graveyardsmash | TDM: SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Maya raises her own fist to match his, enthusiastic. She does not bother to correct him. That is simply the motion now.]

Great! I can still get you there.

Hey, do cookies have cars, too?

[They did it, they invented the fist pump.]

Tell me what a car is and I'll letcha know.

Are you tryin' to say "cart?"

'Cause we got carts.

So no cars. Got it.

A car is like, a cart that pushes itself!

[She's not wrong, but—]

Or, um, you get in the cart, and then you make it move from the inside.

...Maybe I should just show you.

...

[He points to the street and the cars that pass by.]

Are you talkin' about those things? Almost got ran over by one when I got here, was wonderin' what they were. Look, it ain't like we don't got trains or airships, I know how transportation works, mate. Just seems kinda pointless to have somethin' for places you can walk to—

[Oh wait.]

Y'know, never mind, I can get behind the idea of cars.

[While the Captain speaks, Maya goes on a little face journey— a creased brow in questioning, then a bit of a smirk— and finally a triumphant smile as she returns her hands to that prayer-like motion again.]

I knew you'd see it my way eventually!

Time to embark then, Captain! I bet Sparkling Cookie will be eager to see you.

You keep goin' on about this Sparklin' Cookie, but I'll be honest with ya, I don't know who that is. Not that I don't wanna meet 'em, I wanna have a chat with all the cookies here. It's just that I don't think we're anywhere near the Republic, so any locals ain't got any reason to be that eager to see me.

I just don't wanna get your hopes up thinkin' this is gonna be some sorta heartfelt reunion.

[But if there's one thing he can get behind, it's that it's time to leave. With a determined nod, he takes off.

Only to forget the struggle he was having a mere seconds ago and promptly falls over.]

Right... Looks like smooth sailing ain't in my forecast anytime soon...

Maybe...

[Maya contemplates. Sparkling may not know this guy... but when you're far from home and no one is like you, anything familiar can be comforting, right? Despite this, she doesn't elaborate, starting to walk away to lead— and then hurrying back over when she sees the captain take a spill.

She holds out her arm to brace him and give him the chance to pull himself up.]

Guess you still have to get your land legs, huh? You'll get the hang of it in no time! Until then, you'll just have to rely on the strength of the magnificent Maya Fey to get you by.

[That's exactly why he wants to meet Sparkling to be honest, as well as the entire population of cookies he's somehow convinced just live here. He doesn't even realize how small he'd be if he were his actual cookie self right now, this is clearly just a weird city full of weird...not-cookies.

But enough about that, he's plummeting onto cement, which turns out isn't nearly as fun as tripping onto rotting wood. ...And that wasn't very fun to begin with! Thankfully there's a Maya to keep things from turning into a disaster. Caviar might be bigger than her, but he has no shame accepting the stranger's assistance.]

Looks to be that way. [He forces a toothy, lopsided grin as he holds onto her arm, pushing himself up and giving her head a good "thank you" hair ruffle.] Thankfully all it takes is one strong cookie to make a difference. ...Or, er, sea monster, in this case.

[And thankfully for them both, Maya doesn't at all seem to struggle to support Caviar's weight— and gives a playful, proud smile when he ruffles her hair. She lets him lean as much as he needs, lifting her other arm in a flex pose without actually flexing.]

You won't find a stronger sea monster than me around!

Might find weirder, though. And some water monsters are horses, too, for some reason.

[Why are kelpies? She doesn't know.]

[Wonderful, he isn't crushing the little girl, therefore he doesn't have to feel bad taking advantage of the balance she provides. It's seriously a huge help and even if his knees still wiggle just a little bit, it's a noticeable difference than how he was before.]

Hey, I've seen all sorts of sea monsters, and I can tell ya right now, they don't NEED a reason to be...whatever. Why not a horse? Maybe they got sea carriages they need haulin'.

[His tone is rather serious and matter-of-factly, but he shows his hand pretty quick when he opens one of his eyes and gives her another grin.

This man

might be a goober.]

[Maya brightens even more, enticed by someone playing along. Cookies really are the best, aren't they? She puts her hand to her chin as if deeply contemplating the suggestion and answers—]

That's gotta be it! A whole sea kingdom with sea horse carriages...

I wish I had a carriage underwater.

[Despite never having contemplated it before this...]

[It's only because once you hear about the undersea carriage, you're instantly sold. Who wouldn't be?!

But all jokes aside-]

Yeah, well, I hear ya got a car, and as much as I love standin' in everyone's way yappin' about it...

Right-o, Captain!

[She seems to be having a lot of fun with this.]

Just a block to the bar and our land-carriage awaits! One foot in front of the other, now.

[With that instruction she begins to lead him.]

[Well at least SOMEONE is having fun. Caviar may be a cool cookie on the outside, but rest assured, he is screaming internally.]

Now that's what I like to hear! Alright then, full speed ahead!

[Haha just kidding, if only because he almost stumbles again. You'd think he'd, like, remember the whole reason why he's clinging to her, but maybe!! He just wants to get a move on!!]

Eh, maybe not full speed just yet. Looks like I'm gonna have to go with the flow and let the current guide me, heh...

[It's Maya who's screaming internally a little bit, now, but she keeps a tight smile on her face and regroups—]

Someone once told me that's the only way to do it! Don't fight the tide, just—

[She moves her hand like a shark through water, wiggling it as they walk (or... kind of walk), finishing—]

Gooo with the flow, or you're just gonna drown.

Er, you don't really...fight the tide. Tide's predictable, it's not like it's random or somethin'. Anyone losin' a fight to the tide is more or less just a soggy fool.

Now waves, waves are strong enough to pound ya into mush and wild enough to catch ya off guard. Any good captain worth their salt would know when to work with 'em or against 'em. Like right now? I feel like I'm lost at sea with nothin' but a rundown raft and two paddles made of jelly.

[He taps his leg to indicate what those paddles are. Stupid useless legs.]

So it makes sense to ride it out and just try to survive. But the only way to do it? Bah! With the right ship and a reliable crew, you can crash through any maelstrom!

[Sounds like this someone might've been a nihilist]

TDM: SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

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