Test Drive

[snowblindmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

If you'd like to apply to Snowblind and would like to test the waters first or get a sample set up for your application, this meme is for you! We've even provided some prompts for you to use if you want (but feel free to make up your own). Here's how it works. ✭ Reply to this entry with a character you're considering apping into the game. You can include the name of your character and the fandom in your subject line. ✭ Comment around to others on the meme, whether you're in the game already or not. ✭ Now you have a sample ready for your application! ✭ So go reserve and apply when reservations and applications are open. ✭ Seriously, do it. Network Prompts ONE: A LONG WALK HOME You wake up at 6AM when lockdown ends, cold and tired, like you've been walking miles in the snow. But that's normal, isn't it? What isn't normal is your surroundings. You're in a new building, maybe one you've never seen before, or one you know is far, far away from where you were the night before when you fell asleep. If you were traveling with someone, you notice, also, that you are alone. There's no telling where your traveling companion could be. When you check the network, you notice that @ADMIN has left a message. Surveillance encountered an error shortly after 8PM last night and was out of order until shortly after 6AM. We apologize for any inconvenience. Whether or not you're confused or concerned about the message, maybe a post to the network will help you re-orient yourself. TWO: GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE... Seems you've found a rather valuable commodity. Something like alcohol, tea, coffee, cigarettes, or perhaps even something medical. Whatever you've found, you have no real interest in it, yourself. But you know that there's a market for it, and you see the opportunity to turn this into a win-win situation. You're not physically around anyone that you know of, so you propose a network-wide trade. And whoever makes the sweetest deal can be the proud owner of their craved luxury. Action Prompts THREE: A SYMPHONY OF SOUND You and your traveling companion thought that the house you decided to stop in for the night seemed normal enough. But lockdown hits, as it does every night, and things start to get strange. Soft sounds of crying; children crying, parents crying, screaming for their own safety. Maybe it's just the sound of the wind rushing so hard through the rubble you fear the ceiling will collapse. Maybe it's your own voice whispering to you to do awful things. Whatever the noise is, it's too much for you to fall asleep, coming to eerie crescendos and ebbing in volume at entirely irregular intervals. Looks like you and whoever you're with are in for a long night. FOUR: IN DUE TIME After a grueling day of travel, you and your companion finally come across safe shelter. And it seems to be a nice house, too, with a working fireplace and everything. The only strange part is that you aren't alone--but the other people in the house don't seem to be aware of you. In fact, they don't seem to be aware of anything; they're frozen in time, unmoving, unblinking, not even breathing. They can be touched, but they can't be moved. No matter how hard you try, they're rooted to the spot. They seem to be like you, weighed down with heavy winter wear and backpacks, not like the nondescript shadowy people that wander the town. Oh well. They're probably harmless, and it isn't like you have time to find a different place to stay.

Comments

:D (echoing my apologies for how rude royce is, haha)

[bywolves]

[ Royce actually scowls. ] That's not what I asked.

[ There's a pause, as he tilts his head in her direction, watching. She's not treated him poorly since they paired together, or at least, she hasn't done anything he doesn't think he deserves, so already, she has points. She's a tough person and Royce didn't think this sort of thing would bother her, but obviously, he doesn't know as much as he thought. It's not really something he's interested in asking about, but he figures if they're going to be stuck here for the rest of the night, he might as well try to take a leaf out of Hadrian's book.

He slides his boots off the table and looks away, at the wall instead. ] So you're upset right now. Why? [ Not the... most sensitive way to ask, but hey. ]

haha that is totally fine! most of Tifa's friends are rude, she's cool with it!

[powersouls]

[She frowns a little, shifting back in her seat as she tucks her hair behind her ear. It's not so much the awkward, insensitive way he asks the question that makes her pause so much as the question itself. Shouldn't it be obvious why it bothers her? But then... It doesn't really seem like much bothers Royce so much as it annoys him.

Tifa lets out a noncommittal hum, stalling as she struggles to think of a way to explain. It's never been easy for her to explain her feelings to most people, and the added difficulty of explaining something like this is making it worse.]

I know it isn't real, but... [She hesitates again, sighing.] Sometimes they sound like friends from home, and... I can't help it. [It's a terrible explanation, but she isn't sure how to put into words that the thought of her friends suffering is painful, whether they're actually in danger or not.]

\o/

[bywolves]

[ Oh. Well, that makes sense. ]

They're not here. There's no reason to be upset about it. [ Royce says, tapping his fingers against his arm in a rhythmic sort of way. ] It isn't as if they're actually being tortured, and if they were, you couldn't do anything about it anyway.

[ ... Thanks, Royce, that's comforting. He slides his eyes to the side to look at her again without moving his head. Almost begrudgingly: ] Some of them sound like my friend as well, if that makes you feel better for some reason.

[powersouls]

[She frowns, watches as he taps against his arm and doing her best not to think too much about that first comment. He's... trying? It seems like he's trying, at least. She's about to respond when she hears another sob, this one even more heart wrenching because it sounds like Aerith. It's enough to make her squeeze her eyes shut, pulling in a shaky breath. It's not real, it's not real. If she repeats that in her head like a mantra, maybe she can ignore it.

Man, she wishes she could brush things off like Royce apparently can.]

I'd feel better if you weren't hearing it at all.

[bywolves]

[ It comes with being emotionally stunted. Royce doesn't care because he finds it hard to care - he might be a little envious of Tifa if he knew how it felt.

But he is trying! In his own way. ]

Don't sit and let it sink in. [ Royce says finally, pushing his hood back off his head. He shifts, firmly ignoring the soft, stifled sobs he knows are supposed to be Gwen, gritting his teeth. She's not here, and he's not concerned about it. ]

I'm hearing it, but I have other things to think about. I need to figure out where my next meal is coming from. I need to find a blanket. I need to make sure that I have something that will alert me to anything trying to sneak up on me in my sleep.

[ He gestures at her. Go ahead, Tifa's turn. ]

[powersouls]

[She blinks, as though surprised he's expecting her to play along. He's right, though. Anything that can distract her is a good thing.]

I need... Um. I need to figure out a way to fight those monsters. And... I need warmer clothes. I need to figure out a way home.

[Okay. His turn again?]

[bywolves]

I also need to find a way home. [ Royce pauses, raising his eyebrows. A beat, and then he stands up to take his heavy black cloak off, expression vaguely irritated. He walks over to Tifa, dumps the cloak in her lap, and then settles back down into his chair. ]

One problem temporarily solved. [ He's mostly irritated because she reminds him of someone, and he feels compelled to help her solely because of that. ] You can't keep it, I need it back. But for now it'll do.

[powersouls]

[The surprise is plain on her face when he drops the cloak in her lap, and she stares down at it for a second .She can take care of herself, really, but it's still sweet. Her smile is small, and a little slow to come, but definitely there.]

Thanks, Royce.

[She has a feeling he won't react well if she says much more about it than that, so she's quiet as she pulls the cloak around her shoulders and snuggles into it.]

I have an extra blanket. You can keep it if you want.

[bywolves]

[ She's right about that - the thank you is just enough to make him look away firmly. His shoulders do relax just slightly when she pulls the cloak close, though; the fact that she didn't reject the gesture means a lot, even if he won't say it or even acknowledge it.

He figures she can take care of herself, but it isn't the worst thing to have people who won't stab him in the back (or front, honestly) in a place like this.

The mention of the blanket gets him to raise his eyebrows, though, and he looks back at Tifa, opening his mouth - and then closing it. A beat. ]

I guess that's a fair enough trade, considering I'll be freezing all night. [ Something he's not used to. ] At least you're not stupid enough to just give me anything, like most of the people here.

[powersouls]

[Tifa lets out a soft snort, tilting her head a little. At least she's used to the casual insults, so that's not enough to offend her.]

They aren't being stupid, they just want to help. We all have to stick together, right?

[bywolves]

[ She's really a good sport for putting up with it. Not many people bother with Royce's occasional outright hostility, and he's continually surprised when they do. ]

It's stupid to offer something and get nothing in return. That's how you end up dead in a ditch without any clothes. [ He rolls his eyes. ] I'll never know why you types think sticking together is a good idea.

[ Says the guy who just gave his cloak to a near stranger. ]

[powersouls]

["You types", huh? That gets a sigh.]

If I have something extra, it doesn't hurt me to give it to someone who needs it. And it's better to have someone around to watch your back. Right?

[She's prodding just a bit with that last question.]

[bywolves]

[ Poor Tifa. Royce eyes her with an unimpressed look. ] More likely that they'll watch it long enough to find the most opportune place to put a knife in it, especially in a place like this.

You won't, and I won't, if only because everybody would know who did it. [ And because he kind of likes Tifa. Shh. Don't tell anybody. ] I guess there's some benefit in that, then.

[powersouls]

Royce.

[Seriously. For a second, she has no idea how to even respond to that. Is that really what he thinks? Momentarily, her expression seems caught somewhere between shock and incredulity, and then it settles close to disappointed.]

Do you really think that's why I've been helping you?

[Somehow the implication that it's the only reason he hasn't betrayed her is unimportant, probably because she's too quick to believe the best of people she likes.]

[bywolves]

[ No, not the disappointment! That's more what he's expecting, honestly. ] It's why most people help other people. Help is self-serving. Charity ends in debts.

[ He rolls his eyes a little. ] It isn't an attack on your character, it's just a fact.

[powersouls]

[Her mouth twists, and she shifts as she pulls the cloak a little closer around her.]

I don't think of it as charity, or racking up debts. It's just... a way to make things easier on everyone.

[bywolves]

And what happens when you can't make things easier on everyone? [ Royce asks flatly. ] Then they resent you. They turn on you. You were generous before, why aren't you now?

[ Vague sniff. ] Someone gives you something they insist is free, but it's never free. There's always a 'remember when I did this for you?' right behind it.

[ So Royce has trouble with trusting people. ]

[powersouls]

[He's right, at least partially. She's had people do that before. If Royce has an issue with trusting people, Tifa certainly has an issue giving too much of herself, to her own detriment.]

Not everyone is like that. What would happen if none of us were watching out for one another? We would probably all be dead.

[At least this argument is distracting her from the crying.]

[bywolves]

[ He'd like to say this was all part of his plan, but mostly, this is just the way he is. ]

It doesn't matter that not everybody is like that. [ Royce says, shaking his head. ] The point is you can't be sure which people are going to be the selfless martyr types and which aren't.

I can count the number of people who have done something for me without any strings attached on one hand.

[powersouls]

[Tifa bites her lip, silent for a moment as she considers this.]

I think... You just need to find the right people and hang on to them.

[Living for so long in the slums means that she's no stranger to people who simply want to take advantage, but she's managed to meet genuinely good people, too.]

[bywolves]

[ Royce watches her for a long time, expression shifting slightly. She reminds him so much of...

It's annoying. Kind of. Finally, he says: ] Optimism gets you nowhere. [ But it's half-hearted. He knows what he's saying is true, it's just hard to not hope, sometimes. ] I assume you think you've found the right people.

[powersouls]

I think so.

[Really, Royce, she's not the most unshakably optimistic of her friends. Still, his comment bothers her, although she lets it drop for the moment.]

You don't think you have?

[bywolves]

[ Royce is quiet for long enough that it might look like he's not going to answer. Give him a minute, though, and he mutters: ] Like I said. I can count the number of people who have done something for me without any strings attached on one hand.

Not that it matters here.

[powersouls]

[She lets out a soft, thoughtful hum.]

Well... It's good that they're not here, right? At least they're safe at home.

[That stupid optimism again!]

[bywolves]

[ He glances at her finally, lips twitching at the corners. No, he's not smiling! Shh! ]

It's safer there than it is here, yes. [ So he agrees. Sort of. He grouches this next part, but this time it's less serious: ] I must have some sort of sign on me somewhere that invites optimism in where I don't want it. It even follows me into different worlds entirely, for Maribor's sake.