August Test Drive Meme

[tabularasa_mods]

Test Drive Meme #4 Welcome to Tabula Rasa's Test Drive Meme! Starting in September, secondary character apps will be open for current players and will remain open until further notice. New player apps will be opening in early September under a new queue system. We'll have more specific details for everyone on this soon!

Whether you plan to app or not, 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: Bite Here, Bite Now
"Food" is still a loose concept, as anything one can take fit in their mouth and swallow is considered close enough to count. While people can differentiate between things that should and shouldn't be eaten, the wildlife does not hold such views. Though at first they seemed to prefer whatever objects people deemed edible, they’ve now begun to experiment with some interesting alternatives.

Rocks, dirt, glass, tree trunks, corners of buildings, beach trash, chair legs, books, clothing, jewellery, prized possessions, the kitchen sink - there doesn't seem to be anything an animal won't try to eat at least once, and bite marks are quickly becoming a common sight in the most bizarre of places. You may even head home and find one of the red toothless dragons hanging off of a doorknob, trying its best. If an animal can get to it and fit its mouth around it, chances are it will try to eat it.

While the creatures can be coaxed and trained off of these behaviors, it's no small feat. And along the way, they might even find something else more appetizing than what you're trying to offer them. If you lose something important, hopefully it’ll still be intact when you finally fish it back out of them.

Scenario B: Blowing Hot and Cold
Random snowstorms are still a common sight, carried by powerful winds from the peak of Mount Silver to the furthest reaches of the known world. The snow never seems to stay on the ground for long, but it brings with it a frigid chill that could drive anyone back to the relative safety of indoors. A storm can last seconds or hours - not that it's easy to tell the difference - so it can be quite troublesome if you're not prepared for it.

Recently, a new type of "weather" has emerged. Fire has many uses, and it can be made quite easily by anyone... perhaps a little too easily. Most of the time, a strong breeze will blow out a growing flame, but occasionally something different will happen: the wind itself will catch on fire, carrying those flames far and wide in the blink of an eye. Within moments any place can be turned into a raging wildfire, blindingly bright and hellishly warm.

The flames will burn themselves out eventually, leaving everything coated in soot, but unharmed. It’s a good thing that fire doesn’t actually hurt yet or everyone might be in trouble! That may not be a comfort for everyone, though, especially if you're stuck cleaning up the mess. Sometimes it might take a little too long for the fire to die down on its own, too. If the wind won't do it, water is the way to go.

Scenario C: Long Distance
Distance and sound are not mutually exclusive just yet, and they both seem to be a bit out of whack at the moment. No matter how much you walk toward another person, you can't seem to close the distance between the two of you, as if you're on some sort of invisible treadmill. When you speak, however, it sounds like whoever you're speaking to is standing right beside you. Distance doesn't seem to be an issue if you're looking to converse.

However, this means you can hear others who are even farther away just as clearly. Someone on the beach might be able to hear another muttering to him or herself as they scale Mount Silver. Like dialing a random phone number, you now have to speak to a mysterious voice to figure out who it belongs to. Hopefully you weren't just muttering a deep, dark secret.

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Comments

darth vader | star wars | ota

[mrsandman]

I. blowing hot and cold

[At some place or another, you spot a tall figure, unmoving despite the storm or flames around them. The figure could easily be mistaken for some kind of droid or even a statue. As the dangerous situation around them grows in size, whether snow or fire, they make no effort to escape.]

II. long distance

[Out of nowhere, you begin to hear heavy breathing. There is almost something mechanical about it, and it might be difficult to tell if the noise is coming from a living being or not. Perhaps, there is no being in sight.

Or perhaps, there is someone in the distance, though seemingly too far away to be the source.]

III. wildcard

[since this is a tdm, i'm cool with any canonpoint, just let me know if you have a preference. i'm familiar with most every area of current canon so cartoons, games, comics, etc are fine. bring me your aphras, your ahsokas, your cals. lukes, reys, anakins(???? sure) and so on obviously welcome!]

still laughing, still funny, I.

[realway]

[ the fire that whips up from wind and sets the trees on fire is enough for ahsoka to call it a day from her routine training sessions. no equipment, no problem, she can do pull-ups on the branches (even in 2/3 times she breaks the branch).

however as she rushes to get out of the flame, feeling the heat but keeping a brisk pace, she skids to a sudden stop. just to her right, a fair distance off but still in sight, spots a... person? it must be, or at best another droid-being like the couple already here. she doesn't recognize them, but that doesn't matter. ahsoka calls out-- ]

What are you doing?! Run!

[ the roaring sound of fire doesn't relent and she covers her head, fearing something could fall from the trees at any moment. ]

izumi sena / ensemble stars!!

[obsessiveness]

a.

[ it's bad enough that there's no semblance of time in this hodgepodge of a world, but this really hasn't been izumi's day so far. dealing with the horrid weather outside has been harrowing, since he literally had to dodge wisps of fire from singeing his beautiful hair, but he just had to come home to find his apartment broken in via a huge bite on his door and one of those stupid-looking chicken things that's about to take a bite of the camera he'd brought with him in this world.

so like. who wouldn't go livid over this? ]

Ahh, don't you DARE eat that! Get out, get out, GET OUT!

[ if anyone does happen to peek into this room after all that shrieking, they'll find izumi playing tug-o-war with the hand chicken thing that doesn't want to let go. in fact, it seems like it only wants to play? why is this human so unfun :( ]

b.

[ luckily, izumi is sensible enough not to talk about his deep dark secrets in public, much less by himself. like, why would you even do that. instead, anyone across the world might hear him mumble incoherently to himself until he speaks up: ]

Can I get uhh... Hm. Can't really decide on what to eat here - does this cafe serve anything healthy or anything? Not that this menu is unappealing and all. I'm still on a diet, is all.

[ even when the world probably has no semblance of gaining weight?? huh.

never change, izumi. ]

wildcard

[ hmu if u wanna do something else outside of this prompts! ]

b

[memorate]

[ After Izumi mumbles to himself long enough, he'll eventually hear a voice talking back to him. There's nobody near him, though. ]

They have what they have. Just hurry up and decide already.

[ Why is he playing the role of store keeper here?! ]

Damn it, now I'm thinking about food, too... I already had cake for lunch. Maybe one more couldn't hurt.

[ That part wasn't supposed to be heard by anyone. ]

Lysithea | Fire Emblem Three Houses

[morethanachild]

[a. a bite here]

No, no, no!

[Lysithea shakes the coat of her school uniform vigorously as a small feathery bird cat rabbit thing calmly attempts to eat it. ...It is mostly succeeding.]

It is an utter disgrace that this world has not yet gotten around to understanding the concept of food. Bird thing! Do you not understand? There are so many culinary delights waiting to be discovered, and you insist on masticating on my wardrobe!

Try with me and perhaps we can will 'cake' into existence! Together!

[The small feathery bird cat rabbit thing pauses for a moment before tearing off another strip of uniform.]

Urgh!

[c. long distance]

[Lysithea has taken to murmuring to herself in the absence of other stimulation. Naturally, she is entirely unaware of the current oddities regarding sound.]

The longer I spend in this... place, the more I forget. I won't even be able to remember how to cast a Fire spell at this rate. I'll be set back years in my progress. ...I don't have years!

[a pause]

...Don't I?

It is true that I can exert myself far more than I ever could before. But that must be because of the properties of this world - it doesn't mean anything about my actual health.

Oh, well, the most likely possibility is that I've died already and this is some sort of insipid afterlife. ...Serves me right for not paying more attention to the teachings.

C

[godhunts]

This isn't afterlife.

[ says a boy from a tree. yes, a tree, which he sits with his legs hanging down from. the tree is quite a ways off from her, but it is in sight. she's pretty loud! so he is though, his voice carrying clearly as if they were standing next to one another. ]

If we were in afterlife, we would be in Hel. It's cold, empty and the corpses wander forever.

Emma | The Promised Neverland | OTA

[no_63194]

[I. Blowing Hot and Cold]

Having found her way to the clearing by lake Mortis, and being fortunate to find it while it was blooming a young girl in all white from her dress shirt to her skirt and footwear was gleefully spinning in circles and laughing. Her bright orange hair was bright in contrast to her clothing and her green eyes sparkled with merriment. An unusual feature was the bold black tattoo on her neck displaying the numbers 63194 for all to see. The only thing that could have made this moment better would have been if Norman and Ray were here with her- and really the rest of the kids from the orphanage as well.

Though she could have allowed herself to get bogged down in emotions, it was enough right now just to breath the crisp air of freedom. Wherever this forest was located it was clearly not barred on all sides by walls and a massive gate. Somehow- she had to have made it to the outside, though she couldn't recall how. She'd allow herself a little respite before formulating a plan.

That was about the point that she noticed the other person in the clearing. They looked older than her so she stiffened, not having the best impression of adults, but when the fire tornado made a bee line towards them she couldn't stop herself from calling out. "Watch out!" Then as fast as she could run, she raced over to tackle them out of the way. The flames lapped at her skin as she flew through the air, and yet- they didn't burn. She instinctively closed her eyes tightly, but when she opened them she looked first to the person she attempted to save, then to all the fresh ash all around them.

[II. Bite Here, Bite Now] CW: Animals nomming on other animals



In one moment, Emma was enjoying her newfound surroundings with childlike wonderment, in the next abject horror flashed across her impressionable young eyes. The creature she had befriended that looked like a cross between a bird and a rabbit was now sporting a large bite-sized hole in it when one of the other animals decided it could go for a little snack.

Having managed to leave the orphanage, she had thought that maybe she had also left the horrors behind her and this was in sharp contradiciton too it.

Visibly shaking, she stumbled backwards falling to the ground and instinctively crawling backwards. The rabbit-bird was oblivious to the obvious revulsion as it continued to hop about the meadow as if nothing had ever happened. This place might not be crawling with demons but it was no more inviting than the place she had left. To make matters worse, she didn't know what had become of the other children. They were supposed to escape TOGETHER. This was a reminder of where her duties lay.

II

[symbolofstrength]

Here's a middle-aged man chasing after the injured creature, pouncing on it and wrapping his hands around it to hold it down. Don't worry, he's not trying to eat it or anything like that, made clear by his words as he struggles with the animal:

"Hold still, I'm trying to help you!" He glances up, noticing Emma, and lets go of the creature in surprise. She doesn't look wounded, but crawling around like that....

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He leaves the injured animal for now, approaching her instead.

Rocket Raccoon | MCU | OTA

[spiritinthesky]

[ A ]
[Rocket was never much a fan of dealing with animals, but it was far worse when the animals were eager to gnaw on anything.And on top of that, he didn't recognize the animals. Which is why when he found a red dragon gnawing on a doorknob, his first response was to brush it off. Wasn't his problem. Up until he realized it probably should be someone's problem, and it wasn't like he was doing much of anything else.]

Get off here, y'little--

[Finally, he tumbled back, the dragon in his arms. It gave a little snap of its beak, and he sighed, letting it go.]

Well. That solves--KRUTACK!!!

[That was a sharp burst of pain, and a realization that now the dragon had latched itself onto his tail.]

QUIT THAT, IT HURTS!!!

[Help, please?]

[B]
[So, an area filled with mostly trees had been a calming area for him, obviously. And he knew why. There were many days back on Terra when he'd find himself escaping to the comfort of a forest, surrounded by trees, hoping for one of them to speak up, to tell him that the Snap had all been some kind of nightmare, to tell him to quit wandering around, leave me alone, I'm playing videogames.

He'd had no such luck then and he was having no such luck now. No Groot. No reassurance. No calm, not completely. And it was so much worse when there was a small gust of wind, and then suddenly all around him, the trees were lit aflame. His walking slowed to a halt, and now he was surrounded by burning trees.]

Oh, this. This is fine.

[A distant smile formed on his face. This is not, in fact, fine.]

[C]
[Seeing a person in the distance was a good thing. As a raccoon, Rocket's sense of perspective wasn't always that great, and his brain was half trying to interpret it as 'a really big guy' and half trying to interpret it as 'someone is far away.' Nonetheless, he formed his expression into a tight frown.

Okay, either way, he wanted to talk to them. So he started moving towards them, and...they kept being the same distance away.]

What the--

[O..kay.]

HEY! REALLY BIG GUY! OR LADY! I CAN'T SEE! YOU'RE TOO FAR AWAY, BUT UH, I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE FLARK IS GOING ON HERE?

[See if that helps...]

[Wild Card]
[Anything else? I'm open to suggestion! This Rocket is taken post-Endgame, so watch for spoilers if you haven't watched up to that movie yet! Thanks!]

A.

[realway]

[ ahsoka doesn't spend a lot of time in the apartment building, only really when she needs a private place to rest (not sleep, sleep is still not a thing here). that rest gets disturbed when she hears the sound of someone screaming. a call for action.

she all but bursts from her door and starts rushing in the direction of the sound. she barrels down the stairwell to the next floor, peaks her head into the hall, and sees the situation. ]

Hang on! [ she calls out even as her feet pound the ground, mind racing with how she can help. her immediate, brilliant, thought? grab the dragon with both hands, hugging her body to it, and yanking it back hard. ]

abby anderson | the last of us part II | OTA

[strictpress]

i. just eat it

[Look, she tries to be responsible with her shit. The last thing she wants is for it to get stolen. But she doesn't exactly expect a little lizard thing to start gnawing on her shotgun like it's a dog eating a bone.

Especially cuz it's, you know, loaded.

So she's trying to coax it away with a rock. A tasty tasty rock.]

Come on. You're just gonna blow one of your legs off. Or kill one of your bodies. You don't even have any teeth, just give it up. And eat the super... delicious... fucking rock... [Yeah, she's really sellin' that one.] Please?

ii. Hot and cold

[Anyone knows that fire is as dangerous as it is useful. Which means extremely both. So when the wind blows and the fires catch, Abby immediately plans to hightail it out of there.

Except... she doesn't feel any pain from the flames. Just warm. Like standing next to a heater. Curiously she puts her hand into the fire and feels... nothing. Just warmth and a strange tickling sensation.]

You know, this is kinda cool. But also... really fucking weird and I can't decide which way I'm leaning.

iii. Wildcard

[Feel free to hit me up with anything. Also let me know if you want to avoid spoilers! I don't think any should come up but just in case!]

i.

[godhunts]

I don't think that's gonna work.

[ says one boy approaching from the side, overhearing abby as she tries to get a handle on things. he's hungry too but even he wouldn't try swallowing a rock of all things. but before he can think of a useful idea, he gets distracted by the thing being chewed on. ]

Hey, what's that?

Leon | Pokemon Sword & Shield | OTA

[champleon]

A) Bite Here, Bite Now

[It's a strange situation that Leon has found himself in. And for once, it's not one that he himself walked willingly- or blindly- into. It seemed like he'd been doing his work at the Battle Tower one second, then the next he blinked and he was here. Someplace else entirely. Honestly, he's less concerned about himself right now and more the fact that he can't manage to coax the other members of his team from their Pokeballs. Only Charizard remains with him, grumbling low as he sticks close to his trainer's side.

Leon lifts a hand to pat the side of his Pokemon's neck as they walk to try to calm him down, earning himself a slightly more placated grumble in reply.]

I know, partner. I don't much care for all this either. But we'll figure it out, yeah? We just need to figure out where we are, first.

[And, like...if anyone else is here.

They make it about to Mt. Silver when Charizard catches sight of something moving in the bushes, prompting him to turn his head that way. He has to block Leon's path with his tail since Leon, of course, was just going to keep walking in the other direction otherwise. Just about the time Leon notices that Charizard has stopped is when one of the local Pidgey(?)s carefully lopes into view, leaning back on its haunches.

Leon boggles at it for a moment before whistling lowly.]

Would you look at that? That sure isn't like any Pidgey I've ever seen. What you reckon we've stumbled on here...?

[Charizard doesn't seem quite as impressed or so immediately trusting of the Pokemon, eyeing it tentatively as it hops closer, wings fluttering.

Then, before either of them can react, it leaps clear up off the ground, wings catching air so it can speed over the top of Leon's head and snatch his hat right from him.]

W- Oi!!

[The Pidgey lands nearby on a rock, and...immediately starts to try to eat the hat's brim, eliciting a simultaneous cry of alarm from both Leon and Charizard.

THAT ONE'S VINTAGE.]

B) Blowing Hot and Cold

[They're fortunate they showed up when they did, during the time that fire...is a concept at all. It's hard to say what Charizard's life would have been like if the flame on his tail just ceased to exist, though maybe nothing would have happened? If no one can die, and all...but that's the least of their worries at present. It's just as sudden as how they arrived: the wind kicks up so fiercely that neither trainer nor Pokemon can move, Leon guarding his face with a raised arm while Charizard tries to shield them both with a wing. The effort is largely fruitless though, as the wind suddenly catches ablaze with such fury around them that the two lose sight of each other...

And when the wind dies down? Charizard is left alone, and Leon is...uh. Gone.

1) Either you'll find Leon standing alone in a sea of ash and soot, coughing and trying to brush himself off as he reels from the fact that he somehow just got consumed by a wall of fire and didn't die, or...

2) You'll find a giant orange lizard-dragon of sorts looking like it's trying very hard not to freak the fuck out now that Leon has suddenly vanished without a trace. He turns in place with his tail sweeping the ground- watch your feet- and bellows for Leon as he tries to scan the ash-covered wastes to pick him out. He doesn't seem to be anywhere, though it might be that he's just covered in soot and weirdly camoflauged...

Are you brave enough to approach to try to calm him down? Or maybe figure out what's wrong? Because he's going to take to the sky soon if not stopped.]

C) Wildcard

[Feel free to hit me up for a different scenario if neither of these work for you! You can DM or PP on plurk at winterbolt!]

A!!

[rotomphone]

[ needless to say, neither Raihan nor Duraludon were expecting to see their respective rivals on their post-lunch walk. considering he's the only one from Galar that he's seen around here so far, a familiar face is a relief, but the fact that it's Leon of all people makes it that much better. he feels a beat of excitement pump through his veins, but he reminds himself to play it cool, as always. ]

Yikes. Those things can get pretty territorial, so you might have some trouble getting it back... bummer!

[ he laments it as he walks towards Leon and Charizard with Duraludon at his side, his hands nonchalantly stuffed into his hoodie pockets. it's his textbook playful rival antagonism at play, but the way that Raihan is grinning makes it clear that he's not too serious. he's much more excited to see Leon here in the first place, but he can't make it too obvious! ]

Good thing you've got the great Raihan to back you up, huh?

connor murphy | dear evan hansen/lifeaftr crau

[yourattention]

a. when you're falling in the forest

Please don't eat that.

[Connor is trying to gently take a soda can from one of the Smeargle-Moombas on Takoba Beach. It's not actually going very well, and it may or may not have devolved into a game of tug o war? They seem to be having fun at least.]

b. and there's nobody around

[He's getting used to this. What's showing up in another weird world after living somewhere else for almost three years? There's no gods here, but Connor is used to the world not quite behaving like it's supposed to. He's used to glitches and things being a little bit Different than they should be.

When the wind catches fire, the way he unhooks the staff he carries strapped across his back and swings it is instinctual. It doesn't do anything, actually, because this story doesn't know how his staff works, but it's hard to remember that when you're used to spraying things with your water staff at the first sign of fire.]

Ah, fuck. [Well. Everything sure is on fire.] That's not good.

c. all you want is for somebody to find you

[A con of a world that doesn't quite know what to do with the fact that you're from a musical: there's no background music. It's just Connor alone with his thoughts 25/8 and he deeply, deeply hates this. He's gotten so used to picking up cues from the background music that not having it means almost learning how to communicate all over again. It's terrible. He can't exactly try asking for it back either, because he's pretty sure it's an exclusively him problem.

When you mess with shit that's not to be messed with, it doesn't end well. Connor knows that better than anyone here, maybe.]

God, do people really live like this? It's so quiet all the time.

[He doesn't know that sound and distance are fucked either, so he's just saying this to the Smeargle-Moomba he befriended while they're painting a mural. It is, uh. Avant-garde? Mostly lime green is what it actually is.]

d. wildcard

[feel free to mix and match prompts or just hit me up with something totally different!]

C

[forwearemany]

(They are growing used to the weirdness of this place, so when they hear a familiar voice but see no one around them, they mostly just headtilt.

Connor might hear some familiar Geth error noises.

After a moment, they speak up.)

Connor?

rude | final fantasy vii

[grandsparks]

hot and cold;

[ When all you had was a suit, a snowstorm was a pretty big problem. Rude couldn't tell where the storm was coming from, or why, or how long it lasted. All standard procedure here, apparently, for whatever measure of "here" this was.

Not for the first time, he was thankful for his tailored, hard-wearing gear. The gust of snow hit him in the back and ran cold right down to his bones. He hunched in on himself, powering through for a minute's more hard walking, before making an executive decision: it wasn't worth it. Wherever the first likely hiding spot was, an empty building or bar or nearby cave, he made a beeline right for that and ducked inside without announcement. ]


give me something hard;

[ His first, and clearest, thought is this: what kind of name is Heavenly Blanc?

It probably doesn't matter. After a long 'day' of walking, there's nothing he wants more than a drink and a place to cool his heels. There's certain things about the place that look excessively familiar...perhaps that's why he pushes open the doors and steps inside, looking for some sign of human life.

He never did get to go inside that place, did he? There's certainly no chance he will now. Another regret for the pile. ]

...you open?

[ Time and space aren't exactly playing nicely. That voice might carry across the bar normally, or someone on the other side of the mountain might suddenly hear a questioning word right in their ear. ]


wildcard;

[ Rude is from the current end of Remake, so hit me up with anything in any location! He'll have been patiently exploring around everywhere he can, save for the really treacherous spots. ]

hot and cold!!!

[anciently]

Jeez. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you guys still somehow managed to find me here. No unexplained mystery location is too remote for the Turks!

[ Guess who is also taking refuge in this particular cave? A somewhat sullen and unimpressed Aerith is frowning at Rude as he enters, arms crossed. She'd arrived with Cloud and Tifa, all at the same time, and had wondered if others from Midgar might appear, too...though, admittedly, she'd been hoping for a different face than the one before her now.

There's a little, impatient sigh before she throws up her hands, half-turning away. ]

Where's your partner? I'd think having an open shirt like that would be a problem in weather like this.

[ :l ]

Espio | Sonic the Comic | CRAU

[metachrosis]

[Espio is humanised through CRAU, but still has a pink chameleon tail. Due to his ancient and obscure canon version I really don't expect anyone to be remotely familiar! Just pretend he's an OC or something.]

Food

Oh for...

[Well, this is a fine introduction to whatever mad illusion they have found themselves in now - a fish attempting to take a bite out of his tail. It's not doing a very good job of it, given that it has no teeth, but it is vigorously and aggressively sucking on it while flapping its body around in a ridiculous fashion.

Not one to tolerate fish latched on to any of his appendages, Espio is quick to grab it by the tail and fling it into the air with full force, sending the little monster flying. He doesn't expect the thing to - immediately after landing - bounce and hurl its way back towards him. Without hesitation, he slams his fist into the attacking monster's jaw and sends it flying back once more, but it is completely unfazed and tries again.]

Oh, come on! I'm not fighting a bouncing fish!

[As he raises his fists to defend himself, he spies someone at the edge of his vision.]

Don't even ask!



Long Distance

[On the one hand, all of his abilities have completely, even down to his perfectly ordinary colour changes, stopped working. On the other hand, there are trees.

To repeat: TREES.

After nearly two years living in a long dead and dusty wasteland, Espio honestly cannot believe how delighted he is to find an actual living tree, never mind a forest! The loss of his powers means he can't climb as well as before, but he's still fit and agile enough to make it quite high, and he contentedly finds a nice big branch to rest on and feel the wind rush by.]

Okay, this? I might even call this an improvement!

[If it weren't for the conspicuous lack of everyone he knows, anyway. Yes, this place is strange - he would have to be blind to miss the empty white void he can see even through the trees.

There is a sound to answer him - a voice, so close it might as well be in his ear, and very nearly startles him from his perch. He steadies himself, and looks around for the source, only to find nothing.

It was so close! Whoever it was can't possibly be far... are they invisible?]

Who's there?

long distance!

[pinwheels]

[ Rinoa is halfway out of the apartment building with Felix in tow, the intent to search the beach for some more useful things for her new home, when the blizzard hits. Not only does it lower her visibility to basically nothing, but it's cold, a chill that drives her right back into her building where she started. ]

We'll find stuff later, Felix. [ It's a cheerful enough comment, a smile in response to her companion's squawk of complaint, and she gathers him into her arms to carry him as she climbs the stairs back to her apartment. ] It's not like we have to worry about time, you know?

[ Back in the room that functions as her home here, Rinoa's halfway through closing the window against swirls of snowflakes when she hears a voice just behind her: I might even call this an improvement!

She whirls, weapon raised, but it's a trick of the Void, apparently, because her apartment is empty of everyone except for her and her animal friend - who appears not to have heard a single thing. Still... ]

This, an improvement? I don't think so...

[ It's more to herself than anyone else, but the answer comes through clear as day, in her ear this time: Who's there? Rinoa frowns. It's like having her telepathy back, but different. ]

I'm Rinoa, but I don't think... Where are you?

Yukio Okumura | Blue Exorcist (++CRAU)

[reflash]

bite
[There is... a featherless chicken with hands for feet eating a rock. Yukio has seen a lot in his experience, but this is exceptionally weird.

He's mostly just standing here, watching this go down.]

hot and cold
[The fire doesn't burn, and while it's hot it isn't intolerable. Yukio fights through it, squinting his main eyes against the brightness of the flames, looking for anyone lost in the fire.]

Are you all right?

[Afterwards, he'll be helping with cleanup. Wiping soot from surfaces seems like the right way to go.]

long distance
[Someone (a teenage boy, by the sound of it) is talking. Just occasionally, muttering under his breath in an annoyed tone.]

What is this? [or] Who is Leo Tsukinaga? [or a sigh and] This is stupid.

[[ooc: Yukio is a CRAU and comes with some weird physical changes. Hit me up at hydok if you want to chat.]]

bite

[flashover]

[Rin is here as well, and though he's missing a lot of context from... whatever went down on the islands, there's more important things afoot.

Like.

That. Thing.

Rin sits on a rock near Yukio, head cradled in his hands and a dim but perplexed lopsided grin on his muzzle]

Yukio...

[whispered, conspiratorially;] I think this is where chicken nuggets come from.

Greed | Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

[alldesires]

A.

[Somewhere, Greed is staring down one of the cat rabbit pidgey mishmashes that happened to cross his path and engage in a staring contest. What's with this... sassy lost chimera.]

Huh. Someone get bored, slapping together a pet like this?

[He peers at it as it pads closer... and clamps its beak onto the hem of his long coat.]

-Oi! Paws off the merchandise!

[He scruffs the thing to try and pull it loose, but it's latched on pretty tight...]

C.

[Why did he think climbing this mountain was a good idea, again? It's not tiring, but it's boring. The bratty prince seems to have either shut up or disappeared entirely, for better or worse, and at the moment he'd take annoying commentary over the occasional gust of obnoxious wind.]

[It's not like anyone's around to hear him talking to himself, not that he'd care much either way. Except wherever you happen to be, near or far, you're getting to hear this anyway.]

So... you still in there or what? Got nothing to say about all this?

Wildcard

[follow your kokoro or hit me up at orcashark]

C

[bridge_princess]

[Greed? Meet Envy. No not that envy. The other one.]

What do you mean am I in there? Of course I'm in there. Where the hell else would I be but in there? And are you still out there?

[... Look. the idea of voices talking in people's heads was not foreign to her. It just hadn't happened before to her. Wasn't she lucky?]

Ruby Rose | RWBY | OTA

[sanguinertia]

I. BITE HERE, BITE NOW

[ Honestly, not knowing what the hell is going on is becoming distressingly more typical no matter how much more she learns. Ruby's dealing by wandering around, a smaller teenage girl in a red cloak who doesn't seem overwhelmed or upset, at least. She even looks cheerful, maybe a little friendly, although it's unclear how much of that might be a facade for the time being - it's not like most people here know her well enough to be able to tell. While Ruby isn't...hugely bothered by things trying to eat or attack her (it's a day in the life, basically) she isn't exactly going to sit back and let it happen. Especially when anything comes close enough to try to eat the red gun strapped to her waist...

Which, once it's threatened, is grabbed into her hand and whirled, allowing it to become a ridiculously large scythe which she abruptly swings in an arc around her to cut one of those mushroom machines in half - not like that kills it, since things don't really die here.

Which, uh. WHAT? As she comes to a stop with the scythe still held out defensively, red cape fluttering in the breeze, Ruby's brow twists in abject confusion as she watches the bottom half of the half-mushroom half-machine continue to try to walk... ]

Is - how is it still moving?! [ Even if it's a robot (?) shouldn't that have done it in?! Or do all robots have nine lives now? ]

II. BLOWING HOT AND COLD

[ All the wind is kind of fascinating. Sure, Ruby isn't big on the random fire wind - although she figures out quickly it's not precisely dangerous - but maybe she could make use of this? It's annoying that she doesn't seem to be able to do anything she can usually do here, but she's pretty good an improvisation, and as long as she has her scythe, bullets, and air currents...

Well, she can sort of make her way around a lot faster than she otherwise would. The next time a fire wind blast comes your way, it might bring with it an inexplicably large scythe with a much smaller girl sort of...wind surfing on it.

Somehow.

Kinda badly, since these currents aren't predictable, and since she's definitely more dangerous than the non-hurty fire, Ruby yells out in the blur of red and black on a dead collision course towards you: ]

Whoa, out of the way!

[ Before the scythe slams into the ground with her on it, skidding to a halt as it digs into the earth. Hopefully her warning was enough to avoid it, but if not...sorry! Looks like you might have been tackle slammed by a girl and her best friend (the weapon. the weapon is her best friend). She's laughing a little awkwardly, one hand behind her head as she assesses the damage (if any) done to the surrounding area. ]

Haha, whoops. That was a bit dangerous, right?

III. LONG DISTANCE

[ Ruby isn't actually speaking. Instead, she's humming. Specifically: she's humming this as she wanders around. Sometimes she may even start singing along. She's theoretically got her headphones and such, but it's not like her electronics work, so she's providing her own soundtrack...

...not realizing she's also supplying the soundtrack for other people as well. You may want to stop her, unless you're enjoying it for some reason. She can be found in person examining the bathhouse list, wondering why fish are specifically forbidden.

Or why you would bring fish into the bathhouse?

...It makes her want to bring fish into the bathhouse, yes. ]

IV. OCEAN IKEA

[ The fact that the ocean now spits up new and intact items - furniture and decorations included - is superb for someone new. Ruby is collecting furniture and any beddings and curtains she can find, and is making a little ways off the beach (but not too far to drag things) a...

Giant blanket fort.

This is an excellent use of her time, probably, although it's absolutely getting far more elaborate than it needs to be and at this point can fit like, ten people. Is she trying to make a blanket fort town? Maybe. STILL an excellent use of her time, thanks very much!

Although putting together any furniture that isn't pre-assembled is...

Harder than one would think, when none of the instruction manuals have anything but weird phrases and occasionally music scores, or something.

She's squinting at one now, before tossing it aside to a pile of plastic wrap and useless instruction manuals that she's gathered so far. As well as pieces of furniture assembly she couldn't figure out what to do with, which bodes not well at all for the stability of her fort furniture. ]

Okay! No big deal, I've totally got this! [ She has her kit-provided screwdriver and all these...bits and pieces, and boards of wood. That go together...IN A WAY...

There's a pause as she holds up two ostensibly identical pieces which she strongly suspects are not the same actually at all. ]

...I maybe don't got this. I wonder if it matters if it's exactly the same?

V. TIMESKIPPING, TIMETRIPPING

[ Thanks to the time update, mistakes may occasionally be undone...repeatedly. As long as you acknowledge them, anyway. Ruby doesn't intend to set anyone on the road to déjà vu, but that's sure a thing that's about to happen anyway...

As she skips around a corner (of a tree or building, it doesn't matter) at breakneck speed and barrels someone over in a blur of red and black, because she absolutely isn't looking where she's going and is instead trying and failing to reach her usual top speeds...

But at least she looks immediately apologetic about making you eat dirt! ]

Oh, my bad! I didn't mean to knock you down, I was just trying to -

[ But no. Her mouth is suddenly moving in reverse as everything that just happened...unhappens, your character's movements included. Moving backwards sure is new, isn't it? Which leaves them going around a second time: Ruby moving too fast around the corner to stop it. Can fate be changed...? ]

WILDCARD

[ If you want to throw me something completely out of left field please feel free to do so! Otherwise I'm very easily reached via journal pm or at roseburst or #Maggie0451. Ruby is very likely to explore around and to try to get to know people: she's as friendly as they come, and she's used to weird nearly apocalyptic world conditions outside of major cities (RWBY why are you the way you are) so she doesn't really mind all the weird creatures and landscape so much as she's bummed she's no longer SPEEDY. ]

Ocean Ikea

[mightdoriya]

[Izuku has been spending a lot of his free time here trying to clean up the beach. It's honestly a losing effort, a complete waste of time when stuff just keeps washing up anyway, but...it feels good to do it, even if it's not progress. It's exercise, which he still needs to keep up, and it gives him a chance to see what all new has washed up that day. Especially now that brand new items have started appearing, strangely enough...

He's less surprised to see someone he hasn't met before and more surprised by the fort she's constructed. Is she intending to live out here...? She knows about those little biting robot things, he hopes.

Izuku will wander that way, though, his yellow backpack slung over one shoulder and full almost to the brim with trash he's been picking up to carry elsewhere just to get it off the sand.]

If it's exactly the same, then my guess is that you've got a duplicate part to the same piece of furniture.

Touka Satomi | Magia Record | ota

[ethical_calculus]

[A]

[This is probably an unusual sight: There is a child on the ground in a fight with what appears to be a featherless chicken. They seem to be fighting over what appears to be a gem shaped like a bowtie: The girl keeps trying to move the gem away from it, followed by the chicken clambering towards the gem again with its hand-feet.]

I'm telling you! Don't eat that, you stupid gallus!

[B]

[Well, this was just inevitable. It looks like someone had a bit too much fun experimenting with the fact that fire doesn't burn around here, because there sure is a little girl in the middle of a conflagration of flaming wind, seemingly enjoying herself as she periodically wipes soot off of things to check the ground.]

This is amazing! Do you know what this means?!

[C]

[After wandering the area around the Void for a bit, and has discovered one of the scores. In between questioning why a score was scribbled on the ground and marvelling at the... interesting sense of naming, she has spent a long enough time around her to hear the song playing itself, and after several minutes of trying to find the source of the noise... She moves to leave, except now some random person gets to hear her quietly singing a completely different song to herself.]

Cry when you feel the tears well up, yell when fury hits... you don't have to bear it...

B

[gardenerofavalon]

"That it's going to be ages before I can properly see again?"

Said utterly deadpan, as the fierce wind whips his flowing robes and long hair about wildly, the hair in particular seems to have quite the tendency to end up in his face. As it naturally does for anyone with sufficiently long hair, of course!

Sephiroth | FFVII: Advent Children

[sefirot]

(A) Bite Here, Bite Now

[The creatures here are vastly different than what he's used to -- not that he paid much attention to the local wildlife before he lost ... well, for lack of better word, his sanity. But even now they gave no clue as to where exactly here is. Other than not the lifestream. Which isn't exactly helping much.

Interestingly enough he can be seen holding some sort of winged creature by the back of it's neck just sort of curiously looking at it as the thing tries to shove a rock in its mouth. ... Which is also not normal animal behavior. Not that he cares too much but --]

Just what are you?

[Luckily for the small animal it hadn't tried to eat him. That probably would have ended poorly for someone though it's hard to say who right now.]

(B) Blowing Hot and Cold

[The storms having so very quickly and dramatically shifting is also rather new. And it's been a long time since he's really felt the cold though he is not foolish enough to stay out in the elements for too long. The fire though? That brings him out. He actually watches everything burn with what appears to be fascination, but that's not exactly.

It's more that the fires bring about so many memories. That moment served as a catalyst for many things and partially an anchor to keep him going. He may have lost much within the lifestream but the memories surrounding what happened at Nibelheim burn very bright.

Which is why he stands dangerously close to the flames with seemingly no fear as he mentally relives a few moments in his head. Not that the fire severs to bring him any answers, it's actually more of a distraction caused as a result of his one major flaw: tunnel vision.]

(C) Wildcard

[Want anything else? Hit me up, or I can roll with whatever.]

A

[pinwheels]

[ It's Felix who draws Rinoa's attention to the silver-haired man, a high-pitched, worried kind of sound in his voice that she doesn't think she's ever heard before. It's enough to pull her away from the mushroom she's digging at, standing and turning, and...

She's never seen the man before, but there's something about the way he's holding one of Felix's little friends by the scruff of its neck that makes Rinoa's eyes narrow. Several fast strides across the ground lead her to where he's standing, Felix right behind her and offering him a warning chirp as they draw near. ]

Hey!

[ It's not her usual, friendly tone that greets him; instead, there's something harder in her voice, narrowed eyes waiting to meet his. Her right hand moves to rest on the trigger of her blaster edge, ready to fire if she needs to. She doesn't know if he intends to hurt the creature, but there's something unfriendly about him, and if he tries... ]

You should put him down. He's not hurting anyone.

Oscar Pine | RWBY | Vol. 4-7 Spoilers inside, read ooc first!

[longmemories]

[OOC - DISCLAIMER/EXPLANATION: !!RWBY Volume 4-7 Spoilers ahead!! Oscar is unique in that he's not just one person; he also lives with the spirit of a man named Ozma/Ozpin inhabiting his body. They're inseperable and share a consciousness, though at present in canon Ozpin has retreated from the forefront of Oscar's mind and has left him largely alone. He typically only presents himself in times of crisis when Oscar is in danger and cannot protect or save himself. In these moments, Ozpin can assume control of Oscar's body and speak as if he were himself again (just with Oscar's voice, it's got an ethereal sound to it like Ozpin's old voice is overlayed atop Oscar's). However, Ozpin will be more present for TDM purposes (both due to the unusual circumstances as well as voicetesting opportunities). Prompts will be marked where Ozpin will be present for them. I can bring him into any thread that isn't specifically marked for him though, just let me know if you're okay with that in the header! If you have any questions, please DM me or hit me up on plurk at winterbolt!]

A) Bite Here, Bite Now

[The last thing Oscar remembers is falling. And the circumstances before that...weren't exactly good, either. So waking up in a vast sea of nothing is a recipe for assuming you're probably dead, right? He can't even really sense Ozpin right now, though he's certain he's there. Ozpin took over and saved him at the very last moment. He does remember that much.

Luckily, this doesn't last long before Oscar is spat out into the world that this place has created for itself, not that it's any less...confusing.

He's found himself on the beach, trying to carefully pick his way around the mounds of trash as he walks. Though, weirdly enough, it doesn't seem to be just trash out here...he carefully pulls his cane from the clip on his belt, pressing the catch release so it will extend to it's full length. Even without using it though, he can tell...]

Nothing, huh? I guess all of the dust this had left went to keeping me from becoming a smear on the ground.

[He sighs, knocking it lightly against the inside of a gloved hand before something in the water by his foot catches his eye. It's...a fish. A quite large one, at that. Orange, with vacant eyes...

And just as Oscar really gets a good look at it, the Magikarp-dragon leaps clear from the water, clamping its mouth on the long edge of the cane.]

W- h-hey! Let- let go!!

[No dice! These guys have been nibbling on everything they can find, which explains why a lot of the washed up trash- even the newer appliances- are full of bite marks...Oscar may need some help, because trying to shake the thing off is doing no good.]

B) Long Distance | Ozpin

[The concept of distance isn't a huge problem for Oscar yet since he hasn't really interacted with much more than the very-aggressive sealife here. But after that incident, a certain someone has decided to return to the forefront of his brain, just to be safe...and Oscar himself isn't exactly thrilled about it.

In fact...you might hear this boy aaaall the way across the beach on the path looping back around Mt. Silver apparently talking to himself.]

...-ook, I'm glad you helped me back there. But I'm starting to get tired of you just...just appearing when it's convenient for you.

...

No, it is. Me not dying is kindof important for your whole...thing right now, right?

...

Honestly, I don't know for sure if you would have, Ozpin.

[...is he crazy?]

3) Bathhouse

[Eventually, Oscar makes his way to a more...what you could classify as civilized portion of this place. He's never seen anything like a Japanese-style bathhouse before (he's a farm boy, after all, but he is getting out more CLEARLY), so he's immediately curious. It's been...a Day, and since Ozpin retreated after their argument earlier, he's truly alone again.

He's at the entrance right now, reading over the rules. They all make sense, except...]

No...fish in the bath water? Why would someone bring fish in there?

[Is that a Japanese thing he just doesn't know about...not that Remnant doesn't have areas similar, they're just not one-to-one and Oscar has no reference to go by here. Maybe this is a common issue.]

Long distance

[comburst]

[ The new thing with sound annoys Katsuki possibly more than anything else. It's not like he hasn't eavesdropped on people before, but he usually chooses what to listen in on and actively cares about whatever it is. Now that he's having things piped directly into his ear, that is...not at all the case. In fact, it's the opposite of the case usually.

He simply does not give a fuck about most of what people talk about, when it isn't directly related to one of his very few interests.

So, accordingly, the following is BLASTED in Oscar's ear: ]

Oh my fucking GOD, SHUT UP! No one cares about your stupid lovers' spat!

[ That's not what this is at all. ]

Zack Fair | Final Fantasy VII

[activatingcombatmode]

[A: a bite here a bite now]

[At some point Zack somehow found himself walking out of that endless void onto a beach. Tokoba Beach specifically and it’s tenfold better than wandering around whatever that creepy blankness was. But it’s kind of unfortunate how junky this entire place looks. He was hoping the sound of water and the look of sunshine would mean signs of life and people. But this looks more like a junkyard and who would hang out here?

He wanders up to the filthy water anyway and raises a hand to his brow to take stock of his surroundings. After a moment he pulls out his old scratched up flip-phone (yes, he still uses it) and tries to get any sort of bar of reception so he can make a call or send an email...]

Not a damn thing, huh…

[Just then there seems to be something bobbing around in the water. Zack looks up from his phone to see some sort of spiky looking orange fish thing looking at him from the top of the water. And honestly he’s about to greet the ugly thing before it suddenly leaps so rapidly out of the air that Zack has no time to react! It flies right at him and nom!! the thing snatches Zack’s phone right out of his hand and lands back in the water only to gulp the thing down in one swallow!]

Hey-! What the hell-! That’s my phone! Give it back, I’ve got a lot of important messages on there! Augh!!

[He’s about ready to jump into his trashy water and fight a fish!!]

[C: long distance]

[Someone help him. He just wants to talk to someone in a normal and completely boring way. Which seems like an odd thing to want but after trying to communicate with people only for their person to be so far away and their voices right up in his ear he’s completely weirded out.]

What is with this place?! Hello?! Anybody... ?! Someone pinch me!

[He’s got to be having a nightmare. One of those nightmares that no matter how hard you run forward your body just slows or stays in one spot...!? It’s the worst kind of nightmare!]

long distance

[memorate]

[ Cloud doesn't know whose weirdo's voice he's hearing right now, but something compels him to answer back. With nobody else around, it feels like he's just arguing with himself. It's not even guaranteed that the other voice will hear him, but... ]

You can't just go around asking strangers to pinch you.

[ That should really go without saying. ]

rufus shinra | final fantasy vii (post AC) | ota

[ruinedempire]

bite here, bite now
[And here he thought that Gaia was in a sorry state of affairs. At least they haven't yet devolved into a state where most of everything is just... empty. Most certainly, there are signs of life and civilization, but one could hardly describe this world as thriving. Perhaps it's fortunate that any city and society exists here.

Thus, the Shinra heir finds himself in a predictability serious mood, watching some of the monsters munch on rocks and dirt with an air of distaste. Best he leave those creatures there before they turn their sights on him. Probably wouldn't eat him, but he'd also rather not have his clothes ruined.

So, he turns to leave, except one of the creatures has taken a small interest in Rufus, moving away from its precious rock and making a few steps closer to him. Well then, he can't have that happening.]

Don't follow me.

[He orders, staring almost coldly at the small rabbit(??) like creature.]

blowing hot and cold
[Well, perhaps it's a good thing that not everything in this world works as it should. One moment, he was standing with the wind passing by him, then fire started to brush past-- and despite the area around them covered with those flames, none of it actually harmed him or anyone else in the general vicinity.

This truly would've been deadly otherwise.

He doesn't move to help with the cleanup, mostly because others are already getting to it and well, he's seen the fire burn out on its own. He's more curious, honestly, moving closer to a lone flame on a window still and touching it. Warm, yes. But that's all.]

Aren't we fortunate.

[His comment isn't aimed at anyone in particular.]

long distance
[It doesn't take Rufus too long to figure out the unusual physics (or lack of it) in this world. Sometimes it seems to work like normal, other times, it feels completely off, changing at a moment's notice. And right now, he hears voices, almost like they're coming from nowhere, but still clear as if they've been standing right next to him.

Well, it'd be rude if he didn't answer back, right? So, he stands where he is and smoothly calls out. Maybe he'll even ping some people that haven't spoken just yet.]

Interesting way of communicating, wouldn't you say?

[ooc: Just a pretty tentative TDM post! Reach me at currykirby if you wanna plot or anything!]

bite here, bite now!!

[anciently]

[ Ugh. She almost doesn't want to engage, considering...who has found their way here, but instead the flower girl stands and considers it for a moment before, inevitably, speaking up: ]

They're not your little lackeys, you know. You can't just give them orders.

[ Rufus may or may not be surprised to see that Aerith herself has one of the little bird-rabbit-hybrids perched on her own shoulder. Both it, and its guardian, are watching Rufus with vaguely judgmental expressions. ]

Before you try: I doubt threats will work, either.

Noctis Lucis Caelum } Final Fantasy XV } OTA

[king_in_dreams]

A. Bite Here, Bite Now

No! No, those aren't worms! No... oh, can you just... get off? Please?

[Noct is dancing backwards away from one of the featherless chickens - that is entirely set on pecking at his boots - or, more specifically, the laces of his boots. He's trying very hard not to kick or trip over the thing while also getting away from it - but it is very set on him.

What he's failed to notice is the other one that's come up on his other side, just as intent on his other foot. He yelps when he feels it pecking at him - and the other races in to start pulling at his boot strings. He sighs loudly, reaching up to run a hand over his hair as he gives up, glaring down at the bird things attached to his feet.]

B. Blowing Hot and Cold

[So, fire storms. He's absolutely had enough of that kind of thing, given the time they spent on the Rock of Ravatogh, and he would very much like to not get set on fire.]

[That doesn't mean he's about to let someone else get set on fire, and he yells as he sees one of the streams of fire whip by.]

Look out!

C. Wildcard!

[You name it, I'll play it!]

B

[anciently]

[ Aerith has actually been looking into the fire storms, because...it seems important to figure out what they are, and if they're actually dangerous. Fortunately, the flames don't seem to burn hot, and so she's heading back to the Apartments with this discovery when a young man calls out to her in warning.

The brunette slows to a stop, locating the source of the voice. For his sake, she manages to side-step the stream of fire, and offers him a brief, reassuring wave. ]

Hey there! Thanks... [ Aerith will approach, looking neither singed nor worried about the columns of flame. She's actually pretty chipper, offering him a bright little smile and a nod. ] You don't have to worry about that stuff, though. At least, for now. It's all just for show! See?

[ And probably in a move that will alarm Noct, she'll make a point of sticking her arm into one of the streams for a moment before withdrawing it, shrugging. ]

No problem! Though, I wouldn't keep your limbs in there for long... You never know when stuff around here is going to change. Might be it hasn't learned how to be hot just yet.

y'tajha mhasi • ffxiv warrior of light • ota

[astera]

i. blowing hot and cold

[ When she comes to amidst the purple grasses of Mortis Lake, it's with a remarkable sense of déjà vu. It's certainly not the first time that she's touched something and found herself awakening who knows exactly how long later in the middle of a purple forest, under the light of a strange sky. It's so familiar, in fact, that for a moment Y'tajha is almost certain that she's simply reliving an old experience in the form of a dream.

And then the sky opens up and a blizzard heavier than any she's experienced - even among the drifts and cliffs of Coerthas - dumps itself on her head. ]

Seven hells...

[ Usually, she likes the cold, but something about this one is horrid and biting... and troubling. Never once has she seen snow fall in Lakeland - or anywhere on the First, for that matter...

A blind stumble through the blizzard leads her into a cave the likes of which she's never seen, lights seeming to glow from within its depths. Arms fold over her chest, trembling with the cold, eyes narrowing as her eyes try to adjust to the difference in light.

Where is she? ]

ii. long distance

[ Despite having first arrived in the Void in an area that was remarkably like something she'd consider home, Y'tajha has come to find very quickly that the rest of the world is the furthest thing from it. Like this beach, for example. Nothing like the golden-white sands of home, or the crystal waters of the Ruby Sea; perhaps it could be, if not for the endless piles of trash in every direction, the view of something potentially so beautiful instead permanently marred.

She even thinks about trying to clean it up, just a little, at least until a new wave rolls in, carrying a fresh pile with it, and making the woman's eyebrow raise. ]

There is something terribly wrong with this star.

[ It's barely a mutter, something said under her own breath, but little does she know that sound here is terribly wrong too, carrying her concerned complaint right to the ears of another... ]

iii. wildcard

( happy to do anything else too, really, so if you have a different idea, hit me up or just throw it here; I'm flexible! )

ii

[crystaltower]

[The Exarch is walking the path around the mountain, taking the leisurely route, when an unexpected voice reaches his ears and he comes to a halt. A quick look around fails to reveal the source of the complaint, but he can’t quite dismiss it just yet.

Even if he can’t determine the source of it, that was absolutely a voice, and a familiar one at that. Is the realm playing tricks on his senses? He can’t say he would be surprised if that was the case.

Slowly and carefully, he answers. If they were close enough for him to hear, they were close enough to hear him.]

Not an entirely uncommon assessment, it must be said.

terra • kingdom hearts • ota

[solums]

BITE.

[ It worries him, in the sense that it should be something dangerous--Terra has seen all manners of creatures across all the different worlds in his travels, has seen things with wings and claws and horns, met robots and androids and giant dragons and has never tried to question their methods or why they choose to do what they do. So why is he so concerned about this? It's another strange creature, one he doesn't have a name for, but certainly poses no threat to anyone around it, like the Heartless or the Unversed he's so used to taking down. Instead, this--well, chicken is probably the closest thing he has the word for, though it doesn't quite look the way he remembers it should, has taken to pecking up little specks of broken glass from the window of a building that he doesn't know or recognize, either.

The creature--and its companions, a few more of the same hairless, plump little birds--seem all too content to continue to gobble up slivers of glass, enough that Terra has the sinking suspicion this is not only something they know they can do, but something they do alarmingly often.

Still, he just feels bad, like he's waiting for one of them to end up cut through the neck by the "food", and crouches, waving an arm through the flock of them as though he can shoo them away.

They stare up at him, and he stares back--and then, without warning, one of them starts to gnaw at his wristband like it might bear a more delicious taste; one of them he can handle, but when there's three or four of them crowded around him, he's outmatched, and the fabric stretches and threatens to tear. ]

No, that's not--no, that's not for you. [ He grumbles, low and annoyed and embarrassed, and tries to stand up again. A little help? ]


HOT.

[ It's about the only place so far where he's felt comfortable: the sand reminds him of a place far away, of an island full of hope and promise and destiny, a silly thought that makes him nearly smile. The beach doesn't look like the beach he's thinking of, and there's no one around as far as he can tell, either, making it feel eerily lonely, and the whispering sound of the water and the wind seems to merge into something that's almost deafening, like someone's taken a knife and dragged it through the both of them, splicing it together. He doesn't like the way the air trembles for a moment, like it can't quite decide what to do: he doesn't like that he smells the fire, before it starts, whistling past him as though it's pulled through like magic. There's some trash there that catches, a flame that turns into a flurry of them, and Terra stretches out a hand to call his Keyblade: after all, a fire should be easily doused by a bit of water magic, but--

But nothing comes. He tries again--and then once more, a panic climbing up in him that makes it hard to focus, an anger that melts away into fear, forcing it into the sharp curl of his fingers into the palm of his hand. He can't summon the weapon, he can't use his magic, he can't do anything but watch things around him catch and burn, smoke building up into the air like some sort of signal.

Then--what about just water, from the ocean? He jogs a few steps, stops, frowns--how the hell is he going to get the water there? With his hands?

It's worth a shot: so he kneels by the edge of the water and cups some into his palms, knowing that it will look absolutely ridiculous. ]


DISTANCE.

Is this the Darkness again?

[ It's soft and low, like he can't quite believe he's said it out loud--like he doesn't want to know that he's coming to those thoughts again, worrying over it as though there's something to be done. Has he gone under again? It's an assumption he can't help but make: this place is strange, so unlike any of the other Worlds he's seen.

There's just the faint sound of trees in his ears. Harmless. He nods his head to himself, looking down at his folded arms. ]

Maybe I'm not cut out to be something good after all...


wildcard.

( have another idea? feel free to hit me with something completely different, i'll roll with anything! )

Hot

[indigloaming]

"A bottle'll work better for that," comes a reverberating voice from behind him -- one with a 'cowboy' accent, of all things. It comes from a glowing faceless purple... woman?, who is holding one out, having rescued it from a trash heap that hasn't caught yet. There's another in her other hand.

"Wish we had somethin' bigger, but these'll hafta do." She steps up to the water's edge beside him, leaning down to dip her own bottle into it.

Somnus Lucis Caelum | Final Fantasy XV

[luciing]

Hunger and Biting
[ A tall, armor-clad figure stands among the red dragonlings gathered about it, unmoving. The creatures nibble at its feet, its arms, its ornate headdress, and still the statuesque entity does not stir. Sooner rather than later, the beasts realize that their attempts to gnaw upon metal prove fruitless.

Instead they climb upon the entity's broad, plated shoulders. Doing so earns them a leisurely ride upon the statue as he begins to stalk about the landscape; with heavy, lengthy strides, the effigy's steps are not unlike the patient pace of an executioner, the purposeful proceeding of a monarch. Perhaps in hope that their armored escort will bring them to another source of food, the dragonlings remain vigilant for their next meal... which would be you.

One of the dragonlings leaps from the statue’s shoulder at you. Watch out!

As for Somnus himself, he's arrived in his four-meter tall Lucii form. Perhaps by some mechanism of this world, he is unable to doff the physically armored form of his spirit...  ]

FIRE
[ A silhouette of pale blue is left behind as he phases from the torrent of fire flying by him. Curiously, however, he feels no singe near his person, even as he remains but a hairsbreadth away from the stream. A moment passes as the braid of fire flourishes past, accenting the dark metals of his helm with the bright amber-golds of  flames. Even had his true visage been revealed, his expression would have remained passive.

 He raises an armored hand outward, extending it towards the infernal river to dip his decorated gauntlet within.  No burns, no charring. No pain. Not even so much as a disturbance to his physical form... Somnus’ hand lowers back to his person, idle, and then he crosses through it, unaffected and unbothered.

Perhaps you’ve just watched him pass through, or maybe he’s seemingly randomly appeared before you, stepping out of the harmless flames.  Note that regardless of how encountered, he appears as a four-meter tall figure. ]

SNOW
[ If the wind and ice is proving too much to trudge through alone, maybe it would be best to stand behind this heavier figure from the icy blasts. ]

WILDCARD
[ HMU here, drinksteapots or Jade294#6977! ]

snow

[psychokinesia]

[Add expected snow when he decided to check out the mountainside ruins, but out of nowhere it goes from a gentle snowfall to an all-out blizzard. He's hissing swears under the roar of the wind, coat wrapped tightly around his body as he struggles to navigate the storm. He can barely see a foot in front of him, but he does, eventually, bump into something solid.

It feels kinda like... a leg. But huge. Maybe a statue or something?

Whatever, it's big enough to block out the storm so he's just going to stay put for now, leaning against this statue that is definitely not alive as he waits for the wind to die down again.]

Tch, figures something like this would happen... if I had Dynamo with me, at least I could make it warmer...

Yusuke Kitagawa | Persona 5 Royal | OTA!

[fineheart]

The Void

The first thing Yusuke considers as he looks out into the blankness of the void is that he may in fact be dead, and this may be the closest thing he will ever experience to 'heaven'. Because why else would he have been placed in this great expanse of nothing, with the ground being similar to a canvas in texture, ripe for painting? Perhaps there could be somewhere like that in the Metaverse, but he certainly hadn't come here of his own free will. Besides, a quick glance at his phone indicates that it doesn't seem to be working here... wherever 'here' was.

"An entire world of boundless possibilities..." he mutters to himself. "The sheer magnitude of what I could create on such a magnificent canvas is almost overwhelming to think about. Still, I must bring form and colour to this empty landscape!"

A good thing then that he was blessed enough to have been brought here with art set in hand. It may not contain all of his resources from home, but it was enough to start sketching and painting fancy new abstract designs onto the ground beneath him. Given how hard he's concentrating he might be here for a while unless someone interrupts... Time to vandalise paint the world!

Wall Market

Of course, even though the Void is right there ready to be filled in, that didn't mean Yusuke wasn't about to explore the parts of this strange world that seemed to be a lot more tangible, not least because he was sure it would provide him with a great deal of new inspiration. It would also be an opportunity to meet other inhabitants, if there happened to be any... Was he completely alone here, or had others also been pulled in? Most importantly, did they have any idea how?

Stepping through the cavernous passage and out into Wall Market made quite the impact to say the least. The area opened up into what almost looked like a section of a dark and half-derelict city, illuminated by the far more cheery colours of the strings of lanterns and various neon signs advertising each stall and surrounding business. It was a clash of light and dark that assaulted the senses.

What next caught the artist's attention was the small streams passing by the edge of the market area - huge koi leisurely swimming along the canals with little regard to what was going on above them. Drawn to their brilliant patterns and elegant fins, Yusuke crouches down to watch them for a while... before looking up to spot what appeared to be some kind of mural on the wall - an artist's interpretation of the fish swimming beneath the surface, their outlines broken up into a symphony of colour caused by the dappled light on the water. In between the fish were marks reminiscent of some kind of sigil - an artist's mark perhaps?

"What a spectacular mural," he muses as he stands to take a closer look, framing each part with his fingers, observing every detail from different angles. Hopefully there wouldn't be any accidents, being so close to the water. "I wonder if the person who painted it lives nearby?"

If only he noticed the small orange creature with the paint-tipped tail lurking in the shadows of an alleyway not too far from him.

Heavenly Blanc

Sometime later, Yusuke finds himself standing in front of the Heavenly Blanc Bar & Cafe, perplexed at the horribly mismatched letters that adorned the sign... Was that intentional? How unsightly. It wasn't just that though - something about the place seemed vaguely familiar, not least the coincidentally similar name to Ren's current living space, Cafe Leblanc.

As he heads inside and sets eyes upon the interior, Yusuke's confusion only seems to grow. It was just like Leblanc... but also different. Anyone currently inside might find themselves equally as confused at the sight of a blue-haired teenager, elegantly poised in the door with a Dragon-karp in hand, struggling to wriggle free but not making much progress.

Hmm... maybe he should have considered putting it somewhere safe before coming here for refreshment.

heavenly blanc never change yusuke

[forethinking]

(With Ann's appearance in the Void, finally it made sense to go on recon missions. Not that he had ever stopped - what if any of them winded up here as well and immediately got in danger for unfamiliarity? He didn't quite have that. When he arrived, it was blank enough to only worry about the situation itself, not the aggressive tincans that attack those who dare enter their territory...

Still, this mission wrapped up quickly enough. He found nobody and was on his way to work when-- Wait. Is that Yusuke he spots from outside, looking into the window?! ... With a Dragonkarp nonetheless?? Oh, God. Ren hurries inside, wrapping his hands on his apron to hold the fish so that the fins don't injury his hands like they have his shin and aiding for Yusuke's release.)

... Don't play with these...

Ryuji Sakamoto | Persona 5 Royal | OTA

[vulgar_boy]

Bite Here, Bite Now

Listen, Ryuji might not have been here very long, but if there's something that's a universal constant, it's that the boy needs to eat. Even if he's not at school at the moment, he's not gonna slack off and not run — and all of that means he's gotta keep up his protein intake.

(Or so he thinks. The world might have a bit of a different opinion, but Ryuji's gonna stick to routine, thanks.)

Anyway, at the end of a long bit of practise, Ryuji can't find any way to refuel than with a big, juicy burger. Of course, since the world doesn't know what's actually food, he might have taken too big of a bite, and...

... some of that burger's wrapping might be sticking awkwardly out of his mouth. Oops.

Long Distance

Ryuji's a loud boy. It's a fact of the universe. But now, he's experiencing something that he's never really gone through previously:

Everything is as loud as he is.

Or that's how it seems, anyway. Every little murmur or whisper sounds like someone talking right next to him, and it's honestly freaking him out.

So, in a (relatively, considering the state of, uh, the universe) quiet corner, Ryuji takes a moment to... find some way to get everything to quiet the hell down. Maybe he should find some earplugs...

"Ugh, this is a headache and a half," he sighs, half to himself. "Why does everyone sound so nearby? Sound's all screwy."

long distance

[forethinking]

(Ren is just vibing here! Happily writing things down on his probation notebook, such as HOW ARE TWO OF HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS SHOWING UP HERE ON THE SAME DAY!!

He's happy for now, but he'll be freaked out about this later. If Ann is here, Ren is here, Yusuke is here and Ryuji is here, how are things back home?)

Sure is. I could hear you from the other side of the Void.

Prompto Argentum | Final Fantasy XV | OTA

[techtype]

A: That's probably not food...

[Back home, Prompto's used to seeing the local wildlife search for their food. Most often, anak and garula herds roaming as close as they dared to him and his friends' campsite early in the morning searching for the best patches of grass or the tastiest leaves. A couple times he's caught a sabertusk making off with a kill and was put off his appetite for several hours.

This...whatever's going on here is odd, though. This long-necked creature should be reaching for the leaves in a tree, but it seems absolutely determined to strip this building of it's shingles. And possibly bricks, though it's having a lot less luck with that.

About as much luck as Prompto is at persuading it not to devour someone's home.]

Hey...c'mon, let's not eat the house. Try this. [He's got a sizable branch from some sort of leafy tree and gives the giraffe-creature a jab in the side to get it to turn its attention to it instead.] It's not as crunchy but better for you...I think.


B: Hot or Cold?

Shit shit shit...Six help me...how do I even...?

[Normally, Prompto would be proud that he created a fire. And he was! He was relatively warm despite the snowstorm that had come in out of literally nowhere--he'd barely been able to see the mountain, let alone be in range of a snowstorm from it (or so he thought; distance worked oddly here.)--but here he was, originally trying to protect a tiny fire from being blown out to...

...trying to figure out how to put the snow out. Or was it the wind? Either way, he's standing at the edge of an ice-fire storm that's somehow more worrying than painful, in absolute confusion.]


C: Wildcard!

[Start something! Or poke me @dropitlikeitshod or daimon#1067 for custom prompt(o)s!]

A!

[menaretrash]

[ To be fair, Ann's still pretty new here. She's only slightly convinced that this isn't some crazy afterlife, or that this is lack of oxygen to the brain somehow. Both? It's hard to tell. Either way, she's out and about, because there's exploring to do and a whole lot of time-not-time on her hands, both a gift and a curse.

Want to know what else is cursed? Coming upon a young man trying his hardest to gently persuade wildlife not to eat a house. Maybe cursed is the wrong word for it -- it's charming. ]

Hey. [ She approaches the other blond, smiling wearily at him. ] It's a weird thing to see, right? I guess up until recently, no one had to worry about eating... wildlife included. Apparently, everyone and anyone can just eat anything now.