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TDM #1

TEST DRIVE MEME #1

Welcome to Glencola Reef's first Test Drive Meme! This is a place where anyone interested in applying a character - or just curious to see how their characters might interact with the setting and others in the game - can mingle with one another. General prompts are provided below for inspiration.

TDM GUIDELINES

Please read the rules before posting to the TDM. These still apply here and will be enforced, up to and including deleting tags/toplevels and prebanning.
Posts from a TDM are required to apply. At least three tags across any number of threads within a TDM, posted within the last 6 months, must be provided in every application.
TDM threads can be used for AC. Note that new characters only need to check in for their first AC cycle, but established characters can use TDM tags for their AC.
TDMs are not considered game canon by default. This is mostly for logistics reasons - due to how characters travel on the map, it's unlikely that non-network threads that take place here will actually happen in-game. However, I won't stop anyone from working out how to make parts of threads game canon if they really want to.
New TDMs will be posted every three months. Keep checking back into the current TDM for new toplevels!

I. ARRIVAL

You awaken on a tropical island beach, soaking wet, powerless, and without any idea how you got here. Were you carrying something important, or wearing powerful armor? How unfortunate - it looks like only the most basic clothes, items in your pockets, and simple weapons managed to make the trip with you. Are you even physically the same as you remember? If you had superhuman abilities tied to your physiology, you might be stuck in a completely different body that lacks your usual senses. You might've been whisked away from a tense battle or a near-death experience and wake up delirious, or even injured.

Thankfully, against overwhelming odds, you're not the only one to wake up on this particular stretch of beach. You and your companion have a lot of puzzling out to do.

II. NETWORK

Even if you weren't lucky enough to wake up near someone else, at least you've arrived with a military-grade radio transceiver gripped tightly in your hand (or mouth, or other vaguely opposable appendage of choice). The clunky walkie-talkie will start buzzing and crackling for every public message that starts coming your way. Answering them back is as easy as pressing the "talk" button on the side of the device and either speaking into the receiver, or using the keypad to type into the message box that appears on the screen, then pressing the button again to send. A list of ongoing conversations with responses that are less than 24 hours old can be found by scrolling through the menu, identified by the callsigns that are participating in them. It seems that you've been assigned a callsign, too - it shows up in the top right side of the screen, format AB123C. The letters and numbers picked are...probably random.

This is your easiest avenue to communicating, or coordinating with, or complaining at the other people stuck on this island; how you decide to use this tool is up to you.

III. EXPLORING

For a place that appears, by all signs, to be an equatorial island in the middle of a tropical ocean, the local environments are surprisingly diverse. Beaches range from idyllic white sand to storm-swept pebble crags to cliffs with waterfalls cascading off the edges; the interior forests can be thinned from sandy soil or dense jungles full of prickly underbrush and with towering canopies; and the central mountain peaks, perilous enough to climb on their own, terminate in ravines and sinkholes that are hidden by thick foliage until you already have one foot over the edge.

The animals that make their homes here are equally as varied, and sometimes just as dangerous. The standard Earth fare of tropical fish swim right up to most shores, especially where reefs have grown, and a multitude of seafaring and jungle birds make their homes in ocean-facing cliffs and trees. Any one of these creatures would make for an easy snack. But you're not the only opportunistic hunters here; sharks prowl the waters, big cats stalk the jungles, and feral boars raid any camps that smell enticing. And that's just the stuff that looks like it came from modern Earth. Your improvised fishing rod might have captured a trilobite, or maybe that deer you were stalking has rounded on you with a set of alien mandibles full of sharp teeth. Or maybe, among the plants and animals completely foreign to you, you've stumbled across one that's strangely familiar to your home and no one else's.

There's a lot to figure out about this place. At least, in this instance, you aren't doing it alone.

NAVIGATION

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[ It's really not. It also doesn't help that the island Levi hails from was called Paradis, and it's been nothing but pure fucking hell for as long as he's been there. ]

[ So he just stares at the kid for a moment. There's no way he just washed up ashore back home, the plants further inland look nothing like the ones that could be found there. Is he dead? Maybe, but it wouldn't make any sense for him to be in a place like this either. ]

[ Fine, he'll bite. ]

Looks nothing like it. [ He sort of gestures at the bloodstain with a barely noticeable tilt of his head. ] Is that yours?

[ He may not have a reputation for being nice but he isn't going to leave a kid fend for himself if he's injured. ]

[The way his head cants bemusedly before he glances down at the bloodstain makes it look like he'd forgotten it was even there. Which...well, he kind of did. The state of the jacket wasn't really at the forefront of his mind when waking up in a place like this.

But he just waves it off, the overlong sleeve flopping over his hand.]

Nope! I got this off a dead guy.

[Technically true. In a backwards sorta way. But he flashes a grin and laughs his weird kinda horselike laugh.]

That's a lie, though. Someone tried to kill me. It's fine now, though! See?

[He pushes the sleeve up to show off his forearm. Pale as fuck, certainly, but uninjured. No scars or anything either.]

[ Was the guy dead before they ran into each other, though? That is the question. ]

[ A question that Levi doesn't particularly care to have answered, because he's certainly done his fair share of lifting things off dead and freshly dead people back in the day. When you're that size, you gotta be crafty, and if the kid managed to lay out someone big enough to fit into that jacket properly, more power to him. ]

[ There's finally a slight change to his deadpan expression when he looks slightly confused at the presented forearm. ]

...you were injured, but now you're not?

[ That... certainly brings back the possibly being dead consideration, doesn't it? Maybe he did take that thunderspear blast to the face and simply got better while laying face down in the sand, as one does. ]

[There's just a flicker of a much more sober, thoughtful expression on his face at that. Because while the whole sleeve injury thing is bullshit, there were some other wounds that should definitely have not been healed, yet he woke up with nothing but small scars. That's a mystery he hasn't even had a chance to really mull over yet. How long was he unconscious for?

But he's quick to plaster on a smile again, childishly mischievous.]

Yup! My body can regenerate.

[ that's a lie etc etc ]

Anyway, do you remember anything? Like maybe you got a glimpse of our kidnappers while fighting them off or something? You toootally look like you'd put up a fight.

[ Well. That's an interesting shift in expressions. He doesn't really have time to contemplate it, though, because the kid says one of the worst possible things he could right now. ]

[ He sure does know a few people who can regenerate injuries. Guess what they all have in common. ]

[ Levi takes a step back, his hand gripping the knife more tightly in his pocket. He doesn't have his gear. If the kid is actually a titan shifter, he's pretty much screwed right now. Shit. Fuck -- ]

[ Oh. He's talking. Stalling, maybe. Did he have friends nearby? ]

[ He narrows his eyes slightly because he can't tell if the kid is being sarcastic or not. He knows he doesn't look like much, but he would, in fact, totally put up a fight. It's taken a squad of trained military professionals to take him down. ]

[ He shakes his head. ]

There was no fight. A bomb went off, then I woke up here.

[For once, Kokichi wasn't being sarcastic. It's in the eyes – this strange man is small, but he's got that severe could-definitely-kill-someone vibe like Maki did. Also, that hand that's been in the pocket this whole time. Kokichi hasn't failed to notice that.

Unfortunately, while he picks up the odd response to his comment, he can't figure out why that particular bit of nonsense got such a reaction. It's definitely noteworthy, though. He's certainly not physically intimidating enough to prompt that kind of wariness. Hmm.]

A bomb? That's weird, I don't remember anything like that...

[He lifts his other hand to play with a bit of his hair as if absentminded, a "casual" demonstration that he's unarmed. See? Just a scrawny, shrimpy kid with a penchant for saying ridiculous things. Totally innocent.]

[ Must be a terrible day for him, actually getting a rouse (sort of) out of someone with the nonsense and yet having no idea how or why it happened. ]

[ As for Levi, well. It doesn't matter how harmless the kid looks, he knows better. Even if he doesn't have a hidden weapon anywhere, all it takes is one bite. Actually, it could even be less than that. How does it work? Would someone transform if they accidentally sat on their own balls? Shit, he's starting to sound like Hange-- ]

Of course you don't. You weren't there.

[ Which is... a whole other can of worms to open. Where is this guy from, exactly? The clothes don't look Marleyan, and he doesn't think anybody else would have a shifter he doesn't know about, but he also knows better than to have expectations with the amount of curveballs they've been thrown recently. ]

[ Asking is an option... assuming he gets a truthful answer. ]

What do you remember?

[His eyes narrow, his smirk taking on a bitter edge, and for a moment his voice is a little less childish.]

Dying.

[Lie enough, and you can make sure no one ever knows when you're telling the truth.

The moment passes and he heaves a theatrical sigh, shrugging and right back to that flippant ease.]

Obviously that's a lie. It's super boring, but I don't remember anything special happening. I just blacked out and woke up here.

Edited 2023-05-03 13:19 (UTC)

[ Okay. The kid is officially weird. Which really just makes him even more suspicious. Levi considers killing him before he can transform, but so far he has no reason to believe he is actually an enemy, so he decides against it. For now. ]

King of comedy, aren't you. [ His dry tone implies that he didn't actually find it funny. Sorry, Kokichi, he can't read your dramatic narration about lies and truth so he just assumes it's a misplaced attempt at humor. Seriously, who goes through the effort to lie and then immediately reveal it? What's the point? ] I didn't ask about special. Place, time, things like that.

King of games, actually. You can call me Pharaoh.

[ bro this is not the time for a yugioh reference

Kokichi seems completely undeterred by the flat response. Or rather, like the lie is more for his own amusement than anyone else's. He shrugs grandly.]

But like I said, it was nothing special. I was at school, and last I remember it was nighttime.

[All technically true.]

That's a stupid name.

[ Oops, he seems to be thinking Kokichi just introduced himself. Not that he does anything about it. He's kind of rude like that. ]

What year?

Rude!

[But judging by his snickering, he doesn't seem genuinely upset. He isn't bothering to correct the misunderstanding, either.]

Buuut let's see... Huh, I don't really remember the year. Must have slipped my mind!

[He's not inclined to be truthful regardless, but it's certainly easier to dance around it then actually explain his situation. It'd just sound like more lies anyway.]

[ Just ignoring that entirely, water is wet etc. ]

Slipped your mind?

[ You're being hella sus there, bro. ]

Did you get a concussion?

[Oh, thanks for the excuse.]

A concussion? Huh, there was that time I tripped on a loose floorboard and hit my head like a week ago...

[This probably sounds too convenient, and he does tends to talk in an exaggerated manner that makes everything sound like it could be a lie, so he pulls his bangs away from his face to show off a mostly-healed scab right near his hairline.]

[ MAYBE LEAD WITH THAT THEN!! ]

[ Levi has some conflicting feelings at the moment. Like wanting to get away from a potential threat but also not being keen on abandoning a kid with potentially life threatening injury in a bad situation. Oh, and there's still that murder contemplation -- ]

[ But all of the sudden, he seems more relaxed. About as soon as he lays eyes on that scab, because shifters didn't scab, they just healed right up. ]

A week, huh? [ But that point stands even if it's been half an hour. He knows how Titan injuries look like. There's still a small chance it could be some kind of a new ability, and he's ready for that, but somehow it seems increasingly likely that the kid is shitting with him instead. His expression goes flat. ] What happened to your "regeneration"?

[Kokichi snickers unrepentantly as he lets his bangs fall back into place.]

Oh, that was a lie. I guess I didn't mention it yet, huh? I'm a liar.

[At least this is a familiar and comforting stance to slip back into, one that helps ease the tension in him at this fresh new mess of bullshit he's woken up in. Lying gives him a sense of control. Only he gets to decide what anyone thinks or knows about him, even if it's all negative. And there are benefits to being dismissed and underestimated – and to playing the villain.]

[ Great. He's stuck with a kid with an attitude. Who is probably not a titan, so he's got that going for him, but he's not off the hook yet. ]

A shitty one at that.

[ A good liar didn't admit they were one, after all. At least not until their final moments. He would know something about that. He knew a first-rate conman, after all. Someone who had managed to sell lies as hope so well he still carried it with him. ]

If you start feeling dizzy, sit down in the shade.

[ Concussions are no joke, and he'd rather be careful about a lie than ignore a truth. ]

Aww, are you worried about me? I guess you're way nicer than you look!

[He says rude shit so cheerfully...

There's no dizziness, but honestly, shade sounds better than just standing here out under the sun. Pale as he is, he'll definitely sunburn easily. So he turns to wander over towards the treeline and flops down in the sand in a shady spot.

It'd probably be good to get a better handle on the situation. He pulls the radio thing back out to look at again, and idly calls over:]

Hey mister, did you find one of these things, too?

[ He is, in fact, way nicer than he looks. ]

[ He also doesn't deign that with any sort of response. He doesn't usually react much to insults, and this isn't even one. ]

[ They need some kind of a plan, that's for sure. The beach looks safe enough, so he can probably leave the kid there and go look for water. He's confident that he can manage getting attacked by an animal if he's on his own. He slowly starts toward the treeline as well, pausing when Pharaoh speaks up again. ]

Yeah. [ He lifts his own, dangling it from his hand like a disgusting spider. ] Do you know how to use it?

Nope, no idea!

[The peppy denial is kinda countered by the fact that he pushes the button and speaks into it, so Levi's radio crackles with static and a subsequent chirping notification of a new message.]

[ Just takes it in stride. ]

See if you can figure it out.

[ He's already walking into the jungle when his own device makes a noise, but he just stares down at it for a moment before continuing, mostly because he has no idea how to make it play messages. Oops. ]

[Wow. Nico had thought it was just dry humor at first, but the guy genuinely didn't seem to get the beeping notification. It seems like the kind of thing that should be fairly intuitive to anyone more intelligent and used to living in society than Gonta, and that wasn't a hard bar to clear.

He frowns to himself for a moment, thoughtful, before springing to his feet and giving chase into the jungle.]

What, you never played with walkie-talkies as a kid or anything? That's just depressing.

[ Well. Looks like the kid is feeling better. Levi doesn't slow down, but he's not purposefully trying to shake him off either; he just wants to scout the nearest part of the jungle and see if he can find anything they can drink or eat. ]

[ Which, okay. Maybe he should have bailed, because now he has to listen to more incessant talking. Not to mention, what kind of a buffoon calls a communication device walkie talkie? ]

No. [ Complete deadpan as he uses his knife to cut through some vines blocking the path that stubbornly refuse to be shoved to the side. ] Guess I was more of a jabbie-stabbies kind of kid.

[ Now that's dry humor. ]

[He gives an exaggerated gasp, adopting a nervous expression.]

Ehh? That's such a scary thing to say...

[...But he only keeps up the bit for a few seconds before a smirk takes over his face and he snickers.]

But I'm lying. Me too, actually! Whoever dragged us here just stole my knife.

[ He doesn't really react to either declaration -- first because it's not his job to coddle the kid when they're in possible actual danger, and the second because it would just confirm the initial impression he had gotten from him. ]

[ He does make a mental note not to let his guard down, though. Last thing he needs is the teen trying to pickpocket his knife from him. ]

Shit luck.

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