Test Drive Meme #003

[khuimods]

KHU IODUAN; TEST DRIVE MEME #003

I. AROUND AIFARAN - Getting The Perfect Shot! This month in Aifaran, there's a contest being held on the popular social site Xa Xa, which Earth-based Dreamfolk may recognize as vaguely Instagram-like -- it's all about the pretty pictures! With a top prize of 500 Rhinn per category, lots of people are getting into the game. Prizes will be handed out for awards like Best Composition, Most Creative Angle, Best Use of Lighting, etc, and this means that it won't be uncommon to see people in unusual places (even some risky ones) trying to score the perfect shot. Maybe they're bumping accidentally into you on the street, or slipping off the edge of a rooftop, or not paying attention to that train heading their way?? II. BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR - Surprise Petsitting?! Success! You've scored a quiet day, and you're just about to settle in for a marathon of your favourite Tears of the Ocean Heart episodes when there's a knock on your door. A very distracted looking Castian is standing there, talking away on his yimo, and beside him, a very fancy Inan on a glitzy harness and leash. "Right, right," the Castian says to whomever he's talking to. "I'm just dropping Ruqhina off at the sitter, I'll be there in ten." Shoving the leash at you, he announces, "Thank you again for agreeing to watch my darling Ruqhina, I really appreciate it. Don't forget to exercise early in the day, she likes eating energy of active people only, I don't want her on a lazy person diet. Did you change your hair, I thought you had blue hair? Well nevermind, I have to get going, I'll be back in a week. Goodbye sweetheart, Daddy misses you already!" And then he's gone. III. TALENT IS A MISNOMER - You Didn't Need That Wall Right? There are a lot of Dreamfolk in the city, and all of them are dealing with their own newly gifted Talents in their own ways. Some, especially those who are used to extraordinary abilities from their own worlds, have some idea of how to train on them safely, learning the ins and outs of their new gift. And then you have some whose only exposure to "magic" is through stories, fairy tales, or really entertaining TV, and pointing a finger-gun at a target and saying "boom!" has never actually worked... until now. "Uh," the other Dreamfolk says, staring dumbly at the car-sized hole in the wall, and then glances at you who just happened to be the closest person. "That's... new. Yikes. Should we run? Wait, I've got a better idea--" Cue loud voice and frantic pointing in your direction. "IT WAS THIS ONE! THEY DID IT!" IV. SHADY BUSINESS - It's A Shakedown You're in the right place at the right time (or the wrong ones, depending on your point of view) but you're entering a shop just in time to see some Beika punks accosting the shopkeeper, demanding protection money, which they owner is stammering that they've already paid this month. Upon your entrance, the shopkeeper looks over at you with help me plainly written on their face, while the Beika thugs look very unhappy at being interrupted... V. BEACHFRONT CLEANUP - Oh That's Nasty... It's not a pleasant task, but it does pay volunteers pretty well: following a massive storm, several dozen dead Giant Jellyfish corpses have washed up on the shoreline, and they need to be cleaned and disposed of before they start to decompose. It's dirty, smelly, and slimey work... but the promise of two weeks worth of rhinn for one day's work is hard to pass up! You're assigned to teams and given some shovels and a wheelbarrow, but as you reach the latest jellyfish body, you're surprised to see that this one appears to be covered in... burns?? Is this something you should report? VI. WILDCARD - Because You're Not The Boss Of Me Anything else that doesn't fit the above prompts is welcome, just keep it within the game setting please! Applications • Reservations • Taken List • Game Navigation

Comments

[dendranthema]

...What an odd thing to say. At least, it sounds so to Kaltz. But perhaps that's normal to this person. "Are there many other planets where you're from?"

"Kaltz." He looks at the hand, not entirely sure what to do with it. It appears to be a greeting of some sort... probably.

[noteasybeinggreen]

"Oh, lots," Don beams about this. It's one of the few good things about the galactic situation just now. That so many other planets exist, and getting to meet other peoples... though to be fair he's mostly been on Earth lately.

"Aren't there for you?"

Don awkwardly shakes his own hand so Kaltz doesn't feel weird about it.

[dendranthema]

"There's Sisa, and the moons and stars. I've never seen another planet before coming here." He tries to imagine what having many planets would be like, but it's too far beyond anything he's heard of.

He didn't, and doesn't, feel particularly weird about it. But he is curious. "Is that a human thing?"

[noteasybeinggreen]

"Sisa?" Where DOES this Kaltz come from. Hmm!

"Yes, humans like to greet each other with shaking hands. Or bowing. But it's best if you don't try to shake hands and bow at the same time," Don says thoughtfully. "It's very easy to end up with your foot in someone else's eye."

[dendranthema]

"Sisa is the name of the world I'm from." He half wonders whether most planets don't have names... that sounds unlikely, though, so he doesn't say it.

That sounds very unpleasant and also undignified. "Does that happen often?"

[noteasybeinggreen]

"I'll have to look that one up once I'm back home," Don says, then his face contorts for a moment and he tries not to wail. It's hard, though. He's here without any of them. No Joe, no Gai, no Luka, no Ahim, not even a Marvelous to scruff his hair and cheerfully order dinner.

"More often than I'd like."

[dendranthema]

"You want to go home... of course. That's where you belong." Kaltz's voice was never harsh, but it still becomes softer, gentler. It's clear enough where Don's reaction came from.

[noteasybeinggreen]

Don slumps, scrubbing a hand back through his hair. This Kaltz is nice. And Don has the oddest wish to curl up with him and scritch his ears.

"Yes," he says woefully. "What about you? Do you miss your home, Sisa?"

[dendranthema]

At that question, Kaltz appears sad, looking off into the distance but not really seeing it.

"Yes. But only because my son is there." He has no other reason to miss Sisa anymore. Never seeing Asato again, whether Asato wanted him in his life or not, was another matter.

Kaltz doesn't look like he could be out of his twenties, but perhaps his son is just very young.

[noteasybeinggreen]

"You have a son?"

He must be quite young. Don smiles up at him, rallying. "Tell me about him?" he requests very gently. "Tell me some of the good things he does."

[dendranthema]

Kaltz has to think about what to say, and when he speaks there's both love and pain in it.

"...He's very kind. Loving, though shy. When he's happy it's like the whole world lights up."

He hasn't seen Asato smile nearly as much as he'd like. But there's nothing he can do about that.

[noteasybeinggreen]

"Kaltz, he sounds wonderful. He sounds quite like my friend Gai, though he's not shy at all."

Don tentatively puts a hand on Kaltz's shoulder.

"I'd like to help you get back to him."

[dendranthema]

"You're lucky to have such a friend."

Kaltz nods, but something occurs to him.

"I'd like to help you get back to your world as well. I am, however, unsure how to do so." If they could figure out how to return, it'd be something useful for all the homesick Dreamfolk. Which doesn't quite include Kaltz, but still.