Test Drive Meme - Autumn 2017

[thelostmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

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I. A Mad Tea Party

You awaken to a new message from Zephyr at your bedside informing you that for today only, they're giving the Meadous a little makeover. That makeover would seem to be one that has transformed the Meadous into a Wonderland of sorts. There are sweets on the table that inform you to "eat me" and that will turn you small or increase your size, depending on what you eat. And down in that smaller world, there are all sorts of creatures, like talking flowers. There are also people much larger or much smaller than you now. Maybe you want to crouch down and say hello when you're bigger? Or shout a warning not to crush you while they're walking when you're smaller.

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II. Be Careful What You Wish For

Well, that... that wasn't quite to plan. You stare down at the crayon drawing from Zephyr showing you exactly what you wished for. Except you hadn't meant it literally. Or you hadn't meant it quite like that, even if your wording had been vague. Now you're stuck with something you didn't want. Or perhaps you made a big mistake and now you're a different species. Or have extra appendages you can't get rid of. Not without making the walk of shame back to the Wishing Pond to wish away the changes. Why this? Why?

Hopefully, no one will catch you as you steal forth to undo your mistake.

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III. Intrepid Explorers

You've found some fantastic ruins in the jungle and delved in (perhaps unwisely) on your own, only to find that these ruins contain not only treasure, but traps. You might find yourself swept up in a net and suddenly dangling from the ceiling. Or you might be on the receiving end of a poisoned dart that's making you hallucinate all sorts of creatures, friend and foe, alike. Or you might have even been smacked against a wall by a well-timed hammer and dazed.

It's not life-threatening, whatever situation you're in. But you might start hoping that someone else wanders into this place soon to help out.

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IV. Bulletin Board

Each month, Zephyr clears away most of the notes from their Bulletin Board and adjusts the decorations, leaving it fresh and open for anyone who might wish to post something new. The Meadous is a fairly rural place with minimal technology. Those used to a network may find the Bulletin Board is the closest they can come to something like that again. Who wants to actually talk to the neighbors when you can post a passive aggressive note about someone making a racket at 2 AM, instead? There's also some measure of anonymity afforded. Just be sure to only post up your notes when no one else is around and can catch you at it.

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V. Choose Your Own Adventure

Whether it's just waking up in the Meadous or exploring some other part of the Setting, you're striking out with your own prompts to get some action started.

Comments

Bro Strider | Soulgemmed

[eatdavesbabies]

I. A Mad Tea Party

[He doesn't need this happy ass children's fairytale shit.

If this is part of the bullshit that apparently happens in Nyoi-cho, its way different from what he just saw the last few months. Could be just some of the most bipolar shit in the world, which if the person calling the shots is as crazy as he was led to believe, could be a possibility.

Really, it doesn't matter that much. Bro barely gave notice to the notes that he was left after waking up in his new digs. Let alone the note about what was going on with the sweets here. Bro's pretty sure he gets the basic idea just from the arrangement and the sign.

Speaking of which, he'll be taking a seat at the table, taking the "eat me" sign and pinning it to himself. He has his sword out, holding the hilt but keeping part of the blade on the table.

When someone comes into view, Bro looks at them a moment. Then he's gone from his seat, having flashstepped quick enough to be immediately behind the person that showed up.]

Yo.

You take a seat when you get to my table.

IV. Bulletin Board

[It's always important to make a good first impression, so excuse Bro while he gets to work doing just that.]

the fuck is this shit

Bulletin board

[pythianjudgment]

4 BO4RD
W1TH P4P3R ON 1T

[eatdavesbabies]

board's right cause i'm bored of it
ought to freshen this bitch up
use some papyrus kick it old school on this motherfucker
if we're so backwards we're posting notes to a board like teacher's pets in class

Tea party

[telecosmetic]

[Eliza lets out a loud yelp when Bro suddenly appears behind her, stumbling forwards and breathing hard. She turns around, still breathing hard.] D-don't scare me like that! You could have just...waved...

[And now she's staring at his hat.]

Is...is that a soul gem?

[eatdavesbabies]

[Bro doesn't bother to answer the first little bit there. The fact that Eliza knows about his soul gem - something he's barely had explained to him - is what immediately catches his attention.

Instead of actually answering in any sane way, Bro just squats a little so he is looking Eliza directly in the eyes - or at least seems to be, considering the shades - and is just silent for a few seconds. Just staring.]

Yeah. It is.

You know soul gems, kid?

[rubikscomplex]

your life on really good or really bad drugs
take your pick on which it is, bro

Overlord Laharl, Somarium | IV

[demonichymn]

I don't know or care whose dominion this place is under.
I don't care if it's a netherworld, an angelic plane, a human planet, whatever.
I only really care about one thing.

citizens of this place, those in its employ, those who "rule" over it.
forget everything you know about your current life.
forget everything you knew about who you were.
because today? that's all changing.

call it divine providence. call it a twist of fate. call it whatever you want.
but today, your land has a new ruler.
by the power bestowed on Me by the sinabung proclamation, I, Overlord Laharl I, King of the Netherworld, Ruler of the dark, Slayer of baal, Conqueror of celestia, etc etc, declare the previous claims on this land forfeit! your new ruler-- your new Overlord-- is ME! 100%! no refunds! no warranty!

I accept my tributes in cash or check, or you can just make me the pudding directly, that's what it's going to be spent on.

carry about your day, but know that the eyes of Laharl are upon you!!!

~Overlord Laharl

[justshutupraz]

Yeah, no.

Keep dreaming, you're not exactly ruler of anything but your own ego. So bask in that while you still have one.

[demonichymn]

someone needs to learn how to read.
the sinabung proclamation is binding under multiversal law. also, even if it wasn't? I'm stronger than literally anyone here, fool, and I don't even need to check to know that's true.

I could take anyone here with both hands tied behind my back, my feet in one of those car boots, my head in a fishbowl full of vinegar, and my torso being tickled by the downiest of damn feathers!

[telecosmetic]

We don't even use money here. If you want pudding you can just trade for it.

[demonichymn]

okay, two things.
a) bs, everywhere uses money of some kind. guarantee if you don't it's just because no one in this backwards-ass field of low-technology losers figured out that you can make metal into a circle yet.

b) the entire point is the tribute!!! even if you do operate entirely on barter, the hell do I get out of it by participating?! I'm the Overlord, you're already getting the best trade imaginable from me-
your life!!!

[jumpthegun]

[This sounds like a little kid playing pretend. John's willing to humor him for the moment.]

Any particular flavor of pudding you like, Your Wickedness?

[demonichymn]

flan. or black, if we're going to get continental about it.

don't try putting those together, though. a vassal of mine did that once, and let's just say they swim with the fishes now.

the lava fishes.

I threw them in the lava.

[psycheslantern]

Yawn

[ceasetoexist]

[Laharl? Probably not the Laharl he knew in Mayfield, so he won't even bother to ask.]

Sorry buddy, but I'm kind of already have a master I swore fealty to. His name is me.

[eatdavesbabies]

back it up motherfuck
this is my turf

Steve Rogers | Marvel Cinematic Universe

[rogersed]

I. A Mad Tea Party

[Steve is reasonably sure this is a bad idea, but then again, when in Rome, right? If other people are doing it, and they're not screaming in agony... well. He'd like to meet some of these small types. With a nervous grin at some of the other participants:]

In for a penny.

[He's not particularly into sweets, but this one is more tangy than sweet. Wild and sharp, thrilling through him in a way that's not quite pain and sure isn't pleasure. He huffs out a breath that rises in tone as everything around him gets suddenly bigger.

...too big. He leaps for a table leg to avoid giant footsteps. A tiny blue flower shakes a leaf at him and says 'yo'.]



III. Intrepid Explorers

[Steve knows caution. He knows being sensible, and not just jumping off tall things for the heck of it (though some in his life would argue otherwise). So he's not stupid enough to race into these fascinating ruins, that seem like they've been built for people perhaps three times his size.

Some of it's in perfect repair. Some of it's crumbling like it's thousands of years old. Vibrant coloured tiles war for his eyes' attention with crumbling ancient vines.

He looks up sharply when he hears a shout for help.

It's maybe two steps later that he finds himself swept up in a giant net, dangling from a single rope high above. The net swings back and forth nauseatingly, and he's upside down.]

Well, this is great.

III

[jumpthegun]

[John sighs as the other man is swept up in the same trap he is. Or rather, an identical trap about five feet to the left. He's been up here for more than an hour, so he's had the chance to right himself from a more undignified position.]

Mm... I was trying to tell you to stop. This is why we need mobile phones here.

[It's only a moment for John to actually take in who's next to him, and he blinks a few times.]

Captain... Rogers?

[Which version of him is the question. Perhaps from Norfinbury?]

I.

[aigue]

[After watching a few other residents try the sweets and seeing that they aren't complete deathtraps (Renart has had capital-I-Issues with the Alice folk back home okay) she gets an incredibly brilliant idea.

'Brilliant' in this case meaning 'gluttonous', because after getting herself all set up with a couple of normal macarons she's eating one of the shrinking ones, then proceeding to start chowing down on one of the normal confectioneries. It's unlikely she'll manage even half of it but hey, why pass up the chance to eat a giant macaron?

She's a few bites in when she notices Steve, which has her pausing.]

I'm fairly sure I've seen you before on a war bonds poster.

[Her tail flicks back and forth. Said poster was at Bucky's place, so this is interesting. Very, very interesting is this is the same guy.]

Henry Townshend | Silent Hill 4: The Room | Dear Multiverse

[roomed]

I.

Henry is really glad he just took a nibble, because he shrank far more than he expected. What would've happened if he ate the whole thing? He still wasn't used to magical things like this, despite all the supernatural things he'd grown used to back home. So he looks around cautiously as he left one hand on the table leg- now a large column.

If a large foot comes near him, he'll run quite fast to whatever closest shelter he can find. If someone shrinks and joins him, they'll find him staring at the flowers, moving his hands to block out certain sections in front of his face.


III.

While it's been awfully nice to not have to worry about horrifying elder gods in this place, it's also meant that things have been rather quiet. And Henry has found that the quiet makes him rather uncomfortable, after all this time. His life was the most quiet and 'peaceful' when he'd lived in South Ashfield, after all.

So it's definitely time to explore. He's a little surprised at how deep this jungle seems to go, and even more surprised when he finds what looks like a gold coin. He twirls it a little, a vague smile coming to his face, and he continues on.

--only to find his ankle caught in a basic rope spring trap. He flies up in the air, hung upside-down by the ankle. Henry sighs and starts trying to reach up for it, then trying to swing back towards the tree. "Hey...uh. Anyone out here?" he calls. His voice doesn't project very well, but he tries his best.


IV.

Has anyone had any bad experiences with wishes? Just curious.

IV

[preuxchevalier]

Define bad, old bean. There was a wretched beazel who turned me into a vampire for a fortnight, but that was more on her than young Zeph, I think.

IV.

[aigue]

Suspicious of the process?

Revas Tabris | The Games

[bloodshots]

[[OOC note: In the Games, I used the journal name "allyorfoe", but switched recently to this journal name.]]

I.

So, she dies, and comes back to someplace that looks kinda normal for two seconds, and then it turns into this bizarre landscape? It strikes her as so close to an arena that her nerves are on a wire's edge. She doesn't have her armor with her, but she has her slightly oversized axe on her back, as she inspects all of these strange new changes that are probably designed to kill her in one way or another.

She doesn't touch the food, obviously. She's not going to make it that easy. The creatures are given a wide berth, and she spends some time inspecting the talking flowers, and trying to see if she can get any kind of information out of them. At least they haven't started screaming in the voices of her loved ones, she supposes. That's always a real kicker.

"Hey, just tell me if you're trying to--stop singing--trying to kill me--I said stop singing! Listen, it's a simple--I swear on Andraste's flaming ashes I will weedwhack all of you."

III.

"I fucking knew it."

This irate grumble is directed at the ceiling, which is currently the only thing that Tabris can really see, what with her being unceremoniously swept into a net, and is now dangling like the world's angriest fruit. Just ripe for getting picked off by some asshole or another.

"Well, you know what? This net is dumb, anyway. It's a lame net! I was expecting it to catch on fire, or electrocute me. So have fun being bored, you shitgoblins." This is also directed at the ceiling, where she figures there's the most likely chance of a camera hanging out. She doesn't do anything else to try to break free--she knows when she's good and caught, and she'll take the inevitable fight that's coming, rather than freaking out and trying to escape for the amusement of Maker-damned Capitolites.

IV.

[ The note is written in an unsteady hand, from someone who is both unaccustomed and inexperienced at the task. ]

Hay guys,

Okay so I guess I need a reel job here, if I don't want to live off ramin agin again. I'm open to ideas, since I think my old job won't be avalable hear here. Here's a list of things I'm good at:

-Killing darkspawn
-Killing other things
-Fighting in generel
-Fetch quests
-Violently revolting against corrupt government instituions
-Dogs :)

III

[umslay]

Ales, being the smaller of the two, was able to stay hidden while following her and watched she rushed forward like an idiot and got herself tangled up. It took a lot not to laugh, though he covered his mouth and snickered as she fruitlessly flailed around. It was about time that something made him happy.

"Must be quiet boring for you, hm?" He stepped into hallway, arms folded behind his back and keeping watch for potential antics. "But thank you for clearing this room up for tiny old me. Toodles!"

If he found some kind of knife, he'd come back to free her, he promised himself. There was no need to rush.

III

[earthborn]

Shepard's not prone to ruins-delving per se, but she'll take a little variety when she can get it. It's nothing, after all, that she hasn't done before. And what else is she not expecting this morning? A flailing, cursing figure dangling from the ceiling.

"...Holy shit."

Shepard is squinting up at her from the floor, a rifle in her hands.

"Tabris, is that you?"