Test Drive Meme 021

[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!

Spring Cleaning

Chores aren’t for everyone. And, as the morning reaches a close, it turns out that they are especially not for wizards.

That is to say, someone may have cast a spell animating all of the mops, brooms and dishcloths on-board, which are now sweeping their way up and down the carriages, cleaning everything - and everyone - they can reach. And animating anything else they can find, for maximum efficiency. Books, clothing, cutlery-

This isn’t so bad in the bathrooms. In the library, however? The armory? Bang, and the dirt is gone.

Open Mic

The ground floor of the music carriage is usually a mess of instruments, but tonight they’ve all been tucked away neatly at one end of the room. Chairs from the upper floor have been carried down en masse, all facing towards the jukeboxes and screens at the other end.

You might not be entirely sure who rigged them for karaoke, but you know one thing: you’re here now, a drink in one hand and a list of popular (by someone’s standards) songs in the other. If people aren’t singing or waiting to sing, they’re cheering friends on, or skulking and trying everything in their power not to be called up, or even escaping upstairs to talk more comfortably.

’Til Death Do Us Part

The world of Abarranz is ruled by the Undying Lords, and has been for almost two thousand years. The civilisation has stagnated - not only due to the immortal council, but also because the majority of its citizens are undead. Some, the rich, the powerful, are able to undergo great rituals to maintain their consciousness and skill even in death; others are unfortunate enough to be dragged into death with neither, and exist as shells of themselves. The greatest necromancers of the planet are harnessing the death of a minor star in the system to fuel a mass conversion of the remaining populace, but the remaining living citizens are those who have already refused the change. Voidtreckers, they cannot resist alone.

Team One

Pockets of the living survive in hiding, but are split off from one another and unable to unify under the overwhelming forces surrounding their enclaves. This first team is tasked with clearing the mindless hordes threatening them, so that they might establish communications, venture out, and join the fight.

Team Two

The best way to escape the ritual is to remove the remaining living to another colony in the system - but the rituals and spells able to do so are all jealously guarded by the eternal council in their libraries and vaults. A viable target has been identified - the treasure rooms of the Viscount Eldermann holds a tome rumoured to contain a mass teleportation ritual. Infiltrating and securing this tome is this team’s task, and while the mission is possible, the traps and guards won’t make it easy.

Team Three

Even with these plans in motion, every second counts. This third team is given the role of saboteur - to interrupt, delay or otherwise slow the Grand Ritual of a Star’s Demise from within the stronghold of the Undying Lords. The dressing carriage - and their SCA wristbands - are at their disposal, the former for appropriate Abarranz costume and pallor, the latter to hide the telltale signs of life, should they have any.

Comments

[redmeguca]

Huh. I don't exactly have to worry about overusing my magic anymore, but I won't say no to a free cleanse.

[Kyoko's chains tie another group down, and a few rags get burned away by a small orange puppy poking out of the hood of her jacket.]

[magicurls]

Huh? How---

[ Mami blinks at the cute little face. Yes, she saw that. It distracts her enough that she almost gets whacked, but she swings an arm up just in time. ]

Do you have a friend helping you too?

[ A small leafy-green hedgehog seems to reside in Mami's purple hoodie. A curious nose pops out, followed by a cute face. Not a good time for pet playtime, silly Rosetta. ]

[redmeguca]

Oh yeah! Mami, this is- [It abruptly occurs to Kyoko that Mami would actually recognize where she got the Growlithe's name from. She unfreezes after only a moment though, and gives a melancholy smile.] This is Momo-chan. Momo-chan, meet Mami-senpai.

[Momo sticks her head out, incinerates a rag, and takes a sniff of both Mami and her Shaymin. Smells have been memorized! Friends!]

[magicurls]

[ Mami smiles, a little sad when she remembers Momo-chan too. But Rosetta crawls out and squeaks happily! With some practice, Mami's getting better at batting back the brooms before they do their worst so she can split her attention. ]

This is Rosetta! Her powers purify gems...and make plants grow, so I can't let her go wild in the garden or the whole car will be overtaken!

Though that reminds me. Whoever's causing this might not have meant to do it...magic has the strangest side effects sometimes.

[redmeguca]

[Kyoko just has a few Phantasms fighting off the enchanted cleaning tools, the real her's attention being on the talk. And scritching Rosetta under the chin.]

I mean, yeah, but isn't this literally the most famous magical mess-up in media? If whoever did this hasn't seen The Sorcerer's Apprentice, I'm tying them down and making them watch the whole thing.

[magicurls]

Ha...good luck with that. Our movie car's selections are pretty strange. Wait until you see Merry Little Voidtrain.

[ A small giggle as she sweeps up a few more wayward cleaning supplies. It's getting easier to move now. ]

And when you add the strange things the train does sometimes, it's never dull around here. Just last week half the train turned into small kids!

[redmeguca]

Oh man, I guess I should have expected stuff like Fissure effects from a multiverse traveling train. If it ever ends up turning us into merpeople, just tie me up before I wake up, alright? I don't trust myself to not either go homicidal or have a nervous breakdown.

[Kyoko takes a pack of Taiyaki from a pocket and bites into it a bit roughly.]

[magicurls]

...fissure effects? Merpeople?

[ Mami probably shouldn't ask so many questions while they're busy. She nearly gets beaned by a flying mop, but stumbles and grabs onto it in time. ]

[redmeguca]

[Chains burst from Kyoko's Soul Gem, isolating them from the cleaning tools and the Phantoms. Kyoko turns to Mami with a serious look on her face.]

Reality was unstable in the last place I was in. There were areas where strange things would happen, like a city catching on fire every night only to reset itself in the morning. But that's not really important right now. Mami-senpai... How much do you know about the true nature of the Soul Gem?

[magicurls]

[ Mami files that info away for later and takes a small breath. By that tone, Kyoko knows...like Madoka had told Mami, that the redhead had learned it when Madoka and Sayaka had. ]

I know...that I'm a lich. That my body is animated by magic, and I need to keep the gem on me and intact at all times to function. I felt silly when I realized...it seems obvious that a 'soul gem' would contain a soul, doesn't it?

[ She sweeps her gaze over the room, satisfied that most of the rogue cleaning supplies are tamed for now. ]

But I'm...fine. My soul gem will be safe as long as Rosetta's here to help me.

[redmeguca]

[Kyoko turns away, refusing to meet Mami's eyes.]

That's not all. God, I wish that was all.

[magicurls]

It's not?

...What else aren't they telling me?

[ Oh no. She can feel herself turning cold. ]

[redmeguca]

...First, you gotta promise that you won't freak out and blame yourself. Kyubey tricked all of us, and he's had all of human history to perfect his sales pitch.

[She's still not looking at Mami.]

[magicurls]

...all right. I think they're subdued.

[ She takes a tiny breath. ]

And I'll be good. The people here are kind, and I'll keep doing my best for them.

[redmeguca]

...This is what Kyubey wanted hidden from us the most. He always said that if your Soul Gem gets full you'll stop being a Magical Girl, right? What he doesn't mention is that it's because you become something else entirely. I mean, what else can you call a Magical Girl that's reached maturity except a Witch? Kyubey? It's short for Incubator.

[magicurls]

"...we become witches? What?"

Mami can feel herself start to shake. Her gem starts to darken, and Rosetta immediately rushes to it to cast a healing aura.

"All those witches we killed were magical girls?"

[redmeguca]

Not all of them. Some were Familiars that grew enough to copy the Witch they came from. Besides, they weren't Magical Girls, not anymore. The moment they become a Witch they lose all their humanity. The kindest thing you can do for the person they used to be is kill them.

[Kyoko's taken another snack out, and is going through it at a vicious pace.]

[magicurls]

And that's going to happen to all of us?

[ She's breathing a little fast. No...no...she'll inevitably hurt people if she's not killed fast enough? Fortunately, she has somewhat more of a social support system than in other timelines, so she's not going to completely spiral right away. For once. ]

You're not worried about it?

[redmeguca]

It won't happen to me. The Fissures changed my Soul Gem, now something called a Doppel comes out instead. Ophelia's felt different since I left, but I can tell she's still there. As for you, well, you've got Rosetta, right? So neither of us have to worry about that. As long as we don't give in to despair, we'll be fine. Just so long as we're not idiots like her...

[magicurls]

But...if I get separated from her, or something happens to me...everyone will be in danger!

[ She can't let that happen. ]

Everyone was so kind to me. I can't do that to them. And...

...Miki-san?

[ That's the missing piece Madoka didn't tell her. ]

[redmeguca]

...I had to watch. She gave up and turned into a Witch before my very eyes, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. I tried so hard to find any trace of Sayaka left, but she was just gone. If that stubborn idiot had only used a Grief Seed once that entire week it wouldn't have happened, but that hardheaded moron convinced herself that stretching herself thin and being a self sacrificing fool was what you would have wanted her to do!

[Kyoko's hand grasps around empty air, her snack supply exhausted. She's still not looking at Mami, but she's trembling and not doing a good job of hiding it.]

[magicurls]

...that I would have...

[ It was her fault. Mami crumbled, slumping against the ground. ]

I...no, I. I'm so sorry. All I've done is led you all down this path of destruction.

[ She holds the gem up, watching the shine dim with her hopes. Rosetta does her best to keep it glowing, and it'll be all right for a bit, but...]

I know it's too late to atone. But you won't have to worry about me hurting anyone else.

I'll turn myself in.

[redmeguca]

[Kyoko's trembling stops, and then starts again for an entirely different reason. She turns and storms over to Mami, grabbing her by the collar.]

God damn it, this is exactly what I had you promise you wouldn't do! If Sayaka wanted to put some bullshit sacrificial symbolism on your death that's her own damn choice, but don't you dare buy into it too! I'm sick and tired of everyone I care about leaving me!

[She's outright crying at this point, rage and sadness both contributing to her loss of composure.]

I'll truss you up like a god damn fly in a web if I have to, so get your head out of your own ass and accept that you don't have to take responsibility for everything!

[magicurls]

Sakura-san...

[ Mami shudders, but otherwise stays quiet to listen. It's hard to focus through her own racing fear, but. ]

I'm sorry I left you, before. I should have fought harder. But I don't want to leave you now. Or hurt you. Or anyone!

[ Rosetta is curled around her gem hand, pumping purifying magic into it. ]

You'll stop me if I need to be stopped?

[redmeguca]

Come on Mami, we both know I did my best to drive you away that time. Us separating like that was my fault, not yours.

[Kyoko lets Mami go, and wraps her arms around her in a hug.]

I still don't think I'll need to, but sure. If you ever become a Witch I'll stop it, and even before that I'll slap some sense into you if I feel like you need it. So, you can just trust in your kouhai, alright?