TEST DRIVE MEME ( 013 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #13

Hello, and welcome to LifeAftr! We’re pleased that you’re expressing an interest in the game. Here, you can test the waters, gauge how your character may fare in the world of LifeAftr, and even gain some in-game incentives, if you so choose.

Remember that Reserves will open on July 17th, and Applications on July 24th!

Two important notes:

1. LifeAftr's test drives take place on the island of Mu, which exists apart from the real world and possesses a dream-like quality that characters are innately aware of from the moment they appear on its shores. No need to panic or fret. Dreams are odd things, after all - and anything can happen in them. Why would anyone question where their mind chooses to wander in its sleep?

2. Due to the nature of Mu, threads in our test drive can not only be accepted as thread samples in your application, but can be accepted as game canon as well. In fact, certain choices your character makes in Mu have the potential to bear in-game consequences, largely in the form of test drive reward items.

Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat
When you wake, it's to the bucking of tumultuous ocean waves and the heavy sluice of rain. The boat you've found yourself on was probably seaworthy at some point, but it's been wind-battered and weatherbeaten to the point where it's begun, quite steadily, to sink into the choppy waves. Looks like you're all in the same, sinking vessel. To make matters worse, it seems that the storm itself has a nasty sense of humor. It seems almost intuitive in its attempts to toss you from your footing on the deck and into the frothing waters below. Gusts of powerful wind try to tear you from the mast if you climb it, and the boat rocks perilously to try and tip you into the churning waves. Oh, and did we mention the lightning? Because there's lightning, and it seems to have a personal interest in incinerating your pitifully wooden little boat on the spot.

That doesn't mean you're completely helpless. There is an island in sight, one that resembles the waking land of Ensō, albeit somewhat far off, its silhouette fuzzy and indistinct from the curtains of rain. But if you can make it...

Well, anywhere's got to be better than here, right?

Gibbon No Quarter
It's been a year since the first adventurers were initially drawn to Mu's shores, and then, later, to Ensō's. And so, in celebration, the dream-island has cribbed only the best bits of the previous year for prospective explorers to sample on their way in.

Take now, for instance. You'll find yourself in a cage of all things, with the pound of drums and excited hoots of hungry simians to greet you upon waking. This particular breed of monkeys was once unique to Ensō, before travelers were forced to more or less thoroughly exterminate them. Devilishly smart and naturally inventive, gun monkeys are so named for their trademark weaponry - coconut guns, naturally - and their generally cunning capacity to craft tools out of very rudimentary resources. And oh, right - they're also very carnivorous. They've set up a smoking bonfire in the center of the jungle clearing that makes up their temporary home, and if you don't figure out a way to come out of your cage (have you been doing just fine, perhaps?), then you're going to be next on the menu.

Think fast, or work with whoever's nearby, and you might have a chance. Or you could always call for help. That always works out, right?

To Be Continued
Stories, stories, stories. Anyone who's hung around the block for any length of time can tell you, dear newcomers, that those little things are of the utmost importance in this neck of the woods. There's no mistaking the purpose behind this inviting scene - log seats set up around a roaring campfire, and even a packet or two of marshmallows if you're feeling hungry.

It almost might be enough to distract you from the fact that there's no fuel for said fire. And what's more, the darkness surrounding the woodland backdrop is so impenetrable that you may as well be an isolated blot of warmth in an otherwise unforgiving void. And within that void, if you listen close, you might hear something - a snarling, an indistinct rumble of massive jaws parting, hungrily, in search of something alive. If that flame burns out...well, something out there isn't fond of fire, and that's the only thing keeping it from claiming everyone seated here for its own enjoyment. But the good news is that there's a very easy way to keep this fire blazing well through the danger. Can you tell where this is going?

It's stories, of course. Regale us with tales of your past exploits, or with fairytales or nursery rhymes you remember from your childhood. Relay your tales of triumph and of grief, of laughter and of agony, of anything you can possibly imagine. As long as a story of some sort is being told, the fire will burn merrily onward, and the blanket of all-consuming darkness will be kept at bay.

Just try not to embellish too much. If your story is too vague, if it is more lies than it is something genuine, the fire might start to gutter dangerously low as a consequence. And that beast, whatever it is - oh, it's hungry.

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

Venom Snake | Metal Gear Solid V: A Phantom Pain | Will Match Format

[venomahab]

B: Ape Escape

[Snake wearily opened his eyes, his hand immediately went to block a killing strike to the throat, assuming he was immediately captured for killing. As his vision clearned he look around at his predicament, locked in a cage and not doing great. And worst of all...]

Hnnh, armed primates huh? What sort of monkey business is this.

[As the spots cleared from his vision he got into a defensive crouch and gathered the situation. He was blessed with his prosthetic arm, though not working it would be helpful to use as a hard object if nothing else. It may even help break the flimsy cage. Though with these armed apes about he would need some sort of distraction. He peered around the area, looking for other cages. If he was lucky these monkeys wouldn't understand spoken human languages.]

[salschef]

...really, man?

[ Hunk's crouched on the other side of the cage, using his broken (he thinks, it's not working at all, which is more than a little concerning considering the looks of that cooking pot) bayard to try and pry the bindings on the cage loose. ]

Puns? Now?

[tokenflavortownie]

It seems like we're being captured, and they want to eat us.

[Pyrrha, who had the unfortunate distinction of waking up a while before Snake did, was sitting across from him in her own cage. Cross-legged, she didn't seem to be making any attempt to escape, yet.]

...At least, I'm pretty sure that's what they're doing.

[tenthstreetbred]

[Waking up in a giant wooden cage to the smell of monkey shit and smoke should be horrifying or at least a minimum of disconcerting- but after having lived on Enso for almost a year now, Shepard finds the awakening merely another notch in her belt, so to speak, and extremely familiar. She looks around a bit, grateful that she woke up in her armor this time around and then looks through the bars to see if she's being cooked over a pit again. It doesn't seem like it this time around so she turns her attention to her cellmate.

He gives off the air of a soldier, something that Shepard is grateful for as she finds herself once again trying to figure out how to escape from this hungry apes.]

Monkey business. That's one way to put it.

[She grips the bars of the cage and shakes them a bit. Mu's rules are different than reality, she knows that, but whether or not they would help in their favor was something that would show itself with time.]

What's your name? And do you have any idea where you are?

Yusuke Kitagawa | Persona 5

[icethetic]

[A]

[It's the applause of thunder that tugs at his conscious. It is the icy bullets of rain that rouse him awake.

Yusuke's eyes shoot open, and the startled gasp that bubbles in his throat is wrenched away by the heavy wind. His clothes are soaked, he's laying on the deck (why here, and not a bed?) of a sinking ship, and there are endless rolls of waves lit by the rays of lightning.

A breathtaking sight indeed even for a dreadful situation.

He brings himself fully to his feet albeit unsteady as another wave rocks against the crumbling vessel. There's someone scrambling up the mast behind him, and there are others to his left and right.

He's not sure what to do, but inaction is useless. So he hurries to the closest person.]

What can I do to assist? [his voice is choked out by the storm, but he hopes it's loud enough for them to hear.]

[C]

[The warmth of the fire provides a sense of comfort in the night. Yet if he listened closely, he could hear something. It was undoubtedly monstrous and too dark to see. This was their only beacon, their light, but they seemed more interested in throwing in stories than eluding the noise that trembled with their surroundings.

Someone's voice breaks his train of thought, and he blinks to clear his head.

A story? They wanted to hear a story?]

Although I wouldn't mind indulging you with one...[he resists the urge to glance back into the darkness - lest it stare back.] Shouldn't we be focusing more on what's out there?

woops, C

[hotshot_momma]

I get the feeling that telling the story is fighting what's out there,

[Says the woman - no, girl - sitting roughly opposite, looking into the flames with practiced dispassion. She pulls her bomber-pilot jacket closer, crosses her legs under her. Thoughtful.]

I know better than to say this place isn't real, but it's not yet been literal. It's been a succession of nightmares. Small-n, I think - I hope.

[She takes an offered marshmallow with muttered thanks. Draws a knife, flicks it open, and starts peeling a stick into a skewer.]

mipha ; legend of zelda, BOTW

[vah_rutah]

i. rocking the boat

[ a storm at sea is unusual, but...acceptable. To wake away from Rutah has been disorienting enough, at least wherever she is now had the decency to try her close to water. Stormy seas are difficult to maneuver through, however, and while a proficient swimmer, Princess Mipha cannot dodge the debris of the ships carnage indefinitely. Scaled fingers close around the royal blue sash adorning her shoulder while she swims, careful not to lose it.

After some work, she steps from the ocean to the beach, turning back toward a storm that was dodged. She hadn't seen others on the boats as she made her escape, but...the temptation to go back is certainly real, and Goddess, what she wouldn't give to know what's happening.

But then...what else could she give? Her life, forfeit to an eternity inside a dark machine, would mean nothing sworn to another now. Her heart, s-sworn elsewhere. Off the table.

She just needs a moment to collect herself before she turns around and goes back to help those off the boats. Perhaps her trident is there as well? Feel free to catch her on the beach, or even back at the boats. Mipha would surely, surely want to ensure your safety. ]

iii. to be continued

[ Mipha is just listening to all of these stories being shared, leaning against her trident as she sits. ] This reminds me of when we would share stories with the children, back where I am from. Do you know the tales of the Lynel of Ploymus Mountain?

[ A knowing smile to whoever happens to be listening. Her head rests against her trident while she awaits an answer. ]

iii

[lightlessfuture]

[ The Knight is scrawling in the sand; they are not certain how much written stories will do, or conveyed through their new, clumsy language, but they're trying their best.

At Mipha's voice, they look up and shake their head, indicating a clear 'no'. They scoot a little closer, an attentive audience, attempting to convey as much as possible that they'd certainly like to hear it. ]

i !!!

[wisdomspring]

[ Not everyone is so graceful a swimmer... or a Zora. Another princess struggles endlessly beneath the storm's wrath, gasping and crying out as it tosses her from rail to rail. The winds pry her from any sort of secure grasp, and the rain pelts her face, plastering her long hair and clothes to her sodden form. Zelda knows this is only a nightmare, but it's terrifying nonetheless, and she finally releases a despairing yelp when a bolt of lighting smashes the mast to bits, sending half of it into the sea and the other half, splintered, all around her.

What more can I do to prove myself? This is some punishment, surely, for her continued inability to wield her ancestors' power. Zelda clutches the side of the ship, trembling as she looks out over the ship and across the water. It seems there's an island in the distance (unless it's a cruel illusion), but she very much doubts her ability to reach it without the tumultuous waves pulling her down into the depths. Whether on deck or in the sea, danger seems inescapable... ]

Is anyone out there? [ She calls out, voice tight with fear and desperation. ]

iii

[pidgeypidge]

[It took her all of about five seconds to realize that she didn't know the aforementioned stories. But that didn't mean she wasn't curious.

Maybe it was because of everything she'd seen and done since leaving Earth, but Pidge didn't appear to be bothered in the slightest by the fact that Mipha was... some sort of sharky-lady? ]

I can't say that I do. Are you going to tell them now?

[Have an expectant look, Mipha. You've got her undivided attention. For now, at least.]

Luke fon Fabre | Tales of the Abyss

[dupelicate]

1. (DON'T) ROCK THE BOAT

[Everything hits at once.

Luke's eyes open, and his senses, still rousing from whatever dropped them into the sleep, are roundly assaulted. Sea, salt, storm, wet—as if to punctuate the point, a spray of ocean chooses just that moment to belt him across the face with the head of a wave. Gasping, wet, and shivering, he casts his eyes around the deck, attempting to make out the other figures around him.

Everything was wrong. This was wrong. Even if something had happened—if everything had failed—this wasn't even a possible scenario.

Was it?

Stubbornly, he struggles to his feet as much as he can, calling out against the wind:]

Tear? Guy?

Jade?

Anyone!

[It was all wrong.]

2. MONKEY SEE (MONKEY DON'T)

[It's been practically one ridiculous thing after another—but trapped in a cage by grinning, meat-eating monkeys? There was limits to what Luke's (in)dignity could tolerate.

Swordless (and weaponless in general), his frustration vacillates between kicking the wooden bars, and hurling insults at his captors.]

Hey, bananabrain! Yeah, I'm talking to you! Why don't you let me out, and I'll tell you what I think of your accommadation!

[Each sentence is punctuated by a spirited attack on the cage—making some slow progress with each blow.]

3. I (DON'T) WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER

[Stories are swapped back and forth, and for the most part, Luke just listens, strangely silent, zoning out on his own seat. He's got a couple of marshmallows between his fingers, but not doing much else.

It's not until there's a beat, then another, of silence, eyes drawing in on his own presence, that he jerks up, blinking, an abashed look creeping over his face.]

Uh.

What are these?

[He holds up his hands, giving the marshmallows a squeeze for effect.

The fire sputters.

This might take a little time.]

1!!!!

[hyperlit]

[The wind tears at their cloak and very nearly wrenches the Drifter off balance several times. Their progress is slow and painful but nonetheless quite deliberate as they plow across the deck of the boat, barely seaworthy as they suspect it is.]

[They do not like the water, the lashing rain. They hear it: a loud voice, calling out into the wind. Largely a fruitless endeavor. The Drifter cannot speak, and cannot very well answer back. Not verbally.]

[The rain drenches the crimson of their cloak a dark and bloody black, but the stripe of bright blue skin peeking out from beneath their helm is unmistakable.]

[A hand catches Luke's shoulder - dark, gloved, the tips slightly pointed, as though possibly clawed beneath the fabric. Their eyes shine out from the cobalt of their skin, beetle-black and wet-dark.]

[Hey there.]

Hunk | Voltron

[salschef]

1

[ Oh man, that's- that's a lot of water. Hunk's not sure what happened to his Lion- last he knew he was crashing, with Lance, in space, and now he's here, on the deck of a boat, in the middle of the ocean?

Isn't he the paladin of rocks or something? Why is he in the middle of the ocean? ]

Oh, that's a lot of water. And lighting. Do you know how we got here, because I don't know how we got here.

[ While he's talking, Hunk's looking around, casting about the deck for anything that resembles a life raft, a life jacket- anything that might help out with the whole 'about to drown' situation. ]

Found some rope! Do we need a rope?

2

[ Every time the thing in the dark makes a noise, Hunk twitches, glancing over his shoulder, or the shoulders of those around him. He's trying to keep up with what's going on, even if he kind of wants nothing more than to reach out and poke at the fire, see what's actually keeping it lit, what interesting technology could be uncovered.

Still, it apparently runs on stories? True stories, and even a month ago, Hunk would have called Quiznak on it, but.

Giant yellow lion, who kinda talks in his head?

Still, when the others around the fire die down enough the flames start to flicker in ways he's not a fan of, Hunk speaks up, glancing over his shoulder again. ]

So, uh- you guys ever hear about the Unilu? They're these guys that run this giant space mall. Moon? I'm pretty sure it was an entire moon.

2!!!!!!!

[thegoofball]

The mall we got kicked out of?

[Out of all the stories that could be told, this is the one Hunk starts with?

This isn't Lance's first rodeo, and he...Okay, yeah, creepy monster being kept away by the magic of stories is a little spooky, it's not. Not that dangerous, comparatively. Probably comparatively.

He spears a marshmallow on a stick, waggling it at Hunk.]

Are you sure that's the story you want to start with?

Anna Lin | Bliss Stage | practically, a tabletop OC

[hotshot_momma]

1 - But now the current's slowly pulling me down
[Major Lin has no idea how she's gotten here or what she's doing - she suspects dream BS, but that intel's not as useful as she'd like. And all of her rank and experience with her weapons of choice, symbolic and literal, don't make her a sailor. She grits her teeth, hugs the mast, and shouts -]

- How do we get this piece of crap to that island?

[There's a fear in her - and it's showing. Feeling useless isn't great for her mood.]

2 - It's not my time, I'm not going
[This, sadly, is more her element - even if Lin is in a cage, the mission and it's objectives couldn't be clearer. 1, get herself and others free; 2, beat a strategic retreat; 3, arm herself and her new allies; 4, repeat steps 1-3; 5, kill every ape she sees.

[Five is technically optional - but, Lin would argue, immensely satisfying.

[For now, she catches eyes with who she can in the same predicament, and starts to count on her fingers where they and only they can see. Trying to get across to gesture, trying to count assets, trying to plan escape.]

3 - Do you remember the beginning of this, and how life was?
[Absolutely dream bullshit, but whatever, she'll feed this fire the fuel it hungers for. Anna feels she needs to get this off her chest anyway.]

Who's a fan of giant robot yarns? Huh? Apocalyptica? YA sci fi bullshit? Cause I got a story about the end of my world, and the start of a new one... with any luck.

kamoana | tales of berseria

[treehugs]

i. howler monkey

[Were you hoping for someone helpful to get stuck in this cage with? Sorry, no dice. There's just someone very small, very odd looking, and... very loud.

That's the sound of a little girl crying, alright. It might just be what's waking you up in the first place, because boy, it's a little hard to ignore that. But considering the situation you guys are stuck in, well.

Can you really blame her?]

ii. story! story!

[Kamoana is mostly listening as everyone talks. Some of the stories don't catch her interest so much, so she spends more time looking into the fire than listening. But eventually, as it gets quieter, the boredom gets to be too much.

This won't do at all! She jumps to her feet and moves towards the nearest person.

So now you're dealing with this weird child shaking your arm.]

Hey! You tell a story next. Come on, please? I wanna hear a good one!

ii

[thermalwind]

[He starts. Keith had been trying to figure out if this was real story telling time or Mu again. It turns out its Mu because he hasn't seen this girl before. His eyes briefly glow yellow and he looks to the flames.]

Okay, sit down beside me and I'll tell a story. Got a preference?

varian | tangled: the series

[alchemistakes]

i. water we doing

[This is definitely one of the ruder awakenings he's had. It leaves no room for grogginess and Varian snaps to high alert instantly. As he sits up and takes note of his surroundings, fear is quick to set in. Even more so as a big wave crashes onto the rickety vessel and sends his raccoon companion into a panic, climbing onto Varian for safety.

Or his face, rather.]

O-Okay... So this is bad! This is bad, right? [He pulls Rudiger away from his face and lets the raccoon cling to his shoulder instead.] I'm no expert on sailing, but this definitely warrants as "really, very bad", right?!

[Is his voice raised so he's audible over the storm or because he's freaking the hell out? Yes.]

ii. science by fire

[For a while, Varian had been very anxious sitting here. There's a lot of noises out there and he really doesn't feel like meeting whatever's out there. Not to mention the fact that the fire seemed to be dimming at odd times.

But in nervously watching the fire, he started to realize something was up. Especially taking into account the other people...]

Whoa, wait, wait. [Pulling his safety goggles over his eyes, he scoots closer to the fire, staring into the flames.] Is the fire... reacting to us?

[Worry? Gone. Only scientific curiosity now.]

ii!

[shogis]

It seems like it is.

[ hifumi's also been observing the fire as well. in the downtime where people weren't telling stories, it started to dim. ]

Um...do you notice anything strange about it?

Captain Kathryn Janeway | Star Trek : Voyager | will match format

[captainkathrynjaneway]

a : and the devil will pull you under

The floor lurches under her and Janeway awakens, practically thrown to her feet by the rocking boat. She stands still for a second, taking in her surroundings, before springing into action and climbing above deck. She isn't an expert of nautical pursuits, but she knows the gist of it from some holonovels.

A giant wave crashes onto the deck to greet her, and he blood runs cold. The ship is no longer being rocked by the waves, which can only mean one thing.

"We're sinking!"

c : once upon a time...

[Janeway racked her brain for more stories. It's been a long night, and she's used up all the good academy stories she has. Will the fire accept fairy tales?]

Once upon a time in the Forest of Forever, Flotter and Trevis encountered an element they'd never seen before...

A!!!

[tenthstreetbred]

The sound of the sea and the creaking of shifting wood captures Shepard's attention immediately as her eyes snap open. It's oddly nostalgic to find herself awake on a mysterious boat somewhere on the sea, but she doesn't let herself linger on those thoughts long before she's sitting up and realizing just how perilous a situation this is.

She looks to her side, since usually she isn't alone when Mu decides to take her for a ride, and she lets out a surprised chuckle at the woman next to her.

"Well! You seem to come here often."

Pidge | Voltron: LD

[pidgeypidge]

Don't rock the boat, baby

Of all the things she'd said and done, waking up on a boat in the middle of what appeared to be a thunderstorm probably took the cake. Pidge shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself as she looked around. What was she supposed to do now? This was so not her area of expertise. The only ships she'd been on were spaceships.

"Ugh... Now what?" She's not directing this at anyone in particular. It's more of a rhetorical question, to be sure, but an answer would be lovely.

Monkey Business

She couldn't feel Green.

That was the first thing Pidge registered as she opened her eyes and sat up. Her eyes widened as she took a look around. "Am I...."

Yes. She was absolutely in a cage. And she wasn't alone, at least. That was something, right?

Outwardly, she appeared calm. But on the inside, she couldn't have been more terrified if she'd tried. The sound of drumbeats and the hoots and hollers of ... apes? filled the air. Her eyes narrowed as she scooted nearer to the bars in an attempt to get a good look at her captors. "This isn't right," she murmured. "We can't stay here." Hello, understatement.

Mostly, though, she was eyeing weapons in the hands of some of the nearest ones. Were those...?

Are you afraid of the dark?

Compared to the things she'd seen and done, sitting around a pleasantly blazing campfire seemed like a nice break. Pidge smiled as she held her hands out, enjoying the ambient warmth.

She's seated on the ground in front of one of the log seats with her legs stretched out in front of her and a content smile on her face. Even the distant growling rumbling from the dark wasn't enough to put much of a dent in her mood.

And she's not alone, a fact which was somewhat comforting and also somewhat alarming all at once. For the most part, she'd only been listening to those gathered around her, to their stories. And she'd noticed the effect the words had on the fire, as well as the lack of any other fuel.

So that's how it was...

"Any story will work?" She wasn't much of a storyteller, but she figured she should make an attempt, at least.

Wildcard/Choose your own

[Wanna do something else with Pidge? Goferit! Also, I'm willing to match format.]

fancy meeting you here (in the dark!)

[thegoofball]

The campfire was, by now, one of the more familiar aspects of here now. Telling stories around a campfire is a classic, and being brought in to help...make the local god more powerful or whatever happens frequently enough it's not a surprise. It doesn't make the threat of something out there less real or less unsettling but, well, Lance has been around the block a time or two.

(Once. It's only been once, and he had probably chatted the Storyteller's ears off, but leave it to him to act like he's an expert after doing anything once.

"Any story you think is worth telling," he mumbles through a mouthful of marshmallow. Despite being an island hellhole, the food is so, so much of an upgrade over foodgoo and whatever alien foods Hunk could try to make work. "Preferably one with tons of action, though."

Because those are the stories most worth telling!

Leo | Fire Emblem: Fates (Birthright) | Will match format

[agnatus]

Monkey Time

[Seemed the powers that be were on Leo's side, at least a little. Yes, he was captured. Yes, his tome and sword were taken. Why would he be left armed?

But the creatures hadn't thought to remove his armor, and Leo was nothing if not resourceful. It might look odd to his cagemate- the young man pressed up against one of the walls but... not looking at all scared. If anything he looks like he's focusing on something, his hands behind his back, bound but twitching every once and awhile.

If they decide to investigate they might see him using his clawed gauntlets to slowly tear through his bindings and the ropes holding the cage together. But if asked he's not saying a word. Better the creatures do not have a chance to overhear...]

Storytime

[A magical fire wasn't that odd. What was odd was this overwhelming darkness, and the eyes in it. Even his Nohrian night vision couldn't pierce it, so that put him on edge. On edge enough that he had the Iceblade across his lap alongside Byrnhildr at his hip]

A story doesn't seem like nearly enough to keep something like that at bay.

[He's never heard of magic needing something like... that.]

A few blasts from my tome might do a better job of making it question it's chances.

Storytime I PROMISED I'D TAG

[zangenasai]

[ Nemesis will just stare at him. ]

You believe in magic, but can't believe in a flame that needs stories keeping it alive? It's probably a complex enchantment, but I can easily imagine it existing.

maki nishikino | love live!

[sassiness]

A: rocking the boat
[ this wasn't the school. clearly, something was off. maki is not supposed to be on a on a boat, and she's pretty sure she's just having a bad dream. at least, that's what she thinks, until the thunder roars and the lightning strikes again, loud and crisp, ringing in her ears.

maki yelps, falling onto her knees and covering her ears with her hands. she looks absolutely frightened and confused, clothes drenched in rain and seawater. ]

W-What's going on?! Where am I?!

C: to be continued
Huh? A story?

[ maki pouts a little, sitting at the campfire. compared to what others have said, she doesn't really have stories that are particularly interesting. most of her interjections have been of disbelief, shock, and maybe a little bit of horror depending on what the stories entail--her world is absolutely normal. no magic, no demons, no aliens, nothing that she was told belonged in fantasy novels. so to hear the tales that everyone else has to tell and then have to follow up? she doesn't think she can really match up to everyone else's. ]

W-Well... [ she pouts, blushing in embarrassment. ] I-It's not like I have anything interesting...

[ the flame starts to slowly, gradually die down. ]

C

[smileduty]

Hah?

[When she hears those words, Nico's red eyes can't help but narrow ever so slightly. Sure, they might not come from some nonsensical fantasy world or something like that, but they definitely have stories to tell. At least, she thinks they do.]

You can't just say that, Maki! [Is she being a tsundere again... geez. Folding her arms over her chest, she can't help but sigh.] If it can't be helped, maybe I should be telling everyone about how amazing µ's is.

Nemesis Sudou || Evillious Chronicles

[zangenasai]

[ I. Like Rats on a... ]

[ The danger is what wakes her. The tilt and roll of the ship, and in seconds she stands, scrambling to her feet. It's like hell on the water, and for half a second she wonders if this is what it was like when Ziz-san sank the ship he did. But then she scrambles and grabs the mast, because there's no lifelines. She won't climb, that's dumb, but she is looking around for rope. That's what you do on ships like this, right? Wear a rope. ]

Dammit... Dammit...!

[ III. Tales for a Demon ]

Stories...? ...I'm not sure I have any... Well, I've a few, but they're not stories. They're just interesting things about the world.

[ She finds comfort in hungry demons at this point. So the presence in the dark doesn't scare her--not when Ziz-san was so close for all her life. She doesn't mind this thing, snarling and waiting beyond the dark. So maybe she's a bit strange. ]

...I suppose I could tell those. But maybe someone else should speak.

tales for a demon

[heartcatcher]

I have no doubt that any tale you'd like to share with us will be a fascinating one.

[ kaoru is quite frightened of the demons, but she doesn't let it show--much. she frowns whenever there's another growl in the distance, but outwardly seems to maintain her composure. ]

Stories about your world sound splendid.

hifumi togo | persona 5

[shogis]

A: rocking the boat
[ hifumi is absolutely terrified.

she doesn't remember ever being on a boat like this, something straight out of a pirate movie, and she's not even remotely equipped to deal with this. hifumi decides to stay on her knees, as being on her feet right now seems like a bad idea. she scrambles around, trying to look for something to hang onto, rope probably... but to no avail.

drat. ]

I think we need to figure out a way to steady ourselves!

b: to be continued
A story...? Um... I'm not sure if I have anything that's very interesting...

[ at least, not quite like the others. she doesn't have any tales of adventure or danger; despite her life being considered eventful back at home, it doesn't seem to be quite as wild as some of the stories that other people have already told. but it seems to be keeping the monsters at bay--she stiffens when she hears more snarling. ]

W-Well, I suppose I could tell some Japanese folklore. Or perhaps something about my own experiences as a shogi player?

b

[antepone]

[ Mira can't deny that sounds interesting--both of them, really, but she's incredibly curious about folklore.... and if it helps keep the monsters away, then that's even more reason to listen. ]

I wouldn't mind hearing about Japanese folklore.

Fang Ray Shin | Detention | will match format

[liveasmyself]

[Rocking the boat]

[With the tossing waves, Ray soon learns not even to try to stand up. Still, it seems that she gets thrown around just when she thinks she's secured a good grip. She can almost feel the thunder laughing at her.

She frantically tucks a piece of paper into the waistband of her skirt to try and shield it from the driving rain. With that done, she clings to the edge of the boat with both hands and calls to the nearest person.]

Have you sailed before?!

[To be continued]

[Ray doesn't fancy herself to be particularly bad at telling tales, even if it's been a little while since she had someone to really talk to. After her ordeal back at school, she'd be fine just huddling by the fire, but as she relaxes into the talk, she finds herself piping up to offer her own story. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

She picks the first warm memory that comes to her, without thinking about where it leads.]

On a normal afternoon, a boy and a girl woke up to find themselves alone in their school, a typhoon raging outside. They ran outside, but the bridge was swept away. The two of them raced back into their classroom to hide away from the wind and the rain--

[Her breath catches in her throat as she thinks of Wei, how one minute he was alive and laughing in front of her, and the next...]

--he--they found some rations in an old school closet and weathered away the night telling stories just like this--

[She tries to punctuate her little tale with a smile, but it's extinguished as the fire gutters and dims dangerously low. She glances randomly around in something like panic--what's she supposed to do?]

tbc

[catpiper]

[Telling stories around the fire is a commonplace activity in reality and in this bizarre world everyone seems to visit during the month. A part of her understands that the fire appreciates a certain kind of tale. This one doesn't cut it. She sort of waves her hand around, trying to fan the flames herself.]

It's okay, it's okay. You should tell a different story.

lucretia / taz / ota

[scholiast]

01 - out at sea

(There have been rockier starts to cycles, but this one is still pretty up there. Lucretia's eyes fly open at the crack of thunder, and a violent rock of the boat sends her lurching sideways when she tries to stand. For a moment she thinks they've hit turbulence on the Starblaster until she finally registers the insane roar of the wind, the whip of rain on her face and glasses. Is she on a ship? She can hardly see through the maelstrom, but she still manages to find a wooden post to lock her arms around.

The storm seems to take offense at this, and the ship lurches violently once again; Lucretia closes her eyes tightly, trying to figure out what on earth is happening.)

Captain? (She calls, her panicked voice hardly audible above the howling wind. She isn't calling for the captain, rather her captain, but naturally some confusion is inevitable.)

03 - tbc

(Oh, your girl is over-prepared for this one.

Lucretia possesses more than a handful of smarts: it's easy to connect spoken word with the life of the fire as she watches people tell their tales, handing over the reigns to the conversation with barely a beat between beginnings and ends. It seems to be coming up on her turn to speak. For Lucretia, something like this should be more than easy, but she's having trouble deciding what story to tell. Should it be light-hearted, to keep everybody's fears at bay? Should it be intense and dramatic, to keep the fire well-fed?

The speaker next to her stumbles, and pauses for too long and then gestures helplessly at her to pick up the slack: Lucretia, a little thrown by the sudden passing of the mantle, immediately blurts out:)

Uh– one of the planets I visited was populated only by puppies!

04 - wildcard

(if you wanna mix-and-match or pick-and-choose i'll happily match format! hit me with ya best shot)

03 :>

[deathfindsaway]

You visited a what?

[He seems amused by the transfer, at least- Kravitz has sort of learned that rolling with the punches is part of this experience, and that someone's going to say something utterly wild to him at least once a week, if not once every few days. But that doesn't mean he doesn't want the context.]

You're going to have to elaborate on that one. How did you even find such a place?

Dogo | The Lion Guard

[jackal_style]

B)

[He woke up in a cage.

He doesn't know that's what it is, but he definitely understands the idea of "trapped". Normally, jackals can sweet-talk their way out of just about anything. But the drums are loud and he can't think clearly enough to try and call out to the monkeys.

So he'll turn to whoever else he's trapped with.]

A-are they gonna eat us?

C)

[Dogo is seated next to the fire, taking in the warmth of it while listening to people tell their stories. When it gets around to his turn or when it comes time for him to butt in, he springs up onto his feet and hops around excitedly.]

Oh, oh! I know a story! It's all about this mean, evil group call the "Lion Guard"!

The letter B. :V

[shox]

They can try. But I won't let 'em get close.

[The response comes from an adjacent cage, though this one is much larger as it houses a mostly-human figure, save for the ears and tail, the former of the two pricked and attentive.

Junko definitely feels bad for the little jackal--he looks young and afraid, and he's got plenty of reasons with these strange, aggressive apes keeping them trapped until dinner. Too bad...they were on the menu.]

I won't let you get hurt either.

[Away from home he might be, but the persecuted still fall under his protection. And all it would take is to be set free, to unfurl the wings harnessed to his back and hidden by shadows. A few good clouts, perhaps some clawswipes...he'd make short work of them.

Junko is pretty confident of it. Otherwise he wouldn't say it.]