crystalclods | Test Drive Meme | December-February 2016/17

Entry tags:

!tdm

Test Drive Meme | December-February 2016/17


TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to the Cosmographia Test Drive Meme! This is a place for you to test out any characters you've been considering for the game or just to splash around in the waters and see what's right for you. Give our infopages a glance over and use the prompts below as a jumping off point! Threads from prompt A and B can be made canon for the game so long as both parties agree to it! Prompts C and D, unfortunately, cannot, as they take their cues from events and Excursions already run in Cosmographia. In short - pick a character, write up a starter and have a blast!
PROMPT A - ARRIVAL
You don't remember getting in this hole but you definitely remember falling out of it. You go tumbling out into the heart of a cavernous temple. Sparkling Gems suspended in bubbles float lazily about the ceiling, just a little out of reach. There's a greenish glow cast over the room by the huge crystal looming before you in the center. It's... curiously heart shaped, now you think to take a closer look at it. If you're curious enough to touch it, you'll get some basic answers about your situation... but then again, there's no guarantee you're just going to walk up to a giant weird thing in the middle of a giant weird room and touch it, right? Why not take a look around and see for yourself what kind of place this is? Perhaps you'll run into someone in the same predicament as you, or perhaps you'll run into someone who can help explain why there's a weird rock now affixed to your body?
PROMPT B - THE FARMER'S MARKET
It's Thursday in Waverly Bay, and that can mean only one thing: the weekly Farmer's Market is here again! The town plaza is all abuzz with activity today. Stalls not only from farmers on the outskirts of town but from crafty residents with interesting homemade items to sell, and businesses looking to attract the Market's crowd are all here! The weather's a little chilly but it's still an excellent place to spend the day, so long as you've got some money to spend. Are you shopping for a good deal on vegetables for dinner? Or perhaps you're getting a feel for the residents, having recently arrived? Or, perhaps, are you an industrious gem who's looking to set up shop? Either way, you're bound to run into somebody in this bustling, busy place.
PROMPT C - INVESTIGATION
Now that you're starting to get a hold of your powers, you've been sent through the warp pads on some kind of mission to Bricktown, the nearby city. As it turns out, the town is suffering from an infestation of small, bird-like creatures that have taken to nesting around town and letting out the most awful of rackets. Poofing these creatures will net you a small Gem shard. Poof as many as you can and bubble all those shards! You won't be able to do it alone, though. Maybe one of these birbs is just a bit out of reach or maybe you've not gotten a hang of your powers yet. Either way, working with your fellow Gems is the best way for you to get to the bottom of this and find where these birds are coming from!
PROMPT D - COMBAT
Uh-oh! Looks like you've run into a monster! These critters can pop up anywhere around Waverly Bay so it doesn't really matter where you were before or what you were up to. All you know now is that you need to buckle down and beat this thing! *Giant Mothwing* - With broad wings that shed scales on the wind, this corrupted Gem bears a striking resemblance to a large moth or butterfly. The body between its wings is no beauty, though - it usually stays rolled into a wheel-like spiral to protect its flat, pinkish gem, but when it uncurls to attack it looks more like a worm with teeth. Yikes! Loud noises make it lash out in agitation. Even when it's not attacking, it flies around restlessly, shedding sharp, glasslike scales that can leave nasty cuts as they whiz past. It'll be hard to get close to it unless it's lured down out of the sky. *Chameleoid* - The shape of this monster's body is more like a tardigrade than a lizard, but its camouflage ability and long, sticky tongue are worth commemorating. The Chameleoid can flatten and expand its body, and change the color and texture of its outer hide to blend in seamlessly with its surroundings, and it uses this ability to duck in and out of battle. Keep an eye out for suspicious movement when it vanishes from view. The Chameleoid shoots out its 20-foot-long tongue to disarm, trip up, and gross out Gems, but it's not averse to eating any small objects it might grab. The inside of its mouth looks softer than the rest of it, so maybe you can turn that to your advantage...? *Hippocampus* - A serpentine monster from the sea that sports a pair of razor-sharp forelimbs, two tusks, two horns, and a wicked set of jaws. Where's the protection for the rest of her body? She has a soft belly and a slightly more armored back. Luckily - for her, not you - she can breathe fire to respond to attacks on her tail. Why does an aquatic monster breathe fire?? Sometimes the world just doesn't have to make sense. She's about three three elephants long and faster on sand than she looks, preferring in battle to slither around swiftly and spit fire, but if caught, she'll turn her horns on you! *Wildcard Option* - Make your own! You know by now that you've got some special powers just from being a Gem. Apparently, from what little you've heard, you can shapeshift into things and pull a weapon from your gem, and you have some sort of unique special power. But maybe you don't know what it is yet, or you're still not used to using it? Guess you're going to have to learn on the job. Don't leave your fellow gems hanging if you see them fighting one of these little guys either! You're going to need each other to take 'em down!
PROMPT E - WILDCARD
Not into any of these prompts? Thought of something more fun? Go for it!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1. The Heart Room

[ "I'm just going to investigate this," she'd told Aster, running her hands along the outline of the hole in fascination. "Stay there. I'll be right back."

It takes forever and no time at all for her to arrive on the other side. Alalia has no idea what to expect but once she manages to steady herself and take in her surroundings... she can say for sure it wasn't this. She spends a few moments gazing around, taking in the site of the Heart and the gems suspended in bubbles before turning to the hole to call Aster over.

... except there is no hole. Just a smooth expanse of blank, solid rock. Alalia stares at it for a long moment. Then she sucks in a breath and mutters a soft but incredibly heartfelt; ]

Shit.

[ And then from the Heart room starts up a most... puzzled racket. The sound of someone singing -- vocalizing notes in a do-re-mi-fa scale -- punctuated by the sound of someone pounding their fist against rock. If you're so inclined as to come and see what the hell is going on, you'll find a red-haired young woman doing just that. She's pounding her fist against the wall like she expects to break it open. But now and then she just... stops. And sings. And scowls to herself when nothing happens.

... huh. ]

2. The Market

[ SO THIS WHOLE TOWN IS PRETTY FUCKY but Alalia is... nothing if not dedicated to her work. Aster hired her for an investigation and you can be damn sure that Alalia is going to investigate. The farmer's market draws her attention the most. It's familiar enough that she doesn't feel quite as lost here. She even starts to relax a little.

... at least until she starts getting into a spat with a stallholder over the fact that her money apparently isn't worth anything here. Maybe you're running a stall yourself and faced with this, or you're just overhearing the commotion. Either way, Alalia's stood tall, scowling with her fists planted on her hips. ]

I'm sorry, what do you mean I can't pay with these?! They're perfectly good merins. Silvers. You do trade in silvers here, don't you?

3. Arena

[ Now this is more like it.

It's been a few days since Alalia landed in Waverly Bay and for the most part she's been stiff, overly formal and just a touch too polite and together for someone who's been dropped into a brand new world. But she seems to be handling things... passably well. She can only resist the siren call of the arena for so long, though. It's been so long and she's itching to get some training in.

And it's as good an excuse as any to test out this new power.

If you're visiting the Arena today, you'll see a bit of a weird sight. Not one Alalia but two trading blow after blow with their swords. At first glance it's hard to tell them apart. But eventually you'll notice that one is handling her sword with a left-handed stance and seems washed out, desaturated. And her expression is dead and calm. The vibrantly bright, right-handed Alalia, on the other hand, is wild-eyed and grinning, looking utterly exhilarated.

They continue to trade blows for a few minutes until the right-handed Alalia -- the real one -- does something a little strange. She vocalizes a long, drawn-out note just in the instant before landing the finishing blow. The desaturated copy bursts into a flurry of glass shards and then even they vanish into nothing.

Alalia stares at the spot her copy had vanished with an odd expression. She looks... dissatisfied? Something like that at least. Eventually she just clicks her tongue. ]

So. It's like that, is it?

[ Like what, exactly?

She turns as if to leave or at least to take a break before realizing she's not alone in the arena. She blinks and looks a little flustered at being caught off guard before taking a half step back. ]

Um. Yes? Can I help you with something?

Edited 2017-01-09 00:05 (UTC)

Oh boy it's been a while since Desco could do this! Drawing herself up, Desco gestures imperiously with her blood-red claws.

"Mortal! Submit to the will of the True Final Boss, Desco, and become her loyal minion!"

After making the declaration, Desco breaks down into a coughing fit. Someday, she'll be old enough that Final Boss Voice doesn't hurt her throat, but today is not that day. At least she recovers quickly.

"Hmmhmmhmmhahahaa! How was that?! The Final Boss is surely making you tremble in fear, right?! And if you submit your life to the Queen of Evil Deeds, she will also throw in dental coverage!"

From the delighted, shark-toothed smile she's sporting, she obviously thinks she's got this recruitment in the bag.

... is this a game or something?

[ Alalia furrows her brow looking as though she's not quite sure if she's being made fun of or not. She has no idea what a 'final boss' is but that ridiculous voice and the silly title sounds like something a kid would most certainly come up with.

She regards Desco with narrowed eyes for a moment before just giving a sigh. ]

I'm sorry. I'm too busy to play a game with you right now. It's going to be a little too dangerous around here to play so you should probably head back to the Temple.

The three golden eyes set down the front of Desco's torse blink sequentially, nictitating membranes closing sideways over each of them one after the other.

"Of course it's dangerous, Desco is here. Anywhere Desco is is automatically dangerous!"

Is it, now.

[ She's sort of... on the fence between amusement and annoyance. She can't blame a little girl for wanting to play (if... this even counts as a little girl in whatever species she must be). But a training arena isn't somewhere to play. ]

Why exactly did you come here, then? Just to make it "dangerous"?

"Desco likes arenas! Bloodsport is an excellent way to appease the masses!"

There's a slight, thoughtful pause.

"But not the kind of bloodsport that kills people, okay? Desco doesn't do that anymore."

I should hope not. Though it's not as though you could get much in the way of bloodsport here.

[ After all, it's not like anyone can actually die. Even with all the danger and the fighting this seems like a strangely safe place to be. Which is partly the source of her obvious irritation. ]

Are you here to train, then?

Desco draws herself up, placing her hands on her...hips? The purple-grey outcroppings of chitin above her legs, at least.

"Training is for humans. Desco grows stronger by murdering other demons!"

A pause as she tilts her head to one side, the golden eye between her horns blinking.

"Of course, Desco hasn't seen any other demons here..."

And I doubt you're going to find them, much less murder them. Particularly if you announce your intentions so transparently.

[ Alalia no don't just... give someone advice on how better to murder their fellow kind.

She's eyeing Desco with a little more caution than before, though ]

Is that what you're claiming to be? A demon?

[ WELL REALLY ALALIA WHAT ELSE COULD SHE BE ]

There's a very long pause as Desco just...looks at Alalia, moving her arms so that the golden eyes set in the back of her hands can also stare along with the three eyes on her torso.

There's a slight clicking sound as she taps on the chitin covering her body with one crimson claw.

"...Preachy Lady once asked Desco if she had ever considered finding her own purpose in life instead of just being what Big Sis wanted her to be. Desco honestly believed that was the stupidest question she'd ever be asked in her entire life."

A pause.

"Desco is implying that what you just asked is stupider than that. Desco is very helpfully explaining this because she doesn't think you're bright enough to understand Desco's subtle hidden meanings."

[ Alalia's face does... something. It's kind of hard to tell what exactly. Her lips briefly purse and twist like she's fighting hard to keep a straight face and to keep a lid on whatever it was she's about to say. But then after a moment, she smiles. Or more accurately, her lips skin back from her teeth. Her eyes crinkle. That's... technically a smile. ]

Ah, I see. I suppose it comes down to a difference in language! Creatures like you are usually simply monsters back in my own world. Perhaps beasts. Demon isn't a word we cared to throw around much. Much too loaded, I suppose.

[ is this passive aggressive enough for you. is it, desco. ]

Desco smiles brightly, her serrated teeth gleaming.

"Ah! Desco graciously accepts your compliments! Ahh, the adulation of the idiotic masses makes Desco feel all tingly!"

It is, sadly, extremely difficult to actually insult Desco.

(no subject)

voicetested - 2017-01-15 21:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

tyrantball - 2017-01-16 12:02 (UTC) - Expand

Nope.

[The word is chirped with no small amount of amusement from a blonde girl checking out the scented soaps for sale in the next stall over.]

They don't take Lien either.

[She finally looks up from her browsing to regard the other girl with a light smile, hands on her hips.]

New?

Ah--

[ She wasn't expecting anyone else to respond and she's a little taken aback by how obvious it is that she's a new arrival. She supposes getting into an argument over the local currency is a bit of a giveaway but... it's a good job she isn't undercover at all. She'd have failed the moment she stopped to pay. She sets down the apple she's holding -- unbitten, she isn't stupid -- and eventually nods. ]

... I suppose. It's only been a few days since I arrived here.

I'd count that as "new".

[Although now it's her turn to frown slightly.]

Haaave you eaten anything since you arrived?

I've eaten some. The things that were offered on the table inside the Temple. Enough to get by.

[ Ah, now there's some embarrassment. It's all over her face, too. You can't blame her for getting a bit flustered by the realization that a stranger can tell she's out of her depth just at a glance. ]

[In Alalia's defense, Yang has been here awhile and knows a lot of the people in town but...yeah.

She was actually more concerned though about the possibility that this girl had been here for a few days and...not eaten. Forget gem biology, people need to eat.]

How 'bout I spot you for that?

[She gestures at the apple and whatever else the other girl was trying to buy.

The snack table in the Temple is nice but it's basically all sweets and junk food.]

Edited 2017-01-11 04:02 (UTC)

I-- oh no, oh no, I couldn't allow you to do that.

[ She looks even more embarrassed than before. She's technically been taking other people's hand outs since she got here but there's something worse about someone actively offering to spend money on her, right to her face. ]

I'm not in employment yet. I... can't guarantee I would be able to pay you back.

[Yang, meanwhile, seems incredibly unconcerned about the whole thing as she fishes in her side-pouch for a few bills. It's not like this is going to break her bank.]

It's cool. I figure you're good for it. It's not like there's any hurry.

[Maybe making it sound less like a hand-out and more like a loan'll help? No? ...Probably not.

Well, too late, she's handing the money over to the stall-owner anyway.]

[ Aaaand there it goes. Alalia doesn't speak up to protest anymore mostly because she feels doing so would turn this into even more of a scene. She feeds ridiculous enough as it is. ]

Well -- I must insist you allow me to pay you back in some way. Even if I'm unable to offer you any money.

[ there you go, Yang. An IOU one (1) favour in exchange for an apple. An excellent trade. ]

[She should probably feel a little bad for making Alalia so uncomfortable but uh...well.]

...Okay.

[If this girl's gonna insist, she'll absolutely take an IOU. She'll probably never call it in but it never hurts to have somebody owe you one.

Yang's all smiles as she playfully tosses the now paid for apple the other girl's way.]

Sooo, what's your name? [Her smile shifts into a grin.] Figure I oughta know that if I'm gonna call in a favor later.

[Please realize she's joking, Alalia.]

[ She catches the apple but makes no move to take a bite just yet -- Yang was the one who paid for it after all so it almost feels a little rude to start cramming into her mouth the instant it's in her hands. An introduction is a good excuse to put off eating it for the moment, though.

She bows at the waist in a stiff, practiced motion -- one hand tucked carefully behind her back, one at her chest and one foot slid slightly back. ]

Alalia Ridgely. I can only hope that this will be the last time I will have to ask for your assistance without being able to offer anything in return.

(no subject)

nailed_it - 2017-01-17 09:10 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

voicetested - 2017-01-17 22:47 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

nailed_it - 2017-01-19 10:00 (UTC) - Expand

[ Elodie is along for... moral support? Intel??? ]

Oh right, I remember reading up on this... it seems like the locals use some kind of fiat currency, not silver or gold.

Well, that's ridiculous.

[ She huffs and swipes the silver coins off the table and back into her hands. ]

With so many visitors from other words, you would think they would want to trade in something as universally valuable as silvers!

Maybe silver is too common here for it to work as a basis for currency, or something? Economics isn't really my strongest subject.

But... it WOULD be nice if they provided all these newcomers with a little local money, just to get started.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Test Drive Meme | December-February 2016/17

Alalia Ridgely ♫ OC ♫ Selenite

3 - Arena

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

I AM SO SORRY FOR DESCOS EVERYTHING

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

2 - Market

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

2???

no subject

no subject