graveyardsmash | JANUARY/FEBRUARY TEST DRIVE

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY TEST DRIVE

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.

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[They have no idea, honestly. They're just pissy and annoyed - more at this situation than at Molly - but that means they're taking it out on the man.

They squint at the pamphlets, frowning a bit.]

Not really. Not unless there's people really sympathetic to the soon-to-be-monsters.

Yeah, my hopes ain't high.

[If he weren't so pessimistic, he might float the idea of the veteran monsters helping out newbies, but that wouldn't do much to better their own odds, he thinks, so there's no point for them to stick their necks out. More monsters means more distrust and fewer resources to go around. Best to let the idiots that couldn't hack the lifestyle fall to the wayside before they became a real problem.

He's already planning how to rig up a makeshift bed in the treetops for them while he keeps guard.]

Mine neither, but you never know. Maybe some of the older monsters will take pity on us.

[That's what they have Scout for! They wave the pamphlets at Molly, as if that'll illustrate their point.]

I mean, someone went through the trouble of making these. There has to be someone with a bleeding heart out there.

[He rolls his eyes but manages to not voice any further dissent for now. It was better for him to try and remember what his sister had all done to appeal to people when they spent their days on the streets to try and get information or odd jobs, while he'd stuck to more unseen tactics.

From the little bit he can come up with, he isn't...good at any of that. This does not come as a surprise... Scout would be able to pull it off, just like Molly's certain he could pull off roughing it, but while they were together...?

Well. He doesn't want to leave them alone, with how they're dealing with a new body and a flood of feelings on top of getting the hang of being sentient at all. Until he knows Scout will for sure be better off without him, he...he can be selfish and enjoy their company a little longer.]

So should we get me roughed up and say I was protecting you from local assholes, or what? What's our play?

[Don’t roll your eyes at them! They don’t say anything about it, for now, looking thoughtful. That would be a good way to garner some sympathy for sure - and if Scout knows anything about humans, it’s that they’re malicious and quick to judge. It would be a believable ruse.

They clap their hands together.]

Should I punch you in the face?

[They sound...really excited about that.]

[The idea alone would have made him laugh, but the eagerness reminds him of one of the first signs of more than an obedient hunk of metal he got to see in Scout. Determined as they were to accompany him and be on his side in a fight, their clear anger in drawing him in the dirt, stabbed repeatedly, had been an interesting, charming spark.

It's no less charming now, and he grins after ruffling their hair with a bit of fondness.]

Gonna take way fucking more than that, sweetheart, but sure, give it a go.

[He holds his arms out, inviting. Punch him!!!! It sounds fun.]

[Scout has never thrown a punch in their life, but they’ve seen Molly throw plenty. They paid attention to his form out of curiosity. Nothing deeper than that!

They curl their hand into a fist, reeling back and popping him right in the cheek. There’s, admittedly, not a lot of force behind it, but they did their best!]

[Sure, sure. Absolutely nothing deeper than that. Molly's weirdly proud anyway, taking note of how Scout isn't making the sort of common beginner mistakes he would have expected from a vain sorcerer like them. Still...weak.]

Fuckin' adorable.

[Gross, he's being sincere instead of just teasing. The attempt really was very cute... Anyway, his turn!

Molly ducks a little and moves forward to brace his shoulder against Scout's stomach and swiftly lift them up off their feet and over his shoulder. Pat-pat against the back of their thigh.]

Ha! Look at that. You're so much fucking lighter, now...

[Absolutely nothing deeper! At all.

They seem pleased by their punch, satisfied by it, even, but they’re decidedly less pleased when Molly lifts them. They squawk, smacking at his back and kicking their legs.]

H-hey! What the fuck, put me down!

[They’re significantly lighter now, but that’s no reason to haul them like a sack of potatoes!]

[False. It's a very good reason to do exactly that.]

Oh, there ya go! That's sure to get someone wanting to kick my ass. Be harder to sell later as me being your knight in shitty armor if we got witnesses of it, though.

[Things are still bad, but he's...having a lot of fun, now. Being punched always leads to such entertainment.]

[Hey, no??? They didn’t ask for this??]

I’m gonna kick your ass, Molotov!

[Once they get free. Just let them flail a bit more - they get a hold of Molly’s curls and yank, grumbling the whole way.]

[Annoyingly, he laughs instead of yelping at the tug before retaliating by gently bumping them up.]

Yeah, huh? [weakling] Guess you better take this chance to take it all in while you can before all that... I did give you a primo spot for it. Aren't I just the fucking sweetest?

[He doesn't seem to be in a hurry to really get moving, though. It's just...nice to have this moment with them. Just like things were before.]

[They hate him. They hate him so much. He’s such a stupid, smug asshole who’s fucking lucky that Scout doesn’t have their magic right now. They wouldn’t hesitate to light him up at all.]

Fuck you! When we get out of here I’m shoving a fireball down your throat!

[They yank again, while twisting and... And attempting to bite.]

[Pfh, they like him and would be lost without him.]

I'm sure I'll fucking be looking forward to your balls in my -- h-hey!

[His smug words splutter into a surprised giggle instead. A bite was...not what he was expecting! Scout never fails to be entertaining, though.]

Alright, unlatch, you little vampire, so I can put your ass down.

[They can’t believe they’re being laughed at. That just makes them bite down harder, petulant and pissy.

They do, eventually, relent, going limp in his hold.]

This is humiliating.

[What have they done to deserve this?]

[They've done plenty. Sticking with him this long is heinous. The biting? ...The biting he doesn't mind all that much, though he can't pinpoint how he feels about it once it actually starts to hurt. He doesn't have to figure it out, though -- they've let go, so he can give a condescendingly assuring pat to their ass before readjusting and setting them back on their feet.

He doesn't step back, and he starts to lift a hand before seeming to think better of it and letting it fall limp at his side.]

Not as bad as it would be without me though, right?

[Taking a fireball straight to the face isn't so bad, really. The real punishment would be them leaving him alone now.]

[Well, what else were they supposed to do? Go out alone?

The pat to their ass makes them want to bite down again, but they resist as they get set back down on their feet. There’s a pout on their face, and they cross their arms over their chest.]

I don’t see how any of that was necessary. [Sniff.] But... I guess things would be worse without you. I’d have no protection, then.

[Keeping him around is practical!]

[He grins, crooked and tired. Not the best thing to be hearing, but it's weirdly reassuring when it's put that way. He's useful. He's safety. If Scout chooses to leave him, it'll be because they're better off on their own, and that...will just be something he has to live with, when it inevitably happens.]

You wanna punch me again? That make you feel better?

Yes.

[Despite saying that, they don’t make any move to punch him again. Instead they just...look at him, taking him in. They...don’t know what they’d do without him. It’s easy to act like they have a plan, that they don’t need him, but they’re honestly not sure if they’d ever be the person they are without his interference.

Would they even be a person at all without Molly? Ugh. They don’t know.]

But I think you’d like that.

[For a beat, he watches with an eyebrow arched in something like a challenge or amusement, but then he huffs a soft laugh and shakes his head.]

Ain't nothing wrong with mutually beneficial violence.

[beat him up, he likes it and deserves it]

Alright. You good? We should probably actually get the fuck to work.

[Always with the laughing... Do they amuse you?]

Is it really mutually beneficial if you're the only one getting anything out of it?

[They'd find punching more satisfying if they could actually get Molly to hurt. Like, yeah, it was nice punching him in the face, but it'd be even better if he reacted to it.]

But yeah, yeah. I'm good.

[That sounds like a problem with Scout's perspective more than anything.]

Good.

[Then with a short nod, Molly will make his way back out of the alley. Or...start to, then stop again as he thinks of something.]

You ain't planning on reading while walking, are you? You'll fall on your fucking face.

[Everything is a problem.]

...No? [That’s not very convincing.] I’m not an idiot.

[That’s debatable.]

[Squints... Uh-huh... But they're smarter than him, so he'll shrug and keep going. Back to...weird, new society.

Gods, he misses the woods. It's sort of been a while since he was in a new city this long without getting completely smashed. Or his face smashed in. At least they're working on that.]

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY TEST DRIVE

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