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]

"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?"

[nutkrusher]

"Mom tells me that Dad mellowed out in a major way," Cassie says.

Of course, some of the smugness and goofy douchebaggery still shone through, but he'd always put family first.

"As for the armor...I can't make any promises, but I can try."

[light_of_willpower]

There was a reluctant sigh, but Trunks let half-a-smile come to his face. And tried to ignore that his face was still hot. "Got it. Any tips, if I run into your mom?" Holding out his arms. "Also has Piccolo tried to teach you any kind of ki-blast?"

Because talking about something like that would help him ignore his awkward-shyness. Maybe.

[nutkrusher]

"Well, just like if you run into a bear, make sure you respect her territory and don't get too close to her kids," Cassie says.

The wink is implied.

"But Piccolo's trying to help me unlock more of the ability I was born with. I've always been able to channel my qi into strikes, but never throw it like my dad can. I'm getting a little better at that."

[light_of_willpower]

"Too late on the one, and not entirely my fault." Trunks returned, attempting to tease in return. "Piccolo is probably the better teacher, but consider it a given I'll practice with you anytime you want."

[nutkrusher]

"Oh dear me, that's right," Cassie says. "Sorry about that."

Does narration need to describe what face she's making? Narration does not.

"The more, the merrier. It's always better when there's someone to properly spar against."

She grabs a vambrace and ambles up behind him.

[light_of_willpower]

"Guess I have to take my chances." He's learning, as that actually got an eye-roll out of him. "I know it probably sounds stupid, but I *am* looking forward to actually having proper sparring partners."

He is too aware she's behind him.

[nutkrusher]

She's actually trying her best this time. Seriously. Though admittedly she can't undo the psychological damage she has surely done all those previous times when she wasn't.

She fastens the first quickly and grabs the second one, making a conspicuous effort not to bend over in front of him.

"We've even got a regular fight club here. Probably more sparring partners per capita than...I dunno, most places."

[light_of_willpower]

"That honestly sounds amazing." Trunks murmured, still aware of how close she was behind him. Turning his head to kind of look at her. "Once...once Gohan passed, I didn't have any partners. I did just spend a year with a partner but he...well, he wanted nothing to do with me when I wasn't being a punching bag." Unconsciously tensing with the statement.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie carefully straps the second vambrace onto Trunk's arm. This time, though, she puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, you've got friends here."

[light_of_willpower]

"Glad to have them. Will do my best to be worth them too." Trunks murmured, bright-red and awkward and shy, but grateful too. Genuinely grateful. "I think I can figure out the gauntlets. Ready for us to go out and give 'em a show?"

[nutkrusher]

Cassie smiles. "Let's get medieval on 'em."

[light_of_willpower]

The gauntlets aren't as hard to put on, and he does just that. "Sounds fun. Lead on, oh Lady Fierce." With a little hint of smirk and his own smile.

[nutkrusher]

"Hah! Nice one, Prince Valiant."

She might actually use that one.