futurologists: (Default)
Hathaway. ([personal profile] futurologists) wrote in [community profile] thirstology2015-09-14 06:51 pm
Entry tags:

TEST DRIVE.

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.

chronobreak: (Regret)

Ekko | League of Legends

[personal profile] chronobreak 2015-09-15 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
Three

[He's definitely handled dragons before- sort of. Kind of... if he puts it in the loosest terms possible. He's been a dragon slayer whenever he's on the rift. But he's never had to deal with baby dragons before.]

Hey, calm down. I'm trying to keep you safe. [It's a harsh whisper, but he's doing his best.]

Five

[Eventually he's run to the end of his rope. His username is simply his name because he can't be bothered to think of one and Ekko's pretty cool.]

How do you make a dragon stop crying?

the dragonborn | the elder scrolls: skyrim

[personal profile] khsneak 2015-09-15 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
going (just a little bit) rogue.

[You're here for the dragons, they told S'zah, and she had to laugh.

And after she was through laughing—really, it was all so ridiculous, she half-wished they told her with a bellyful of mead so she could process it properly—she decided to set out and do what she was explicitly told not to: reveal herself to the townsfolk and inspect the fallen dragon.

It didn't look like anything special. Well, maybe it did to those who'd never seen a dragon before, but to S'zah's eyes, it's just an ordinary corpse with ordinary bones and ordinary scales that would probably fetch a decent price on the market if she could just get bit closer and get these other people out of the way...]


Ah, indeed, very fascinating, S'zah knows. But she has been sent on official business, you see, so vacating the premises would be for the best, yes?

[...and if you happen to be in the way, you're getting shooed elsewhere. Even another world away, a thief's a thief.]

how to train your dragon.

[What a hassle meandering through that cave had been! Even for a seasoned adventurer, S'zah stumbled once or twice on her way in and more than that on her way out. But she'd successfully managed to scoop up a few wrymlings in her arms, and has established a makeshift base for herself a few miles ahead. She sets them down and lines them up like soldiers and points with an insistent claw at them:]

Listen to S'zah! Fire, no good! Singing S'zah's fur, bad! Biting S'zah's tail, also bad!

[Damn, for all that Dragonborn business, this should've been easier. The dragons just tilt their heads and chirp noisily. S'zah sighs.]

S'zah could use some help here... someone? Anyone?

night time.

[S'zah is less than happy about the tent situation. Really, she's less than happy about the situation in general, but cozying up close with strangers? ...alright, that part wasn't so bad, but she still didn't like the lack of space available nor the snot-nosed buffoon snoring next to her, drooling all over her fur.

So S'zah sneaks out of her sleeping bag and decides to try her luck outside for whoever's available. Spying an easy target, she grins to herself and sidles on over, purposely brushing hips with the other person and putting on her most pleasant airs.]


Hello, traveler! S'zah has been feeling awfully lonely tonight. Perhaps she can lie with you, instead? ♥

[Her most pleasant airs, that is, while she tries to slip her tail around to pickpocket them.]

chit-chat.

[S'zah has selected the username "ratofriften" for reasons known only to herself.]

S'zah cannot be the only one to have dealt with dragons before. Who among us is also special, like S'zah?
ahanalyzing: (Gabbro)

Courtney | Pokemon Omega Ruby

[personal profile] ahanalyzing 2015-09-15 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
(How (not) to train your Dragon - 3)

[This is hell.

Courtney doesn't even know how people work on her best days, she can't be expected to know how foreign animals do. She's...not unfamiliar with Dragons, even, and at this moment she feels as if focusing more time on dealing with them might not have been such a bad idea. Even if these things aren't Pokemon, something might have been transferable.

Instead, she's just...staring at this Thing(dragon) somewhat baffled as it continues crying out.
]

Stop.

[Unsurprisingly, doesn't work.

So she's going to try-
]

Stop.

[-...the exact same thing. Seriously, somebody help her.]

(Nightwatch - 4)

[Which actually suits her fine. She's taken to finding a more isolated spot from the others and is content to sit there quietly - attentively to what she's to be doing, mind you - but that's clearly why someone should bother her, if they want to get her alone and in person.]

(Obligatory network option - username is simply 'Courtney')

Requesting any and all information regarding the proper handling, caring, placating or training of dragons.

Subject unknown. Zero data. This must be rectified.

Main priority, acquisition and distribution of findings to group as a whole.

It will...be of use to everyone.
unoradinary: (Goodbye Polnareff)

Ranmaru Rindou | Good Luck Girl!

[personal profile] unoradinary 2015-09-15 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
(Well, someone had to do it - 1)

[Unfortunately, not helping people isn't really a concept she's familiar with. While many of them seemed to be getting along just fine(or at least enough that she could ignore them, which was difficult in itself), one person who she almost passed by seemed in pretty bad shape, attempting to limp somewhere they could get more help. Ranmaru stops for a moment, barely considering what she'd been told as she loops his arm around her shoulders and starts trying to support him as he walks.]

Oi, c'mon. Which way you off to?

[Stop her, help her, reprimand or commiserate with her after she's done? Whatever floats your boat.]

(Training dragons - 3)

[Well...there was only one way she could approach this, right? An animal is an animal, even if it's not an animal she's ever seen before.

So Ranmaru starts playing keep away with her dragon with an appropriately sized branch, and while it didn't seem to catch on at first, eventually it starts attempting to bite it out of her hands.
]

Haha, that's it! C'mon, little more!

[And then when it finally does latch on with it's fangs, she's playing...tug-o-war with it. She's far beyond a regular human in terms of strength, fortunately, so she's still handling it like it's a dog or something.]

...heh! You're a tough little guy, ain'tcha? But I ain't gonna hold back!

[It seems to be going good, at least. Her jacket is neatly folded to the side with her hat resting on it at this point.]

(Night - 4)

[Unfortunately, she's definitely the kind of person who's sleeping with her Wyrmling by her side.

She's also snoring.

And moving a lot in her sleep.

Hopefully noone's too disturbed.
]

(Network option - username is 1hitko)

so uh any1 not seen dragons b4
cuz i havent
shit's crazy
cool little dudes tho
unoradinary: (If you make one more Yugioh reference)

5

[personal profile] unoradinary 2015-09-15 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
[Username reads 1hitko]

dude just like chill with em
havnt u evr takn care of an animal b4
i mean ok its a DRAGON but
same stuff applies except dont get set on fire
ahanalyzing: (Granite)

night time

[personal profile] ahanalyzing 2015-09-15 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
[What the fuck is talking to her right now.]

What are you.

[Not a pocket to be found on the monstrosity of a uniform she's wearing; tough luck. She doesn't notice it's going on though.]
tills: (☼ I WILL PUNCH THE MONSTER)

Frey | Rune Factory 4

[personal profile] tills 2015-09-15 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
two ;

[Traversing caves? That's pretty normal for her. Dungeon crawling to save dragons? Also incredibly normal at this point. Time to be a hero!

Granted, she's not entirely pleased even now that she's being used for bizarre missions, but there's a time and a place, and when dragons are in trouble is not the time or the place. Hence why she's flinging herself (almost recklessly) across a chasm, and then reaching back to help whoever's behind her.]


Come on, let's keep going!

three ;

[This is... not what she wanted. She's used to sassy dragons, really, she is, but tiny wyrmlings that screech and cry and try to burn her are not what she signed up for. She has one in her arms, and nearly drops it when it breathes fire at her face (she barely ducks that), and then it clamps its teeth in one of her long ponytails and she shrieks too.]

Why do you have to be this way...!

[UGH.... someone please save her.]
chronobreak: (Regret)

[personal profile] chronobreak 2015-09-15 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
No.
I'm usually dealing with metal and machines.
Calming down dragons is new.
selfimage: — ɢᴀʀʙᴇᴛᴛ — (Telling lies.)

Loki | Marvel 616

[personal profile] selfimage 2015-09-15 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
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

[personal profile] khsneak 2015-09-15 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
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.

[personal profile] khsneak 2015-09-15 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Definitely not a Pokémon, don't even start with that donkey dung.]

S'zah is S'zah. What are you?

[Other than a failed mark, that is. The tail retreats before it can get in too much trouble.]
unoradinary: (Goodbye Polnareff)

[personal profile] unoradinary 2015-09-15 01:07 am (UTC)(link)
oh ok
well uh lemme see
i was just kinda playin w/ mine
u gotta be playful so they calm down
try not to look scary

try fetch
can u play fetch
selfimage: — ɢᴀʀʙᴇᴛᴛ — (Fantastic voyage.)

my destiny has called me.

[personal profile] selfimage 2015-09-15 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ 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.
ahanalyzing: (Default)

[personal profile] ahanalyzing 2015-09-15 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Are you sure you're not a mightyena.]

Designation...unsatisfactory.

S'zah...unknown. I've never heard of a...S'zah. Elaborate.
chronobreak: (Cocky)

[personal profile] chronobreak 2015-09-15 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
I don't think I look scary.
I know what fetch is.



With a stick?

[personal profile] khsneak 2015-09-15 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
No. S'zah would like to receive DRAGON FACTS now.

[gib facts pls]
unoradinary: (Well well Dio)

[personal profile] unoradinary 2015-09-15 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
yh but theyre nervous
evn unscary things are scary to ppl when theyre like tht
so just be a lil mindful i guess

anyway yea
it might not be interested in sticks tho
so try it but if it dont work try to find somethin it is interested in
also make sure it dont try an eat w/e it is ur throwin an choke
itll take a while but youll get it

[personal profile] khsneak 2015-09-15 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
[How do you get hyena out of cat. Courtney pls.]

S'zah is Khajiit. Like cat that walks on two legs, but smart and speaks language. There are others, too, both like S'zah and not.
ahanalyzing: (Shale)

[personal profile] ahanalyzing 2015-09-15 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
Understood.

[So not a Mightyena.

This is the part where she'd take notes or something, but she can't. So she just stares intently at her new...........conversational partner.
]

Courtney.

[Her name, that is.]
hardtohandle: (number one! notice when)

Kashuu Kiyomitsu | Touken Ranbu

[personal profile] hardtohandle 2015-09-15 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
[Three: Let's be honest this is the best option and everyone's top-leveling it.]

[Kashuu is keeping pointedly away from the hard-earned wyrmlings. The reason why? Well, the burnt tip of his scarf tells a story. He turns it over and over in his fingertips, like that might undo the damage.]


Aah. You'd make a cuter accessory than a pet. [He narrows his eyes at the little firestarter. He was willing to give the pretty things a chance, but he cannot stand for getting clawed or burnt. He keeps his distance, still watching (as he was assigned to) but not looking happy about it. The wyrmling nearby, Scarf Destroyer, makes a shrill gurgling in response.]

[Wildcard: Weapons are weapons, after all.]

[A night invasion isn't fair play... but it is good tactics. And Kashuu supposes he can't fault the people from town. If he hadn't been explicitly assigned, he might want to destroy the dragons just as much. They were beautiful and terrifying and he was almost as much envious as fearsome. He can't fault the people, but he can't show mercy.]


Ah. Guns have sure come a long way. [The battle didn't last long, though. It was just a brief skirmish at the farthest edge of the camp. The small squad from town was rattled and, in a sense, easily eliminated.] I was a little scared there. [Despite the admittance, he doesn't sound it. It's more casual conversation to his fellow fighters as he carefully steps around the bodies. He kneels down next to one, careful not to get his coat near the spilled blood.]

Hey! [he cups his head and calls] This one's still breathing. What shall we do?

[personal profile] khsneak 2015-09-15 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
[This is, without a doubt, the weirdest introduction S'zah has ever had. Except that time she nearly got her head chopped off and a dragon almost killed everyone and the nearest Imperial had dragged her to safety while the entire world was set ablaze around them.

...alright, maybe she's had weirder. Still, should she offer a hand? Apologize?]


Ah. Courtney. Yes. Very good name. Very nice.

[No, clearly now is the time to stand there awkwardly with her new conversational partner and fidget. Excellent.]
hardtohandle: (a fault? let's call it a cute mistake)

two;

[personal profile] hardtohandle 2015-09-15 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Kashuu would never complain about moving in heels. It was a stylistic choice to wear them and if he could fight in heels he could traverse a cave in heels. ... still, some people just moved too fast.]

I'm coming, I'm coming. [He doesn't have the pride, at this point, to not take her hand. Pride makes you too sweaty.] You could stand to be a little more careful, you know?
ahanalyzing: (Granite)

[personal profile] ahanalyzing 2015-09-15 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
The dragons.

[She continues without missing a beat; is it awkward? She can't tell, since people are usually like this around her, so isn't this just...normal.

no
]

Irritating. Anything...do you know anything about them?

[personal profile] khsneak 2015-09-15 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
[Nodding vigorously!]

Yes! S'zah knows much! S'zah has a secret, in fact. Courtney must promise not to tell.