graveyardsmash | TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She lets go reluctantly. There's a million emotions she's feeling right now - but if they don't escape the crowd they'll be dead for real. She follows him into the building.]

How did you get out? I mean, I saw your grave and I thought -

[Further inside, he stops in a small, dim room that looks as though it had played host to various squatters for years. It's quiet and he breathes a sigh of relief. The mention of his grave makes him shiver briefly, then he covers that with his usual wry smile.]

It wasn't easy, that's for sure. I think I'm still shedding dirt from my ears. The thing was trying to fill itself up with earth even while I was climbing out of it.

[That... is going to haunt him for a long while.]

I was alone when I finally got out, and... [His voice goes quiet and sad.] I didn't stop to look around, much. I'm sorry... I could have found you if I'd stayed.

[She goes for another hug, her voice breaking as she talks.]

No, I'm sorry - I would've stayed to get you all out. You shouldn't have had to go through that alone.

... I'm glad you're safe.

[How many of her family escaped, and are still out there? Did... some not make it? She doesn't want to think about it, but she does anyway.]

[This time he wraps his arms around her tightly, and that break in her voice brings tender tears to his eyes--suddenly all he wants to do is hold her until her soul is in one piece, again.]

Hey, no... don't blame yourself. I'm okay. We're a long way from home, kid, and we have to be careful, now. Sometimes that means getting ourselves on the high ground so that we can pull others up with us, y'know?

[He's sure the others have gotten out, too. They have to have escaped.]

[She tries to hold back sniffling, and wipes at her eyes.]

Yeah... we're gonna be okay. I'm sure everyone else would've gotten out...

I'm glad you're safe.

If we stick together, we'll do great.

[He even almost believes it.]

I'm glad you're safe, too. I don't think I could have--[He flounders in far too much emotion.] Well, you know. We're okay, and that's the best start we can hope for.

[A beat.]

Hungry? People have been giving me food. A lot of food.

[Actually, she is.]

Yeah, I am. I haven't eaten anything since... well... you know.

[The grave thing she doesn't want to bring up.]

[He digs around in a box where he'd put all the things random townspeople had pressed into his hands--food, bundled clothes, a wealth of leaflets and periodicals. He mutters to himself as he searches.]

Maybe I should see if someone else wants this... no, that's not what I was looking for, either... heh--So You're Going To Become A Monster. Well, that's kinda on the nose... seafoam green?... ah-hah!

[He triumphantly comes up with a paper-wrapped bundle that turns out to be bread and cheese.]

Nothing like a little scrounged-up food to make a hole in the wall feel like home, huh? [Just a... little joke. Aheh.]

[Before she can take the bread and cheese, she sees the "So You're Going To Become A Monster" pamphlet that gets kind of tossed aside.]

Wait... is this real?

[She reaches to pick it up.]

Is this why I was called a "monster" earlier?

[He pulls the bread and cheese apart, offering one half of each to Mirabel.]

Uh... yeah. 'Fraid so.

[He grows serious.]Turns out people who come here end up... changing. It starts small, like growing scales or fur. Soon enough, though, you turn into something... something else. Nobody can say how long that takes, either, or when it starts. But it happens to everyone.

[Then he shrugs casually.] Or so everything says. Including that.

[Sure enough, the pamphlet outlines pretty much the same thing, with splashy layouts of bright text and some rather... graphic pictures. Ouch.]

[She takes the offered food, but her attention is focused on the pamphlet. None of this looks pleasant to say the least.]

That's what's going to happen to us? Tio, we have to get out of here before we... we start growing fur! Or scales!

[With a quiet sigh Bruno sits on some piece of furniture or other, looking particularly old and tired.]

I've been searching for a way out. Haven't found one, yet. All I can do is hide. Story of my life.

[He bites off a hunk of bread as though it had personally insulted him.]

[This is the part where she should say something like… “we’ll find a way out, don’t worry!” But honestly the graveyard incident and now this piece of news has taken the wind out of her sails.

She sits down next to him.]

Well it’s not exactly easy to find a way home when you’re being chased around by people who think you’re going to turn into a monster…

But we shouldn’t give up. Not yet.

[He looks over at her and smiles a rather wan smile.]

Yeah. [He blows a gusty sigh.] Yeah. We can't give up. What if the others aren't actually here and someone's messing with us, putting the graves there to scare us? It'd be even more important to get home.

TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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