Welcome to Ryslig's test drive meme! If you're considering apping here, this is where you can try your characters out in the game's setting. A few things to note:
Test drive meme threads can be used for your roleplay sample!
Sample scenarios:
SCENARIO ONE: You've just been released from the hospital in Vandare and no one really seems to know what to do with you. The locals offer polite advice but don't seem to want to spend a lot of time with you. You and the other new arrivals stick out like sore thumbs, so perhaps one will spot you wandering about town.
SCENARIO TWO: You've become hopelessly lost in Lager Woods. Paths don't seem to lead where you remember them leading, and you feel as if you're going around in circles. Childlike giggling can be heard from no direction in particular. Suddenly, you stumble upon another character, who seems to be just as lost as you! Perhaps you can find a way out together.
SCENARIO THREE: 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? NOTE: Feel free to pick any monster type for this prompt, but note that you may not get the same one in game.
Marco, similarly, has never seen an ocean before. Yes, the canals back home, and small lakes - but nothing as wide and intimidating as this. He feels lucky he hadn't drowned. He wonders if anyone else had.
He hears footsteps, but he's not in the mood to turn and ask if the person can tell him anything about how he arrived. He's done it all day, and it's exhausted his attitude. He should be thinking about shelter soon, but the familiar voice has him turning, a surprised (and yet somehow pleased) expression on his face.
"Eren!" He exclaims, a smile breaking out on his face - seeing a familiar face is small comfort, before his expression falls. "They got you too, huh?"
as far as the eye could "sea". i punned without meaning to...
Surely countless others had not made it out of the water. The surf was strong, the currents pulled in all directions. Eren isn't exactly a strong swimmer and he's surprised he made it. He was convinced it was sheer dumb luck.
While Marco seems happy to see him, Eren seems quite distraught. The color drains from his face, and for once, he has nothing to say. Not right away. He just stares at Marco for a long moment.
The expression on Eren's face makes Marco startle a little, wondering why those are the first words out of Eren's mouth. Was it really so surprising he'd been taken too? If whatever had grabbed them had managed to take Eren, who could turn into a Titan...
"But I am here? They pulled me out of the water. Like I'm guessing they did to you," He says, and starts to reach out for Eren's shoulder. "Eren... is everything okay?"
"No, no, you don't... you don't get it--!" Eren moves to take Marco's hand from his shoulder, but just ends up grabbing on to his wrist. He's here. He's real, solid, warm, living. It was true, Eren had never seen Marco's body himself. But Jean had said as much, and Eren didn't peg Jean for a liar. Not when that horseface bastard always crowed about being an 'honest guy', and certainly not about something so important.
If Eren had any sense of tact, he might avoid spilling these rather unfortunate beans. But Eren has all the tact of a chainsaw.
"Marco... I don't know how to tell you this, so I guess I'll just say it straight. You died. Jean found you, when everyone was cleaning up after Trost... You... I don't know how you're even here right now. Or anywhere!"
Then, a thought hits him. Eren's last memory is being in a dark coffin, his mouth, hands, and feet bound. Had he died as well? Was this where you go when you die?
The words hit Marco like a sledgehammer, one that makes the color drain from his own face, and he pulls his wrist out of Eren's grasp with a small noise.
He died? He didn't even know they'd actually sealed Trost - the last he saw was Eren carrying the boulder - and Jean had found his body. Oh god.
"What - what are you talking about? I'm not dead - how else would I be here if I was dead?" He insists, one hand wrapped around his wrist, shock painted across his features. At the same time... Eren isn't known for being a liar. At least, not according to Marco (Jean's opinion notwithstanding.)
Finally their expressions match. Eren looks just as distraught as Marco.
"I... I don't know. I don't understand it either. But, I mean..." Eren doesn't want to offer up the option he came up with, but there doesn't seem to be another choice. "You didn't know you had died. Maybe I'm dead too. This place has no walls, no Titans! What if this is the place we go when we die?!"
What a crapshoot. Die, then wake up nearly drowned and chewed on by animals in a strange, foggy city.
"I don't think we're dead," Marco says - he doesn't like this idea that Eren thinks he's dead, but he's almost positive they're not actually dead. Even if Eren's words ring a bit true - there's no walls, no Titans. No idea how they got there. But he doesn't want to be dead. Doesn't want Eren to be dead.
"If this was where we go after we die - someone would know something. There'd be more people from home, wouldn't there be? What if we're just beyond the walls somehow?"
Xion, another person, had said 'world' and not town. But he doesn't know what that meant, so he doesn't present it as an option.
"Maybe..." Eren doesn't seem convinced. Would Jean really lie about something this important? Was he mistaken in identifying the body? And if Marco hadn't died, then where had he disappeared to for months? He folds his arms and looks out over the water, thinking. So if this wasn't the afterlife, what was it? Obviously somewhere beyond the walls. But where...?
"I guess that's true. I haven't seen anyone else I know, besides you! I haven't really talked to anyone, though."
He groans and puts his forehead in his hand. All of this was giving him a headache. Which reminded him--
"Marco, there's something else weird about this place. These scratches and bites..." he holds out his arms, showing his bandages, "They should have healed on me a while ago."
Marco doesn't even know that Eren has experienced things beyond Trost - he hasn't even thought to ask. He will eventually, and that's gonna suck, but for now he remains firm in his belief this isn't the afterlife.
"I've talked to a couple people, but no one from home... they're all from different places. They dress weird too, and some of them were talking about things I didn't understand."
When Eren groans, Marco frowns, opening his mouth to ask if he's feeling okay, but then Eren elaborates a bit on his injuries, and he moves closer to examine the bandages.
"Because of your Titan thingy, right?" Ah yes, guess who isn't retaining the phrase 'Titan shifter'. "Have you... you know, tried to turn into one since you came here?"
The truth will come out. It always does. But for now, with the initial shock passed, Eren is content to just talk to Marco, and try and figure out just what the hell is going on.
"Really? That doesn't make any sense... I mean..." He shakes his head, nibbling on a fingernail as he thinks, "Unless the world beyond the walls really IS that different than the one we live in. Who the hell knows. It could be!"
Eren nods in response, unwrapping one of the bandages, just enough for Marco to see a scratch. It's not bleeding any more, but it is oozing, and inflamed. "Yeah. It'd be gone by now, usually. Or at the very least steaming." He wraps it back up, mentally berating himself. He'd never thought he'd miss having Titan powers. Marco's question snaps him out of his moment of self loathing and he shakes his head. "No. These people all seem really weirded out by us anyway. I didn't want to give them something to really be frightened of. Plus, we don't have any of our gear. I've gotten way better at controlling it, but... if I went berserk, there'd be no way to stop me," he balls his hand into a tight fist, sneering. "I don't want to hurt anyone like that..."
It doesn't make sense to Marco, at least in terms of how far they would have had to travel to get to such a drastically different part of the world - and with no explanation.
But, he's more focused on Eren at the moment, listening attentively after he examines his injury. He's impressed by Eren's resolve not to hurt anyone accidentally, and it makes him a little proud of the other teenager.
"That's actually really smart," he tells Eren as much. "The last thing we want to do is hurt anyone... And you're missing your gear too, huh?
"Still, not healing is a big problem. Make sure you keep those clean, too," he adds. "You don't wanna get them infected..."
None of it makes any sense. If Eren actually stopped to think about it for more than about two minutes, his brain might actually explode. Another reason to wish Armin were here; Armin could figure it out. He'd have some sort of explanation that would make sense, even if it was completely far-fetched.
Eren didn't want to hurt anyone. And if these people had never seen a Titan? Well. He didn't want to show them one. No one ever needed to know the pure horror of looking at something so terrible, even if his own Titan wasn't quite as horrific as some of the pot-bellied, deformed monstrosities that roamed the countryside. Another nod, this time with a frown, "Yeah. I asked if it was one me when they dragged me out of the water, but... they said it wasn't. Which I guess makes sense... the last thing I remember, I was stuck in a coffin or a box or something, gagged and bound. So much for that brilliant plan..."
"Yeah yeah, I know, Mikasa. I remember how to take care of my wounds!" He snarks and is frowning (pouting, actually), but there's a smile in his eyes. He didn't know how Marco was here, or why, but it was nice to talk to him again. He'd always liked how level-headed and patient he was.
"... Why were you tied up in a coffin?" Sorry, Eren, but you're getting the weirdest look from Marco at the moment, bordering close to horrified. He doesn't know why Eren would be in that situation - unless something really terrible happened. "And what plan are you talking about?"
The comment about him being Mikasa is just met with a roll of his eyes, raising a hand to point at Eren. "If you remember how to do it, then don't sound so defensive!" He points out - mostly because he is worried. There had only been one doctor willing to help him out so far after all.
Eren just sighs in response. There was so much to explain to Marco, and standing out by the port, where any sailor curious enough could hear, was not the best place. Plus, he had to get his thoughts together. What all had happened since he last saw Marco? It was like the whole world had been turned on its head. "It's a really, really long story. I feel like Trost was a lifetime ago, with all that happened. I'll definitely explain it later, though."
His pout and surly expression buckle, and Eren snickers a bit, giving Marco a playful shove. "I'm just messing with you. We're soldiers, remember? We can field dress someone who's had their leg bitten off. A few scratches aren't going to kill us. Besides, we have other things to worry about. Like where they came from. Do you think there's something out there?" He looks over at the ocean, swallowing hard, "In the water?"
Trost was a lifetime ago. And Eren had thought Marco was dead - that he should be dead. It makes the playful look on his face fall a bit, but Marco resolutely shoves it aside. Now isn't the time to be worried about his own mortality.
Maybe Eren just hit his head too hard or something.
"Did you pay any attention in field survival? Infection and septicemia kills a lot of soldiers, you know," Marco reminds him seriously, and then follows his gaze out to the ocean.
Marco swallows as well, fingers raising to a bandaged bite on his arm. "There has to be - that's where we all came from, right? So that's where those things have to be, but all I've seen are fish..."
"I paid attention! As long as you keep it wrapped up and clean, then there shouldn't be an infection," Eren retorts, "My dad's a doctor, you know, I learned all this stuff way before training." Their world was not exactly the most advanced civilization, but doctors like Grisha knew enough about cleanliness. Eren had found some cheap, but stiff, alcohol and used it to keep the wounds aseptic.
"Fish, right," he says, not really believing it, "Unless those are some huge fish, I don't think so."
Then again, the ocean was huge. It was overwhelming to look out and not see anything but water, all the way to the horizon. "... Hnn. Then again... who knows what kind of huge stuff could be lurking under all that water."
"I don't think it's the fish either. Someone else did for a bit," Marco says, unable to help the faint amusement in his tone. He was literally talking about the fish in the water, not anything big and monstrous.
But Marco follows Jean's gaze out onto the water, and nods solemnly.
"Who knows what's in there? I wonder if any of the townspeople would have any idea..."
"It'd have to be a hell of a fish," Eren sighs, his mind occupied with thoughts of monstrous fish with gaping jaws and clawed fins. Could such a thing really exist? Well, anything was possible.
"You think? Maybe we should ask around. If anyone, the sailors might know."
"It would," Marco agrees, silently thinking of a larger, more dangerous version of the fish he'd seen earlier.
Or swimming Titans.
Still, when Eren speaks up again Marco nods. "That was part of why I came down here - I wanted to see if they had seen anything when we arrived. It's been a big fat no so far...."
No one has told them about sharks, yet. None of those in freshwater, where they're from. Swimming Titans would be absolutely horrifying. Would they boil the water?
"Well, we just have to keep asking around, then. We won't find out anything just standing around talking."
Eren moves toward the boats moored at the port and gestures for Marco to follow.
Godspeed to whomever does tell them about sharks. The ocean suddenly won't be so attractive anymore.
Eren takes the lead this time, and Marco is more than content to follow him on this. He suspects they won't get anything else from the docks - but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.
"There are ships that are out right now. If no one here has an answer, we can come back after they return."
Eren walks and looks at the boats as he does, searching for someone who doesn't look too busy. That's... not easy. Everyone on the boats looks like they're working hard.
"Yeah. We should come back in the evening, or the morning. ... Ah! There," Eren points out a fishermen who isn't actively doing anything intensive; instead he's leisurely repairing a net.
"Hey, can we talk to you about stuff in the ocean?"
Marco follows Eren when he goes up to the fisherman, pleased to spot someone who's not so busy that they can't answer a question. The fisherman seems a little confused by their appearance, but not scared. (Not yet. That will come later).
"We wanted to know if you'd seen anything earlier. Anything that explains how all the people got into the water, or why we were bit." At that, the fisherman can only shake his head, but he does offer an explanation.
The fog.
"The fog?"
This question is met with surprise, but the fisherman explains the first bit of religion Marco's heard in the place - the Day God, the Night God, and the Fog God. And it's obvious the Fog God isn't a very nice deity, from his explanation.
Marco's not sure if he's ready to chalk it up to gods just yet, but it is something.
Why not, it'd be totally awesome! Think of all the sweet, sweet street cred.
Three gods? Eren can understand a Day God and a Night God. Those are pretty important, ubiquitous things. But fog? Fog was just an annoyance, though potentially deadly if it rolled in while you were out in Titan territory. Was fog such an important thing, here? And how the hell did fog cause all these wounds and scrapes? Eren was never really big on religion to begin with, but there was a chance that the "fog god" was some sort of natural phenomenon.
Either way, Eren thanks the fishermen then turns to talk to Marco again after they're out of earshot.
"Fog God, huh. I'm not so sure I buy it, but it must be pretty important to these people if they have a whole deity for it," even if Eren didn't believe in it, he knew that people didn't come up with gods for nothing. "Maybe there's creatures out there that use the fog to hide in?"
"I'm not sure I believe it either," Marco admits quietly, looking out at the now fog-less water with a frown on his face. He looks pensive, thinking hard over what that kind of thing could mean.
Eren speaks first, and Marco looks over and nods. "That seems more likely... maybe that's what was in the water, and what bit us. Still, that doesn't tell us what they are," he says pragmatically.
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graveyardsmash2014-07-04 09:45 pm
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He hears footsteps, but he's not in the mood to turn and ask if the person can tell him anything about how he arrived. He's done it all day, and it's exhausted his attitude. He should be thinking about shelter soon, but the familiar voice has him turning, a surprised (and yet somehow pleased) expression on his face.
"Eren!" He exclaims, a smile breaking out on his face - seeing a familiar face is small comfort, before his expression falls. "They got you too, huh?"
as far as the eye could "sea". i punned without meaning to...
While Marco seems happy to see him, Eren seems quite distraught. The color drains from his face, and for once, he has nothing to say. Not right away. He just stares at Marco for a long moment.
"You... You can't be here. There's no way...!"
i didn't even notice that. facepalms....
"But I am here? They pulled me out of the water. Like I'm guessing they did to you," He says, and starts to reach out for Eren's shoulder. "Eren... is everything okay?"
i'm awesome at proofreading!!!!
If Eren had any sense of tact, he might avoid spilling these rather unfortunate beans. But Eren has all the tact of a chainsaw.
"Marco... I don't know how to tell you this, so I guess I'll just say it straight. You died. Jean found you, when everyone was cleaning up after Trost... You... I don't know how you're even here right now. Or anywhere!"
Then, a thought hits him. Eren's last memory is being in a dark coffin, his mouth, hands, and feet bound. Had he died as well? Was this where you go when you die?
me too! orz
He died? He didn't even know they'd actually sealed Trost - the last he saw was Eren carrying the boulder - and Jean had found his body. Oh god.
"What - what are you talking about? I'm not dead - how else would I be here if I was dead?" He insists, one hand wrapped around his wrist, shock painted across his features. At the same time... Eren isn't known for being a liar. At least, not according to Marco (Jean's opinion notwithstanding.)
we're the best, aroooouuuunndd~
"I... I don't know. I don't understand it either. But, I mean..." Eren doesn't want to offer up the option he came up with, but there doesn't seem to be another choice. "You didn't know you had died. Maybe I'm dead too. This place has no walls, no Titans! What if this is the place we go when we die?!"
What a crapshoot. Die, then wake up nearly drowned and chewed on by animals in a strange, foggy city.
no one's gonna get us dooown~
"If this was where we go after we die - someone would know something. There'd be more people from home, wouldn't there be? What if we're just beyond the walls somehow?"
Xion, another person, had said 'world' and not town. But he doesn't know what that meant, so he doesn't present it as an option.
that's actually all I know of that song woops
"I guess that's true. I haven't seen anyone else I know, besides you! I haven't really talked to anyone, though."
He groans and puts his forehead in his hand. All of this was giving him a headache. Which reminded him--
"Marco, there's something else weird about this place. These scratches and bites..." he holds out his arms, showing his bandages, "They should have healed on me a while ago."
same of me
"I've talked to a couple people, but no one from home... they're all from different places. They dress weird too, and some of them were talking about things I didn't understand."
When Eren groans, Marco frowns, opening his mouth to ask if he's feeling okay, but then Eren elaborates a bit on his injuries, and he moves closer to examine the bandages.
"Because of your Titan thingy, right?" Ah yes, guess who isn't retaining the phrase 'Titan shifter'. "Have you... you know, tried to turn into one since you came here?"
no subject
"Really? That doesn't make any sense... I mean..." He shakes his head, nibbling on a fingernail as he thinks, "Unless the world beyond the walls really IS that different than the one we live in. Who the hell knows. It could be!"
Eren nods in response, unwrapping one of the bandages, just enough for Marco to see a scratch. It's not bleeding any more, but it is oozing, and inflamed. "Yeah. It'd be gone by now, usually. Or at the very least steaming." He wraps it back up, mentally berating himself. He'd never thought he'd miss having Titan powers. Marco's question snaps him out of his moment of self loathing and he shakes his head. "No. These people all seem really weirded out by us anyway. I didn't want to give them something to really be frightened of. Plus, we don't have any of our gear. I've gotten way better at controlling it, but... if I went berserk, there'd be no way to stop me," he balls his hand into a tight fist, sneering. "I don't want to hurt anyone like that..."
no subject
But, he's more focused on Eren at the moment, listening attentively after he examines his injury. He's impressed by Eren's resolve not to hurt anyone accidentally, and it makes him a little proud of the other teenager.
"That's actually really smart," he tells Eren as much. "The last thing we want to do is hurt anyone... And you're missing your gear too, huh?
"Still, not healing is a big problem. Make sure you keep those clean, too," he adds. "You don't wanna get them infected..."
no subject
Eren didn't want to hurt anyone. And if these people had never seen a Titan? Well. He didn't want to show them one. No one ever needed to know the pure horror of looking at something so terrible, even if his own Titan wasn't quite as horrific as some of the pot-bellied, deformed monstrosities that roamed the countryside. Another nod, this time with a frown, "Yeah. I asked if it was one me when they dragged me out of the water, but... they said it wasn't. Which I guess makes sense... the last thing I remember, I was stuck in a coffin or a box or something, gagged and bound. So much for that brilliant plan..."
"Yeah yeah, I know, Mikasa. I remember how to take care of my wounds!" He snarks and is frowning (pouting, actually), but there's a smile in his eyes. He didn't know how Marco was here, or why, but it was nice to talk to him again. He'd always liked how level-headed and patient he was.
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The comment about him being Mikasa is just met with a roll of his eyes, raising a hand to point at Eren. "If you remember how to do it, then don't sound so defensive!" He points out - mostly because he is worried. There had only been one doctor willing to help him out so far after all.
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His pout and surly expression buckle, and Eren snickers a bit, giving Marco a playful shove. "I'm just messing with you. We're soldiers, remember? We can field dress someone who's had their leg bitten off. A few scratches aren't going to kill us. Besides, we have other things to worry about. Like where they came from. Do you think there's something out there?" He looks over at the ocean, swallowing hard, "In the water?"
no subject
Maybe Eren just hit his head too hard or something.
"Did you pay any attention in field survival? Infection and septicemia kills a lot of soldiers, you know," Marco reminds him seriously, and then follows his gaze out to the ocean.
Marco swallows as well, fingers raising to a bandaged bite on his arm. "There has to be - that's where we all came from, right? So that's where those things have to be, but all I've seen are fish..."
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"Fish, right," he says, not really believing it, "Unless those are some huge fish, I don't think so."
Then again, the ocean was huge. It was overwhelming to look out and not see anything but water, all the way to the horizon. "... Hnn. Then again... who knows what kind of huge stuff could be lurking under all that water."
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But Marco follows Jean's gaze out onto the water, and nods solemnly.
"Who knows what's in there? I wonder if any of the townspeople would have any idea..."
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"You think? Maybe we should ask around. If anyone, the sailors might know."
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Or swimming Titans.
Still, when Eren speaks up again Marco nods. "That was part of why I came down here - I wanted to see if they had seen anything when we arrived. It's been a big fat no so far...."
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"Well, we just have to keep asking around, then. We won't find out anything just standing around talking."
Eren moves toward the boats moored at the port and gestures for Marco to follow.
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Eren takes the lead this time, and Marco is more than content to follow him on this. He suspects they won't get anything else from the docks - but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.
"There are ships that are out right now. If no one here has an answer, we can come back after they return."
no subject
Eren walks and looks at the boats as he does, searching for someone who doesn't look too busy. That's... not easy. Everyone on the boats looks like they're working hard.
"Yeah. We should come back in the evening, or the morning. ... Ah! There," Eren points out a fishermen who isn't actively doing anything intensive; instead he's leisurely repairing a net.
"Hey, can we talk to you about stuff in the ocean?"
The fishermen nods, inviting the boys' questions.
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Marco follows Eren when he goes up to the fisherman, pleased to spot someone who's not so busy that they can't answer a question. The fisherman seems a little confused by their appearance, but not scared. (Not yet. That will come later).
"We wanted to know if you'd seen anything earlier. Anything that explains how all the people got into the water, or why we were bit." At that, the fisherman can only shake his head, but he does offer an explanation.
The fog.
"The fog?"
This question is met with surprise, but the fisherman explains the first bit of religion Marco's heard in the place - the Day God, the Night God, and the Fog God. And it's obvious the Fog God isn't a very nice deity, from his explanation.
Marco's not sure if he's ready to chalk it up to gods just yet, but it is something.
no subject
Think of all the sweet, sweet street cred.Three gods? Eren can understand a Day God and a Night God. Those are pretty important, ubiquitous things. But fog? Fog was just an annoyance, though potentially deadly if it rolled in while you were out in Titan territory. Was fog such an important thing, here? And how the hell did fog cause all these wounds and scrapes? Eren was never really big on religion to begin with, but there was a chance that the "fog god" was some sort of natural phenomenon.
Either way, Eren thanks the fishermen then turns to talk to Marco again after they're out of earshot.
"Fog God, huh. I'm not so sure I buy it, but it must be pretty important to these people if they have a whole deity for it," even if Eren didn't believe in it, he knew that people didn't come up with gods for nothing. "Maybe there's creatures out there that use the fog to hide in?"
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Eren speaks first, and Marco looks over and nods. "That seems more likely... maybe that's what was in the water, and what bit us. Still, that doesn't tell us what they are," he says pragmatically.
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