souljammed | Test Drive Meme

Test Drive Meme

Prompts

Arrival: So you've just arrived in Nyoi-Cho. Congratulations! You must be so excited about having your wish granted. Or maybe you're upset that the result wasn't quite what you expected? If that's the case, then that's too bad! There are no take backs and no redoes, so you're stuck with what you have! Maybe you should have been more careful about how you worded that wish...

Oh well. There's no use in dwelling on it. You're a magi now, and that means adjusting to a whole new lifestyle! Maybe one of the townspeople can help you out.

Only... they're acting a bit strangely, aren't they? They're all too happy to show you around, but there's something unsettling about the way they're behaving. Almost cheerfully dissonant. Any questions about the history of the town are met with blank stares and brief silence, before they plaster a smile onto their faces and change the subject. Any attempts to tell them about your duties as a magi or anything else that relates to the magical will get similar reactions.

Isn't there anyone normal here that you can talk to at all?

Home Improvement: The houses that the magi are given access to really are something, aren't they? There's almost no limit to what they can do! Why don't you create the house of your dreams, or maybe recreate and relive your favorite childhood scenes? Invite some spectators over to marvel!

A Corrupted Soul Gem: You neglected to take care of your soul gem, and now you don't feel quite yourself anymore. You feel like you're losing your sense of self - all you seem to be able to focus on is your old regrets and past failures. What's happening to you?

A Successful Mission: Congratulations! You met up with your first Witch, and you fought valiantly. For your efforts, you've been awarded a grief seed - and with it, access to a brand new power! What sort of power did you get? Is it a useful one, or is it not so useful? Maybe you've mastered it beautifully, and now you're showing off to all of your friends. Maybe you're having a hard time keeping it under wraps, and now you're wreaking havoc across the town without meaning to!

A Dreadful Nightmare: You had an absolutely horrid day. As you drift off to sleep, your mind dwells on all the injustices you've had to endure. In response, your bed swallows you up, and your room shifts into a horrific Nightmarescape. What sort of Nightmare are you? What kind of Nightmarescape do you create? Hopefully your fellow magi can stop you before you cause too much damage!

Wildcard: Feel free to use any information from the FAQ or the World Info page to make your own prompt!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He pauses, considering his options. For someone in the middle of... whatever this is, she sure doesn't sound like she wants to be saved. Not that that's going to stop him. He shakes his head, the wind already having blown his pompadour out of shape, and keeps crawling towards the voice.

Gen swore he was going to be friends with everybody in this town, and there's no way he'd leave a friend in danger like this.]

The only one who needs help is you, lady! [At least, he's pretty sure it's a lady. They're all weird and translucent, and it's kinda hard to see with one hand shielding his face from the rain.] I'll be fine! Honest!

[Why-- why isn't he running? Why is he walking into the hell she's caused? Another life lost on her watch, as the wind gusts hard, as if agreeing with her.

Dana sinks to her knees as he draws nearer. Are those tears running down her cheeks, or is it rain? It's hard to tell. It's cold, and the storm won't stop, and neither will the person who just won't listen to her. She's failed again.

Maybe, at least, he'll let her stay with him until he dies. She's certain she will outlive him in this awful place, certain her curse is to see people lose their lives because she's so useless, so awful at saving people, gosh, if only she could save someone...!

When he's close enough, she'll meet his gaze and hold up her hands to him, inviting him to sit with her, to let her lead him gently into death.]

[He stands there for a moment, watching her, more than a little unsure as to what he was supposed to be doing. She was inviting him over, but is it really a good idea to sit down with her, in this weather? Of course not.

But Gentaro's never let bad ideas stop him before, and he sure as hell won't now.

He draws his jacket closer around him, like it'll help against the cold, and sets himself down on the rainslick boardwalk, putting his own rough, calloused hand in hers. He sits crosslegged, like a schoolboy, and watches the storm rage.]

So, what is this place?

[If it's in her house, it's gotta mean something to her, right? Maybe she just needs somebody to talk to.]

[It feels a lot warmer when he touches her hand. No, no -- it's still cold and windy and rainy. But she feels warmer. More... real. How strange.

She watches the storm-swept boardwalk, the broken down stores, the shattered glass windows of the shops across the street, and the shadow clouds weaving their way in and out and through everything, all while she thinks over his question. Dana knows what this place was. That's not what he's asked her, but it's all she can think to say.]

This used to be my home. I couldn't save it.

[Every word is heavy, thick with tears and sorrow as she tries to picture it, bright and beautiful, a place she'd come to with her friends-- oh, they've died too, surely, and so will this poor fool who walked over when she told him to run. She'd always feared this, and now it's true, it's real.]

[There's a brief period of uneasy silence while Gentaro mulls over her words. Normally, he wouldn't be considering his answer so heavily, but this is a really delicate situation. There's a weariness to her words, and he can't help but feel it a little too.

Still, he smiles as he grips her hand. Not a fake, reassuring smile, but a genuine one, gap-toothed and beaming. No sense in them both being gloomy, right?] It's not your fault. [He turns his face to her, trying to at least make eye contact.] I don't even know your name yet, but I know you wouldn't have let this happen if you could stop it.

There's just some stuff you can't do on your own, yknow?

[She's shaking her head almost as soon as he starts speaking. It is her fault. She should have stopped it, or died trying. And she's going to say those things, too, until he gets to 'on your own'.

She used to have friends. Teammates. Right? They would fight bad guys in bright sunlight, stop them destroying the city, then go pull people out of the wreckage-- right?

Half aware of it, she stops shaking her head and looks at him.] Who are you? [How could he dare to say those things? What does he know that she doesn't?]

[Okay, maybe not the response he was hoping for, but they're getting somewhere! He points to himself, as if to say "me?", and smiles wider. The temptation to bust out his catchphrase is very real, and very powerful, but he manages to hold it back.]

Just a guy tryin' to look out for his buddies, is all. [A pause, before he tilts his head towards her in a slight nod. How 'bout you?

[Looking out for people. Looking out for his buddies. His friends. Dana shuts her eyes a moment, holding on to his hand a little tighter, as if the storm will wash her away if she lets go. Besides, he is anchoring her, somehow. His presence chases away the chill in her bones.

She used to look out for people too. Not the whole city. Just those few people. The shone bright like suns in the darkness. They were hope.

They're... gone. She's gone and left them, and now she's here, too late.

The wind gusts again, but not as violently as before. It's... starting to calm down as she starts to talk with this stranger, who she looks at again, eyes narrowed as if she's looking towards a light.]

I'm-- I just want to help people. [There's a pause as she starts to remember people she's helped. A little kid in a car accident. His mother. Talking to them as she tended to their wounds. Unlike here and now, where she was too late.] I used to be good at it.

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