August Test Drive!

[rubycitymods]

Thinking of apping a character but not sure they'll fit in the city walls?

Have no fear, a meme for you is here.

Directions:

• Use an RNG to choose a location and prompt, or wait for someone else to tag.


• Post with your character with their name and canon on top!


• If you'd like, leave contact info for people to get in contact for plotting and other such shenans.


• Tag around! Make friends. Don't be afraid to chat OOC while tagging.

Locations

1.TRAIN STATION - The place where everyone gets dumped off at. Your first view of Ruby City, complete with informational posters telling you all about where you've ended up.
2. THE BEACH - Lovely year-round, though in the winter months, you're probably not likely to dip your toes in.
3. THE BLACK STALLION - A rather quaint bar. Supposedly, the burgers are great, but you don't see anyone immediately who's willing to serve you. Maybe you're meant to get it yourself.
4. THE OBELISK - The tall monolith in the center of the city marks the gathering place of many events, though right now it seems to be cold and dark.
5. THE CLOCKTOWER - Offering an impressive view of the city, several residents come here to clear their heads, if they don't mind braving the narrow staircase.
6. THE COFFEE JOINT - the front windows are warm and welcoming, and it seems there's always someone friendly enough to fix you a cup when you wander through.
7. THE CATACOMBS - Intrepid, aren't you? Those weird holes may beg exploring, but go too deep and you're going to be in a lot of trouble, considering the viciousness of the creatures held within.
8. THE CITY STREETS - All told, Ruby City is a lovely place, once you get past the fact that several of the buildings look derelict and on the verge of falling down. There's no harm in doing a little sightseeing.
9. THE PARK - You thought it'd be a lovely stroll, but the park is anything but friendly, if those approaching wolf-like creatures are any indication.
10. CHOOSE YOUR OWN - Don't like what we've come up with? Feel like picking your own place? There's a whole host of lovely locations to choose from in the City.


Scenarios


1. NEW ARRIVAL - Step off that train, walk down the street. People usually latch on to newcomers to try and help them out. Even if you look shy, the other residents probably won't be!
2. WATCH TALK - Feeling lost? Disoriented? Don't worry, everyone feels that way on their first day. Fortunately - if the signs at the station are to believed - the watch in your pocket can be used to talk to whoever else might be here.
3. BAD WEATHER - Aw, man. Whether it's snow, or rain, or just plain cold, today was definitely the wrong day to get dumped off in a City in the middle of nowhere.
4. A RUN-IN - Maybe you weren't watching. Maybe they weren't. Either way, you just bumped into someone. Perhaps apologies are in order?
5. HELP, IT HURTS - Clumsy, aren't you? Perhaps wherever the train brought you from wasn't so friendly, or you just tripped and twisted your ankle. Either way, you're in a bit of pain. Hopefully someone will notice your booboos and help patch you up.
6. HUNGRY - It isn't very obvious sometimes that restaurants are what they are, especially in a place like Ruby City. Where can a person go to get a bite to eat around here?
7. MISTAKEN IDENTITY - Hey, there's someone you know! --Or maybe not.
8. BEING FOLLOWED - Maybe you're just being paranoid, or maybe you've got a reason to be afraid. Whatever it is, it feels like there's eyes on you...
9. CURRENT EVENTS - None at the moment, but feel free to look through our event tag!
10. CHOOSE YOUR OWN - Don't like any of these ideas? Feel free to come up with your own!

Comments

bruno buccellati | jojo's bizarre adventure (vento aureo) | you got choices

[risorto]

1. TRAIN STATION

[Bruno disembarks from the train willingly. He doesn't seem to have a great deal of options left to him anyway. So, for the most part, he's fine with seeing where this will lead. Of course, just because he steps off the train doesn't mean he leaves the station immediately. He takes a few moments to look at the posters posted around, but he's not really reading any of them the first few times. Bruno's attention is elsewhere.]

[First and foremost, his heart is beating again. It's not something most people would probably notice unless they were worked up about something, but Bruno has gone days and days without a pulse. Tentatively, he brings two fingers to an opposite wrist. His skin is warm and he can feel the steady beat through his fingertips. He leaves his fingers there as he looks back at the posters to read them properly. Not all of it makes sense, but Abbacchio and Narancia could be here as well. (He worries less for Abbacchio and more for Narancia.) He doesn't want to entertain the possibility of the others.]

[Bruno heads toward the exit. His eyes pass over anyone else who might be hanging around the station, but beyond that he makes no motion to acknowledge them further. He'll stop if stopped, but otherwise, he moves like he has somewhere else to be.]

2. CLOCKTOWER

[Knowing one's surroundings is almost always first priority for Bruno. He doesn't like walking into any situation blind. He'll probably end up spending hours wandering the streets, learning where everything is, but there is an easier way to observe everything that's around. It seems the clocktower is the tallest building that he might have access to, so it's there that he begins making his way. He's still scanning faces as he makes his way there, looking for familiar faces, and even stops and lingers outside of it for a while.]

[He's starting to worry a little that he hasn't seen Abbacchio or Narancia. Bruno's fine on his own, he can adapt. But he knows Abbacchio and Narancia. They're both people who need someone to follow. He can only hope that if they're not here, they're at least together.]

[After a few moments longer, he'll begin the climb up the stairs. It's a long climb, but he continues on even as his legs start to cramp and ache, and then begin to feel like jelly. Bruno eventually has to put a hand on the railing and he slouches a little further as he continues to climb, but he's happy to feel the discomfort and push through it even if it doesn't show on his face. He'll take a break once he's reached the top, but not a moment sooner.]

3. BEACH

[Bruno finds a rock to lean on and closes his eyes, drawing a deep breath. There's something comforting about being near the ocean, the smell of the brine and the sound of the waves crashing in and out in a steady rhythm. It doesn't exactly remind him of home--that's a concept that's found its definition in being in the presence of certain people--but it does remind him of simpler, quieter times in his life.]

[Bruno hasn't forgotten any of it, but he doesn't think of it often. There's never been much point in sentimentality and it's only been through looking forward that he managed to ever get as far as he had. It's hard to know now if he should still be looking forward or if all he has left is looking back. But he's setting a question like that aside for now. He's fine with looking back for a few minutes, finding a little comfort in something familiar with everything else that doesn't seem to make that much sense.]

[When he's ready, he opens his eyes again and pushes off the rock to go for a walk along the shore.]

2

[lapidarius]

[As it happened, Bruno wasn't the only one that sought out a high vantage point.]

[He was also not the one standing on the very top of the clocktower like the world's most casual balancing act. As it happened, there was a redhead in sunglasses and a Japanese school uniform, having chosen that particular vantage point because it was the only one from which he couldn't actually see the clocktower itself.]

[...'Weird' didn't really begin to describe this, and it also didn't cover the reaction he had upon seeing Bruno emerge from the stairs, which was 'act like nothing out of the ordinary was going on at all'.]

Good afternoon. I didn't know there were even stairs in there...

[How in the hell did he get up there.]

[risorto]

[Bruno has seen enough weird things to last him a lifetime, so really? Kakyoin perching himself at the very top of the clocktower like that doesn't really register as all that weird. But it does leave one wondering just how the hell he managed to get up there and how he's keeping himself perfectly balanced like that. And why he wants to be up here like that in the first place. Bruno doesn't launch into questions right away, however. He politely returns the greeting.]

Afternoon, [he says with a small inclination of his head, glancing back at the stairs behind him.] I hope I'm not interrupting something.

[lapidarius]

Not at all. [He offered a pleasant smile, dropping down to Bruno's level with a flash of something green and silver--unmistakably a Stand, but vanishing too quickly to be seen clearly.]

I just like to get a clear vantage point of the city from time to time.

[risorto]

[Bruno straightens a little at the brief flash of a Stand, eyes lingering where he saw it before settling back on Kakyoin. It's nothing particularly personal. Bruno just doesn't trust Stand users he doesn't know, especially since a majority of them have been trying to kill his gang. He stays where he is for the time being.]

You've been here for a while then.

[lapidarius]

A little over two months. [Kakyoin was almost completely at ease; a little wary, but not about to start a fight first thing. To the contrary, he extended his hand in a surprisingly casual greeting considering how goddamn weird he clearly was to any ordinary person.]

Noriaki Kakyoin. Nice to meet you.

[risorto]

[Noriaki Kakyion. Bruno's heard the name before from Giorno. One of two competent Stand users he's managed to identify in the city. He glances momentarily, retracing Kakyoin's earlier descent. That must have been Hierophant Green then.]

Bruno Buccellati, [he says, hesitating just a brief moment before taking Kakyoin's hand in his for a firm handshake.]

[He had been avoiding touching others as much as possible so they wouldn't discover his secret and stay focused on stopping Diavolo. There's no reason for that now, of course, but it takes a little reminding himself of that.]

Likewise. [It's rare to meet a Stand user that isn't actively trying to kill him or his gang. He decides that it's better to be straightforward and honest about his prior knowledge of Kakyoin rather than conceal it. Giorno had made allusions to Kakyoin (and Jotaro) being vaguely mistrustful of him off the bat. Transparency seems the best way to avoid agitating that mistrust any further.] I've heard of you. I believe you've already met a friend of mine, Giorno Giovanna.

[lapidarius]

Oh- [He was surprised by that, but just for a second. Kakyoin couldn't say he'd expected to meet Giorno, let alone any of his friends. Just how many Stand users--which was presumably what Bruno was as well--were going to show up here?]

[Well. That wasn't a bad thing by any means so far. Kakyoin took off his sunglasses for the sake of being as open as possible; much like with Giorno, he wanted to at least attempt to present as little of a threat as he could. He could understand slight paranoia about unknown Stand users, after all.]

I did, yes. I hope I didn't leave too terrible of a first impression on him.

[risorto]

[In truth, there's not much Kakyoin can do that would minimize his presence as a potential threat. He's not family. Not yet anyway. Giorno and Bruno have no interest in starting a war against other Stand users unless it comes down to that. But he knows well enough that such an alliance will be slow going. Still, the openness doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated even if it doesn't really lower Bruno's guard. Not much tends to lower Bruno's guard.]

No. He spoke highly of you. [Bruno loosely folds his arms in front of himself.] He said you seemed a competent and experienced Stand user.

[Not as experienced as you, but close. Bruno leaves that part out, but he also hasn't forgotten it.]

I understand you have a friend here as well. Jotaro Kujo, I think it was?

[lapidarius]

Did he say all that? I should be flattered.

[Was he? It was nice to know Giorno didn't seem to have a problem with him, at least not from what Bruno was saying. Maybe it was true and maybe there was more to it, but for the moment he'd take it at face value.]

Yes, Jotaro's a close friend of mine. I take it that his name came up as well?

3 - i am so sorry

[starmark]

[There is quiet here, on the beach. There is tranquility. There is peace.

And, approximately ten steps into Bruno's stroll along the shore, there is a mighty splash, followed by two different pitches of dangerous snarling, and a whole lot of ocean spray flying everywhere in odd syncopation with the unmistakable sound of jaws snapping, water splashing, and a deep voice yelling ORA ORA ORA.

Whatever it is, it seems to be coming from around the next bend, which is partially obscured from view by a couple of scattered, half-buried boulders jutting out of the sand.

What'll it be, Bruno? Investigate, or get the hell out of dodge?]

[risorto]

[An ordinary person would probably mind their own business. They'd likely turn and head the other way, pretending as though they hadn't heard anything in the first place. It's not as though the thought doesn't cross Bruno's mind either. But it's not just in Bruno to look the other way when something very clearly is going down, so he picks up the pace moving from a casual stroll into a light jog.]

[He's not going to jump straight into the fight though even though his greater impulse is always to help. Jumping into the middle of a fight without knowing what's going on rarely does anyone any good. Once he's scaled one of the boulders, he comes to a stop to observe.]

[starmark]

[The technical term for what he sees once he's perched atop the boulder is warg; what they look like at a glance are a pair of exceedingly large wolves, soaking wet and approximately the size of horses. The snarling is unmistakably coming from them; their fangs are bared and glistening, and their eyes are trained on a lone figure standing like the third endpoint of the triangle they're making, wet up to his waist in the surf.

Or, well, a not-so-lone figure, if you could the fact that he's got a massive purplish Stand hovering next to him.

For a moment, the tension holds; the figures are in a standoff, the wargs slowly drifting closer as the figure moves away at a similarly gradual pace. When one of them springs, things rapidly kick into high gear; the Stand swings a brutal punch, and the user dives out of the way of the second warg's subsequent leap, more concerned with staying away from the jaws than actually getting away from it entirely.

A man, a plan, a Stand, and a couple of bigass wolves.

That appears to be what's going on here, at the moment.]

[risorto]

[Bruno can see a man, a Stand, and a couple of bigass wolves, but the jury is out about whether or not a plan is actually present.]

[He's mistrustful of Stand users he doesn't know, even before they were trying to kill him and his gang. Given that neither Stand user nor wargs have taken notice of Bruno, it's a few moments longer of weighing his options on what to do. But what is he really going to do? Right now there are two overgrown wolves trying to eat an equally overgrown man. Whatever might happen afterward can be dealt with then.]

[The boulder he's standing on is low enough that he can safely jump down. It takes him only a second to compensate for the sand beneath his feet and get a decent running start. The warg closest to him turns at his approaching footsteps. It's torn for a moment about whether or not to continue the attack on Jotaro or dealing with this new potential threat before it lunges forward. Sticky Fingers doesn't appear until the two are about to collide, Bruno skidding to an abrupt halt as Sticky Fingers swings a sharp, fast jab to the beast's jaw, pushing it back.]

[And just like that, its mouth is sealed with a zipper.]

[starmark]

[There isn't time, really, to process all of the ramifications of what's just happened. (Or, well, he could make it so there was, and maybe he still will, but he's loath to do that for a lot of reasons and right now his own survival alone doesn't quite meet that threshold; if the wargs end up threatening whoever's just appeared to play the apparent cavalry, that threshold will get a lot closer.) Things are moving fast, and he's not so much thinking about anything as he is just observing and reacting to it. Water is splashing, wolves are snarling, and something —

Stand User.

The warg has a zipper for a mouth, now, and evidently the fight's just become two on two.

If he had the time to think about it, he'd be wary of a random Stand user he doesn't recognize, and especially so one this close to him with no warning. As it is, there's no time to think; just to reach a decision.

The guy had attacked the warg, and not the person running from them.

That'll have to be enough, for right now.]

Hit the other, too — once they bite, they don't let go!

[And a zipper over the mouth, frankly, is a neat way of mooting that problem, in particular.

With the other warg temporarily driven back by Star Platinum's punch, Jotaro brings his own Stand back to help defend, intent on handling the muzzled warg to free Sticky Fingers to repeat the hit on its partner.]

[risorto]

[Bruno is the sort of person who gives orders, not take them. But now is not the time nor place to get offended at the commands. It's time to act. He's marginally more grateful than offended that he doesn't need to tell Jotaro to keep the other one off him. Even muzzled, a warg still has claws and it won't stay bewildered at the sudden change to its mouth for long before it starts lashing out. And, well, Bruno is also appreciative of the fact he's not exploiting the aid to just leave Bruno here to deal with the wargs. The motivation behind a move like that would be incredibly ambiguous, but largely unappreciated regardless.]

[He shifts his attention away from one warg to the other and keeps Sticky Fingers ahead of him. The warg's still getting back to its feet from Star Platinum's punch, disoriented and only half-aware that Bruno is making a fast approach. He probably has a good chance of still catching it off-guard by the time he manages to get in range, but Bruno won't risk it figuring out what's about to happen. He extends Sticky Finger's punch by unzipping one of its arms, propelling the Stand's fist forward to muzzle it.]

[starmark]

[It's not a Stand he's ever seen before, that much is certain, but there'll be time to dwell on that later; for now, it's enough to note that the stranger thankfully seems to know what he's doing, quick to adapt and respond to a rapidly-changing situation on a moment's notice. Managing the wargs will get a lot easier once the issue of the jaws has been resolved; it'll still be a fight, but it'll at least be a straightforward one, without the complication of having to potentially saw a horse-sized wolf off his arm somehow.

Water sprays up in every direction as the zipper-jawed warg clashes with Star Platinum, raking with claws and doing its best to bite, still driven by instinct that tells it to attack that way even with its jaws locked together by the zipper. It's moving too quickly for a proper attack rush, but Star Platinum responds fast enough to synchronize its punches with the warg's lunges, using its own forward momentum to make the hits land that much harder.

That makes one that's well and truly preoccupied; it's up to Bruno to handle the other, but at least he's clear to do so for the time being.]

[risorto]

[He should probably not take his eye off the warg in front of him, but as Bruno is zipping his arm in place once more, he looks over his shoulder back at Jotaro and the other warg. He's checking both for the sake of making sure Jotaro is still in one piece and to observe his Stand in this momentary reprieve. Star Platinum is fast and strong. Not a Stand that Bruno really wants to fight unless strictly necessary. He's hoping this cooperation is a positive enough sign that it won't become an issue.]

[Nearby the warg next to him is thrashing violently, pawing at its mouth with muffled growls and howls that are barely heard over the surf. Bruno focuses his attention on it as it finally gets back to its feet, enraged. Bruno waits until it makes its move, dodging to the side easily when it begins to make its leaps, claws first. It tries to snap at him with jaws that won't open and earns itself a swift knee to its chin.]

[He could drag this out if he wanted, but the sooner this is dealt with the better for both of them. He doesn't look to pummel the warg, just disable it as quickly as possible. Bruno backs away along the beast's side, landing a few quick punches as the warg begins wheeling around after him. It raises both of its front paws in an attempt to pounce, but one of its front legs goes flying off as it unzips, its shoulder also now open and flapping before it falls hard down into the sand.]

3) Beach

[arlathvhen]

[ As he strolls along the beach, he'll come upon a tidy pile of belongings. A set of clothing, neatly folded, with a bow and quiver of arrows resting next to them, and a bucket of what appears to be clams. The identity of the owner of these materials is a mystery Bruno won't need to puzzle out for long, for an elf was wading not far out, focused on digging her hands into the sandy bottom and pulling out more clams.

But she pops up quickly enough, looking startled to see someone else. Well, it wasn't exactly a private beach. So she smiles, trooping back to shore with her catch, and dumping them into the bucket. ]

Well, hello! If the air gets too muggy for you, I'd definitely recommend trying the water out. It feels quite cool. Would you like some clams?

[ She plucks one out of the bucket, inspecting it. ]

I wonder if any of them have pearls inside.

[risorto]

[Bruno's attention is fixed more on the bow and arrows until he detects movement out of the corner of his eye. He turns his head to look just as she greets him and begins speaking. He looks her over once, eyes lingering more over her facial tattoos and her ears for a brief moment as they stand out more than anything to him. You know, as if the man with gigantic zippers, tiddy window and a Dora the Explorer haircut has room to think someone's appearance is peculiar. As she approaches, he rests his a hand and his weight back on a hip. His other arm he folds across his torso to loosely hold the wrist of the hand on his hip.]

No. Thank you. [A beat.] It's possible, but not likely that they have pearls inside them. Oysters produce most of the world's pearls. I'm sure they will provide you with a nice meal though.

[He glances at the bucket. Her and a few others judging from how many she's managed to collect.]

[arlathvhen]

[ He certain did look odd, but unlike SOME PEOPLE she let it pass. After all, humans were peculiar. There was real no trying to explain their taste in clothing. It was just as odd as the strange blue canvas trousers that so many of them wore. When he mentioned that it was oysters that produced pearls, she blinked slowly at him, then squinted at the clam in her hand, as if she had half a mind to interrogate it for this failure. With a sigh, she tossed it into the bucket. ]

Thank you. I thought that it'd be good to have some meat besides what I've been hunting, shellfish will be a nice change of pace. And I can trade them with other people.

[ Unless she just freely offers them like she just did. Whoops. ]

...I haven't met you before, ser. My name is Beleth Lavellan.

[ She ducks her head politely at him--Not sure if he's simply new, or she's just managed to not see him. It's quite possible--Ruby City has a decent enough population, and it switches often, with people coming and leaving. ]

[risorto]

[He tries to place her name in terms of its origins, but comes up dry. There's nothing that sounds close enough to be a variant. Well, he supposes that this place would take all kinds. Who is to say what lies beyond his own world?]

Bruno Buccellati, [he says with a small nod.] Are you used to foraging for your own food?

[A useful skill to have albeit a little unnecessary from what he's seen in the city. It had to be something she acquired in her home. His gaze wanders again down to the bow and quiver resting on her clothes.]

[arlathvhen]

Pleased to meet you, Bruno...Buccellati...?

[ Her tongue struggles with the word, as foreign to her as hers is to him. When he asks about providing her own food, she gives a shrug. ]

My people have always hunted and gathered for our meals. Here, it isn't necessary, but you still have to pay for food, and we mostly barter. For instance, I can trade some of these for vegetables.

Besides, I wouldn't just...rely on other people for my food. That's a rather important thing to rest your faith on strangers.

[risorto]

Buccellati, [he repeats slower. He's not doing it out of irritation or to embarrass her, however. He's not particularly bothered by any butchering of his name, but she seems to be making an effort. So, it's a gentle correction.]

I suppose that's true. That's the way it is for most people where I'm from. Relying on others, strangers, for food. [Modern conveniences and all of that. He lifts his gaze to her once more, regarding her curiously.] Why were you prepared to just give them to me?

[arlathvhen]

Buccellati.

[ That sounded close enough to what he said that it wouldn't be stupidly insulting, she guessed. ]

Are you from a city? I know that it's that way with cities. People have jobs, they get money, they use the money to buy things. For my people, it's easier to just say, I will give you this deer if you give me that sword. I suppose each place has what works best for them.

Oh--

[ She blinks at him, surprised by his question, then gave a shrug. ]

Why not? I'm not starving. I think that it's more important to build good relationships with neighbors than to be stingy. There isn't much point in hoarding things here, anyway. There's a lot of point in making sure no one is hungry, though.