TDM: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

[ryslighelpers]

TDM: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

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 in a dark ditch, the sky cloudy overhead. Dirt cakes into your cuts and scrapes. The air is clammy and damp, and it smells like rain.

You’re in a grave. And when you sit up to inspect the tombstone marking your spot, it has your name on it. Maybe the graves next to you have the names of familiar friends, family, acquaintances. Not all of them are open like yours are. RIP.

There’s a light dancing in the distance, and you hear the jingle-jangle of heavy keys, or worse still, the gravekeeper’s massive pitchfork or shovel. If you're lucky, you can sneak out beyond his notice, and get out alone. If not - you might find yourself on the wrong end of a shovel’s swing, or worse yet, tripping headfirst in front of a pair of monstrous eyes.

SCENARIO TWO

You've stumbled your way out of the graveyard, and you're promptly besieged by the overwhelming sights and sounds of the city. Cars honk at you to get out of the street, and strangers try not to look in your direction for too long. They see your dirty clothes and scraped faces, and pretend to busy themselves with something else. Rarely, a look of pity is cast your way.

But some people try to reach out. Enterprising citizens and those that hope to curry favor with the newcomers pass out new clothes and bundles of food, asking if you have a place to stay the night, wondering about the details of the world you came from. Some are even handing out pamphlets which vary in how helpful they are--"What To Expect When You're Expecting (To Turn Into A Monster)", "Wolpertinger: Fact or Fiction?", "100% ACCURATE MONSTER QUIZ ASSESSMENT: GUARANTEED TO PREDICT YOUR MONSTER!", and "Ryslig Law In A Nutshell".

As you wander from street to street, you come to realize that some of these people seem...off. If you draw close enough to look at them--really look--you'll be able to observe certain uncanny features. A misshapen eye socket that looks more like an insect's compound eye, skin like a loose bag that seems to fit poorly over their own musculature, a backwards hand that seems to function as normal, and, of all things, an opaque mucus that seems to drip from unseen orifices.

Not only do these people look strange, they act strangely, too. One can be seen drinking a cup of whole coffee beans. Another chews on a piece of rubber tire as if it were a stick of gum. A man dressed in a full-body trench coat seems to writhe as he sits and reads a newspaper.

If any of them notice your approach, they immediately stroll over to enthusiastically greet you. When they speak, a droning buzz seems to emanate from deep within their chests. They smile and stare unblinkingly, talking in obscenity-riddled, disjointed sentences.

"Welcome! It is almost a season! Are you ready to fucking party?"

"What the shit! You're monster?"

With time, more and more of these people begin to shuffle towards you in an almost swarm-like fashion. Lose one of them, and more show up around the corner. They're eager to ask questions--most of which make absolutely no sense--and they won't be easily dissuaded from their goals.

Maybe you should run. Or maybe punch one of them. Surely, that won't cause any problems.

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? Does it fit you, or does it feel incongruous with your nature? Feel free to pick any monster type for this prompt, but note that you may not get the same one in game.

Comments

[soundsurfing]

Aight, yo, hang on!

[In turn for being grabbed onto, Beat returns the grip and actually tugs Neku in to wrap an arm around him. Then jumps, those powerful legs of his launching them a good twenty or so feet into the air, up and forward, over the heads of several people who promptly scatter so they don't get landed on. The bugthing lets out an OH! and does it actually clap?

Landing is a little rough, Beat's new to the jump and he has Neku with him, so there's a bit of stumbling but there's enough room now they can run. Beat will haul his best friend promptly forward until they can slip down an alleyway to breathe.]

[unlivinglegend]

[He's prepared for Soundsurf, so when Beat JUMPS instead he yelps in shock, trying hard to not flail. But he trusts Beat, so when he drags him along he follows with no hesitation, only panting once they are in the alleyway]

What the HELL was that-?!

[soundsurfing]

[Peeking around the corner of the alley to make sure no bugthing followed, he decides it's safe and relaxes against the wall, using his tail to cushion it.]

Yer guess good as mine, Phones, ain't seen no monster like that before. We got bugs, sure, but not like that!

[Little LED earrings curving along his ears are all very happily lit up in a few shades of green and blue, with a few in yellow. Happy to see Phones but also distressed.]

[unlivinglegend]

[The light gets his attention, and he almost raises a hand to poke, but resists]

Joshua wasn't kidding, this place turned you into a rat.

[Squirrel, Neku]

[soundsurfing]

[...... Sir, you're his best friend but he will dunk you right into a trash can.]

Squirrel, yo!! I'm a squirrel!! Check out the tail!!

[It's okay they thought he was turning into a rat a first too. His glare is, at least, playful.]

Glad to see you too, but wish you wasn't here.

[Give him a second and he'll make a face.]

Wait, when'd you run into the Nope Rope, yo??

[unlivinglegend]

[Beat's yelling and "nope rope" both make him half laugh]

Squirrels are just fluffy rats. And he found me at the graveyard. Hilarious, right?

[soundsurfing]

Ey, why you gotta roll me like that?

[The graveyard makes Beat pull a face before settling on a smile. It's hard not to with Neku here now. Things feel better.]

Funny, yo. Not surprisin' tho, the chick in charge got a whack sense of humor. [He gestures to all of him.] How much did the Danger Noodle tell you?

[unlivinglegend]

He gave me the basics. Two gods, one who messes with Souls and makes them transform and one fighting her that used to be a human. No obvious way out yet. Also, you two are living together? Kinda curious how THAT'S working out, honestly.

[No mention so far of eating people]

[soundsurfing]

[Basics indeed. Damn.]

Aight, there's way more'an that. I'll try an' fill ya in, yo.

[Glancing out of the alley and deciding it's safe, he gestures for Neku to follow him and begins walking.]

Honestly? Ain't so bad. He still pretty annoyin' at times, an' there's moments ya really wanna trash can 'im, but he's... I 'unno, yo. Less... him? Helped havin' someone from home 'round.

[unlivinglegend]

Less him... he's changed too, like the rest of us. Grown up.

[even though he knows "age" doesn't mean the same for Joshua as it does them. He could be a hundred and look exactly the same. The younger body proved that]

[soundsurfing]

'Zactly. Whoda thought, huh?

[Grinning, Beat leads them off down the street, heading towards home, honestly.]

Aight, so. Fog Bitch. She the one who bring peeps here an' make us into monsters. She gets her jollies offa it cuz she hates humans, an' makes us eat 'em. [Digest that, Neku.] Cube Dude the lil' brotha tryina fight her, but he ain't as powerful, an' the fogs cult peeps way into the juice an' make it hard.

1/2

[unlivinglegend]

Hates humans, that makes sense with the vibes this place is giving me.

[he doesn't need UG powers to sense the hostility here in the very air]

[unlivinglegend]

...

HOLD UP, DID YOU SAY EAT PEOPLE?!

[soundsurfing]

Yeah. Part a' the monster gig. If we try an' not, we end up goin' insane, yo. Then we jus' go on a mass murderin' spree til we get our fill anyways. So we all try our best to damage control.

[Beat's voice is sad and bitter, those LEDs in his ears a dark blue. Now Neku should understand why Beat wished he wasn't here.]

[unlivinglegend]

[ The 'we' makes his blood run cold- not just because of what it implies Beat has had to do (he knows his partner, he knows he would never if there was any other option) but because it... it settles a distinct wall between them. Between what he is and what Beat is.

He doesn't like it one bit]

Shit...

[soundsurfing]

[The shit gets a noise of agreement out of Beat. He had almost managed to retreat from thinking of the horrors of this place, from dwelling on them, but now Neku is here and it's all back and fresh in his mind.]

Also this? [He gestures to himself, to his changes.] Don't come easy, yo. Even wittout the issues we had [Elias' attempt to stop the changes] it ain't pleasant. My ears fell off, yo, that shit whack. Which is why we gotta getchu outta here 'fore the end of the next month.

[unlivinglegend]

[His image of ears falling off is much less gruesome than the real thing had been, and if this was less serious he would have laughed. Instead he wonders if that's were the new bling came from]

We ALL got to get out by then. All out or nothing, got it partner?

[he thumps Beat's chest with his knuckles, gaze hard. Don't start treating him like he's an exception here]

[soundsurfing]

[For the first time Beat actually hesitates. He opens his mouth as if to argue, that look in his eye that says he's gonna be a self-sacrificing shit again, then shuts it.

And finally rolls his eyes and smiles.]

Aight, fine, alla us. Should be easy now it Mister Livin' Legend, yo. [And right back to teasing, as if it hasn't been months for Beat.]

[unlivinglegend]

Oh brother, don't call me that.

[He huffs]

1/2

[soundsurfing]

[And Beat laughs.]

Heh, aight, you can have Fresh Meat this time 'round.

2/2

[soundsurfing]

[Oh wait no he doesn't like that cause he just might end up it.]

No, nevermin', yo, fuck that one.

[unlivinglegend]

[Neku grimaces at that too]

Yeah, no thanks.

[But his expression lightens:]

You that excited to be my Senior?

[soundsurfing]

[... HEY, yeah!]

Heh, that's right, yo. Best follow my lead, Junior. You know I wont leadchu 'stray.

[unlivinglegend]

[He snorts and rolls his eyes, but smiles regardless]

I'm not one of your Twisters, you know.

[I mean, he was, but also wasn't]

[soundsurfing]

Heh, nah, you somethin' better. Yer my friend.

[He pauses walking to finally turn to Neku, and do the thing he should have properly done ages ago.

A hug.]

Ain't happy you here, but I'm happy to see you, Phones.