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]

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.]

[vengeance_driven]

Are you allergic to fish? [Not that it's a terrible thing, but-] Let us keep looking then, ah? We find something to cover this shit up.

[thumbsdown]

[Is he? He doesn't know, he's never eaten a fish.]

No... it's the smell. Can't really handle it right now.

[As embarrassing as it is to admit it- but keeping quiet about it would likely end with him throwing up and feeling even worse about it, so it's probably better this way.]

[vengeance_driven]

Good point. [He pats Boone's shoulder lightly, so he doesn't knock either of them over.] Better food for us. [But there's a street crossing. Good luck to them all.]

[As he starts to cross, he holds up his hands to the car that stops at the intersection.]

[thumbsdown]

[Boone doesn't cross until Niko is halfway across the street. And when he does cross, he hurries. He doesn't trust that car, and he doesn't trust these roads. He's seen how fast those cars can go. He wouldn't want to be in the way of one.]

Think I'll miss the roads back home.

[You never had to worry about being run down by anything.]

[vengeance_driven]

[Once they're safely across (and probably entertainment for the person in the car) Niko goes after him.]

I guess with big war, no cars, ah? Is too bad. I like cars. I used to drive them for people. [And steal them for money. But he's pretty good at keeping his mouth shut while he's drunk and not talking about what he was.]

But this makes intersections hard. Wait. I think I smell something like Italian. I hope that's pizza. [And not tricky alien food.]

[thumbsdown]

All the cars on the roads have been there a while. They're all burned out. Some of them still have skeletons inside. Wondered a couple of times who they were, where they were headed when the bombs fell.

[He does the same in houses sometimes, too. Not always, but... sometimes.]

So long as it doesn't smell like Lakelurk, I think I can handle it.

[He's heard of a pizza, he's just... never had one.]

[vengeance_driven]

[Good, pizza. He knows he can stomach pizza, even if it's just an easy one topping thing. He squints a little.] What is a Lakelurk?

[But he makes it in the door, and even with an obvious side-eye for being a drunken wretch he makes himself comfortable at a booth. Just going to wait on some service here with his head in his hands. Jesus. They need water. Tea. Coffee. Something.]

Are you a tea person or a coffee person?

[thumbsdown]

It's... uh. This big green, slimy thing. With scales and claws. When they're not in the water they sort of... scream at you. It hurts.

[He doesn't know how to explain it properly. All he knows is he doesn't like them. He sits opposite Niko and shrugs a little.]

Think I'd rather have water.

[He's never had coffee. Or tea. When he's thirsty and alcohol isn't an option, he either goes for water or Nuka Cola.]

[vengeance_driven]

[His conclusion thus far is that Boone has the gentlest stomach in the world, and also might be a bear sniper.] Alright. Most places bring you water anyway. Maybe here is the same.

[And the waitress does. The four-armed waitress. Huh. He has to squint to be sure that's actually happening before he takes one glance at the menu and knows what he wants.]

Large pepperoni and sausage pizza. Lots of cheese.

[thumbsdown]

[Well, it's handling alien booze about as well as it can. It's just going to handle it a lot better with no cars or fish or coffee. And probably other things. He takes the water from the waitress and tries not to stare at her four arms, focusing very intently on the water. He has no idea what he wants.]