graveyardsmash | TEST DRIVE MEME: JULY / AUGUST

Entry tags:

test drive

TEST DRIVE MEME: JULY / AUGUST

TDM: JULY / AUGUST

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh! he knew this one!]

Ryslig! It's like another dimension... I think, to be honest I'm pretty new here myself, but from what Tsukikage said. It's like... A god... Takes you? and brings you here...

[Yuya's face flashes with a painful look for a moment, before he composed himself. He couldn't bring himself to share arguably the most important part.]

Er, anyways, there's a town near by I can take you to if you want. Though I don't know my way around it too well yet.

[ For a moment Stan just looks gobsmacked, though the expression quickly morphs into irritation, which is reflected in his tone with he finally bursts out with: ]

You've got to be kidding me! Another dimension?!

[ He doesn't actually sound surprised by this, just extremely aggravated. ]

What, I guess next you're gonna tell me this 'god' doesn't let anyone back out, either?

[Yuya just stared for a second, blinking in a sort of disbelief that this man just guessed one hundred percent right about something as outlandish as that...]

Um, y-yeah actually... At least as far as I know...

[ Stan might have some experience in how arduous a task it is to leave one dimension or reach a specific one - and never mind both at once. ]

Perfect.

[ He does not sound like he thinks it's perfect. ]

So what's in this town you mentioned anyway?

[Yuya gestures behind him.]

Vandare is the closest.

[Though, to be honest its a guess mostly. Yuya had situated himself in Bavan and didn't actually know Vandare well at all... Not that he'd let the man in front of him know that.]

It's pretty nice, but locals can be... Kinda weird.[That was the biggest understatement...] Oh But um, I'm Yuya by the way-

[ More good news. Stan glances in the direction Yuya indicates, raising a hand to absently scratch at his stubble. ]

Stan Pines. I'd say 'good to meet ya, Yuya', but it ain't.

[ But while his tone is still gruff, he no longer sounds angry. It's not the kid's fault this place sucks. ]

What kind of 'kinda weird' are these locals?

[Should he just come out and say it? Or would that be giving up to soon. Yuya still very much believed the 'monster' thing wouldn't happen to him... He had yet to see it so it couldn't be true...]

Some of them like to hand out weird things, like pamphlets and books and stuff.

[Yuya, again (come on kid, just tell him) avoided telling Stan why, or what the pamphlets talked about. Skirting around the bigger issue.]

Some of them can also be kinda mean?[His inflection makes to sound like a question, but it is very much a statement.]So watch out... And uh, nice to meet you Stan. [It was tacked on, but it's the thought that counts, right?]

[ ... This kid is acting kinda cagey, isn't he? Stan has no idea what he's not being told, but the gaps in the information are obvious. The meanness doesn't even merit a second thought from him - people are inherently mean, in Stan's opinion - but the mystery leaflets are a little more interesting. ]

Are we talking 'come visit my tourist trap' pamphlets, 'come buy my useless crap' pamphlets, or 'come join my cult' pamphlets?

[ He keeps his tone casual and not overly interested. Some people are more willing to tell you things if you make it sound like you don't actually care. ]

Um...

[Uh oh, how to go about this... Yuya was never great at lying, only skirting around the truth, and even then he wasn't really great at that either...

He sighs, alright... Just tell him...]

We're talking uh, 'turn into a monster' pamphlets...

[Immediately after sharing that, he starts looking at the sand beneath him. Or anything to avoid eye contact. Yet he's... Laughing? Like he just revealed something embarrassing. Either way his emotions seem to be mixed.]

N-not that I believe it! I think that stuff's a bunch of lies... [More like 'convinced'.]

[ Uh oh.

Stan's expression goes from simply cranky to a mix of thoughtful and concerned. He doesn't believe it right away, either... but he doesn't think it's impossible. Heck, given the sort of things he and Ford were chasing after and the way he woke up covered in bites and scratches, he might even call it likely. ]

The locals must be pretty sure of it if they've got pamphlets for that kind of thing.

Or they're trying to scam you. Anyone try to sell you a miracle cure after they broke the monster news?

[Yuya's demeanor at Stan's words almost immediately soured, it wasn't exactly anger but it was akin to something of that nature. And for Yuya that was very rare, he tended to avoid getting mad or anywhere close to that.

and yet, uncharacteristically, he straight up denied Stan.]

I don't care if they're sure, It can't be true...

[And then, as if he had snapped himself out of some kinda trance, he flinched.]

I mean, um... [Yuya nervously shuffled, it was obvious he hadn't meant to say the previous part out loud.] No? None of them have, just how to deal with it.

[ Uh oh.

It's really not fair he's having that thought for the second time in less than a minute, but that's really all he can come up with: uh oh. Because if these locals were using the monster story to talk people into buying something or convince them to join a cult, then that would explain it. But if there's none of that, what options are left?

Not many, and all of them are pretty terrible. No wonder Yuya looks upset, even if he's trying to deny it. ]

Kid, listen. People say all sorts of stuff all the time. Doesn't mean it's true.

But, um... for no reason, tell me a little but more about these monster stories.

I...

[Yuya looks around, not exactly for anything or anyone in particular. He just... wants to distract himself. But given there's nothing else here but sand, he's out of luck.]

I was told that everyone who comes here changes into monsters. Apparently it's what the 'god' here does. [He looks... uncomfortable thinking about this.] Some of my friends have been here way longer than me and... And I barely even recognized them.

[Yuya winced, recalling what had happened when he met Tsukikage earlier. And the incident with Reira too.]

It... hasn't happened to me yet though, s-so maybe I'm immune?

[Why was he asking Stan this? There's no way he'd know. He decides to quickly change the subject, his next sentence coming out a bit too fast, but not mumbled.]

Er, forget that- um. So my friend Tsukikage was turned into a giant spider thing... He's the one who told me most of it, but that's about all I know.

[ Yuya is in denial about the monster thing even though he's seen it happen to his friends? Yikes. That's... that's something Stan is just gonna not comment on. ]

Immunity'd be nice... [ He doesn't sound like he thinks it's likely, though. ] Can't say I'd be thrilled to turn into a giant spider. Did you know those things lure people out on dates and then eat them?

Eh? Do you know from experience? Do you have monsters in your world too?

[The way Stan spoke, there had to be some experience there, and to say it piqued Yuya's interest would be an understatement. He also may be trying to get away from the previous subject.]

Uhh...

[ Huh, that's actually something he usually avoids admitting, especially to kids. Maybe it's okay since this kid is already in denial about the monster thing? ]

Sure kid. We got spider people, Sascrotch, cursed wax figures, the Six-pack O' Lope... all sorts of urban legends like that.

Oh wow!
[He had no idea what any of those were, but he was impressed all the same.]

I don't know how your world is, but in mine we have duel monsters. So there's all types of them! But only a handful are actually alive- [Wait, that wasn't the right word.] Er, I mean, have souls. Since it's a card game...

[Did that make any sense?]

It's complicated, but I swear it's fun!

[ Stan nods, pleased that he's managed to sell such and absurd lie. And then Yuya starts listing off all the monsters in his world and something about card games and he can't help but wonder... does this kid really have any cause to doubt the whole monster thing? ]

Monsters come out of card games...?

[ That's... kind of familiar... ]

Are these normal card games like poker, or the nerdy kind?

Yeah! Don't they do that where your from?

[It seems he's misunderstood the concept of monsters when it comes to other places. But can you blame him? That's how he grew up.

Stan's next question earned a rather large pout from Yuya though.]

What do you mean nerdy? Duel monsters is the highest grossing sport in my world. It's not for nerds!

The only magic cards get up to where I'm from is magic-ing another few hundred dollars into my wallet.

[ Assuming he remembers to slip a few aces up his sleeves. ]

Are they regular playing cards, with diamonds and clubs and aces? Or are they the kind with pictures and huge numbers and math on them?

Cause if it's the second one, that's the nerdy kind.

[Yuya had to think on that one.]

Well I... I guess? They have monsters on them, or pictures. Some of them aren't monsters.

[He scratched his head, trying to think.]

They have the attack power on them. [He paused.] I don't think that's enough to make them nerdy! Regular playing cards are pretty boring anyways, there's no monsters to ride!

[He adds, with a bit of a pout on his face again.]

[ As far as Stan is concerned, the argument is settled as soon as he hears the words 'attack power'. ]

Right, like I said: nerdy cards.

[ Riding a monster sounds pretty cool, but... he can't admit that. ]

And hey, you can do all sorts of stuff with regular cards! Poker, blackjack, rummy, baccarat...

[For one reason or another, Yuya takes Stan's words on cards as almost a sort of challenge. Not that it'd be that hard to prove what was better in his eyes.]

But can you ride the cards? [He smirked.] Can they summon dragons? No, there for they are better and definitely NOT nerdy!

[Whether or not Stan meant to, it seems the kid is now stuck on proving Duel Monsters is not nerdy. Even though it very much is.]

[ Okay, these are all good points, but Stan is not about to lose an argument with some kid that's not even related to him. ]

Oh yeah? How do you know? You ever tried to summon a dragon with a full house?

... No, can't say I have. [He crossed his arms and grumbled.] I'm pretty sure regular cards can't even do that, they just sit around... And be cards... Like a lame not magical card would do!

[He seems to be getting more childish as the argument goes on.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TEST DRIVE MEME: JULY / AUGUST

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject