This is a test drive for The Last Resort. You can use one of the handy prompts or make up your own.
Prompts
Prompt #1
You're about to leave Pugsy's bar, and you pull out your wallet to pay the tab. It runs away.
Oops.
The wallet was a prop and now you're stuck with a bill you can't pay. Pugsy is irritated, though, with some patrons ripping off tonight so he doesn't really want to just "put it on your tab". Someone else is going to have to cover it for you. Hopefully there's a freind or a potential friend around.
Prompt #2
You got stuck out at night, and you can't make it back to Blackstaff in time. Or you couldn't get the teleporters to lock on to you at your exploration point and you have to wait for a retrieval team. Whatever has happened, you're now stuck up a tree with six terrible little frowning green faces staring up at you as creepers toddle around the tree silently.
Have you called for help and have a rescuer coming? Are you planning an escape with your companion? Or are you passing the time and throwing fruit from the tree down at them.
Prompt #3
Optional. This can even be a potential 1st introductory post or network post asking questions about the setting.
[Felix doesn't mention the fact that fences aren't impenetrable and can be foiled very easily if one is determined enough. Instead, he nods and continues to sound pleasant and grateful for that needless reminder.] Oh yes, but I'm just...used to it. I came from a world constantly at war, so this armor is my normal attire. Wearing clothes like yours is weird to me. [He makes note of the security patrol uniform. If he joins them, he hopes he can keep his more practical gear. Maybe get a magnet and slap that on his chest when he's on duty.]
But...I appreciate you reassuring me. It's going to take some getting used to here. This is the longest I've gone during the day without hearing a bullet shot in my direction. [Which is almost actually true--but the bullets were from the recruits those morons were training.]
[she frowns at that] You only ever wear armor? [she's not going to ask the questions that come to mind, but that does sound pretty extreme]
[her expression is sympathetic when he explains, though. trying to be reassuring, she says:] It won't be like that here. Most of the trouble we get is from the wildlife, and the fence and our security patrol keep them out of town. There's the quarantine, yeah, but it's nothing like being at war. It's a pretty safe place, like I said.
[He gestures casually.] Yeah, safer that way, you know? Especially in space and on low-grav planets. [Chorus, for all its backwater bullshit, is actually pretty pleasant in terms of gravity. Reminds him of Earth. Minus, well, everything annoying. ...God, he's so fucking sick of that damn planet...]
[Now, he's heard a bit about this quarantine, but he feigns ignorance to test her reaction and hear what she has to say, and lets out a surprised cry.] A quarantine?! Are people sick?!
I...guess so. [she can't say she knows what space is like, but she's not going to get into that]
Whoa, calm down. [Linda holds up her hands] Not sick, no. It's because of the wildlife here. I wasn't here when it happened, but there was a...big attack. Basically. And they've cut off the planet from the surrounding area. Now the only way to go on or off is through those teleporters--like what brought us here in the first place. And I guess they can't go to any planets nearby--maybe not without special permission. I'm not sure how it works. But they can go to other worlds like where we're from. [insistently, she adds:] But it doesn't mean we're not safe here. Okay?
[He lets out loud sigh of relief. Overdramatic for him, but probably not for someone who thinks he's about to panic.] Oh thank god. You had me worried there for a minute, um, whatever-your-name-is.
So, let me see if I got this straight: we can't visit other planets because of an attack by the flora and fauna of this place? How...exactly did that happen again? [Because seriously, why not just kill all the wildlife? Problem solved!]
I'm Linda. [she's still trying to be calming and give him something to focus on, so she adds:] How about you?
[but she frowns at that] You know about the spawners, right? You've got one in your room--a small one for food. Well, somebody used a big one to send a bunch of skeletons after the people here. [quickly, she adds:] But they've destroyed it since then.
[He smiles so she can hear it in his voice.] Felix. Nice to meet you, Linda.
[He jumps back a bit in surprise--genuine this time.] I had but...seriously? Skeletons?! Next you'll be telling me there are zombies and werewolves here too. [A beat.] Okay, no, can we go back to the skeletons for a sec? How. Or are we in a living Harryhausen movie?
[Harryhausen? she wonders if that's a future thing] No. [she shakes her head] But the wildlife here is probably different from what you had where you're from. Skeletons are part of it. They shoot arrows, but they fall apart easily, and they can't handle the sun. I heard they're actually part of some...security system that used to exist, but they're more like wild animals now. Nobody controls them.
[of course, whoever activated that spawner to send them out into the population certainly manipulated them, but that crisis ended before she even got here, and she's too focused on calming Felix down to want to mention that]
[Riiight. He'll have to remember the skeletal defense system the next time he has to create a secure perimeter. Honestly, who the hell thought up skeletons as a defense force? Granted, in the right situation... Hmm. Maybe there's a way to find this system. Could be useful. He wonders why no one else has thought of trying to find and fix it before though.]
Nobody does? Wow... So long as we stay in the sun, we'll be okay. Not too hard. And I have a shield, if I see any arrows coming my way? Woosh! I can deflect them no problem. I can show you sometime if you want.
Is, uh, there anything else I should know about our lovely wildlife around here? [Skeletons count, right?]
[naturally Linda assumes he means a physical shield, and looking at his armor this isn't particularly surprising, so she probably isn't as impressed as she should be] That could be useful around here.
The spiders and creepers are dangerous, too, but they all seem to be sensitive to the sun. Spiders are just big--and in the caves there are poisonous ones. But the creepers actually explode if they get near you, so be careful if you ever go exploring dark areas, all right?
[hoping he won't start panicking again, she adds:] Still, like I said, in town things are pretty safe.
You're right it will. Saved my life many times before. Could even save yours if we're together.
Creepers? Oookay then. Shouldn't be too hard to stay away from spiders and such, right? [All of them have a sensitivity to the sun? He wonders what doesn't.] What do they even look like? Some sweaty, mouthbreathing guy with a camera spying on us from the bushes?
Not when you're inside the fence, no. And creepers are sort of...hooved and armless with a head and body that looks like a hoodie with a face. [she knows that's a pretty terrible description, so she adds:] Trust me, you'll know one when you see it. [if you manage to before it explodes, that is]
[He's making a face at that description. He really is, truly. A disgusted, twisted face. Shame she can't see it.]
Sounds like fun. Good thing these fences can stop them.
Anything else I should be looking out for? Actually, what do you do here, Linda? Gonna have to get a job, so...you can think of me as being in the market.
I'm on the security patrol. [she considers him for a moment] Might not be a bad idea for someone who's used to being a soldier. More than anything, we focus on keeping the wildlife I mentioned away from populated areas.
But what did you do before the military? Anything?
[...That question catches him off-guard. No one really cares what he's done before the war. (Well, with the exception of Vanessa, but that's her.) There's always been the war, how well he can fight, and who he's gonna kill for how much. "Before" hasn't really been a thing in a veeeeery long time. So before he answers, he just shrugs.] Nothing, really. School until I was old enough to enlist, then war, war, and more war.
[she can't help looking surprised by his question, if only because pay wasn't high on her priority list when considering a job] It's fine. I mean...I don't know what it's like for other jobs around here, but I make enough to do what I want to.
[at his answer, she frowns] That sounds rough. At least if you work on the patrol here, it won't be all fighting.
Oh yeah? [It doesn't answer his question, like at all. But someone else should be able to give him a better figure with actual numbers.] What do you like to do around here?
War's hell. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. I'm glad one war's done... Where I was staying back home, another war broke out. Not as big in galactic terms, but it's divided the planet... [He shakes his head, letting his shoulders slump.] I wound up on the "losing" side. I'm hoping being here will give me a chance to find something that'll help the people I care for.
And you know, a break from the fighting could be nice. [--for an opportunity to do some digging around for that spawner.]
[it would be easier to answer his question if she had any idea how currency here compares to where he came from, but since she doesn't, she's going to leave it vague]
Me? I'm still exploring what they've got around here, but there are good bars and restaurants and some beautiful gardens. Lots of places to hang out with people. [which is mainly what she likes to do with her free time]
[she listens to his story, her expression sad] I'm sorry. [hopeful that she can help, she adds:] What sort of things are you looking for to help others?
[but she brightens a bit at being able to at least offer him one positive] Well, now that you're here? That's exactly what you've got.
That sounds very relaxing. After a day of hunting for stray creepers and skeletons, it must be nice to kick back. Maybe I'll join you, if you want.
[He looks down, slowly shaking his head.] To be honest? They need time and more bodies to fight. They've lost so many soldiers--good ones... Scrapping the bottom of the barrel now. Some of them are practically kids. I can only do so much... [He lets out a sigh.]
But you're right. I have this break to think about how I can better help them.
It's good, yeah. Anything in particular you like--food-wise, or did you want to see the gardens?
[Linda's expression is sympathetic. she's quiet for a minute, thoughtful, before she asks:] Do you think...there's any technology you could get here? Medical technology, maybe?
Why not both? I'm going to be here for a while, and I will eat literally anything that isn't a pre-packaged military food supplement. [MREs, oh, how he loathes you.] Or canned beans. And gardens could be nice. Get to know the local flora--and share it with some nice company at the same time. [Oh yes, this is him busting out the charm, but not thickly. With people like cops and military personnel, gotta go slow with them. Manners and gradual pathos is the way to go.]
Maybe... My time is so different from here. I'd really have to see what's even available--and what this place can afford to spare.
I'll stay here then. Hopefully, I won't be too hard to miss. [He says with a smirk and casual wave of his hand.]
Yeah, anything's worth trying. [Though he's not certain any of the tech would be viable. Then again... Maybe some things changed from when he was last here during that temporary period of recruitment.]
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guest_list2015-01-26 02:57 pm
no subject
But...I appreciate you reassuring me. It's going to take some getting used to here. This is the longest I've gone during the day without hearing a bullet shot in my direction. [Which is almost actually true--but the bullets were from the recruits those morons were training.]
no subject
[her expression is sympathetic when he explains, though. trying to be reassuring, she says:] It won't be like that here. Most of the trouble we get is from the wildlife, and the fence and our security patrol keep them out of town. There's the quarantine, yeah, but it's nothing like being at war. It's a pretty safe place, like I said.
no subject
[Now, he's heard a bit about this quarantine, but he feigns ignorance to test her reaction and hear what she has to say, and lets out a surprised cry.] A quarantine?! Are people sick?!
no subject
Whoa, calm down. [Linda holds up her hands] Not sick, no. It's because of the wildlife here. I wasn't here when it happened, but there was a...big attack. Basically. And they've cut off the planet from the surrounding area. Now the only way to go on or off is through those teleporters--like what brought us here in the first place. And I guess they can't go to any planets nearby--maybe not without special permission. I'm not sure how it works. But they can go to other worlds like where we're from. [insistently, she adds:] But it doesn't mean we're not safe here. Okay?
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So, let me see if I got this straight: we can't visit other planets because of an attack by the flora and fauna of this place? How...exactly did that happen again? [Because seriously, why not just kill all the wildlife? Problem solved!]
no subject
[but she frowns at that] You know about the spawners, right? You've got one in your room--a small one for food. Well, somebody used a big one to send a bunch of skeletons after the people here. [quickly, she adds:] But they've destroyed it since then.
no subject
[He jumps back a bit in surprise--genuine this time.] I had but...seriously? Skeletons?! Next you'll be telling me there are zombies and werewolves here too. [A beat.] Okay, no, can we go back to the skeletons for a sec? How. Or are we in a living Harryhausen movie?
no subject
[Harryhausen? she wonders if that's a future thing] No. [she shakes her head] But the wildlife here is probably different from what you had where you're from. Skeletons are part of it. They shoot arrows, but they fall apart easily, and they can't handle the sun. I heard they're actually part of some...security system that used to exist, but they're more like wild animals now. Nobody controls them.
[of course, whoever activated that spawner to send them out into the population certainly manipulated them, but that crisis ended before she even got here, and she's too focused on calming Felix down to want to mention that]
no subject
Nobody does? Wow... So long as we stay in the sun, we'll be okay. Not too hard. And I have a shield, if I see any arrows coming my way? Woosh! I can deflect them no problem. I can show you sometime if you want.
Is, uh, there anything else I should know about our lovely wildlife around here? [Skeletons count, right?]
no subject
The spiders and creepers are dangerous, too, but they all seem to be sensitive to the sun. Spiders are just big--and in the caves there are poisonous ones. But the creepers actually explode if they get near you, so be careful if you ever go exploring dark areas, all right?
[hoping he won't start panicking again, she adds:] Still, like I said, in town things are pretty safe.
no subject
Creepers? Oookay then. Shouldn't be too hard to stay away from spiders and such, right? [All of them have a sensitivity to the sun? He wonders what doesn't.] What do they even look like? Some sweaty, mouthbreathing guy with a camera spying on us from the bushes?
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Sounds like fun. Good thing these fences can stop them.
Anything else I should be looking out for? Actually, what do you do here, Linda? Gonna have to get a job, so...you can think of me as being in the market.
no subject
But what did you do before the military? Anything?
no subject
[...That question catches him off-guard. No one really cares what he's done before the war. (Well, with the exception of Vanessa, but that's her.) There's always been the war, how well he can fight, and who he's gonna kill for how much. "Before" hasn't really been a thing in a veeeeery long time. So before he answers, he just shrugs.] Nothing, really. School until I was old enough to enlist, then war, war, and more war.
no subject
[at his answer, she frowns] That sounds rough. At least if you work on the patrol here, it won't be all fighting.
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War's hell. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. I'm glad one war's done... Where I was staying back home, another war broke out. Not as big in galactic terms, but it's divided the planet... [He shakes his head, letting his shoulders slump.] I wound up on the "losing" side. I'm hoping being here will give me a chance to find something that'll help the people I care for.
And you know, a break from the fighting could be nice. [--for an opportunity to do some digging around for that spawner.]
no subject
Me? I'm still exploring what they've got around here, but there are good bars and restaurants and some beautiful gardens. Lots of places to hang out with people. [which is mainly what she likes to do with her free time]
[she listens to his story, her expression sad] I'm sorry. [hopeful that she can help, she adds:] What sort of things are you looking for to help others?
[but she brightens a bit at being able to at least offer him one positive] Well, now that you're here? That's exactly what you've got.
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[He looks down, slowly shaking his head.] To be honest? They need time and more bodies to fight. They've lost so many soldiers--good ones... Scrapping the bottom of the barrel now. Some of them are practically kids. I can only do so much... [He lets out a sigh.]
But you're right. I have this break to think about how I can better help them.
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[Linda's expression is sympathetic. she's quiet for a minute, thoughtful, before she asks:] Do you think...there's any technology you could get here? Medical technology, maybe?
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Maybe... My time is so different from here. I'd really have to see what's even available--and what this place can afford to spare.
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[she makes a face] You've got a point. But still, it's worth a try, isn't it?
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Yeah, anything's worth trying. [Though he's not certain any of the tech would be viable. Then again... Maybe some things changed from when he was last here during that temporary period of recruitment.]