testing_the_box | TEST DRIVE MEME

And here's the opening for our first Test Drive Meme! Pick from the following scenarios, or feel free to create your own setup!

1. The Future of the 80s
What is this, an episode of the Jetsons? Buildings are shaped like flying saucers, foods can be found in little nutrient pills of various flavors, and holograms have replaced most forms of entertainment-related technology. Be wary of any glowing beverages, and the Management apologizes if you find yourself with any cybernetic body parts. Sometimes the surgery records get mixed up.

2. Rotten apple
Someone ate something they shouldn't have. The world is such a strange place, it's hard to say what's safe and what isn't. But that fruit looked so good, you just couldn't resist, could you? Too bad nobody warned you that side-effects may include odd behavior, hallucinations, temporary physical changes, or queasiness.

3. Are you afraid of the dark?
It's well past your curfew, shouldn't you go home? Even the moon and stars are hiding at this hour. There's nothing out here but you and the luna moths hovering by the street lamps. So who said that? Did you see something move out of the corner of your eye? That's your friend you just bumped into, right? ...Right?

4. It's a dog's life
Or a duck's, or a snake's, or a bat's. Pandora is a safari and you are now a critter. Better hope you're high on the food chain or that your friends can ignore the urge to eat you. While this place is such a zoo, you can bet someone will be up to fowl play.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hah, that so? That's funny! You think a bunch of people here are about to die or somethin'? Maybe that's why we're here.

I can't sense any death at all. Isn't that strange? I was starting to think it might just be me.

*Lookin' around* Huh . . . now that you mention it, you're not the only one who's throwin' me off in that department. Yeah, that's way weird.

Usually I can hear them but it's been quiet here on that front. Maybe we've been... what's the human word? Fired?

[She isn't certain what she thinks of that, herself.]

*Komachi goes pale; it seems that, for her, this is an all-too-real possibility*

What?! No way! Did--did I finally take one nap too many? Aaah, geez, I thought I'd get more warning than this! I mean, other than all the times Lady Shiki yelled at me for slackin'!

I didn't think I could be human-fired!

*Hmmm. Komachi actually brightens a bit, hearing that.*

Okay, right, see, it's probably not that, then. You can't get fired and I've gotta boss who'd never just dump me like this without makin' a speech long enough to get a decent nap in without missin' the whole thing. Somethin' weird is definitely happening here, but we're not fired!

To celebrate this, I suggest we get human-drunk. Ah, geez, now you got me doin' it!

You're right! It's probably someone messing with something that they shouldn't mess with. What's human-drunk again?

Drinkin' booze--human or otherwise--'til you can't see straight! It's pretty much the best. I remember one time I drank a bunch of guys under the table and then under the ground--they all died from it! We had a good laugh about it when I ferried 'em to the other side.

Ah that's right! Human soporific substances that are typically consumed at human parties. I would love to engage in this activity with you!

*Casually slinging an arm around Aradia's shoulders to lead her along as she starts looking for a drinking house, but . . . man, what would one even look like here . . .*

That's the spirit! Haha, you're not from 'round here, are ya? Well, neither am I, I guess, but you know what I mean. You sound more like an alien or somethin' than a youkai.

[Aradia is all kinds of okay with this camaraderie! Alas, she has no idea what sort of establishment they are searching out. Good thing there are neon signs and stuff, huh?]

I guess if you're from Earth then I'm an alien. From my perspective of course it's the opposite. What's a youkai?

*Aha, neon sign with a bottle on it spotted! That's gotta be right. Komachi beelines in that direction.*

Yep, Earth's where I come from. And a youkai's, like--well, I count as one, technically. It's a word from the nation on Earth I hail from. Means somethin' eerie that freaks humans out. Sorta a demon kind of thing.

Edited 2013-04-22 06:43 (UTC)

[The sign with the beverage on it does seem like an intriguing destination.]

Mmm... maybe I would be called that then. Lots of people think I'm eerie or creepy for some weird reason.

[She just can't imagine why...]

Whaaaat, seriously? You're great! Humans get weird about this stuff, though. --Or are you talkin' about your own people?

*Upon arrival, the destination does indeed seem to be a bar, where odd, iridescent futuredrinks are delivered to the customers by an elaborate system of conveyor belts.*

Oh humans mostly but sometimes I creep my friends out too. It's the death thing I think.

[Well, she knows, but it's a minor detail. The conveyor belts with their sopor beverages catch Aradia's attention pretty quickly; they're beautiful, in a 'Gamzee could have designed this' kind of way.]

Guess mortals are weird about that no matter what planet you're on.

Haha, wow, this sure doesn't look like any booze I'm familiar with, but if it gets the job done, I'm not complainin'. *Grabbin' for something sparkly and blue*

It's nice to finally meet someone who gets it! I like all of my friends but they just don't understand.

[Going for something that reminds her of Sollux's eyes; a blue and red concoction that looks like it's full of tiny, sparkling stars.]

It's sorta hard for the living, I guess. Hell, it's hard for the recently-dead. They can't even laugh at a good funny story half the time! *Chugs her drink back* Whoo, now that's the stuff! All right, this town's officially in my good books.

I try to tell them it's really just a silly formality anyway but they never listen.

[Okay time to try this. She takes her cue from her drinking parter and--

BLUH]