tabularasa_memes | March Test Drive Meme

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March Test Drive Meme

Test Drive Meme #8 Welcome to Tabula Rasa's Test Drive Meme! As of this moment, apps for both secondary characters and new players are open. For more information on this, please see the Applications page.

Whether you plan to apply 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: Two Can Play At That Game
If you're looking for entertainment, MARKETzone is the place to be! Come try out the world's latest attempts at figuring out what a video game is supposed to be, or snack on some tasty treats from the assortment of food stalls as you watch someone else struggle with mismatched control schemes, incomprehensible story lines and more! Once you're done, you can take a relaxing dip in the bathhouse - assuming you have the energy left to run the rhythm game-powered showers first.

Multiplayer games have also started to pop up in the arcades, though their contents are no less baffling. One such game appears to be an air hockey table at first glance... but with pinball paddles to protect each player's goal, and instead of a puck the machine dispenses bizarre trading cards that float over the field's surface. Most of these cards feature artwork and short descriptions of the world's various wild creatures, though occasionally a holographic card will pop out with a familiar figure on it striking a pose - it might even be your own!

The objective of the game seems to be to launch the cards at your opponent's goal to earn points, but it's not entirely clear how many points each card is worth or how many you need to win, and some of them seem to have strange extra properties or effects... but at least you get to keep whatever cards you manage to score with. Collect them all!

Scenario B: Off the Beaten Track
The number one way to get around in the Void is the subway system. Lately, however, it's been less than reliable - earthquakes have been known to rock the world from time to time, and whenever that happens the trains all stop dead in their tracks. That part is probably a good thing, as you wouldn't want your train car to be crushed by the quaking tunnels mid-trip, but they don't always start back up when the shaking finally stops. It can take hours for the trains to start up again, assuming another ill-timed quake doesn't delay everything even further.

Those trapped on a stranded train have two options. The first is to stay put, hope for the best, and maybe try to kill some time with whoever might be stuck in there with you. If you don't want to wait around for the problem to solve itself, though, there's also your second option: pry open the doors and walk the rest of the trip by foot. The underground tunnels of Mementos are eerie, but all you need to do is follow the train tracks to find your way to the surface... and hope that the nearest station isn't the one that's underwater. Everything should be fine as long as you don't wander off of the path!

And if you do find yourself wandering... it's best not to touch the thorny vines or bleeding wounds that mar the tunnel walls, or disturb the deceptively cuddly creatures that lurk deeper within.

Scenario C: Lacking Con-text
Flyers have been appearing all over the world lately, advertising some sort of strange convention scheduled for “the 15th of Alyssum” - whatever that means. Each flyer is covered with a list of activities you'd expect to see at a fandom convention, some nonsensical panel names, and the names and pictures of the special guests that will supposedly be attending... except there's one problem: one of those guests is you.

You also don't remember sharing that quote next to your picture with anyone, but whether that's a problem or not depends on what the content is. It could be totally made up, or it could be a real thing you've said taken out of context - either way, everyone's probably seen it by now, so you better have an explanation ready for when you bump into someone who recognizes your face.

Scenario D: Ley It On The Line
The ley line network is a convenient way to communicate with people across large distances, but there's still a bit of a learning curve to understand how it works. It's not immediately obvious that the glowing blue cracks filled with voices are actually broadcasting your own thoughts as well... hopefully, you're not thinking about anything too weird when you happen to brush past one.

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1. Stories from Afar
[Well.

The subway, from what the previous Sage had said, sounded a lot like the machinery those dumb humans in the West liked to work with, and now seeing one up close bears all the more likeliness to the description; what's life without a little fun, especially since he's rather pissed to know that he can feel his magic but not necessarily use it. Not the way he'd like anyway, which would be upturning this metal cylindrical machine and laughing at the faces of everyone who'd be oh-so-frightened.

As is, when it stops dead in its tracks, Owen can stand it for all of a minute before turning to whomever is beside him, be they standing or sitting, and asking a not-so-innocent question in quite the innocent tone:]

Would you like to hear an exciting tale to pass the time?

2. Don't Trust A Wolf
[After some time, though, that too bores him, and he can't make the teleported escape that he's so used to where he's from (what a laugh, that he should be taken from his world after harassing the Sage so much about their own situation), so Owen takes to simply stepping off the train and going for a walk.

It most certainly looks like something from those ancient temples inhabited by the old, mysterious and aching for someone to touch them, so maybe...

You're walking alone. There's nary a sound, perhaps a shuffle you can discount, before a gloved hand catches your wrist and tightens; Owen's a slight fellow, but there's definitely a grip paired with his bright, dangerous grin.]

It's dangerous to walk alone, don't you know? This place is quite scary. Why don't we go together? It's safer in numbers, isn't that what they say?

1. Play With Me

Hey, you.

[The coy voice might match the handsome young man too little too well, eyes narrowed and a curl to his smile. This same young man, for anyone who'd paid attention, had been watching the... games? for some time now, but had yet to approach them himself.]

There's a glass domed coliseum that spits out cards with people on top of them. There's one I want. Get it for me.

[... It's a multiplayer one so like, he too has to play, but he doesn't seem to be making a move towards the air-pinball-hockey machine.]

2. Sweet Tooth
[As if Owen would be blocked by something as stupid as "currency" in getting what he wants–

Not that he needs to even think of that here, since the economy has yet to be invented, but anyway. Any and all sweet treat, from the big to the small, has been collected into a pile on a table, where sits the wizard snacking on them as if he had a blackhole of a stomach. Did anyone else want something tasty? No? Yes? Too bad, because anyone who even looks at his catch is getting a look.]

These are mine. [That's blunt. The second part's in a sweeter tone, even thought the content is very much not.] I'll add your eyes to my pile of sweets, if you want to join me so badly; I wonder how they'd feel, lolling about in my mouth like a pair of berries? Would they pop as deliciously? Would you like to find out?

[Kaiba suppressed a growl at the subway shuddered to a halt.. again. With narrowed eyes and a stern unmoving gaze, he threw himself into a seat, before crossing both legs and arms tightly expressing his frustration like a petulant child. All he was missing what a pronounced pout, but the frown should have been enough to deter conversation.

Fyi. It wasn't.

Raising a brow, he looked to the other male like really?.]

No, but I have a bad feeling you'll try to tell it to me anyway.

[ Listen. Ann's a busy girl right now, collecting her own sweets to hoard and take home for later, the last thing she wants is someone else's. Probably. She can't help it, the way she glances over at the treasure trove of things Owen's managed to get hold of. It's a nice treasure trove of goodies, it seems, and she's got no intention of commenting or even stopping. You know. Until he has to go and say that.

Ann pauses, mid step, and slowly turns to face Owen, eyes narrowing. ]

First off, no. Second off, if you even think about touching my eyes, I'm gonna touch my fist to your face. Which would be a shame, because you've got a really pretty face, so let's not make any attempts at eye snatching, got it?

[ A - Is This Your Card? ]

[ After taking plenty of time to explore this new and strange world, Fie finds herself slipping back into old habits. Her bracer work, with everything that was happening back in Erebonia, had severely limited her free time. Now? The more she pokes around Mt. Silver and the other mixed-together locales, discovering plenty of space but so few people to fill it, it dawns on her that time to kill may be one of the only things she has.

Which is depressing, mostly. On the other hand, it offers a unique freedom. There's no government, no army, no police. Lots of places to nap undisturbed, too, and plenty of accessible supplies. What's mainly off-putting is the widespread desolation. Someone like Alisa would have nonstop work, fixing and tinkering with anything and everything, but Fie wouldn't even be sure where to start. That said, she's sure she can find a way to help out with things here eventually. Somehow. She'll make it work.

In the meantime, it's back to killing time, and MARKETzone isn't a bad place for that. The air hockey/pinball/card game is… interesting? With enough practice, she actually gets pretty good at it and ends up with quite a few cards in her collection. Which means it's inevitable that she encounters a familiar face. Unceremoniously, Fie takes out one of her cards and shows it to the nearby stranger. ]

This is you, right? You famous or something?

[ B1 - Train to Nowhere ]

[ Speaking of naps, Fie is enjoying one in one of the train cars, curled up cat-like on one of the seats. Then the train grinds to a hault—again. She exhales quietly, then un-curls herself into a little stretch and a yawn before taking stock of who's in the car with her. Might as well shoot the breeze a little while they're waiting, yeah? Be a bit awkward not to. ]

Sheesh. The trains I'm used to are way more reliable than this hunk of junk. If we had delays like this back home, people would be freaking out.

[ B2 - Never Bring a Knife to a Gunsword Fight ]

[ Soon enough, Fie gets bored with the parked train and heads out on foot. The tunnels Mementos has to offer are creepy, sure, but she's explored a few spooky dungeons in her day. All the same, she keeps her twin gunswords at the ready. This is the exact kind of place one would expect to encounter some kind of bizarre monster, and sure enough…

A furry cloaked lizard… robot? With a knife? Sure. Fie almost doesn't even bat an eye. A fight ensues, and in spite of the fact that she can't use her ARCUS or Orbal Arts, she's able to win the day. Fie can found mid-fight, or encountered later; impressed with her prowess, the creature trails close behind her while she traverses the tunnels back towards the train. Which Fie thinks is funny, honestly, though it presents an obvious danger should she encounter anybody en route. ]

Uh… careful? [ Fie nods towards the creature that's just a few paces behind her. ] I mean, it's kind of obvious, but he really likes to stab.

(They're sitting somewhere, tending to their damaged leg. As a robot, they'd normally need to be repaired, but the damage appears to be ... healing? Their wounds appear to be covered in a white, scab like crust, and where it flakes off, new plastic appears to have ... grown?

Legion themselves is quite fascinated by this development, taking time to peer at the healing injuries closely, headflaps lifted, chattering in curiosity. They'd experienced this before, but they haven't been damaged to this extent. They're about to reapply living lantern leaves and bandage the wounds back up when Fie speaks up, startling them so much they actually fall over.

...Ow.

It takes them a moment to get back up.)

We are no more famous than any other.

(Are the people trapped here "famous"? They don't know. However, they are curious, and will lean in to examine the card.)

[ Oof. Was that her fault? She definitely didn't mean to surprise them like that. While the concern on her face doesn't show strongly, it is still there in the form of a creased brow and a small frown.

The card takes a backseat to their wellbeing, but Fie still lets them get a good look at it―for whatever that's worth, because besides a dramatic and well-lit image of Legion, the rest of the card is filled with gibberish stats and descriptions. ]

Huh. Well, I'm not sure who's making these, or why. But there you are.

[ She shrugs, then shifts her eyes towards their wound. ]

... You OK?

All systems functional. Damage healing.

(They'll be fine. They're far more interested in the card.)

This world has previously shown awareness of inhabitants.

Yeah, well... it hasn't really figured out how power works yet, so it only works when there's a thunderstorm.

[Now, don't ask her how power worked. She didn't know anymore than the world did. She was still pretty foggy on the notion of 'bottled electricity' in batteries other than that they ere supposed to do it, and they were filled with smell battery acid that did nothing of the sort. But Legion assured her they worked usually.

Whatever.]

We're stuck here until the next storm or we force our way out. Could happen any minute now.

A.

[Empty space were nothing new to M4, as her world was mostly made up of the ruins of once-great cities that had fallen to the flames of war. Most of those spaces were made up entirely of bombed-out buildings and collapsed piles of wood, brick, and stone. But this place? It looked as if it was fully alive, despite the fact that it seemed as if no one lived there.

M4 moved through the MARKETzone in the shadows, her rifle always at the ready just in case. She moves in the shadows at first, taking care not to be seen, but after a small amount of time, it quickly becomes clear that neither her movements nor weapon at ready was really necessary.

By the time she found her way to the game center, M4 had let down her guard and seemed to be enthralled by the colorful things around her. She looks around for a good while before settling on a game to play... and is doing rather bad at it.]

C.

[The appearance of the convention flyer was both puzzling and alarming to the M4. It seemed like someone had been watching her since she arrived and not only that had taken her picture and stuck it in a publication of some kind. This realization has her on edge, and ready to strike back at some unseen foe.]

I require assistance. Is there any known entity in this place that could have taken my picture without my knowing it?

[She asked anyone within reach.]

C

Edited 2021-03-11 15:59 (UTC)

Uhhhhh...

[Cue the stupid look on the person who was in reach. She was trying to figure out why this relative stranger was mentioning it. Hrmmm. She looked down and angled to try and have a look before she squinted and made an unpleasant sound in the back of her throat.]

I think some folks know how to do that sort of thing, but I don't know if there's anywhee to get those made normally? So, uh, it's probably the Void making that out of the blue.

It does that.

Are things like this normal here?

[This world was so odd. M4 had really thought someone was spying on her. It was a natural conclusion for someone whose entire life had been defined by war.]

It is good to know that no one is watching me at least.

Normal... normal... the flyer's new, but the idea of this world watching us? Nah, that's pretty normal. It's actually paying attention to everything yo do. Seems to be the only way it learns what we expect to happen when things work, like fire.

[She shrugged and looked around before turning back, eyebrow raised curiously.]

Don't think anyone's being all creepy or stalkery, and they definitely can't do this. Don't even know how yu'd make one here.

So we are being watched...but by some kind of higher power? I really don't want to think about that right now.

[She sighed. Things were somehow less complicated back home.]

Do you know what kind of event this thing is advertising?

Not sure I'd call it that, but kind of yes. [Shrug.] It's really hard to tell what is going on as far as the Void, other than that it seems to be learning how to be a world?

...

[She stared at the flyer, dumbfounded.]

Not a damned clue. Kind of sounds like a dumb human thing, or the sort of crap Viridi would talk about. I might ask her.

Everything I'm hearing is just making me wish the Commander was here. She might be able to make sense of all this.

[Really anyone from home would have been nice. That way they could be on edge together!]

Whatever it is, I would like to see what role this place has for me there.

Heh. She might do better, but none of us has a clue. Trust me. It's still kind of defying our guesses.

[And she almost found the irritation amusing. It was giving her something to occupy her mind. Something to focus on.]

Yeaaaaah... I probably won't avoid it. Avoiding weird events here usually just means I get left out, and then I get jealous and nobody wants that.

Then it sounds like an occasion to meet others who have been stranded here as well.

[Then a thought that made her chuckle.]

Sopmod would have loved something like this. She's far more of a social butterfly than I am.

Yeah, this place ends up being a lot more social even for people like me who aren't exactly the life of the party. It's kind of hard to avoid the need to be around them when there's so little here at times.

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March Test Drive Meme

Owen | Mahoutsukai no Yakusoku

B1

A2... i'm so sorry for this

fie claussell | the legend of heroes: trails of cold steel

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M4a1 | Girlsfrontline

Re: M4a1 | Girlsfrontline

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