TDM: SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

[ryslighelpers]

TDM: SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

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

(CW: Human remains)

When you awaken, you are hit with an immediate feeling of motion. A bobbing, if you will, or perhaps more of a rocking. You take a deep breath through your nose and take note of salt, along with the pungent scent of rotting wood. Creaking sounds echo all around you. Sitting up, you find yourself locking eyes with a skull.

An entire human skeleton is positioned across from you, resting limply against a pillar. Surveying the rest of your surroundings, you soon realize that you're below deck on an old, dilapidated ship. A ship that's on the move. The crew must have suffered a terrible fate, strewn as they all are across the floor. With their ripped poofy shirts, sheathed cutlasses and jaunty feathered hats, they seem to scream one word at you. "Pirates". ...Ooh, is that an abandoned bottle of rum? And a treasure chest? Surely they won't mind if you help yourself. They're dead, after all!

Once you've ascended the creaky steps, you find yourself on the deck of this vast, once proud vessel. A tattered Jolly Roger flaps overhead. Thick fog obscures most of the ocean surrounding you, but what's that straight ahead? Land ho! The ship's about to make port, and a crowd of curious onlookers has already gathered on the docks to stare up at this spooky new arrival. They appear apprehensive, perhaps even fearful, as if they haven't seen a ship come in for a long time. Will they hold you accountable for what happened to the skeleton crew? Will they praise you for 'ridding' them of pirates and allow you to keep the booty? There's no way to know just yet. Perhaps you'd best hide and find a way to disembark without being seen. Or perhaps there's someone else to be found here on this ship who suffered the same fate; someone who has a better idea of what to do.

SCENARIO TWO

You've stumbled your way into a city, and you're promptly besieged by the overwhelming sights and sounds. 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 lost expression and your clothes- so different from their own- 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. A hefty laptop may be handed to you, with words of a ‘network’ used for communication. Wonder what that’s about? Then there’s the very confusing pamphlet stuffed within: "What To Expect When You're Expecting (To Turn Into A Monster)”. They may direct you to an organisation known as the Lighthouse, their members most prominently found at the 38-8 apartments and the Lighthouse Church. Or perhaps, if you're injured, they'll refer you to the Crowe Clinic instead. Unfortunately, the directions you're given are so very complicated that you lose your way in the streets after two left turns, a right and a left at the soup kitchen.

Take care when asking for more help. 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

Now that you've found a moment of peace, you open up the mysterious device that's been handed to you. Perhaps you'll recognize it as some sort of laptop, albeit an old and clunky one. Or perhaps you'll be astounded by this curious feat of technology, which is unlike anything you've ever seen before. Regardless, the moment the lid is propped open to reveal the screen and the keyboard within, you gain your first glimpse of the network.

Perhaps you'll want to choose a username and write your very first message, posing the pressing question that's on your mind at this very moment. The lettered buttons click and clack awkwardly beneath your fingertips as you type.

However, you may instead want to respond to today's most popular message.

WELCOME TO RSDOS. PRESS F1 TO COMPOSE POST. *** TODAY’S TOP POST *** 018.07.154.55 <JUSTSOMEGUY> Let's play Two Truths, One Lie! It's real easy! You just post three statements about yourself, and the rest of us have to guess the lie. It'll be fun! And you get to be a liar liar without your pants catching fire for a bit.

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.

Comments

[hopesong]

This time, Kate laughs freely at his surprise, and leans over, once again holding a clawed hand out to help him up. The scene is something that draws a little attention from nervous looking onlookers, hushed whispers of her taking him somewhere and eating him are heard, and a few people stop to stare with looks of pity while others turn away, like if they ignore it, they're not going to be responsible for anything that happens.

"Don't worry, sugar. I ain't no big bad wolf." Which might be less convincing with those hushed whispers, but she says it all the same in the same gentle tone.

[locumstudentesquire]

Yeah he can hear those whispers??? He doesn't like them? He's a NERVOUS LITTLE MAN, and he's read a few pamphlets about monsters at this point... He wasn't sure if he could actually believe what was written down there at first, but lo and behold... Now here's a monster in the flesh, trying to help him up off the sidewalk.

He still looks extremely freaked out, but takes the hand nonetheless... Though when he's back up on his feet, he finds himself trembling a bit, beads of nervous sweat forming at his temples.

"Th-thanks... I. Ah. S-sorry... Are... Are you..."

He trails off, not sure what he's actually trying to ask. 'Are you alright?' 'Are you really a monster?' 'Are you SURE you're not going to eat me?' All questions that are very prominent in his mind, at the moment.

[hopesong]

"I'm alright, thanks for askin'." Comes the reply to his not quite finished question. Kate prefers to take good faith on the question that he's not about to ask her if he's going to be dinner. She hasn't killed anyone yet, and she's not about to start.

(That thought lingers though, late at night, at the back of her mind.)

"Name's Kate. Kate Denson. I take it you're new around here, judgin' by your demeanor and way you tried to walk out into traffic?" A fair guess, considering the trembling on his part, and the way she can smell terror and fear coming off of him in droves. To be fair to him though, it comes off of the bystanders as well. "I can answer some of your questions, if you'd like. Or just help you across the street."

[locumstudentesquire]

Bless her and her good faith, TBH. Though it's definitely better that Ryunosuke doesn't know about those lingering instincts, for now.

"Ah... Uh. Ryunosuke Naruhodo," he replies, bobbing his head slightly in acknowledgement. He looks a little bit faint, or distracted... Or maybe both. There's a lot going through his head at the moment, as she can probably imagine, and he's struggling to figure out where to even begin.

"Answers... Answers would be appreciated," he says finally, voice coming in a little stronger. "Though I don't suppose you can tell me why I'm here... Perhaps you can at least tell me where 'here' is...?"

[hopesong]

"Unfortunately all I got is that we were plucked out of a so called "Sea of Stars" by the resident god here, I'm afraid. Not a particularly nice one at that, but I know some here will readily disagree." Kate just doesn't see how being turned into a monster and being forced to eat people is something anyone "nice" does. Especially when by her word she wants them to instill terror in those around. "C'mon, hun. There's a cafe near here that'll be far more comfortable to be at than in the middle of the street with all these people stairin'. I'll buy you a drink and some lunch."

Also because it makes her feel a little awkward to have so many eyes judging her here. It's different when she plays music, and isn't two wrong moves away from someone saying shes going to eat them.

[locumstudentesquire]

"A 'Sea of Stars...?'" Ryunosuke repeats thoughtfully, his brow furrowing. What on Earth...? Or, maybe NOT on Earth, as the case may be, because it's belatedly hitting him that she just mentioned 'Gods', and. Surely she can't mean that literally, right...?

He's so wrapped up in this it takes him a beat longer to register her offer, standing there frowning distractedly for a moment until he notices her looking at him kind of expectantly, and then the words play back in his head again.

She... Wants to get lunch...?

...Ryunosuke tries to shush the skeptical part of his brain that is automatically dubious and fearful that HE might be the lunch, actually. She really hasn't been anything but kind and perfectly sweet to him so far, and accusations of cannibalism are a horrible thing to think about... Anyone, really, without good cause. But he's so jumpy about the supernatural, and looking at her wolfish features, he can't help that the thought DOES cross his mind... At least he manages not to actually say the rude thing Out Loud, in this case.

Regardless. He's not totally sure why, but he does get the sense that this is someone who he can trust. There's no evidence for it, just a gut feeling he has when he looks at her... But he's gotten through a lot of tough calls by trusting those instincts, and he's not about to start ignoring them here.

"...I. I'd appreciate that greatly. Thank you," he says with a warm smile and a little nod.

[hopesong]

"No problem, sugar. It's tough bein' new here. You don't exactly get the warmest of welcomes from most, and it's a 50/50 on if the warm welcome you do receive are just because people are afraid of you or not." Kate gives a soft chuckle, but there's a bit of sadness to it. She doesn't linger too long though, motioning for him to follow her. "There's a nice little place not too far from here. Got brought there and given the whats what when I first arrived by a nice stranger." Who isn't a stranger anymore, but someone Kate enjoys talking to well enough.

"An' don't worry about payin' for anything. You ain't gonna have any solars to do so at this point, and while my pockets aren't overflowin', I've got more than enough to get you somethin' in your stomach while answerin' your questions."

[locumstudentesquire]

He trails along after her without any fuss, though he does keep note of all the times people they pass by shoot them dirty looks, or pull their children closer, or duck into the entry ways of buildings to fearfully let them pass. Honestly, he's gotten warmer receptions from juries, compared to this...

"I really appreciate it," he says again, making sure to stay close. "But... Why ARE they all so afraid? Because... Because newcomers always turn into monsters...?"

He says it like he's still not fully convinced it's actually true, because... He isn't. It's really hard for him to buy it, just reading it off some random pamphlet.

[hopesong]

Ah, there's the question she'd hope they'd get to when they were seated, and hopefully with a nice cup of coffee, but he just asks it right away, right as a family pulls their child close and shoots them fearful and nasty glares.

"There's that, that you'll turn into a monster no matter what while you're here. But also because they have every right to be afraid and hateful towards both you an' I. We eat them. An' before you get any ideas, no, I don't plan on eatin' you, but it is something we as monsters have to do, or we'll lose it and hurt even more people in the long run."

A case of kill the few to spare the many, as horrific as it is.

"But there's a sort of soup kitchen around. Not all monsters feed the same way, and so... Leftovers to put it bluntly, are brought there and stored for those of us who can't bring ourselves to actually hurt anyone."

[locumstudentesquire]

...Wow, uh. He...

He also wishes they'd been sitting down, for that info drop??

His steps falter a moment under the weight of this information, being (probably unsurprisingly) rather distressed by it. Another moment passes before he quickens his pace to catch up with her again, craning his neck to peer sidelong at her as they keep moving, trying to get a proper look at her expression. He's actually hoping for some sign of mischief there, any hint that maybe his gut instinct was wrong and this is all some kind of big elaborate joke that she's in on.

"...You're really serious?" he says, frowning hard. "This isn't some joke, this--" he fishes around in his pocket a moment, pulling out a creased and slightly crumpled informational pamphlet, waving it emphatically-- "You're saying that what's written in here is true?"

[hopesong]

"Serious as a heart attack, hun. But no, not everythin' written there is true, at least." She replies quickly enough, but motions him on to the cafe nearby, even grabbing the door from him. It does go a little quieter, momentarily when they enter, before it picks right back up. Kate's been here often enough that no one feels particularly threatened by her, and that makes this place better than most for an explanation.

"I'll have a coffee, double cream. An' whatever he'd like." She nods to Ryunosuke, who the waitress looks at expectantly, and with a hint of sadness in her eyes.