APRIL TEST DRIVE

[soulmods]

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... There's no use in dwelling on it. You're a magi now, and that means adjusting to a whole new lifestyle. Get ready to hit the ground running. 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. Practice makes Perfect: This magi stuff sure looked easier on TV. You don't understand your power and it's frustrating trying to use it in combat when you don't get it. Maybe it's time to just take some time to figure this out. Good thing none of the citizens can see you when you transform! Test out those new skills, cause a little mischief, or be the helping hand someone might need! Fighting Evil by Moonlight: Things aren't as easy as they looked on TV. Nightmares are tough and there's real danger in there. There are victories... but, some are not as clear cut as others. Is today a successful attempt, or are you on your last legs standing up against an enemy far stronger than yourself? Do you forge on ahead, or do you retreat? 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 Dreadful Nightmare: You're wearing yourself down with all this fighting. Your mind is rife with insecurity and fear. 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 hurt someone. Birth of a Witch: You've just learned the terrible truth behind Witches, and it's staring you in the face - someone very close to you has succumbed to despair. In a burst of flame, their corrupted soul gem rearranges itself into a grief seed, completing their transformation. Can you continue to fight on, knowing that this is the ultimate fate of all magi? Moreover, can you bring yourself to raise your weapon against a dear comrade whom you have been fighting alongside for so long? Unending Night: Carrying out a magi's duties has never been easy. Although up until now you've successfully navigated your way through countless nightmarescapes and defeated countless foes, this time you might finally be outmatched. Foe after foe stands before you. There's no end in sight. And with each attack you throw their way, your soul gem seems to grow ever dimmer... A Cruel Choice: The Witch has fallen, and you've been awarded a grief seed for your valiant efforts. Just in time, too! Your soul gem is in desperate need of cleansing. But as you look around you, you realize that you're not the only one whose soul gem is in bad shape. There's absolutely no way you can take care of more than one soul gem with just one grief seed. What will you do? In Fugue: Someone very dear to you has been acting off lately. They spend just a little too much time with the natives of Nyoi-cho, and they seem to resemble themselves less with each passing day. They even seem to be forgetting bits and pieces of their own past, and simple questions on your part lead to them spitting out the same eerie pre-programmed responses that you've grown so accustomed to hearing from the locals. It's clear that they're being assimilated into the town. You wonder how long it'll be before they cease to recognize you completely and the person you once knew them as simply no longer exists. Isn't there a way to slow down or reverse the process at all? Wildcard: Feel free to use any information from the FAQ or the World Info page to make your own prompt!

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Rei Ayanami | NGE

[instrumentally]

Arrival

[It is quiet here. Like living in a shell. The sky is blue. The grass is green. The breeze blows softly. There are no cicadas. Not yet, at least. For the moment, everything is still. Calm. A calmness she has never known. It is... disconcerting. Something will shatter this peace. Something must. Calm can never last for long. That's what makes it so valuable.

The people don't seem to see her on the street. That's fine. This is fine. This is... ordinary. Familiar. Proof that the calm will not last.]

Do I have any orders? [She asks to no one in particular. She is not sure why she asked at all. She is... not sure what the answer would be. This is... new. Strange.

More study is necessary.]

Home Improvement

[The room is empty. Not empty. There is a bed. Mirror. Cabinet. Some covers. A table. Still, it feels...

She is not sure how it feels. Sufficient. She can sleep, if she requires it. Change, if she requires it. What else does she need? What is missing? Is there anything missing at all? She does not know. And that is... terrifying. An entire world open to her. An entire room. No one to tell her what to place in here. No one to tell her what to take away. Something entirely of her own.

She does not smile. She is not sure if the situation requires it. But she feels... she doesn't know what this feeling is. But it's both light and heavy all at once. The weight of choices upon her shoulders. It is stifling. It is freeing. It is both.]

I require more information. What sort of items do you place in your room? [She speaks into the mirror. Stares straight ahead. Does not blink.]

[Arrival]

[makeadragonwannaretire]

[Azula takes a moment to study the newcomer wondering if she should even bother trying to help. The last time she helped a newcomer it wound up to be a giant mess and had people furious at her.

On the other hand it was hardly her fault how things turned out. And she's not so cowardly she will abandon all efforts to improve herself just because she made some mistakes. That simply wasn't how a Princess did things.

Ultimately she decides to help because she likes the color of her hair.]

Orders? Well I suppose the general plan we all follow is wait until something threatens the town and defeat it. We also spend our time trying to unravel the mysteries of this world. Are you any good in a fight? Or are you more of an intellectual?

[instrumentally]

[She doesn't know. Either way. Which is she? Is she anything? Why is this stranger talking to her? There must be a motive. A reason. Everyone has one. Sometimes many. Maybe the stranger doesn't know, either. Maybe she doesn't know her place, either. A possibility. No plans. Or at least, no one willing to share those.

In any case, she cannot answer the question, so she asks one in return. Not blinking. Not smiling. Starring straight ahead. Right through her.]

Are you?

[makeadragonwannaretire]

[ Well this is...unsettling. Her pride insists she maintain eye contact in an attempt to be dominant but this girl is kind of creeping her out. Not to mention she's a lot more accurate in her assessment of Azula then either of them know. ]

I am both an Intellectual and a skillful fighter. But I have been training from birth to rule over my Nation. Others who come to this place aren't often as well trained or educated as I am.

I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. Who are you?

[instrumentally]

[She notes the name the way some people note math problems. Her name is Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. She doesn't know what all of those things mean. Not together. She has pride in herself. In her nation, presumably. She is Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. She is a skilled fighter and an intellectual.

Who is she? Who is she? Who is she?

She doesn't know. Though she has a name. But names are meaningless. A label. A math problem. Something to be filled in. To be solved. And she does not know the answer yet.]

You know who you are.

[Who is she.]

I am called Rei Ayanami.

[Who is she.]

[makeadragonwannaretire]

I believe I do yes.

[Don't get her started questioning that. She's just got back from her most recent self reflection spell.]

Rei Ayanami. Alright that's as good a start as any.

What did the Catweasel tell you about this place? When you made your wish?

[instrumentally]

Does it matter?

[She did not think of it, when she made her bargain. Never entered into the equation. If she lived, if she died, if everything remained the same. What she wanted was results, and she got them. Not exactly the way she wanted. But she is still here, so she will make do. To have some sort of value in this life, for however long it lasts.

It's the only one she has.]

[makeadragonwannaretire]

Well it would help me establish just how much you need to learn about being here.

And it would satisfy my personal curiosity to know what you wished for.

[Not that most people talked about that sort of thing for whatever reason.]

[instrumentally]

You are not a teacher.

[She is Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. An intellectual and a skilled combatant. Those are not the same things. Unless there is a part of the equation she does not know yet. A possibility. But then Azula will clarify, and she will fill in the missing space.]

Is that all?

[She does not care what she wished for. It is over. It is done. So, it does not matter anymore. She is herself, more than she has ever been. And that is enough. More than enough. Enough that she's overflowing.

The costs will be worth it. Whatever the costs may be.]

[makeadragonwannaretire]

Well, not professionally no. But I'm more then capable of training people or educating them on the basics of how to live here.

[she extends her wrist showing off a bracelet with her blue soul gem in it.]

For example did the Catweasel explain how important this item is?

[instrumentally]

It is none of your concern.

[None of it is. What she knows and what she doesn't know. These are things that concern her. But Azula is not her. She does not need instruction. She does not need to give them. If she does, she will insist. If she does, others will say the same. If she does, she would be told.]

[makeadragonwannaretire]

[ Azula's patience and good will is rapidly running out, easily confirmed by the pout and then irritated look in her eyes.]

And here I thought you were asking for information. So what exactly do you want then? Because you're going to need to be a better conversationalist if you want to survive here.

[Not really but she's getting on Azula's nerves.]

[instrumentally]

Will I?

[Always, there is something else Rei Ayanami needs to be. Because she herself is zero. Zero cannot be multiplied or divided, added or subtracted. She is only there to fill the space.]

What do you need to be?

[She must be needed, too. To insist upon giving instruction. To assist in whatever capacity necessary. But what is that capacity? What does Princess Azula of the Fire Nation need to be, if not herself? Or is herself enough?]

Home Improvement

[skyisthelimit]

[Honestly, the whole mirror thing was strange. Sky stayed away from them when he had no intention of talking for fear of accidentally setting them off - even though he knew it to be impossible without a touch of the fingernail. Still, he entertained horrible thoughts of people being able to see into his...home isn't the word he'd want to use, but it's where he'll live now, so it'll do.

He hears the question over the mirrors, surprised to see a woman just...staring. What a strange way to ask that question without even a hint of a smile or smirk, or hell even a slightly concerned frown. Sky knew how to read people. He had to in his...line of "work". So being met with such a straight face is strange, quite frankly.

Still, he offers his own smile. No need to be rude. She was probably just new, and being new in this situation can definitely take its toll on a person. He knows.]

That depends [he begins with a light tone] are you a lady of convenience or flare?

[Forgive him he's just trying to lighten the mood.]

[instrumentally]

[She keeps looking. Just the same. She might blink, once or twice. Without thinking of it. A reflex, nothing more. She thinks. What sort of lady is she? Is she a lady at all? Or is she just shaped as one? A memory of one, spread thin.

Perhaps this is her chance to decide. Or perhaps this means nothing at all.

But he asked a question. He expects an answer. Doesn't he?]

What is the difference?

[skyisthelimit]

[Sky's light mood falters slightly to confusion, but he it is a quick recovery back to light-heartedness. He hadn't been expecting that kind of a response, but he supposes it's a fair question?]

Quite big, you see. A lady of convenience; her home would look more practical. Everything you need to find you would find quite easily. One could say that would make it more inviting. [Does Sky actually know what he's talking about? Who knows? But he sounds like he does, at least in tone.] A lady of flare - now her home may be a bit much to look at. But the decorations would leave many in awe - good or bad, it's a matter of taste. It may not be as inviting of a home but there would definitely be more to look at and talk about. Excellent conversation starters, if you ask me.

[instrumentally]

[An image filters into her head. The ghost of one. Someone she knew but doesn't know. Red. Bright red. Like blood. Like the sun. She doesn't smile, when she thinks of them. An echo, more than a person. Faint, and fading. But almost familiar.

But not her. Maybe that's why she remembers. The opposite end of a pole. South instead of north. The sun instead of the moon. Light instead of dark.

She knows one piece. A small piece. Rei Ayanami would like a convenient home. Quiet. Something that has everything she needs, and not a thing more. And that makes her smile. Faintly, like an echo.]

How do you make a place your home?

[It is not a matter of things. It is a matter of feeling. But what does that feel like? It is another piece, something bigger. But something that may come in time.]

[skyisthelimit]

[That's...a difficult question to answer. One he has struggled with even before he made his wish.

When he responds his tone is softer, not confident and strong like it had been a moment ago. All he can do is give the answer he believes in his heart. And that might not be right for everyone. He wont pretend as if he has all the answers like he normally would. Not for a question like this.]

You make memories in it. [But whoa, this is uncomfortably heavy for him, so have an awkward chuckle and a sheepish rub of his head a moment after his response.] That goes a little beyond my obvious skills in home decor, I admit.

[instrumentally]

I see.

[She does. Memories make people who they are. Make her who she is. It must be the same for homes. Memories enough to fill the space. Like the glasses she could but could not destroy. A reminder of something she used to know, and so she kept. Perhaps with time, her home will be the same. Filled with things that remind her of herself. Of who she is. Of the things she knows and has seen and will see.]

It is complicated. [Another puzzle to be solved. But there is time for that now.]

[skyisthelimit]

[Sky offers a deep nod of his head, almost a bow, to emphasize how much he agrees.]

As is life. But I'm sure I don't need to tell you that. On the bright side, that means home can be just about anywhere.

[instrumentally]

Where is yours?

[She is curious. Has he made one here yet? Or does he still long for elsewhere?]

[skyisthelimit]

[That question hits heavy for him. The faintest twitch of his features suggest he's even taken aback as he tires to keep his calm composure. Where is home, indeed. If home truly is here memories were made then that would be back on the farm by Tien's Landing.

"I wish to move on. Not to forget, but to move forward."

Those memories would be with him forever though, wouldn't they? In his mind, heart, and soul. He seems to be reflecting on something for a moment before he answers.]

Why, where ever there's a noble with a fat purse and a dumb look on his face [He's not sure how comfortable he is giving an actual answer to that, at least right now, hence why a joking answer slips out. But after yet another chuckle he adds:]

I'm still figuring that out, if I'm honest. I fancy myself a wandering spirit, you see.

[At least that much is truthful.]

[instrumentally]

You can wander wherever you like.

[It must be...

Freeing, she thinks. To have nothing tying you down, save what you want tying you down. To have no home but the home you build yourself.

She doesn't think it is for her. Perhaps, maybe. Perhaps not. But maybe it is for him. Maybe he is happy. Nothing else matters.]

[skyisthelimit]

[He cants his head to the side curiously at the statement. Though, it's not that strange that some people simply can't, be it from obligation or physical limits. Or maybe something as simple as not feeling up to the task.

He nods his head again in acknowledgement of her reply, making sure when he speaks his tone is nothing stronger than inquisitiveness. He's rather curious about her, if he's being honest.]

Are you a homebody yourself?

[instrumentally]

I have never left before.

[The entire world she knows is down below. Corridors and false lights. Hum of electricity and cicadas. Buildings that retract, and if they do not, are crushed. Rubble and ruin. It is called Neo-Tokyo 3. She has never seen the other two. Do they even exist? Or have they been flattened as this one has been?

But here is different. Here is not home at all.]