rubycity_ooc | MARCH TEST DRIVE

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test drive

MARCH TEST DRIVE

Welcome to the Ruby City Test Drive!

The rules are simple:

Pick your prompts and post your character, making sure to include the character's name and canon in the subject line.

Tag around, making sure to follow the game rules. If you're not sure about something, don't be shy - check with the other player!

We recommend staying away from "I just arrived" prompts. Instead, write your test drive threads as though your character has been in the city a while and is responding to our periodic events, especially if you're going to use your test drive threads as application samples. This will give mods a better understanding of your character, as well as make more dynamic prompts for other players to respond to.

This one's obvious, but just in case you forgot: have fun!

KEEP RUBY CITY WEIRD
ONE ► You've been here a few weeks now, and things haven't gotten any more logical. You're on your weekly run to the grocery store and, for the umpteenth time, you notice something . . . not quite right. Maybe there's some unusual food on the shelves, something you don't know how to identify or would never have considered eating back home; edible chalk or an entire refrigerator full of ostrich eggs are more likely than you think! Or maybe it's something even stranger than that. Was that janitor's closet always there--and if it wasn't, do you really want to investigate? Have there always been seven aisles, because you really think you remember six last week . . . Whatever the weirdness this week, you're going to have to find a way to deal with it, whether that's by confronting it directly, asking another shopper for help, or turning to the network in dismay.

TWO ► While there are some reasonably fun places to hang out in Ruby City, the catacombs don't fall into that category. They're dark and miserable and terrifying, seemingly designed to trap you and draw you in, maybe even alive. The walls shift in an ever-changing maze, leading you further and further in, coaxing you towards any number of pitfalls. How long have you even been in here? Hope you brought a light, although it won't help much against the ghosts. Maybe you have a friend (or an enemy) with you; if not, you can try calling for help on the network, but let's be realistic: this isn't the kind of place that gets great reception.

THREE ► You've found an abandoned house. Again. This is a fairly frequent occurrence, given the city's eerie emptiness and tiny population. On a whim, or maybe even by accident, you enter the house and find the detritus of the previous owners. Pictures in frames of smiling friends, notes written from one person to another covered with inscrutable inside jokes, even a place on the wall where the former occupant used to hang their watch when they went to bed. Do you feel like an invader, or do you consider this place yours for the exploring? Either way, there's a lot to think about, or a lot to steal. If you're alone, you can philosophize on the network; if you brought a friend, you can philosophize in person or just get to looting.

MONSTERS ALL AROUND
FOUR ► In your time in Ruby City so far, you've seen plenty of monsters already. Honesty, you can't get away from the ghosts. This is a new one, though: there are a bunch of thestrals around this month, and while they're largely shy of people, anyone who heads into the forest is likely to come across them. If you've ever experienced someone's death before, you'll be able to see them in all their skeletal winged horse-y glory, witness them peering at you with their shining white eyes and considering you with a bit of mistrust. If you haven't experienced a death, congratulations, you just ran into an invisible dead horse. On the plus side, they're not violent; they just want to hang out being death omens, but they're scary enough to look at that you might ask for advice, either from a companion or the network at large.

FIVE ► Here you are, minding your own business, taking a walk in the park. Just like any other day, right? Wrong. So wrong. All of a sudden you hear growling from behind you, low and hungry; you turn around to see--something very ugly, half-man half-wolf, all excited to eat you. And the best part? There's a group of them. Maybe you call out for help. Maybe you holler and run away, or try to climb a tree. Or maybe you make a Blair Witch-style network video, the better to strike fear into the hearts of your neighbors. Either way, you better find a way to get away, or you're lunch.

SIX ► You totally have a clean conscience. Absolutely. 100%. You've never done anything wrong in your life; we know this, and we love you. So then why are you seeing the Adh Seid? Every night at midnight, a beautiful woman enters your home to remind you of all the awful things you've done in your life. You could set a clock by her, she's so persistent, and you can't figure out any way to get rid of her. How do you cope with this? You can ask someone, but that would mean admitting your guilty conscience. Or you could just vaguepost. Everybody loves a vaguepost.

SOMETHING'S HAPPENING
SEVEN ► So . . . you died. How did that feel? Terrible, right? Dying sucks. But coming back is sometimes even worse. Before the vision of Death you've seen (whichever one makes most sense to you, whether that's a big skeletal dude in a black cloak or something else entirely) lets you reenter the land of the living, it tells you that you have to give something up in exchange. That something can be physical, like an item or even a body part, or something less tangible, like a memory or skill. You'll get it back eventually, but for now it's out of your reach. Hard to cope, right? Maybe don't die next time. In the meantime, you're probably going to have to ask for help as you adjust, so make sure to reach out on the network. Unless you're the stoic sort, in which case, never fear: there are enough nosy people in this city that somebody's sure to notice sooner than later.

EIGHT* ► Perhaps you've been recruited by Dil herself, or maybe a friend or stranger has insisted you assist them in the locating and collecting of certain unique items. The exact nature of these items has been kept from you, but you know enough to know that there's something deeply wrong about them--or, at least that's the sense you get from this whole affair. Really, the entire town seems off-kilter, and even a simple mission to retrieve a simple object or two takes a lot of consternation. There's been whispers about a mirror, but you're not entirely sure, yourself.

The seaside sounds like a good place to start, in the closed, off-season stalls and high dunes. Maybe you've been pointed towards the Obelisk, where, even if you don't find whatever it is you're looking for, you're bound to find someone who can help. The library is another place that may be worth looking into--though it's possible the mutable bookshelves and dark rooms are more trouble than they're worth.

NINE** ► Ruby City is not what it was. While as long as you've been here you've known it as a very strange place with long stretches of boredom interrupted by horrifying upheaval, the city it has become now is totally, completely . . . pleasant. Nothing bad ever happens. No one questions anything, because nothing bad ever happens! And if someone asks about a bad thing that may or may not have happened, they are silenced. Quickly. Which didn't bother you until you woke up this morning and suddenly remembered the old city. What do you do? Is the right choice to conform and try to stay safe or fight against this Stepford city? Be careful what you say on the network this time--but who knows, maybe someone around you has woken up just like you have.

________
* This event is based off our February-March 2017 Mirror event.
** This event is based off of our June 2016 Pleasantville event.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Oh no, he called her miss. That makes her giggle a little, her hand covering her mouth.]

Okay! Where's the best place to meet you? You're new so you get to pick a spot and I'll come right over!

I.. absolutely can't.

[No, she cannot, because she's so terribly curious and it feels so much more exciting to be curious about these things with a friend.]

Do you see anything?

[She's stuck behind the door a little, thanks to the width of the aisle.]

Oh, them.

[Mal shrugs a little.]

They're about as smart as any horse. Maybe a little smarter. But also a bit gentler, at least based on my experience with horses, which has led to the conclusion that they're awful mean bastards. I've never heard about those things hurting anybody. They're called thestrals, by the way.

[Too bad, Kikyo. Mal isn't really good at not being nosy, or not invading personal space. She doesn't approach any further, but she also doesn't step back, and she definitely hasn't picked up on the cue that her closeness is unwanted. It's in part because she doesn't really get human body language yet, and in part because she's not that smart. #truthbombs]

Why would they? They're not the strangest thing I've seen.

[Certainly not as strange as one of the things she's processing right now, which is: this girl has no heartbeat. Mal cocks her head at her, a little birdlike in her curiosity, and then grins with teeth that are a little bit too sharp.]

You're missing something, aren't you? Like: a pulse.

[Ah. And there it is.]

Am I.

[She muses lightly, irreverently, but still: she finds it much easier to look at her collectors in that moment, lifting a hand for one to perch upon with insectoid little legs. She spent her life concealing her weaknesses, appearing invincible and unwavering even in those final moments where she was anything but, and old habits are hard to break.

When she feels her mask is securely in place once more, she regards the demonic-but-not woman with a raised eyebrow. She doesn't know what the creature before her is, but it is clearly not human, and so--]

And what concern is it to you?

Uh, wherever this forest is, I guess? I ain't exactly too sure of myself yet.

[one : action / network]

[Saying that Rey's visits to the grocery store only happen one a week would be far, far too generous. She's there every few days to see if anything has changed, to restock on what she's learned she likes, sometimes to just stand in the aisles and eat with her hands straight out of a can or a box of whatever has caught her interest this time.

And this time it's a box of something with a satisfying crunch that she grazes on as she walks the aisles, eyes on the shelves to see if anything else will stand out to her. She's been working on the snack for long enough to not think twice as she reaches in, but this time it's- different. There's no shuffling of crunchy snacks rustling against each other and her fingers sink into something thick, liquid, and she drops the whole box with a disgusted grunt.

When it falls, something dark oozes out in place of what she had been eating the whole time, and it's with a sense of dread that she very, very slowly looks down at her hand.]

What-

[Her fingers are clean, not a trace of that ooze on her skin, and when she looks down at the box it's just as pristine. All the same she kicks it away, wipes her hand off on her shirt and shudders. After a moment, she takes her watch from the satchel at her waist and points it at the box, farther down the aisle but still visible enough to read the label.]

Don't eat those. Whatever's inside- changes, in the middle of you eating it.

[Save yourselves.]

[five : action]

[The park: check.

Minding her own business: check.

Sudden growling: also check, which sucks.

Calling for help or running, though? No, neither of those things are likely. She's got a perfectly good staff strapped across her back, after all, and she's never been one to run from a fight. The monsters are terrifying, sure, and their teeth and their claws are something to take seriously, but what good is she with the powers at her disposal if she runs from a threat that could very easily kill someone else if she just leaves?

So she doesn't. She strikes out savagely with her staff, shouts as she slams it into furry faces and bellies, but each time she thinks she's knocked one away it just gets right back up. No matter how many times she thinks she's struck a blow that should crack a skull, break an arm, the monsters just keep coming.

Which really only leaves her one course of action. She drops the staff, reaches for the metal hilt clipped to her belt, and holds it, albeit a little gracelessly, out in front of herself.

With a hum the lightsaber comes to life, illuminating the space around her in blue, and finally the beasts start to have second thoughts.

Help with the fight would still be welcome, of course, but she might have a difficult time showing her gratitude afterwards. Otherwise, feel free to sit back and enjoy the light show and applaud at your leisure.]

[ Also in the park, minding her own business. Sudden growling might have been Laura too, watching all the monsters close in around her. Running, she'll never do. She's not prey. Laura attacks, her shrieks getting lost in the midst of the monsters howling in rage or pain. ]

[ Somewhere she hears the hum of the lightsaber, and ignores it until she's jumped on a monster and Rey's sliced it in half before Laura can stick both her claws through its skull. She crouches on its carcass, and glares. ]

[Well.

That's... different. For a moment Rey forgets the fight because she's never seen such a small human with weapons like that, not ones that seem to come straight out of her hands, and she's certainly not expecting that angry look for-

For winning the fight first?]

I didn't need any help.

[She's assuming that's what happened here, anyway.]

[ rude!!! she wasn't even helping you. ]

[ Laura hops off the monster and moves around past her, gunning for the one coming at them. ]

[The few times Rey has used the Force, it's been something that's happened out of desperation, her throwing all her will into a last ditch effort to stay alive, and she still doesn't really know what she's doing. She's untrained, she's guessing, but all the same her hand comes up, pushes out, because the idea of something that size going after a girl that small is just not something Rey can let stand.

And to her shock, the monster shoots back with a howl of surprise, up into the air and crashing back down into the bushes it came out of, no longer a threat.

Sorry Laura, all of your fun must be ruined.]

[ Laura stops dead in her tracks, turning around to look at Rey. She's a threat, of course, with that glowing sword of hers and the way she fights, but using telekinesis puts her firmly in the Mutant category. ]

[ It means she helps Rey. Laura doubles back, looking up, claws still drawn, assessing Rey. ]

More over there.

[ And she's off, deliberately acting like a meat shield. ]

[When the lightsaber flashes into life, Julian double-takes. That… is not what I expected. He's heard of – and seen – plasma-based melee weapons, but i's been so long that he's almost forgotten about them.]

[Nevertheless, he can tell immediately that she's not used to wielding the weapon. A good old-fashioned steel knife comes to his left hand, balanced for easy throwing. His cybernetic limb blurs at superhuman speed and the blade flies twenty-two metres much faster than you'd expect, burying itself into one beast's eye with such force that its head jerks to the side.]

[He draws his wakizashi-shaped vibroblade in his flesh-and-bone right hand as he moves forward, another knife flying through the air as he does so. Facing two dozen of the beasts is never an easy thing, so he's not hesitant in his decision.]

I'll take left.

Not yet...

[but she starts heading in. hooves crossed this works out]

What in tarnation? Is that some kind of spell affecting you?

What?

[This is. Definitely super distressing! Objectively, but especially to Giorno. His brow furrows sharply.]

Changes into what, exactly?

[Well, she can't just come out and say she died, can she? She doesn't want to worry Applejack. Not that this is her Applejack, the one she knows, but...ugh, alternate dimensions can be such a headache. Instead, she just...skates around the question.]

No, no spell! Just...a trade, I guess? I just wasn't exactly clear on the terms. At least I can text, though, right? It's not that bad.

I don't know. [Not exactly, at least.] Something wet and- thick. I didn't take the time to analyze it that closely.

[She was too busy being extremely grossed out.]

Well, yeah, that's better than nothing. But I'm worried about you. That just ain't normal. What did you need so badly you had to give up your voice?

[Her life? Ugh. There's no way to really avoid this, so maybe she can just...Say it carefully. Make it seem like less of a big deal.]

I didn't want anyone to worry, but...I got hurt. Pretty bad. And somepony--I mean, somebody offered to help me get better. So I guess it's kind of a magic thing? But it's not really a magic thing. And I'm fine, really! I'm just...Well, going to be quiet for a while, I guess. No breaking out into song in the middle of the square.

[Twilight follows in hot on her friend's tail, into the thick darkness just beyond the door. The light from the store behind them doesn't appear to be falling on anything but themselves...

Until the door swiftly slams shut.]

... Oh, sugar cubes.

Ew.

[DISGUSTING?]

That's so unfair. That shouldn't go in food.

[Mal furrows her brow, clearly confused. It wasn't meant to be rude, much less threating. But then, very little of what she says is meant that way. She's just not good at expressing herself, and terrifically nosy.]

I'm curious.

[She doesn't say "just curious". Curiosity is a big deal, to her.]

[too bad SHE WORRIES ANYWAY]

I'm awful glad to hear you got better but I sure wish you would've told us sooner. We could've helped!

[could her friends have helped tho]

Yikes.

[yikes!!!]

Look, as long as we stick together....

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MARCH TEST DRIVE

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Rey | Star Wars: The Force Awakens

five. will mark spoilers if they come up.

ahh :3

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[Park]

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one.

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gently screes

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