August Test Drive Meme!

[reddosmod]

AUGUST 2022 TDM

Another month, another test drive meme! Our test drive memes are open to anyone interested - regardless of whether or not you join our game!

All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.

Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.

Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.

If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Hands making a fish net]
[Image Two: A Skyrim Mudcrab staring menacingly]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Dingy, empty and creepy old backroom]
[Image Two: Cryptic, Creepy words scribbled on yellow wallpaper]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Skull on top of book]
[Image Two: Book with pages shaped like a whirlpool]

[NAVIGATION]

TDM Questions • Reserves • Taken • Applications • Full Navigation

[Jump to Comments]

STANDARD ARRIVAL

WHEN: First Week of September
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: Monstrous Crabs, Environmental Threat

---

Normally, the people of Trench would say that September is a fortunate time for sleepers to arrive at it's shores. However, the aftermath of the violent and inconsistent storms in the last month continue to batter the city. The waters are choppy, though they are beginning to calm. The swim is difficult and unsafe, waves threatening to crash unwitting squids into the rocks. It is unlikely to be fatal, but many arrive battered and bruised, gasping as they awaken from their squid form.

Hopefully, you've found something to wear, either in your Welcoming Bag or otherwise, and can start familiarizing yourself with your surroundings. Maybe you help some other squids out on the beach. Waking up sucks! You feel for the little guys. And hey, maybe you're hoping one of those squids is a good friend...Stranger things have happened.

SEASONAL DETAILS ON THE BOARDWALK
With theme music! The weather is awful, and so the mood of the beach is a bit more subdued than on other occasions. Food is hearty and dry, easily packaged in oilcloth, and containing mostly hard tack, mushrooms and dried, cured fish. Bottles of water are included with the food, enough to ensure that the sleepers are well fed, and enough packets are offered for a few days in case they need them, but they are certainly not the most flavorful or exotic, reflecting much more the day to day food of Trench.

The people leading the waking are gathered and huddled around makeshift structures and lean-tos to deal with the awful weather along the coast during this period. Sleepers are brought here, to fires to warm. Among those who are present are the fishermen and women who work at the docks. They, along with several of the Architects from in town, have set up booths. Though they do not demand it of anyone, they politely hint that in the season of change, it is good to learn new trades and to find a place in this strange world the sleepers have been brought to. As part of this, they are willing to offer a chance for the sleepers to help craft fishing nets and other gear for those who will brave the waters to bring back food in the season.

The task is arduous and taxing, but it is not without reward. To those who choose to participate, one of the fishermen will approach them and wordlessly drop a waterlogged box into their lap. It looks dilapidated and in poor condition, but they will say nothing more, staring off into the sea from which it was dredged. When the sleeper opens it, they will find that there is one additional item within the box, which might have been included in their welcome bag normally. If pressed, the fisherman will only say that they found it dredged up along the shores in the midst of their work.

For those who brave the coasts or the waters, there is an increased threat of monstrous presence, though nothing compared to the prior month. Poisonous crabs lurk along the edges of the waterways. Much larger versions of small crabs known to live in caves along the shore, these beastly adult versions stand about three feet tall, and have particularly strong pincers which secrete a hallucinogenic venom. Victims of it are prone to paranoid delusions of danger around every corner, and known for mistaking those around them as threats. The crabs are themselves carnivorous to boot, so they are certainly a threat on their own, though they are very much killable, and supposedly very good eating. Bring in some crab meat, and it should be good to trade for additional food and supplies this month, if you dare! As with their lesser cousins, the venom of these crabs is particularly dangerous to the psychically sensitive, Palebloods and Darkbloods.

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

LOST BETWEEN STEPS

WHEN: August 31st-September 29, January 2, February 4, March 6, April 8, June 10, July 12, October 20, November 1, December 24
WHERE: Somewhere, you're not certain where
CONTENT WARNINGS: Labyrinth, Liminal Horror, Severe Disorientation, Autophobia, Monster Horror, Fear of Falling

---

You just took one step back. That's all. A step backwards while you weren't paying attention, and the sensation of falling assailed you. With a grunt, you found yourelf landing hard, but not hard enough to actually break or turn anything. Around you is a carpeted space. There are old, stained wallpaper walls on every side, set up in variable sized cubicle spaces that look like they should be occupied by an office of some sort. Everything smells like mold, stale and sharp. The carpet is a little bit moist and the wallpapers all seem to be hiding hints of mildew. It feels familiar, but even if you have been in this "place" before it is not quite the same. The wallpaper shades are not exactly right. It always feels like you should know it, but you cannot quite place it.

You are not alone in this place. Another seems to have fallen in this place, thank god because the muffled sounds of these halls are already getting oppressive. The electric hum of fluorescent are buzzing in your ears like a plague of locusts and you can practically feel the migraine coming from the unremitting light, but you dare not take shelter to let your eyes rest in the gaps in the lighting. It feels like there is something there. You should probably be leaving, though that's where the problem really begins. No method seems to clearly work. There are no identifiable features to pick out. After several turns, you might find yourself facing impossibly thin hallways or a dead end. Attempts to keep track of your passage with writing, torn wallpaper and balls of twine fail, as it becomes increasingly and inconsistently disorientating, inevitably causing the lead to be lost, or worse? It might seem to be going the wrong direction. Did someone move it? Magic compasses, even those given by the Pthumerians do not work in this "place" This should not be possible, but it is true.

An hour in, because it always takes longer than that, or does it? Time can be hard to keep track of and omnis don't tell time properly here. Whatever, an hour in, and the need to get out of this place will be getting to those trapped within. They do not belong here, and must escape. The harder you run, the more that the dank odor gets under the skin, worsening even if you should not be able to smell it. Occasional items can be found, but all are useless. If you are fortunate, perhaps you will eventually find a hole in the floor. But, looking down it, you cannot see the bottom. Do you dare leap down, not knowing the end? If you do, the passage seems to go far too long to be healthy. The rush of air and the feel of fraying wallpaper comes until you find yourself deposited on the ground of Trench, in front of the statue of the Tower, or in front of the gates of Gaze.

The less fortunate may finally find writing on the walls. Someone else has been in this place. But, as the cryptic words proclaim the need to S̵̨̡̟̗̰̝͚̲̦̗͔̥̞̈͂̆̿̐́̅̓͐͝T̸̠̥̰̭͎͙̮̬͋̀͛̓̽̚Ā̷̧̮̣̪̤̠̫̤͔̩̥̾̊̍̊̀̇͋̍̚͜͝͝Y̶͓̟̍̆̍ ̴̭̲̀͘͝S̵̨͖̩̻̰͇͎̠̻͚͓̱͇̭͖͒̋͆̀͐͋̾̆͝͝T̴̮̹̫̞̘̈́̏̐̒̋̎͛̂̽̅Ĩ̵͙̖̟̥̤̲̆̈́́͘ͅͅL̵͖̣̫̙̹̊͜L̷̫̠̒̽͌͘͠. A ghastly sound erupts from behind you, complete with unnatural, horrid breathing. Steps come towards you unnaturally fast. If you move, look to turn, there is a vision of something black moving into your field of vision, just before a bone-crushing force claims life and in the next moment you wake, screaming at the feet of the gates to Gaze, or the Tower's statue. Remain absolutely still, and the puff of a breath, the smell of cow hair and breath grazes over the shoulder before eventually storming away behind, until the sound is gone, and the unlucky are left to continue searching until they find a hole leading out.


NOTES:
1. Any step backwards can cause someone to end up between places, participating in this event. Exiting requires either falling through one of the holes in the floor or being killed by the unnamed creatures residing between spaces.
2. If a character dies in this event, they do not undergo normal death effects. They awaken in one of the locations indicated, gasping for breath. While harrowing, and possibly a source of nightmares for the next few days, not to mention chills for an hour or two, there is no further apparent harm.
3. It is possible to encounter this prompt throughout the year. At one random, unpredictable day each month (listed above), the space between spaces is accessible. A person could theoretically fall in on that day, following the rules as above.
4. Mapping the space between spaces is difficult, but not impossible. Perhaps there are other locations within the labyrinthian mass, but for now at least they are not findable.
5. If the natives are asked about this place, they will make a warding sign and refuse to speak of them. At most, they will say something about the "veins of the tower."

[JUMP TO TOP] • [JUMP TO COMMENTS]

ABSOLUTE IMMERSION

WHEN: Last Week of August through all of September
WHERE: Gaze, and somewhere else
CONTENT WARNINGS: Possible Life-threatening experiences, Distorted Realities, Fourth Walling, Content Depending upon the Canon Referenced

---

As the month of September approaches, and Mariana shows signs of having cooled in her wrath, the people of Trench begin to relax once again. Hoping to keep level heads and to promote learning, the Arcane Scholars of Gaze have opened the private stores of more rare texts from the Archaic Archives. Trundling carts of books are being brought out by roped and masked individuals who kindly offer one to anyone who wishes to partake. They limit each guest to three, though they seem happy to trade a book for a book, so it's always possible to get more. They ask only that the books be returned by the end of the month for cleaning and maintenance. Whispers among the Disciples still with ruffled feathers at Mariana's wrath are that this is Never Mind's way of reasserting himself after strange magical books have been found around town. No Arcane Scholar will acknowledge such gossip, however.

The books seem harmless enough. What is wrong with a little light reading? The fiction within is quite enthralling, though after a page or two, a creepy familiarity to the book's contents comes to whoever reads. There is a sense of deja vu, and only when it is too late do they realize that it feels like they are reading the memories and recollections of someone else, perhaps someone that they know! In that moment, they will feel an inexorable pull as the book seems to literally suck them into it, along with anyone unlucky enough to be next to them!

Those who read these magical books will find themselves trapped in an event within another canon reality. The intent, of course, is to broaden their horizons and experiences, to teach moral lessons through new memories, but as always Never Mind seems not to understand the possible perils. The scenario that they find themselves in, which may be of any canon, is always one of immediate and very real peril, a time in which the character's life is put into immediate and very real peril. They have to prevail or flee successfully to escape the chapter and end the book, though for their troubles it is quite possible that they might bring something back with them. Hopefully it's nothing dangerous!

NOTES:
1. Any Canon may be used, including canons not present in the game. Players are encouraged to use their imaginations, though it is worth being aware that the entirety of the Cthuluh Mythos may be found among these collections, should one wish to utilize these books.
2. There is an actual physical threat that is present in whatever scene is viewed. If it is necessary, a threat is fabricated from the fringes of the memory, even if this changes the canonical scene. It is a real threat and can cause death or harm. However, these threats are killable through all normal fashions, and can be escaped by clever captives. Once escaped or defeated, the sleeper is deposited out of the book.
3. The books are absolutely indestructible, and even if the sleeper does not return them, ravens will break into their home (ruining a window and making a mess) to retrieve all books by the end of September. Multiple books can be enjoyed throughout the month.
4. Items retrieved may be anything from any canon which does not count as a significant power acquisition. Weapons can be brought, though they will be mundane once they emerge in Trench. Players are limited to retrieving one item from another canon per character during the month.

[JUMP TO TOP]

CODING

Comments

robby keene ; cobra kai ; warmblood+cloverfield

[strongroots]

[ Quick info: 17 year old normal human kid who knows karate, will get defensive if he feels threatened, but will otherwise be willing to listen to others if they seem alright. Has a foggy memory on first day (sept 2) but will know his own name and regain memories in time. I have a little more info here under basics, but be warned for light Cobra Kai spoilers!

new to deer so apologise if i'm being too vague. ;; ]

1. arrival, farther shore - sept 2 ( cw: arrival nudity, battering )

It's not smooth sailing, but this squid finds that more familiar than the serene: to have some goal, a want ahead, but needing to struggle to get even close to obtaining it. The lashing of the waves throw him like the rest, and he worries about them; but what builds stronger is the fear of losing, of being pulled away from that Being promised.

(This seems familiar, too, how too easily is it to lose everything, despite never having in the first place.)

He turns out to be one of the lucky ones. But the struggle doesn't stop, isn't over; and he can be found still a squid, needing help to change.

Or he can be found changed, a body bruised, and having difficulty getting the use of his feet. Who he is, he remembers a name - but his memories are on the slower side to return, and with them his mobility.

2. boardwalk, food - sept 2

He's watching everything, without making it too obvious. A kid that knows to keep his head down, don't make a scene, you know how to hide-- at least there's other Sleepers than just him trying to get their bearings, understand where it is they are despite their desire to be here. Though, they might have better clothes than the welcoming robes. Someone didn't find any personal belongings.

He does have one of the oilcloths of food on his lap when he settles, though. Everything from the wrapping, to the food - there's a furrow to Robby's brow, confused about what he's looking at, none of it familiar initially. You might catch him with this look, get some humour from it or see it as disapproval.

But if he isn't interrupted (or even if he is), he does try it. Dry foods, that he knows about, and the dried tack is recognisable on his tongue. The smell of the fish makes him realise what that is too, and he can down it, even if its salty in his mouth.

Those mushrooms, though-

"Want it?"

He'll offer them up on the cloth to a person next to him. ... Or you can catch his real look of disgust trying to eat one.

( He's definitely going to spit it out into his hand. )

3. around trench ??? location unknown, wandering - sept 2, probably onward

He doesn't stick around. He doesn't ask the questions he probably should, the ones in his head (where should I go, where can I go, what do I do next) and goes out to find them for himself.

Or, so he hopes he would. But none of these streets, the businesses or the people give bring him any comfort of him figuring out where to go, or what it is he's supposed to be doing. Lost, Robby knows what it's like to be lost, but even he knows he's missing something, like an understanding of how this place works.

He's probably not so out of place to draw attention to himself, but he's recognisable enough as a new Sleeper in his robe, his bare feet, and the lost look he can't really hide well anymore. Businesses are what draw his eyes longer, just to see what there is, a browser than a potential customer. Has he ended up at your store, your booth? If there's anywhere with what resembles clothes that aren't flowing skirts, he'll definitely be circling back there.

( While being very aware he's got no money, and less aware of the bartering system that actually exists. )

b. later

What Robby does get, is lost. Even more lost than a guy who didn't know where he was, wandering, ending up through Cellar Door, Prufrock - maybe beyond. It gets late, and he's getting antsy, suspicious, his footsteps hurrying wherever it, there, this is. Searching for a somewhere, and cursing himself for how dark it's gotten, if there'll be anyone there.

It could be a simple bump-in, Robby not watching where he's going; and he stops and gives a sharp, taunting, "What?" without clearly seeing who he's speaking to. Or the same could be if someone thinks to touch him, a step skipped back, a defensive hold in his shoulders.

( ooc: kind of vague prompts but i'd love to get to know what businesses are around, the training schools Robby can stumble on. i'd also be up for him landing in some trouble he can be helped with once it's get last with beasts, etc! or just someone helping a very lost kid out. )

4. boardwalk; fishing nets - sept 3 (and onwards??)

Whatever he goes through his first day, Robby ends up back on the boardwalk, to where the fishing gear is being made, sorted, readied for making catches to supply people for the season. He'd heard about it the other day but hadn't joined in, too disjointed from the tasks to think he had any place with it.

But it's something. A job his hands aren't used to, but Robby's willing, and it's the first thing he's had to focus on since he's been here. Threading the fishing needle is the easier part, and it's what he's given first to do. Then he needs to pass them onto the people doing the threading, which he'll look for, watching the job to try and digest the process. Or so he'll want to, but maybe it's your character he's watching, and they're not keen on him doing so. But he at least tries to not be weird about it, asking, "Mind?" with a nod to their establishing net.

Mind if I watch?

From some point after, he'll have to help with the crafting more intimately, taking all day. He has troubles at the start, but once he gets the hang of it, Robby is determined, quiet in job - proud looking when it manages his first net, and then another after (which are still hours apart).

You can approach him, or if you've been another working on them as he has, Robby might venture to be sociable, ask, "Getting the hang of it?"

3. Around Trench CW: Another boy hugging Robby's dad.

[strikefirster]

[At one point Robby will come across a building that has very large abandoned warehouse vibes. Except there's a large sign that used to say "Cobra Kai." except that there's large red paint over it at the moment that reads "Rebranding!" The building obviously isn't actually abandoned as there are a few Trenchie's coming and going from the building, some in black gi's. There's also a black 2009 challenger that he's probably seen once or twice off to the side. The cobra kai logo still on it's hood.

The front door to the dojo opens up and Johnny steps out with another boy around Robby's age. the two exchange a few words that Robby wont be able to make out before they share a smile and hug. It only lasts for a second before they part ways. Johnny doesn't even see Robby in the distance and walks off toward the challenger.

Clearly. This is Father of Year Material.]

where's paul, robby just wants to talk

[strongroots]

[ Robby almost misses the name, the warehouse walls like no others, and a sign or branding doesn't always seem to mean much in this side of town. But it's a glance that makes his feet stop, and a lingering read stirring up a few different feelings. Kreese, Silver, and Kenny, the methods he doesn't want to go back to. Tory, and that's a conversation he needs to have - but did he ever have it? Is he forgetting anything? --This isn't what he was expecting to walk into.

He doesn't have time to acknowledge anything else around before a far more familiar sight is coming out. Blond hair, worn, even from this distance; confusion creeps with some worry about what his dad's gotten himself into, until he spots the one he's left the building with.

It's out of habit that he takes a step back, finding the fence to take some cover by. Watching, knowing he's been here before - his dad with other guys, comfortable, happy. And he knows too that there's an answer in the form of his dad about this place, heading now for the car, and that other guy-- whatever, he doesn't matter.

Something like pettiness makes him turn back, and he'll keep his head down, and has him decide to avoid this part of town like the plague. He'll get his shit together first, and then deal with his dad.

(Because one hug doesn't change everything over night.) ]

CW: Drinking and driving???????

[strikefirster]

[Johnny doesn't realize who just witnessed that and what it could unleash. He's had a good thing going in Trench since he got here. There are kids he cares about. People that he doesn't want to let down. People that he wants to be better for.

He sits down in the Challenger and cracks open a can of Coors Banquet. Today was a good day and he felt like his students were really shaping up to be something. He takes his time nursing the drink celebration before he starts up the car.

He pulls out of the dojo and takes to the street for a little joy ride. As he finishes up the can he'll open up the window and toss it out before speeding off into the town.

The can lands at Robby's feet and Johnny doesn't even catch him in his rearview mirror.]

( 3b )

[cryptograms]

Ford is an easy person to bump into, mostly because he's not paying attention to where he's going. He hurries down the side streets and alleyways of Prufrock, gaze focused not on the road itself but instead on the trail of a particularly interesting critter he spotted earlier.

A trail he is, unfortunately, pretty sure he's already lost. But that just means he'll need to redouble his efforts to find it! So of course, he rounds the next corner fast enough and carelessly enough to bump right into Robby. He stumbles back a few steps, too startled to catch the unpleasantness of Robby's tone. Ford looks up and, seeing that it's just a teenager he's bumped into, gives him a bright if distracted smile.

"Sorry about that. Didn't see you there."

Obviously, but Ford has already forgotten about the apology. He has a much more pressing question to ask.

"Did you see a shark with legs run past here, by any chance?"

[strongroots]

He's got eyes on the man, the tension in the line of his shoulders not easing, caution in how to read this old man's apology and friendliness. There's nothing outwardly off about him - actually, he looks like he could be someone's eccentric granddad - but Robby knows that doesn't always mean much.

But if Robby was worried about something being off about him, it's not what he does hear that he was suspecting. His brows raise, crinkle.

"Are you high?"

If he is high, sticking around is never a good idea, but that question, those words. What. What?

[cryptograms]

Robby's question gets a blink from Ford, but after a moment he simply waves a dismissive (six-fingered) hand at the question.

"No, no, I know they're usually seasonal but I'm certain I saw one."

He's not clued in enough to realize Robby might be asking for reasons other than seasonal inconsistencies. Instead he reaches into an inner coat pocket and withdraws a thick, leather bound journal. He's certain he's got a specimen sketch in here somewhere...

"The smell is unmistakable, for one." And pause, and then: "Though I suppose that means I've probably lost the trail already..."

2

[faceblocks]

[vi knows that look. sure, the dried mushrooms aren't her favorite, but she's had worse, and she's also had: nothing. so it's hard not to laugh just a little at the face the new sleeper makes before he spits it into his hand.]

I'll trade you the rest of my dried fish for that.

[yes, she nods at what he's just spit into his hand. and she'll totally part with the fish, because she's holding a moderate sized container of cooked crabmeat in the other hand. it might smell delicious. angry, giant venomous crabs are fucking tasty.]

[strongroots]

[ Luckily, he isn't offering the remnants of chewed mushroom in the trade, but her offer - that would get a surprised brow (clearly, one is worth more than the other), if it wasn't for the other food on her. It 'might' smell delicious - it does, but he'll hold out the clothed mushrooms to the other, give an actual appreciative: ]

Thanks. [ Eyes flicker onto the container, then back to her. ] They handing that out somewhere?

[ Because she probably didn't go out and get some herself, right. ]

[faceblocks]

[she takes the mushrooms - pockets them maybe for her omen, or for the rats she sometimes feeds, and maybe even for herself. she's not even mushroom averse (sansa can do a lot with mushrooms. they're great in pies. and in noodles. vi has recently learned to fry them: that's where it's at!) but the dried ones? on their own? kind of a bummer if she has a choice of other things.]

Sure. [and she will point. to the water, because yes, she absolutely has fought those crabs.] They're not real happy about handing it over, but you just have to know how to hit 'em.

[vi shrugs, looks back to his handful of tack, those telltale robes and slides her food in his direction.] Go on, it's cool. I can always cook up some more. [sansa's direwolf has been hunting so many crabs. vi has been trading the crabs she's killed on her own. oh. there's no silverware. sorry.]

1

[tealeafs]

Even though it's a little dangerous to go out towards the shore, with how rough the water seems and with the rumours about monster crabs going around, Chizuru still can't help but gravitate towards the place where the water meets the sand. Mostly because she's worried about all the new people who are arriving under these conditions. The girl was truly hoping that things would get better at this point, but.. it seems that the sea needs yet another moment to return to normal, to the detriment of everyone who has to arrive in this place through the rough waters.

Sure, there's the possibility that someone she knows could be among the squids. Chizuru is aware of that, and even more painfully aware of just how much she misses everyone from back home.

But.. it's mostly just that she wants to make sure anyone is okay. Any of these squids, regardless of whether she knows them or not.

So when she spots one lying there by itself in the sand, Chizuru is quick to kneel down next to it. Maybe she might have been a little embarrassed about maybe mistaking a regular squid for one of them under other circumstances, but with how worried she is about the condition of these squids, she throws that idea of embarrassment aside.

"Um.."

Instead she speaks up. Her voice is soft and gentle, but it sounds like she's trying to guide the squid's mind towards consciousness. Towards a realisation of what it really is.

"It's alright now. You're out of those rough waters.. You should wake up."

cw: nudity...words

[strongroots]

Gentle. He recognises the way it flows in the voice better than the words like a comfort. The kind that you want, the sort you could hope for - or what you might start to, once your consciousness becomes more than a need to reach 'somewhere'.

There might've been someone like that once. A comforting and gentle voice; or a desire for such, like the presence he realises that's with him now, different from the others that drifted to the shores. Like the promise of something better in being that guided them. And what did it mean to be? This? To have sound, to make -- to be.

He's out now: he should wake up. The squid squirms under Chizuru's shadow, the woman larger than what could be just a sea creature. But this sea creature, it recalls: drowning in emotion, the imprint of an embrace and an unfamiliar warmth; skin torn and limbs bruised, a radiating heat of pain that runs down his frame more than the hurt that starts to register now.

Tentacles coil up, and snap out at the sides outstretched - and Chizuru might want to watch out as the body of the squid twists in upon itself, disintegrates, and morphs with an arm and a fist swinging upward as the nude body of a young man rolls himself onto his side with a bark for a yell.

It'll save the sight of a full-frontal, but is there a chance he just accidentally smacked her in the face??? Maybe. Very likely unintentional, when the guy's forehead is bowed against the sand, red marks across the exposed skin from the rough journey to shore.

more like cw an innocent girl getting smacked in the FACE

[tealeafs]

Chizuru probably should have seen this coming. It's not even like this is the first time she's witnessed a squid returning to personhood, after all, and she knows that it's often not an easy change.

On the other hand, this is the first time an arm has lashed out at her like this, even though she knows it's accidental. But it's just sudden and surprising enough that she doesn't quite manage to dodge in time, instead feeling the fist very much connecting with her cheek before it moves on, before landing in the sand.

Her cheek glows in a way that feels hot, skin turning red like the sign of an oncoming bruise about to set in right there on her face. Chizuru doesn't pay it any mind though, ignoring the way her cheek stings to focus on the body in the sand, looking much worse for the wear. (The sting starts to soothe already, after all, Chizuru's inhuman body busy working on knitting itself together, even the very redness itself on her cheek starting to fade before the boy in the sand regains full control of his thoughts.)

The only thing that changes is that Chizuru - this time - makes sure to try and stay out of accidental swinging reach.

"Are you okay?" She asks, almost a squeak in worry. This boy's awakening seems especially intense, after all, and worry takes precedence even over worrying about his current state of undress.

Though she does realise that his thoughts probably aren't all quite there yet, so she repeats her question as something that might be a little bit easier to understand in his current position.

".. Are you hurt?"

He looks hurt. Those streaks against his body might not be bleeding, but they also sure don't look great. Chizuru is enough of her father's daughter that she can tell it ought to not be something permanent or life-threatening in any way, but it's still probably uncomfortable. His body must be sore, at the very least.

3B

[abornfighter]

Tory's on her way home to Crenshaw, sporting some of the local fashion rather than anything Robby would have expected her to be wearing. In the dim lighting, one might think she just resembled Tory rather than being Tory herself.

There's a sword tidily sheathed at her hip, and she's on the lookout for potential monsters or beasts. What she notices when she first sees Robby isn't his face but rather his Sleeper robes. It's only when she moves closer to say hi and offer a few helpful tidbits of advice to the newbie that she sees that this newcomer isn't a stranger to her.

"Robby? Hey. When did you get here?"

[strongroots]

He should probably be looking out for familiar faces, and he kinda is, kinda isn't. There's always been a part of him that's been used to not relying on others, and in this place, where his thoughts are -- everything's so different, that he defaults to habit. Who is he going to find around here? How the hell is he supposed to find anyone around here?

Waking up out of that sea and turning into... you, is kind of a head fuck.

Regardless, he is trying to figure out his surroundings. See what are options, what he can do in a city that looks nothing like the ones he knows. Doesn't notice the figure approaching him until they're too close, and he's starting to turn to her before she speaks, and stops in his tracks from both her face and a familiar voice.

And the who.

"Tory--" There's relief spoken on her name. He looks at her, about her, mouth parted as there's more he should be saying, but this needs a second to be taken in.

(Is that a sword? --Okay, no, we'll question the sword later.)

"I--" Now he's looking at her face. "--I showed up today? How long've you been here?"

Because everything about her says longer than him, but especially her question.

[abornfighter]

"Five months," she replies, but she's cognizant of how bizarre that must sound to him. She doesn't know exactly what his last memory is, however the fact that he's relieved rather than angry at seeing her gives her some indication.

So she adds some clarification that likely raises just as many questions as it answers. "Time is just one of many things that's fucked up about this place. Sometimes people are from the same place and know each other, but then their memories don't match up."

It is a lot to take in, so she's not going to info dump on him just yet. It's better to take care of the simplest things first.

"Anyway, I've got a house and one of the spare bedrooms is yours if you want to stay."

At some point she'll have to mention that his dad and Mr.LaRusso are here. Getting him a place to stay and something to eat take precedence. Not to mention something other than the Sleeper robes to wear.

1 (can be formed already!)

[robussy]

[ it’s often that human sleepers rise to dangerous greetings. the more monster presence there seems to be, the more 2B gravitates to the shorelines once again. she sees a boy— an adolescent human at best, only freshly formed with wobbling legs and bruised skin. crawling upon the rocks behind him is a mammoth, carnivorous crab, snapping its mandibles and hauling its body weight along nimbly for an easy source of food.

the android— who looks more like a woman in black hunter apparel (her dress is short, her boots are high and her heels are sharp), seems to be gaining speed in her steps toward him.

she pulls out a katana. oh, that does not look welcoming. ]

cw: nude boy oh no

[strongroots]

[ It's not the greatest of days to be struggling for awareness on the shore. Being, becoming - it shouldn't be a difficult question, but maybe some of who he is shows conflict in knowing that answer. He's managed to form a shape, body and name at least the easiest of information on this beach.

Is it the knocks taken during the journey here that's got him dazed? Or just unfortunate luck - with legs that don't want to respond, torso lifted off the sand that's his only clothing beyond his birthday suit out here. It's a short-lived position when his elbow jerks under him and lowers the height he received. He's not as aware of his surroundings as he should be, doesn't know to be - and it's not behind him that Robby notices but a shape in black.

Eyes flicker, a dizziness of freshly being only letting him acknowledge the human shape and then the blade. Danger, Robby does know that; and it doesn't matter what battering his head or any other part of him has taken. It pumps the blood faster, the need for action working against a grogginess that makes his thoughts unable to string together. ]

W-w- wait! [ Like his tongue. Water rushes up along his body from a new wave, crashing waves as loud in his ears as any other (clicking, snapping, what's that sound?) but he doesn't focus back. His legs twitch and he's trying to find his strength again.

His only answer is to roll out of the way of a blade, and that's all on his mind to try and do as soon as she's upon him -- or how he imagines she'll be.

(But honestly, she'll be quicker either way - and he'll be lucky for that. Probably.) ]

1, post transformation

[saltyadam]

[Adam's spent some time wandering the beach lately. Most keep a watchful eye out for specific faces, but Adam's just looking for anyone who might need a hand.

A naked teenager on the beach certainly seems to fit the bill.]

Hey-- hey there. You're alright.

[Adam takes off his jacket, beige and worn but warm enough.]

Can you stand up? It's normal to feel a little shaken after... well, what you just went through.]

[strongroots]

[ It's not the great, being naked on a beach with the waves still throwing themselves out more than rolling against the sands, and limbs that don't really agree with working as quickly as said naked guy knows they could be.

The one positive for the time being - though Robby won't know about it 'til later - is that when your brain's coming off being more squid than a person, the pangs of embarrassment over modesty are more confusing against the already present frustration. ]

Yeah, I think-- [ But he is moving, knees bending, the rest of him too; managing something like sitting up, working an elbow to work his elbow. Working limbs he didn't have for - since when? ] --I just need a moment.

[ This would be a good time to ask for help, a hand, anything, but that thought isn't crossing this guy's mind. Standing though, he wants to focus on that; to get his legs shakily under him, even if it's just on his knees. ]

4.

[terriblepurpose]

The weaving of nets is nostalgic. Paul wanders over to the work more often than he strictly needs to, lingering to watch hands working familiar patterns. He doesn't stop to engage in it himself, with his work as Waker (and, by extension, crab hunter) taking precedence, but he invents tasks that give him excuses to venture to the collective effort.

The latest one is as purveyor of grape leaves stuffed with rice, crab meat, and spices, a project he embarked on early in the morning before he came to the beach. He's foregone his Waker robe today in favor of more rugged Hunter style gear sewn with silver Disciple charms. Two flat earring studs mark each earlobe and his hair is overdue for cutting, while on his chest he wears the sea medallion gifted last month by Mariana - the one that matches Sensei Lawrence's.

"Hungry?" Paul offers, stopping in front of the next person in the work line taking a moment to rest their fingers, this one happening to be a young man with similarly tousled hair.

[strongroots]

The nets aren't easy, haven't been. Focus - that takes Robby a few hours to get the hang of, when frustration bubbles easily at clumsy fingers not used to the pattern they need to fall into. He hasn't gotten the years of experience to do this through worn repetition, just this day; and while the fishing line can't dig as hard into fingers already calloused, they leave them tingling, feeling stiff.

Robby's rubbing them to ease the feeling when the voice speaks above, an offer that lifts his chin quick. Trench is dangerous, but there's plenty of people around, no reason to be on alert; so there's a curious look at what the promise of food will bring, expression unguarded. At least, for the second or so as a face that should be unrecognisable seems to nag as something else in the back of his mind. An open mouth that would respond, but puzzle pieces are beginning to click: a guy seen from a distance coming out from a shabby-looking warehouse, his dad, the smile and an embrace--

He closes his mouth, brow furrowing slightly, eyes studying Paul in that second or so before Robby's gaze goes down.

"I don't have anything for it," comes his answer, a note detached, in a way that expresses he should be passed over, go and try with the next person. He's managed to lose the arrival robes to something more him, a style that speaks of where he comes from: blue jeans, black shirt, and a bomber jacket over that to keep off the chill.

Maybe familiar, maybe not. He certainly doesn't share a particular someone's hair or eyes, his green and brown.

I'M WILDCARDING and you can't stop me!!!!!!!

[miyagimagic]

Daniel has absolutely no idea for how long he's been here. With a lack of clocks, windows, or anything else that could give off even a remote sense of timing, he may as well have been here for a day already between these ever-continuing walls. Every single time he goes around a corner, expecting to finally see something different, it's just more of the same. The same off-colour walls, the same slightly stained carpet, the odd scent in the air. The even more odd sense that there's something about this place that's both familiar yet completely strange, all at the same time.

It's getting to him. The man notices his feet moving quicker and quicker. Not quite a run, not yet, but he's definitely pacing a lot quicker than he was in the beginning, or than he normally would. Like he might find an exit quicker if he just looks for it a lot faster, even though he doesn't come across anything that looks like it.

The only thing that keeps him from freaking out is the cold metal of the moon necklace he can feel against the skin of his chest, hidden underneath his shirt. Even in this situation it seems to provide him with a sense of bravery, the feeling that he's just got to keep it together, and that's how he'll find a way out. He tries to think of what mister Miyagi would have done under these circumstances, and tries to keep breathing, focusing on that as he keeps moving.

But the fact that it's otherwise so weirdly quiet here makes it very obvious there's another presence right up ahead, around the corner. Not that Daniel can tell what it is, mind you. It's just that he suddenly senses it as he gets close enough, too close to back out in case it is something dangerous. He just has to go ahead and face it, because - for better or worse - it's the one change he's seen in this entire place so far.

So he steps forward, turning the corner, moving his hands into position as if he's ready to defend himself, because despite the fact that he knows it's not like karate of all things can defend against the monsters in Trench all the time, it's the only thing he's got going for him in this moment.

As he does turn that corner though, in position, twitching like he's ready to move--

-- he realises it's not a monster at all.

Though it's something equally surprising. No, even more surprising. Seeing a monster under these circumstances would be normal at this point, in this strange, strange place.

Seeing this teen of all people, out of the blue, in the middle of this tense situation..

Daniel lowers his hands immediately, weak as ever against the sight of someone important to him, a fact that easily could have killed him here if Robby were just an illusion, a monster taking on a familiar form. It's something Daniel doesn't consider in this moment though. (It's not like he'll have time for that. It's not like he'll have much time for anything here, like thinking about the multitude of complicated emotions that seeing Robby of all people brings, though he doesn't fully know it yet.) Instead he just stares, jaw hanging open.

".. Robby?!"

o-oh 😳 1/2

[strongroots]

This is Trench.

The boogeyman side of it, anyway, or so Robby suspects. The warnings, cautions; the preparations to danger he's been given over and over. It's not the beasts or fight of monsters that've gotten the spotlight, but when you fall back into some horror movie set in a timey-wimey office, you get the gist of what's going on. Especially after that first maddening hour: That oppressive force, noises that can't quite be made out but that never have a notable source; a maze of corridors and rooms with nothing of note, nothing leading anywhere. Nowhere leading to a way out.

Shit, is what Robby thinks, over and over. Shit, shit. Shitshitshitshit.

A weapon would be nice, even without a tangible or seen force to put it against. Nobody's pulling out the karate moves and surviving in the thrillers, and all Robby manages to obtain in all of this is a long-forgotten stapler.

(He's not Jackie Chan. He'll get one throw or a lucky hit and then bail.)

So here he is, crushing said stapler in his grip; the sensation of being watched, known, the possibility of being found more maddening than ever. The writings on the wall are as taunting as they are worrying, a worry he keeps down, refuses to indulge. He'll get out, he has to -- even as the halls start to lose anything to differentiate them from the last, as his senses become more oppressed, less focused. The stench in his nostrils, the anxiety that presses against his ears, his shoulders stiff.

--And then he hears it. The sound of footsteps in a hurry, if not a run. Around the next corner, with a way forward clear ahead of him. Robby stops in his own rush, cursing without thought how well he hears his own feet come to a standstill, was he heard? -- and he contemplates dashing forward, or turning back and finding somewhere to hide.

But there was nowhere for a while the way he came, and going forward could give him a running start, but would it be enough? With not knowing what's down there, and what's coming his way as he stands here debating. Closing in, closer, closer -- Robby takes in a breath and readies himself, holding the make-do 'weapon' and with his legs ready to dash around whatever comes --

[strongroots]

It's a man that does.

Not just any man - and the fact it's a man, who it is, isn't what causes Robby to swing the stapler at Mister LaRusso, but it is what makes his elbow make sure the swing misses him, swiping at the air between them. A face he wasn't expecting, a man he doesn't know what to do about. He pulls his arm back, a foot too, staring wide and incredulously at the figure.

Mister LaRusso, here; him, of all people, at any time, in this place.

There's a beat of his chest, a rush inside him, confusion and guilt and this smaller desire to run -- and then there comes the doubt and the guy who knows how this kind of horror story goes. Bring down his guard, trick him, don't even make it to the end credits.

His mouth is slightly agape, his wide eyes lowering with the furrow of his brow questioning, apprehensive, and then - a man like Daniel will notice it, the way that Robby looks at him quick, up from down and back again, assessing.

"Mister LaRusso." It's strained, the way he says it. Thick against the tone of relief it means to give, and how it's interpreted is up to the person: because of the situation they're in, the way they've caught each other off-guard, or -

--To give a chance of lowering Daniel's guard further before Robby goes in with the side kick to his more exposed knee. A hope to make him stumble, then to come in with the stapler again to his shoulder (a head would be better), a punch forward for a face or chest.

Because trick or not, Robby's not about to underestimate any kind of Mister LaRusso. If this place knows what it's doing, he needs all he can get, to at least wind the man before bolting.