TEST DRIVE MEME: JUNE

[ryslighelpers]

TDM: JUNE

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

[butdaaaaad]

Gosalyn was still hyperventilating, so she didn't see the deer at first. The bellowing drew another yelp of surprise from her and she clapped her hands on top of her head, ducking to avoid any attack.

But one didn't come.

She looked up and saw the huge animal defending her. She stood, peeking around the deer's haunches. When the man fled she leapt put, pointing a finger at him. "Yeah you better run!"

[hadthehighground]

As the man ran off, the deer stood up straight and watched him go. An ear turning back when he heard the girl behind him shout. Looking almost amused the stag ducked his head and turned his neck to look back at her.

"Are you all right, young one?"

It speaks!

[butdaaaaad]

The speaking didn't bother her. She was a little weirded out that he was naked and on all fours but she had bigger things to worry about.

She must have looked a sight. Her red hair was bright against her pale skin. Well. Pale except for her bare legs which had a bit of an orange hue to them. She wore nothing but sneakers and a pink hockey jersey which hung down to her knees.

Sighing, she thought about it before shaking her head. "No. But it's not about that guy. I coulda handled him, easy! But where am I? And what the heck did I get turned into?!" Her hands felt her face again and she cringed at the lack of feathers and beak. Gross.

[hadthehighground]

Oh dear. She was one of the new arrivals, that much was clear just by what she said, and instantly he felt pity. He knew what it was like to suddenly find yourself in this strange place, and missing a part of yourself. Though he at least had always been human.

"You're human, for the moment at least. I'm afraid you have found yourself in a very terrible place."

He was no stranger to other species other than humans, and he's come to find out that those who are not human get turned into them the moment they arrive. It was cruel, as if being turned into a monster wasn't shocking enough.

[butdaaaaad]

"Human? What the heck is a human?"

She groaned, slumping down to the ground. This was the worst! How was she gonna get out of this one? Who could do such a horrible thing?!

"Aww man, this stinks. Is my Dad here? Or Darkwing Duck? Or Launchpad?" She paused. "Anybody?"

For all her bravado she was still a kid, after all. And she had a feeling this was out of her league...

[hadthehighground]

"That man was human, and there are many of them, not all of them friendly."

When she slumped to the ground, the stag turned around so that he was facing her, but keeping his face at her level. His voice was soft, gentle, he knew this was more difficult for such young children.

"I don't know of any of them. Perhaps if we go into town we can see if they came here with you, and get you some more suitable clothes."

She couldn't just go around wearing an oversized t-shirt after all.

[butdaaaaad]

Her eyes widened and she stared at him in horror. "So I look like that? Gross!"

Ugh. Of all the things to be turned into. Why not some weird slime monster or a cool alien or something??

She nodded glumly and pushed herself to her feet. "Okay. But... What's wrong with my clothes? This is what I always wear."

[hadthehighground]

Be careful what you wish for Gosalyn!

He chuckles though at her clear distaste for how she looks. Personally, he thinks she's adorable.

"I don't know what your people do, but humans need to dress a bit more modestly. You will need pants, for starters."

Bending down onto the knees of his forelegs, he motions for her to get on his back.

"Hop on. It will be faster if I carry you."

[butdaaaaad]

She'd be down for it as long as there wasn't a repeat of what happened the last time!

She makes a face at him. "Yeah, well humans are stupid, then. As a duck I didn't hafta wear pants!"

Some chose to, of course, but it was never a problem before! Stupid humans and their stupid featherless bodies. She grumbles under her breath as she moves to climb on. Her body weighs more than she's used to, now, so it takes a couple tries and more grumbling until she's finally up.

[hadthehighground]

He waited patiently as she figured it out, being careful not to move and make it even more difficult. Once she was finally on, he carefully stood up again.

"I was human once, you know. It's not so bad."

There was no offended tone to his voice, if anything he still sounds amused. She wouldn't be the first non-human to be disgusted with her change of species.

"Hold on tight."

Starting out with a walk, and then a trot, Obi-Wan would gradually increase his speed as he made sure that Gosalyn was holding on and not freaking out. If she was comfortable enough, he would eventually go to a full on bounding run, his hooves kicking up sand as they went.

[butdaaaaad]

Please. This ride was the best thing to happen to her all day! She clung to his neck and laughed, cheering as he moved faster.

"This is awesome!"

[hadthehighground]

A child that likes thrills! He didn't hold back on his speed then as she laughed and cheered. The girl was the first to have ever had the privilege of riding on his back, so he's glad she's enjoying it!

Racing across the beach, leaping over a large fallen tree, he took them closer to the distant town. Vandare was the name of it, and the locals were very hostile in the north, but much more tolerant of monsters in the south. That was where he was taking them. It was much too far to go all the way to Bavan in one jaunt, that would take a longer trip.

Eventually the speedy ride would come to an end, with the stag slowing his pace and eventually coming to a stop on the edge of town. Bending down again, he allowed the girl to climb off of him again.

"Now don't be alarmed, I can't go into town like this."

Once she was off, the deer sat back on his haunches and began to... change. His form slowly shifting and becoming more humanoid with each passing moment. His hind legs remained as they were, but his front legs became fur covered arms with clawed hands. A brown cloak mysteriously appeared on his body, and a long furry tail snaked out from underneath it. His face meanwhile became entirely human with the exception of his deer shaped nose and golden yellow eyes. Deer ears and antlers remained, while locks of hair and a beard became evident. Wearing nothing other than that cloak, most of his body was still covered in fur, thick around his neck, chest, covered back and pelvis, while shorter everywhere else. Once it was all done, he stood up to his full height and shook out his cloak. Changing always required a few moments to get his bearings.

[butdaaaaad]

She sure as heck did! This was nothing compared to Launchpad's flying. It was way better than riding the Rat Catcher, though!

When he stopped and bent down she was a disappointed the ride was over. But she couldn't ride forever. Her dismount was much smoother. Thankfully (for modesty's sake) she didn't slide down. Instead, she leapt off of his back, landing solidly on her feet. Whirling around on her heels, she grinned at him.

"That was so... Whoa!"

Her eyes widened as he changed before her eyes. So he was kind of human, too? But not totally.

"Keen gear! How'd you do that?!"

[hadthehighground]

"To be honest, I'm not sure how I do it. I just do."

He had been pretty strange the first time he had done it, and realized that he could become a deer. Now he spent a lot of his time in that form, often preferring to be that way when he was making his way around the forest, and then changing back to original shape when in town.

"Now, young lady, let's find you some pants, shall we?"

It was then that he realized he didn't actually know her name. He should probably know that much before walking into a store to buy her clothes.

"Oh, and you can call me Obi-Wan."

[butdaaaaad]

"Weird. Hey, do you think I could turn back to normal somehow?"

Wishful thinking, probably. But, hey, if he was a deer why couldn't she be a duck?!

She scuffed her shoe against the ground as they walked. She still didn't like the idea of pants. But if she had to...

"I'm Gosalyn. Um. Thanks for helping me, Obi-Wan."

[hadthehighground]

"I don't think that's likely," Obi-Wan said regretfully. "No matter how much I wish to, I can not become a human again."

As they walked, he was trying to think of the best way to break the news to her. That she was likely stuck here, for good, and would start becoming something else entirely after a month or so. He also doubted that any of her friends or family were here. From what he's seen, people didn't arrive here in groups from the same place. A few were lucky to have someone they knew show up eventually though.

At the thanks, he smiled, and looked down at her.

"You are very welcome. Gosalyn is a lovely name."

[butdaaaaad]

She sighed, nodding her head. It was a long shot but she had to ask. "Darn it... How'd we get changed, anyway? Magic? Some evil ray beam? Mutant plant spores? Aliens?!"

Hey, it could be anything! She had to cover all bases. She blushed slightly at the compliment, smiling up at him.

"Thanks! My friends call me Gos."

[hadthehighground]

This one certainly has a wild imagination! But she's not entirely off base. Not at all, in fact. Despite the smile on his face at the fact that he was utterly charmed by this girl, his voice grew a bit more solemn. This was a serious topic.

"Well, Gos, we were brought here by something called the Fog. So you could say it's magic, or you could say it's alien. Either way, she is the one responsible, and is considered a god here."

[butdaaaaad]

Too many comic books and scary movies. She tilted her head, frowning a little as she looked up at him.

"She? How do you know the Fog is a she? And if she's a god, and she's the one who brought me here, why'd that guy want to hurt me?"

[hadthehighground]

"I've spoken with her, actually, and she is most definitely a she."

Or at least, the Fog presented herself as female, that's how she sounded to him. The next question is a bit of a harder one, and he looked a bit sad.

"Remember when I told you that I used to be human? I came here human, and after a month, I started to change. This happens to everyone the Fog brings. The humans that live here call us monsters, and many of them are afraid of us."

[butdaaaaad]

That was fair. She didn't question the idea that the Fog spoke. Because why not? She'd seen weirder things. One of the guys who was always taken down by her dad was made completely out of water, after all.

But his answer to her second question made her stop dead in her tracks. "But... If I was brought here by the Fog... That means I'm gonna change again? But I already got changed! What am I gonna change into now?! Why would she do something like that? Hasn't anyone tried to stop her?"

Her words spilled out faster and faster as she grew more heated about the idea of changing once more. She gestured wildly, fire in her eyes. Clearly this kid had some fight in her and she was looking for somewhere to direct it.

[hadthehighground]

When she stopped, he did as well, watching as flailed her arms around in her emotion. Gosalyn certainly had every right to be as upset as she was, so he allowed her to get it out. He then bent down in front of her, looking the girl in the eye.

"Those are all very good questions," he admitted. "And I can't answer all of them."

"You will change, again, that much is certain. What you will be, I don't know. No one does until it starts to happen. As for why, I've heard a few things, but I can't say for sure if they're true. Some of us do try to resist her, to fight, but it has been difficult and not at all successful."

[butdaaaaad]

She calmed as he talked, greatly appreciating that he talked to her and not down to her like most grown ups did. She still wasn't happy about the situation, but at least he was trying to answer her questions and didn't just brush her off.

"Can I help? To fight, that is."

[hadthehighground]

Obi-Wan can’t say he’s never been guilty of that, nor that he would be again, but he has learned a great deal from his trial and error with Anakin.

“Maybe, but not right now. You will need to get settled here first, and get through your changes. Can you be patient for that long?”

[butdaaaaad]

She was already prepared for the argument. "But I used to fight bad guys all the t- wait..."

Whoa! A grown up who didn't just tell her she couldn't? That was new and awesome! Her face cracked into a grin and she had to resist the urge to hug the man... She barely knew him, after all.

"Okay! I can do that!"