archishellago | Test Drive Meme #003

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test drive meme

Test Drive Meme #003

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

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[ Well, it looks like Iris has made it to the store just in time to find trouble. She looks from the menacingly glowering thugs to the shopkeeper, who is looking at her as if he's expecting her to be able to do something about these guys...

If her Dad were here he would be telling her to leave. Get yourself to safety and call the cops. Common sense, Iris.

But Dad isn't here and she is. Her heart's pounding as she takes another step into the shop, letting the door fall shut behind her. She straightens her shoulders, she's faced down bigger and bagger thugs at home... just, not by herself. Never mind. Too late now. ]

I'll just be browsing the newspapers here, alright? I'm sure having an eyewitness won't disturb you in whatever perfectly legal business transaction you're about to make, right?

[ Oh damn. And now the head thug is looking mightily pissed. So much for that plan... ]

[So Inga was something adjacent to a cop back on her home world, but she isn't one here, and for all that she's taken some time to familiarize herself with this world, she hasn't yet determined the common stance on vigilante justice. (Plus she's carrying a gun that she doesn't want to get confiscated. Shh.)]

[So she flips open her phone and enters practically on Iris's heels, glancing at her briefly as Iris offers that ultimatum to the criminals, and adds—]

Were we interrupting something?

[ She tries her hardest not to let it show, but inwardly Iris feels like slumping in sheer overwhelming relief when she hears the other woman speak up as well.

She shoots her a grateful look before indeed picking up some glossy magazine, eyes on the situation by the counter. ]

It looks to me like these gentlemen were about to leave.

[Being the Arrow's sister was one thing but thankfully Thea's a mean shot in her own right. And its ironic she's about to join the team in her own right. So she's perched atop a nearby balcony watching and waiting. She had also been tracking the same bunch and was ready to fire more than just warning shots.

There's just one problem, she's not far removed from the stab wounds caused by one Ra's Al Ghul.]

Edited 2018-02-24 18:52 (UTC)

Really? Me too.

[Inga makes a show of hitting the 'end' button on her phone, but not without keeping an eye on the criminals while they glower.]

[But glower is all they do, making no motion to either leave or drop their grip on the shopkeeper, so she takes two steps and leans on a case of something.]

Whoops, I'm late. What was your brother's number again? The one in the Sentry?

[ This seems to be only going semi-well and Iris has to swallow down the tight feeling in her throat. The mention of the Sentry is a stroke of genius but she fights to look unsurprised, just giving a nod. ]

Hold on, I'll give him a call.

[ She reaches for her phone, which makes the largest of the thugs start to move towards her. Iris's hand lingers on her phone, but she doesn't draw it out of her pocket. ]

You know how he is, if we're late without calling he'll come looking for us.

[ Down there in the shop, Iris has no idea that she has her very own archer guardian angel watching over.

She looks around discreetly, hoping for some other gutsy customers to back her up, but the store is abandoned except for the thugs and the shopkeeper. If anyone else is in here they're making sure to stay out of sight.

The thugs, all three of them, seem to realize that, too, and one of them steps towards her, growling at her to stay out of it.]

[On cue comes a warning shot, Iris would know the red fletching since Oliver's is green. She just wished she had that voice changer but made full use of the echo effect of the ledge instead.]

One false move and more will be fired. [Yes she may be the snarky Queen but Oliver has better battle one liners it seems. ]

[These criminals aren't the type to point a weapon without being prepared to back up their bluster, it seems. The threat of the arrival of a single member of the Sentry probably won't deter them much.]

[She glances at Iris.] How well can you fight?

[Yeah, she's not even trying to continue to pretend. With half an eye on the approaching thugs, she continues—] And what's your Talent?

I

Steve's not exactly unused to rooftops. It can be difficult to get close to the edges, at times. He has an almost uncanny wish to hurl himself off, because there's usually some reason, there's someone behind or in front of him.

So when he grabs you, it's deft, but he nearly goes over with you. "Sorry!"

II

This creature has the most beautiful, graceful, elegant limbs, just like a wolfhound or a greyhound or something. Except it's not a wolfhound or a greyhound or something, and Steve looks at the leash in his hand then at the creature's face and attempts a smile.

'Ruqhina' hauls at him so hard he nearly takes flight. Steve scrambles to get his legs under him, and hopes that she's just aiming for the nearest park.

It seems she is heading for the park. A park that Bruce has taken to spending much of his time in. Everything in this city is complex and lovely. Hell, they call it the SeaGlass City.

It all seems so fragile.

This is the largest open space he's found within the city itself, soon he'll venture out into the farmlands at the city's edge but for now the open expanse of the ocean feels safer than some mystical barrier in the wilderness.

So he remains where he is, nestled against the base of a tree, trying to be unobtrusive, observing the behaviors of the various cultures of the people here when he sees Steve rushing across the lawn. Then he's up and dodging around people, muttering apologies as he goes until he can catch up with the blond and grab his elbow.

As uncertain as he is about whether Steve will want to see him he has over 2 years of catching up to do. He needs to know that everyone's okay. That Natasha is okay.

"Steve?"

Aifaran is a city of many peoples and because of that there seems to be architecture built to suit just about every need someone could have.

Except a wheelchair.

He's still adapting to that part too, still forgets sometimes that his legs are gone, that he can't do the simplest of things anymore. There's time. He'll fix this, somehow, once he's figured out the technology here. What he needs is a lab, resources-

An idiot with a gun?

Merlin has his fingers wrapped around the hilt of a knife immediately, prepared to throw it and at least knock the weapon from the other's hand. Only to realize that there is no weapon. It's disconcerting to say the least and as he is trying to determine exactly how they managed to make such an impressive hole without any device that he can determine, they're pointing at him. Sitting calmly in his chair in the middle of the sidewalk with the rubble of the former wall spilling out before him.

Yes, lets blame the man that can't get away. His fingers tighten on the knife briefly before his hand slides out of his jacket and he awaits the accusations of passersby and shop keeps and the true culprit runs off down an alleyway.

"Brilliant."

The park isn't horribly crowded, not like Central Park, but Steve still has a lot of work to do as they zig and zag between this person and that one. And what a variety of persons there are! Many shapes, colours, sizes. He's not exactly unused to seeing nonhumans, but they're still so fascinating.

...or would be, if he didn't have to keep apologising for Ruqhina sniffing this one's behind, and smacking into that one's leg. He pulls back on the leash as they reach a small pond.

Someone grabs his elbow, and speaks his name.

"Mm?" Steve says, distracted, then he turns his head enough to see - "Banner?"

On 2 March 2018 at 15:30, science_of_control - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org> wrote:

Bruce winces a little at the incredulity in Steve's tone, glancing around as though someone might recognize his name. Habit, too many years of habitual paranoia. He clears his throat, pretends there's no need for him to be so skittish here. Maybe, some day, he'll believe it.

"Uh yeah..." He scrubs a hand through his hair, only serving to make himself look more mussed. Gods at least this is better than running into Thor... IN SPACE.

When did this become his life?

"Hi?"

Edited 2018-03-02 05:53 (UTC)

This pet he now has for the next week settles in front of the water, at least. Steve keeps a hand on the lead, but keeps his eyes on Banner.

And breaks into a smile. Banner doesn't exactly look delighted to be here, but he seems whole, and aware. Coherent. That's more than they get out of Tony, some mornings.

"I didn't expect to see you here. It's been two years!"

On 2 March 2018 at 16:53, science_of_control - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org> wrote:

“ I didn’t expect to be here.” In the grand scheme of things this was not the strangest place he didn’t expect to end up. It’s reassuring that Steve knows it’s been so long.hes heard stories of temporal paradoxes and, if the locals are to be believed, it’s not that surprising if their presence here is based on some sort of subconscious teleportation.

Dreaming. Right.

“How did- mmm” Bruce chews on his lip a little, brow furrowed. “When. When did you get here?"

Steve shakes his head, still disbelievingly pleased that Bruce is whole. This isn't the worst place that he could have been stuck for the last two years. Given how he'd left, Steve had been far more worried that he'd go do something stupid to himself. He knew that Bruce had tried, previously, and Hulk had stopped him... but he also knew that scientists of Bruce's calibre tended to be very good at problem solving.

"Banner - Bruce. A few days ago. Have you been here the entire time? Are you all right?"

On 2 March 2018 at 18:11, science_of_control - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org> wrote:

The true culprit doesn't get far. He's apprehended by a dwarf with a tattooed face and a penchant for getting shit done. Kit has the magician in question seized by the back of their jacket and hauls them back into the fray.

"Try arresting the right guy for a change, salroka," he tells the Sentry, and the crowd, currently congregating around the fellow in the wheeled chair.

He shoves the magician into the Sentry, who now has trouble enough to occupy him that his attention has been redirected away from Merlin. Kit glances the guy's way and sizes him up in a glance. "Hey," he says. It's probably a greeting.

Ilda arrived at the beachfront, cracking her knuckles. Finally, something to do! She'd never really liked working at sea - that was her twin's forte, and cleanups in particular were nasty - but she'd gotten so restless waiting for the storm to pass that she'd signed up the moment the call for volunteers came out.

She slipped her shoes off and waddled out to the water, her bare feet sinking into the sand. She hadn't gone far, just enough for a little seawater to reach her. And nearby was one of those giant jellyfishes, dead and smelly and slimey and...

She blinked. "Huh." There was something odd about the carcass. It looked like it'd been cooked? Or dried.

Then she remembered she'd been assigned to a team. Oh, right! She looked around, searching the crowd, realizing that she'd either forgotten who she was supposed to work with or didn't actually read the rest of the message. Oops!

Edited 2018-03-10 03:02 (UTC)

Luckily, Yato had been paying attention. This sort of short term job was exactly the kind of work he did normally, even if this promised to be on the messier end of his normal tasks.

He had no idea whom his assigned partner was supposed to be, so he did something he was good at instead: making a spectacle of himself. One arm thrust into the air with a flag that he'd pulled from... somewhere...

"OI! ILDA! IS THERE AN ILDA HERE?"

Not that Yato’s call wasn’t obvious, but it took a while to sink in. Ilda, after all, was used to being the one screaming - at her brother, at her friends, at the random passersby in the marketplace.

She finally spotted him and his flag. Awww, that was awfully nice of him!

”YES THERE IS AN ILDA HERE!” she shouted back, waving excitedly. Then she started to make her way towards him, scattering wet sand and splashing seawater as she half-ran.

Ilda shrieks, holding on to Steve for dear life. Her yimo slips from her hands as she uses both to cling to her rescuer, and the device tumbles to the ground, breaking into pieces.

“Uh oh. I hope I don’t have to pay for that.”

Then she realizes what just happened, and she looks up at her rescuer to thank him. But, oh my heavens, he’s very very attractive - and she nearly loses her balance (again) as she gets weak on the knees.

She finally managers to stammer, “T-Thank you.”

Oh, she's cute. And wobbly! He grips her carefully, taking a step back until they're both somewhat safer.

He coughs, making a sympathetic wincing face as he registers just how many pieces her yimo has splattered into on the concrete. "I'll help you explain it was an accident, if necessary."

Good, Steve. Very smooth.

She holds on a little longer than necessary, because, hey, it's not every day you get to meet a handsome stranger. Her hometown's so small and she's so outgoing that she's already met everyone, so this definitely is a refreshing change. Although at the expense of her yimo - but she'll worry about that later.

Reluctantly, she lets go. And smiles at his offer, a little less shy now. "That's really nice of you. But you don't have to - it's really my fault anyway."

Then she asks, curious: "Did you get a good shot?"

(He loves it when his plans work ~~because they normally don't~~.)

Yato lowers the flag once she starts heading in his direction, meeting her with a wide grin. "Good to meet you! I'm Yato. It looks like we're going to be working together today."

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Test Drive Meme #003

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Steve Rogers | MCU

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