tabularasa_memes | July Test Drive Meme

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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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]

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.

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]

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. ]

... 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]

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?

[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?]

Nice to meet you, Nathan Drake. [ He sticks out his hand and she'll absolutely shake it, undeterred by the weather. Mostly. ] Welcome to "here."

[ As far as she knows, the residents collective hasn't decided on a name yet, and hasn't found one, either. ]

So. Interested in going someplace warm? It's a bit of a walk, but we can handle it.

[yay, handshake! and she doesn't try to use it to lay him out! that's a first! the last woman he tried to introduce himself to literally beat the crap out of him, thanks, Nadine]

[though, speaking of warm places, he's just going to tuck his hands into his pockets, once the handshake is over] Thanks. [a beat] And I'm pretty sure that was on the agenda, yeah. [she promised him a warm place, to get him down off the roof, after all]

You usually hang out, up here, and lure crazy guys down off of roofs with a promise of warm places? [again, speaking of]

Off we go, then!

[ She'll start to lead him out of the stadium and, eventually, out of the castle, down the mountain, and toward Heavenly Blanc itself. In the meantime: ]

Not exactly. But, we have people appearing all over who are just as confused as you, so I figured it'd be helpful to try and round some of them up and bring them back someplace safe. We all arrived the same way, so...I guess I'm just glad to be able to help out, since nobody was here when I arrived.

[ Well, nobody who had answers, anyway. Not that she has a lot to offer in that department.

Anyway! ]

Okay, fair.

[if he knew people were going to be showing up, at random, he might be looking for them, too. not everyone is as able as him, after all, and it would be really easy to freeze to death, up here. maybe. come to think of it, he's cold, sure, but he's not freezing, and -- yeah, he's just gonna not think about that, for all that he suspects that might just be one of those Things]

So, uh. Where're you from? [that's safe, as far as small talk goes, right?]

Before this, you mean? Midgar. [ She knows better than to say Sector 5, since nobody's even heard of Midgar in this place. ] What about you?

[ Aerith has heard a lot of "Earth" in response, but even those people seem to remember different things. The whole experience is...really strange. ]

[he'll come back to where he's from in a minute. right now, he arches his eyebrows at the mention of where she's from] You mean like the whole Norse concept of middle earth or whatever?

[that's Midgard, Nate, not Midgar. still, it's an easy enough mistake to make, and -- well, he finds it weird that she'd refer to Earth like that. maybe she's from Denmark, where people still believe in that kind of thing?]

Norse? [ Not quite! She smiles politely, though, and shakes her head. ]

Let me guess... Are you from Earth? A lot of people here are. [ Aerith informs him, casually, as if the existence of other planets, worlds, and dimensions is nothing new (it is, even for her experience). ] My planet's called Gaia. Midgar is the city!

[ Hopefully that. Helps? ]

July Test Drive Meme

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