graveyardsmash | TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

Entry tags:

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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[She glances down at he gravedigger with a wince. She didn’t mean to knock him out, only to incapacitate him so she could get answers out of him. He wouldn’t talk Red’s anger got the better of her.

Oops.

To her companion she shrugs. Best not to admit that she didn’t mean to knock him out.]

Probably—dunno if the person who took us is still around.

[There’s a pause before a thought finally comes to mind.]

Wait, if there’s two of us there’ll probably more.

True enough.

[ It's difficult to say which statement that he's responding to at first. He gives a cursory glance at their surroundings, but beyond the unconscious man, there does not appear to be anyone else to speak of.

He pauses to look back toward his own grave and those next to his. His throat clenches as he reads familiar names. Though, a few he is pleased to see, like Weyer and Agrippa. ]

A great crime has been committed, it seems, and for unknown reasons we were spared. [ Walking closer to one of the graves, his fingers run over the name Daniel. ] No, perhaps not spared, but kept as an afterthought.

There may be others, but ... we can't do anything for them. [ His hand drops away from the gravestone and gestures to the young miss. ] Not as we are. We should think to save ourselves before we extend our reach too far.

From the Jail to another crazy place, huh.

[Her voice is almost quiet, a mutter to just herself. A glance at some of the tombstones makes the hair on the back of her neck raise. Clara... wasn't that Haru's apprentice? And that other name over there was another member of Dawn, wasn't it? Her mouth feels dry.

She couldn't stop here. Not right now, not in front of a stranger. She scoops up the dropped shovel, her grip on the handle tighter than needed. Why isn't it breaking?

Red could think about that later. There's a tension in her stance.]

You're right, though. We gotta get out of here. It's too open, for one. Get ready to run if something nasty shows up, okay?

[ His expression is bland, at best, since he is mildly surprised one so young has already found themselves committing crimes. Normally, this would be where a person thinks how they should not judge others, but Alexander judges. At least, his judgement is quiet. ]

Something nasty.

[ He breathes hard out of his nose, but nods. There is something nasty that has nearly been his end. However, that entity does not feel like it has followed him to wherever he finds himself now.

This he knows purely because he does not feel it. That building sensation that creeps in the back of his head. So whilst he feels unfortunately grounded in the world, at least he is free from one terrifying thing. ]

I shall do my best not to slow you down. [ A small tip of his head. ] I am Alexander of Brennenburg. Let us continue to survive, miss.

[The gravedigger was an enemy with a weapon. He might not have been a Marchen but Red had sensed his aggression towards her almost instantly. Her instincts and training told her what to do. The fact that most of her fellow teammates would have at least tried to reason with him first didn't escape her.]

Name's Red Riding Hood. I'd say it's good to meet ya but y'know.

[She nods, flashing a cocky smile.] Don't worry 'bout me, though. Making sure people are safe is a Blood Maiden's job.

[Despite the smile, her eyes are looking over the area thoroughly. She wasn't going to get jumped again as she begins to head towards the entrance.]

[ Red Riding Hood.

His first thought is that she doesn't trust him enough to divulge her real name, and he can't blame her. Furthermore, the name he gave her is not his true name so on this point, he can't fault her. ]

Is it now? I would think it is the gentleman's duty to watch out for a maiden, but given how I am, I'll have to give up such gender norms, it seems.

[ Indeed, he hears "Bloody Maiden" as "bloody maiden." ]

That is a joke. Don't let it bother you much. [ He walks behind her; his hands folded behind his back. The most he can do is ensure that the rabid dog that he's found is one that he can convince to heel at his command, or at least pause to listen to his suggestions. ]

[She's almost surprised that there wasn't a question about her name. In the Jail those that were old enough to remember fairy tales were instantly suspicious and those who weren't could notice the weirdness of it.

Still, it's a small comfort.]

Heh, don't worry! Everyone says a lot of things bounce right off me. [She laughs to herself a little at that. Then, more seriously:] You're from the surface, right?

[She's pretty sure that there wasn't a Brennenburg in the Jail.]

Truly? That means that you must have a strong mental constitution.

[ His tone remains as serious as it was before. There is a kindness, a gentleness, that bleeds into his words. Like a knife wound's blood spreading across the lining of one's clothes. ]

The surface? You mean outside of your jail? [ He gives a small nod. ] Yes, I am. Does that bother you? Worry you some?

Yeah, probably.

[Did she honestly think that? Not really but that would be admitting weakness. Even if she's lured in by his words her pride wouldn't allow it.]

Not at all. If anything that's good news. We've been trying to reach the surface for years.

[ 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.

[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?

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?

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.']

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.

[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?

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. ]

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TDM: JANUARY/FEBRUARY

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