DECEMBER TEST DRIVE

[nukeoleptic]

THE TEST DRIVE MEME

• Got a character you're thinking of reserving/apping this round? PUT THEM HERE! • Threads here can count as your third person sample! • Comment with your character's name and canon! • This is open to everyone! Also, test drivers can tag other test drivers. :) • Make up your own scenario or have them walk into all the doors or leave it blank for others to do it for you! Reserves are here, and open on November 24th at 12:01AM CST. Application information (including the list of pending apps) is here, and they open on December 1st at 12:01AM CST. OPTIONAL SCENARIO: After your character receives his or her bracelet and the run-down from the faceless maids in the castle, they walk out to find the city blanketed with snow and in the middle of what seems to be a snowball war organized by the Native children! Be careful on your way to your Welcome House: snowballs are flying, and these groups of giggling kids don't seem to care who gets caught in the crossfire. Make sure to have fun, and as always, feel free to hit the mods or players up with any questions you might have! ♥

Comments

[couldfindapen]

[Oh shit, he hit the wrong chick from Forli. You'd think she'd be a little more grateful after he saved her from drowning and all, but hey. The Sforza family wasn't exactly known for their sanity any more than the Borgias were.]

Mi dispiace, it slid right out of my hand before i could stop it. [If he was dying a painful death, Clay really didn't want her to be the cause of it. She kind of scared him.]

[samantha_grey]

[There were so many things wrong with this. A twisted half-demon coping with finally starting to have a normal life in this place after spending much of her life knowing only one person. But, right then, she thought mostly about getting the girl changed and dry again. Maybe some food.

...maybe not as spicy as usual.]

They've got some clothes here, and towels for everyone. Nothing fancy, but they'll get you dried off. You'd like that right?

[Of course, that would also mean dislodging herself for a moment.]

[canmakemore]

[She scares a lot of people. She's proud of that.

Caterina folds her arms and raises an eyebrow.]

Va bene. And who are you, with the slippery grip?

[couldfindapen]

[Desmond's return fire hits him square on the shoulder, though considering he's a little harder to recognize without the hoodie and Adam Sandler's face, Clay doesn't really know it's Desmond's exactly. All he knows is this means war and those kids cannot save his new sworn enemy.

So he does what any good Assassin would do; flank like a motherfucker and blindly lob snowballs over the cover and try and hit someone that way. Bonus points if he manages to get any snow down the back of Desmond's coat.]

[couldfindapen]

Eh- [He cuts it off and it sounds anything but smooth as he shrugs and fights off the instinct to talk before actually thinking about that question.] Name's Clay.

[A beat. Right, he's should probably ask the follow up question, even if he decidedly doesn't need to.] And yourself?

Going to assume someone shows him over to Sigyn~

[tonsofpun]

[Ellie's out in the grounds, and has climbed high up into a grapefruit tree that seems to be blooming out of season. She's got a basket under one arm already partway filled with fruit. She gives a curious glance through the branches at each person who walks into the yard, but because she knows most of them by sight, she doesn't much mind them-

Until she spots him. There's dark salt-and-pepper hair anywhere. Flannel shirts are a dime a dozen. Even his beard is commonplace, but it's the way he walks that she recognizes, clear as day. She's trailed behind him over half the continental united states, she'd recognize him anywhere.]

Joel!

[She drops the basket, and nearly falls, grasping onto the branches. Several of them move to provide convenient footholds on the way down, but she still takes out a few smaller branches in her haste.]

Joel, over here!

[barkedlouder]

[ Her eyes follow his to the shop, her smile getting a little wider at the offer. It's always nice to have someone buy you things. ]

Buy me a coat, will ya? Well, it'd be rude to refuse such a kind offer from an upright gentleman like yourself. I'll take you up on that.

[ Anne's not an Assassin, but if Ezio happens to step out of line, she won't hesitate to take whatever action she deems necessary. On the bright side, the only thing she'd try to pick pocket is money and if he's going to be spending it on her anyway, well. She'll just hold off on that. ]

[sicarius]

[You mean a child, actually. Because the man you just pelted is grabbing some snow and tossing it right back at you, Clay. He's only really seen snow for a short time, and it's really really cold (the children did sort of drag him into the war, though). So, enjoy that snowball headed back at you, you're a stranger but you started this battle, so he's going to finish it.]

[canmakemore]

Caterina Sforza.

[She replies in a way that suggests it is most distinctly not a pleasure to make his acquaintance.]

Now if you will excuse me, Clay, I have other matters that require my attention.

If I were you, I would practice my grip.

[necrowmantic]

[Oh oh oh? That was definitely a voice Henry recognized, and the sight of the other dark mage was pretty much unmistakable. So there might be some cheery laughter popping up behind her, as he hurries over, not really bothering to dodge any of the snow.]

Heeeeey~ Tharja! When did you get here? Are you playing with the kids?

[He's bleeding slightly in a few places, but it's not as though this harms his mood any.]

Some of the snowballs have rocks in them.

[in_loveless_memory]

[He watched for a long while as Soubi just played with some of the kids. An anger, a sadness, and a crushing knowledge that this might have been Soubi, the real Soubi if he hadn't been caught up in the world of Fighters and Sacrifices.

And yet he also knew that this was a very well crafted lie. So he waited, and he watched. His own feelings of betrayal gnawing at his stomach and curled his fingers while sadness and longing uncurled those same fingers. A deep breath and Soubi seemed to finally finish playing along and walk his way.

That's when he moved. He stepped right into his path.]

Soubi.

[in_loveless_memory]

[He saw the bright flash of pink, a familiar pink. And then the ears and tail. He thought his eyes might have been deceiving him and hurried over to her.

But there she was, making a snow man as if she had always been here. He couldn't believe it. He came up and watched her for a bit before coming up behind her.]

Uh.... do you need help, Yuiko?

[in_loveless_memory]

I've been here for a couple of months now. [He accepts the nuzzling, the biting, and just purrs louder.]

No... no, it's been just me... but you're here now. Natsuo, I've missed you. I've missed Youji. [He didn't mention Soubi, no matter how much he missed him.]

[notquitebeloved]

[He can't even feel his fingers when he's done. But that's fine. He doesn't care and it doesn't matter. Soubi waves absently as he walks away before pushing his hands deep into jacket pockets.]

[What was and what could have been were very different things when it came to Soubi. He looks up when a body steps into his path and speaks.]

[Ritsuka. Surprise and confusion flicks across his face and he stopped, just staring at the boy who really did have his heart. Even if actions could never mesh with desires and Ritsuka couldn't accept or understand.]

Ritsuka...were you waiting long?

[As if this were planned, instead of a complete accident.]

[in_loveless_memory]

.... Months. [He had meant to keep his voice calm. He had tried to keep it unrestrained, but the word was tight. His throat felt restricted, as if a hand was clasped around it. His shoulders remained tense as he just looked at the older man. Soubi had abandoned him.

Soubi had walked away without looking back.

Soubi had picked his brother over him after months, a year, of being beside him.

His fingers clenched again.

And now Soubi was here.]

[notquitebeloved]

[His head and shoulders drop, head hanging uselessly. Why is he even surprised? Just another hope dashed. Ritsuka hates him, as he should. Soubi sighs after a moment and forces himself straight, slowly bringing his head back up.]

[Just...not looking right at Ritsuka now.]

...I told you I'd become a despicable person.

[Not that it helps, even a little. It would probably just get the boy to push him away, and he'd deserve it.]

What do you want me to do now?

I promised myself I wouldn't play with the Test Drive this month, but I can't resist THIS.

[beforethewar]

The Doctor laughs and ducks a snowy projectile, catching sight of a poor newbie losing his footing and crashing to the ground. The native children could be so wild at times in the more colorful areas of the city.

"Alright, allllright! Give the poor man a chance," he calls good-naturedly to the kids, shooing them further down the street with their games. When they finally scatter, he chuckles and leans over to offer the stranger his hand.

"They don't mean it, really. Here, let me help you up."

[in_loveless_memory]

[You shouldn't be, Soubi. But then, Ritsuka shouldn't have been surprised by being betrayed by an adult either. He watched Soubi's head drop and his stomach fell with that drop. He wanted to throw up.]

Didn't they tell you, powers are missing here.

You aren't a fighter. You aren't anyone's fighter.

So do what you want.

[He swallowed through the needle-thin passage that was his throat. It hurt. He could feel a sudden warmth in his hands.

His hands were bleeding from how deeply his nails cut in.]

Ordering you is pointless.

You picked your Sacrifice.

[seikou]

[ the lack of soubi didn't go unnoticed, but he didn't really care for that at the moment. instead he pulls back just enough to look the other over ]

Of course you miss us, we're the best. [ he was so sure... but hearing that youji really wasn't around, it stung ] So a couple of months, na? Have you being getting along well? No one's messing with you, are they?

[notquitebeloved]

[Powers. Useless.]

[Slowly he dares look at Ritsuka again, the longer the boy speaks. He could do what he wants? Whatever he wants?]

[He'd not believed it earlier. But Ritsuka doesn't lie, not to him. He dares to walk closer, steps slow and giving Ritsuka plenty of time to back away.]

What if what I want is to hold you again?

[He fully expects to be rejected. To be discarded, even here.]

[in_loveless_memory]

Well enough, I guess. It's... I have to get along may be a better expression. Er... not messing, but you should watch out for this one person. But I'll tell you about him later.

[in_loveless_memory]

[He doesn't back up, but his hands are trembling.]

Are you actually brave enough, Soubi?

[He swallows again. He doesn't want to turn Soubi away. He hadn't been the one to walk away in the first place.]

[crowover]

[Yes, he does spot it. Mikazuki may act like a brash idiot, but he isn’t stupid and his opponents always get his full attention. He picked fights with enough shady people to realize the situation might get dangerous quickly, but he isn’t one to back away from a challenge. Even if using knives (or whatever that metal thing is) is not very sportsmanly.]

I don’t know where they’re at exactly, but we can look for them together!

[He approaches Yusuke, seemingly casual but actually alert. Everything is tense as if held by spring, ready to act.]

[crowover]

[The snowball hits the side of Mikazuki’s head. He turns around and grins when he spots Aradia.]

Nice shot!

[After taking in her wings and horns, he whistles appreciatively.]

Nice cosplay, too!

[shadows_edge]

Careful!!

[Faize makes an attempt to catch Sumia, or at the very least steady her so she doesn't fall. The whole thing happened so fast that he's not sure exactly what happened. He bumped into somebody and at the same time she seems to have bumped into him? Possibly? So long as his own clumsiness doesn't lead to this poor girl falling over, he supposes it doesn't really matter much.]