archishellago | Test Drive Meme #001

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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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Whatever small and fragile hope he'd held in his heart that the stone towers might, in fact, be Skill pillars faded into bitter melancholy as they came into view before the prow of the boat. No; of course they weren't. There was no Skill river in this place, no Elderlings to craft them nor coterie to use them. The Fool stood with a hand upon the hull watching them, and set aside his despair for now. There was work to be done.

He disembarks the ship with the rest of the patrol from the city tasked with exploration of the labyrinthine structure, and cautiously brings up the rear as they make their way inside.

Each twisting stone tunnel and unexpected dead end makes for enough of a frustrating experience for him to shelve his fears of ever returning home. Venturing down one corridor on his own, the Fool traces his thin fingers near the green glow of the power lines, marvelling privately over their peculiarity--but stops short at the sound of something sharp scraping across the stone further ahead of him.

All he needs is a bare glimpse of the thing, all rending teeth and deep hollow sockets where eyes ought to be. Eyes wide, he takes several quick, deer-like steps backward, before turning to bolt with startling speed back towards the others. "Wait--" he hisses to the first person ahead of him he sees, "there is something--"

Yes, there's 'something' all right. He has no idea what it is, but it has left an impression.

Edited 2018-01-05 16:43 (UTC)

II.
Watching the race about to start with a small frown lodged firmly between his eyebrows and narrowed eyes, Rokuta knew he should try to think of them as youjuu if anything comparable at all. It might help him feel less... unsettled, about it.

They looked nothing like kirin as far as he was concerned, but the name was there and while there were two horns instead of one... Shifting where he sat perched cross-legged on the edge of a low wall instead of in a proper seat, Rokuta planted elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.

Anyone passing by close enough at the right time might hear a muttered 'it's just not right' as the boy glowered from his seat.

III.

"Watch it!"

Congratulations, you were just shoved aside by a blond kid just in time to not step on the escaped lizard... or get scratched by the spines. Rokuta doesn't pay much attention to whoever he just shouldered aside at first - instead he squats down just in time to sweep that weird-looking creature up in his hands, muttering quietly to it.

It keeps hissing, but there's no attempts at biting or scratching.

"Sorry 'bout that, but you could've stepped on it," he finally says, looking up.

VI.
[Or hit me with whatever! I can switch format, too.]

"What's not right?"

X didn't really have the same concept of personal space as a lot of the people here. He'd already been yelled at for that, in fact, when he passed too close to a woman with wings and the feathers inadvertently wrapped around his face when she turned around. He was trying to be more mindful of it, but old habits died hard, and the kirin were too impressive not to be completely distracting. He was nearly brushing the boy's knee when he overheard the mutter.

He looked over at the field, then back again. "Gambling? Or is it the harnesses?"

The harnesses bothered him. But he'd figured there was something about the kirin he didn't know. If someone else was also bothered...

I - Attention, New Recruits!

[Wendy stood at attention, her posture impeccable and her expression unwavering as she took in every word of the lecture before her. Committing it all to memory so that, when the time came, she knew she would be able to step up and perform to the best of her abilities. Which were quite exception, if she said so herself. There was a reason she had been assigned rather high-profile security jobs even at her age...whatever what was...and with her sharp eyesight and deceptive speed and strength, not to mention air of professionalism, there was little doubt--]

SHH!

[Eye twitching, she turned to the chattering offenders, shooting daggers at them.]

No respect, I tell you. Kids these days. Close your mouths for one minute and pay attention so you don't end up as dead on the job as poor Mr. Hammer, may his handsome soul rest in peace.

II - Munga on the Loose!

[Those who happened to be walking by at that moment would be greeted by a...very odd sight.]

[A creature resembling some sort of lizard scampered across the pathway, tail swaying behind it as it half-strutted, half-dashed back and forth in a zig-zag pattern. Its head bobbed in such a a manner from the erratic movements that it seemed to be either gloating or taunting. And trailing only a few steps behind was an elderly woman, her face twisted into a look of pure annoyance as she screamed incoherently at the creature.]

[They passed by, and her voice began to fade into the distance for a solid ten seconds before growing stronger once more as the lizard then scampered back the other way, screaming old lady in tow.]

[Again, there was peace for a fleeting moment before the scene replayed itself once more.]

[If one were to remain in that spot long enough, they might almost hear the sounds of accompaniment in the air. Of course, it was probably just their imagination.]

[Either way, Oldbag wasn't about to let some smart-alec animal creature get the best of her.]

You come back here this minute, before I turn you into Lizard Soup! I don't care whose pet you are or how many times you try to stab me you're not the first and you won't be the last!

VI- You're Not The Boss Of Me Now - [NETWORK POST]

[There is an elderly woman staring into the camera. Her expression seems calm. Almost eerily so. She slowly looks around. Head turning slightly to one side. Then the other. Taking in the buildings. The flora. The citizens casually strolling by, each without a visibly discernible care in the world. Weather, pleasant--perhaps a bit chilly, but she shows no signs of succumbing anytime soon.]

[There is a pause.]

[Her shoulders tense. Her eyes darken. A vein in her forehead begins to throb. Then, without warning, she takes a quick breath before--]

Really, now, if you're going to go through the trouble of kidnapping a lovely lady such as myself, the least you could do is follow through with the plan and not leave me here to fend for myself in this strange land without a single familiar face or even a phone number. Why, in my day, kidnappers had a shred of dignity to them and their work I mean it's like you didn't even TRY could you just imagine and besides all that what do you even plan to get out of all this? Oh, I suppose my dear Edgey-poo would be willing to pay any ransom you seek--because what is money in the face of true love and all that--but if you can't even guarantee my safety then someone as knowledgeable as he would surely thing this was some kind of pathetic trick and dismiss any and all threats against my life as possible intimidating for whatever upcoming trial he has next. He is the best, after all, as as long as you don't have any no-good, cheating whippersnapper lawyers twisting the words of those honorable witnesses, making them look bad for an attempt at aiding justice, then I have every confidence he will once again be victorious.

[A pause, and while might assume a grandiose intake of air here, her next breath was inaudible as she concluded with:]

So I guess what I'm really trying to say here is --

[And suddenly her face filled the entire screen in an extreme close-up.]

PUT ME BACK NOOOOOOOW!!!!!

[The screen literally shaking from the intensity of her last word, echoing off every nearby structure around her to amplify the sound even further.]

IV

"No... no, this isn't --"

-- mine. They're drugs. There are drugs in the case. But the officer didn't see X pick it up off the street, so why even try to defend himself? No one here knows him. No one here would believe him without proof.

Besides, the building's still on fire.

X heads over to the officer and shoves the case at him. "Here," he says briskly. "I don't know what they are, but they're probably illegal. You take them." Then he points at the nearest person who doesn't look like they just ran out of the flames themselves, in amongst the Kin'nal coughing and supporting each other. "You," he says, with direct eye contact so there's no doubt about who he means. "Come on. We need to make sure everyone's out."

VI

[Feel free to throw anything at me! Basic info about X can be found here.]

Curious as a cat, and just as foolish, the Fool has been hovering nearby with an inquisitive crease between his eyebrows as he observed the goings-on. That mild interest has quickly transformed into shock as flames burst forth from the building. Then:

"You. Come on. We need to make sure everyone's out."

Perplexed, the Fool turns to look over his shoulder once, then looks back to X, realizing that yes, this strange man is addressing him, then takes an agile step backward, lifting his hands. "I am afraid I would only add more kindling to the blaze," he begins to protest, but his eyes wander to the Kin'nal who lean upon each other's shoulders, coughing out smoke, and he relents. "--oh very well," he sighs, gathers up his hair into a tail, and makes to follow the hero of the hour into the building.

Glancing sideways, as much at the brush of a body against his knee as the question, Rokuta snorted and shook his head - a little awkwardly, since he was still resting his chin in his hands.

"It's their money," he said with a shrug, even if there was a trace of... annoyance? in his tone. He'd care if they were being foolish with it and loosing more than they could to take care of themselves or their families. He'd care if they were idiots, but as it was... "They're riding on kirin."

He still couldn't believe it. The whole scene, especially as the current race started and the creatures and their riders shot off down the track, sent a ghostly impression of pressure down his back. He barely resisted the urge to shrug his shoulders.

"The harnesses might just be the sort of tackle they need to use, but..." Another nearly viciously disapproving little frown. The kirin didn't look mistreated, but was racing them in the animals' best interest?

III - we have regulations about this

"Get back here!"

It's a lizard. It's not going to listen to her. Eve saves her breath and darts after it, hiking up skirts. She's still stuck in this damn Elizabethan dress, she's down a Librarian and is somewhere completely unfamiliar, but at least she can still identify 'I didn't want that animal to get loose' and 'it is probably going to hurt people' when she sees them. She bolts down the streets, leaping where she needs to, elbowing people who move too slowly. "Out of the way, angry lizard! You-- catch that lead!"

II - kirin rodeo

Look. Eve prides herself on being used to weird, at this point. The animals really are gorgeous, in their strange, scaly way, even if she's half expecting one of them to breathe fire.

It's just that the explanations of the odds keep going right over her head, because the reasons make no sense. A little helplessly, she turns from the person explaining things to her to the nearest other person who looks vaguely Dreamperson-ish. "Hey, is this making sense to you? Are we seriously betting on this one because it's greener than the others?"

you're not the boss of me

wildcard me up! I'll roll with anything

The woman in question is a tall blonde with a no-nonsense frown and a dress that looks, to anyone familiar with English history, vaguely Elizabethan in style. She gives him a short nod in return, businesslike. "You know something about what's going on here?"

The only thing that's stopped her from heading in already is complete lack of knowledge about the situation, and it looked like everyone was out, but if this guy knows something and has reason to believe not everyone's out, she's going to fix that.

When he first objects, X makes to move on to the next person. There's too much time crunch during a fire to leave room for arguing, and the man would know his own limits better than someone who just met him on the street.

But then the man sees the injured victims and changes his mind. X smiles. It's a small smile, but a fierce one, all gratitude and quiet pride. Decades of near-hopeless struggle, and he can still find the time to appreciate when empathy and the desire to help others overrules caution.

"Thank you," he says quickly, to mark that change. Then he leads the way in, ducking through the sagging doorway.

The inside can't be completely written off yet, but there's smoke everywhere and X ends up needing to breathe through his sleeve to keep from choking. Most of the fire must be upstairs. He takes the first room, ducks his head in and calls out. "Hello! Anyone still in there? Hello?" He coughs a little. "Anyone deaf, blind, and can't smell?"

... It's the drugs, isn't it. X gives one despairing look back at the case, the contents of which the officer is now carefully examining. "Uh," he says to the tall blonde with the no-nonsense frown. "No. Nothing."

Jasmine always said X had a knack for acting horribly suspicious at the worst possible times. He draws himself up, and tries again. "The house is on fire." Like that's something he might need to point out still. "I just want to go and make sure everyone's out. Are you coming?"

He's poised to go no matter how the woman responds. The longer they wait, the more the fire destroys.

So not the harnesses. Just the riding. X took a step back and sat on the low wall a short, carefully calculated distance away, in deference to that personal space which seemed to be the cultural norm in the city.

"I'm new here," he confessed. "So it sounds like we're in the same boat. What bothers you about riding them? It looks like something they do a lot here."

IV. A Surprise Windfall

Well, well, what have we here?

Naesala's world wasn't particularly modern, but given that he was holding a bag full of an unfamiliar substance and quite a few people giving him odd looks, it wasn't difficult to put two and two together. Whether this was a drug, poison or spice, it had to be quite valuable to be the first thing rescued from a fire. Yet there it was, having fallen right into his arms like a gift from the goddess. And who was he to refuse such a gift?

Naesala looked one of the Kin'nal right in the eyes as smirked, spreading his wings. There was more shouting from the alley as Naesala launched himself into the air, only needing a few powerful beats of his wings to clear the rooftops, his prize in tow. He had quite a view of the growing fire from here... but given that he didn't hear any crying babies in the midst of all that, stopping to do his civic duty was the last thing on his mind. He was rather hoping that the Sentry would have their hands full enough to forget all about the winged Dreamperson that was also fleeing from the fire.

Of course, those wings made him stand out quite a bit, given that he otherwise looked nothing like an Igheeri. There was no doubt in Naesala's mind that he'd have someone of the criminal persuasion eventually paying him a visit... which made it all the more important that he tuck himself out of sight as fast as possible. He promptly flew in the direction of one of the less seedier districts of the city, leaving the scene of the fire behind him. Four blocks and a quick glide underneath a Skyway rail later, Naesala landed in the back alley behind a store, taking a moment to shake out his wings and brush his jacket down before shouldering the bag.

When he stepped out of the alley and onto the crowded street, it was with a casual air, as though he were on his way home from a sparring session instead of carting around a bag full of enough drugs to kill someone. Or so he assumed, anyway. If he could get a good price for it, he didn't care if his pilfered goods were something as mundane as a Kin'nal foot powder.

VI. WILDCARD
[Also up for anything else!]

"I did notice," Eve says, not snapping but still generally sarcastic about it. "Yes, I'm coming."

She hates charging into a situation almost completely unknown. What kind of fire is it, how many people were there, what's the layout... all these are things she would very much like to know.

Oh, well. She's worked with less. There's another brief nod as she gathers her skirt up and knots the worst trailing parts securely around her waist. "Let's go, then. Got a name?"

Something she can yell in a hurry. Jaw firm and expression determined, Eve aims herself at the building.

Egads! Go on wailing to the gods, human. If the ones here are merciful, they'll whisk you back to your world just to save our eardrums!

Staring at the race, Rokuta grimaced. How did you explain that it was a very personal reaction and he'd only barely consider allowing Shoryu on his back, in the case of an emergency? Without actually saying any of that?

"Where I'm from, you don't ride kirin," he muttered, shaking his head, "they don't look like that, so I guess technically they're not the same, but it still doesn't feel right."

Really didn't feel right, but these kirin seemed to be closer to... normal beasts. It still felt like it was about him, though. Pursing his lips, he glanced sideways up at the man.

"What about the harnesses is it you don't like?" They honestly looked fine to him, as much as he was willing to be okay with this at all.

She must be a law enforcement agent of some kind. X recognises the demeanour. He freezes for a moment, the familiar old terror of being hunted temporarily overriding his better sense; then he kicks himself and follows her inside.

"No," he answers her. "Not technically. Just call me X." They really don't have time for the usual shock and distrust, but at least there seem to be different rules in Aifaran with names. People get confused, not scared.

It's only once they're inside, smoke lining the ceiling and embers in the staircase ahead, that X notices what the woman's wearing and slows down. "Wait," he says, "that dress -- are you sure that's a good idea?"

The idea it might not be something she normally wears doesn't even occur.

It had taken awhile for Leo to catch up to the flying man with his tiny, short legs, but if god eyes were good for something, it was keeping track of a person even when he couldn't normally see them.

Thankfully, the guy slowed down after awhile and had a unique aura from the natives, which was how Leo was able to find him in the crowd. He was out of breath, but knowing that the fire was under control and nothing he did could really help the fire brigade, he went to do the next best thing; catch the asshole running away with very illegal contraband.

Leo reached out with one hand and attempted to latch onto the thief's arm. "Hey! Where are you going with that??"

Humph.

[He wouldn't be able to see, with the lack of video--and, in fact, she had to check twice to make sure the suddenly blank screen was deliberate and not some frustrating technology error--but she was not quite pouting at that. Really, she hadn't done anything to the machine beyond scream at it, and if that was all it took to break...well, then, pathetic, really.]

I don't give one single hooey about your sensitive hearing, but that would suit me just fine anyway.

So go on with it. Send me back. I won't even put up a fight, as long as hands are kept to themselves.

While Devin is no longer a member of any police force in this world, he's not beyond lending a hand here and there - particularly when the person in question is wearing completely inappropriate attire for the chase she's attempting.

He steps on the lead as the lizard skitters by, apparently unconcerned with how the sudden resistance would jar the spiny, hallucinogenic creature, and offers the woman an arched eyebrow.

"You don't look like animal control," Devin says dryly.

[Whatever he was expecting to come out of his 'phone' when he was poking at the network, it was not an old lady screaming with the strength of a thousand suns. Leo lost the grip on his phone and it clattered to the ground as he scrambled to pick it up again.]

What the fuck, lady??!

[Thankfully, he remembered to hit 'reply' before he just shouted into the void.] Are you trying to give everyone a heart attack?!

LANGUAGE!

[After one last snap, however, she did pull away just long enough for him to catch a glimpse of...was that smoke coming out of her nostrils? No, couldn't be. Perhaps a trick of light?]

Didn't anyone ever teach you to respect your elders?

[Holy shit, this was absolutely someone he didn't want to piss off. He didn't know that anyone could be louder than Zapp when he was drunk!! The video reply he initiated finally came into focus, finally showing a young man with mousy brown hair that couldn't have been older than 19. His eyes were also firmly shut.]

Well I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you to shout in my ear! You scared my poor bibiru.

[Thankfully the little rabbit bird, whom he'd dubbed Chain, had climbed back up to his shoulder after the fright.]

Sorry. But if you were trying to talk about someone sending you back where you came from, I don't think anyone knows how.

[At least, that's what he got out of that whole mess of a conversation]

It might've been premature for Naesala to be enjoying his stroll, but why not? His newfound prize had been a complete accident, but it was still a getaway well done, as far as he was concerned. He didn't expect that any of the natives could easily catch up to him, and if there was pursuit, he counted on a Sentry or one of those Kin'nal to be doing it. So, it rather took him by surprise for a young human to suddenly show up and grab onto his arm.

Stopping in his tracks, Naesala gave his hanger-on a disdainful look. The pilfered bag in question was still securely hanging on his shoulder by its strap. "Excuse me? Are you lost? If your broodmother left you behind, I'm sure I can't help you."

If I had that kind of power, I'd do it right this instant.

[He's at least starting to sound less annoyed now, his voice returning to its usual smooth tone.]

Besides, I recall being told that we'll eventually be returned to our homes. And without a lost moment of time at that. Wouldn't it be more pleasant to think of this as a vacation?

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Test Drive Meme #001

v. into the unknown!

Enki/Rokuta | The 12 Kingdoms

X | Original | II!

Wendy Oldbag ✪ Ace Attorney series

X | Original

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eve baird | the librarians | voice testing

iv | she'll roll with it

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Naesala | Fire Emblem 9/10

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VI [Voice]

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III

VI

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