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

[light_of_willpower]

"It's...complicated. Let's just say I didn't have a lot of time for fun things, and was kind of sheltered while growing up until I hit my teens." Because how did you explain something like his world to someone who thought the train was all a dream at first?

Then again, if he wasn't who he was, he might've thought it was a dream too.

"I think I can guess about these, but would appreciate help anyways." Passing her the leg armor.

[storms_eye]

"That's a shame." Puzzling over the implications. Silvia wanted to ask more but maybe he didn't want anyone to pry. "So have you ever been to the movies, or a carnival, or anything?" There was the martial arts deal, so did his parents just make him sit in a dojo all day learning discipline? Some parents are harsh but even that seemed like too much.

She could be more flippant about the train now, but when she first arrived it had felt anything but fake. The knot of fear that had coiled itself tightly within her core hadn't been an illusion. Something about it was real, the danger had been genuine. What would have happened had she not boarded she didn't want to think about.

"No problem." Accepting the first piece it looks fairly straightforward. The straps were meant to wrap around and fasten facing out. The fastening part could be a trick if you weren't used to it since it wasn't always easy to keep a line of vision on the buckle. "They go like this." Demonstrating it in the air. "This one is designed for the right leg. You just slip it on, tighten the belt to fit, then slide it through the buckle and use the little metal hook to fasten it."

[light_of_willpower]

"That's about what I thought." He murmured, taking the leg armor piece back. "I'll prolly need help with the arms and maybe the chest piece though." Easier conversation than the other.

"I saw movies at home, but no, I've never been to a carnival." And he really didn't want to think about the amusement park.

[storms_eye]

Her cheeks lit up slightly when he said that first part. It was as if she had given him way more information than he needed there. "Sure thing." Looking to the arm braces next she had to give them a quick once over before adding the following,"These will need to be re-laced. Whoever used them before made them uneven and even missed a few holes." Not expecting him to do it, she took it upon herself to start making the corrections.

"Least they let you do that much.." Strictest.Parents.EVER. Luckily she hadn't asked about an amusement park since that would have been an unintentional landmine to set off. "Maybe the train will stop on a nice world sometime."

[light_of_willpower]

Busy putting on the leg-armor, now that he'd had it confirmed how to wear. "Depends on the world. This place might be nice, despite our mission here." Although his brain had just processed what she'd said--she probably assumed it was his parents being strict. He'd heard Bulma and Gohan talk enough about how Chichi had been super strict and education-focused when the other half-saiyan was younger.

"It's...not my parents." Because if she was going to have trouble with aliens, and even just the concept of the train, he'd have to be careful. "My world isn't very safe really. Two" Androids--but would that word even mean anything for her? "--two monsters run wild over it, and have for my whole life. Playing with people at best, doing only what amuses them, and no one can stop them."

Trunks made himself take a deep breath to keep calm and relax. Otherwise he was going to break the strap of the greave he was putting on. "That's why I grew up, kind of sheltered."

[storms_eye]

"You have a point, I guess I should have phrased it differently.," Pausing for a moment to consider. "More like maybe we'll end up on a world where we aren't on some kind of mission." The thought that they were being deployed here was still strange to think about. Like, none of them had signed up for this so why were they going along with it?

"It isn't?" It was all just a bit much at first. Sure, she liked to think of herself as being open-minded but to have it all thrust in your lap simultaneously was kind of crazy. She was silent as he explained, frowning at the mention of danger. Androids and aliens were something from the movies, she hadn't met any real ones before. "Only two- and the whole world is at their mercy?" An incredulous note in her voice.

She grew silent again, looking towards the floor because she really didn't know what to say and it made a lot of her own troubles feel minuscule in comparison.

[light_of_willpower]

"Hey, it's okay. I mean..." Oh no, he didn't exactly mean to make it awkward. Sighing, one hand reached up to rake through his bangs before he straightened, holding the other greave. "Like I said, it's...complicated."

Pausing, and then offering a hint of smile. "I'm Trunks, by the way. Nice to meet you."

[storms_eye]

It was kind of hard for it not to get that way, given the more serious direction of the conversation. I mean it didn't really sound like he was making it up to garner sympathy or anything, it sounded genuine. Although she couldn't prove it, she didn't feel like she had to either. "Oh! Sure!" Realizing she'd gone silent on him. "I- mean... that sounds really awful." It's no wonder he didn't know about all these social functions or how fun they could be.

Geeze- and she had just been worried about the general isolation of being in a new environment, and then there was her estranged step brother- things like that. It wasn't really on the same level. The only thing that could arguably be as troubling was the other things she'd witnessed but couldn't quite explain, and that phenomenon wasn't widespread.

Looking back up she returned the introduction,"I'm Silvia, likewise." Wait. Did he just say Trunks? Like- as a name? Well- maybe Silvia was a peculiar name on his home dimension....

[light_of_willpower]

He did, and it's not one of the stranger names is what's weirder. "It's a pretty name, Silvia." No he is not flirting, he genuinely thinks it sounds nice. "So I think I'll need some help with putting on that arm piece, once you've relaced it. I really do appreciate you helping too, by the way."

[storms_eye]

If only she knew. He might not have been flirting but still- coming from a guy -it was a little hard to take. How was she supposed to read it? Why wasn't Gabby here to help her navigate these uncharted waters?! "Ha- well- I guess-I mean- I'm pretty used to it myself- so.." So she let her tongue get away with her as she rambled incoherently.

".. Right!" The arm piece, that she'd completely forgotten to finish lacing when he complimented her name. She hurriedly set back to work on it, and finished it up. "All set." She held the wider end up in the air so he could slip his arm into it, then it would have to be tightened and tied. "It's the least I can do." .. because she would be absolutely no help in the actual combat section.

[light_of_willpower]

Unless she's hiding her power-level, like he is, then no she won't be. But he won't say that. "So besides talking funny, what was your plan going in to this?" Sliding his arm up, and holding still while she tightened it.

[storms_eye]

Ok, hearing it but so succinctly and so plainly caused her to blush feverishly. "That wasn't my only plan!" Finally having found something to take exception to. It was a good thing that she was tightening this around his arm instead of his neck because she accidentally pulled it to tight out of nerves.

He might not have even noticed it however given the difference in their strengths. "I do actually know how to ride- so there's that." A horse she means, not whatever these creatures are.

[light_of_willpower]

"Then you're a step ahead of me. Unless it's a motorcycle or car." Trunks replied, raising an eyebrow at the blush.

[storms_eye]

It was hard not to get embarrassed by the subject matter. It wasn't as if she secretly was a kungfu master or a fencing champion. Far from either. She averted her gaze again.

"My aunt insisted on those horse riding lessons, but I didn't really complain." Truthfully she liked the experience, and adored animals so win/win. "I also didn't think they'd ever come in handy."

[light_of_willpower]

"But you enjoyed them, and that's kind of worth it on it's own, right?" Trunks replied with a hint of smile.

[storms_eye]

To that she gave a light nod. After a moment of silence, she couldn't help grinning, "I would have been so upset if my mom had said no." Really, her mom had been the hardest to win over.

[light_of_willpower]

"I'm glad you were able to continue then." And Trunks genuinely was glad that wherever she was from, her life was peaceful enough she could do things like riding lessons and go to conventions. That kind of peace, was what he was trying to find for his own world, and trying to preserve for the past of the other world.

[storms_eye]

That sort of self-sacrificing nature was something to be admired. Little did she know that he was an actual participant in trying to change his world's future for the better. "Thank you."

"Ready for the other arm?" Lifting up the last vambrace. "At least on this style it doesn't matter which arm you put it on." Unlike the greaves.

[light_of_willpower]

An 'actual' and very active participant, considering he went back in time to try and change things. Or at least prevent his 'world' from happening to another timeline. He didn't really view it as self-sacrificing so much as what he had to do.

"Right." Trunks held up his other arm to slide on the vambrace and get help lacing it. "I can probably handle it after this, thank you."

[storms_eye]

Indeed! It was true that Trunks's situation hadn't left many options available to him, but he could have turned his back on everything and tried to save himself. There was still something about his character that hadn't allowed him to turn away.

Silvia finished lacing up the other vambrace, then stood back to inspect her work. "Mm, most pieces aren't too hard to finagle but you can definitely see why knights often relied on squires."

[light_of_willpower]

"Is that a fancy term for servant?" Trunks was sure he learned this at some point, but he couldn't remember for certain. Nor did he mind asking questions now.

[storms_eye]

"Sort of." She chuckled then elaborated. "Squires were essentially knights-in-training, so a part of their duties involved helping the knight with their armor, and various odd jobs."

[light_of_willpower]

"I'm sure I learned this at some point, and just forgot." Probably he'd had other things on his mind too. "I definitely prefer the armor I have already, I think. Much easier to put on solo."

[storms_eye]

"Oh yeah, probably. It's not like it's super important to know it or anything." Giving him a pass on that. "It's probably tougher too." Since it seemed more futuristic and therefore better.

[light_of_willpower]

"I mean, I hope it's pretty tough, considering what it has to stand up against." Trunks murmured with a soft laugh. "I have it, and my regular clothes, in capsules in my backpack."