July Test Drive Meme

[tabularasa_mods]

Test Drive Meme #3 Welcome to Tabula Rasa's Test Drive Meme! Our upcoming August app cycle will be for current players only. However, anyone is welcome to use this meme as a way to try out the setting, test out a character for future app cycles, or just for fun. You may also borrow ideas from this meme’s prompts for use in the main game.

Threads from the TDM may be used as samples on your application. TDM samples must be 2 threads with different characters, each with at least 5 comments from your character. You may include your top-level comment if it is a thread you started.

Current players in the game may also claim an AC bonus by tagging other characters on the TDM. Please see the Activity Check page for details.

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Scenario A: This One Blows
With so many winged creatures starting to fill up the world, it was only a matter of time before someone asked: how does flight work? Aerodynamics is a complicated subject, but one cannot hope to fly at all in a world with no air or wind. What, then, would be the point of having wings at all if they can't be used?

All at once the sky becomes filled with air, and the winds begin to move. However, there doesn't seem to be much logic to where and how hard they blow - all the wind knows is that it does blow, and that winged creatures may use it to fly up and away. Unfortunately, the result is something of a chaotic windstorm, and with an infinite supply of snow falling from the mountaintop the world is suddenly whited out in a raging blizzard.

If you're outside when the wind strikes, you'd best grab onto something before you get blown away yourself. If you're indoors at the time you'd think that would be lucky, but the wind hasn't quite figured out where it's coming from, either... so maybe stay away from anything sharp or heavy, in case a sudden indoor tornado starts whipping things around.

Scenario B: Let There Be...?
Light is another tricky subject. Where does it come from? The sky seems like a reasonable answer, but not all places are exposed to it. What of caves and buildings? How does light get there, and what happens when it can't?

The change may come slowly or suddenly as the world itself seems to experiment with the idea. Anything with a roof over it is left in total darkness, while everything outside remains brightly lit. It's as if a bright spotlight were pointing down at the world from above - even windows won't do much to let the light in, as it can only illuminate what it touches. Reflecting light may still be too difficult of a concept for this world.

The idea of there being other light sources is also, unfortunately, a difficult subject. Nothing seems to be able to penetrate this new darkness. Navigating indoors may be difficult for awhile, especially if you're also battling a hurricane.

Scenario C: How To Train Your Dragon
Dragons are dangerous and powerful creatures, but the fluffier, feathery breed has quickly grown in popularity among the people of the new world. Many find the small dragons cute, and some have even adopted them as pets. They're only as big as a house-cat, so what's the harm?

Well, the winged dragons have noticed that people are much more forgiving around them if they play up their cuteness. They've grown more fearless around strangers, and with that they can be quite a nuisance. It's more common now to see them swooping down on people, stealing shiny things, or just getting in the way to beg for food scraps and attention. Though not actively malicious, their claws and beaks are also quite sharp if you're unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end.

Persistence is another strong trait among dragons, as evident from their fishier dragon brethren, so these bad habits might be tough to break.

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code bases by tricklet

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Nathan Drake | Uncharted | OTA

[duderaider]

A. THIS ONE BLOWS

[when in doubt, when lost, Nathan's learned that sometimes the best thing you can do to get your bearings is to find higher ground so you can get a good look at your surroundings. well, at the moment, he's definitely lost (this isn't Libertalia, and he's already tried yelling for Sam, Sully and Elena), and there's a very nice vantage point in the form of one of the lower, surviving roofs of Hammerlocke Castle. it wouldn't be too hard to climb, really -- if not for the fact that he's having trouble staying upright without leaning into the wind, and the snow, the blizzard will make it hard to see anything]

... if I'd known this was gonna be like Tibet all over again ...

[he would have thought to dress warmer, if nothing else. he also seems to be talking to himself, but feel free to disabuse him of the notion that he's alone]

B. LET THERE BE ... ?

[all roads lead to Heavenly Blanc eventually, and sooner rather than later, Nate ends up ducking into the building, trying to escape the storm, and is plunged into immediate darkness. that's enough to give him pause, too, as it shouldn't have gone from bright to nothing just like that, and so he hesitates just inside the door, before backpedaling a step or two, back outside. he repeats this several times. light, no light. light, no light]

Huh. Okay ... [that's creepy]

[thankfully, he has a flashlight, and he reaches for it, clicking it on -- or he tries to, anyway, and several times, too] Great. Guess the batteries are dead. [and he didn't bring more of those. he's also aware, at this point, that he has something of an audience, and so, louder, he announces:] Hold on, I've got a flare here, somewhere. [because those batteries were crap, anyway. and so he pulls a flare out of a pouch on his belt, and twist the cap off to use it as a striker to light the flare. unfortunely, that doesn't seem to be working, either, and after several attempts, he all but growls and gives up on the flare]

What I wouldn't give for Sam or Sully, right now. [because they'd have a lighter, and that'd have to work, right?] But anyway, uh. What gives, with the light?

C. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

[Nate's noticed the 'dragons.' he's also noticed their propensity for stealing shiny things and running off with them, if only because one of them managed to get its hands on Avery's coin that he's been carrying around, when he had to take it out of his pocket, searching for his notebook. he's now currently chasing the thing, trying to get it back] Hey, wait, come back! [be careful, or he may just accidentally crash into you, not really paying attention to where he's going]

[on the plus side, if he does, he'll take the time to pause, to steady whoever he almost mowed down, hands falling to their shoulders] Whoa -- I'm sorry -- I'm just ... crap, it's getting away! [a beat] Stay here, I'll be right back. [once he has his coin back, he'll be back to apologize properly, but he really needs that coin back]

[and assuming he didn't crash into you? lets say he notices you out of the corners of his eyes, and when he does, he calls:] Little help? [please help him catch the thief]

D. WILDCARD

[you know the drill. come at him, bros]

a

[anciently]

Hey! You okay up there?

[ All she can really see is that some guy is sitting up on one of the rooftops of the castle ruins. The rest is swirling snow and winds that have Aerith's arm raised up to block her face from their bite. ]

You should probably come down... I can take you to where it's nice and warm, if you want! [ She's got Heavenly Blanc in mind, where they can both get a warm meal and get out of this storm.

Why is Aerith alone in Hammerlocke Ruins in the middle of this weather? Well, people keep showing up, and someone should step out and help them! Why else? ]

[duderaider]

[Nathan leans forward a little, so he can see who, exactly, is calling to him, and shouts back:] I'm good! [a beat] ... sort of! [and another] Somewhere warm sounds nice!

[yeah, he'd absolutely like to get out of this storm, thank you. he's also not going to think too hard about why she may or may not be up here, all alone. weirder things have happened -- like, you know, his arrival here -- not to mention the fact that he practically surrounded by beautiful women who have no problem handling themselves in ancient ruins. his wife is one of them]

[either way] Gimme a second to try and get down without falling on my face.

[anciently]

[ She's going to suggest more strongly that he stop...whatever he's doing and come down, but fortunately, he seems to get the memo on his own. Aerith smiles, satisfied in this small accomplishment, as she waits for him to descend with her hands clasped behind her back. ]

That's okay. Taaaake your time. [ Aerith has seen two full-grown men fall an absurd distance and crash through the roof of her church; Nate getting himself down can't be that bad, by comparison. Probably. ] What were you doing up there, anyway?

[ Too bad she doesn't have a fire materia equipped! That'd really come in handy in all this cold. ]

[duderaider]

[he, too, has fallen from absurd distances and crashed through the roofs of things, but we're -- not going to talk about that. he is a paragon of running, jumping and climbing trees, and he manages to get down off the castle without issue, glancing back at it, as he approaches] Uh ... kinda trying to figure out where I am? I figured, if I got on the roof, I might be able to find something I recognized and get my bearings.

[or something. he's pretty sure he's not in Kansas anymore, but]

[anciently]

Well, I can help with that. You're...here!

[ It's a little bit a joke, and a little bit an acknowledgment of the fact that they...still don't have a lot of information about this world. Aerith, who had raised her hands as if to say "ta-da," lowers them again and sighs. ]

I can actually tell you the name of these ruins, though. It's "Hammerlocke."

[ Or so Lance and Raihan had independently confirmed. ]

No idea about the city, or anything like that, though... Nobody does.

[duderaider]

Oh, here, right. I should have known that, what with all the -- [he gestures vaguely to something in the distance] -- and the -- [and another gesture. two can play at the making jokes game, and he is obviously just playing along, not trying to be malicious. he flashes her a crooked smile to that effect, before sobering again]

Seriously, though. No one knows where we are? [a beat] Has there not been a break in the blizzard long enough to see the stars, or ... ? [he hasn't been here long enough to realize that there are no stars, no night]

[anciently]

Yeah, see? It's obvious!

[ Aww, Nate. She's always glad to have someone who actually plays along! ]

Nope! Not a one. Not that I've heard, anyway. [ Aerith tilts her head and smiles as he mentions the sky, and she points a finger upward to indicate what he hasn't noticed yet. ] Once the storm dies down, you'll see...there aren't any stars at all. No moon or sun, either. It's just one big stretch of sky up there.

[ Which. She kinda hates, honestly. ]

[duderaider]

... okay, what is this place?

[because just -- what? that makes no sense. none of this makes any sense, from how he arrived here to the fact that there's apparently no sun or moon or stars] I mean, I've seen some crazy stuff, but this kinda takes the cake. [at least the 'demons' he's run into made sense, in the long run]

[anciently]

No idea. Best I can tell, it's a world that's just...made up of a bunch of stuff mashed together from all our memories. You'll see what I mean.

[ Eventually, when something of his turns up and it's not quite right. All the same, Aerith smiles brightly, even in the midst of the storm. ]

I'm Aerith, by the way. And, you are?

[duderaider]

[he tips his head towards her, the gesture reading as an i'll take your word for it, and at the question, pauses to stick out a hand. he could probably forego the handshake here, in the middle of a blizzard and all, but it's force of habit]

Oh, uh. Nathan Drake. [a beat] Nice to meet you? [assuming, of course, she doesn't freak out in response to his name. he knows they're not in Kansas anymore and all, but -- well, wouldn't it just be his luck that he stumbled upon the one person with a grudge in the whole of whatever this is?]

c

[godhunts]

[ atreus, narrowly, avoids the crashing. he hears nathan right before he sees him and a fast jump to the side, back hugged against a tree, avoids any mishaps. he has enough time to get a relief breath out but nathan has already continued on his hunt.

but atreus, much too curious and bored without any immediate danger to entertain him, is quick to chase just behind nathan and try to catch up to his side. father wouldn't like him talking to strangers, but father isn't here so once he catches up, while still running, cocks his head to the side to look up at nathan- ]

Hey, what's the big deal?!

[duderaider]

[without breaking stride, he glances over, then gestures a little wildly to the cat-bird-rabbit thing] It stole something of mine, and I kinda need it back! [not that he's sure what good Avery's coin is going to do him here, but -- just in case, for when he gets back to Libertalia]

[godhunts]

Ohh! [ ok, makes sense. he tilts his head back to what they're chasing, a breathless half-laugh escaping. ] You really let that steal from you?

[ whatever it is, it's so small! he almost feels bad for reaching behind to grab his bow off his back. almost! ]

[duderaider]

[he shoots Atreus a frown] I wasn't exactly expecting the whole Spanish Inquisition act. [he wasn't expecting a cat-bird-rabbit thing to swoop down and grab the coin while he was digging through his stuff]

I also don't wanna kill it. [if he did, he would have just gone for the 9mm pistol, in the holster at his shoulder, or the assault rifle on his back. either way, he sees you and your bow, kid. plz don't kill the cute, even if it stole from him]

nathan!!! b!

[starshower]

[In the middle of all of that, Tifa finds her way down from the attic—albeit very slowly and carefully, no thanks to this recent and sudden change—and peers around the corner of the stairwell to find only an outline of what sounds like a very disgruntled and unfamiliar gentleman. Without the light, and with only the small windows on either side of the door, she can't make out his face.

She accidentally kicks a glass that had somehow found its way to the floor, and if her light footsteps hadn't announced her presence, it rolling certainly will.]

Uh... wish I knew.

[She picks up the glass from the floor and sets it on the counter, but only just barely. If this were her bar, she would be able to navigate it with her eyes closed, but things have changed enough that she isn't completely sure.]

Sorry. I don't think there's a Sam or Sully around here, either. [Sheepish laughter rings out from her end of the room.] Not that I'd be able to see them...

[duderaider]

[Nathan startles a little at the sound of the glass skittering across the floor, fingers reaching for the gun at his shoulder. he lets his hand drop again a second later, when he gets over being startled and registers that she's neither Rafe, nor Nadine and Shoreline]

I'd say you'd know 'em if you saw 'em, but ... [because yeah, Sam and Sully are kinda hard to miss, but like she said, she'd have to be able to see them, first] But yeah, I guess this is kinda ... [he waves the flare he tried to light at her before setting it down on a table that he can just make out the silhouette of]

[starshower]

I bet they're interesting people if that's the case!

[She'd love to hear more about them when she sits—THUMP. Her foot hits the counter just as she tries to maneuver around it, and there's a quiet but very frustrated sigh from her. She has plenty of patience to go around, but when it comes to being able to navigate this place, it's growing thin.]

I'm sorry... I'd offer you something to eat or drink, but I've had to close the bar off for a while. [For reasons she probably doesn't have to explain... Still, she feels bad.] It's not usually like this.

[duderaider]

Yeah, they're good guys.

[he can't help but smile, that said, however faintly. Sully puts up with his shit, sticks around when it'd be so easy to just walk away, and Sam -- well, the guy lied to him, but he's still so, so glad that he's alive, after spending several years, thinking he wasn't and that it was his fault. he and Sam will mend. they have the time and opportunity to -- assuming he can get out of here, anyway. where ever here is]

[the smile fades at the thought and as she continues, and he shakes his head] But yeah, no, you're good. [a beat, and then a bit puzzled:] Really good, actually. I thought I'd be hungry, all things considered, but ... [between running around in Libertalia and then running around in the blizzard here, he should be hungry, but he's not] It's weird.

[starshower]

Yup. I know that feeling well enough.

[Not having the urge to eat, or drink, or sleep is certainly a strange one to become accustomed to and that isn't to say that she is. The menu hanging on the wall hasn't been very useful since she got here and is even less so now that no one can read it in the dark, but she gestures to it anyway.]

We've still got food if you want something. For the... flavour? [She doesn't sound so sure about that.] If you're craving something, chances are we've got it. Fridge and cupboards are still stocked to the brim with stuff.

[Not even Seventh Heaven had this much supply... ever.]

[duderaider]

... not making me feel better about this whole thing.

[it's even creepier that the pantry is stocked, even if no one is really hungry, right now. it implies forethought, after all -- that whoever brought them here knew they need to eat at some point, so they made sure there was food to last until they could figure something more permanent out on their own]

Like, someone had to put all that stuff there, right?

[starshower]

Haven't really thought about it that way before...

[Whatever brought them here knew they'd be hungry sometime, but whether it was going to be now or later is another story. It implies that they're going to be here for quite some time, if the latter is the case... She tries not to think about that.]

Whoever it is, at least they're nice enough to keep stocking it up.

[She pauses there, her smile dropping ever so slightly despite her best efforts to put a positive spin on it, and she feels her neck tingle.]

You don't think it's anything... supernatural, do you?

[Please don't say ghosts.]

[duderaider]

[Nathan takes a moment, considering that]

I've seen some pretty crazy stuff, in the last few years -- [ghouls, yetis, demons. never mind the fact that none of those things were really what they seemed, all less blatantly supernatural, more earthly, even if the explanation for all of them was still fantastic] -- but none of them were really that considerate, so ...

Probably not?

[no ghosts here, Tifa!]

[starshower]

[Well, that's a relief. She lets the fear she'd been holding in her shoulders go, and they drop, relaxed.]

Good to know.

[Not great, but she'll take his word for it and drop the suspicion that it could be that. The part about them not being very considerate? Well, she'll cross that bridge if she ever has to. Maybe it's just Ren or someone else being kind enough to stock up, but she has no idea where they could be getting the supplies.

Who is she to complain, though!]

So, I'm guessing you're no friend of a ghost.

[duderaider]

Considering they're usually trying to kill me? [ghost, demon -- same thing, right?] Not so much.

[he pauses, glancing over his shoulder, briefly, before:] This place have much of a ghost problem? [if it did, that would be the least surprising thing that's happened all day. that would be just his luck]