JANUARY/FEBRUARY TEST DRIVE

[ryslighelpers]

TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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

Angela | Marvel-616

[hevenly]

01. Arrival

Angela is confused. Yes, there is a river in Brooklyn. The bridge which spans it is-- was-- Sera's favorite New York spot. But Angela had been nowhere near the river. And this beach she's washed ashore on is not a New York City beach. She's wearing her armor, but her weapons are nowhere to be found. And every inch of exposed skin is covered in cuts and scratches.

"Odd..." Angela pushes herself to her feet and surveys her surroundings. She has no idea where she is. If there is someone else on shore beside her, she will interrogate them. "Get up! What is this place? How did I come here?"

If not, she will begin walking towards those lights in the distance.

02. Pamphlets

[ Sure, Angela can read. She may prefer to hear her stories told aloud, but she is capable of reading on her own. She doesn't tend to gravitate towards literature of the self-help genre, however. So the many leaflets being thrust into her hands are met with confusion.

She stops a passerby who looks as though they might be a local. Monstrous or no, Angela does not seem to judge based on appearance. ]

What is the meaning of this? "Alternatives to Human Flesh"... Is this land inhabited by cannibals? [ And while she's on the topic: ] What realm is this? I do not know this place.

03. Wildcard

[ Find Angela somewhere else? She'll be exploring as much as she can, trying to find a way off planet. Very, very disappointed that she can't fly away into space for some reason. Will match prose or brackets! HMU @ objectpermanence to plot further! ]

1

[rubyseven]

Jet barely has time to come to his senses when he hears a sharp voice telling him to get up. He lets out a small groan of pain, trying to struggle to his feet. He does not recognize the armor--something that strikes him as unusual, given his extensive travels. The most direct comparison he can make is from depictions of Earth's Nordic mythology. Still, someone with such impressive armor could only be a warrior of some sort, and he's instantly on high alert.

His brown jacket clings to his large frame as he glances around, taking in his surroundings. The last time he was on a beach--a real beach--was when he was last on Earth, over fifteen years ago. Of course, he had been a different person back then. The old Jet had been locked away in the back of his mind for almost just as long, where he could do no more harm to others. He squints at the trees in the distance, then back towards the woman addressing him.

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replies, his voice a deep, even monotone. "It appears we are somewhere on Earth, though it is nowhere I recognize."

Jet pauses for a moment before continuing, crossing his arms. "I assume you aren't the one who kidnapped me and brought me here, then."

[hevenly]

Angela's armor is gold and in two pieces like a bikini, with a black cloth unitard underneath. One might wonder how it's meant to be armor at all; it doesn't cover very much. She has long ribbons around her neck which usually float freely through the air, but now hang limp-- her first clue that something is wrong.

"If I were the one who kidnapped you, I would not put myself on the same ground as my captured prey." Something about the way she says it makes it clear she has definitely captured prey in the past. "I am as lost as you are as to why we are here, or where here is."

It could be Earth, but where? She certainly hasn't seen all of Midgard to be about to tell.

[rubyseven]

"Hmmm."

Jet definitely takes note of the terrible armor--it's definitely enough to make him raise an eyebrow, though that's the only way to tell that he's reacted to this at all. So--perhaps not a warrior. A model imitating one, more like.

"I do not recognize the source of your armor," he says, frowning. "Although if you intend to engage in any sort of combat, I would advise finding more protective gear."

He scans the tree line again--this time, he's able to spot flickering lights in the distance. He grunts, then begins walking towards them, not even bothering to check if Angela is following.

[hevenly]

Call her a model to her face. See how she likes that.

But in any event, now they're moving. She follows, trying to fly ahead of her new cohort to scout out the source of those lights. However she stops, frowning, still very much on the ground.

"...Something is wrong. I can't fly."

2

[justbeingknife]

This here's the Ryslig peninsula. And unfortunately, chances are it's a long way from wherever it is you're from. Ya just get here?

[ Majima was dressed in a dark suit and overcoat, mostly human save for some extremities. Wolfish ears, a tail, hands tipped with white fur and claws. He looked at home in himself, at least. ]

Not everythin' in those pamphlets is true, but the cannibalism part is. Some monsters need to eat people, one way or another.

[hevenly]

Where I am from is not where I want to be. [ She's been cast out of both Heven and Asgard. Good riddance to them both. ]

Is no one willing to hunt down the monsters to make them stop?

[ It is clear that claws or no, she does not intend to include this man in with the concept of monsters. ]

[justbeingknife]

[ Majima shook his head. ]

Wouldn't really solve the problem, honestly. If they stop eating, they eventually go outta control. If they die, they come back in... what, a week? Maybe missin' a few memories, and there's only so long that can happen before you've got a real monster on your hands.

It's possible to change, though. Ask Mana to put a spell on ya so you can eat something else.

[ And frankly, pretty much any other option was preferable. He'd always felt that way, always would. ]

[hevenly]

[ Angela frowns. ]

Who is restoring the dead monsters? Is this Mana a necromancer?

[ As the technical queen of the realm of the dead, Angela has Opinions on raising the dead. Even if she holds no real desire to rule Hel, there is an order to how life and death must go, and toying with that order never leads to anything good. ]

[justbeingknife]

She's a witch, but I've never heard of her bringin' anyone back from the dead.

[ Was it possible? He had no idea; he'd never had a conveniently dead acquaintance the few times he'd spoken with her. ]

Anyway. The responsible party you're lookin' for is the Fog God. It's when the fog rolls back in that monsters come back, or she kidnaps another bunch of people and dumps 'em on the peninsula somewhere.

Obviously, I got a bone to pick.

[hevenly]

[ Angela tuts, displeased. Of course there are gods involved. Why are there always gods involved? ]

So this Fog God is responsible for my appearance on this peninsula? Is she also the one who sapped me of my abilities to prevent me from escaping?

[justbeingknife]

That's her. Can't exactly force people to be her 'children' if she leaves 'em any choice about it.

[ Did it seem like Majima was a rebellious shit?

Because he was -- always had been. He hated being forced to stay here, he hated the idea of an overbearing divine 'mother', he hated that if he hadn't had the resources to pay his way out, he'd have had to eat human beings, too. ]

Fair warning: you've got until the next fog rolls around before you start changin', too.

[hevenly]

[ Angela looks off into the distance (like the dramatic bitch she is). ] I have not been the child of a god for a very long time. I have no intention of being one now.

[ But then his warning draws her attention back to the conversation at hand. And once again, she is confused. ]

Changing? Changing how?

[justbeingknife]

You said it.

Anyway. Everyone who comes here from another world, they turn into a monster. Werewolf, vampire, a slime, stuff like that.

[ Majima indicated himself with one long, clawed finger tapped to his chest. ]

Happens at different speeds dependin' on the person, but it always happens. We're supposed to embrace our true potential, or some shit.

[hevenly]

[ Hang on. Give her a minute. She's not the sharpest sword in the armory, but she'll get there. ]

You mean to say, the monsters which eat people and return to life with the fog... Are people who were brought here just as I was? And I shall meet their same fate?

[ She's not going to let that happen. But for the sake of argument, let's say it will. ]

02

[pawntakesking]

It isn't cannibalism. For that to be the case, we would have to be human.

[Regulus looks at her calmly. He looks human at first glance - a handsome, if pale, young man in long black robes - but the more you look, the more stands out as wrong. His eyes are white, without iris or pupil, and they seem to glow. His hair is blacker than any human hair, without even a hint of shine or highlight. And he isn't just pale - he's white, like an old movie character, without even a hint of warmth or pinkness under his skin. He sticks to the shadows, and carries an umbrella under his arm despite the lack of rain.]

[He offers her a smile. It's thin, and it doesn't reach his eyes.]

As for realm, I'm afraid that's a little complicated. I take it nobody's welcomed you to Ryslig yet?

Re: 02

[hevenly]

[ Funnily enough, though she has only just arrived and is therefore untouched by any monster changes, Angela's own eyes are much the same-- stark white, no iris or pupil, with a slight glow and red markings surrounding them which could be a tattoo or makeup, could just be natural. Hard to say.

She regards him coolly, stepping over to join him in the shadows. ]

No. I must say my arrival was sorely lacking in exposition. [ She doesn't argue with him on the point of cannibalism needing humans, because he's right. Many planets, many races. One race eating another isn't cannibalism. If she were to eat a human, it wouldn't be...

...Let's not go there. ]

So this place is called Ryslig?

[pawntakesking]

The peninsula is. The town, in case you were wondering, is Bavan.

I suppose I should be the first to say that we're glad to have you. I'm happy to answer any questions you have. I imagine there are quite a few.

[hevenly]

I have heard of neither.

[ But that does not surprise her. It's a big universe, after all. ]

What power has sapped me of my abilities and robbed me of my weapons? I do not appreciate being left with no means to defend myself.

[ Not that she couldn't still fight hand to hand. Even without weapons, she is a formidable foe. ]

[pawntakesking]

It's a long story.

[Not really, but it's one that he feels a need to consider before telling. She sounds pretty hostile - unsurprisingly - and if he's going to sway her to the Fog's side, he's going to have to find a way to spin this first, crucial encounter with the concept.]

Would you like a cup of tea while we talk? I have a café near here, it might be more comfortable than talking out in the street.

[hevenly]

[ A cup of tea? Angela frowns. The offer seems genuine and coming from a place of kindness, but... ]

I have no means of paying for your tea. I would be in your debt.

[pawntakesking]

[Well, it's kind of nice to hear that someone has a sense of equivalent exchange around here. Still, Regulus shakes his head.]

Consider it a gift. Particularly since I'd quite like one myself.

One pot of tea is hardly likely to put me out of business.

[hevenly]

[ She eyes him warily. She does not accept gifts so lightly. She will have to remember to repay him at a later juncture. ]

Very well. One pot.

[ She needs information. And this is her best lead to get it for now. ]

[pawntakesking]

One pot.

[He smiles, though it doesn't touch anything but his mouth, and beckons her with him.]

If it makes you feel any better, I do have an ulterior motive. I'm hoping that if it's a good experience, you might come back when you're settled.

[Also, he's hoping to convert you to the Fog, but it seems a bit unhelpful to say that out loud.]

[hevenly]

[ One of those things will be a harder sell than the other. Angela comes from the Realms of gods. She is technically a goddess herself. She does not worship gods, let alone those who kidnap her and strip her of her innate abilities.

She follows him wherever he leads her, to this tea shop of his. Her countenance is still tense, wary. Edging on distrustful... But she has no allies in this strange land. For now, she has no choice but to trust the help that is offered to her. ]

I do not plan on staying in Ryslig long. I have important things to attend to elsewhere.

[ Like finding and reuniting with her beloved. As far as Angela's concerned, that's the most important task there could be. ]