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.
[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?)]
[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.]
[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.
[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?
[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.]
[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.]
[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.]
[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.]
Yeah... didn't think it was gonna be, uh. ...Yeah.
[He can't think of the right words to describe anything right now. It's hard enough just focusing on Niko. He rubs his forehead and leans against the bar.]
Are there caves here? I wasn't aware of caves in the vicinity. [Yes you were, Bertie.] I should ankle over some afternoon and cast my glance over them, if only to say I have done so. [You already did, Bertie.]
Wait...[A penny drops. It echoes in Bertie's empty head.] ...Wooster did you say?
That was so thick you could put it on pancakes. And then maybe die of alcohol poisoning. [Are there cabs in space? He hopes so. He needs one to get home. And he knows in a small town it's harder to get away with a floaty-car jacking. Can't do that.]
[Alright, he finds his footing and footing and rises. Seems surprised when Boone isn't immediately ahead of him? No wait. Red thing. Red thing and OH HE'S DOWN THERE! He just had to look down a little. That's a relief. He thought he lost him there for a minute.]
Maybe from now I stick with vodka. [He feels embarrassed this happened to him on less than half a bottle. Paying! Yes. He was going to do that.]
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.]
[Boone had actually been planning on walking home. He's not used to cars that actually move, let alone without wheels. And... he's walked in worse condition. Still. A taxi would be smart.
He blinks up at Niko when he seems to lose him and then find him again. Jeez, he's pretty tall.]
Yeah... at least with whiskey I know when to stop.
[He's already paid for his drink, but he's busy trying to plan his path out the door mentally so that he doesn't knock anyone else over. And... well, it doesn't feel right to knock the guy to the floor and then just leave.]
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.]
You have a skull and crossed rifles on your hat. [He squints at Boone's beret, because that's not a people skull. He's not sure what that skull is. But he's staring pretty hard, and he gives up finally.]
Okay, okay. How about this, friend. We can go half and half on a cab. Because it is a very long way from here to there, and I am sure with how well I remember directions right now? It could be longer.
[Oh wait, he offers his hand. He better remember not to shake too hard.] My name is Niko. Niko Bellic.
Nah. Just don't like the taste. And, honestly? [Sibyll drops her voice a little and leans in closer to Niko.]
Don't quite trust the look of that guy. Or the stuff he serves. But maybe I'm not the best judge. You're the one who's brave enough to order... whatever that is.
[She glances over at his drink, looking a little concerned, as if she's worried it might start eating through the glass.]
[Unless he was trying to read the slogan underneath? He could have been staring at it for either reason. He seems apprehensive at the idea of a taxi, though. Roads are suddenly dangerous, and that's something he's still trying to remember, amongst other things. He's never been inside a car, and the idea of it isn't entirely appealing. They go pretty fast... the idea of doing anything fast right now makes him want to lie down where he is until he isn't so damn drunk anymore.
He decides to ignore that offer for a moment so he can think on it, taking the hand offered and shaking it. His grip tightens a little as he sways, but otherwise he lets go pretty quickly.]
Heeey. It is good to meet you, Boone. [That is not much name for not much man. Not that he doesn't look like he can't take care of himself. He's sort of the human version of an abridged novel with all the unnecessary flowery bits taken out. It's enough that it stands out when you're drunk.]
[Thankfully Niko is not so drunk that he would proudly announce, "You are a tiny person with a tiny name!" No. That's a bad idea.]
You're not from around here too, huh? [He's going to make his way to the door now. Carefully. Totally got this.]
Eh, he's alright. [Niko just blandly gestures at the dog person.] As long as he is not like dogs that I know and slobbers in my drink? We can all be friends here.
[But damn, whatever he just drank made him jostle his head.]
So, if you are not here for drinks, and not here for furry bartender, what are you here for. [Then he blinks hard, reviewing that in his head. Did he get that right? That sounded mostly right. Yes, yes he must have gotten it right.]
[Boone wouldn't have really appreciated that observation, no. He waits until Niko is at a distance where they're not likely to trip over each other, and follows.]
No. This place is... a lot different to what I'm used to.
[Right down to the alcohol. He's going to regret this tomorrow, he's sure of it.]
[Her eyes shift away from the drunk to glance out at the clusters of people.]
Curiosity. Needed a break from my life for a while, heard about this place and decided to check it out. It's not like anywhere else I've ever been before. Maybe even cause a little trouble.
[She turns back to Niko and gives him a little wink.]
Is much different, and is much the same for me. Has assholes that are important and talk about war and not fighting in it. Has women that do things for money, except some are green and do funny things to your head if you stand too close- [He taps his temple.]
But still there is some okay people here. Probably not the guy in the picture on the dart board, but, you know. Universe is full of assholes, and universe has people that help you deal with them.
[That's probably about as optimistic as Niko's going to get.]
[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.]
[She winked. Is she hitting on him? Is she wanting to hire him? Is she doing both? He is not that type of man! No wait, don't say that. He kind of is that type of man. But that's probably not what's happening here.]
If you're looking for some, you have come to the right place. [He motions around to the people around him, most of them obvious vagabonds and scoundrels and a couple of people that are wealthy as hell.]
[He's really no different. Sure, he might be trying to keep his nose clean but he knows plenty of people that aren't. She doesn't look like a cop. He's pretty sure she's not. Not with that smile. Which looks a little like she could eat someone's face (Niko needs to stop being a hypocrite about smiles and many other things).]
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