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

Comments

[thumbsdown]

[He just grunts, doing his best to keep upright as he walks.]

I guess. Not so sure about the cars, though. We don't have cars where I'm from, or at least not ones that move. They haven't moved for about two hundred years.

[When they get outside, he leans against the building. It's kind of cold out here, but maybe it'll help clear his head a little.]

[vengeance_driven]

Oh, so that natural resources whatever thing, it must happen someday. That's nice.

[He's wobbly, and puts his hands out to his sides. Come on. Coooome on. He just... has to get situated. He'll be okay. He's got this.]

[And success! He did not tip over or throw up. He is officially defeating this drunkeness. He's proud of himself.] At least I do not get to see that happen.

[thumbsdown]

[Things are barely making sense to Boone right now, so he just gives Niko an odd sort of look at first. Then he shrugs, and decides that if he does ask what he means, it'll have to be when he's sober.

Assuming he even remembers any of this conversation.]

The war never happened where you're from.

[Of course- Boone had completely forgotten the nature of this place. Different worlds. Goddammit, his brain is still in the bar somewhere.]

[vengeance_driven]

Which war? [He squints.] I don't know. I was in a pretty bad war, but every war is bad. Just young idealists made to kill other young idiots. Stupid idealists. Stupid optimists. They're all idiots.

[They way he says "idiots" sounds a lot like "eedyots".]

But which war, tell me. [He makes a drunken "talk to me" motion, before going over to Boone's side to lean against the wall, thumping his head back against it so that he can see the stars.]

[thumbsdown]

[He waves a hand aimlessly, and nearly hits Niko in the face.]

The war. Happened a couple centuries ago. Every country with nukes launched them.

[That's about as simple as a drunken explanation can get.]

[vengeance_driven]

[His eyes go wide as the hand waves in front of his face, seeing about three of it move at once. He blinks hard at that, so the words take a few moments to register. The hand was more surprising than the nukes.]

Shit.

Well. The world is full of assholes. It could still happy. Happen. Hap- I am losing my English.

[He could speak Serbian, and use the translator. But that means dealing with buttons. He doesn't want to deal with buttons right now.]

[He's not seen anything remotely resembling a cab, though.]

[thumbsdown]

[Boone just sighs and stares at the strange hovering cars that go by. He's literally on another planet, and he's still managed to get drunk. Why is he not surprised?]

We should get going.

[If they want to make it back to the resort sometime tonight, that is. Boone is still pretty intent on walking it. He pushes off from the wall, sways, then starts off in the direction he came. Whether Niko follows or not is up to him.]

[vengeance_driven]

[It so happens that Niko is the toughest giant jackass duckling, and when Boone starts to waddle off Niko just goes peeping right after him (without peeping, of course).]

Good idea. [He says at his back. This is a very long way to walk. He has to remember he can't just take one of these cars. He'll get in big trouble. He's not here for big trouble. Not this time.]

Why do you have a bear skull and rifles on your hat?

[One day he'll remember it's a beret. Hat is easier.]

[thumbsdown]

[Having to avoid the road is still an entirely new experience for Boone. When there's a lull in the traffic, he almost forgets that more cars are going to come and a couple of times he nearly steps into the road just out of habit. He ends up walking on the side of the pavement furthest from the road, just to make sure he stops doing it.]

It's First Recon's insig... nnn. Symbol.

[He's slurring way too much to say the word he wanted. Niko isn't the only one losing his English.]

This is a First Recon beret, so that's why it's got the patch.

[vengeance_driven]

Are you a sniper? Those were sniper rifles. I bet you're a sniper. Because you're not a bear.

[His voice modulation changes comically between the sentences, as if he's really thinking this thing out.] I had a beret too! But it was green. And I kept it tucked into my belt because I kept losing it.

I don't have it anymore. That was a stupid war. [He waves it off dismissively.]

[thumbsdown]

Yeah, I'm a sniper.

[That might've been more obvious if he'd bought his rifle out with him, but all he has on him is Maria right now.]

I'm not with First Recon anymore, though. I just... like keeping the beret with me.

[vengeance_driven]

It's a nice hat. [Oh jesus there went his balance. He swears that there's not just the usual distortion to his vision but a blur of color that's unfamiliar to him as he grabs the nearest wall and goes tottering down onto his knees.]

[Hello, ground. How are you today!?]

[A blink, a grunt, and he's trying to stand up again. He's honestly thinking that Boone had to shoot bears right now. He's not in the best state of mind. But at least he figured out he was a sniper.]

[thumbsdown]

[He's about to say thanks (well, it is a nice hat), but then Niko disappears and he turns back around to see him on his knees by a wall.

He's not exactly steady himself right now, so it's probably stupid of him to hold a hand out to help Niko back up. He does it, though.]

[vengeance_driven]

I'm heavier than I look. [He warns, before he takes Boone's hand and starts to tug. This probably won't end well, considering that neither one of them have the most remarkable balance right now. Niko can fight like hell, but he's never been the image of poise.]

[thumbsdown]

[It doesn't end well- Boone is strong enough to pull him up, but not steady enough to keep himself upright. He ends up on the floor beside Niko, looking vaguely confused as to how he got there.

He can't really bring himself to stand upright again. He ends up shifting over to the wall and just leaning against it, staring ahead and lazily following the cars that go past with his eyes.]

Didn't work like I thought it would.

[Obviously.]

[vengeance_driven]

I appreciate the effort. [He temporarily shifts into a cross-legged position, figuring out which end is up.]

Okay. Maybe instead of the resort, we get food. And when we can walk again, we make the bigger walk.

Because I think we spend most of the way on our hands and knees. Better with food on our bellies? Ah? Is very dark, why do you still have glasses on? [He vaguely guesses that's not helping.]

[thumbsdown]

[He tilts his head a little, watching another car float by.]

I guess it couldn't hurt.

[When Niko mentions his sunglasses, he reaches up to fix them where they'd gone a little wonky in his fall.]

Just used to wearing them, I guess.

[He's more likely to take them off than his beret, but he still likes keeping them on.

Even at night. Even indoors.]

[vengeance_driven]

[Okay. Okay, they can do this.]

Alright. Up we go. [He grabs the wall and starts to pull himself up, using it to brace him as he takes Boone under the arm to help him up, too. Teamwork. Sort of. Maybe.]

[thumbsdown]

[With Niko's help, he manages to get back to his feet. He wobbles a little at first, but leans against the wall until he feels like he can walk again.]

Thanks.

[And now he'll do his best to not fall down again.]

[vengeance_driven]

See? Now we have a good [he grunts as he moves along, too, keeping his hand near the wall] plan [he finishes.]

[He doesn't think he'll make it all the way to the diner at this rate, though. Maybe some other hole. Some of these places are open late- there's lots of nocturnal types around and not all of them must eat squibbly mollusk or whatever.]

[thumbsdown]

[Boone is happy enough to follow Niko for now, and not really all that fussed about what he eats. He'll usually eat most things anyway, but he cares even less when he's drunk.]

Think there's anywhere close by?

[Everything looks different when it's dark and you're walking the other way. He thinks he knows the way back to the resort, but he can't remember if he saw anywhere that sells food on his way down here.]

[vengeance_driven]

I am from a place with more open air carts. Damn.

I think I know a place, though.

[Not one they'd go out of their way to get to, but you can get a shitty sandwich there. He reaches out when he's uncertain if Boone has his balance (despite the risk of it resulting in the same thing as before still being present) but at least makes it some dimly lit... seeaaafood? Seafood restaurant at the end of the block. It smells like fish. He hopes it's fish. And, you know, not alien vaginas on bread.]

[thumbsdown]

[A couple of times he veers off in one direction, and has to steady himself. He shrugs off Niko's attempts to help him this time, because he still would like to manage the trip by himself for the most part. The smell of seafood has him pulling a face, though. It's not a familiar smell. It's kind of making him feel nauseous, actually. He stops and looks around uneasily, half hoping to spot something else before they have to go in there.]

[vengeance_driven]

[Leave it to Niko to find the one thing that Boone can't eat. Squirrel? Sure. Giant big horned mutants! Absolutely. Radiation corrupted insects? Yum. Fish? What the hell is that.]

Whass wrong? [He slurs at Boone's expression.] Are you going to be sick?

This time, I do not think it is bad to be sick.

[He's still really not sure whatever he put in his stomach is capable of being ingested by humans as it is.]

[thumbsdown]

[He just shakes his head and starts going back the other way. His initial thoughts had been that he didn't know what that smell was, but now he thinks it's vaguely familiar. Lakelurk? Yeah, it smells sort of like that. He doesn't want anything to do with that smell right now.]

Isn't there anywhere else?

[He stands stiffly with his arms crossed, still looking around them.]