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.

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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...

[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...

[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?

[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.

[The second those mismatched eyes meet his, Komaeda's heart flutters up into his throat. He isn't used to being looked at this intently, especially not by Hinata—which wouldn't be too bad normally, were it not for the way his knees feel a little weak with the sudden burst of nerves churning his belly.

He doesn't allow it to show on his expression, as he takes a couple steps back, just enough to put distance between them again as he tactfully turns his own gaze away. Instead, he lifts his sole hand to tuck some frizzy strands of hair behind his ear.]

I'm glad we're on the same page now! Let's continue.

[He begins to lead the way again without waiting for Hinata's reply—instead, trusting on his knowledge that the other would follow without a fight.]

You said you were trying to wake everyone up before... Did you manage to get anyone out of the Neo World Program before you woke up here?

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TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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