TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

[ryslighelpers]

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 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".

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? 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

[sandinmyhair]

[Of course she'd say it was okay. He'd probably say the same thing if it happened to him, so he doesn't press for detail.]

Yeah. You're here and in one piece and that's what matters. [He means it, too. Take what victories you can in a place like this.]

Maybe I'm just a paranoid old man, but I can't think of any way that any of us being followed could be for any kind of good. [And how many more times can you cram the word 'any' into a single sentence, Bruno?]

[floatingdick]

[ Alexander gives her a thin smile. ]

Well, you are on the surface right now, Miss Hood. [ He makes a small gesture with his hand to their present surroundings. ] Despite everything, we can still consider it good that you are here.

[ As though to illustrate his point, he keeps walking forward without breaking his stride. Though, he does continue to rub his fingertips with his thumb; he does not yet want to forget the feel of gravestone against his skin. ]

Breathe it in. Freedom to live your life outside.

[snippingtime]

[She somehow knew it before. This wasn't the Jail. The sky, as ominous as they are, seems normal. The graveyard is creepy but normal? This definitely had to be the surface. She rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand.]

Heh, yeah, that's a good thing. Don't know how I'm going to get the others up here but I'll think of a way!

[Or rather find someone who knows.]

First time I've actually seen a real sky. Thought it'd be, I don't know, more bright?

[recuttal]

I can't believe it worked...! [He wasn't used to having actual, tangible results...! Maybe all of his mishmash of talents was worth something if he'd actually been able to bring them back.

He can't help but smile-- but self-consciousness catches up with him, and he pushes himself off the wall, trying to stand up straight and look presentable again.]

S-Sorry. You and Sonia must have had to put up with that a lot. [Thanks, timelines!] But I know how hard you were working, too. Hopefully I didn't miss anything else too exciting... [He was exhausted just thinking about it!]

[recuttal]

[A part of him feels... sad, imagining what it must have been like for Komaeda to come here after his death. Maybe Hinata didn't really understand how he was feeling when he died, but even with all of his machinations, it must have been painful, and scary. Some part of death would always be scary, he thinks... but it's not like he's the one who has memories of actually dying.

Of course, his train of thought-- and his feet-- stop abruptly as Komaeda continues. Participants of the first killing game? That meant not just Makoto Naegi's classmates but-- but Junko's classmates, and if they were people he could have never met--]

You're staying with victims of the first killing game?! [His eyes widen, and his brow furrows with concern, one hand coming up in shock. And then, he quickly remembers they were moving, and hurries to catch up with Komaeda's gait.]

W-What the hell are you doing rooming with them?! The Future Foundation is one thing, but if they're dead because of us... [How haven't they torn him apart yet??] This doesn't sound like a new leaf at all...!!

[99problems]

[ The response is almost a growl. ]

It's not a stench you forget.

But I guess you've never had the pleasure! [ He shrugs. ] Your family's likely safe, sound. Well-fed, and not at all melted.

[ Now there's a grin. Is he taking his own business out on her? Yeah. Does he care? Naaaah. ] Lucky you.....

[floatingdick]

A worthy goal to focus your time upon.

[ It isn't. He thinks that it is foolish, but he sounds genuine enough. To extend one's hand to someone, it means that person will one day attempt to blame you for what help was given. ]

It is only overcast right now. Presumably, it will brighten up as soon as the clouds clear. [ Alexander says "presumably" because there is something also unnatural about where they are in. His alien, otherworldly power and sense of self is no longer there, for one. ]

You realize, haven't you? This is not the world we came from, Miss Hood?

[ohmyscream]

She's not really my daughter.

[ Annie gives a sigh, feeling Maribelle practically POUT at her. The doll has no expression aside from the one worked onto her face by however she came to be. Mana never did explain WHY.

Just go drink tea and sleep. ]

I paid a witch for a creature to help me with... a problem. She told me to drink a special blend of tea and to go to sleep. I woke up with Maribelle standing over me in the middle of the night.

Whatever she truly is?

She's doing what I needed at night.

[ Weird but true.! ]

Still want that tea party?

MAMA!

Yup. Okay. I'm not taking you to my home. I don't need Altair getting protective or Richard getting huffy. We'll hit one of the tea rooms.

[ And Annie starts walking. She considers this then gives a dramatic fake sigh. ]

I should introduce myself. You can call me Annie. You weren't shy about offering your name to Maribelle.

Thank you for being nice to her. She's... important to me.

[99problems]

[ Bakura sniffs. He slouches along behind Annie, hunched over beneath his truly ludicrous number of coats (some of which still have price tags on them). He doesn't have any of them closed, however. And is he...shirtless...? ]

I figured. [ He tugs a gold ring off one finger and holds it up, within Maribelle's reach if she were to, well, reach. Is he curious whether she can, or is he baiting her? Who knows. ]

You're pretty bold, to cooperate with the King of Thieves while carrying such a treasure.

[ He's not gonna steal Maribelle. Annie's got those scorpion reflexes, he hasn't forgotten. As much as he may dislike it, he's outclassed.

....Till his feathers come in, or whatever. ]

[nearamir]

[Faramir is not a particularly bulky man, either, although the armour he wears lends him less flexibility than might be ideal. The mail of his singlet catches briefly on an outcropping of wrought iron, forcing him to pause to disentangle himself - but it is a small thing, and then he is through, following Hythlodaeus out into the world.]

[Whatever world it may be. The lights have something strange about them, which cannot be accounted for by the still-lashing rain. They are the wrong colour, somehow.]

I suppose we will find out, one way or the other.

[This is an answer both to Hythlodaeus' comment, and to his own musings. He glances back over his shoulder as he is pulled away, to see the approaching bulk of the gravedigger through the mists and the half-open gate, and he has to confess to a certain admiration for a man who will overcome a blow like that and still keep to his duty.]

[Not that it is particularly reassuring, when that duty seems to include trying to dash their brains out in turn. He turns forward again, lengthening his stride.]

At least there may be someone there with the patience to stand and talk!

[luckless]

Hmm... I don't think they'd like being called victims.

[Despite the thoughts flurrying through Hinata's cracked skull, Komaeda knows his roommates. He knows exactly what words would come from their mouths if they were to hear those words.

Mukuro knew what she was getting into, posing as Junko. She knew what her sister was capable of.

Celeste knew the odds weren't in her favor, but took the bet regardless, because she wouldn't let anyone make decisions for her.

Komaeda's individuality didn't matter, his purpose in life had been sealed the moment he was born as heritor of his lucky curse. Rather than folding over and allowing things to happen to him, he took his fate into his own hands, and did what he thought was best at every turn.

One could argue that they were all victims of Junko Enoshima, but all three residents of apartment 807 would argue to their dying breath that they made their own choices.]

They're murderers too, but they're like us now... atoning for their sins, trying to be better people, trying not to give in to despair.

Would you really want to belittle all the growth and effort they've put into that, Hinata-kun? What a cruel guy...

[recuttal]

[No one liked being called a victim, he supposed; especially not if they had apparently participated in the killings themselves. He could almost hear Koizumi's voice now, yelling at him for the way he was freaking out about it-- hell, Peko would probably join her. He lets out a sigh, exasperated at Komaeda's usual barbs, though undeterred; even Komaeda was better at navigating this than he was, apparently.]

It feels like it should be different, when you're the one responsible for so much of their suffering.

[He frowns, looking down at the ground. He's not Junko, he'd never done as much as her, but-- he could never remove the part he'd played in it, without even caring about the people that got hurt along the way. Maybe if Junko's dead and gone, he's the one that has to be the stand-in...?]

M-Maybe it's a bad idea for me to meet them... [He picks his head up, awkwardly scratching the side of his face.] I'm glad they're getting better... and you seem to be too! I feel like I might just mess it all up...

[hecatombed]

[The thud and splash of quickened footfalls on soaked mud gave way to a sharper, harder noise as the ground transitioned to pavement. The outskirts of Bavan provided them with cement pathways leading into the city. It wasn't spotless and pristine like the streets Hythlodaeus was used to in his metropolis, but this urban sprawl was much more akin to that with which he was accustomed than the deserted graveyard was. Panting, he kept a decent pace with Faramir until they were safe between rows of buildings. An athlete he was not. He was much more comfortable behind a desk, where he belonged. But alas, fate had placed him out of breath in the rain, covered in dirt, legs burning.]

Ah... phew, 'tis plain our foe has ceased giving chase. To be prudent, however, let us muddle ourselves in the throng. Though I'm not quite certain how well we'll do at blending in...

[With another huff, Hythlodaeus approaches the groups of pedestrians roaming the sidewalk with a calm ease, one very at home in the bustle of a city. He makes sure Faramir is close by, however, as he feels it's still appropriate to look out for each other. Who knows what else might be looking to bludgeon their skulls in with the tool of their respective trade.]

[luckless]

[Komaeda stops, his head turning back to look at Hinata over his shoulder. The way everything weighs on him is so plain to see in the furrow of his brows and the anxiety that downturns his lips. Even here, even now, after everything... Hinata is still Hinata. In a way, it's rather endearing, and that sole thought warms Komaeda's expression as he takes a few graceful steps towards the other.]

Typical scaredy-cat... already trying to run away?

[He laughs, the sound of it cloying as he only stops his approach a mere inch away from Hinata. Then he leans in—his face, probably, uncomfortably close to his classmate's. Those mismatched eyes don't meet his (at least, not yet), which allows him to really get a good look at that worried expression.]

It's good that you take responsibility for what you did as Izuru Kamukura... but, you're Hajime Hinata, aren't you?

[urmysuperstar]

Freddy lets out a disquieted sigh, the gravel of his voice coming through it. Only now does he break eye contact, casting his gaze downward.

"It is a...long story."

If Souda hasn't heard of Fazbear, there's just too much context to fill him in first to make any of the details make sense.

"Something bad happened to my friends. My bandmates. They became...dangerous."

Freddy pauses. That's how it started, but it's not how it ended. The pain in his voice is all too obvious.

"When we got to the bottom of it, it was...too late for other options."

[snippingtime]

Well, you gotta try to do something when you're stuck like that.

[Red Riding Hood, much like her counterpart in the story, seems to be trusting enough. Blood Maidens were there to help people. What else would she be doing?]

I hope so--

[Her steady footsteps fumble a little.]

Eh? Another world?!

['Nope.']

[floatingdick]

Indeed.

[ Alexander gives a single nod to her words.

He slows his stride as he takes in her surprise and confusion that they are in some other world. ]

Yes. Another world. [ Carefully, he repeats himself. ] Whomever kidnapped us exerted quite a bit of vitae in order to achieve this goal.

[missleadingquestions]

It is!

[Maya, shameless, shakes Nana's hand and grins.]

But it's nice to meet you too, Nana. So you're just getting your first changes, huh? That's pretty exciting!

[Or, you know, terrifying for most folks....]

[snippingtime]

[She blinks. Well, that's new! Vitae... what a weird word, she thinks. Could the Marchens have done this? No. They're not that smart, she thinks.]

Okay, you're going to have to slow down. What the heck is vitae?

[recuttal]

[It was probably only thanks to his reflexes that he didn't totally crash into Komaeda's back when he stopped; but, thankfully, he managed to stop a step or two before the collision. It didn't stop the awkwardness, though, when Komaeda leaned in close, and for a moment Hinata simply balked at the closeness, his eyes darting away from the scrutiny.

The truth was, he was still trying to figure out who Hajime Hinata was. He wasn't the old him, nor was he Izuru Kamukura; he was somewhere awkwardly in between, trying to bridge the gap. But that was no excuse to run away, even if it was from the people that probably wanted to see you the absolute least.

Hinata lets out another breath, but he does bring his gaze up to look at Komaeda properly, his red eye shining despite the darkness with that small attempt to re-assert his own confidence.]

No, you're right. To be honest, I don't want to upset them... but it wouldn't be fair of me to run away. Not when everyone else is trying their best.

[He closes his eyes a moment, before opening them again.] ...Izuru wouldn't care. I don't want to be like that at all.

[ohmyscream]

[ Annie chooses to ignore certain details. If she looks in the direction of his chest, well, that's going to be awkward. She is not blind, but also not willing to look outside of her two partners. Bakura being shirtless will just pointedly not be noticed.

Maribelle holds up a hand. Her fingers do not appear to be made for grasping, but he will feel a gentle tug. Maribelle wants to see the ring! ]

Hm. Yes but I'm pretty sure you'll need to steal that title here. You're in Ryslig. Not.... Egypt?

[ She tests it looking at him curiously. Did she get it right? He looks Egyptian in the same weird way Atem does, or he could be like Altair and come from a weird magical world. ]

Besides. I'm fairly certain you would prefer having an ally or two. You can't survive without help here. No man is an island.... Your Grace.

[ She says that as if she is teasing him. A little joke. ]

[floatingdick]

Of course. It is a difficult concept to grasp.

[ Though, he has no intention of explaining what vitae really is. ]

It's an energy source. Something that occurs naturally rather than anything that can be manufactured. However, harnessing it is difficult and that is why so few know of it. [ A beat. ] To play around with a phrase, it would be like attempting to draw blood from a rock.

[ His eyes close and he opens them, looking around their gloomy surroundings. ]

But the rewards for gathering vitae are astronomical. It can open portals to other worlds. It can ease the suffering of the sick. Indeed, if you were suffering from some life-ending disease, vitae would ensure your expiration date would be extended almost indefinitely.

[ Alexander hums. ] To pull even one person to another world, it takes an extraordinary amount of vitae... to pull two... I hope you can understand how much effort that had to be done now. [ He can understand why he himself was dragged out, but he can't comprehend why they would grab a young jailbird. ]

[99problems]

"Majesty."

[ Oh, the kiddo's interested. Bakura brings the ring closer for Maribelle's examination, though he won't "give" it to her just yet. He wants to see if she's capable of taking it, either with her hands or her power.

It's definitely solid fucking gold. ]

Bakura, the illustrious King of the Thieves of the Two Lands, Kemet and Deshret, united under the eye of the living Horus, Pharaoh Atem, may - he - die.

[ Oop! There we go! Dropped the ring! ]

[ohmyscream]

I haven't seen anything majestic yet.

[ She is teasing him still right up until he gives a full introduction. She stills and turns to look at him. She must look very strange with her bright blonde hair and nearly pitch black carapace. Especially when she looks so goddamn thoughtful. ]

He might be. The Fog God pulls us here. Some of us were dead or dying when she took us here. I... was neither.

I had narrowly escaped being a human sacrifice. It's why Altair gets so protective of me sometimes.

[ The ring gets caught in the air. Maribelle did that to help!

She doesn't pull it away from Bakura though. Stealing is bad! ]

i.

[irkeninvader]

[It's at that moment that a glob of mud splats directly into the gravedigger's face. A triumphant shout rings out:]

Ha-HA! Taste filth, dirt-keeper!

[The source of all this noise is much smaller than perhaps expected: what looks like a young boy around twelve or so, very short and looking wildly confident despite that. He scuttles over to Spike's side, moving more like an insect than a human, and paps at his shoulder impatiently.]

Get moving, before this imbecile recovers!