archishellago | Test Drive Meme #001

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test drive meme

Test Drive Meme #001

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

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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!)

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.

Valdis sighed, the hostility wasn't entirely unexpected, though she wasn't certain what she had done to offend the stranger, perhaps he was sour for another reason.

"They probably don't know."

It was, honestly, not aimed at her at all, but she was the one who'd mentioned the kirin wasn't fit to race, so of course she'd be the one to have to hear his sharpened tone of voice.

"If they don't, they shouldn't be keeping them." Frown narrowing as he stared towards the track, wondering if he could find someone to bring attention to the fact that one of their animals was possibly ill and shouldn't race, Rokuta shot a sideways glance up at the woman. "You don't seem eager to tell everyone they shouldn't bet on that one."

It wasn't a question, but he didn't run off right then, instead simply went back to trying to spot someone who looked official enough to bring this information to.

"To be fair, not everyone can see what I do," Valdis replied, not looking at him. Instead, she listened to her surroundings, trying to pick out small details and focus on them.

"I honestly don't care. If they want to waste money, they can. Besides, its not like the animal is going to die over it, it just probably won't win. I could be wrong though, its been awhile since I've worked with Kirin."

"You don't look like a stablehand," Rokuta said, snorting in something like amused challenge in that statement. She really didn't, especially not as he'd seen the people who were walking around the stables at the end of this whole area - temporary ones where the kirin were kept for the day, probably, but stables still.

And whatever else, she managed to pull a few sniggers out of him over the comment of 'they want to waste money, they can', though he was eyeing the racetrack soon after again. Because really, whoever wasn't paying attention to see - and he could see it now, too, even without having any closer knowledge of these kirin and he was paying attention to what it was trying to say, crying silently about reluctance and slight pain - that it wasn't completely healthy, shouldn't be working with the animals to let them race.

"Its complicated and no longer applicable to our present situation."

Hence she didn't feel like explaining it. After watching the creature a few moments longer, she sighed heavily, clearly irate by the decision she was making.

"Come on," she said, turning away. "We're going to steal that Kirin."

"We're... what!?" Rokuta hissed viciously after a moment of baffled surprise, then abruptly hurried forward to cut her off, hands on hips and scowling up at her fiercely. "That is someone's animal, you can't go around stealing! I was gonna find someone to talk to, no need to jump to that immediately."

What was it about certain people who thought the most drastic measure was the right option to take? His hair seemingly sort of gleaming gold in the sunlight from pure incredulous outrage, he shook his head sharply.

And despite the sharp denial, he didn't seem inclined to call attention to what she'd just said and find some sort of authority to make sure she didn't do it, for whatever reason.

"Then I guess we're not doing anything," Valdis replied, crossing her arms and arching a delicate brow.

The fire within the boy perfectly matched his outward expression, but at least he hadn't seen fit to rat her out immediately.

"All I was planning to do was switch it to a different stall, it would take them a bit to find it. But by all means, talk to whomever you want, you might even get the kirin pulled from the race, but as I said, they can't see what is wrong, so good luck in your endeavor."

"That wouldn't have solved anything in the end, since if no one tells them there's a problem, they ain't gonna do anything about it," he scoffed, seemingly not particularly cowed by the revelation that she hadn't intended 'stealing' as drastically as it implied, "if you know what's wrong, why not just find someone and tell them?"

They must have people who cared for these creatures when they were sick, right? Rokuta frowned. It might take some work to get them to agree if they couldn't see what was wrong... though her emphasis on the word 'see' was really... interesting. She didn't actually mean that in normal sight, he was pretty sure, but beyond that he couldn't just yet tell what she meant with it.

Valdis rolled her eyes, "I'm new here, I have zero pull or authority, they have no reason to believe me. For all they know, I could be messing with them."

Which was usually a possibility, but she didn't plan on causing a fuss here.

"Besides, there could be several reasons for the problem. I might be wrong and the Kirin could actually be fine." She watched him closely, "Why are you so upset over this?"

"They might also like to know one of their animals aren't completely well." He couldn't help it, every time 'the kirin' was said, there was a not so small part that wanted to childishly stomp its foot and insist this creature was not a kirin.

... Not that he couldn't act more childish than he already did generally by virtue of apparent age if it might get him something he wanted, but over this? No. So Rokuta grimaced, shaking his head.

"Besides, I don't think you're wrong." He could say 'I know you're not wrong', but randomly telling a person soon after he'd arrived here that he could understand the animals wasn't what he was planning to do. So he met her eyes squarely, a bright glow in his own. "What, it's wrong to care about the welfare of animals, now?"

He just could not stand the idea of anyone... or anything... in pain.

"I'd prefer to not have to explain why I don't think the animal should race, trust is not something I give lightly, nor do I expect it to be given. I'm a fairly selfish person, self-protection comes before anyone else."

Not entirely true, but better to deter any idea that she actually held any concern about others.

"There's nothing wrong with caring about animals, you are obviously passionate about it. What I don't understand is why?"

Rokuta just stared silently as Valdis spoke, with a flat look that may speak of experience far beyond the apparent thirteen years he looked like, and deciding not to say anything about how people that were upfront about things like that usually weren't being quite honest about how 'selfish' or 'terrible' they were (not that they couldn't be of course). Shrugging, he laced his hands behind his head.

"Need a reason to care for animals? They deserve to not be in pain as much as anyone else, y'know," Rokuta said, then arched an eyebrow, "but a well-cared for and healthy animal can also do more work, if you need an additional reason."

Not that any of these... kirin... were his animals and he wouldn't be getting any work out of them, but if he had to say something more than the most important part, that should do it, right? Also, he wasn't about to say that he felt a weird sense of responsibility since they were kirin, even if they weren't the same as him.

The boy didn't seem to believe her when she said she was selfish, so she turned away, the moment to intervene had passed anyway.

"I don't really care anymore," she murmured, "This isn't my world, and I've seen this show before. I wanted to wake up from this dream, but no, the world wasn't done with me yet."

She sighed heavily, "Life is pain. Unending pain. Everyone feels it. Some longer than others."

Head cocked, Rokuta suddenly snorted - loudly and sharply, though no laughter followed. "So what?" What an attitude, honestly! But his voice softened just a shade as he continued, kicking his feet. "Of course it is, but so what? If you do nothing and you can, you just make things worse for yourself and others."

Some felt it for longer than others? Oh, of course they did. So she was probably older than she seemed, saying something like that. Not that he'd suffered for all of these five hundred years, but people always did, and he was... aware of it. Always aware of it, wanting it better. Fearing the moment it'd come crashing down, and the only reason he was even remotely okay with being here was the reassurance that things would be all right. That his absence would go unnoticed, as if it wasn't happening.

"But it's your life." A shrug, Rokuta's tone dismissive and weirdly compassionate at the same time.

In the midst of Valdis seeking souls, she detects one in a spot she wouldn't normally expect: underfoot.

Arietti had found a convenient hole in one of the stairs leading up to the higher seats, which looks out on the races. Here she can stay out of sight while she watches the races and doesn't have to worry about being stepped on; well, not directly. The wood creaks loudly whenever someone steps on the stairs above, but she's confident it will hold.

She's snagged a single kernel of corn and is munching on it as she watches the races.

The small spot of soulful light doesn't seem to belong in the place it rests, Valdis almost dismisses it as a small animal, but it doesn't have the same lack of sapience that most animals possessed. Anani seemed to be interested in whatever it was and Valdis let the soul plane fade just in time to see her cat's tail vanish around someone's legs. Releasing a sigh, she moves from her spot to follow.

"Anani?" She asks, seeing where he's stopped to investigate a small nook under one of the steps.

Cats. Why was it always cats?

Arietti gets an uncomfortable feeling as she hears the telltale creeking of wood above her, but this wasn't a Bean. Definitely not, too light. She puts a hand on the head of her pin, backing up as far as she can in the hole- it wasn't very deep. She hadn't been expecting to make this a defensive post.

Anani mews softly, curious, green eyes blinking slowly. Valdis scoops up the cat before he can get himself into trouble though. She doesn't need him getting bitten by a rodent.

"Why are you always getting into trouble, silly cat," she rebuked him, but he didn't seem to care in the slightest, mewing loudly and trying to get out of her arms.

On the one hand, this wasn't Actacea. Coming across a building on fire and a group of people standing in front of it looking bewildered, but unhurried, and none the worse for wear, probably meant that no one was hurt and no one was burning.

But on the other hand, X believed that arguments and growled threats weren't a good sign no matter where in the multiverse you were.

"Hey," he said, stepping in before the officer could retaliate. "Calm down. There's a building burning next to us, right there." He pointed, just in case its location was confusing in any way. "Tell me, what's more important than that?"

"Him, removing his hand from my arm," Valdis didn't even glance at the newcomer, staring down the officer, who slowly, but reluctantly, removed his hand.

"See?" she asked, "That wasn't hard, was it?"

The officer, glared, but apparently decided that it wasn't worth a fight when there were more important matters to deal with. He gathered up the bag and went to direct the other officers and responders. Valdis supposed she should at least check if there was anyone in the building. The flames might have been bright on the life plane, but their light couldn't drown out the light of souls.

Valdis scanned the building, but it seemed empty.

"I could have handled that myself, you know."

She sounded like Szandor. That might have made X smile, under different circumstances. Belligerent stubbornness was one of many different defence mechanisms people developed against the world, and its effectiveness was deceptively limited.

It said a lot, in fact, that the officer obeyed her, however reluctantly.

"If by 'handled'," X replied carefully, "you mean violently, then yes. I have no doubt you could have handled that yourself." He took a step forward, scanning not the building but all the people standing in front of it. "No one's still trapped in there?"

"Oh, please, I know better than to attack an officer of the law, I used to be one after all."

566 years ago now, but that was beside the point. She took another look at the building, sweeping her gaze over it a bit more slowly this time.

"It's empty," she confirmed, "Which works in my favor, because I don't plan on being a hero again anytime soon."

She took a look at the man who had intervened, he had that annoying aura of a person who liked to do good. Just her luck.

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Test Drive Meme #001

Valdis | OC

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II

Re: II

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IV! someone needs to help the poor officer.

Pfft, she didn't mean literally >.>

suuuuuure she didn't

Don't pretend you know her :P