farsickooc | Test Drive Meme #1

Entry tags:

*test drive meme

Test Drive Meme #1

Welcome to Fernweh's Test Drive Meme! Do you have an interest in joining the game? Need to make sure the setting works for you and your character first? Or have you made the decision to join the game and need fresh samples for your application? Whatever the reason, feel free to use the scenarios however you wish.

You know what to do! If you don’t, just follow the instructions.

How To Play:

→ Comment with the character you would like to test drive (duplicates are allowed)
→ Choose a scenario or start your own
→ Tag around
→ Have fun!

SCENARIOS

01. Arrival

You have been sitting and staring at the sign above you for some time now, lost in a blur of swirling questions that seems to start with how you ended up there; in a place (and time, maybe) that you know you weren't an hour earlier. Or maybe you're an old hand at this by now and you've figured out that this is simply another stop that the multiverse bus has made. So why not get off and look around a little?

At any rate, the sign points you towards the direction of a place called "Gazin", which looks like a decent-sized town from where you stand. There has to be someone who can explain.

02. Around Town

So, you've settled in. Well, mostly. At least you know where things are without taking too many wrong turns and ending up in the less desirable areas of town. But now you can go about your day. Visit the market, check out the local shops or have a drink with a new friend at one of several inns.

03. Exploring

You've heard people talk about some pretty interesting places and now you're itching to get out and find them. Be careful though, there are creatures and monsters out there that will be pretty interested in meeting you and may wish to have you for its next meal. Better take someone along. And maybe some weapons, too. Make sure one is made of silver.

04. Monsters

So, you managed to find that location you were looking for. Good for you! Only.. it seems you've also found one of the native creatures to the area and you now face to face with it. Um. Good luck! We'll see you when you get back!

Hopefully.

05. Celebration

It won't take long for you to figure out that people of Gazin are, all in all, pretty happy people. It shows, too, when a seemingly quiet evening suddenly bursts into a random, impromptu party to celebrate whatever good fortune has touched a person. Name Days, good harvests, betrothals, weddings, or just life in general.

Sing, dance, drink and be happy, too!

06. Wild Card!

Want something else? Feel free to choose your own adventure or mix and match to create something completely different!

NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Arrival:

He had been napping. They had just finished dealing with a rather large order that had left him more exhausted than expected. He had told Hilde he was going to rest his eyes for a bit, and he vaguely remembered thinking something about wondering if their scrap business would do well on Earth. Get off the colony for a bit. He missed the feel of actual wind on his face and real grass beneath his. He missed the view of the moon that you could only get from Earth. He wondered if Hilde would have joined him if he decided to go back for a quick trip.

When Duo woke up, he wasn't in his bed. There was blue sky above him, a slight wind blowing his bangs around, and the smell of fresh grass surrounded him. It was a bit of a shock, to be sure. Was he dreaming? Sitting up, near-violet eyes surveying his surroundings, the former Gundam pilot could only be reminded of Earth. There was a river nearby, mountains behind him, and a forest off in the distance to his left.

And a road leading towards a town that he could barely make out.

The sign pointing towards the town said "Gazin". Duo didn't recognize the name. He wondered if it was just a part of Earth he hadn't been to.

Inspection of himself found callouses on his hands he didn't remember having before he fell asleep. Some small scars on his arms that shouldn't have been there. A frown pulled down on his lips as he pushed himself to his feet. He felt...different. Slightly taller? Duo pulled his braid around and found it longer than before. It wasn't a big change, per se, but one that added his overall confusion and frustration.

"What the hell is going on?"

His eyes focused on the sign again, then looked to the town. Would someone at that place know? Maybe they could at least point him in the direction of a phone so he could call Hilde or one of the other pilots. One of them would surely give him a lift home. With a sigh, Duo shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and started on the path to Gazin.

Around Town:

His first day in Gazin had been spent looking for a phone. A port with a jet or some sort of spacecraft to send him home. A gun. The lack of technology had him reeling, and so when he was offered a room at some bar but not a bar, he holed himself up for a couple of days to gather his wits about him. To figure out a plan for how he was going to get out. For now, he'd have to adapt. Get a layout and overall feel of the town. After a bit of self-chastising (Get a grip, Maxwell!), Duo managed to convince himself to take a look around.

It wasn't nearly the size of the colony, but he still had to ask for directions multiple times before he made his way to what reminded him of an open-air market he remembered being at with Quatre. There were stalls with merchants selling all sorts of things, from food he didn't recognize to armor that looked very archaic. Like something you would see in a museum. He had managed to find a stall that sold daggers and other pointed weapons when he heard his stomach growl.

When was the last time he ate? Two days at the very least. He didn't ask for anything to eat while he was at that inn? Tavern? With a sigh and a shake of his head, Duo continued his meandering through the market. It wasn't like he could get anything now anyway. He didn't have the right currency. Or really any currency. All of that had been left back home, and he seriously doubted that they had a place to exchange his credits for the metal coins he had noticed being traded around.

"Wonder if anyone would miss a single piece of fruit?" he asked under his breath as his gaze fell upon a stall being run by an older woman with graying hair.

Wildcard:

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE! I'm more than willing to match whatever style you're most comfortable with!

The man in white nearby pauses, then continues. Xiao Xingchen is a common sight in the marketplace now, knows which stalls sell what, which vendors are willing to sell to an outsider and a blind man. (Though, after his last trip here with Xue Yang, he would almost swear that they all call out to him now, eager to offer him the pick of their produce.)

"Hello grandmother." He greets the woman at the fruit stand, buying apples and pears from her to put into his basket. But Xiao Xingchen keeps one of each out, turning after he pays to walk in Duo's direction.

"Her daughter hasn't been well lately so there are little ones depending on her sales." His words are gentle though, a little smile on his lips as he holds the fruit out to him. "You didn't know. Even so, you don't have to steal. If you need food, I'll give it to you."

Edited 2020-03-21 16:01 (UTC)

Duo had meant to move on. To go about his way. It was tempting, sure, to fall back into skills he hadn't needed since he was younger. In the end, though, a man caught his eye. He had walked right up to the older woman's stall, paid for a few pieces of fruit...and was making his way in Duo's direction.

He froze, his hands in his pockets when the man approached him. He tensed some, when the fruit was held out to him. Looking between the fruit and the man in white, Duo sighed and brought out a hand to rub the back of his neck. Busted.

"Uh, thanks. Yeah, old habits and all that. Didn't realize I spoke out loud." He hesitated before taking the fruit from the man in front of him. "I'll have to keep your offer in mind, though considering the fact I have no idea who you are, it would be kinda hard to find you." A shrug, and Duo took a bite of the fruit. An apple. Wonderful.

"So? You got a name?" he asked with the apple still in his mouth. Apparently no one ever taught him to not talk with his mouth full.

"Most people wouldn't have heard you. A blind man's senses are just a little sharper is all. And you do make a good point."

He laughs softly at his words, or rather, the way they point out things that he hadn't considered. Sometimes even the most obvious things can get by him.

"I'm Xiao Xingchen. I come to this market almost every day. I live..." He pauses for a moment, turning his head like he's listening for something. He finally points in a direction. "That way. Three hundred and eighty-two steps."

Xingchen listens to him eat for a moment before coming up with an idea.

"If you wouldn't mind helping me, I could make a meal for us."

There were moments where Duo knew when to keep his thoughts to himself. They were few and far between, but they existed. More often than not, however, his brain-to-mouth filter decided to malfunction and he just spoke the first thing that popped into into his head.

"You get around pretty good for a blind guy."

He blinked and swallowed his bite as he felt his cheeks heat up. Wow, what a way to meet someone, huh? Embarrassing, really. Quick, Maxwell, salvage this!

"I'm Duo. Duo Maxwell and uh...sorry about that." He looked off in the direction where Xingchen pointed before glancing back at the man in white. "Are you sure? About the meal? We just met..." Still, he stepped closer, only slightly, not quite sure how he was suppose to help, or what he was helping with. He just took another bite of the apple to keep his mouth occupied.

Duo isn't the only one prowling around the market of course. Xue Yang has a sword strapped to his back, wearing local clothes that are sturdy and have seen action, with the state of the left sleeve. Four mended slashes have damaged the material, and the hand attached to the limb has a half-glove completely covering the smallest finger.

He has a basket hanging off the other arm, full of produce along with a bundle of spices and herbs, and some cloth beside. He's another regular face in town, and people don't seem afraid of him exactly. They just give him a bit more respect than the average person.

He hears that mutter and scoffs with a grin.

"If you're hungry," he murmurs as he slides past him. "Maybe not announcing your plan would be better. And it's a small town, things like that get noticed."

When it rains, it pours. That was how the saying went, right? Duo was already having a hard enough time trying to figure out where he was, what plan he had to get home, and how he was going to eat and pay for his room. Now this guy...

Duo gave a huff, causing his bangs to rise and fall back into place. He tensed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, well, words and actions are two very different things." Already making friends, it seemed. "It wasn't like I had actually planned on doing anything." He looked at the guy out of the corner of his eye. "Suppose you don't know what they say about assuming, huh?"

Wen Qing came across him right where the path through the woods led into the town proper, while she was on her way out of town to practice with her new weapon.

She looked an unassuming sight, a young woman with unadorned dark hair in a peasant maid's red dress, carrying a small basket just in case she came across any medicinal herbs on her way.

She halted in her steps when she caught sight of Duo, whose dress didn't match anything she had seen in Gazin before.

"Excuse me, but you aren't from around here, are you?" Well, bluntness worked best sometimes.

Any other time, he would have noticed the sounds of footsteps nearby. He would have been able to determine quick-like if the person was friend or foe, and made his move from there. To go on the offensive or defensive. However, being thrown into a place different from where he fell asleep, and grown some in the process had Duo's thoughts and focus occupied.

The woman's voice nearby had actually managed to startle him. He jumped slightly and whipped around, his braid winding around him briefly before falling back into place. His hands immediately went up as though ready to block a punch. Near-violet eyes were wide as he took in the slender woman in clothing that looked NOTHING like what he was use to seeing. Blinking, he lowered his hands slightly.

"Woah, way to sneak up on me. It usually takes more than that to spook me," he said with a small smirk. Under his breath, he mumbled, "The guys would have a good laugh over that one." Duo shook his head and lowered his hands to his hips as he looked out towards the town. "I guess it's pretty obvious, huh. Do I just give off the tourist vibe or something?"

Her naturally large eyes widened even more as the young man responded so very startled that she felt downright guilty for having given him such a scare. That hadn't been her intention at all, she had run into strangers before in the woods but none had ever been so skittish.

He had a different manner of speech to go with his different clothes. Definitely not a local from Gazin or one of the nearby towns then, and she felt a glimmer of hope at that. Every new displaced person meant another chance to learn more about what had brought them here - and how they could get back.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, "I didn't mean to frighten you." She let her eyes roam over him pointedly. "And yes, it is obvious. Nobody dresses in Gazin like you do." Except for a few of those who had only just arrived, like Caitlin. "Did you happen to be in another place and suddenly you stood in this forest?"

Duo offered a soft chuckle in response as he brought up a hand to rub the back of his neck under his braid. He really shouldn't be quite as jumpy as he was. The wars were over. Peace was in place between the Colonies and Earth. He had a stable job and everything.

Old habits die hard, he thought.

"Ah, don't apologize. Just not use to people getting the jump on me." He offered the woman a bright, but embarrassed smile as he dropped his hand to his side, the other still propped on his hip. "I wouldn't know what Gazin folks dress like. Where are we? Europe? It's definitely not the Middle East. Maybe somewhere in southern Asia?"

He would have kept rambling, but the last question caught him off guard. Duo sucked in a quick breath before releasing it in a sigh. Wait, so he wasn't the only one? There were others? Maybe this girl...He crossed his arms over his chest and studied the girl with a more serious expression.

"I guess so, yeah. I laid down to take a nap after a hard morning at work, and I woke up...umm--" Duo looked up the road and motions back the way he came. "--Over there. Somewhere. Definitely not on the colony anymore..."

"No, I don't think you are in your colony anymore, wherever that may be," she said grimly. "And I'm actually not sure where we are. I have taken a look at all the maps I could get my hands on and have spent the last two months speaking to as many people as I could but nobody has been able to explain where Gazin is located in any way which lets me place it."

She hesitated a little longer, well aware that the next part would be sounding like she had lost her mind. "There are many people here who were taken from their homes," she began cautiously, "but not all of them describe their homes as a place which is familiar. They come from parts of the world I have never heard of, or which shouldn't be able to exist." Another moment of hesitation. "And I know for a fact that people have been taken from different points in time."

At first, Duo simply took in the information given to him. This woman didn't know where she was either. Maybe she simply didn't travel as much as he had? That would explain some, but then, why wouldn't anyone else know where this place was? Surely someone could at least say what continent they were on! It didn't take a genius to know that much!

He started to call her crazy. He even had opened his mouth to say as much. But didn't he just suddenly wake up in a pile of grass after falling asleep in his own bed? Didn't he wake up with new scars and callouses and feeling just slightly different overall? And the way she spoke...

"So it happened to you." A logical jump. Duo just sighed and moved to settle down on a patch of grass near the road. He leaned back on his hands, his head tilted back so he stared up at the sky. "Pulled from different places and times. Where did you come from?" He cut a glance to the woman, offering a small grin in hopes of reassuring her that he didn't think her crazy.

Well, too crazy, in any case.

She nodded grimly, simply glad that he hadn't laughed in her face and told her that she had lost her mind. She couldn't have blamed him for it, though maybe being magically whisked away into another world made you more willing to believe in the unbelievable in general.

"Yes, it happened to me," she confirmed. She did appreciate the smile, even if she didn't quite smile back but her body language relaxed at his open acceptance. "I come from the city of Nevernight in Qishan, though I was in Yiling when I was taken. This town you're in is called Gazin, by the way, in the province of Farsennia. It is bordered by the countries of Suthlan and Verimas... none of these are familiar to me, but maybe this information is more use to you than me."

Which isn't the most unsettling part, though, Farsennia could simply be some faraway part of the world that hasn't been explored yet. It's only her well-practiced self-control that keeps her from pacing as she gets to the part that makes returning home seem so terribly out of reach. "There are several people from home here, but we were all taken at different points in time. The others are years ahead of me... decades, even, in some cases."

Going with the motions. That was one of the things Duo did best. Just going with the flow and taking it a step at a time. It was probably the one that that kept him from losing his mind after many years of doing what he did. The wars, growing up on the streets. One thing at a time.

The one thing he was focused on, right now, was making sure he at least understood what this woman was saying. The names Qishan and Yiling...they weren't familiar to him. They weren't really places he knew, but they had a similar ring to places and names he had heard before. Sitting up straighter, Duo moved his hands to his lap, a finger now tapping on his knee. He could ask her more about those places, see if she was from the L5 cluster, but given her state of dress, he doubted she was.

Next point in order. The time.

"You have people here you know, but they're much older than you remember. I'm going to assume that it's backwards for them. That you are younger than they remember. Is that right?"

It sounded convoluted as hell. One thing at a time.

She would indeed not have known of a colony L5 but being questioned further about the time issue had her quite pleased, as it had been a grave concern for her ever since the deeper meaning of these discrepancies first sank in.

It felt good to be talking about it, as she usually tried to cling to hope.

"Yes, that is right." She did start walking a little then, back into town since she figured that was where he was headed anyway. And it would be easier to get a better understanding of Gazin when you saw it for yourself. "They are older than I remember them, I am younger than they remember. They speak of events which have not yet happened." She frowned. "It is the most worrisome part. If it were not for that, I would have thought to simply take a ship and travel as far as I can, until I come across someplace familiar. But even the people from home are from different years. That's not to speak of people who told me they believe they are from my world, but the faraway future. Hundreds of years in the future. So even if we can get to the place that is home... it is very unlikely we would be in the time that is home."

(no subject)

death_scythe - 2020-03-24 21:10 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

radishlobbyist - 2020-04-02 21:32 (UTC) - Expand

Morrigan had been doing her own shopping in town when she caught sight of Duo moving around in a certain way which reminded her of her companion Leliana. Overhearing him talk to himself, her lips curled into a smirk.

"Stealing from the elderly? And here I thought this place would be dull." The woman's voice was scathingly amused, though there was no true disapproval in it. To her, this was clearly just good entertainment which didn't concern her in anyway, and she tried her best to show it in her unconcerned body language.

Well, it was certainly more entertaining than anything else she had come across today.

The voice behind him pulled him from his thoughts, and Duo whipped around to see the woman with that shit-eating grin on her face. He must have been thinking out loud...again. He huffed a bit, causing his bangs to lift before falling back in his face.

"Please, I'm not that desperate." The best way to make friends in this strange place? Sarcasm.

Duo crossed his arms over his chest, his feet shifting in a way that he could bolt if needed. Was he really going to steal? No. Not really, but it was tempting. Old habits, and all that. It was rather hard to ignore the growling of his stomach.

"So...what's you're deal? Do you get your kicks from jumping in on self-conversations?"

Well, wasn't this one amusing?

Her smirk only widened, delighted to have her sarcasm met with sarcasm. As amusing as her traveling companions were to torment, most of them lacked the scathing wits for a proper duel of words. Not that she had a problem with attacking the unarmed but it could get quite dull at times.

"Sometimes," she said, making a show of looking bored. "If people make it quite as easy as you do... or when I have something to say on talking to yourself being some sort of desperate."

"You sound like you need a hobby. That kind of voyeurism isn't sexy. It's just downright creepy." He could feel his lips curl up in a smirk of his own as he moved his hands to rest on his hips. It felt nice to relieve at least some tension he felt since he showed up here. It wasn't necessarily a battle of wits, per se. A bit banter that he hadn't really been part of in a while.

"I'll just have a conference call with myself later to explain that thinking out loud is frowned upon." Not that he was sure anyone around here would know what a conference call was, but sometimes words just tumbled out of Duo's mouth without him realizing it until he had already said them. "But you can't say that you haven't had conversations with yourself before. Weighing pros and cons for something or other?"

He lifted a hand to wave it a bit in a dismissive manner.

She sure hadn't ever heard about conference calls but she did get that she was being mildly mocked, which was good enough for her. Half the things these religious people babbled about Andraste didn't make sense to her either.

"I've had conversations with myself once or twice, I'll admit to it. Sometimes you'll want to talk to someone worth your time." She gave him an amused look. "Not that you and yourself would know a lot about that."

She looked around, her gaze eventually returning to the stall he had been eyeing. "Now why, I wonder, were you weighing the pros and cons of stealing? A bit down on your luck, aren't you?"

Alright. He'd give that one to her. Random woman: 1. Duo Maxwell: 0. He huffed a bit, almost pouting some before his eyes turned back to the stall. The older woman was smiling, trading fruits for coins he had never seen before.

His stomach gave another growl as he lifted his arms to clasp his hands behind his head.

"Let's just say I traveled far lighter than what I should have." He only had the clothes on his back, the cross around his neck, and a pair of work gloves that he stuffed in his coat pocket. No money, as he had fallen asleep in his own room before he ended up here.

Not that this place would have accepted what money he did have.

"I haven't stolen food since I was a kid. I'm not about to fall off the band wagon now." He still had his pride after all.

"'Tis unfortunate, indeed." Not that she sounded particularly sympathetic, the only sign of some sympathy being that she didn't quite sound mocking anymore.

She hadn't exactly arrived carrying a wealth of goods to be bartered either, but at least she'd had a few coins on her and she was well-suited to surviving in the wilderness. Between these skills and her magic, she didn't need much.

"You're lucky that this place is used to hapless strangers. I hear there's a tavern full of rowdy, reeking people who will happily take you in for some coins yet to be earned." She wrinkled her nose. Now this had to count as her good deed of the year, for sure.

The inn...tavern he knew about. He had been holed up there for two days before he finally pulled himself out to wander. He just didn't like debt, but Duo was slowly realizing that he was just going to have to suck it up and deal with it. He didn't have a choice.

He cut a glance to the woman and raised a brow. She was giving him good intel, but didn't seem too keen about it. Ah, he got it. His smile softened some, and he offered a nod to her.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for the info."

She didn't quite grimace at being thanked but it was a close enough thing, and she couldn't quite hide her distaste. Were these foolish heroes truly getting to her already? Was she keeping up their work even while separated from them? What a dreadful thought.

"Don't thank me," she added with a snort. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You were just looking pitiful." She paused for a moment, fighting with herself. "You could hunt in the forest, or forage, though there's not much to forage at this time of the year."

Test Drive Meme #1

Duo Maxwell || Gundam Wing

around town

no subject

no subject

no subject

Around town ish

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)