him a bit but soon you will find this terrifying creature roaming about town.

Careful, he loves headpats.]

WILDCARD
[Wanna do something else? Feel free to contact me either via pm here or at blankblankity!]

4b

[junosteel]

[The person that Ray Stantz comes across is a particularly grumpy raccoon detective. In his arms, he caries a paper bag filled with what appears to be groceries.

...Though, if you listen closely, you'll hear several glass bottles clinking against each other. When he reaches the stoop of his apartment, he shifts the bag in his arms and struggles to take his keys out of his pocket. The keys slip from his claws and and clink against the asphalt.]

God dammit--

[Just when he's about to lean down and pick it up, there's a large and fluffy...dog...getting all up in his business and sticking his nose in his fur. Juno jolts back, fur standing on end and ears folded back as he stares down at the strange new monster. He grips the bag with both hands, trying to inch away from the werewolf.

...Ray might pick up on bourbon whiskey, lilac soap, and the faint lingering scent of blood. Juno's whiskers twitch with apparent annoyance.]

Do you--Do you mind?

Cassandra | Tangled: The Series

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[1]
[The first thing Cassandra tries to do as her consciousness returns is suck in the breath that was just prior forced out of her chest. This, as it seems, was a mistake. With several choking coughs, the sand is expelled from her mouth, and her vision begins to come into focus. There's enough time in between it so her other mental faculties could return to their normal state.

Pain. That's what she registers at first, and more of it beyond the soreness in her ribs from nearly being crushed in an iron grip. Scrapes and cuts on her arms and legs that she doesn't remember getting make themselves known with a stinging need. Sea salt, and sand, fills her nose, bot that's hardly an uncommon scent for her. Corona was a kingdom by the sea... but she had just been in a landlocked region. Had she been moved?]

Oh boy... [Her voice comes out raspy, dry from the sand and coughing. Finally, Cassandra finds the strength to start picking herself up.] I didn't think Varian got me that badly, but-

[Cassandra's eyes finally open, right into the barrel of a shotgun aimed straight at her face. And, further up still, she finds the person pointing it at her.

The weapon itself is lost on her, but the inherent threat is quite clear. She's been around enough cannons to know the smell of gunpowder and what it does.

Lovely time for her rapier to be missing.]

Hey... easy now... I... think I'm lost.

[2]
[Cassandra is not used to people looking on her with such scorn. Being typically on the right side of the law all of her life, and working hard to keep it that way, this was a harsh change, and not one for the better.

Why did she apparently have to start changing? Magic mishaps didn't come after her, not before she met Raps. And now she was "chosen" to become one of the many monsters she'd caught around this place? Hard pass, honestly. But since when did people listen to her?

Making matters not any better was her temper. Case in point, when one person gets too cocky and approaches her with his pitchfork... and finds himself on his back, moments later. His pitchfork, now in Cass's able hands, pointed down at him.]

Let's get this straight, okay? [She speaks bluntly to him, to all the other people semi-gathered around her. Her tone a forced calm.] I didn't ask to come here. And I don't want any more trouble today, but there's going to be trouble if this keeps up. Got it?

[She doesn't wait for an answer before driving the pitchfork down... into the earth beside his head, and stomps away.]

[4 (Harpy)]
[The changes were both irritatingly sudden, and din't come fast enough.

First, there were feathers. A few at first, but they quickly sprouted all along her arms and legs. No amount of plucking would get rid of them all. And, eventually, the pain outweighed the pros.

Then, her legs changed. As if by overnight - which, in hindsight was a small blessing - they morphed into something more... bird-shaped. They bent differently, and were capped off with sharp talons. The sort that Owl had. She missed him.

Lastly, she just felt lighter in every way. Normally so connected to the ground, Cassandra sometimes believed she would lift right off the ground if she didn't keep a constant focus on not letting that happen.

It doesn't always work.]

Whoa! Whoa, okay! I got this!

[She's a few feet off the ground, but it may as well be miles to her. The frantic flapping of her arms betrays the fact that she's never done this before in her life.]

Nope! I just want to be on the ground! Stupid wings!

4

[ghoststanning]

[Ray meanwhile was having a blast in turning into a werewolf. Sure, the pain of daily turning into a wolf monster wasn't great, but it was fascinating! Plus it had the nice bonus of not completely losing his sense of self every time he turned into a were.

And! More monsters too!

He hears Cassandra yelling from a distance and goes to see the source of the commotion.

Frankly, he's ecstatic with what he sees.]

You can fly?! I'm jealous; I wish I could do that here!

[His tail is wagging and it doesn't seem like he's really noticing her fear yet.]