Test Drive 018

[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.

Happy testing!

Heated Debate

The spa carriage, the newest addition to the train, boasts sunlamps and loungers, massage tables stocked with fluffy towels and a variety of oils and lotions, an enclosed sauna… Soothing birdsong fills the warm, scented air, and the terminals offer several masseuse courses or a playlist of relaxing music.

In pride of place, a three-tiered heated bath in the centre of the room, each tier able to fit five people comfortably.

‘Comfortably’? Well, it could definitely fit more, but it might get a little awkward, depending on your feelings on personal space. Ditto with the sauna, really. But the important thing is, you got here first.

Didn’t you?

Getting Draughty In Here

The lower floor of this carriage is open and sprawling, with two wide, low tables and plenty of cushions and beanbags. The walls are lined with shelves and wooden chests, both filled with games. Board games, card games, you name it, though train themes feature heavily. On a shelf of its own sits a case of Duel Monsters cards.

The upper floor is split into two. One half has a pile of oversized games - lawn jenga, twister, giant connect4 - and the other, sectioned off with soft rope barriers, hosts a screen, a console, and a variety of video game controllers, including four VR headsets.

Perhaps you’re testing yourself in one of the VR Crisis simulators. Perhaps you’re learning the rules of a competitive card game a little too well, and your friendships are suffering accordingly. Perhaps you’ve convinced someone to play twister with you..?

Shiver Me Timbers

You are aboard the PNV Vexation, a first-rate ship accompanied by several escort vessels currently halfway through a voyage across the Sunsea of Yarra, AKA #59352110. The cargo she carries is of utmost importance, and must reach the Shining Port intact.

The pirates who sail the Sunsea have other plans.

Team One

The Vexation has several sloops in tow - the best of which are the Gemstone Heart, the Fallen Lord and the Duckling. Team One is split across the three sloops, and can use their greater speed to good effect in boarding actions. Your job is simple - sink every unmarked ship that approaches the Vexation. The captains are cooperative and daring, and happy to lend out boarding axes and pistols. The pirates are less happy.

Team Two

Back aboard the Vexation, it seems that either the crew are playing tricks, or something more sinister is going on - whispers of spirits roaming the deck at night, strange screams or whimpers in the hold. Lights off the starboard bow. The day holds no such terrors, and shipboard life is mostly ropes, deckwork and stints on the masts, but as the mission continues, the crew are getting more and more restless… Team Two needs to figure out the source of these strange events, before they incite the crew to mutiny.

Team Three

Unbeknownst to the crew, on the second day of the mission, the precious cargo is loaded onto the fourth and fastest of the Vexation’s escorts, the Sun’s Edge, and sent ahead, while the fleet remains as as a decoy. Team Three are sent aboard the Edge to crew the ship and keep the treasure - something sealed in a large, padded steel pyramid - safe. The pirates don’t notice the deception, but the sea serpents definitely do, and with just one serpent able to wrap its entire length around the Edge, the third day is a harrowing one.

Comments

[sos_pilot]

Part of her sighed, knowing how this would end, and mentally noted she'd need a good dose of hot chocolate after this.

The other part? Slammed both hands down on the nearest table. "CALL ME A TIME-TRAVELER, CAUSE THAT AGE IS NOW, SCROOGE! BRING IT ON!"

[its_dad_sanzo]

That really depends on who you ask!

[ Koumyou shifts his hand from over his mouth, to his cheek, eyes all but sparkling with the flattery of it all.

He definitely doesn't look or sound offended. Gleeful, maybe. ]

[richestduck]

"That's the spirit!" Scrooge grinned toothily. "What shall we play, eh? Cards? Something a bit more interesting?"

[richestduck]

"I'll only need a moment. We have something similar back in my world, and I've never lost," Scrooge said walking the box over to a table.

[sos_pilot]

"Define interesting." Oh, this wouldn't end well for either of them.

[10billionpercent]

Senku smirked. "First time for everything." He quipped back, he intended to be a fiery challenger.

[richestduck]

"Something with a bit more bite. Not trivia given we can't be sure which world the cards are from, but something that'll really push us to our limits."

[richestduck]

Scrooge grinned toothily, his tail wagging faster with anticipation. "Then let's see if you can be the first person in almost a hundred years to throw me off my game."

[sos_pilot]

"In that case... may I suggest a game of wit, mechanics, and deadly imprisonment." She pulled one game board out of the pile.

"I present to you, good sir... MOUSE TRAP."

[richestduck]

Scrooge steepled his fingers. "Mouse Trap it is then! I hope you enjoy the cheese when you're under the net!"

[subcircuits]

[It's easy enough to see that whatever people from his world might think, Sanzo himself isn't taking Devero's confession badly. He relaxes a little more.]

As long as you don't mind, that's what matters. I'd hate to offend unintentionally.

[But he didn't and that means it's time! to! change the subject!! He turns away and looks at his garments again. He sighs.] Sure wish I'd known you could do that with the water before I ruined my clothes.

[its_dad_sanzo]

[ A lot of people from Koumyou's world also didn't think he should smoke, or drink, or eat meat. Sanzo priests tended to ignore all protest and do whatever the hell they wanted.

They outranked everyone else anyway. ]

Did they get ruined?

[ For his part, Koumyou goes over to one of the plant beds, and brings his braid forward over his shoulder to start wringing it out into the soil. May as well, right? Whatever's growing here doesn't look like a cactus. ]

I'm sure there's a way to replace or fix them... half the train needed emergency healing at the end of our last mission, and you can only imagine what everyone's clothing looked like.

[sos_pilot]

"And I hope you enjoy the... thing with the... shut up." She grumbled, beginning to open up the board and set it up.

[subcircuits]

[Devero stays where he's standing, and breathes a little easier as Sanzo leaves his immediate vicinity. The other man's question prompts a thoughtful sound, and he peels the two garments apart.

His shirt, which had ended up on the outside when he'd disrobed, is definitely ruined. The fabric is scorched almost all the way through on one side, and actually pulls apart in his hands. He grimaces.] Well, that sure did.

[The hoodie is in better shape, at least. Still damaged, but intact and therefore salvageable. He slings it over his shoulder and turns to look at Sanzo.

His expression is solemn.] I've heard some talk about that. Sounds like clothes were the least of everyone's worries.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Probably.

[ The priest hadn't encountered anything that could do more than mildly wound him, but that was to be expected. If things grew troublesome enough, and someone else was at risk of waking up in the luggage car if he didn't do anything about it, there was always the Seiten sutra.

He undoes the cloth belt at his hips, and pulls the robe off entirely to start wringing it out over the plants, too. It's a lot of heavy fabric to try to twist, so it really gets the muscles in his back and his arms involved.

And unfortunately for Devero's sanity, the jeans he wore under those robes are almost as tight as the rest. ]

My point being, if we're expected to get into that kind of trouble, then I doubt the train's going to let anyone run out of clothes to do it in.

[10billionpercent]

"Yeah, we'll just see." Senku grinned openly, he appreciated challenges anyway and if he lost?

There'd have to be a rematch.

CW: relationship abuse

[subcircuits]

[Oh, take mercy on him, Sanzo looks just as good from the back as from the front. And with his back turned, there's not as much pressure not to stare. Which Devero does. He can't seem to help himself, especially not when there are such fine, lean muscles working under pale skin, and tight jeans, and-- he just looks so good.

For an instant, he indulges in a fantasy of closing up the space between them and taking that whipcord body in his arms, of stealing tobacco-flavored kisses, of that long blond braid slithering against his skin, of-- of--

Of what Madame would say, if he strayed. He had Rules.

The timely reminder from his frontal cortex is as sobering to his libido as a dousing of ice water. He whirls away from Sanzo with a gasp, covering his mouth with a hand as nausea rises from the pit of his stomach. What was he thinking?

He presses his tongue hard to the roof of his mouth and breathes through his nose, in-out in-out, and forces himself to straighten up.]

Mn. Like I-- like I said, you would know better than I. Even if that's not the case, I still have the rest of my basic reqs. I can make do.

[There, that probably came out mostly normal!]

[its_dad_sanzo]

[ Koumyou glances back over his shoulder after that gasp, the sudden movement, the strange shift in posture following it.

He hasn't known Devero for longer than a few hours, but someone with a fraction of the priest's observational skills would know something was wrong. It was there in his voice, too. ]

Well...

[ Koumyou does him the courtesy of not asking about it, and turns back to his robe-wringing. ]

...I've heard a rumor that there's a giant spider on board who will make clothing for people in exchange for some candy. You should have just enough points for that, if you decide you want something that didn't come in the backpack.

[subcircuits]

[Thank goodness, thank dutifulness, thank cooperation, thank all the virtues-- either Sanzo hasn't noticed something's wrong or he's politely ignoring it. Devero's able to pull himself together more as the other man talks, swallowing bile and forcing his taut shoulders to relax.

He hasn't strayed. He won't stray. Madame will find no fault in his behavior when he-- if he--

Distraction time.] A giant spider? Really? A sapient one?

[richestduck]

Scrooge picked the red mouse, setting it down on start. The game required building the trap over the course of the game, so initially there wasn't much to set up.

"How about we roll to see who goes first?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

That's what I'm told.

[ Koumyou hasn't met her, yet. It's a very big train. ]

I've wondered if she might be like the youkai of my world. They can take shapes like that, sometimes.

[sos_pilot]

Della snatched the dice, and began shaking vigorously in her hand. "C'mon, Mama needs a new pair of VICTORY SHOES!"

She rolled.

And got a 1.

[richestduck]

Scrooge picked the top hat because that was the piece he usually had in Scroogeopoly. He set it down on Go before swiping up the dice. He gave them a very satisfied shake.

"Let's see who goes first, shall we?"

[richestduck]

"Ooh, that'll be tough to beat."

He tossed the die.

"Lucky me! That's a five!"

[sos_pilot]

Della was already having all the regrets.

"Is there any way we can play without sass?"