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

[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?”

[annihilist]

"I've been told they're toxic," he fills in for her, bending down to retrieve the lead. The munga snaps at Devin's hand, diverting to charge at his feet when it misses, and he straightens quickly to avoid falling prey to the hallucinogenic spikes. The poor lizard ends up not quite dangling at the end of the lead.

"You don't seem to be attired appropriately for this sort of thing," the vampire remarks, ignoring the angry hissing noises the lizard is making. "Nor is it your responsibility. Why the chase?"

[colonelnope]

"I didn't start this day in a position where toxic escaped lizards were a problem," Eve gripes. At least he's got control of the thing now, even if it sounds angry.

The bit about her responsibility doesn't make much sense. There was a problem; why wouldn't she have acted? "Everyone else was just trying to dodge it. No one was doing anything, so I did. Or-- you did, I guess. Thanks for catching it. How toxic are we talking?"

[annihilist]

"Hallucinations, photo-sensitivity, that kind of thing," Devin answers, sounding for all the world like that's a boring problem. The munga tries to lunge at Eve's skirts, and he jerks it back before it can reach her. "You've just arrived, then; that explains the corset, but not how you speak. Have you been directed to the Dreaming Bridge yet?"

[colonelnope]

She jerks back from the munga reflexively, then scowls at it. Hallucinations would not be an ideal capstone to this day, no. "Buddy, there isn't anything that explains the corset without a hell of a lot of work."

Eve hates time travel so much. She actually likes the whole ensemble, but it's what she wears to be a statue for four hundred years, not what she wears to chase hallucinogenic lizards.

"I've heard the name, but I haven't gotten there yet, no." At least he's... trying to be helpful. Eve's bad day is her own problem, not his.

[annihilist]

"It explains that you haven't been here long enough to acquire local attire," he points out. "Corsets aren't a common fashion around here, from what I've seen."

Devin gestures down the street, keeping the munga at arm's length. "Come on, I'll show you where it is before you run into another 'emergency'. Where are you from? And when?"

[colonelnope]

"Thank God." She stays well clear of the gesturing munga arm.

Is he just going to keep carrying that?

"I'm from the Library," she says by way of first answer. It's got just enough emphasis to make it Library instead of library, and that can help. Who knows what people in this place knows. "So New York, more or less. United States... North America... Earth... Early twenty-first century?" He did cast kind of a wide net. "With a stop through 1611 England. Are you going to keep holding that?"

[annihilist]

Devin arches an eyebrow at her. 'The Library' doesn't ring any specific bells. "Another Earthling. This place seems to have a predilection for us. I'll drop it off with the Sentry on the way and let them deal with it," he answers. A short pause, and then he continues. "Why 1611? I can think of better years for my country."

[colonelnope]

"Great. I'm so proud of my planet."

She... kind of is, but right now she's not especially happy to be here. Eve shakes her head. "I'll go with you." She could do to learn a bit more about this place, anyway, even if the Sentry isn't specifically animal control.

Why 1611 is another problem entirely. There's a a short quick laugh. "Shakespeare," she says, as if that explains everything. "It's when he wrote the Tempest."