Test Drive 029

[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!

Cast-It-Yourself

The library is normally a quiet place. Today, however, a stack of books has been scattered across the low tables and mats. Whilst this shouldn't be an issue - a few minutes of tidying, surely - it would probably have helped if the stack wasn't entirely wizardry tomes and spellbooks. Magic sparks and pops around the room as it collides with other spells, and passengers are as likely to be hit by a stray enchantment as they are to suddenly find themselves able to cast whatever it was they intercepted.

Fixing misfired passenger curses and transformations will take a while; returning the spells to their books might be sensible, but maybe no one will notice if just one spell goes missing..?

3Spoopy5Me

The cinema carriage, normally home to millions of films and TV shows from across the multiverse, is currently undergoing some kind of unannounced maintenance; its library has shrunk down to a few hundred offerings.

Those that remain are, to a one, cheesy horror flicks. Some are earth-like. Evil alpacas from outer space, possessed toy cars, a pack of squirrels infected by a cordyceps fungus and ready to hide pieces of brain for the winter. At least three TV series of faux mysteries and monster of the week thrillers that have an unnerving number of seasons available. People in make-up are just as common as what might actually be genuine supernatural beings on-set, though the acting is universally terrible in either case.

Trick or Treat

Glucke is a small world, known primarily for its week-long Twin-Moon Festival. For six days a year, the natural and supernatural worlds overlap, and spirits and ghosts are able to cross over to the mortal world. Everyone goes about in costume or dressed up in their best. The children and teenagers of Glucke spend the week fulfilling requests and wishes from those visiting from the other side, whilst the adults spend it in contemplation and celebration.

If it was a normal festival, the Voidtreckers wouldn't be here. A particular alignment of the titular twin moons means that the link between the worlds is both stronger and more unstable than it should be, and mischief and trouble abounds.

Team One

A number of mean-spirited people and beings from both worlds have teamed up, and are trying to trick the Glucke children into doing evil acts. Visible by a faint sickly glow in the air caused by their dark intent, they need to be stopped before they lead the kids astray. Too much evil, and the children will become ill. Subdue the people and cast out the spirits!

Team Two

The larger influx of spirits means there are far too many requests to go around - the kids need help! Experiences for those beings who haven't encountered the natural world before, last requests from the departed, requests can be small - souvenirs or snacks - or large - arranging a meeting with a loved one, perhaps even brief possession. (Wishes granted generate a small amount of a sweet, ghostly substance that can restore the affected children from team one. Or, it's a unique and delicious snack.)

Team Three

The strong connection between the worlds has allowed some mortals through into the spirit world, normally impossible even on the festival's final eve. This team must venture into the wispy, intangible world of the spirits to retrieve those who've strayed. Some parts are hazy replicas of the natural world, whilst others can be long stretches of nothingness interspersed by shifting lights and soft shadows, or even fantastical scenes dreamed up by a collective of spiritual consciousness. Find the lost ones, bring them home.

Comments

[black_black_heart]

The massive tiger watches Yondu scale mt. table, and once he's on the other side there's a lazy stretch and then...

...He gets to his feet, and starts following him.

[yondu]

Oh goddammit. He's just barely heading towards the other car and he turns to see it getting up. He waves it back. "Go on, go find your person." That's going to be an awkward ICP call.

But before his irritation builds any further, it finally clicks enough to ask (mostly because the tiger is so big and that makes no sense) whether or not that this is a person.

"Wait, are you crew?"

[black_black_heart]

Indeed, this kitty is way too big to be a purchased animal. He's big enough for someone Yondu's size to ride on, if only a saddle could be affixed to a cat with all their constantly-moving musculature.

(It's the same reason trying to ride one without a saddle is unlikely. Though he's allowed it in an emergency before.)

He's actually bigger and stronger than the tigers alive back on his Earth. A pinnacle, a concept, a dream. White this time only by sheer number of reincarnations including this genetic blip one whole time.

But here and now, Yondu asked a question, and the tiger's ears flick backward and he... chuffs, amused, long tail flicking from side to side.

So that's maybe a yes? Maybe. And he starts to casually approach.

[yondu]

"ICP ain't translatin' nothin' from ya. So you might wanna put in a complaint."

At least he figures that chuff was the big... cat.. flerken thing trying to say something? He's just going to assume. He's not even going to ask why someone was takin' up a whole huge segment of the car. He just looks from one side of said car to the other with a sternly confused expression. Even if the big buddy's already gotten up to it's paws.

And he mutters, "Startin' to understand why Aletta complained about man-spreadin'."

[black_black_heart]

Approaching, if Yondu doesn't move to keep distance between them, the huge cat is just gonna...

Headbutt his hand.

Hi. Did you know that you're blue? This is very interesting. Are you actually blue or is that just how Tannusen, a faerie whose perception is always layered on top of by mortal dreams and nightmares, is seeing you? Do you just think of yourself as a very tall smurf with a rad robot mohawk?

You look very blue.

Hi.

[yondu]

He brings up his hand, initially not in any way to pet. It's more a defensive thing because he isn't sure what would be construed as an aggressive posture here. Were he out in the wild some months ago he might have already pre-emptively acted. It's only that this is probably crew, probably not going to be incredibly hostile (he better the fuck not be wrong) that he doesn't do something in a rash effort to protect himself.

However, his free hand has pulled back the side of his coat where his holster is just in case.

Alright. So it's just... bumping his hand? What's happening here.

"I ain't sure about pettin' somebody I don't know... Well, with a few caveats." But those are a different topic and half the time he's paid those people to be good to him, so...

[black_black_heart]

The tiger lets out a whuff of air, and...

Tries to go around behind Yondu? He sure does try. And he'll just circle him several times before giving up and sitting down in the middle of the hall, huge head almost shoulder-high on Yondu in this position.

Big kitty.

...And he sticks his tongue out at him, very deliberately.

[yondu]

He sees it and... can't decide whether that's a blep or a taunt? Man, he don't even know. What is this thing anyway?

He lets his coat fall shut. "Alright, I'm gonna go have lunch. You just... I dunno. Have a good nap or somethin'. Try not to bat a kid, your paws're real big."

Luckily him going through the door gives the Tiger a good solid chance for him to not be a Tiger. A very large, intimidating one. Unfortunately most of Yondu's experiences with giant fanged animals have not been them being all that cuddly with him.

[black_black_heart]

The moment Yondu takes his eyes off the tiger, there's suddenly a 6'2" blond man trotting up alongside him just after the doorway, dressed in boots and jeans and a very tight-fitting t-shirt that has a picture of a horse on it and text that says:

LAND SEAHORSE

"Hey, are you actually blue?"

Hello, introduction. He's fantastic at them.

[yondu]

He's successfully startled as a more relatable version of a person appears where he'd left the Tiger, nearly stumbling once he's into the next car.

But right, okay.

"Yeah, you ain't had nothin' slipped into your train food. I'm blue. You're seein' it right. Was you just the big.... furry thing? I don't know what that was."

That was a mystery to him. Other than big and furry.

[black_black_heart]

"Tiger," Tannusen supplies helpfully, falling into easy step next to Yondu, hands tucked into his pockets. "And yes. That's my other shape, but I experience reality differently than the rest of you. You wouldn't have been the only blue person who didn't know what the fuck I was talking about by asking that."

But hey, he's actually blue! That's novel. This whole place is novel.

"And you have a... robotic mohawk full of wires?"

That's what it looks like to him, anyway. The wires are an embellishment from the Dreaming.

[yondu]

"Oh. Right. That's a fin. It's modeled after the natural ones my people have. There's a whole lotta animals that show up here. I don't know half of 'em."

He's a little more at ease now that the apparent 'Tiger' is more his size than giant monster that looks prone to eating someone. Not that he judges people for that, he just doesn't want to be a meal himself. That's how his sensible mind works.

"There used to be other blue folks of other sorts but I'm the only one what's left."

[black_black_heart]

"I think the last person I met who was actually blue was a troll, and not just on the internet."

Sorry Yondu, your new buddy comes from a modern Earth. With all the bullshit terminology that entails.

"I guess I won't have much trouble blending in."

(It's a lie in that it suggests he cares about that, these days. He hasn't in a long time.)

"So, what are your people called?"

[yondu]

"...Ain't trolls like... short? An' got sticky up hair an' got belly gems?" Peter Quill's teachings (and gift) has infected his knowledge.

He's still looking a little like he's trying to work things out when he continues.

"I'm a Centaurian. I'm guessin' you ain't Terran either?"

[black_black_heart]

Tannusen is a pooka.

Pooka... have a very hard time not lying when the lie is so much more amusing than the dull, boring old truth.

"...Yes. That's exactly what he looked like." Really, he can't help himself. Though after a beat, he does add, "Like, eight feet short. Not sure about the gem, but since I never saw him shirtless I'm going to just assume he had one. It's more fun that way."

The question, though, gets a thoughtful hum out of the tiger.

"If Terran means Earth... yes and no? It's complicated. Depends how curious you are."

[yondu]

"Yeah. Has to do with when the Kree discovered the planet. Don't know why. But it goes through 'Terran' in my translators."

He shrugs. "I'm about as curious as anyone else. If it's useful to know in a tight spot, I'd like to know it. If you wanna keep shit to yourself, that's fine too. I don't like to pry unless I feel like I need it."

Which is usually when he's worried about someone. Tannusen can say as much about himself as he wants.

[black_black_heart]

"Yeah? We call it the Autumn World. 'Terran' is a lot less of a mouthful."

So he might start using it too. 'Earth' is just as short, but he's a Faerie. He's contrary.

"I haven't kept any of it a secret in years, so why not? I'm a Faerie. My kind come from a whole other dimension than Terran. Terra? Anyway we sort of got shoved out of the Deep Dreaming and into the mortal world, some of us back when humans weren't even around yet."

So they're cross-dimensional immigrants, basically.

"But when humans happened and they started to really ramp up industry and shit, it started to raise the world's Banality way higher than we could handle, and we started to drop like flies, and our old home slammed its gates shut. At some point, we all started reincarnating into human bodies for protection. Like a radiation suit. The soul stays dormant until the body hits the teen years, typically, and then wham. Hey kid, you're a Faerie and everything is different now. Good luck!

"It doesn't usually work for more than a couple decades before the soul has to fuck off and wait for another reincarnation cycle. I'm ancient by that standard."

Tannusen shrugs, hands still in his pockets.

"The reason this might be useful in a tight spot is I can Enchant people, or even entire areas, and bring the Dreaming in. And then I can do a whole lot more than punch good and look pretty."

[yondu]

"Ah, I gotcha. So Banality is like... the opposite of it bein' natural. An' that means you can do some unique kinds of magic. Sure."

He nods, accepting the explanation. Reincarnation cycles were a thing in a lot of religions, as far as he can tell some of them rooted in truth. So he doesn't question him at all on its effectiveness.

"What would the Dreaming do? 'Cause my only context is shit you do in your sleep."

[black_black_heart]

"Oh, no. Banality is... doing your taxes, waiting around in the DMV or in the lobby of a hospital, doing drudge work where you're not allowed to pass the time even with headphones."

A glance at Yondu and all his... space-biker blueness has Tannusen clarifying, "...It's boredom. And my kind are made of dreams and nightmares, fed by the creativity of the mortals around us. Every time a big-shot artist has claimed to have a muse, it's been one of us who scored a jackpot meal-ticket."

Whether they'd thought of their muse as a person, or as a concept, there was almost always a Fae behind the curtain egging them on.

"The Dreaming is where all that creativity and excitement and dreams come from. Some Faerie think machines are inherently banal, but I don't. The right machine in the right hands inspires. My motorcycle sucked up so much Glamour over the years with me that when I paid some Nockers to make it sentient, it took to their magic like a sponge. Turned into a kirin who could possibly whoop my ass if I didn't just teleport him into the nearest panty store, mid-attack."

[yondu]

"Ah, I get ya." He nods. Well, he thinks he does. He wonders how his life rates on the 'banal' scale or if it's all relative. Often he felt bored as hell.

"You're gonna hate the space between missions. It gets dull as Xandarian beer. An' I know you probably ain't gonna get that reference but I think the mention of 'tastes like piss' in relation to beer is a pretty universal understandin' of failure."

Some might argue that's all beer, but for good beer? That's not the case.

"...Why did you choose there to teleport it?" There are a lotta guesses he could make but he's just going to outright ask.

[black_black_heart]

"Not to worry, I have ways of keeping myself entertained."

Like that's all it is, and not a matter of survival like he'd just indicated. His pooka lies are really something, at this age.

"Because it's funny? I haven't had to teleport Jethro into one, because he's never tried to kick my ass. But I imagine if my own chimera is trying to kill me, I'd need the pick-me-up of imagining his big chrome antlers getting all tangled up in random lacy underthings."

He has, of course, thought this out in advance. For reasons. Murder enough Sidhe nobility and you get used to not trusting shadows, even the ones attached to you.

"And to the mortals, it would look like a motorcycle just popped into existence in the middle of the shop. That's pretty amusing for me."