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tabularasa_memes2020-07-26 03:01 pm
tabularasa_mods) wrote in tabularasa_memes2020-07-26 03:01 pm
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July Test Drive Meme
Test Drive Meme #3Threads 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.
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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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no subject
I can't teach it sign language if I don't know how to sign myself, silly. Don't underestimate me, I'll figure something out. [ Besides, she's like him -- in the big scheme of things, she's going to do what she wants to do, too, whether anyone else likes it or not. At least she has some sort of idea and it's generally one she may be able to act on, unlike some of them. ]
You look cute like that, I'll bet they'll follow you home now, too. [ This has to be done. It has to. He's the type of person who is easy to tease like this because he is so serious. And these little dragons seem extremely pleased to be running after him. ] I don't think I need to encourage them, they seem pretty encouraged all on their own~.
[ Endless trash, though. That's a problem. Ann steps past Kaiba and his newfound dragon children, letting the water brush up against her shoes, and she looks out into the water, spotting the station herself. The little dragon on her shoulder trills and flutters down onto the sand to join his brethren in searching out shinies. ]
On one hand, that really sucks for us. On another, it lowers the possibilities of any sort of monsters lurking beneath the surface, I'd imagine. [ Because with so much trash, how could something survive? What a shame... I'll bet this place was really pretty at one point, too.
no subject
You do that. [Although if the creatures could be trained, they might later be able to deliver messages expediently. Cripes, now Ann has him actually considering the possibilities. It wasn't as if there was a regular mail system here- and with the world constantly expanding... but then again, to whom would he address a letter?]
That was my only aspiration in life- to look cute. [Riddled with sarcasm and accompanied by an eyeroll. About that last part: They better not. He really was bringing this teasing on himself.Clearing his throat he tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.] If we could stay focused on the task at hand..
[The trash claims a few more searchers as the the dragons ferret about in the rubble. Two of them find a partially nice looking gear shaft and get into a tug of war with it, making a few disparaging chirps of disapproval with one another] I wouldn't be so sure... There is a monster that likes to frequent this area. It looks like a trashcan but it can be violent. [The dragons graduate to snarling, and Kaiba casually kneels down and distracts one of them with a metal rod it can have all it's own.
You saw nothing. To mask his actions, he's got what looks like a gearbox in his hand when he stands up]A lot of this stuff is useless, beyond repair... but it could still be an asset in the right hands. [Dropping the box back into the sand. He does not engage her in waxing poetic about what this place might have been.] The narrowest point between here and the structure is this way.. [Continuing down the beach a little while longer. There was a large metal object rising out of the water about midway between the beach and the station that looked suspiciously like an extended mechanized fist. Though that island would hardly have been easy to scale if an attempt was made]
no subject
Well, if that is your life goal, you've certainly achieved it. Congrats! [ This is too easy. She'll concede for now, though, not wanting to push her luck immensely. ]
...A trash can monster? [ That hardly sounds scary. It sounds more like a children's drawing come to life. She doesn't have a whole lot of time to really think about that, though, not when there are baby dragons growing aggressive with one another at their feet. Kaiba steps in, and once again, the corners of her lips tug up into a smile as he finds a way to gently break them up. He's fortunate that she will not comment on his dragon father skills. ]
It could be, yeah. One man's trash is another man's treasure. [ She's eyeing some of this stuff -- scrap metal and gears are something that she knows Ren might be able to tinker with, and maybe, just maybe, she can, too.
Later, though. She looks up as he speaks again, nodding as she walks after him. The dragons, not wanting to be left entirely alone, squeak and scramble after the pair, the original one scrambling up Ann's leg and back up onto her shoulder as if he'd never left. Welp. ] Right... [ What a strange looking structure. She takes her eyes off of that for a second, though, slowing to reach down and take hold of a metal pipe that's washed up on shore. It's not her choice of weapon, honestly -- this is more of Ryuji's thing. But if there's a chance of a stupid trash goblin or whatever hanging around, she wants to be prepared.
She does have her whip, but it's not on her person, and she wants to avoid using that particular weapon at all costs. Mostly, because should the need arise and should her Panther alter ego ever need to surface... she doesn't really want to be identified right away. Not that it would probably really be that hard anyways, but, details. ]
no subject
Sarcasm is wasted on feeble-minded. [Replying in the only way he could have without just issuing another audible groan. Did he in earnest thing her to be of lesser than average intelligence? Not really, or he wouldn't be tolerating her now- though he was questioning whether all the teasing and quips at his expense were worth it]
Before you ask- it looks as stupid as it sounds. That being said, they are equipped with some nasty teeth. Two sets in fact. [The outer liner and the inner piranha plant. It was likely best for all involved that she didn't comment on the attention being paid to the little dragons. Kaiba would insist that it was no big deal, or that what the beasts got into was no concern of his... but clearly somewhere in there he didn't loath the curious creatures near as much as initially implied.]
Ah- you still had one in you. [Referring back to their discussion about common phrases. The beauty of this eyesore was that they in all likelihood wouldn't have to squabble over parts for their inventions]
[The fuzzy dragons did seem to be getting awfully attached- literally. It didn't look like they would lose them anytime soon.] ... [The prospect of wading into that muck for a brief swim, didn't appeal to his fastidious side.
It's not like there was a dry cleaner here.... The light glinting of the metal pipe, got his attention enough for him to glance back in her direction. Unsure of why she wanted it in the first place, he just let it slide.][One day- one day Kaiba will get to comment on that suit, and how ridiculous it looks. That day is not today]
[Focusing on the issue at hand- it wouldn't be that hard to fashion a raft. A lot of the debris was buoyant, and there might be vines in the forest to use for binding the pieces together. For now he just gazed out at the sea silently for a few moments.]
no subject
I'll show you whose feeble minded... [ ...At another time. Mostly because she honestly doesn't care how he feels about her, or what he even thinks about her. Also, Trash Can Monster that has no name. That's a thing that she's more ore less looking out for now. ]
Ah, so their bite is worse than their bark. Got it. [ She swears she'll use this stupid pipe to knock every last one of those teeth out if she spots it, or sees anything moving towards them in a way that displeases her. She can see his look, and she shrugs, giving the pipe a twirl. ]
Just making sure we're armed. You never know. [ Also, she doesn't want it eating the little dragons who are, hilariously enough, still trailing after Seto. If only her camera worked...
Her gaze lands out on the sea as well, and while she can see the appeal of a raft, she's also just sort of thinking about trying to wade through all of the trash without drowning. Or attracting the attention of some hideous trash fish demon that may be lurking under the waves. ]
Well, what do you think?
no subject
[That was for the best since convincing Kaiba was not something that could happen instantaneously. If he truly thought he to be so idiotic then it would have taken time and experience to disprove it. Or- you know- having marveled at his technological advances might have smoothed over that possibility from the start.
There's that ego again.... They really needed to assign names to these creatures because describing them to reference them was bulky and time consuming]That's the idea. [Even though she's armed herself for their benefit he can't help but feel additional unease..] Just make sure you strike the monsters and not me..... [They're little dragon family was certainly not leaving them be anytime soon and he hadn't even considered them being foolish enough to risk the trash bin monster's ire. Probably should have-]
I think this is going to be a lot more trouble than it's worth... [.. but he wasn't giving up on the idea either. It was about at this point where he spotted something in the rubble they might be able to make use of now. It was a collection of board that was already stuck together that looked rather like it had come from the side of a shipwrecked vessel. It looked as if it would float, the drawback being it's size. It should still be able to carry two people but not comfortably, and if anyone moved too much it might roll over...
Hop aboard the plot convenience raft!][He moved to try and dislodge it, when the sharp cry of one of the baby dragons distracted him. Looking towards the sound revealed that one of the beasties had managed to locate a trash can monster. Having that metal exterior it was unfortunately shiny and attractive to the small klepto-dragon. The bin hadn't appreciated it and was now swinging it's arms widely like bludgeoning weapons as it tried to deal out an additional blow to the poor figure lying on the sand]
sorry this got REAL LONG
At least she won't yeet the dragons like she yeets the cat at home.She flashes him a bright smile at his words, though, and gives her pipe a quick, one handed twirl, probably... too perfect for someone who looks as delicate as she does. ] Don't worry. I have really good aim, I promise you won't get in the crossfire.
[ Unless he walks in the way or something, then all bets are off, but he doesn't seem stupid enough to do something like that. Actually, he's tall enough, and has a pretty good build, she half wonders if he knows how to fight, too. Then again, most of her own skills had been Metaverse dependent at home. She's pretty sure she can use those skills here, too, if need be. ]
It might be, but, at least we'll know for sure, right? And that's half the battle. [ Did she just quote something by mistake? She probably did, because the phrase sounds familiar, but that doesn't really matter. He's trying to dislodge something that looks
CONVENIENT CHOO CHOOgood enough to float on for her, and so she moves to start to pull and try to help him too, when that sudden cry has her stiffening.Of course one of their new dragon children has found trouble. She shouldn't be surprised -- and Kaiba was right, this thing looks absolutely ridiculous. Like some sort of cartoon monster or something...
or Metaverse shadow, honestly. Well. It was inevitable that they'd be able to just get in and out without any bullshit.She sighs. ]
I've got it. Keep working on... that. [ She gestures to the metal, before giving the metal pipe another twirl and turning to walk away from Kaiba's side, towards the chaos unfolding just feet away.
She's promised herself that one day, she'll be a real lady. But that day is not today, and unfortunately, it's not her friends here to witness this sort of thing this time around and... actively participate, honestly, but it's a total stranger. Whatever, he'll probably get over it. ]
HEY! [ The monster, still flailing, turns it's attention towards Ann now. Which is good, it gives the poor little downed dragon time to crawl out of the way -- as the monster shrieks, Ann hauls back and throws that metal pipe as hard as she possibly can, and for someone as slight of frame as she is, that's pretty damned hard. Hard enough to hit that monster square in it's face with a loud clang, hard enough to knock it over.
It shrieks as it tips over, and Ann just keeps walking forward, bending down to pull the pipe out of the sand. She's not one to kill -- that's not part of her agenda, and as a Phantom Thief, it's something they've all agreed on. But defending themselves and the innocent? Sometimes, monsters deserve to get a little beat up on. As it begins to pull itself back up, she strikes it back down again, this time, at close range. And again, before it can move or even try again.
She's about to do it again, but the monster rolls out of the way and staggers back up, pulling itself away. It stands and watches, growling and flailing, but it's missing more than a few teeth and it's considering it's options here. Ann raises the pipe again, and the monster finally backs off, slowly. ]
That's what I thought. Get out of here! [ She kicks sand at it, and it concedes, backing off a good distance into a different pile of trash to slowly begin concealing itself again. Running a hand through her hair, she walks to the downed dragon, picks it up, and moves back to Kaiba's side. ]
We're taking this one with us. [ Because it's injured and can't properly defend itself now. ] We're calling it Snowflake.
[ Because it's shiny and white, okay. Also, it's the only name that popped into her head... as girly as it probably is. ]
Sadly, I don't think I shortened it!
Or the way that Kaiba had to yeet his brother the one time.. to get him on an aircraft.Apparently they both weren't shy about throwing people/cats when it was necessary]Somehow that's not much of a comfort. [Although from all the twirls she hadn't yet dropped the thing. That was certainly a point in her favor. It's not something that oh say... Joey Wheeler could have accomplished. The doofus probably would have ended up smacking himself with the thing.]
... [Kaiba didn't feel like that portion really required a response. It was a given that more information was better than less at least when it came to this. The
convenientsiding wasn't budging that easily wedged firmly into place, which meant a little digging might be involved then just to further complicate things trouble was afoot.He was ready to go to the dragon's rescue himself, not being in the habit of depending on others but Ann was off like a shot. Experience told him that even if they did manage to frighten this monster off it would return with others in force. They would need to make their escape long before that could happen, so it was important to free the blasted makeshift raft.] Don't do anything stupid! [
What was this? These words of caution? Why should he care really..Still- it was his way of showing concern.][Look- he could appreciate her abandoning any facade of a gentile nature right now. They weren't going to a fancy cocktail party they were trying to look out for themselves. Despite her words, he watched for a moment to make sure she wouldn't be K.O.ed in an instant- but she seemed alright for the time being. So he turned back to the
plot conveniencedesired object and less than gently started forcibly removed the items that had it pinned.][Finally when he gets to the point where he can at less tip it over and push it closer to the surf, he looked back to see Ann absolutely shaming that rubbish monster. That even warrants a smirk out of him. Standing tall, he folds his arms and waits. He's done his part, and she's almost done with hers and he wasn't the type to shout congratulations or words of encouragement. When she returned with the dragon in tow, he didn't really argue... but.... for one thing] Snowflake? [Somehow the word didn't sound as nice rolling off his lips, but after a quiet moment passed his expelled a breath and shrugged.] Whatever. We're wasting time... let's go before that thing can return with his friends. [He waited for Ann to board with.. snowflake first, then he'd finish pushing it off the beach and hop on. There were a couple of pieces of rubbish that was wide enough on one end to be used as oars. If she thought she was off the hook for questioning, she was wrong... but it would be coming once they were underway.]
LMAO IT'S FINE!!
[ Sometimes, small cats and boys just need to be yeeted. It happens! ]It will be later on, maybe. [ You know. If shit actually hits the fan, and one of them needs to fight! Hopefully that won't be the case... ever. Other than stupid trash monsters.
He says not to do anything stupid, and that just makes her smile. She doesn't respond, though, other than flashing him a dismissive wave of her hand before she moves to take care of the monster that made the mistake of smacking down one of the little dragons. It does retreat, but like Kaiba, she knows that it's just a matter of time before it's friends come to join the party. And without Ren and Akechi here, she doesn't think that she can take on a whole slew of these ridiculous creatures alone. Maybe? She'll leave it at maybe. It's not like they're Shadows.
She blows a stray piece of blonde hair out of her face that got mussed up during the little skirmish, and shifts to open up the front of her hoodie, letting the dragon inside, before she zips it back up. The small dragon pops his head out the front and blinks, still dazed. ]
Mm. Snowflake... can't think of anything better right now. Sugarcube? [ Even the dragon pulls a face at that, and Ann simply shrugs her shoulders. ] Yeah, you're right. Sorry. [ What a gentleman. Once they're both on, "Snowflake" finally ducks his head down back into her hoodie and Ann reaches out to grab what appears to be a tennis racket of all things, using it to shove debris out of the way and to paddle them towards their destination. ]
...Let's just hope there's no more weird trashcan things inside that structure.