Test Drive Meme #4 (cw vehicular crash, moderate injury)

[spoofer]

Test Drive Meme #4

Fall toward me with your entire body.

CRASH LANDING

Exit one dimension, enter the next. It was chaos: pressure against your ears, light bending in an impossible, unimaginable way. The very molecules of your body vibrating against one another. If you have windows, the view outside makes no sense. Even if not, your hands, your face, your feet seem like an uncertain thing. It's the feel of reality itself tearing apart, reshaping, reconnecting, thread by thread.

And suddenly, there's a beach— or ocean, whichever you land in. Smoke. Fire. Salt water churning up, fizzing around.


Maybe you crash, in a ship wrecking into sand. Maybe you merely stumble out of a portal, a ragged wormhole in space. Or maybe you fall off the back of an incredible steed, some creature that carried you into this place. Either way, there's pandemonium around you. Incredibly, severe injuries are far and few between— nobody's screaming about the dead. But you might have to help pull someone free of wreckage, or move quickly to salvage burning belongings from the landing craft. Maybe it's the crafts themselves, that you're trying to salvage.

Likely, you don't know them, these other strangers who arrived here^[1]. Maybe you don't trust them— you just came out of a dying world, after all. But you all have one thing in common: you're here now.

When you get a second to breathe, maybe you'll see it. The brilliant green forest across the sand. Beyond that, the glint of a faraway city.

FAIRGROUNDS

Xistentia's late summer fair is on! As F.A.T.E.S. learns about different universes and different people, the event looks mismatched, beyond complicated, and you might wonder why, exactly, how to get ride tickets when no money is exchanged. But as you wander through, you can see a rollercoaster, a five-a-side soccer pitch set up for a tournament, facepainting, an archery range, a haunted house, a circus tent, a Ferris wheel, plenty of different food stands with eclectic choices all over, from kebabs to Taiwan's infamous penis-shaped waffles^[NSFW] to popsicles for two. Maybe this is only a front to get people involved with each other?

Everybody is welcome to man a booth, or just walk around and participate in the different activities set up around the fairgrounds.

NETWORK

One afternoon, you are taken from whatever you’re doing - taking a walk through the city, sunning yourself on the beach, running around in the forest shoring up defenses - by a message, appearing on your Daemon’s network screen. It’s a simple line of text, that reads:

NEVER HAVE I EVER...?

If you choose to answer it, you’ll be connected to another player at random. You both get 10 points. The loser? Owes the winner a favor.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

hells yeah

Footnotes

1. Some of these can be nameless, plot-device NPCs to facilitate interactions! But even in this case, please avoid gore in describing their current state of being. Anyone dead or catastrophically injured will have disappeared by the time your characters make it to Xistentia. There are no corpses or dying here.
   
   
2. But like OOCly ask permission ofc.

Comments

beach beach beach

[baeta]

( if ari were slightly more clever and a lot more reckless, he might have gone wolf the second he landed -- it's like drake is always saying, the world is clearer when you've got a snout and fluffy ears. more vivid, more alive, and if drake were in the world ... then, that's how ari'el would find him. donning the white fur and becoming the better half of himself.

but, ari still doesn't trust his wolf despite having some semblance of control over it, now. it's unnatural to become the thing that he is, so he stays on two feet with one shoe, spreading his gaze among the ruckus. it doesn't take long for ari to find him. generally he just follows the overwhelming sense of oncoming terrible decisions, and that leads him right to drake's doorstep.

understanding the situation immediately, he determines the best course of action -- and then quickly decides against it, instead going for what feels instinctual. a body slams into the wolf's large form -- smaller, more frail, familiar. ari digs his fingers into drake's neck fur, pressing his face tightly on his shoulder. )

Drake, calm down. Right now. You don't want to hurt anyone. ( ari shares a look with the person drake had been threatening, sending them an icy glare. ) You might want to leave now, thanks.

[remarkablymodest]

[ Aymeric had been looking for the owner of the shoe, actually. When that growl permeates his personal space, however, he's immediately on the offensive. Naegling is drawn on the wolf without a moment's hesitation, the point of it threatening to skewer the beast where it stands.

Drake's size might be large by human standards, but to this Elezen already standing closer to seven feet tall and used to creatures triple his size roaming the Coerthas Highlands it doesn't even cause a blink.

It's Ari that does, the blur of a boy tackling the canine and trying to soothe it. 'Drake,' he says. Drake. A name? His familiar, perhaps? 'You don't want to hurt anyone.' Confusion and concern begin to take over any hostility in the Lord Commander's stance; the man doesn't sheathe his sword just yet though he does let the end of it drop more towards the ground. ]

Is it alright? Perhaps it'd be best to get away from the wreckage, no doubt this situation is exacerbating your... friend's stress.

[lunasty]

[it should be noted that when drake advises his friend about donning his fursuit, he doesn't describe their ears as 'fluffy,' that is definitely ari's subconscious editorializing. you're supposed to be fierce.

actually, ari is unexpectedly fierce when he crashes into drake right then. it's a good surprise, not the least of which because ari is alive.

drake's demeanor changes instantly-- but not for long. his ears pop straight up! and he stuffs his giant snout into the underside of ari's chin, massive shoulder wallowing in ari's tiny weight, the black columns of his legs shuffling on the beach as if he had half forgotten that they aren't hands. he sort of trods on ari's toes, which would probably hurt if they weren't on sand. checking with the pad of his paw that the loss of ari's shoe hadn't come with the amputation or injury of his foot. trying not to take his attention off aymeric as he feels around to check.

ok. ok, tiny foot is still attached.

his ears flatten again and his hackles go up. not nearly as sharply as they had before though. mostly just for show. more a guy thing now than a possessive panicking packmate. it helps, to be privately impressed by the frost on ari's tiny face.]

< Bloke's got a sword and pointy ears and he ain't sweating enough.> [and he's huge.] <Myth, maybe.>

[baeta]

( ari sighs into drake's fur once he calms a bit, running a soothing hand over the soft fur of his back, a vague attempt at easing tension. like drake's own brief moment of calm, ari reflects it, before he too stands on more alert, eyeing aymeric's sword from tip to hilt. his toes wiggle briefly. he eases on the cold look, thinking he's being a bit rude. )

< Exacerbating is a nice word. Let's look it up later, I have no idea what this guy is saying. >

My name's Ari'el. This is my boyfriend, Drake.

( he doesn't bother to explain the logic behind werewolves -- he's more used to saying little, especially when he doesn't know what world this guy comes from. with a provided amount of caution still in his voice, he gestures back to aymeric, swallowing audibly. he is pretty bad at dealing with strangers. ) Um -- he says, we think we might be familiar with your kind. You look like ... uh, elf, or pixie, or -- something like that. Anyway. Can you lower your sword? Drake won't hurt you now that he knows I'm safe.

[remarkablymodest]

[ Having the poker face of a politician serves him well, in this case. He doesn't so much as flinch when Ari calls the beast his 'boyfriend.' In Eorzea, homosexuality is not at all frowned upon. Bestiality, however, probably is. Even with the Miqo'te, as feline as they are, are still... humanoid.

He regards the two for a moment longer with placid contemplation before sheathing his sword. Despite Drake's show of dominance, he doubts that the wolf will actually hurt him. Especially not with his boyfriend's word. ] A pleasure to meet you both, [ he finally greets, extending one long arm with the aforementioned shoe in hand. ]

I take it this belongs to you. [ The softest of smiles now. Still guarded, just in case, but an attempt at being just a touch warmer. These boys have no doubt been through a lot. ]

I am Aymeric de Borel, Lord Commander of the Holy See of Ishgard. And I'm actually an Elezen, though I've been my kind are a concept similar to 'elves' for most people here.

[lunasty]

[fortunately for everyone involved, even the incredible acuity of drake's wolf nose can't pick up the specific scent for 'this guy thinks a supersize wolf is fucking this slender white twink.' or maybe that's unfortunate. he could use a laugh today.

the movement!! of shoe toward ari draws his attention rather sharply. but he manages not to do more than curl his upper lip above his teeth. it's a nerve-level reaction, like goosebumps and grimaces. he doesn't growl; he merely watches the small bit of footwear travel closer to the orbit of ari's person very attentively. because of how huge drake's head is, in wolf shape, his eyes cross slightly.]

<I thought he just didn't know how to use the word 'exasperate.' De sounds French, -gard sounds English, Elezen sounds like Japanese anime.> [his snout drops slightly as he refocuses on aymeric's sword.] <Maybe we should tell him his holy sea looks nice and we're sorry these folks have all dropped fire and rubbish in it. And we haven't got passports.>

[baeta]

Thank you. ( he says hesitantly, moving his hands away from drake to accept the offered shoe. wriggling tiny toes under drake's paw until he moves it, ari then replaces the shoe back to its rightful place, even if he would've been just as happy to go barefoot. )

Do you -- oh, sorry. < Do you think we need passports? I don't think so. If we do we're going to be in trouble. >

( he gazes shifts back on to aymeric, studying him slightly -- the idea of a new race or type of myth excites the little wolf greatly, and he immediately wants to compare and contrast, figure out how similar they really are.

that said, this is a stranger. he should try to be polite. )

Um, i-is -- is this your holy sea? ( he points to the water, scattered in debris and fire. ) It is very nice. Me and Drake both think so. I haven't heard of Ishgard, is that in Europe?

[remarkablymodest]

[ Aymeric wouldn't be opposed to any inquiries about his race but perhaps at a less pressing time. Neither of them appear to be wounded, but- He'd rather get them out of potential harm's way lest that changes.

The man look towards Ari's point, then recognizes the misunderstanding after a moment of mild confusion. See. Sea. He supposes that'd be the conclusion to come to given they are on the shore. ]

This is not my homeland, no, [ he settles for, opting to explain later. ] Ishgard is in the region of Eorzea, in the snowfields of Coerthas. I have never heard of 'Europe' but I assume that is a country or continent of the planet earth. My world is called Hydalen and I am learning it is vastly different from earth in a myriad of ways.

We are currently in the world of Xistentia. I can take you into the city, if you'd be agreeable.

[ But there's something else more important he wants to address, actually- ]

How are you able to communicate with him? [ He says, looking briefly at Drake before his attention goes back to Ari. ]

[bratpack]

[ This hadn't gone quite to plan. The main reason Wyatt was drawn to the shoe in the first place was because he smelled werewolf on it, and that's a rare thing here. An interesting thing. He lifts it, and gets the scent into his nose - stores it, focuses on it - and then he means to track the owner.

As it turns out, he doesn't need to.

A different wolf appears behind him, carrying different scents and holding a threat in his growl. Wyatt turns with the shoe in one hand, and the other raised to placate, when the owner of the first scent makes himself known. Wyatt's eyes tick between them, already delighted before they even speak. ]

I'm sorry. [ Immediately. He also holds the shoe out. ] I just picked the scent. I was looking for wolves, and I guess you found me. You can have this.

[ To Ari, who both owns the scent and has a bare foot on view. ]

I'm not a threat, I swear. I'm a werewolf, too.