Test Drive Meme #001

[khuimods]

KHU IODUAN; TEST DRIVE MEME #001

I. 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? II. 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! III. WE HAVE REGULATIONS ABOUT THIS - Munga on the Loose! Munga are ill-tempered, rat-sized spiky lizards with a gift for camouflage, and whose venom in their spines and teeth is also highly hallucinogenic. And... they're on the loose. Fortunately, keeping them is highly regulated, and pretty much everyone in Aifaran knows about them, but loose Munga are uncommon enough that the reaction is more likely to be startled flailing at a hint of spines and skittering. Today someone's exotic pet has slipped out of their hands, and it's trailing a harness and lead as it zigzags away, prickling and hissing and going for the ankles. It's given a wide berth, except by those who don't notice until it's too late or those too preoccupied by something else. Hopefully the proper authorities have been notified to catch and return the creature, but maybe someone helpful can keep it from getting too far away? IV. A SURPRISE WINDFALL - Officer, This Isn't Mine... There was a loud thud as someone tosses a heavy bag from the window of a dilapidated building. Five seconds later there’s smoke pouring out the windows and your holding what seems to be someone else’s luggage. Opening it, you find carefully wrapped bricks of some very illegal drugs, and someone down the side alley is pointing at you and yelling. A mounted Sentry officer is giving you a rather peculiar look as well while he calls in the fire brigade. And among the people fleeing the building, there are five Kin’nal looking at you, wide-eyed, as it suddenly dawns on them that they messed up. Take your new prize and split before reinforcements arrive? Try to explain the mistake? Take note that the building is still on fire? V. INTO THE UNKNOWN - Watch Your Back Out There The sea patrol discovered the new irregularity a few days ago, reporting that it looks like a series of tall and jagged stone towers rising up from the ocean. It's incomplete as these planar-shunted locations often are, as if something massive had taken a bite of some mysterious city and then spat it whole into the seas of Konryu. Having been chosen as part of the exploration team, you've been working your way through the complicated labyrinth of stone tunnels and dead ends, searching for what the Opara engineers had enthusiastically described as a potential new power source. "Trace the green glowing power lines," was their (sort of helpful) instruction. However the lean, dark and toothy thing you've just glimpsed should probably be a more pressing concern... warn others? Take it on yourself? Pray it hasn't spotted 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

Comments

Valdis | OC

[redlightgreenlight]

II.

Valdis paid the whole affair little mind, deciding to view her surroundings with soul sight, learning to recognize each race at a glance. Each soul held its own unique signature, however, all races held slight similarities among their own kind. The exercise reached a certain point where frustration began to set in. Too many people, all crowded together, and the chatter didn't help either. Much of the said chatter seemed to surround a particular Kirin.With a sharp sigh, she let the lights fade back into the duller colors of the life plane.

"Don't waste your money," Valdis muttered to the nearest person, "The kirin in question doesn't look right, he won't run well."

IV.

"Seriously?" Valdis stared at the officer, "I used to work law enforcement, why the hell would I?...they don't even do anything for me. That building is on fire and you want to question me? I don't have time for this and I certainly don't plan on making time."

Arguing with the officer might not be the wisest course of action, but Valdis felt rather put upon. She'd been ripped from her world into another, decided to return to her home world and then ended up here, not exactly her idea of home. She turned to walk away, but the officer reach out to stop her.

"I suggest you remove your hand before I remove it for you," she growled.

VI. (Up for anything!)

[iseeall]

"My what-wait, what? That's not important. I saw you! You just took off with those drugs while everyone else was panicking about the fire. That shit is illegal, you know!" And very expensive too. Leo had a sinking feeling that once again, he's found someone with less than pure motives, but hey. Even if he got the crap beaten out of him, he'd have good description of the guy.

[darkwingsofkilvas]

"Drugs?"

Naesala peered down at him with more interest now. He was fairly sure he hadn't had a little sparrow hovering over his shoulder, so how did he know what was in the bag? Was this some street urchin that was involved with whoever owned this merchandise? Now this was getting interesting.

"You ran all that way, did you? No wonder you're so sweaty." Naesala made an attempt to shake him off of his arm as he continued, "I'm afraid you have me mistaken, little human. I was just on my way to deliver this to the Sentry. I couldn't very well do it where those dangerous criminals might have jumped me to get it back. After all, they set that building on fire!"

He was lying like a rug, of course.

[iseeall]

Leo wasn't letting go now, and he was giving Naesala the best version of a stink-eye you could, if you never actually opened your eyes. "Don't give me that shit-I saw you by the building and you totally looked at them and just walked off! This is NOT the direction you go to the Sentry anyway!"

He knew that he probably wouldn't be much of an obstruction to the guy just pulling him along, considering how comparatively little he weighed, but Leo didn't exactly want to use his eyes for something so stupid and mundane.

[colonelnope]

X? Fine. After the people Eve normally works with, she’s not going to say boo about someone choosing to go by a letter.

“It really isn’t,” she says, with a longsuffering tightness to her voice indicating that she doesn’t want to discuss it.. “I didn’t exactly dress for a house fire.” Flynn, where is Flynn. They were together, how is he not here.

House fire first. Eve braces, then tears a sizable chunk off her skirt to wrap around her nose and mouth. The same is done for X, with brisk, quick motions. It’d be better if they were soaked, but they’re here now. “Up first, before the supports go.”

[colonelnope]

“I’m not.” Eve straightens up, eying first the new person — tall, smug, potential to be a threat — then the lizard. (Small, spiky, annoying and probably venomous.) “Thanks. I don’t know who lost it, but I’m pretty sure they’re missing Spike here. And judging by the way the locals are acting, it’s not friendly.”

She shakes her head, scrapes her hair back and eyes the new person again. “You want to grab that, or shall I?”

[darkwingsofkilvas]

Scowling, Naesala finally rounded on him, facing him now with the black wings on his back partially spreading outward before tucking back in again. Oh, he was tempted to just take off and fly away, but 'argued with the culprit' is rather more incriminating than 'glimpsed the culprit carrying something'. It wouldn't take much for this human to decide to be a snitch and give his description to the Sentry, and that was trouble that Naesala very much wanted to avoid getting tangled in.

"Quiet down, or you'll cause a scene! If you want to talk, then let's talk about how you knew what was in this bag. That's a little too suspicious for you to start lecturing me on what's illegal here."

[watchmewhippersnapper]

[She side-eyed the screen as the 'bibiru' appeared on its shoulder. Suspicious at first, and not relaxing very much with the passing seconds. It looked as if she meant to comment on its name for a time, but in a rare moment of self-restraint, she closed her mouth and instead allowed another moment's pause before focusing on the latter part of his statement instead:]

Nonsense. If they know how to bring me here, they know how to bring me right back again.

And if they think I'm falling for any weak ignorance ploys, then they really have no idea who they're messing with.

[watchmewhippersnapper]

[...she was still suspicious--experience taught her it was always good to carry a bit of skepticism wherever one went, just in case--but, for the moment, she took his words as a sign that he was not, in fact, her kidnapper.]

[Hopefully, he wasn't completely useless to her.]

Not that I couldn't use one, as hard as I work and as many hours as I've put in...but this is far from what I had in mind.

Plus, I didn't even get a chance to bring my swimsuit with me. What kind of vacation am I supposed to have without a swimsuit?

Zelda | Hyrule Warriors | OTA

[divinusly]

A: THE VERDANT SENTRY

[ Although this place has many races of which she does not recognize, she can see that they are not at all unlike her own in traits and personality. They are all deserving of being protected, of being kept safe, of protecting the peace and order they have obtained here. It seems organic, really, that after a thorough assessment of this world and its inhabitants that she enlist in law enforcement to aide in that effect. She's no stranger to enacting repetitive training and drills, for after all she's practically overseen them in her own world. Still, it is almost homey that she engage in them once again, discarding her regalia for this world's footman uniform and a simple pike. Working her way from the bottom up may prove a challenge, but one she is willing to accept. ]

This might be an interesting day. [ She comments to whoever is next to her and willing to listen. She doesn't exactly like how the two Igheeri seem to chat while the speech continues on, but, well. Having given many speeches herself, she understand that those in charge cannot make everyone stand at attention and hang on every word. What's more is that the speech is almost over anyway. ]

B: KIRIN RODEO

[ Watching the riders prepare to mount their beasts-- and even gambling to some extent-- is all well and good. But honestly? She cannot help but express to whomever has joined her as a spectator this afternoon that: ] It would be much more fun to participate, no?

C: Munga on the Loose

Why, hello there, little one. [ As luck would have it, the munga has crawled right into her arms. And then up to her shoulder. And finally up to her head, where it sits perched upon her blonde hair like a crow, vigilantly looking this way and that for whoever may be pursuing it.

Zelda reaches upwards it, taking it back into her hands and lifting it so that she may peer at it more closely. The creature is curiously fickle, but a delight to behold. ] And to whom might you belong? [ She'll casually ask whoever happens to be nearby, whether or not she knows them personally: ] Yours, perhaps?

[choseanidiot]

Glancing up at the mutter, Rokuta rolled his eyes, blowing golden-blond hair out of the way. "I'm not betting on this."

Her comment, however, already had his eyes straying towards the animal in question, sharp eyes narrowing.

"If it's not all right, why are they racing it?" Of course, he was of the opinion that they shouldn't be racing any of the kirin at all, but in this case it was more important if it also was ill or hurt.

[grimreaping]

This sort of mission is exactly the kind of thing that Kid's been doing his whole life, and he'd been among the early volunteers for it. The others in his allotted group seem all relatively well-equipped for their tasks, so it's a surprise when one of them comes careening out of an adjacent corridor at high speed.

"Something?" Kid echoed, glancing past the Fool in the direction he'd come. "What did you find?"

II

[grimreaping]

"That's what I've been getting from it as well," Kid confirmed, studying his own betting card for a moment before giving a fairly certain nod toward Eve. "It's possible there's some reasoning behind it? A sign of better upkeep, or a better diet? Or they could just appreciate the colour."

[psituational]

X smiled sadly. "Well, where I'm from, the only people who use harnesses are..." He gestured around at the cheering crowd. "... not like this. They're the kind of people who also use chains. And whips."

He didn't sound casual about it, but he also didn't sound as passionate about changing it as he used to. He sounded tired, really. He didn't blame individual people anymore, but that didn't make any of it more palatable.

He pulled himself back to the present and took a deep, steadying breath. "At least here, they care about the animals' well-being, so I'm trying not to cause problems. What about you? You don't like the idea of riding?"

[psituational]

... Well, at least she knows it's a danger. That's a good sign. X allows himself a second of amusement, wondering how he manages to keep surrounding himself with -- with opinionated people who wouldn't be out of place in a mercenary regiment. Then he takes the piece of her skirt, wraps it around the lower half of his face, and ties it back behind him.

Up is a good idea. X leads the way, testing the stairs one step at a time. All he hears from upstairs is the telltale crackle of flames. "You?" he asks over his shoulder, voice muffled by the cloth. "Got a name?"

[purered]

If nothing else, Klaus was an absolute rock in any kind of crisis. When the Fool hurried over, tone and expression urgent, Klaus gave a short nod. It could be nothing. It could be something.

"Show me," he said, gesturing the Fool to lead the way.

III

[purered]

Klaus moved quite reflexively when a child tried to push pass him after the sound of skittering legs. He'd spotted the Munga on an abandoned lead and was about to offer his help when the boy caught it.

"That would be terrible," Klaus agreed, kneeling down to make sure the boy and his pet were unharmed. Klaus was practically a giant and was generally aware of what was under his feet out of sheer habit, but that didn't mean he was always 100% on the ball. "I'm glad you alerted me. Is everything alright then?"

[afoolsgold]

There's a shade of someone familiar in the look X returns to him; willful recklessness, but bent towards a just cause. Perhaps it's not such a mystery that the Fool follows him into the flames. (The self-awareness he experiences is a little exasperating, but it is somehow reassuring to know that leaving his own world behind has not changed his fundamental nature overmuch.)

The Fool squints his eyes against the smoke stinging at his eyes and hastily wraps some of the cloth of his cloak around his mouth and nose, but that doesn't stop him coughing. "Hello!" calls out the man beside and a bit in front of him, "Anyone still in there? Hello? Anyone deaf, blind, and can't smell?"

"How shall they answer, if they can't hear you?" the Fool retorts a bit smartly, but whatever else he has to say is lost when he hears someone cry out in the dark. He stiffens like a cat, then rushes forward into the smoke towards a door; it's barred from the outside by a bit of furniture that was either shoved in front of it to block someone's escape, or perhaps just fell there through a stroke of very poor luck.

[afoolsgold]

At his age, it is difficult for the Fool to truly look pale from fright, but some of the colour has drained from his face and left him looking drawn, ashen. He shakes his head hurriedly. "I could not tell you," he whispers and casts a lingering look backwards. "I mistook it for dragon bones, though of a sort I've never seen before. Then it moved."

[afoolsgold]

The Fool nods quickly and turns, leading Klaus back the way he'd just come from--but as they approach the bend in the stone tunnel, the Fool's steps staccato to an uncertain stop.

The sound of heavy footfalls, shifting and scraping across the stone, reaches them.

He draws back a fraction, swallows. "I fear I am ill-equipped to aid you," he admits in a whisper, "should it choose to attack us."

B!

[purered]

[Klaus had a horse back at the Reinherz estate whom he missed dearly and was watching the rodeo with a mix of delight and nostalgia when he heard someone put words to what he was thinking.]

I couldn't agree more. They do look like they're having fun.

[purered]

Klaus very quickly put himself between the Fool and the source of the noise. It was moving slowly, steadily in their direction, keeping to the shadows now and Klaus poised himself in a defensive stance.

"Stay behind me. Can you spot any more?"

III

[meds4sale]

The Medicine Seller had quick reflexes and managed to catch hold of the Munga's lead. He was then, however, engaged in a sort of circular dance as he had to constantly step out of the way of the enraged little bugger who wanted nothing more than to gnaw on his ankles.

He was of a generally kind disposition to animals, but these little lizards tested his seemingly infinite patience.

"Is it yours?" He asked slowly, with a sort of halting cadence.

[choseanidiot]

Grunting softly in response, Rokuta cocks his head. Not really surprised at the answer, more displeased. But not all animals can be ridden with just a saddle and a bridle of some sort... at least there seemed to be no whips or anything else such in presence.

"No," Rokuta huffed, shaking his head, "nothing wrong with riding. There's lot of animals used that way, and as long as people take care of 'em, it's fine."

The kirin and their riders come charging past for the second lap, and he unfolds slightly from his position, kicking his feet.

"But like I said, you don't ride kirin where I'm from."

[choseanidiot]

Peering at the rat-sized lizard in his hands with a critical frown, Rokuta shrugged and stood up.

"Looks like it. Everyone else managed to keep out of the way," he said with, maybe, a little little grin on his face - considering the flailing and near jumping some people had done, he was pretty sure this lizard-creature was probably at least a little dangerous, but it'd calmed down reasonably in his hands. Hissing something about being tricked out of a treat, but he paid no attention to that other than stroking around the spines.

"See anyone who looks like they're looking for... whatever this is?" The guy was tall, and Rokuta had no compunctions about using that, so he glanced up at Klaus and hopefully also made it clear it wasn't his. Not that he might mind having one, but he wouldn't take someone else's pet for that.