Test Drive

[travelagency]

Test Drive This is the first test drive for The Last Resort. You can use one of the handy prompts or make up your own. Prompts Prompt #1 There's a new drug being passed through the seedy end of the town which gives many bipedal species the temporary ability to shapeshift into someone else of their species. Needless to say it's very dangerous. Are you working on a cure? Currently trying it out to look hot at the bar? Trying to weed out the dealers? Prompt #2 When a cavespider attacks, usually someone doesn't lose much in the way of memories. They might not even notice what's gone. But your character has been swarmed with them and only remembers half of anything. Try to figure out some things about yourself again by talking to your friends and hope that your memories will be recovered with the reminders. Try not to take advantage of someone and lie to someone with the problem, though. Or do it, you need all the advantages you can get. Prompt #3 A notable and extremely wealthy alien ambassador has just arrived. He loves luxury but is extremely difficult to please. He is also said to be a collector of rare artefacts and some suspect that he may be here to receive stolen goods. Are you staff complaining about his behavior? A scientist keeping a close eye on the museum collections while the ambassador around? A thief planning a heist with a friend in order to sell the goods to the ambassador? Prompt #4 Having a drink at Pugsy's bar, because someone has to try the exotic booze. Be careful, some of it's made with blood. Navigation

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Prompt #4

[vengeance_driven]

[Over by the bar, Niko's yawning like a big lazy animal as he turns the bottle of whatever the hell he just drank around in his hand. It's vile, terrible, syrupy almost in texture. Supposedly its "safe" for humans, but he's not sure. He blinks hare at the blue contents as they stick to the inside glass.]

Shit. I only drank a little bit.

[And he feels really fucked up. He thunks it down on the bar top. His speech is slurred by more than just his accent, and walking home is going to be fun at this rate. At least the drivers aren't as bad as in Liberty City.]

[He fishes out his wallet with the intention of paying off the barkeep (while still squinting at said gentleman because he's momentarily forgotten if Pugsy is actually supposed to look like a dog or is he that fucked up?)]

[thumbsdown]

[After seriously underestimating how strong his drink was, Boone is on his way past when he knocks into Niko and nearly falls over. He grabs a nearby table to keep himself steady, and at least has the decency to look embarrassed.]

Sorry.

[This... doesn't usually happen. He's going to blame whatever the hell it was he was drinking. Maybe he should've stuck to whiskey, he knows his limit there.]

[vengeance_driven]

[Niko tries to grab a stool to remain upright but it doesn't stay that way. Stools, as it turns out, aren't much of a reliable support and down he goes, oofing as he lands heavily on the floor and staring around him as if the height level he's sitting at now is another plane of existence.]

[He looks at the tipped stool still in his hands. Blinks hard at it. Sits it back up.]

And now, I'm in the floor. Hello! [He says at Boone. From the floor.] It's okay. [He's got this. He's so got this. He grabs the edge of the bar and starts pulling himself up. It's a long trip.]

Shit. I'm wasted. This is strong stuff.

/peeks in

[wildcard_of_the_desert]

No, just a bottle of water and a cup of ice. Nothing else. No, nothing in the ice, either.

[Yeah, he was really fishing for that tip. Rolling her eyes, Sibyll plunks down a couple silver coins. Just as reluctantly, the bartender pushes over a bottle and a glass of ice. She inspects the bottle carefully before pouring the contents over the ice and taking a sip. Good, just plain water.

It looks like Sibyll did the right thing, since the guy sitting next to her is certainly having... problems.]

You alright over there?

[vengeance_driven]

I don't know. I think I might have just drank cobra venom with sugar in it. I will let you know if I survive.

So far, so good. [He squints hard at the bottle, as if it has offended him in some way. But nah. That's not a fight he wants to pick right now. But when it comes? Oh they had it coming.]

[He notes that she just got a water, though.]

Important work later? [He usually sticks to water if he knows he has to do something.]

Prompt #3

[most_feared]

[Agent K has the patience of a saint, but this guy's been pushing it. He's sitting at the bar of the diner, trying to eat his pie, but the ambassador has the booth behind him and he can hear every word of his conversation.]

[He looks irritated as hell as he pokes at the pie slice and doesn't envy the people that have to deal with that festering piece of turd. Of course, he's had to deal with the type before, back home, on Earth at his regular job. Which he misses. He always misses it when he's sent away for whatever reason. He misses his partner even more.]

[But listening to that guy? Reminds him of why it's good to get away. Plus this pie ain't half bad. But then he hears him talking about all the women that he has that his wife doesn't know about.]

I feel damn sorry for his maid... [Kay mutters, picking up his comm to scroll through news and see if anything interesting is happening. Tabloids? Also a thing that he strangely misses.]

[hatestriangles]

[It feels like a long time since Perry graduated from the Barge, going home, doing what he could to help the fight against the alien threat. It feels like forever, almost like a dream at times, but then there's the resort, this new alien place he came to when he was out of other options. He might not like the non-humanoid aliens, but at least they're not actively trying to devour and destroy his mind and body. If this is real, the Barge must have been real too.

And of course, he still remembers the people from the Barge. So when he sees the man prodding at his pie at the diner bar, Perry stops short.]

Kay?

[most_feared]

[Sadly there's no recognition on Kay's face when he looks over at Perry. This Kay doesn't know the guy from Adam's left nut, but he's polite about it anyway. he figures this is one of those strange cosmic mix-ups.]

Sorry, you've caught me at a little bit of a disadvantage here.

[He sits up straighter.]

Re: Prompt #3

[agentj]

[Jay had, thankfully, long outgrown the dramatic, loud-mouth entrances of his past. As such, when he entered no one really gave a second glance. He takes off his glasses and folds them up, giving the place a sweep.]

[He was there for Ambassador Blabbermouth, of course. Rather, whatever illicit activities the egotistical alien may or may totally be involved in. You want someone shaken for info, you send Agent K. If not available, you send the next best thing: the guy trained by Agent K.]


[Except K totally is available. He's like, right there, with his damn pie and his damn articles about I Married Bigfoot like it's no big thing. Jay forgets entirely about Ambassador Whatshisface and stares very unprofessionally totally ruining the Cool Mysterious Guy entrance, because buh?]

You have got to be kidding me.

[So, when a very similarly dressed man carefully took the seat next to Kay, the older man would be met with Jay giving him one expectant smile, hands folded in front of him.]

Prompt #2

[what_ho_jeeves]

[Bertie Wooster is wandering about the lobby looking more vapid and aimless than usual. He has a sense that he's missing something and so is searching the hotel for it. He looks behind a painting, but it isn't there, nor is it under a chair cushion, nor in the flower vase. He's about to give up and try another room when he sees a familiar face. Well, a face, with a vague sense of familiarity to it.]

What ho, what ho, what ho! I do beg your pardon, but I seem to have lost something rather important and I was hoping you might help me find it. You see, it's...

...

...

...

Dash it all, I seem to have forgotten what it was.

[sugarforthebird]

[The uniform is certainly familiar-- hotel staff. But Maria has met Bertie, and finds him refreshingly reasonable compared to some. So she doesn't sigh, but comes over to address him with her hands clasped in front of her and the gentlest expression possible.]

Have you been in or near the caves, Mister Wooster?

Prompt #4

[una_persson]

[Una's been trying to have a nice civilised drink in peace, but this big space marine type with an attitude problem has been not taking "sorry, not interested" and the silent treatment for an answer for several minutes now. She's about to move away when he decides that he's just going to go ahead and get handsy.

That tears it. Una slams down her glass, whirls around, and without hesitation grabs hold of a tender bit of the space marine's anatomy and squeezes. Hard. He yelps and goes white.]

Got your attention, sunny jim? Tell you what. You take your hands off, and I'll remove mine. And if you come near me again, I'll break it off. [Her wrist twists just a bit. A high-pitched, strangled noise comes out of the space marine's throat and he raises both hands to the sky. She smiles, a very unpleasant expression.] Good. Glad we understand each other.

[She releases him and he backs away, stumbling over a chair and knocking over a table. A couple of glasses that haven't been policed up fall to the ground and break. As soon as he feels like he's got a decent lead, the space marine runs for it. Una sighs, settles back on her stool, and gives Pugsy an apologetic look.]

Sorry about the mess.

[most_feared]

Havin' some trouble there, ma'am? [Agent K heads over to the bar and taps on it.] Klingon blood wine, Pugsy. I'm feeling a little adventurous.

[Not that he's interfering, she took care of it. But he figured she could use some company from someone that didn't intend to feel her up. Sure, she was a becoming woman, definitely one of those classic beauties, and it was damn unfortunate that it made men act like idiots out here even.]

[He didn't even sympathy wince when she did what she did. He just settles onto a stool and folds his hands in front of him.]

Prompt #4-ish

[brodakota]

[North is outside the bar, taking in the night air.

The smoky interior of the bar was starting to get to him, and he hadn't really liked the look of his drink despite the fact that he'd been assured it was safe. And really, it hadn't looked like the best place to people watch.

So he'd left and was now standing on the street, trying to decide which way to walk, and hopefully not get lost.]

[wildcard_of_the_desert]

[Tired of the drunks and not finding anyone particularly interesting, the Courier moves on to the outside. Even in the evening shadows, the purple of North's armor catches her eye and without hesitating, she moves in, curiosity practically radiating off of her.]

Whoa, nice power armor. What do I have to do to get that in my size?

Prompt #3

[grifshot]

[Dexter Grif hates everything right now. Which really is par for the course but there seems to be an extra bit of vinegar in his veins today as he stares at the luggage around him and the carousel beside him. Somehow he doesn't think it's all going to fit.]

How much fucking luggage does this guy have anyway?

[Probably a good thing that the ambassador isn't in hearing range.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin overhears, though, and raises an eyebrow.]

He is rich and powerful, which means he has however much luggage he pleases, while the mere peons have to deal with the logistics of transporting it.

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander decides that maybe a trip to the convenience store should wait, now that he's spotted someone looking like they're having a hard time with carrying luggage.]

'Scuse me, sir? I noticed that you're havin' a bit of trouble with carryin' these suitcases; mind if I help?

[sylvanguard]

Prompt 3

[Tauriel was used to serving the needs of another with a certain amount of grace, even if she was usually bad at it. So she was ready and waiting for the Alien ambassador to arrive, except she was suffering some trepidation that she might have forgotten something. Something important.]

Am I forgetting something now? I think I am. What is it?

Prompt 4

[So the bar was a new thing that she wanted to try out, especially since there was an entire list of drinks to explore, and most of them weren't wine. Of course there was a wine selection, but she was pointedly ignoring it in anticipation of more fruity or creatively named drinks. However some of the drinks were making her do a double take as she read out loud the name of one of the cocktails she'd stumbled across in one of the drink special booklets.]
What is a Wicked Murder? Or a Coconut Salvation?

4!

[psychosputnik]

Don't worry. They probably won't kill you.

[Sikozu may know this because she's... tried a few already. Just a few. Yes. Sure. We'll go with that.]

In fact, most of them don't nearly live up to their names.

3 - Two for the price of one

[abouttooverflow]

[Wherever you are, particularly if you're around the ambassador's hotel, you might find two black-coated kids talking in mutters.]

-this jerk.

[The first speaker is male, the other female, though the latter has a hood obscuring her face. Neither of them sound happy.]

How are we supposed to figure out what it is?

I don't know! It's like he just expects us to know.

And we still don't know where to find it, either…

[The boy heaves a frustrated sigh]

I guess we'll just have to ask someone. I don't know why they even thought it was a good idea to send us to talk to him...

[The boy turns, looking up and around, and then, even if you didn't happen to overhear that exchange, you'll find yourself being hailed.]

Hey! Hey, you!

[The girl runs behind him to catch up, and once she's sure that they have your attention, she speaks]

Um… do you know where we could get some… [beat, as if she's trying to figure out how to pronounce it] Harenaqua?

[muttering] Or what it is?

[Somebody who's more familiar with the ins and outs of economics in the local area might know that what they are looking for is in fact, mud. A mud that acts like a drug to the ambassador's species; specifically, it acts like acid.

Yes, he sent two children to get acid.

The answer to their question is: the black market. But then again, they probably don't know where that is either.]

forgive the lack of icons D8

[numbered101]

Mudhoney? A couple kids looking for mudhoney?

[Lily had made a point of getting to know some of the less regulated trade routes; as long as slavers aren't involved, she has a general respect for 'personal' businesses.

Honestly, she's a little surprised the kid had spotted her; it's dark, and she's good at blending in.]

It's no good for humans. What do you need it for?

prompt 2

[discoursesonlivy]

[Cavespiders. Those are new. Usually you're more likely to find coyotes if you're lucky, or Nightstalkers if you aren't. Arcade'll have to remember them next time. If there is one, which he assumes there will be. Still, he seems to not be poisoned (not yet), so at least they don't seem to have toxic venom (to humans, anyway). And at least all his limbs are in roughly the same place he left them.

Funny thing is, he can't quite remember how he got here. There was probably walking, maybe even running at times, some cave exploration along the way, and then he became the main course on the spider buffet line.

But it's all sorta. Vague. He can't quite put his finger on it. On much of anything, at the moment. And that's not really helping the impression that maybe the spiders were poisonous after all.]

So, minor question, but we wouldn't happen to have large quantities of antivenom in stock at the local free clinic, would we?

[He's stooped on a rock near the cave entrance, just trying to catch his breath for the moment. But something feels... wrong in the state of Denmark, and if he didn't go poking at things he probably should leave alone, his name wouldn't be Arcade Gannon.]

[most_feared]

[The damn spiders have been a consistent pain in the ass. Thankfully Kay's no stranger to shooting shit with exoskeletons, and while he might not have the firepower he's usually allotted he's got enough to handle his patrol shift in his regular region, keeping the eight-legged critters from coming skittering into civilized territory during the dark hours.]

[Day shift is usually a piece of cake because the spiders seem confused and docile. They just wander aimlessly and do nothing, so Kay can get out and investigate around Blackway a little more. When he nears the mouth of one of the caves, he's not expecting to see someone come out.]

[Not that Arcade is looking much like a threat, but he pulls a gun and aims it off into the darkness behind him. Then gestures for Arcade to come on up.]

Probably. Sounds like you had a rough time down there, buddy. Let's get you over there to check that out.

[Lets hope this poor bastard didn't up wearing his pants like a shirt like some of the people that went traipsing through a hell hole of creepy cave crawlies.]

Prompt #1

[ewestmarch]

Chalk marks on the black duracrete of a wall were where everyone knew (and no one said) that you went if you wanted to obtain substances that the local police didn't approve of. The man with the gold tooth grinned when he made his usual rounds and spotted the yellow-eyed young thing standing stiffly away from the walls of the alley and generally being as obvious as possible. First-time customer, then. He'd have to lay on the charm.

"Well," he said, smiling. "What's a girl like you d-"

"Escafil," she snapped. "I want to know how it works." The drug was booming, brand new in town. "Simple enough? I want to get out of here. It's filthy."

She was holding the edges of her duster coat in close to her body, as if she didn't want them touching the ground.

The man, whose sense of smell worked perfectly well, thanks, snorted. "You're no bundle of roses yourself. Seventeen credits gets you a vial."

The girl sneered, showing gums the same black as her dress. "I don't want it. I want to know why it does what it does. Why only humanoids? What happens if you give it to a non-sapient being? Does it work on corpses? Sleeping people? Humans in vegetative states? How is the shapeshifting process triggered? Does it follow mass conservation? Would it work on -"

"Seventeen credits gets you a vial," he snapped. "I didn't invent the frelling stuff."

"You aren't curious?" She asked. Clearly the idea was an anathema. "You live in this city, with things I've never even dreamed of, and you take it all for granted."

"Don't care what sort of hick planet you came from. I'm running a business, not a library."

"And thank fuck for that," she said, but dug out her credit stick. "It'd go badly with someone who never learned the alphabet. How much is a vial?"

"Seventeen credits."

"No, how much, what dosage."

The man eyed her. Short. Small. Pound for pound .... "For you? Two hits."

"It's not for me."

One of the shadows that the man had taken to be far too large to be a person shifted, stepped into the light.

The scream could be heard for blocks.