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]

She really did get it. He's looking a bit awed and surprised again, before a smile comes to his face. Reaching out, Trunks put a hand on her shoulder over the armor, grip firm. "Thank you, and I'm glad you made it through. You will again." Entirely sincere, and determined.

"If nothing else, while we're here we can help each other. I do owe you that spar after all, for helping me with this."

[nutkrusher]

A smile returns to Cassie's face, softer and less smug than before. She turns her head, looking back over the hand he's placed on her shoulder.

"That's right," she says. "You do. Maybe we can get a head start on that in the tournament."

She hands him the cuirass.

[light_of_willpower]

"Lemme get this piece on first..." He can't take the Cuirass just yet, as he has the Cuisse to do. Unless she wants to help him with that part too. "And I am definitely finding you in the tournament. Either as ally or opponent." Determined with that, and that hint of smirk again.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie would be sorely tempted to help with the cuisse if he made the offer. Ahem.

"Care to place a wager on who makes it further?"

[light_of_willpower]

"Depends on if we have to pretend to be normal or not. No breaking out the super-powers and stuff." He's fiddling with the armor as it is, and not thinking at all. "Little help?"

[nutkrusher]

"I'm guessing we do," Cassie says.

Her grin widens.

"Sure thing."

She won't be any handsier than necessary. But she's got a feeling she'll be making Trunks feel a little uncomfortable anyway.

[light_of_willpower]

Yes, especially since he just realized what he asked. Crapbaskets. Eyes widening and she probably will savor that deer-in-headlights look. "The..then no wager. I'd rather just see what you do, first." Trying to stay focused on their conversation as she moves closer to help.

[nutkrusher]

"Yeah, save the gambling for when we're alone," Cassie says.

She pauses about half a beat as she fastens the last strap of the cuisse. Lets him squirm for just a bit.

"I could probably book the gym car for a sparring session when we get back."

Which is totally what she's talking about.

"That leaves the cuirass. Let me strap this on."

She helps him into it and starts to fasten it together. She knows she won't have to go far to get a reaction.

[light_of_willpower]

"I'm not really a gambler." Trunks murmurs, tense and definitely squirming. "But I do look forward to the fight. It's been a while since I've had anyone interested in training with me." Moving as she indicates, and trying to ignore his blush. Keep his head up, and not focused on how close she is.

[nutkrusher]

"It's a lot better when you've got someone else to motivate you," Cassie says.

Perhaps unfortunately for Trunks, she's started with the top straps and is moving downward.

[light_of_willpower]

Trying hard to not think about that actually, along with the rest. "Depends on the motivation." There might be a hint of bitterness in his tone. Vegeta wanted very little to do with him, even while they'd spent a year training together, after all. Trunks had mostly been a punching bag in many ways for that.

[nutkrusher]

"That's true," Cassie says. "But friendly competition is pretty awesome."

The droning lectures of a surly thunder god, less so.

Meanwhile, she's getting to the VERY bottom straps. "Bottom" being relative to both the other straps and the person it's strapped to.

[light_of_willpower]

"Didn't have any friends to compete with. Gohan was my master, it was different." He might be trying to both hold his breath and breathe at the same time. And holding himself absolutely still.

[nutkrusher]

"Then it'll be your first time."

She fastens the lowest strap as she says this. Her smartass grin is audible.

[light_of_willpower]

"You're enjoying this way too much." Murmured lowly, and while he's bright red in a blush, Trunks is glaring at her too. Trying to not squirm further.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie lifts her hands up after she's finished, still smiling.

"Guilty."

[light_of_willpower]

He takes a step back, a small one, but still--just so they aren't so close. A deep breath in and out, and then a rueful hint of smile, even if he's bright red. "I'll take it as part of the price of your help, Cassie."

At least he was good-natured about being teased, even if she'd made him squirm.

[nutkrusher]

"Trust me, I could've done worse."

[light_of_willpower]

"I'm sure you could've." With only a hint of annoyance, mostly because he wasn't fond of feeling awkward. But there is still that hint of smile around his mouth, and the blush is starting to fade. "Already could tell I didn't want on your bad side."

[nutkrusher]

"Smart man," Cassie says. "Though if you think mine's bad, you'll definitely want to avoid pissing my mom off."

[light_of_willpower]

"I do try to not make it a habit of pissing off people without a good reason." This kind of banter was much more comfortable. "I take it your mother is on the train too? When this is over, I'll tell you about my parents. We can commiserate."

[nutkrusher]

"Yeah, she came in wounded," Cassie says. "She's mostly been recovering, but she should be ready to take the casts off soon. It was...pretty tense when I found her on the platform, though."

[light_of_willpower]

"Honestly, I could imagine mom showing up on the platform. Either version of her. Father though...." Trunks couldn't help it and shivered, then shook his head emphatically no. "I give it 2 seconds before everything got blown up. At best."

[nutkrusher]

"Oh," Cassie says, frowning slightly. "That...sounds bad."

She doesn't exactly know how to bring up the issues this raises. It sounds like more of a CPS issue.

[light_of_willpower]

"He has a temper---they both do." And a ton of pride. "He doesn't like being told or forced to do stuff, and I can't see him taking to this train well." One shoulder shrugged. "It's a complicated, and we can trade stories after this tournament."

Trunks still had armored vambraces and gauntlets to put on. "Am I in for more teasing if I ask you to help me with these?"