voidtreckerooc | Test Drive Meme 021

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!tdm

Test Drive Meme 021

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

SPRING CLEANING

Murderbot is still getting used to the concept of 'magic'. For someone used to electronic-based technology as opposed to a nebulous sort of energy that can do who knows what things, having a number of brushes and cloths approach you can be...alarming.

Good news, there are no longer a number of brushes and cloths attacking it. Bad news, inventory is down those brushes and brooms, and it may or may not be trying to find the source of all this...insanity. And when it comes across the armory, its eyes widen.

This is bad. This is very bad.

There is now a Murderbot - who has given a name of 'Rin' to those who have pressed, and also given a glare to anyone who's dared call it Murderbot to its face - doing its damn best to try and tie down or otherwise secure as much weaponry as it can, before things get even further out of hand. There might be a bit of live fire of its own, but only when those things seem to notice a speck of dust on its body. Anyone who enters gets a quick glance, and a snarl of, "Get out!"

'TIL DEATH - TEAM ONE

Now this? This is something Murderbot's more familiar with. Perhaps not necessarily being on the front line of a war, but clearing a path for more the more vulnerable?

Maybe it's leading a small squad of people to try and pierce some defenses. Maybe it's helping another group with defending a line. Maybe it's just arrived, inbuilt weaponry in its arms flaring as it shoots over your head at some sort of creature.

Either way, Murderbot is efficient and effective in handling a situation, judging whether or not others can take it from there, and then moving on.

OTHER/WILDCARD
[make up ya own! I'll adapt to whatever format you use. In addition, Murderbot uses it/its pronouns because eff your gender]

Before coming to the train, Devero probably would have said that this was something he'd be good at too. He's since learned that what had counted as excellent combat prowess on his world is worth very little out in the multiverse, especially since he doesn't have his hardware self to fight in.

Normally he sticks close to Koumyou Sanzo on missions, letting his quick and absolutely deadly boyfriend cover him in fights. But they've gotten separated, and all of his attention is perforce taken up by the relentless press of the enemy--

...Who have relentlessly pressed him right up against a wall that's slightly too tall for him to scramble over. He's really regretting not having checked out a fucking rifle for this mission as he does his best to keep them at bay with his shock batons, his hands too occupied to have done more than trigger an alarm beacon to broadcast through his Interface.

There are so few people on his network that he's not expecting much, so imagine his surprise when Murderbot comes up and over the wall behind him with weapons hot. He crows aloud, throwing a fist in the air. "You have great timing!"

Rescuing humans in the nick of time? Yeah, that's pretty much Murderbot's thing, more or less. Ideally it would like to rescue them before that, but sometimes it doesn't really have a chance. So - better in the nick of time than too late.

Much better.

It doesn't even acknowledge Devero, registering the man's response but little more. There's too many enemies to waste time with a celebration - even if it was the sort to do so in the first place - but worse than that? These enemies don't act like normal humans, going down with things like pain and injury. They're getting back up.

And even with its formidable skills, and adjustments for what does and doesn't work - those shock batons might come in handy if you're still willing to use them, Devero.

Oh, he is. And after that initial cheer of exuberance and relief, he's right back into the business of it. He lets the newcomer-- Rin, he thinks?-- cover him for a minute while he terminates his SOS beacon and catches his breath. He watches the way it fights, and as soon as there's an opening he steps in at its back.

His combat style is still primarily defensive, for all that he's been practicing otherwise. On his world it's called Tri-Delta: Deflect, Disarm, Disable. These shambling opponents aren't really armed, but he can still deflect and-- actually, the charge delivered by the capacitors at the end of his batons does seem to have more of an effect on these undead than, say, blunt physical trauma or energy beams.

Interesting, that.

At least Devero isn't completely useless. There are some humans who know just enough to make them dangerous, and those who know enough to make them...well. Not exactly a SecUnit, but good enough for now. More interesting, though?

Murderbot has noticed the effectiveness of the electricity. Maybe that's how Devero lasted so long, here, on his own. But add that to Murderbot's own capability, and when they have a moment of breathing room, there's a gesture towards his weapons.

"Where'd you get those?"

It isn't outright demanding Devero hand them over, but unless it can get a set of its own fairly quickly, it just might.

Lucky for you, Murderbot, Devero really took all those lessons about sharing in creche to heart. He disconnects one of the batons from his system, thumbs the safety, and flips it, offering the handle end out to his current companion.

"They're from home," he tells it. "Had to order them from the train shop. Expensive, too, so take care of it, huh?"

Fighting with just one will be a little awkward for him until he compensates, but he's seen that Rin is one of those sharp, competent fighters, and has no doubt that his weapon will be put to excellent use in its hand.

...huh. Well, that was unexpected, but- not unwelcome. 'Rin' accepts the offer with a nod, taking the handle and quickly adjusting the grip with a comfortable ease. Devero might assume it as training; for Murderbot, though, that's the same as old programming.

Which now pokes its metaphorical head up in another way as Murderbot turns back to the approaching cluster of enemies, assessing the situation, and-

"Can you get to safety if I clear you a path?"

Somehow, the thought of the question should have been phrased as 'will' comes to processor, but- Murderbot isn't going to be *quite* that much of an asshole. Not yet, anyway.

Murderbot will find, if it looks, that it can actually network with the weapon in its hand. If it connects the thing to its system, it will find that not only can it access data like its serial number and how much charge it has, but that it can actually control its functions wirelessly. Not even Devero can do that much with it, mostly because his interface with technology is much more primitive than Murderbot's.

Not that it has that many functions. The ability to deliver shocks on contact at several different settings, some ability to adjust the sensitivity in terms of how much contact is required, the ability to have it expand or retract, and that's about it. It's fairly simple for a smart weapon.

Devero stands at its shoulder, turning his remaining baton around and around in his palm as he assesses the incoming wave himself. "If you can get me back to Koumyou Sanzo, I'll be about as safe as it's possible to be out here," he says.

Why yes, it will be syncing with that, thank you! It's quite nice to have a weapon that can tell you what it does, and the thing is directly-to-the-point in a way so many humans aren't. Right, then. Attributes understood, and a mission of sorts in its mind- Koumyou Sanzo- and it nods, lowering its stance just a bit.

It can't protect everyone as well as it would like - but then, SecUnits weren't fielded for combat like this. Minimizing the risks to them, however...

"Then stay close, and yell if you need me."

Not that it's planning on going far - but it's sprinting to meet those things head-on, intent on gaining their attention and allowing Devero to slip through the cracks. Aggo draw? Why, yes, that's absolutely a valid tactic it's developed, and it's never even played an RPG!

There's a young man at the door - well, 'young man'; he looked more like someone who was just barely a teenager.

And the look on his face was far more serious - more mature - than most adults thought had any right to be there.

"Would you like any help, sir- Rin," he says, self-correcting from the habitual titling.

"If not with the weapons, I can always be a distraction, to help corral them?"

It's not a full plan, he knows - he's no expert in magic himself - but it's an idea.

Edited 2021-02-20 15:52 (UTC)

It doesn't have a very high opinion of many people on the train, but it's finding itself tolerating quite a few. Humans - even younger ones - who take things seriously and accept that Murderbot is the expert in certain things can find a way on that list so long as they don't detract in other ways, but Alfredo might just have a place on it.

Even so, this is not a situation for humans, much less a young one. Murderbot turns, opening its mouth to say as much- right as something big and heavy whacks itself in to the back of its neck with enough force to send the SecUnit stumbling. It might have outright knocked out another human, but Murderbot only needs a moment before-

"-get me a bag. Thick one!"

-deciding that getting the human out of here can also be part of them helping. Right?

Alfredo doesn't manage to suppress a flinch entirely - but those didn't look like normal-strength cleaning supplies.

Hopefully whatever magic was afoot hadn't spread to the guns-

"Be right back!"

He nods, trying to remember if any of the rooms in the closest Cabin were unlocked; going all the way to Luggage didn't sound like a good idea.

He doesn't want to have to leave Rin to hold the fort (well, armoery) by itself for too long. Strategic or not, it wasn't fair.

Bigger strength in numbers, one for all, something along those lines.

They don't feel like normal-strength cleaning supplies, thankyouverynothing, but then Murderbot hasn't really...used...those...a lot. It's not a janitor, thank you, only cleaning up after very specific 'messes'.

Still. With Alfredo gone, it can focus a little more on the weaponry - and by the time the kid returns, it's got most of the heavy secured one way or another.

It is, however, experiencing a bit of difficulty with a large blanket which has apparently decided its face needs a thorough cleaning.

Alfredo doesn't quite skid his way back into the room - that would leave streaks on the floor, which would set off the cleaning supplies all over again - but he leaps his way into the room with the bag.

Which... isn't very helpful when the 'attacking force' on Murderbot is a blanket, but no matter. Alfredo still jumps up to grab a blanket by the edge, to try and wrap it in (or better yet, inside) the bag.

"Does the magic stop if we tear it?" he calls to Rin.

Beetlejuice couldn't care less about cleaning, or about death glares. He had been aimlessly wandering the train, looking for food or amusement, whichever he happened upon first, and it seemed he'd just stumbled on the latter.

"Not a chance. This is the most interesting thing I've seen all day."

Popcorn in hand, which had certainly not been there seconds before, he sat cross-legged midair, content to watch Murderbot fight (or flail).

Beetlejuice is not a human per se, but most train passengers - inhabitants? - have been more or less lumped in to that category in Murderbot's mind. However, there is at least one other - the 'what the fuck' category, of which Beetlejuice would likely be proud to know he has been tabbed. Because, seriously?

What the fuck.

It's not so much having an audience as the fact the demon seems genuinely entertained by this, which is...not the point of a SecUnit. And while usually Murderbot would be fine just flat-out ignoring the others, as it kicks a box of ammo away from it?

That box may or may not be heading straight for Beetlejuice's popcorn.

It would have been a badge he would have worn with pride.

Popcorn went flying, making a mess, but, somehow he managed to grab the ammo box, clutching his new treasure to his chest. "Ooooh. New snacks!"

That actually caught Murderbot's full attention, its head snapping up in alarm. Did it just arm someone extremely dangerous-

"Give those back!"

"Why? You gave 'em to me."

And yes. Yes it did.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Test Drive Meme 021

Spring Cleaning

Open Mic

’Til Death Do Us Part

Team One

Team Two

Team Three

Murderbot, aka "Rin" // The Murderbot Diaries

'TIL DEATH

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Spring Cleaning

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Spring Cleaning

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