graveyardsmash | TDM: APRIL/MAY

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test drive

TDM: APRIL/MAY

TDM: APRIL/MAY

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 from a deep and dreamless sleep to find yourself lying among the ruins of a burnt-out, empty town. Your head aches and your limbs are stiff. The ground here is scrubby with half-grown plants and barren stone, and while there are a few buildings - most notably the large, empty hunting lodge at the center of the town - there is no sign of life.

Almost no sign. Wander around, and you may start to spot others like you, lost among the bones of empty buildings and abandoned firepits. Perhaps you’ll enter the lodge, which is still more or less whole, and find the bloodstains on the wooden walls, the meat hooks waiting empty in the kitchen. Perhaps you’ll discover, among the empty huts, graffiti scrawled in rusty red: TAGE LIVES.

Perhaps, out of the corner of your eye, you might see a flicker of movement; a figure that looks almost, but not quite, human. These figures will not attack you–in fact, if you approach or call out to them, they will quickly flee, vanishing into the ruins–but they watch you from afar, and you can’t quite shake the sense that they’re waiting for something.

Maybe you shouldn’t hang around to find out what.

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> I'm booored. Who wants to play Twenty Questions? It's like… You choose a thing, right? And say you're ready to play, I suppose. And then someone else will ask you twenty yes/no questions to try and guess what the thing is! It HAS to be questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no".

Entertain me, network friends!

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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[When Sunny stirs, Basil jumps like he's been startled, though it isn't enough to get him to move away from the bed. On the contrary...he actually moves just a little bit closer, resting his head on the edge of the mattress like a sad puppy. He's relieved to see Sunny is okay at least (why wouldn't he be, he just passed out), but that doesn't mean Basil isn't still being faced with a huge dilemma.

Sunny is here. Sunny. And things are...already complicated enough between them. Sunny had refused to really say a word to Basil the whole time he was with Kel, and he didn't even tell him he was moving.

...he doesn't know. He doesn't know how to feel. And Ryslig as a concept only complicates matters.]

S..Sunny?

[My dude please don't smother yourself in the covers Basil will be very sad.]

_{[ turns his head just enough to peer at Basil...
takes a deep inhale.. ]}

_{[ makes a squeak and scrambles up and on the furthest side of the bed away from Basil. If the bed is against the wall, his back is plastered against it. ]}

_{[ He feels the stinging sensation from his hand wound once he has moved, remembering that.. yes.. all of this is very real and just now.. he almost acted on an intrusive thought that would have severely injured-- if not killed-- him. That's one thing that is freaking him out, but how else was he supposed to know? Reality was blending with his dreams and it would be just like his subconscious to imagine Basil as a monster.

But this is real, which isn't much better.

YOU WANT TO RUN.

His body shakes as he watches Basil with the widest eyes, breathing rapidly. He's not having a panic attack, but he's getting pretty close to it. ]}

[Unfortunately(?) for Sunny, the bed is pushed up against the wall, so there's nowhere for him to go. Sure, maybe he could vault off the foot of the bed to escape, but he'd still have to get through Basil somehow to leave.

Fortunately...the moment Sunny startles so violently is when Basil actually falls back from the edge of the bed with a squeak of alarm, landing heavy on his tail in a way that aches pretty badly given the fact he HAS one now. He grimaces, but beyond that, he's more worried about Sunny...who clearly isn't okay.]

Oh- w-wait! Sunny, it...

[It's okay? Do you think he wants to hear that right now?]

Y...you're safe here, okay? I promise!

_{[ Was he? Even being around a normal Basil would make him on edge at this point, but the fact Basil is.. a creature of some kind without explanation is more alarming. Sunny realizes when Basil says that, though, there are other monsters out there that he doesn't know. If this is truly Basil-- which Sunny is mostly certain of despite everything.

Sunny doesn't believe in a god, but right now he's mentally praying to every single one of them.. you know. Just in case one of them is real.

His voice is shaking and quiet and he looks frozen since he's determined it's probably better to stay here then go anywhere else.. right? Right. ]}

H.. how..

I know. I know...it's confusing. And...a-and it doesn't feel real.

...but will you let me try to explain? I can tell you everything I know...

[Because in the end, that's the best Basil can offer Sunny. Information. At least some understanding of where he's found himself, now.

Of course, he's half expecting Sunny to say no. To not want anything to do with him. It would make sense, wouldn't it? Not only is he a reminder of that...but now he's a monster.

A real one.]

_{[ The last four years haven't felt real, Basil. Sunny wasn't sure if he ever was going to see Basil again but he couldn't remember why their friendship had grown so distant. He had hoped Basil hadn't changed if he got to see him again, but, nervously, his eyes travel up and down, now fully taking in Basil's features. It's enough of a distraction to allow him to take a deep belly breath and calm down like he had done in the hardware store earlier. Imaginative and honestly.. quite a fan of monsters in fiction and make believe, he's a little curious now that he knows Basil isn't going to eat him.. or something.

His voice is just above a whisper. ]}

O.. Okay..

_{[ A keen listener as always. ]}

[Basil is still sitting on the floor, now, because he doesn't feel comfortable trying to get into Sunny's space again right now. He will let Sunny have his bed if he has to, sitting awkwardly in the center of the floor (there is probably a rug here, at least) as he taps his claws together, his tail curled around himself and his wings occasionally fluttering anxiously.

For all intents and purposes...he looks exactly like Basil, just a monster. Even his mannerisms are the exact same.

But now...where does he even start? He remembers being so overwhelmed and scared at the beginning that he just broke down and cried the moment Komaeda said anything to him...Komaeda felt so bad he got him a milkshake. So Basil can't exactly blame Sunny for his reaction, right now.]

...o-okay. Um. Right now...we're really far from home. You...you know what a Peninsula is, right? [You'd think why does he have to ask, but Sunny missed four years of school, it's a valid question.] That's where we are, right now. ...on one, I mean.

[...]

The rest...how we got here, and why I look like this...is probably not going to make sense at all. And I don't blame you if you don't believe me, because I didn't believe it until...it happened to me.

Edited 2023-04-19 03:01 (UTC)

_{[ He isn’t going to make a comment on the fact he knows what a peninsula is.. along with many other things! Such as the horrors of life, what could possibly exist outside this plane of living, what’s the purpose of life, and most importantly: is cereal considered a soup?

He’s shivering, eyes unable to take off of Basil and his sharp teeth even for a moment. He can feel himself trying to zone out of this conversation (ho don’t do it) but focuses again in Basil’s words quietly.

Not a peep is heard from him. ]}

[Sunny's silence is...unsurprising, but it makes Basil a little self-conscious somehow too. Like, he's used to being the one that fills the silence between them. That much wouldn't have changed no matter what. But lately...the roles have reversed. Basil is the more anxious and reserved, he's made friends who almost rival Kel in terms of their energy (Beat comes to mind). But...he has to do this. He feels responsible for Sunny, especially knowing that he's got months of experience on him in terms of living in this place.

...that. Makes him wonder, actually. Sunny...doesn't seem to have reacted to Basil "being okay" at all. The last thing Basil remembers is Aubrey shoving him into the lake, struggling to break back to the surface...maybe it's just not come up because he's overwhelmed right now, but...

...

Basil decides to put that thought aside, for now. Instead, he takes a breath and continues.]

I still don't...really understand it myself, but there is this. Thing, here. A power, or a person, or a ghost...they call her a God. The Fog God. And she's the reason we're all here. She brought us here. And she's...why I look like this.

[It sounds ridiculous even as he says it, but Basil forces himself to keep going as his tail wraps around himself, his claws reaching to hold onto it nervously.]

I came here three months ago.

_{[ As Basil talks about all of this, the little twelve year old terror in Sunny’s mind is absolutely losing his fucking mind. Protect, protect, protect. There’s danger. This place unsafe. This person is unsafe. This God.. she’s unsafe. Kill her.

Sunny whispers to himself. ]}

I can’t..

_{[ Basil says he arrived here three months ago and as far as Sunny is concerned, that tracks with his timeline considering he hasn’t stepped outside in four years.

He feels his stomach sink, a familiar dizziness surfacing in his head. ]}

Will it.. happen to me too?

[He knew it was going to be too much, but what could he do? Someone else is going to tell Sunny in a much worse way, putting too much information on him all at once. They'd come right out the gate telling him "hey you're going to eat people", and Basil...for better or worse, refuses. He will tell him everything, just...not all at once.

He needs time. Time to adjust. But if Sunny is going to ask him questions outright...

Basil doesn't know if he has the heart to lie.]

...yes.

[He finally says simply, his voice very small.]

_{[ The silence before Basil’s answer is so unbelievably nerve wrecking.

He can’t believe this is real.
He can’t believe Basil is real.
He can’t believe this feels like such a dream.
He can’t believe he’s been treating it like a dream.

YOU WANT TO RUN.

Sunny has gotten so far. So far. He’s conquered his fear of heights and of spiders.. drowning too. But there was something else, wasn’t there? Something a little harder to OVERCOME.

Basil reminds him of that.

YOU WANT TO RUN.

His hand settles over his chest, fingers pulling into the fabric as he feels his lungs tighten. This is a new fear; something he doesn’t know how to navigate around. He tries to take a deep breath, but it’s hard.

His voice is so small. ]}

Like.. like you?

_{[ He is going to be an odd dragon creature? ]}

[He understands, Sunny.

He wanted to run, too.

But there was nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.

Basil's own heart sinks to his feet, heavy and unbearable like a stone, as he watches all of the color drain from Sunny's face. Or...what little there was to begin with. But this is something he's going to have to accept, whether he actually can or not...

Like you...it takes Basil a moment to realize what Sunny means.]

N-not...exactly like me, necessarily. You might...or you might be something else.

I.. need to go.

_{[ This is all too much on top of everything else. He was about to move away with his Mother to somewhere else-- somewhere away from the bad memories. Out of that house that was cursed with memories that Sunny didn't understand were dangerous and triggering. There was the stress of unresolved things-- of hiding from his friends. How did they all feel about him now? Did they even care or miss him? He felt like he doesn't deserve them after disappearing from them for so long.

Now he's here with nobody he knows besides Basil, who is his best friend, but he hasn't seen him in so long. Now he's this. Sunny isn't sure what Basil is, but he does have a love for animals and does recognize the characteristic akin to a pangolin. He doesn't want to be a pangolin! Or.. whatever else might be out there. Playing pretend as one is fine and he often saw some of his friends as little creatures or animals in his Headspace, but not Basil. He didn't want to turn into a monster if he saw himself as one.

He tries to climb up and out of the bed but stumbles, hitting the ground with a thud. He scrambles to his feet, shaking. It's occurring to him now that-- yes-- there is nowhere else to go, but he wants his knife. A knife. Some kind of protection.

Or something to end it all. A way out. ]}

Sunny!

[Basil is up on his feet faster than he realized he could be, and without thinking he's reaching for Sunny- for his shoulders, his hands, something- but he falters and draws back. No...he is part of Sunny's fear right now, isn't he? He's a monster...and he knows that when he gets worked up, he gets hotter. He can feel it now, even, with the way his face is growing a bit too warm as he stands there tense, trying to come up with some sort of solution before Sunny dissolves into a panic. He doesn't want to hurt him, especially not now...

So he ends up staying put where he is in the middle of the room, effectively continuing to block the door, but not so much that Sunny couldn't shove his way past him if he wanted. Basil...isn't sure he'd be able to actually stop him if he did.

So what does he do now? The only thing he has are his words- reassurances- but he knows they're hollow. What can you say that isn't going to make everything feel ten times worse?

And Basil...Basil is still broken, too. He's still struggling, probably worse now in some ways than before...but he's had an opportunity to heal in Ryslig that he could not in Faraway Town. So far removed from the incident that he'd been given a rare opportunity to breathe. He's made friends. But it hasn't been a perfect solution, not when Ryslig's monthly terrors have brought with them reminders of the past. His secret...isn't as much of a secret as it once was.

His eyes dart as he looks weakly at Sunny, afraid for him. Afraid...of him, if he's honest with himself. Sunny...is going to leave him again, isn't he? He's going to run, and hole himself up in an apartment somewhere, never coming out...]

N-no. No, Sunny...please. I'll help you, I- I promise. Please, you have to believe me...

[He takes a small step closer, holding up both hands. Placating, even though his claws tremble visibly. The insides of his palms- Sunny may be seeing for the first time- are blood red, a stark contrast to the black scales elsewhere.]

_{[ Something about being in this room— Something about being cornered— it’s adding to his stress. He can feel it now; it’s piercing gaze looming behind him. He doesn’t like to be in a situation where it’s difficult to leave— he doesn’t know why. Instinctively, especially with Something making its presence known, he wants to push Basil.

Something about that seems familiar and it causes his lungs to close up. No amount of calming down or focusing is going to help him in this situation, but he’s defenseless. Something about pushing Basil in order to avoid him.. it’s causing him to spiral.

Sunny feels unsteady and dizzy, tears pricking the corners of his eyes because it hurts. It physically hurts. ]}

Let me.. out..

_{[ His words are sharp and desperate, but his hands are curling into fists. Depending on what Basil saw on that horrible day, his body language favors that, but Basil may see his expression is pleading— suffering— scared. ]}

[Ah. It's happening, again. Like before, Sunny is leaving him. Or...at least, he wants to go.

While Sunny grapples with the urge to push him out of the way, Basil is fighting the desire to continue blocking his path. To make him stay here. If Sunny leaves, what is Basil supposed to do then? This isn't Faraway Town. Sunny could get hurt, or worse, and here is genuinely the safest place he could be next to the Apartments, or the Lighthouse. It shows in the way Basil's expression falls, his ears, wings, and tail drooping in an attempt to make himself look even smaller than he does already.]

Sunny......

[And......

...he steps aside.]

P-please don't leave.

[His words say, but if Sunny wants to go now, Basil isn't going to force him to stay.]

_{[ Running away was.. pretty much all Sunny knew how to do when came to anything problematic. Sometimes, even, he ran away from things mentally. Basil should be familiar with witnessing Sunny do that. He shouldn't be afraid of Basil, but Basil is one of the most terrifying things right now. On top of the shock of seeing him as a monster-- the knowledge he's going to also become a monster.. Sunny isn't sure what else to do besides run. He should stay with Basil considering he's the only guy here that Sunny knows and does trust, but..

The second Basil moves aside is the second that Sunny makes an exit, but not without giving the blonde a terrified look on his way out. ]}

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TDM: APRIL/MAY

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cw: suicide ideation

cw: vauge omori spoilers

probably omori spoilers from here on out

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