archishellago | Test Drive Meme #005

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test drive meme

Test Drive Meme #005

KHU IODUAN; TEST DRIVE MEME #005

I. 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.

II. DREAMING BRIDGE - Grab Your Apron!

The Aifaran government fully supports the Dreaming Bridge with both coin and supplies to take care of newcomer Dreamfolk, but the actually day-to-day operations are left to the site staff themselves. While they have a full complement of volunteers to manage the various aspects -- from cleaning and setting up rooms for new Dreamfolk, to helping new arrivals get used to the city by answering questions and organizing guided tours. "Hey you," an Arybar calls out, motioning with a soup ladle. He's about seven feet tall, with tiger-like striping on his skin. "Come back into the kitchen and help out, would you? We're short-staffed today, and since you're getting three meals a day for free, you can share the load."

III. KIRIN RODEO - Place Your Bets!

At the end of every month, the Mounted Division of the Sentry holds their skills competition. When they're not on the field, their steeds are often the subject of much admiration from children and more than a few adults. Astride many breeds of kirin, some lithe and fleet, some stockier and stronger, these off-duty officers demonstrate their control and bond over the notoriously strong-willed and intelligent creatures with complicated maneuvers. There's a surprisingly in-depth system for betting on one's favourite to win the various matches, and just about everyone's willing to explain the odds to newcomers. There's only one rule: all proceeds go to funding of the city's charities. (Bragging rights on winning are still yours to keep.) Two bells ring loudly over the crowd - last call for wagers!

IV. 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!"

V. THE VERDANT SENTRY - Attention, New Recruits!

It's clear that all of the city's law enforcement is handled by the various branches of the Sentry: from Mounted Division handling street patrol, to the Aerial Corps provided airborne support for tactical and rescue operations, to the Nautical Branch undertaking regular sea patrols as the first line of defense along the archipelago's borders. But everyone interested in joining up has to go through their basic training program, and that starts today with a general skills assessment. There's quite a mix of attendees today, spread across nearly every race represented in Aifaran and including other Dreamfolk, but whatever the recruiter is saying is getting lost in the two chatty Igheeri who seem to think they're too good to listen to the standard welcome speech... time to interrupt by signaling the person in charge? Take care of it yourself? Gripe about it to the person in line beside you?

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

Threaded | Flat

I

"Hey. HEY!" The surprise petsitter does have blue hair, if only partially. And the neighbor isn't listening. "HEY! I'M NOT YOUR PETSITTER, COME GET YOUR STUPID DOG!"

Aaaand he's gone, leaving the girl to sigh and look annoyed. After a moment, she looks down at the inan, squats, removes the leash, and gestures vaguely.

"Go. Get out."

IV

"Oh, you picked the wrong scapegoat!" shouts the sixteen-year-old goth girl he pointed to. And then, with a running leap, she flings herself at him bodily and knocks him to the ground.

Edited 2018-05-21 23:14 (UTC)

IV. TALENT IS A MISNOMER - You Didn't Need That Wall Right?

What the ever-loving fuckery… Waylon felt he was nearly two minutes in his day before his eyes bugged out with the clash of unexplainable force and the suddenly damaged wall. No… No sir, he did not like it. It reminded him almost instantly of the hell he’d escaped and it was bad enough his exit thwarted him into either a complete lapse of conscious reality, or he literally flipped off one hot pan into another; a world he would not have expected, nor could explain. Lisa was never going to let him live this shit down.

Once the blame was upon him a sudden feeling of crucifixion came to haunt him and he was quickly noping right the fuck out of Dodge. Waylon turned from the obnoxious talent-wielding freak and booked it down the street at a quick sprint. Images flashed and prickled at his eyes as they remained bug-eyed on his run toward some place safe he could hide. Of course losing his tail (should he have one) would be the first priority before taking that leap of faith into a shallow locker.

V. THE VERDANT SENTRY - Attention, New Recruits!

This is a great idea, sure… sure… what the hell am I doing? Oh, just stay strong… just keep going.. if anyone’s got to know it should be the police. However, there was a little thought behind the madness: There’s got to be a way of contacting the outside — my world! — if that’s what they’re still on about. Waylon wasn’t sure just how much he was absolutely losing his mind or if this was actually another world. Murkoff sure did a number on him, either way, he was absolutely convinced he was in some sort of reprogramming situation to cleanse his mind. For all he knew, he could be tucked away in one of the padded cells hiding under a bed and this whole place was within the deepest recess of his mind.

Whatever these two jokers were talking about beside him didn’t necessarily bother him, his own mind was too busy to really keep up with whatever the hell was being said up front anyway. Something about welcome and this is the first day of the rest of your life nonsense. Hell, maybe he was going deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole and tomorrow he’d show up in an episode of I Love Lucy; why?—because he was crazy, and this whole thing was crazy. He was riding the hope that if he joined this Sentry business he’d be exposed to some higher level of clearance which involved a radio in which he could contact earth; Come in Ground Control, this is Major Tom.. Tell my wife I love her very much she knows… Waylon closed his eyes tightly with a furrow to his brow before he grumbled. “I’m floating around my tin can… far above the moon.”

Ugh!

Kai had just gone into the shop for two minutes and the heavens had opened up! She huddled under the awning, looking miserably out at the rain. It wasn't just rain, it was a downpour. Hopefully it'd go away as suddenly as it'd arrived.

Though maybe she could brave the storm after all. The squidkid stuck her hand out from under the awning and drew it back, yelping. It had begun to dissolve into green ink. She cradled her injured hand close, glowering out at the rain and waiting for it to heal.

"This is so not fresh."

Edited (here's a novel idea: don't phone tag in bed) 2018-05-25 03:28 (UTC)

V. THE VERDANT SENTRY

It's too much. It's all too much. The buzz of beasts and men pressing in unfamiliar and dense activity, a skyline and byways and people so utterly alien that it felt like a dream still balancing on the knife-edge of nightmarish. Fitz kept his features boredly closed, guarding his inner want to panic under a thick veneer of disaffection.

He watched all from the corners of his darkly shuttered eyes, speaking little 'less he was addressed first. Falling in line for training happened more on accident than by intention, shadowing the route of a decorated officer just to better identify this place's internal network of power--

A few others filtering into the open square had paused to ask him questions. Was this the meeting spot? Had he heard anything about the pay? Was he hoping for an assignment to the aerial corps? In moments, he'd lingered beyond the boundaries of casual politeness, and could no longer slip away as the recruiter spoke before them, barely tall enough to crest the crowd and be well-seen at the back, even standing on a crate that creaked as he moved.

The two chatting were drowning out important names, information that might have been important. With patience already worn fingernail-thin by the stress (and distress) of being found so swiftly and thoroughly in a new place, Fitz leaned a little, touching shoulders with the nearest. The scar that dragged down his face tightened with his grimace, and his white teeth flashed as he bit out,

"Shut. It."

IV. TALENT IS A MISNOMER

Always at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place at the wrong time. Surely the Fool would have something perfectly clever to sum up this perfect example of his luck. Fitz stared as the stranger gesticulated wildly in his direction, shouting for guards, while behind him the hole in the masonry wall exhaled another waft of grit and dust as the wind rose.

Swift as a hunting swallow, Fitz's knife was in his hand; it darted for the other man, the flash of the blade obscured by his broad, knuckly hand. Not to bite flesh; but to neatly cut through the leather of his belt, and the hem of his waistband. No sooner was it done than the shouting stranger's pants pooled around his legs, revealing his altogether poor decision not to wear underclothes. A nearby woman guffawed, the shouting had become a strangled-sounding squawking of dismay, and Fitz was replacing the knife and walking (quickly) around the corner before the guards could get any closer-- cursing under his breath with every step.

V.

The chattering Igheeri have caught the attention of someone else hanging out near the Verdant Sentry's training grounds: a nosy reporter with a press card tucked into a loose bit of fabric in her newsboy cap. (If you happen to have a Geiger counter on you, she probably sets it off a little bit. That's life in the Commonwealth for you: everyone's irradiated. Can't be helped.)

"Hey there, fellas," she says to the Igheeri, flashing them a cheery grin as she sidles over to them, pencil and notepad in hand. She gestures around at the wide assortment of recruits gathered to join the Sentry's ranks. "Pretty big turn-out here today, huh? What's with the recruitment drive, all of a sudden?"

What--you didn't think she was here as a recruit, did you?

VI. because why not!!

So apparently the scientists holed up in Aisling Tower don't take kindly to investigative journalists sashaying past the front desk with a press pass in hand as though it's interchangeable with a security clearance. Who knew?

"Where's your security clearance?" the guard had said.

"Uh. Security what?" Piper had said.

It had not gone over well.

Now, a kedanese security guard who looks human, except for the weird gills near his jawline, has hold of her elbow and is very firmly marching her out the front door, heedless of Piper's emphatic protests. Emphatic, and noisy.

"Hey--ow, stop it! Jeez, loosen up on the elbow there, big guy, I'm a journalist, not public enemy number one!"

"There's no room here for muckrakers and conspiracy theorists," the security guard grunts as he pushes open the door to the lobby and bodily propels Piper through it. She stumbles a few steps before whipping around and lunging for the door, but it's already been slammed shut. Incensed, she kicks the door once before turning to stalk away. (It's petty and ineffectual, but for a solid twenty seconds, she feels better for having done it.)

[ To say that Sherlock Holmes was irritated was an understatement. He's not back on the Turtle but in some other place with all the memories of his past experiences including that he'd suddenly been whisked away before he could complete his investigations and plan against the very dangerous cultist. ]

[ If that weren't bad enough he'd only recently found out about his sister and all the ridiculous trials he'd had to suffer through. So he opened the door a little more forcefully than really necessary-the man shoved his dog-like pet off on him and before Sherlock had the opportunity to correct the mistake the man was on his way. ]

[ He just glances at the things as it stares up at him curiously and he just sighs. Time to get this thing to the proper pet sitter-whoever that is. ]

Ruqhina, isn't it? [ Inan just watches him. Good thing he likes dogs-or dog like creatures. ] Let's go see if anyone in this building has blue hair, shall we?

[ steps out of his flat and shuts the door-time to find the landlord. ]

Threaded | Flat

Jade West | Victorious

Waylon Park | Outlast: Whistleblower

Kai | Splatoon 2 | VI because why would I make things easy

Fitzchivalry Farseer | Realm of the Elderlings

Piper Wright | Fallout 4

Sherlock Holmes | BBC