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

[ Suspicion returns immediately. Yes, leave the graveyard with a man injured and unconscious in a hole, and travel to Who Knows Where with some injured weirdo who can still probably overpower her.

This is a joke because Wakaba is dumb and trusting and caves nearly immediately. The shovel comes with, though. As well as the visceral disrespect. ]

Lead the way, senpai.

Don't— don't.

[Spike squints in disdain, tired, as he leads the way.]

I'm old enough to be your... Young uncle.

It's—

[Ah, shit. He was just on some tirade about not being Spike Spiegel anymore at some other little... Child, but he doesn't recall actually having any ideas for another.

Whatever, he won't be with her long, he's sure. Get her to the ISSP and someone will probably find her on a list and get her where she's supposed to be.]

It's Spike. You can call me Spike.

[ Thankfully for every entity involved in this thread, that is the extent of mockery Wakaba is capable of. We do not have to live in a reality where Spike Spiegel is called oji-san. Let us pray to the Shinju in gratitude. ]

Of course you are.

[ There there, boomer. The shovel is tossed over one shoulder - hiss, adjust position, much better - and then he's given a vague gestured wave toward Not Here. If he doesn't need help walking, that's fine, but it'll be easier to keep an eye on him from behind. ]

It is nice to meet you, Spike. I am Wakaba. Please continue.

Alright, Miss Wakaba.

[And lead on Spike does, fortunately aware enough that you know what? He can't blame Wakaba for being careful.]

Once we're out of here, it's straight for the nearest ISSP station, and then I'm out of here.

[Off to find a more appealing ditch to lay in.]

There's gotta be one around here... somewhere.

[Because they are..... on Earth. And this has to be... there... has to be a station around, right?]

I think.

[ Miss.

She'll take Miss. It's better than most of the other honorifics she got hit with. On top that, she's pretty sure it was sass. Which? ...Yeah. Fair. ]

Somewhere.

[ Delivered flatly, but without any bite - mostly because she's not even paying much attention. If he looks back, Wakaba's busy staring up at the night sky like she's about to fight it. Too cloudy to see if there's stars, or their lack. ...What could she even do if they showed up? Beat them back with a shovel to buy time? Pff.

...Ah, who is she kidding. Yes, she would. Need a distraction from the anxiety. Unfortunately, the only option is Spike. ] What's the ISSP?

Inter-Solar System Police

[Spike himself is looking up at the sky too, looking for stars as well, disconcerted by the lack thereof. It isn't as if he hasn't seen fog before, but weather on the colonies is highly regulated. This is fairly new, and Spike doesn't like to be distanced from his very precious view of the stars.]

Bunch of dick bags if you ask me, but they'll be more help to you than I can. My ship's on a whole other planet right now.

[And also in possession of someone else oops. He doesn't think Jet is going to let him come back for it, but Wakaba doesn't need to know that.]

[ So the police have a purpose again. That's heartening. Even if he doesn't like them. But they're both adjacent to the important part here.

She looks down at the answer, and someone else is looking Up. Whether he's just deranged or actually from the future doesn't matter. To be able to look up at the sky so easily is...

...Dammit.

Spike can hear the grip on the shovel tighten. It's already been apparent that the girl is a terrible liar - might as well say water is wet. But it's also clear that the prodding him has been, at least partially, on purpose. The response is... wary, but a very strange kind of wary. Words are picked and chosen in a way that is absolutely dodging a subject, yet has no other recourse than to address it. ]

Have you ever been attacked in transit? In space, I mean.

[Now that's a weird question. Spike makes note of all these things, but for now, finds it easier to simply answer her question.]

Attacked? Sure. Couple of bounties get out of hand here and there, sometimes you fend off space pirates.

[He certainly didn't think there would be as much fighting in space as there is, growing up, but it's definitely not whatever Wakaba's thinking of.]

TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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