Test Drive Meme 015

[voidtreckermods]

Welcome to the Test Drive Meme! Here is the place to see how your character might fit the setting, grab samples and have fun!

1. Post with your character, including their name and series in the subject. We’ve written out some prompts but feel free to make up your own, you have a whole train to play with!

2. Assume they've been around long enough for threads to jump right into the action.

3. Have lots of fun. Mandatory, mod-sanctioned fun.

Happy testing!

A Quiet Place

A double carriage with a staircase at each end, the quiet coach has five booths on each floor. With frosted glass doors, locks on the inside, and a pair of comfy benches each, they’re luxuriously private on a train that’s anything but. There are no ICP screens, and each booth is completely soundproof.



Granted, two of the rooms downstairs have been merged in an act of vandalism and are now a workshop-slash-forge, but that has its own attraction. Plenty of things to mess with, plenty of boxes of scraps. The main tinkerer’s not home. Hey, isn’t that a welding torch?



No? Well, you were early enough to snag a room for yourself. Perhaps you’re not alone, or you’re expecting company. Or maybe you forgot to lock the door, and now someone’s in here with you. Awkward.

Too Many Cooks

Once a single room, the kitchen now sprawls over two floors. Banks of industrial electric ovens, a long, steel countertop facing them. Cupboards full of oven trays and pans, racks of implements and appliances. On the first floor, sinks and modern appliances, and cupboards full of crockery.



This month, the month of Harrow, the recipes are centred around chocolate. Chicken Mole, chocolate ravioli, cocoa chilli… it may begin to taste a little sickly sweet after the first week. Fortunately, there’s plenty of room for experimentation as people start to beg for other meals. And a lot of chocolate going spare.



And when the preparation is finished, and the meals have been sent over to the dining carriage… there are stacks, and stacks, and stacks of plates. Pots. Cutlery. And no dishwashers.



Well, no, that’s not strictly true. You’re there.

Allegorical Devices and Other Foes

The world of Torcera, designation #450720816. With a civilisation level roughly equivalent to the medieval ages, the train has deposited its Voidtreckers in a castle town, in which several kingdoms have assembled for an annual tournament. Banners fly from every roof, chattering squires and servants tug mounts this way and that. Some resemble horses with trailing antlers and four lidded eyes, others great flightless birds, and a third popular choice is a species of lanky winged dogs, albeit for the sake of fairness their wings are strapped loosely to their saddles. As a world ignorant of Void travel, you have all been given access to the dressing car’s voluminous stores. Dresses, chainmail, jerkins, or even a few suits of full plate… and plenty of hooded capes. Evil is afoot at the tournament, and you are to root it out.

Team One

Courtiers and their adjutants have travelled from all corners of the planet to assemble for the tournament; the empress herself is said to be participating, and stakes are high. Your team has been tasked with determining the identity of the empress in the tourney, and the identity of her foes, so that Team Two can move in. To this end, you are to mingle with the court and, if necessary, break into personal quarters. Brief instruction in protocol will not be provided.

Team Two

Once you know the identity of the Empress, you can move to defend her - you’re relatively sure she’s either the helmed hedge knight of the crested monlion, or the masked outrider with the seagoose crest and a mount with plumage of deepest blue. But you can’t be sure, and until you are, you’re to sign up for the tourney and look for troublemakers. The melee will be held in the afternoon, and tomorrow the individual lists. Mounts are available, as are a staggering number of weapons. Ideally, the final round would be a number of Voidtreckers, and the Empress. How to arrange that?

Team Three

Team One is in the court. Team Two in the lists. And you, Team Three, are amongst the common folk. Rumours abound, the atmosphere is festive, and several events are open to ordinary citizens on the second day, including one bohort with a single wish of the Empress as the prize. No great problem, perhaps... if not for the tales of a younger brother, long lost, looking to usurp the throne. Unrest is stirring in the town behind the colourful stalls and laughing children, and it's up to you to determine where, and why.

Comments

Re: Allegorical Devices

[nutkrusher]

"Same," she says. "Maybe I'll see you there."

Cassie lets that line hang for a moment before continuing.

"But anyway, knights in the Middle Ages had all kinds of colors on their shields and armor. Blazons and shit. It's not like recent movies where everything was brown. Shit was a goddamn kaleidoscope."

Dad had done his homework on it when he made Ninja Mime 3: Mime in Time.

Re: Allegorical Devices

[light_of_willpower]

"Wonder how many of us there'll be, and if we'd all do better to try and be on the same team, or separate." Musing a bit, since there were definitely a few fighters among the voidtrekkers.

"I hope the shields aren't required. I've never used one." Colorful wouldn't be an issue so long as he looked appropriate. It wasn't like the saiyan armor wasn't bright... "Would the full suits of armor be more appropriate, or a mix of lighter stuff?"

Because she sounded like she knew what she was talking about.

Re: Allegorical Devices

[nutkrusher]

"When you're ready to joust, you're out in your full armor," Cassie says. "The flashier, the better. In a tournament, it's about looking handsome and impressing the court as much as it is about winning."

She picks up a glimmering cuirass with a lavender heart on the chest.

"I think this one would suit you pretty well."

Re: Allegorical Devices

[light_of_willpower]

"Joust?" Trunks repeated, what was jousting? "So, is this the time to mention I've never really been in any kind of normal tournament before?" With a hint of embarassed expression, arm coming up to rub at the back of his neck in nerves.

Re: Allegorical Devices

[nutkrusher]

"Y'know, horse tilting," Cassie says. "Charging at the other dude with a lance. I've never done that before, either, but they'll have melee fighting, too."

She considers his wording for a moment.

"I've been in a lot of regular-ass tournaments. And I know a thing or two about the not-normal kind."

y'know, I'm not sure he WOULD canonically know what jousting is...

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks shook his head, then reached up to brush part of his bangs back. Maybe he should consider a haircut. "Not familiar at all with it. Give me a sword-fight, or even a mix of weapon and hand-to-hand, and I'll be fine."

Her wording though made him raise an eyebrow. "First tournament I've ever been in, which is where I was before here, was probably not the normal kind. I'd never had a chance to be in any tournaments before it, normal or not."

Probably not a lot of time for equestrian sports in the shit!future

[nutkrusher]

"Same here, though a bit more the second one than the first one," Cassie says.

"Anyway, my parents met at an interdimensional tournament that decided the fate of the world."

I mean, he's likely well-read and learned b/c BULMA and GOHAN raised him, but....

[light_of_willpower]

That made him blink, and blink again, looking at her in surprise. Then he gave a soft laugh. "Well, I can at least say my parents didn't meet that way. Mom was always a bit sketchy on the details, but I'm pretty sure they met on a dying planet trying to stop an evil intergalactic emperor from wishing for immortality from the Dragon Balls."

Which sounded kind of crazy, even to him. Still, it sounded like there was a story here. Taking the cuirass in one hand, he offered his other out for a shake. "Name's Trunks. I appreciate the help."

[nutkrusher]

"Now that sounds like a story and a half."

She takes the offered hand. "Cassie. Hope to see you at the tournament."

[light_of_willpower]

If you can judge by handshakes, he's a fighter. Firm but not overpowering, calloused from both swordwork and punches. "Likewise, and it's nice to meet you. Although..." Eyeing the cuirass he held. "I might need you to help me figure out how to put this on. The breastplate I do have is a lot more advanced, tech-wise. It stretches, for one."

A bit sheepish there, and a bit shy too. He's not used to pretty girls that aren't trying to kill him. Certainly not used to a pretty girl he can talk with easily.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie's own grip should reveal the same, albeit with more maintenance on the nails on her part. (Assuming her energy doesn't already).

She smiles. "Sure thing."

She avoids a smart remark about being happy to get him dressed up, since he looks shy enough already. It's pretty cute, actually.

"First things first, you'll need some padding underneath it."

[light_of_willpower]

"Okay." Trunks took a breath, and gave her a bit of an shy-awkward smile. "You clearly know more about this than I do, Cassie. Help?" What could he offer in return. "If we don't meet in the tournament, we'll find a way to spar on the train? It's all I can really offer as thanks."

[nutkrusher]

"The stuff I tend to put on is a bit more modern and...ceramic-y than this, but yeah," Cassie says.

She grabs a white gambeson and holds it up in front of her.

"I'm eyeballing this a bit, but...it looks about right."

[light_of_willpower]

"Modern definitely describes the one set of armor I have. Otherwise I tend to fight in my normal clothes." The garment definitely looked padded. "You might do better in chainmail over something like that. More flexibility to move."

Trunks moved over to look where she'd pulled the gambeson from. Moving hangars, before pulling a dark blue one from the rack. Aside from color, it was also different from the white one in that it was sleeveless.

[nutkrusher]

"Could be," Cassie says. "But we've also got to fit in. If they're wearing plate, so are we."

[light_of_willpower]

"We don't know yet what they're wearing, do we?" Trunks asked, before putting the sleeveless gambeson back. He could already tell just by how inflexible the cuirass he held was that he'd want something between any metal armor and his arms. "This would be so much simpler if I could just wear what I have. It's bright enough..." He grumped to, mostly, himself.

[nutkrusher]

"Yeah, it's...not exactly my look either," Cassie says. "If it's any consolation, you can move around in those things more than it looks like. Grandma took us to a Ren Fair once. Saw a guy breakdancing in plate armor."

It's not padded, but he could probably get away with wearing the blue bodysuit of his saiyan armor.

[light_of_willpower]

"Still a step down from armor that literally stretches." Trunks murmured, but with a half-grin. "Do I have to actually do the joust, or could I just stick with sword do you think?" Cuirass put aside, Trunks was examining armor for the arms and legs with a bit of a lost look.

[nutkrusher]

"Yeah, I'm not risking the tilt either," Cassie says. "There should be a melee tournament, too, if this world's anything like old-timey Earth."

Jacqui had gotten into Historical European Martial Arts for a while. She was always the nerdy one, but Cassie was always willing to listen whenever she talked her ear off.

[light_of_willpower]

"Not sure if we had this on my version of Earth." And it had been a while since he'd studied his history. Any 'history' he'd been focused on more recently had concerned trying to stop the androids...

"So, I think I can try and find matching pieces for the breastplate armor, you don't have to hold my hand for that part." He's totally not aware of how that might be flirting--he's more meaning he's not totally clueless. "I'll try to get stuff together and then if you could help me figure out how to wear it?"

[nutkrusher]

Cassie, on the other hand, is about as far from innocent on such matters as it gets. A smirk crosses her face.

"I'd love to."

[light_of_willpower]

That smirk is slightly worrisome. It has him looking a bit unsure for a moment, before he shook his head slightly as if clearing it. Probably it would be okay. "I really do appreciate it." Trunks will start by looking at arm and leg armor, as he'll consider that necessary to go with the cuirass.

[nutkrusher]

Honestly, reactions like this one are the main reason Cassie is keeping at this. In addition to being adorable, she just can't resist trolling someone when the opportunity arises.

"I guess this kinda makes me your squire right now, doesn't it?"

[light_of_willpower]

"I don't view you as a servant, if it helps. I'm glad to have someone who knows more about this helping me." He murmured, finding some greaves and experimentally holding them against his own legs.

[nutkrusher]

"What, you don't want a lowly servant wench at your beck and call?"

Her smirk widens as she does an exaggerated curtsy before him.

"What may I do for you, brave sir knight?"