tabularasa_memes | July Test Drive Meme

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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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code bases by tricklet

Threaded | Flat

[ A - THE WIND RISES ]

[So, this is something Tsukasa hasn't felt in his time of being here: wind. Not that a ghost valued wind much, not normally, but having something new after lacking it for so long...well. It's curious, is the point of it. He waves his hand in the newfound wind, snickering to himself. There's not much point to it, but it's fun.

Until the wind picks up. And then it goes into 'now it's dangerous' territory, and Tsukasa...]

Whoa-ho-ho-hoooo~!

[Well, he's latched onto a tree as the wind picks up. He's hugging onto it, laughing to himself.]

Wonder if there's a tornado on the horizon...

[He's showing no concern at all. This may be a little troubling.]

[ B - A SHOT IN THE DARK ]

[Light is another issue, apparently. Tsukasa opened a building, and it's in complete, bleak darkness. This only makes the young boy pause for a few seconds, before something clicks in his brain, and he makes a small exclamation to himself.]

It's like a surprise party!!!

[With that, he walks straight into the darkness, calling out.]

Come out, come out, wherever you are! Unless you want me to start hunting!!! I'll hunt you down!

[This probably isn't too scary coming from a 13-year old, but....]

[ C - HERE THERE BE DRAGONS ]

[These dragons are far less intimidating than he'd like. They're downright cuddly. Isn't part of the appeal of dragons that they're scary? He could be more scary than these little guys! They peck and scratch sometimes, but is that really scary? (The answer is no, it's not.)

So Tsukasa has termed these 'dragons' to be 'dumber birds'.

His distaste is proven when someone could find one of the poor little guys tackled down, a necklace being tried to extract from their claws by the overexcitable 13 year old.]

That's shiny! Gimmie! You haven't earned it!

[He hasn't earned it either, but...]

[D - WILD CARD]
[Any other ideas? Toss 'em out!]

Edited 2020-07-26 19:23 (UTC)

[Now, this isn't the first time Kaede's been whisked away from her home and rather rudely deposited somewhere else. Really, it's at least the third or fourth time at this point, depending on how finely one wanted to debate the difference between rescuing and kidnapping. Would it hurt these mysterious kidnappers to be a little more gentle?!

Her feet sink into the featureless white ground-that-isn't-quite-there as she squints around her and takes a few steps forward. All at once, her feet hit grass, a world springs into sight around her, and a massive gust of wind nearly knocks her off her feet.]

Eeek!!

[Her brilliant purple cloak billows out behind her, whipping back and forth to reveal a violin case on her back and a rapier at her waist. She looks like she's dressed for LARPing a fantasy character, or like she's stepped off a high-fantasy TV set.]

Aaaw, jeez! [She taps at the medieval bracer strapped to her left arm, frowning when nothing seems to happen.] Again?!

[Hands clasped behind her back, Kaede all but skips up to the closest person. Sorry, were you minding your own business? It's Kaede Time now, and she offers a friendly smile as she stops short just within what could rightly be considered "personal space."]

Hello there! Do you know anything about the ssskkkskhkskkhhhksskkkkk?

[How is she making those static sounds with her human mouth. Her lips are moving like she's saying words, though try as one might, her lips are impossible to read. But the only thing you can hear is the same kind of static that one might encounter on an old-fashioned TV or radio. Unless, of course, you've already been inoculated with the Voidfish juice, in which case you can very clearly hear her saying "Bureau of Balance."]

[Well, it might be pretty dark inside, but it's not as windy or snowy, so Kaede will count that as a plus. One might be drawn to the sound of haunting violin music being played in the lobby of Hammerlocke Castle. There's just nothing like old buildings for playing music!

Or maybe you find her in the darkness of Heavenly Blanc, eyes closed as she plays another song, though to her ears, it sounds somewhat empty without a piano arrangement to accompany it. If she's left to play that song uninterrupted, she'll eventually lower her bow and rub her eyes like she'd been moved to tears by her own music.]

[Wildcard! Feel free to come up with your own prompt, or shoot me a message @jaderhade to hash something out!

Edited 2020-07-26 20:56 (UTC)

I - Scenario A (Mortis Lake)

[ under any normal circumstance, the massive gust of wind would make atreus bolt for cover behind a tree. it's harsh enough that an adult would need to push against it to walk, and so a small boy like atreus doesn't stand a chance not getting blown back. so why, in the middle of the gust, is he crouched on the ground in an open area near the lake?

from the back it's clear he is holding onto something, his arm hooked underneath it. his other arm holds onto his bow, pushed into the ground to anchor him from flying back toward the lake. from the front what he holds is apparent - a fluffy creature, mixed between a rabbit and a bird - and he is pushing it to his chest for dear life. the animal frantically squirms in the hook of his arm, squealing with its desperate attempts to escape, and atreus grits his teeth as the wind keeps slamming at him. ]

Stop - I'm trying to help you!

[ though surely in this scenario, he's the one who may need the help? ]

II - Heavenly Blanc

[ initially atreus came here to scavenge. tools, food, whatever he could find. however he is quickly distracted by just how... weird this place looks. the signs, the machines, the layout of this place in general. the only thing that looks remotely familiar are bottles lined up with what he assumes is alcohol.

what catches his eye most though is the circular board with mark-ups that remind him of target practice his mom made him do when he first began learning archery. he grins and pulls his bow off his back, an arrow plucked from his quiver. he hits the bullseye with ease, so much so that it's disappointing. it isn't even a challenge. he takes a look around, notices there's an upstairs, and a brilliant idea lights up.

so used to living in an area with scant presence of life, he doesn't think anyone will come into the building. when that person does enter, they'll hear is the sound of a scream - a war cry - and what they'll see is a young boy leaping down from the stairwell, rolling onto the ground, and firing three arrows at the dartboard. they all miss, piercing the wall up above it. ]

What!? No way. How'd I miss?

[ he thought for sure he would get it. with a grunt he stands up, not yet even noticing someone has come in. ]

Wildcard

[ feel free to write a prompt or let me know via private message if you want to thread and i can write something personalize c: ]

a. Wind

[If you were in the roaming the world you might see a strange bird-like humanoid being tossed about by the winds both on the ground and in the air. Weighing less than 80lb and possessing hollow bones like those of a bird, Lysandra was an easy target for the various whirlwinds and gusts of air that currently plagued the land. Though she resembles a bird and was flapping her feathered-wing-arms frantically against the breeze, it will soon be evident to anyone watching that all her feathered trappings were for mere show and she couldn't actually fly.]

If you can hear me down there, HELPPPPPPP!!!!

b. Dragons

[Well, the poor harpy known as Lysandra had found her way to terra firma, she had taken to playing with the bird-like dragons around her by running alongside their flight paths moving far faster then one would expect a winged humanoid to be able to, and petting them once they reach the ground. Sensing a kind of kinship with the avian beasts, she looks happy as she does, even if her companions in this play would occasionally nip at her from time to time.]

c. open

[A dork of a harpy, Lysandra is more than tired from her long day in the air and has nearly collapsed in front of the world's only bar. Care to mess with her?]

[ Narrator: In the cafe & bar Heavenly Blanc, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the Phantom Thieves, who investigate crime, and Avalanche, who punish the offenders. These are their stories. DUN DUN. ]

1. DARKNESS.
[ From the outside, Heavenly Blanc appears to be a welcoming place of refuge. Those who have been here long enough already know what to expect - good food and drinks, friendly staff, impromptu parties... however there will be none of that today. No matter how brightly lit it is on the outside, the interior of the establishment is completely in the dark. It's difficult to see anything inside, and there isn't particularly anybody to greet whoever enters the place.

Well, not quite. There's definitely a presence inside the bar, but it feels more like a ghost that's haunting an abandoned house. Do you dare to communicate with it?? It's eerily silent, but... it's definitely there. (It's just Futaba.) ]

2. WIND.
[ Whether the light returned or everyone's eyes simply adjusted to the dark, it's no longer anybody's primary concern, for there are worse things occurring outside of the bar. A raging blizzard has everyone under siege, and the bar happens to be one of the few places of refuge. While everyone who's inside is forced to wait out the storm, a powerful gust of wind threatens to blow open the doors and windows.

Futaba, who feels particularly useless in situations like these, wonders if there's anything she can do to help. ]

H-Hey, s-should we do something about that...?

3. DRAGONS.
[ In this episode there's nothing strange going on whatsoever. Anyone who enters the bar will be treated like a regular customer by the staff and there's no weather calamity or spoopy things happening. Just a regular day! In one of the booths, Futaba is sitting in her usual bad posture... hunched back, her feet all the way up on her seat as she's hugging her knees. Across from her sits a fucking dragon (yeah) and she appears to be in deep conversation with it (yup). ]

In Game of Crowns all dragons are wyverns but not all wyverns are dragons. But the casuals just think they're all dragons! Anyway, one easy way to tell the difference between a dragon and a wyvern is by the number of legs they have, heh! Of course, there's more to it than that, but you probably wouldn't know it at first glance. For example, dragons can live for thousands of years and they have way more abilities. In nine out of ten RPGs, a dragon will be encountered as a tough boss fight, but the wyvern are usually just trash mob -- BUT, they can move way faster than a dragon!

[ If you were listening to any of this (of course you were), now's a good chance to add your two cents. But is it really okay for a dragon to just be chilling here?? ]

4. WILDCARD.
[ Feel free to hit her up with whatever! She's not brave enough to venture to far from the bar, so she'll mostly be inside or somewhere near it. Hit me up at

moondoggie1 if you wanna hash out anything specific! ]

Edited 2020-07-27 11:46 (UTC)

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]

[ 1 - Wind ]

[ This is not the strangest thing Ann Takamaki has either witnessed or lived through. Wind isn't a big deal, usually -- neither is snow. Except, of course, when it's combined. Which is exactly what she's found herself out and about in, suddenly.

Of course she's not dressed for the sudden drop in temperature and gusts, and she finds herself having a real hard time keeping her footing. It's a good thing she's outside the Heavenly Blanc Cafe and Bar, probably, because there's at least something to grapple onto. Maybe.

She's not prepared for the sudden huge gust of wind, though, and she manages to grab onto a chair at the last minute. Unfortunately, chairs can only do so much, and the breeze is strong enough to not only topple the chair, but Ann goes flying a few feet with it. ]

No! Not again--!

[ That's right. Again. Maybe instead of trying to watch her figure, she should be trying to bulk up more... ]

[ 2 - Dragon time ]

[ Ann's a sucker for cute things, it's true. So when one of these adorable little baby dragons starts to follow her around? She can't say no. Of course, it's not really the only one -- there are others, too, but one seems to have really taken a liking to her. And in turn, she's taken to it, too.

At home, despite her parents absence and their lack of knowledge about the majority of the going-ons in her life, she doesn't have a pet. Hasn't tried to sneak any sort of animal into the house or anything of the sort. They aren't here, and therefore, she's decided that this is probably fine.

It's why she can be seen seated outside of the bar, small dragon in her lap. It purrs and pushes into her hand as she scratches underneath it's chin, and she seems ridiculously pleased. ]

Hm, you need a name. Fluffy?

[ The creature tips it's head, and Ann hums, before looking over at the first person she sees. You, yes, you! ]

Hey, do you think this little guy looks like a Fluffy or a Sparkles?

[ C - Wildcard ]

[ Got any ideas that you wanna try? Go for it! Feel free to PM me to hash out any deets if you need! ]

Edited 2020-07-29 21:41 (UTC)

((TL;DR version of first impressions: Faceless mass of glowing pink/purple plasma inside a transparent human-shaped "shell" that talks/dresses like someone from a Western. More info on journal if you're interested!))

A. Wind

Indigo never thought about her weight much, but apparently she's pretty light? Light enough to have to struggle against the wind no matter which direction she tries to walk, anyway. After a while of fruitless inching forward, another gust sends her flying, and she lets out a surprised, reverberating holler as she does. There's only so much she can do to try to control her path through the air, and the wind seems determined to take her on a little tour, slamming her against tree after tree as they go. When she finally regains her own breath, the wind has grown bored of toying with her, and begins to die down again.

Glancing downward toward the ground she'll surely crash into, Indigo spots someone (or someones?) else nearby, possibly right in her flight path. The least she can do is warn them of her coming, which she does, calling out:

"Comin' through! Quick, somebody, catch me!" Not exactly a pleasant experience for either of them, but better than just letting her crash into them with zero preparation. And surely they wouldn't just dodge aside and leave her to her fate, right?

B. Dragons

Indigo appreciates cute things as much as anyone, and the fluffy 'dragons' are no exception. She laughs quietly to herself as she sits on the ground to pet and play with them, soon gaining a small gaggle around her. She even pulls out her harmonica, and plays a few tunes for them. Little does she know, the dragons are just as interested in her instrument as her pets; no sooner does she pause between songs than a dragon comes and snatches the shiny rectangle right out of her hand.

"Hey! You give that back, that's mine!" And after she played that nice music for them, too. Wild animals these days, no sense of gratitude. Not appreciating being yelled at, the dragon darts off, its fellows joining it. Indigo leaps to her feet to chase them, her scolding easily audible from far off as she runs. "You thieving lil' varmints! You can't run forever!" She's fully capable of hurting them, and if they actually get violent with her, she will... but let's see if this can be handled peacefully, first.

C. Wildcard

((Come at me with something else! Also, if you don't want me to transcribe her accent, just send me a "no transcribed accent please" as a note in your tag or in the subject line and I'll go without; she'll still use the same words, but at least everything will be spelled correctly.))

Edited 2020-08-01 01:13 (UTC)

[If you think you know this character... this particular version is from an old, obscure and long out-of-print British comic, and has a completely different background and personality to any current versions of him. So please, don't be surprised if he doesn't seem at all like the character you know!

Will match brackets or prose!]

1. The Land of Wind?

One minute, Espio had been on some errand in the city. The next, in a withered forest close to an unknown mountain, wind so strong it nearly sweeps him straight off his feet and into the air. It's strong enough it's hard to even keep his eyes open, and he tries to shield himself by raising his arm as he struggles to take a few steps forward.

The obvious question of what just happened has to wait. He needs to get out of this wind first! But it's hard to walk, or even see where he is going... still, he thinks he sees someone, though why anyone would be out in this weather is beyond him.

"Hey! Hey!" he calls out, hoping that it's indeed someone and he's not trying to call over a dead tree. He needs help! Preferably help that's not going to also get blown away.

2. Little ????...

What these flying things are, Espio neither knows nor particularly cares. What he does care about is the fact the things have decided that the buckles he has around his socks are fascinatingly shiny, leading to more than one of them attempting to pull them off his ankles. The most recent one has been particularly determined, to the point Espio - despite the fact the little monster hasn't actively been trying to hurt him - has resorted to grabbing the beast and throwing it as far as it can.

This clearly did not impress the creature, for it responded to being grabbed with a great deal of squawking, flapping of wings, and digging talons deep into the lizard's arm, but once Espio had managed to throw it away from himself, it settled on glaring threateningly at him, positioned as if to pounce.

Feeling the cuts to his arm sting, Espio reaches down to unfasten the buckled strap and tosses it in the creature's general direction. Seeing the sparkling buckle the little beast pounces upon it, and immediately starts chomping on the metal, seemingly placated for the moment.

"There! Happy?" Espio asks it, then turns his attention to the injury. The cuts are quite deep, jagged things that sting like nothing else, but he supposes that it was just retaliating more than fighting. "Geez... all that over a buckle..."

[B]

[The darkness comes suddenly, and of course Add is indoors when it decides to happen. This should really be a non-issue, but he isn't used to being in the dark anymore—cybernetic eyes are pretty useful for stuff like that. Except they haven't been working right since he got here, just like pretty much everything else in this stupid place, so he's left stumbling around like an idiot instead.

Actually, no, fuck that. He's stumbling around like a petty asshole who's practically trying to bump into someone just so he can yell at them. Eventually, his dream comes true. He scowls into the darkness, giving the stranger a rough shove.]

Watch where the hell you're going, moron! Are you trying to get in the way?!

[or... he might be talking to a chair, honestly. he can't see shit right now. he's having a rough day.]

[C]

[Alas, an excess of shiny belt buckles and accessories seems to be a common problem, and it's not long after Add steps outside again that he's accosted by tiny bird-cat-rabbit-dragons. The decorative belts dangling off his waist are especially tantalizing. He has a small herd of three or four dragons trailing behind him, viciously clinging to and fighting over his shiny belts, with another one currently attempting to make a nest in the excessively fluffy collar of his coat.

It is... the cutest thing. He can't will himself to chase them off. He has accepted his fate a cat toy/bird nest, so he's just dragging them all along behind him as he makes his way along the mountain road. He might even stop every now and then to give the one on his coat a little head scritch.

... it's a little embarrassing, though, so he might try to play it off like he's totally for sure annoyed about it if someone spots him like this. Even though he's still making no serious effort to remove them. These tiny cat-sized dragons are just too strong for him, okay!!]

Threaded | Flat

Tsukasa Yugi | JSHK

Kaede Akamatsu | Danganronpa V3 (Balance CRAU) | OTA!

atreus | god of war

Lysandra K. Weiss | OC |

futaba sakura | persona 5 royal

Nathan Drake | Uncharted | OTA