TEST DRIVE.

[futurologists]

test drive Firstly, thank you for your interest! Secondly, since the game hasn't begun and therefore characters haven't actually gone to a world yet, this test drive is going to be a little different. It's intended to be presented as a mini-mission of sorts, on a much smaller scale and timeframe than a real mission in-game but with a somewhat similar feel. Because of this, if you join the game, you're allowed to count this as game canon, so make sure you make choices you want to follow your character into the game! You know how this works, so go forth and have fun, and don't forget to reserve! BASICS Anwick might have been a beautiful town once. It's hard to tell now, since most of the buildings are scorched and crumbling, but they do resemble some rural modern-day buildings. Likewise, the people don't appear to be living too much in the past; several are carrying intimidating guns. For years, Anwick has been terrorized by dragons, living in fear of the next attack. Not anymore. The people have just ended a bloody battle. Several people limp towards the outskirts of town, holding their bleeding wounds or new burns. In the center of town lies a slain dragon, the last full-grown one left in the world. To be honest, it looks like they've already taken care of their own problem. A monotonous voice comes through your communication device to explain. You aren't here to help the townspeople; you're here for the dragons. The one motionless on the ground may have been the last adult, but it certainly wasn't the last dragon. Her children are located in a nearby cave, alone and orphaned. They're the ones you need to protect. WYRMLINGS The wyrmlings are still growing up, only the size of a small dog. Each has a slightly different appearance, but all of them have at least a few bright copper scales. They're beautiful, and they look a little bit harmless... at least, until they notice you. These dragons have never been exposed to humans before. Or anyone outside of their family, for that matter. They're small and scared, and they don't know any other way to protect themselves than to attack. Luckily, because of their tiny size, they can't do much more than small burns at a time — but make no mistake, it still hurts like hell. The cave they're located in is pitch-black and labyrinthine. Every footstep echoes throughout it if you aren't light enough on your feet. It'll be difficult to navigate if you don't MacGyver yourself a torch or other form of lighting. Cell phones will work decently, at least until their battery dies, but you don't want to get stuck deep within the cave with no light. If you do manage to get through the cave and rescue some without getting burned to a crisp, the trouble's not over yet. You'll have to find a safe place to stash them until they can be relocated; the townspeople aren't done with their dragon-slaying yet, after all. Walk into town with one in tow, and you're putting a target on your back. (Of course, this doesn't mean you can't do it.) PROMPTS ONE ✗ GOING ROGUE Not feeling too obedient? Maybe you're ignoring the orders and helping the wounded people in town instead... or just coming to gawk. Maybe you're coming to slay the wyrmlings yourself. Whatever it is, at least try to be sneaky about it. TWO ✗ THE DRAGON'S CAVE Try to navigate the cave, fail to navigate the cave and get lost, or try to take the wyrmlings without getting barbecued. Somehow, you get the feeling that you aren't alone. Those footsteps are probably just your imagination... or they could be townspeople coming to kill you and the dragons. Of course, they could also be an ally, but you'd better hope you don't find out. THREE ✗ HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON You've gotten the dragon(s) to a secure campsite out of town, but the fun's not over yet. They're kind of freaking out a little. Some of them are still spitting fire. Even the less aggressive ones are crying shrilly, bound to attract townspeople or at least annoy everyone nearby. It can't be too hard to calm them down; they're basically scaly, fire-breathing babies, right? FOUR ✗ NIGHT TIME It's been a long day, and now it's time for the crew to sleep. Get to know your tentmates, try to ignore them, pray that they don't want to bring along a wyrmling to cuddle... or maybe you've been put on night watch with a few others, in which case you'd better find a way to pass the time until your shift's over. FIVE ✗ CHIT CHAT Network option! Maybe you've got a little downtime and you're bored. Or maybe you're frantically asking the rest of the team how bad a dragon bite is. Maybe you're just trying to figure out how the hell this magical jewelry thing works. No matter what, you get one username to identify you and one only — if you don't enter one, it will default to your real name (for example, Voldemort's would be tomriddle.) Choose wisely... or make it assfarts69, if that's your thing. More information on the network is here! SIX ✗ WILDCARD Do whatever the hell you want. Explore the ashes of the burned city, try to run as far away from this crap as possible, or try to teach a wyrmling tricks. The world is your oyster.

Comments

Loki | Marvel 616

[selfimage]

three; dragons, it’s always dragons.

[ Loki’s sick-of-this-already sigh can be heard above the cry of the small, scaly little child that he had just rescued. ]

This is the last time—[ the dragon cries again and Loki cleans his ear with his pinky, finger brushing against where the horned diadem would be on his head. he already misses it. ]—I say go for the dragons.

[ there was some myth about Loki and dragons. something about a serpent coiling around the world. dragons sitting on piles of gold? he could do that. dragons on the television for a late night HBO binge? check. but dragons akin to children? eh, well, at least they were bright-eyed and bombarding him with worthless questions. ]

Come on, beasties.

[ he brushes off his burnt finger tips against his dull clothing and tries for illusion, conjuring up an array of large, colorful dragonflies to gain their attention. (dragon? dragonflies? why not.) it works momentarily, and the gaggle of scaly, dangerous-looking children hunch over to watch.

it just gets a little unruly when they start snapping, and Loki has to duck out of the well. ] Ah—Hel! Stop that!

four; hi bye.

[ bored. he looks bored. possibly thoughtfully bitter.

if there was something that Loki didn’t like, it was fate. if there was something else Loki didn’t like, it was being told what to do. if he were to chose between the two, he’d take someone telling him what to do over the crushing, damning weight of fate. so, getting back to Asgard was going to take a bit of time. he’s not one to miss an opportunity, and for the moment, he had escaped the clutches of his own damned fate.

dragons were a common occurrence in the Ten Realms, and this? well, it was no casino heist or an impossible break in. actually, he thinks better of it, and he tucks his hands into the pockets of his slacks (ugh, how he misses his jacket. everything is so much easier when you have a variety of magical artifacts to choose from.) and begins to slink off.

he could find something that would prove more useful to him. ]

five; well, this is super annoying.

[ there’s this irritating green-dressed menace perched not far, illuminated by the dim light of his cell phone. there’s something else between his fingers. a smooth, outer surface with dark twine wrapped haphazardly around his gloved wrist, disappearing beneath his sleeve. he’s ignoring his phone for now, using the light to examine the orb hanging from his bracelet. he holds up a finger as if an invisible lightbulb were appearing over his head. soon, his thumb tapping expertly, as if he’s done this a million times before.

lo and behold, you’re getting a message from that annoying guy who’s not standing more than a few yards away. the username is LOKIOFASGARD. ]

Hello. :-)
Thanks for signing up for DRAGON FACTS. You will now receive daily facts about DRAGONS!
Did you know that the blood of a dragon provokes honesty from all that come into contact with it? Mortal science believes this to be some kind of absurd chemical brain reaction.
Thank you for choosing DRAGON FACTS!

[ if he’s caught, he’ll do what he can to look innocent—unfortunately his face doesn’t look innocent at all. ]

DRAGON FACTS, BRAH

[khsneak]

S'zah thinks this one speaks strongly of turd.

[Translation: smelled out your bullshit, bro.]

Give further DRAGON FACTS. S'zah will assess. S'zah is expert in the field, unlike fool LOKIOFASGARD.

my destiny has called me.

[selfimage]

[ the turd is strong with this one. time to descend into major turdage. ]

Would you like to receive a DRAGON FACT every hour? Please enter T67rrrqu8.

i was pulled in by DRAGON FACTS

[strictdiscipline]

[ ......this new information seems questionable. but, first things first: a reply message from HAWKEYE. ]

I don't remember signing up for this.

the siren call of DRAGON FACTS

[selfimage]

[ that's

a familiar name.

trying not to look to conspicuous, Loki tips his eyes up, and without moving his head, looks around for the one he knows is attached to it. when he doesn't find who he's looking for, a frown tugs at the edges of his lips. time to recover from some carelessness. ]

Thanks again for joining DRAGON FACTS!
Did you know that there's a particular kind of HAWK DRAGON that spends a curious amount of time near bishops? It's true, just ask your imagination!
To unsubscribe please enter 556ttYYo.

5

[norse]

[ The comm device is, thankfully, easy to wrap around a vambrace like a thick leather bracelet, viewed on the inside whenever he twists his wrist. Thor, not being so far away over the field that he can't spot his (very little) brother, eyes the network once he spies what said menace is doing. Hmm. He takes a seat on a log at the camp, Mjolnir between his feet as he tries to banish his awkwardness in replying via text, typing a bit slowly as he grows accustomed to where the letters are. It's a bit tricky at first, he'd have preferred something a little more advanced Asgardian to work with.

His username is THOR ODINSON BROTHER I CAN SEE YOU. ]

loki no

[selfimage]

[ there's a curious frown that twitches at the end of Loki's lips. he cranes his head over his shoulder, green eyes searching for the source. ah, there. he spots his brother not too far off, hunched over his new device like a fishermen over a net. Thor's fingers were made for punching, not necessarily for the delicacy needed for utilizing a tiny keypad.

in response Loki looks directly at him, directly off to the side, and then takes sanctuary behind the nearest tree. he's not completely invisible, but hey, we can't all stick our heads in the ground. ]

Loki yes!!! :-O

shows up to 5 fifteen minutes late with starbucks

[micdrops]

[ fuuuuck that noise. what kind of name is LOKIOFASGARD? lokio fasgard?? will's username is, unhelpfully, Wolf Trap. ]

Unsubscribe.

party's just getting started

[selfimage]

[ oh, it's ripe. ]

Command not recognized.
Did you know that dragons are always alive in your imagination? Use its power to unlock their fire-breathing draconic majesty. :-)
Thanks for choosing DRAGON FACTS.
To unsubscribe enter please enter the sum of sixty-five and 437.

four

[livedtwice]

You don't look like you're very happy to be here. Bad luck with dragons today? [From the way this guy is carrying himself, Harry doubts that it has anything to do with dragons. For one thing, he's not wearing any burns that Harry can see, and for another, he looks like an odd mixture of bored and frustrated. Or maybe he's recognizing another emotion there, he isn't certain.

Harry, for his part, looks worse for wear. While he has knowledge and experience with dragons, much of the magic he'd need to be able to handle today is in Hermione's head. It isn't that he minds not knowing it, and he's been trying to remember all of the necessary spells to patch himself up, only he's been coming up empty. He'll work on it. With what they're here to do, he might as well do his best.]

[selfimage]

[ ah, caught. he turns around on his heels slowly to face him.

Loki had pawned off the dragons on his fellow quest-goers at least an hour ago. the burns had only warranted a change in shirt, and honestly, it was more the dragon whining than the actual dragons themselves. children weren't his forte, not even when they were of another species. ]

Ah—yes. Them. Terribly mercurial, aren't they? [ he tosses up his hands. ] I have some tricks under my sleeve that saved my better pair of slacks. Dragons do have a tendency to get their fire all over everything.

As for me? Well, I'm not the "stay in one place for long" sort of person.

[attackeyebrows]

unsubscribe

[WHO SIGNED HIM UP FOR DRAGON FACTS was it missy he bets it was missy

also his user name is probably just 'the Doctor' because he's boring like that YOU KIDS AND YOUR NEWFANGLED SCREEN NAMES]

[selfimage]

[ oh no it's a Doctor. ]

Command not recognized.
Thanks for joining DRAGON FACTS! You will now receive hourly updates about dragons.
Did you know that dragons have over 200 bones?
Enter a Pi to the 11th digit to unsubscribe.

[spacegirl]

[Huh.

Well this is interesting.

Interesting enough to respond anyway. So Clara does, with the username OSWIN.]

What about dragon tears? What sort of effects do they provoke?

[selfimage]

Thanks for joining DRAGON FACTS!
Dragon tears have no properties, and you should be ashamed of yourself that you managed to make one cry.
Try harder.

five;

[madannoshashu]

[ Hello irritating, green-dressed menace. Meet an odd fellow dressed all in black with a hood shrouding his features. Zippers are all the rage these days according to the gods of Squeenix so there are plenty of those, too.

He's sitting on a tree limb, casual as you please.

The message Loki receives back is from spacetimedime. ]

but do i get dragon anecdotes?

[selfimage]

[ the appearance makes him from, and there's a little twang inside of him where he misses his own jacket with useless buckles. invisibility would really come in handy right now.

there's just a puffy-faced, childish sigh as he replies. ]

Thanks for joining DRAGON FACTS!
Dragon anecdotes have captivated those around the multiverse, but it's best to write your own stories.
Have fun with that.

three.

[quivers]

[Yeah, there's no way she'll ever get fully used to teeny bopper Loki (well, he looks older than that now, but, eh). At least he's still quite the entertainment to watch, the sight of the god going all dragon tamer plenty amusement as she stands a short distance away, posed on a hip with arms crossed. He almost seems like he starts to get the hang of it, almost, but Loki's sense of luck has always been a weird one from her perspective.

Drifting in closer — Kate Bishop to the rescue, alas — she looks over the small dragons for some sort of hint on how they could be handled as she addresses her old temporary teammate.]

You're a real rock star at this babysitting gig, aren't you?

[selfimage]

[ ah

he knows that voice.

there was a part of his life that he left behind to start something new. Loki had given himself a variety of excuses for it, told himself that he was no good, that he didn't deserve to be forgiven, but in reality it was easier to run away from the people that cared. thus, he had been like a recruit in an RPG, there and gone, taking the stash of potions with him.

her presence causes a little electric thrill of anxiety as he looks rearranges his expression. ]

I'm fresh out of thrilling guitar solos, but if you'd like to try a lullaby—[ he makes a motion with his hand. ]—you're welcome to try. I'll give you five stars on Yelp.

[ Loki don't try to pawn this off. ]

five

[digophelia]

[ What the heck does it mean by "subscribe"? Or would this be beneficial to taming dragons? ]

You can't make me.

[selfimage]

Command not recognized.
Thanks for joining DRAGON FACTS!
Contrary to popular belief, dragons were not the dinosaurs that once roamed the earth.
They have, and always have been, dragons.
Holy science!

[ is someone listening on the other end? it's very hard to tell. ]

yep, dragon facts too.

[whereismypie]

[ one day, someone will have to explain to Dean this weird fascination people have for Loki. sure, the one he knew turned out to be a fake, but gotta wonder why that guy decided to usurp the Loki identity specifically. and as far as Dean knows, that one's dead.

... then again, this type of spam/trolling does look exactly like the sort of annoying joke GabriLoki would pull. ]

ChiselChest:
Yeah, I hear the blood of a dragon works better than friggin Viagra too.

Your point, bro?

[selfimage]

[ well, it's about time for Dean to make the bonafide for real Loki. ]

Thank you for choosing DR

[ and a pause. ]

No, you know what. Is that your display name? Your REAL display name?

5

[becauses]

[ Does she understand the joke about subscription services? Hell no, canon is too high fantasy and reliant on "messaging spheres" instead of phones. Does she understand smartasses? Hell yes, all too well. ]

Interesting claim. It sounds like a demonstration is in order.

[ Courier New is genuinely perfect for conveying how dry this would be if spoken aloud. The name on the message is just Glee Shoth, because names are important… and because the nicknaming genes in this family all about naming other people, not renaming oneself. ]

five.

[dailydouble]

[ The username that accompanies the message is beloved. Someone maybe should have paid attention and entered a username of their own choosing. ]

What an interesting 'fact'. I anticipate more of the same quality will follow.

[ Trust Ahad to figure out how to do sarcasm in his first text message. ]