graveyardsmash | TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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test drive

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

[Ah, no good.

At one point, Komaeda would have viewed the fabricated talents of Izuru Kamukura as a shining beacon of hope—but right now, it feels more like a thorn in his side. An outplay, like the jam on a Colt 1911. This time, his emotions don't reach the smile plastered across his face. This time, he's much more careful as he chooses his words.]

Hm... I remember a really elaborate dream, one that felt so real, I wouldn't have known it was a dream.

[It isn't a lie, not completely. When he first arrived in Ryslig, it was like waking up from his gruesome death in the warehouse. When he went to sleep one night a few months later, he suddenly remembered everything he should have known between his point-in-time and Souda's.

His head tilts, ever so slightly, with his one-hand and his stump-arm tucked neatly into his pockets.]

But now we're both here! I wonder if I'm still dreaming or not... Which is why I asked you what you remembered last. After all, this isn't the first time we've woken up in a strange place, right, Hinata-kun?

A dream...

[Then... he must have meant the simulation? Or whatever happened after his... 'death.' But if Komaeda thought that was a dream... then did that mean he was still-- he must have still been alive int here, which really did mean all their work wasn't for nothing...

He's lost in thought for a long moment-- almost as though he were simply ignoring Komaeda, but he suddenly looks surprised, coming back to attention.] W-Well, that's true... [He would've rather woken up on a beach again, though--]

I'm... definitely not dreaming. I hope. But if you thought it was a dream... then you must mean the island, right? The fake one?

[His only hope for Komaeda being straight with him is to just state it bluntly, he thinks. But even so, his expression is still furrowed with worry.] I was working on... trying to wake one of you up...

Right, the simulation!

[As if answering Hinata's unspoken wish, Komaeda confirms that he does in fact know about their prior circumstances. It's a relief to them both, no doubt, that they don't have to tip-toe around such a big elephant.

However, from what Hinata is saying, he comes from a point where... they're all still in those pods, huh? He wonders, albeit briefly, just who it is Hinata would try to wake up first.]

Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be able to wake up our classmates here. You see... we're not on Jabberwock island anymore.

[He hopes that Hinata was trying to wake Souda, because if it's anyone else...]

[He lets out a sigh of relief. No need to tip-toe around the truth of... well, everything, and it confirmed what he was certain of about their missing friends. God, he already felt exhausted.]

Yeah, I kinda figured... [He was pretty sure Jabberwock Island didn't have a graveyard, unless Sonia or Kuzuryu suddenly got a really bad sense of humor?] Ugh, this isn't good...

[Hopefully they're still okay...? He wasn't doing anything particularly dangerous, but he can't help but worry what would become of them.]

Still... you're awake at least. That means everything I've been doing wasn't for nothing.

[There's a pause, quiet—and perhaps only noticeable to a guy with the injected perception that could only exist within the Ultimate Hope. As if the spokes in cogs had fit perfectly together, turning, turning, until one cog didn't catch and the entire process came to a halt.

The Hinata he knew would do anything for his friends, he would fight for justice, and he would always come through with a solution to the problem. The Hinata he knew wouldn't sit idle in the face of despair, even for all those moments where hope seemed to drain from his worried expression.

So when he seems relieved that Komaeda is awake, and in his company, he can hardly believe it. In those final moments, on the fifth island of the Jabberwock archipelago, didn't it seem like Hinata hated him? And he was okay with it, then, too—because wasn't Hinata truly the embodiment of so much pain and suffering, in the form of Izuru Kamukura?]

You don't have to pretend, you know. [His words don't tremble, but he does cast his gaze away as shame flutters through his stomach,] I know I'm the last person anyone wants to see.

[It's... strange, isn't it? It wasn't like it was the first time Komaeda talked down on himself like that-- in the simulation, it had happened so often it was just exhausting rather than worrying. But Hinata can't remember when he'd seen Komaeda almost... hesitate about it? Be ashamed of it? Had it never happened before, or was it just... something he was only noticing now, thanks to the abilities of the Ultimate Hope?]

What are you talking about? You're the one that was acting like you couldn't stand me. [He scowls. It had been... just before the last death, but...]

Ever since we escaped the Neo World Program, I've been doing everything I can to try and wake up everyone that died. That includes you, too. Why wouldn't it?

You don't get it.

[He responds, quick but not any shorter for it—the venom of those final days in the simulation all but gone from his system. Maybe it's the fact that he just spent who knows how long floating in the sea of souls, cognizant but not in a way so completely unlike the Neo World Program.]

It wasn't you, but what was inside of you... I never would have imagined you would beat Izuru Kamukura.

[Komaeda sighs, a bodily exhale that deflates his broad shoulders.]

I guess you're full of surprises, aren't you? As expected of the true Ultimate Hope.

[But that isn't important, what's important now is that Hinata knows exactly what to expect, and what they're dealing with. He's come a long way from orchestrating stages for his talented classmates to perform upon.]

Souda-kun is here too. I think he's the only one from our class who is. This place isn't a simulation, Hinata-kun, and it isn't the world outside of it either.

Ah... [Of course, Komaeda had tried to kill them because he'd found out they were the Ultimate Despairs, but... well, he guess he wasn't surprised if someone was worried he'd just... become Izuru again.]

You... don't have to call me that. That's not really me, after all... [That was Izuru Kamukura. And he still hopes he can be anything but that. Besides, he wasn't really sure he could say he'd 'beaten him,' when he was so ready to use his gifts for his friends still asleep on Jabberwock Island.]

What the hell is this place, then? I figured I didn't just take a boat off the island, but...

I know that.

[There had been a time when Komaeda might have seen the other as nothing more than a villain: a concept to be vanquished in the name of hope. When he had fabricated his unbeatable mystery, it was with the intention to destroy the Remnants of Despair, Izuru Kamukura, and Hajime Hinata too—a casualty that was justified in his mind.

But with his defeat, something took root and blossomed. Souda told him of that final showdown against the AI he and Kamukura had injected into the Neo World program, and it was only then that he felt a pang of longing, instead. How he wished he could've seen Hinata sparkle that brightly during the final debate.]

I'll tell you, but only because you are the Ultimate Hope [—Hinata's protests be damned—] This is a place called Ryslig. It exists in a different universe from our own world, and everyone who arrives here turns into a monster.

In fact, it's weird that I'm human right now, considering I've lived the last year of my life as a mermaid.

You're not gonna stop calling me that, are you...

[The response is mostly mumbled to himself, because he knows how utterly futile it is to get Komaeda to listen to... uh, anything. Maybe he's just embarrassed, but mostly... a title like that feels ill-fitting, and it just makes him feel guilty.

He nervously scratches the side of his face, but he's willing to let that go, for now. More importantly, it gives him time to think about what else Komaeda said, and... he startles.]

What? A mermaid? Like from that animated movie?

[He's certainly gotten better at respecting... some boundaries, but only when they're explicitly told to him, rather than reading the room. Reading the room is basically still impossible.

So just as Hinata moves onto his next thought, Komaeda follows suit. A laugh gusts from him, dismissive and indolent, and in the space between them he raises a hand and bats away the thought as if it were a joke.]

No, no, not like the movie. More like the origin story, actually! I was even more hideous as a mermaid than I am now... Scales, big teeth, a need to feed on humans... At first I didn't believe it would happen to me, but when all my skin fell off, well...

[He trails off, and as he does, the cogs turn in his head once more. Up comes that hand, thumbing his chin in thought.]

Actually, now I'm curious what you might turn into.

Your s-skin fell off?!

[Of course Komaeda would just admit to something like that so casually!! But, clearly his skin was fine, right now, but it didn't stop Hinata from almost having a heart attack imagining that.]

M-Me...? I'd rather not think about that at all... [He lets out a sigh, resting on hand on his hip as his demeanor sort of dropped; but the reality was, if this was a place where everyone turned into monsters... then...]

L-Let's just-- deal with that when we get there, right? W-We're both fine right now.

You're right, Hinata-kun, one thing at a time.

[Komaeda lifts his hand to his chin, thinking. Because realistically, what will pose the most immediate concern is definitely the fact that he's sharing an apartment with Mukuro Ikusaba and Celestia Ludenberg. Eventually, he'll have to meet up with them, but... perhaps just one thing at a time.

Ah, but if they go to see Souda, Hinata will definitely be freaked out by the fact that he's a big pink dragon... and explaining Nanami's arcade...

There's really not delicate way to do this, is there? Ripping the bandaid off might be the best course of action, afterall.]

Why don't we go to my house? At the very least, you can shower and... ah, well, I don't think any of my clothes would fit you, but there's laundry available!

[And if they happen to run into Mukuro or Celeste well... it's a good thing they look like monsters and not dead teenage girls.]

Right... you said you'd been here before... [It felt weird to imagine being invited to Komaeda's house, given the ridiculousness of the situation-- but maybe that was just normal, Komaeda being calm while Hinata was busy freaking out.

Still, he looked down at all the dirt still on his person, and... sighs, his arms dropping down.] I guess a shower wouldn't be such a bad idea... I'm sure I can figure out something else to wear.

[He straightened himself back out again, perfectly unaware of the potential amount of teenage girls he'd have to meet.] But I'm surprised you'd offer. Thanks for the help.

I'm surprised you would accept, too. I thought you hated me!

[There's something pointed in his tone, even as it dissolves rather quickly with another bubble of indolent laughter.

Still, there's an honesty there that does find its way to Komaeda's smiling expression. It softens his eyes and warms his cheeks a bit, as the thought that he might be wrong edges into his mind. For once, he would probably be okay with that.]

Listen, Hinata-kun... how familiar are you with the multiverse theory?

I guess... maybe we were both wrong about that?

[He couldn't forget how frustrating it had been dealing with Komaeda in the simulation, but maybe the memories from before the island helped... make it make more sense to him. Or maybe he was just smarter? Or maybe, if he had learned what they had all been before the end... he probably wouldn't have dealt with it any better?

Nevertheless, he smiles, a bit more sure of his words.] Well, I don't hate you, okay? So let's both just stop worrying about it.

[With that, he shifts his weight on his feet, and moves on to thinking about the next thought.]

...It's the idea that there's an infinite amount of alternate universes out there, right?

[For a split second, something wells up in Komaeda. Something nostalgic in a way that's both comforting and not. His stomach flutters, but it's not for any warm hopes that Hinata might feel similarly to him; instead, it's the rush of recognizing what good luck this all is—to not be hated—and with it, follows the dread that slides across his shoulders and clenches around his spine. Komaeda feels his shoulders tense, even if his smile is unmoving. He's talentless, he reminds himself, he doesn't have to worry about bad luck anymore.

But, he has to tell Hinata that eventually, too.]

Right... and here I remembered you saying the library was boring! [He laughs sharply,] but what if I told you that this place is sort of like a middle ground?

A place where multiple universes could converge, or even the same universe, from different points in time.

[He pauses, but starts walking—leading the way, confident that Hinata will follow.]

What would you make of that?

[It won't fix every problem, but Hinata on the other hand still felt... good about it. It was progress! One step closer towards the future, even if that future involved the... monster, part, with the skin falling off. Actually he's not gonna think about this.]

Ugh... I might as well have a library in my head now. [It felt like he would just get a headache if he really thought about it... but instead, he turns on his heels, quickly making to follow after Komaeda.]

I mean... I suppose it's not impossible. Especially if multiple universes exist at all... It'd be like... multiple trains going through the same train station.

[At least Hinata can sleep well at night knowing that not every monster loses their skin. Some have horribly painful bodily eruptions instead! But alas, Komaeda cannot reassure his friend with this information, because he isn't a telepath.

So instead, he laughs at what he assumes is a joke, even if Hinata doesn't mean it to be one.]

Ah, now I'm jealous I can't pick your brain! [He lifts his hand to his mouth, stifling the laughter that continues to bubble from him.]

But that's a good analogy, Hinata-kun! This place is like a connecting stop for many, many trains. Except the trains are individuals coming from different universes and points in time. I've met people from the hyper-future, and people from settings you might only read about in a fairytale!

Even our despairing world, that was brought to destruction by our own hands, seems like a complete anomaly to some people here.

[Komaeda tilts his head at Hinata then, and his slim smile settling into what could only be described as his 'neutral' expression.]

I suppose I should tell you who here is actually from our own world... well, we only have one classmate: Souda-kun. But the rest... you might not know, or have only read about in the Future Foundation file.

I don't think you want to.... [He barely wants to pick his own brain with the mess of Izuru and Hinata swirling around up there. There'd hardly been time to sift through it all when he actually had something to do.]

Our world being an anomaly, huh...

[He can't help but dwell on that thought. Worlds, and worlds-- no, universes, even, untouched by the destruction they'd wrought. He didn't have the grand designs of saving or restoring the world, but it still made him glad, deep down, that there were places and people that they hadn't hurt.]

That's right, you mentioned Souda. [He looked up from his thoughts, looking back at Komaeda in kind. He'd been working with Souda a lot on trying to restore their friends' minds, so in a weird way, the fact that he was here too is kind of a relief.] The... Future Foundation files? [Weird?] Naegi only left the island a little while ago, for me, so it's not like I've had a wealth of reading material. But who else could it be?

[Komaeda gets it, after hearing about other worlds. He gets it, even without hearing about other worlds. The home that lives only in his memories, untarnished by terrorism in the name of despair, feels as if it's a distant fantasy now. Some nights, when he would close his eyes and try to sleep, he would see the Hope's Peak Academy at his entrance ceremony—instead of the one that came after, living on in his nightmares.

So many people hurt... It's a good thing they're here now—he still believes that.

But he's pulled from memory lane, his attention returning to Hinata even if he looks to have never pulled it away. His slim smile remains, unrelenting, as he tilts his head curiously.]

Try to think, Hinata-kun... I said that this place is a convergence of space and time.

[Just because they're here now, doesn't mean he won't take the opportunity to test that tightly compacted brain again. In a way, this is nostalgic too; and whether Hinata is keen on going along with Komaeda's little game or not, he doesn't seem to care.]

How could they be from our world, but you wouldn't be able to meet them?

[Ah, there come the cryptic riddles-- not that Komaeda had ever really started talking normally. But at least with a brain full of talent that wasn't his own, he was a lot more equipped to actually answer, rather than struggling to think it through. Still, the answer to this one is pretty easy--]

It'd probably be... because they're already dead, where we come from. [Though he thinks about it, and... just looks at Komaeda flatly.]

That doesn't really narrow it down, though...

[There was, unfortunately, a long litany of deaths he could call off the top of his head...]

As sharp as ever, Hinata-kun!

[Komaeda chimes, the sing-song of his voice so completely out of sync with the topic at hand. His smile brightens, too, as that thoughtful thumb returns to his chin in pensive repose.]

In fact, when I first woke up here, it was right after my death in the simulation. [He had been like a scared, wild animal then. Confused, pained, baring its teeth and cowering in fear. He's come a long way since, he'd like to think.] But we're not talking about me, no...

I'm talking about participants in the first killing game. There's two of them here.

[Komaeda rolls his shoulders into a lazy shrug, sinking his hand back into his pocket as he continues his easy stride.]

I've turned over a new and honest leaf! Since they're my roommates, I didn't want you to be surprised if we ran into them.

[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...!!

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...

TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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