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test drive

Test Drive Meme 2.1

CW: seizure warning

Test Drive 2.1

Welcome to your tutorial.

For this Test Drive, you are welcome to select any role(s) you please. However, the roles played here will not necessarily carry over into the game itself. If you would like to keep your TDM threads canon despite this discrepancy, you may. From an IC perspective, the TDM is a ‘tutorial’ in which the characters are introduced to their setting, and learn/teach others the mechanics of the game. It will terminate after two weeks whether or not the plot has come to completion.

You wake up in a small town, your bed warm but your body cold. A faint blue light fades from your room, the remnants of the system printing you into your new setting. The ringing in your ears will soon be replaced by a soft, inhuman female voice. “Hello, and welcome to Corwin, Indiana. The year is 2008, and while technology has not completely reached this place, you have been provided with a cell phone at your bedside. Please pay close attention to the upcoming instructions regarding your role.You are not permitted to discuss your role with anyone, at any time. Obedience ensures an enjoyable and immersive experience for our audience. We hope you enjoy your stay in this idyllic town.

Everyone in Corwin will be given a role. Most roles will be simple. Some will be a local: someone who was born and raised in this town, with no intention to leave. Maybe you’re still in school, or maybe you own one of the district’s many fine, small businesses. Others will be tourists: those staying in Corwin for a quiet vacation away from the hustle of their home cities. They may experience some culture shock in the small town environment, but they’re eager to explore the quaint opportunities this hamlet has to offer. More specific roles are available below, and build atop of the roles mentioned above.

GENERAL PROMPTS

Cold Nights
Here in Corwin, there’s no reason for anything to stay open much past 9 pm. The next day comes bright and early, and most residents of this town dedicate themselves staying well rested. Unfortunately, this means there are no services at the hotel front desk after hours. If you’ve lost your key, you’ll just have to find other lodging until the morning. Trying to catch some shut-eye streetside is risky - at this time of year, the weather can dip below freezing at night, frost dusting every surface come morning. Locals aren’t spared the headache, either. Those irresponsible enough to stay out late and lose their own keys won’t have much luck calling the police station for help. Ostensibly, there’s always someone on-call, but it seems the night shift officer prioritizes his sleep as much as everyone else. You’re either stuck outside, or left waking your neighbors with a knock at their door.
This is the Only Bar in Town
Corwin has four streets, and only one bar. A source of community for the adults of the town, the bar is located in a cozy venue, filled with wooden furnishings. Here, any spirits can be purchased without judgement, and enjoyed at the bar and small tables alike. For entertainment, this bar possesses a single old Sinbad™ pinball machine, a pool table, and a dart board. No need to ask the bartender for the equipment, it’s right where the last folks left it. Overall, there’s nothing to boast of here, other than the unshakably consistent friendly service and the odd smell in the bathrooms.

However, with the holidays approaching, the bar is advertising its weekly “Holiday Trivia Contest”! Compete in a tournament to prove your knowledge and win a chance to take home the town’s largest, locally raised turkey! If that’s not enough to entice you, there’s also a $250 cash prize to go along with it.
Make a Wish
The center of this small town is adorned with an old, stone fountain. With clear waters lit up by holiday lights, the display is a comforting sight for locals and tourists alike. Surrounded by stone benches, this is the perfect location to stop for a rest.

A plaque on the fountain reads: Make a Wish - all donations flow back into the community. Flip in a coin and try for yourself. Superstition says managing to land your coin in the very top basin of the fountain ensures your desire will be met. Many have tried, and most have failed. The biggest pool of the fountain is littered with coins, some of which aren’t from around here. Of course, you wouldn’t know that unless you’ve gone and fished them out, would you?
Send to 8 People
Some receive the message during the day, and others in the dead of the night. The sender has been blocked, leaving only a cryptic message:

(1/2) in two weeks the one u love and thinks ur cute will kiss you at 8pm...to come tru u must send this message to 8 other ppl in the half hour you read this

(2/2) ...if not bad luck will fall upon u… i got this message and knew it was fake but it wasnt and i failed a test and broke my arm….u have 30 mins!!!

What appears to be a silly child’s prank is easy to dismiss for most, except the bad luck mentioned in the text is very real. Those who do not send the message out within 30 minutes will soon be met with a terrible misfortune - whether that be being forced to pay for a round of drinks or slipping on a patch of ice and injuring themselves. Next time you get the message, think twice about ignoring it.
Wildcard
In addition to the prompts above, please feel free to check this setting’s information page. All areas currently described there are accessible, and may be used in TDM threads. We will be adding more to this page when the Corwin plot officially begins on December 1st, 2018.
TUTORIAL ROLES
Vandal (Local or Tourist): At least once every twenty-four hours, you are compelled to graffiti some part of the town with the above image. There is no artistic ability required for this role - once you have selected a location, your body will move by itself to adorn the town with this illustration. If you do not complete one mural a day, you will begin to suffer consequences. Additionally, as you are breaking the law, you must avoid being discovered and/or being apprehended at all costs.

Buddy Cops (x2) (Locals Only): A pair of police officers are on the case of the recent defacing that threatens to ruin the small town’s pristine scenery. One of you is incredibly offended by the gall of this serial vandal, and the other isn’t very interested in doing much other than staking out and eating snacks. Despite this dynamic, you are both determined to catch this perpetrator one way or another, and book them for their crimes. Failure to pursue the criminal will result in consequences. In addition to this particular case, you are charged with addressing any other crimes or public concerns in Corwin.

Drunk (Local or Tourist): You have a terrible headache, but the only way to alleviate your pain is to drink. A lot. You have an open tab at every establishment that sells alcohol, and somehow they allow you to add as much as you like to it. Your alcohol tolerance isn’t altered by this role, nor are the consequences of drinking too much. It’s all a balancing act: drinking the right amount, and staying standing.

Relentlessly Suspicious (Local or Tourist): You cannot resist any opportunity to arouse suspicion about yourself. You will never outright claim to have perpetrated any crimes, but you may make sympathetic comments about the vandal, allude to your huge spray paint collection, or be caught loitering near crime scenes without an alibi. Your propensity to act sketchy-as-hell is not limited to the current vandalism plaguing your town - for example, you may find yourself making comments only a kidnapper would make. Failure to raise eyebrows or passing up an opportunity to leave suspicion in the minds of others will be met with consequences.

Gossip (Local Only): You act as if you know everything there is to know about everyone in this town. Maybe you do - you certainly know more than most. You cannot resist a chance to eavesdrop, or to ask intrusive questions. Once armed with the town’s juicy secrets, you must spill them. This may be in conversation, in fliers posted around town, or in mass-texts sent from a blocked number. The means of communication doesn’t matter. If you try to keep a secret, or do not pursue an opportunity to learn more about another, you will suffer consequences.

In addition to these roles, you may take up ownership of any of the local businesses mentioned on the setting page.
SETTING GLITCHES

Too Close for Comfort - You are unable to speak without touching another person. The contact does not need to be skin to skin, and you do not need to touch the person you are talking to. Without this connection, you are mute, and must rely on other means of communication.

Midnight Midnight Midnight - No matter how hard you try, you cannot sleep. Night after night, lying down leaves you restless. Fatigue will occur in waves, sometimes overwhelming, and sometimes replaced by a state of ‘slap happy’ mania.

Please, I’m Starving - If you see or smell food, you will be unable to resist the urge to eat it. Whether it’s on your plate, across the room, or behind closed doors, you cannot stop until it’s gone. You’ll never get full, though eating will sate your immediate hunger until you’re exposed to food again. If you go too long without food, you may begin to fantasize about eating inedible things, such as interior decor, rocks, and other people.

These Hands are Stained with… - Any color you touch will stain your skin, like a layer of spray paint. Skin to skin contact will always dye your skin whatever other color is present, however, you can remove the blemish by establishing contact with someone unaffected by this glitch, or washing your hands in (clear) water.

I’m Sensitive - You are 100% more likely to cry as a result of any elevated emotion. Happiness, sadness, rage - all sentiments above a baseline normal will cause tears to well in your eyes. You may simply choke up, or you may begin to bawl, depending on how predisposed to crying you usually are, and on the severity of the emotion.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

This is the Only Bar in Town

Everyone needs a drink from time to time, right? And the smallest places always have at least one bar. Seeing as there's not a whole lot else to do around small towns. The boredom gets to you eventually, even when you like there. She doesn't, but this is seeming more and more like a bad choice for a vacation. Still, she's got to be here for a reason, right? There's always a reason.

If she has one word to describe the bar it's...cozy. Kind of quaint. Definitely a small town bar. Homey maybe? Nothing like she's used to seeing, and she's pretty certain most of the patrons aren't used to seeing someone like her, either. She's an outsider, she can't really blame them.

She gravitates first to the dartboard, picking up the darts and tossing them without a whole lot of ceremony, landing bullseye after bullseye. Still got it.

She turns with a grin to the person who's come up to stand behind her, not at all sheepish. Maybe they're a challenger? That would be fun.

"Beginner's luck?"

Make a Wish

Aw, how cute. A tiny little town with a tiny wishing well to go with it. Or not so tiny. Probably not so tiny to the locals. But how charming is this? Definitely way more adorable than what she's used to. Granted most of what she's used to is a shithole, but that is so not the point. It's a compliment to be better than a shithole.

At first she takes a seat on one of the benches, just taking the opportunity to people watch for a while. The mix of people is so interesting. Definitely far away from home. Eventually, this turns into a game of Spot the Tourist, but it's pretty hard to figure who belongs here, especially since she hasn't been around that long either. It's pretty funny, though, how much a lot of them stick out. Herself included.

After a few minutes she stands up and moves to the fountain, fishing a coin out of a pocket and throwing it in where it lands in the highest basin.

"Huh, first try. Lucky me."

Send to 8 People

[That phone is hilarious. Do people even still use these? It's like the stone age. And of course, the first thing she gets is one of those ridiculous chain texts. She rolls her eyes and puts the phone back in her pocket and goes about her day in town. Really, what 8 people is she going to send that to? Even if she were the type?

After about an hour, though, she's next to a puddle and a car drives through it, splashing all over her clothes. Then a few minutes later she trips on a curb. After that, she walks right into a pole she didn't see. This is definitely not at all normal.]

Damn. That's...different.

((Voicetesting, please be gentle))

Edited 2018-11-18 05:18 (UTC)

[ When that car splashed her, all Genis could do was jump even further back on the sidewalk. He really didn’t like how close and how fast the cars were here... But at least she was okay; that could have been a lot worse. He eyed the road warily for a few seconds before shifting his bookbag (he was supposed to be a local student, after all) and turning away, continuing on his route...

...until a sudden thunk drew his attention back over to her.

Did she really just run into a pole? Genis couldn't help but feel a little bad for her... That's an almost impressive level of clumsiness. If it was just clumsiness, which he honestly couldn’t rule out...but that isn't really normal, is it? If she's really out of it, he can't just ignore her.

So he takes the chance to wander up to her carefully. ]

Hey, are you okay? Are you dizzy?

[ ooc: Genis comes as a CRAU from Monad. Any previous knowledge of other characters is strictly opt-in only! For this TDM, he is taking the local/suspicious role. Brackets and prose are both fine; I'll match whatever! ]

(A) Send to 8 People

[ Genis kind of thought he left chain letters behind, but no, now they just came digitally. Even if this particular itineration of a chain letter is new, the idea was still the same: Copy the same message to a bunch of people, and at the end, you'd supposedly get good luck. It was all just based on superstitions. Nothing would ever actually come from sending a chain letter out. And he really didn’t think anything would come from one that wasn't even proofread...

Still, as annoying as it was, he couldn’t escape the sinking feeling that if he didn’t send this one, something bad really would happen... Bad things happened all the time for no reason. At least this chain letter didn’t ask to be sent to fifty or hundred people.

He didn’t like it, but...

Now eight (possibly randomly selected) people will receive a slightly more grammatically correct version of the chain letter: ]

(1/2) In two weeks, the one you love and thinks you’re cute will kiss you at 8pm... To come true, you must send this message to eight other people in the half hour you read this.

(2/2) If not, bad luck will fall upon you… I got this message and knew it was fake, but it wasn't, and I failed a test and broke my arm… You have 30 minutes!

[ There. Done. Even if it does have his name attached. ]

(B) Wildcard - Park

[ There sure was a lot of graffiti around. It wasn’t obvious at first, but it was definitely there. Even as far out as the pavilion in the park. He wonders if they have some sort of meaning...

And he’s stuck on that thought as the sound of another person’s footsteps shocks him out of it.

He tensed, suddenly unsure what exactly he should do. Right, wasn’t he supposed to look suspicious? Or he would be punished somehow.

Even if he didn’t know the context of what was going on with this town, just painting on the side of a building couldn’t be that bad, right? Even if people thought he was a vandal, that wouldn’t be the worst thing. It wasn’t like there was anything offensive about the graffiti itself...

Right. As the footsteps come closer, Genis raises his voice to nervously comment: ] Wow, this is actually pretty good! I really like this color.

No. No, I'm...fine? [Is she really, though? She's awfully unlucky today...and that shouldn't even be a thing. How weird is this?]

Guess it's just not my day today.

[With a click of his tongue, the gum in his mouth makes an audible crack. The annoying sound bounces off stone, amplifying as the albino approaches. His hands are shoved in his pockets. He feels a little naked, not wearing his yukata - but it just didn't fit the "cop" aesthetic he was supposed to be going for in this setting.]

Lucky you, eh? You sure you ain't cheating, huh?

[He's joking, of course. He'd watched her slug the coin into the fountain in the first place.]

Seem like a lady I don't want to be betting against. I hope you wished for something decent.

[And he's back at blowing another bubble. The pink orb grows bigger, bigger.... obscures his face just enough before he snaps the gum once more.]

((You know I'm opting in for the sweet, sweet CR AU))

The crisp fall air. The crunch of leaves under his boots. It'd been years since he'd dealt with such a podunk town. All those years amongst the neon lights of Kabukichou and the crowds of people... he'd almost forgotten the true simplicity of the season.

He works on the sucker in his mouth as dull eyes take in the scene around him. The splashes of color were pleasing. Mixes of red and orange... A dash of yellow... the occasional pink and blue...

Wait.

He blinks, noticing something far too pastel to fit in. A sprawling cycle of graffiti and...

And onlooker?

His tongue stops working the sucker in his mouth as he comes closer. Leans over the kid a bit.]

You a little young to be out here breakin' the law, ain't ya?

[Of course, he had no proof. He was mostly teasing, but guilty consciences really reacted to jabs like that. He waited to see if the other would take the bait.]

[ Looking down at her wet clothes again. ] No kidding. I’d say it’s just better to give up and head home at this rate.

[ Before some late season, migrating bird decises to add onto the misfortune train. ]

Maybe you should rest anyway and get yourself together. It’s not normal to run into things like that.

[ ye get it B)]

[ Even - or maybe especially - a familiar voice can make Genis jump when it suddenly sneaks up on him like that. Sure, it’s not his sister or someone he’d rather not run into period, and of all the people to get caught by, “Ol’ Gin-san” was probably the least threatening, but...

He spins around to look up at Gintoki, frowning. ]

What? It’s not illegal to admire graffiti. Maybe you’re just too old to appreciate modern art.

[ Is it more suspicious to call this stuff “modern art”?? He sure hopes so. Maybe it will be to Gintoki at least, coming from him?

He’s actually really relieved that he ran into him. This new setting, the new people, the pretense of this system’s new overworld. He was starting to get a little anxious... But even if they apparently can’t talk about their experiences yet, at least they know each other and work through whatever this is together. ]

Must be my lucky day. [Or, you know. Whatever. It's just...always her lucky day.

What, it counts.]

If I tell, it won't come true.

Yeah, maybe. Guess I'm just not used to this...kind of thing.

[He seems like a sweet kid. That's always a plus, finding someone nice. Maybe she's still a little lucky after all?]

You from around here?

Buddy Cop

[ Oboro is taking his role as seriously as he imagines everyone else must be. Which is, incredibly seriously - he doesn't care for this situation, but there's no point in struggling against what's been so completely imposed on them. He dons the police uniform without hesitation, the modern (but still frustratingly analogue) vest weighing on his shoulders.

In full uniform, right at 8 a. m. sharp, he proceeds to the precinct's shared office. His supposed partner has been absent since he'd arrived, and he doesn't expect anything different today. Working alone suits him best - there's no one else to screw things up.

A thought he dwells on almost pleasantly as he pours himself a cup of coffee.
That's when you come in. Either through the door a few minutes late, or already settled at your desk. The sight of a new member of the team makes Oboro's face scrunch, brows knit in preemptive frustration. He'll set his cup down - gently, the way someone cleans a knife - and stand in greeting.] What's your assignment?

[How friendly.]

Cold Nights

[On patrol alone, most certainly in overtime, Oboro walks the streets of Corwin as if he himself has something to hide. It takes a criminal to catch a criminal, or something - more like he doesn't know how not to be Extra. From one shadowy awning to another, Oboro stalks from corner to corner of the town's square.

Anyone he sees there will immediately be considered suspicious. There's no curfew, but people out at night seldom are up to any good. Those in company will be left with nothing more than stern surveillance, but anyone alone will be approached.]

Everything alright here? [Terse, because he doubts it!]

Too Close for Comfort

[Being rendered unable to speak isn't such a bad condition for an assassin. Any noise is a detriment to the practice, even a rushed breath could reveal one's position and ruin a mission. But here, in Corwin, Oboro is a policeman.

The job description only overlaps sometimes.

Now, he couldn't be farther from his typical position. Stuck walking around town, stopping anyone he can to inquire about a lost family pet. It'd be tragic if Dolly the terrier didn't come home for the holidays.

So far he's getting people's attention by gesturing, and then holding up a picture of the dog. That seems to do the trick for most, but so does his immediate surrender to 'nope, haven't seen it'. Oboro has walked away from everyone before they could make any further suggestions.]

Make a Wish

The fountain was fairly picturesque and really fit with the whole theme of the town, which seemed to be “Ideal small town”. Which Peter was pretty sure meant it hid a big, dark secret. Not that he had proof or anything but why have a setting like this if you weren’t going to have a dark secret? He’d seen Twin Peeks and listened to a lot of podcasts so he was prepared.

Of course, he had his own deep, dark secret. He was the Vandal and he was actually here casing out the fountain for one of his... vandalizations? The first few times he’d done it he had felt really horrible. Sick to his stomach and on the verge of turning himself in. But every time he did he felt that ache in his head that felt like it was going to kill him. Then kind of a weird thing happened... it became kinda fun. It was mostly harmless and he HAD to do it and it ended up becoming kind of a fun game between himself and the police. He’d actually even made himself a costume and web shooters could easily be adapted to spray paint.

“I’m actually pretty sensational at this,” he muttered to himself as he tried to figure out where he’d paint his next mural. “Not that anyone will every really know.”

Send to 8 People

Peter had laughed at the chain text. Aunt May had once told him about the kind of stuff she used to get when she was younger that was through the actual mail. When he got the message he just laughed at deleted it. The fact that he didn’t actually know 8 people he could send it to or had a crush here who would kiss him, he wouldn’t have done it anyway.

He hadn’t given it a second thought until the car hit him. Fortunately it wasn’t going very fast and he still had really good reflexes for a human. He had just enough tie to jump, tuck, and roll so that instead of the car sending him flying he kind of just rolled over it and smacked his head on the pavement. As he was seeing double for a moment he couldn’t help but wonder about that stupid text.

“Yeah, maybe not worth the risk in hindsight,” Peter groaned, wincing as he slowly tried to sit up.

Yeah. [ He says so confidently, smiling. He is meant to be a local, and as far as he’s aware, he’s been here for over a year, so that feels accurate enough anyway.

This whole “don’t talk about your role” thing is a pain, though... ]

I don’t know how much I can help, but I can try. What’s wrong?

Just looking for something to do around here. It's a lot...bigger where I'm from. [Or whatever. "Bigger" works.]

Does it always feel like the beginning of a horror movie or is it just me?

Why not? Not like there was anything else to do around here except toss change into the fountain or constantly win at darts. She's taken to spending most of her time during the day lately not looking at where she's throwing the coins half the time. They're all going to end up in the top basin anyway. Maybe she's stocking up on wishes to use later. Does it work like that? Does now.

That kid is new, though, and he looks like he's probably up to no good. Or do all kids look like that? Maybe she looks like that too, but she usually actually is up to something. She's just lucky enough to get away with it.

"Sensational at what now?"

darn teenagers

I need your help. [The apparent teenager says, walking up to a stranger outside of the general store.

He doesn't look overly concerned.]

Apparently, there's a ban on selling high schoolers spray paint. I need you to buy some for me.

bad and naughty children get put in the pear wiggler

[Obedience ensures an enjoyable and immersive experience for our audience.

They don't know who they're dealing with. They don't know how far he's willing to go to push boundaries and test the rules.]

What role were you assigned? [Love asks, direct and curious. It's time to find out what the repercussions are.]

mr sandman

[There's a kid.... in the fountain, laying sprawled out in the lowest basin, face just barely above water, absently toying with piles of coins. He picks them up, lets them fall, picks them up again, shuffles them from one hand to another. Considers the weight of them, sorts them by type without looking. Actually interacting with anyone would take energy he doesn't have after too many nights without sleep, and so he stares up at the clear blue sky instead.]

[Out of all the roles she could have played this was the one they picked for her; police officer? God save her this really was a nightmare. Who would have guessed the stupid career test would be right? That or someone knew how to mess with her, even here.

Still she gets how the rules are in this place. Sure the scenery might be new but the rules applied all the same as they did last setting. You either play the role given to you or there are consequences. Horrible consequences.

Which is why, though she's ten minutes late walking in, she's still there, grumbling to herself as she adjusts the radio strapped to one of her uniformed shoulders.]

Stupid crap. Stupid job. Stupid place. Stupid everything. [Buffy's muttering to herself in frustration, clearly unaware of her partner until she's about to plow right into him.]

What? [She questions looking up. Fortunately she's able to stop just short of bumping into him. Realizing what he's asked she shrugs.] Oh. [A little nicer sounding this time.] Vandal catching. Yours?

If she had to play the part of cop then by all means she was going to do a damn good job at it. Slayer instinct taught her well. While there were no monsters or vampires to hunt here, as far as she knew, vandals were the next best thing to hunt. Minus the actual hunting part. It was more cat and mouse. Except where the cat didn't eat the mouse in the end and instead locked it up behind bars. That was a thing she could do and was looking forward to it.

But man was it harder than she thought. This guy, or girl, had been good at giving her and her partner the slip the last few times. Every single time she thought she had him or her they gave her the slip. She'd end up showing after the paint dried and the damage had been done. Back and forth, or maybe in circles she seemed to go. And would continue going.

Eventually her persistence paid off though and she caught up. At least she thinks.

"You sure about that?" The voice from behind him belongs to a small blonde decked in police attire. She's standing there with her arms folded across her chest, head canted to the side and eyes narrowed at him.

If instinct served her well, which it usually did prior to coming here, then she might have found exactly who she was looking for.

(ooc: Default to prose because I'm wordy and introspective. Will use brackets if you prefer.)

#1 – Glitch: Please, I'm Starving (tourist), in the bed and breakfast

He had only planned on grabbing a piece of toast and getting a big lunch later, but as soon as Atsushi entered the dining room for breakfast, he was starving. He had certainly experienced hunger before, but it was nothing compared to this. This was a physical ache inside his very being, the proverbial bottomless pit, and he couldn't stop it. Nothing quelled the hunger. It was constant and the only thing he could think about. He had four helpings of absolutely everything, even things he didn't like. He'd barely resisted stealing pieces of bacon from the woman sitting next to him, at least for a few minutes. She didn't finish it, so he grabbed it off her plate like a heathen when she got up from the table. The last to leave the dining room, he'd proceeded into the adjoining kitchen and raided the refrigerator and every cabinet he could reach, then got a chair to stand on to get to the others. It was ludicrous behavior and he wallowed in guilt and shame while he choked down a tub of peanut butter. He couldn't make himself stop.

Now someone had just walked in; and there he was, sitting on the kitchen floor surrounded by various food packaging, ravenously licking his fingers for any last vestiges of sustenance. The hunger was finally abating and all he felt was disgust and self-loathing.

#2 – Role: Gossip (local) [cw: murder plotting?]

Atsushi scribbled down details in a notebook. He was hiding behind a hedgerow and watching Mrs. O'Brien whisper with her neighbor and take him into the garage. This was the second Tuesday they'd had a clandestine meeting and he was going to get close enough to hear them better. Just the fact that they met wasn't good enough. He needed more information.

After the garage door closed, he crept up the driveway and lay down in front of the door. There was only a crack to look through, but he could see the neighbor, one Mr. Stoyanov, pacing back and forth. Mrs. O'Brien's feet were stationery. Her voice was calm and sweet, pleading. Or more like wheedling. Atsushi put his ear to the crack. Did she just say that? This was good. This was really good.

“Refuse, you have to refuse,” he whispered to himself, waiting for Stoyanov's answer.

He didn't. Atsushi now had details and confirmation on the best piece of gossip he'd come across yet. It felt wrong just thinking that, to be excited over what was happening, but he was still so afraid of what those consequences were that he was going to play his part. He could agonize over it later.

He hurried to the street and walked past several houses before pulling out his cellphone to call the police. No one answered. Of course they didn't. Now he was going to have to write a notice for the bulletin board in the library or something and wouldn't that just be tactless. He rounded the corner and bumped into somebody.

“Oh, sorry.”

And now he had to tell them, didn't he? It would definitely be against the rules to hold something like this back. He jerked his thumb back towards the street he'd come from and tried to sound excited and conspiratorial.

“You know Mrs. O'Brien, right? Well, she and her neighbor, not Old Lady Adams in the yellow house, but Mr. Stoyanov who has that particularly decrepit gray one and the four cats? Yeah, they've been meeting for a couple weeks in O'Brien's garage and planning the whole thing. He's going to kill Mr. O'Brien after work on Friday, not this Friday, but next Friday when Mrs. O'Brien's out of town so she has an alibi. It's going to look like a break in, she's leaving the living room window unlocked and they purchased a gun earlier this month from, um,” he trailed off, consulting his notes, looking for the gun shop's name. It was important to be accurate.

#3 – Wildcard (local), at the outskirts

He was supposed to pretend this was his life, in this overly quaint little town. The whole atmosphere felt oppressive and off-kilter. It wasn't so much the how, but the why that he was concerned with. Why would anyone conceive this situation? Why a small town in the middle of nowhere? He was most certainly not enjoying his stay. Not that Corwin was a horrible place, not by a long shot. As a 'local', he wasn't expected to want to leave.

But he had to escape. He couldn't fathom going along with his charade for any length of time. Granted, he probably could have gotten something far worse than 'local high school student', but it was its own special kind of hell. The school was full of annoying drones asking him the same questions day after day, while the teachers handed out homework and pop quizzes with nonsensical mathematical equations and essays that quickly descended into gibberish. Like it didn't matter at all what was on the page. Like no one important would even notice the assignments weren't fully realized.

He hadn't mentioned his concerns to anyone, partially because he didn't know who else was in the same position and who was in league with overseers. Mostly because he was terrified of invoking the wrath of whomever was in charge here if he talked about 'the role'. But today at lunch, when the same girl, for the second day in a row, asked him repeatedly if he wanted her chicken nuggets, he almost screamed. That's when he snapped.

Now he was standing in the middle of the road out of town, surrounded by flooded cornfields as far as the eye could see. It was somehow even creepier than being in town. Every step further away from the center of Corwin made him more uneasy. Where exactly was the town line? How far could he get before something happened?

Then he saw them. Someone a few yards ahead just standing there. Maybe they were trying to get out too.

“Hey! What are you doing out here?”

“That was impressive. Do you come here often?”

That was cliched, but he'd run out of creative ways to initiate conversations days ago. The bar had proven to be a wealth of information, though. People were willing to strike up a conversation with anyone, about anyone, after having enough alcohol. He had not seen this woman before and wondered if she was from out of town. He could possibly unload some local rumors on her, if she were the idle chatter type.

[ His phone beeped. It was that chain text again. Atsushi had received it three times today already. He forwarded it to everyone in his contact list, and a couple random numbers, without much thought. Then he noticed this message was a little different. Someone had corrected the grammar. That was strange. ]

“D-did they sign it?”

[ He raised an eyebrow. People hated chain letters and this person was blatantly taking responsibility. Or maybe it was a mistake. He texted them back, painstakingly hitting the numbers again and again to get the correct letters. If they had taken the time to correct the grammar, he wasn't going to send a disrespectful message full of abbreviations and truncated words. ]

(1/4) Hello, Genis Sage. I received your chain message just now. I feel you should be info-
(2/4) -rmed that you have left your signature on it. If this was in error, I apologize
(3/4) because I have already forwarded it to several others who now
(4/4) know your identity.

[ Atsushi instantly regretted sending it. Who responded to chain letters? In full sentences? ]

[ The sudden voice frightened him and Atsushi dropped his binoculars to the alley below. He was half-way up a fire escape. ]

“E-everything's fine! I was- I was just enjoying the night air! And um, birdwatching! Yes, that's- I was birdwatching!”

[ He was shouting at a police officer. This was in no way a good situation. And he was going to make it worse. The last time he didn't pester someone with questions, he found out what 'consequences' could mean and he was not inclined to experience that again. ]

“Do you like birds, Officer, um, what's your name? Do you patrol here every night or do you switch off to other areas of town? Are you married? What are your hobbies?”

"Nah, there's just not much else to do around here." Is there ever anything to do in little towns like this? Just drink or stare at a wall. God, she'd probably go crazy if she had to actually live here. Sh was definitely not the type for it. Good on the people who hadn't left or lost their minds. She could not understand it.

"You know something I don't?"

Where to start? He'd been doing this too long and just went with whatever came to mind first.

“It's been going around that Bill, he owns the hardware store; he recently got an unscheduled delivery of extra fluorescent lights. That's according to the guy who supposedly loaded the delivery truck, so it's really kind of secondhand information here, but he's pretty reliable. The consensus is Bill's turning the store basement into a grow house; Corwin's a pretty religious town and it's not going over too well. This is unconfirmed right now, but I'll go check out the basement later.

“We've also got a vandal on the loose and that's pretty exciting. So many theories floating around. Some say they're a local student just having fun. A cashier at the general store thinks it's a repressed artist disenchanted with small town life. Most agree the vandal's one of the weirdos staying at the bed and breakfast for months on end. No one really knows. No one's seen them. The police have no idea what's going on.”

That should suffice for a while, but he had to get something from her as well.

“I'm Atsushi, by the way. I didn't catch your name. Where are you staying? What kind of drink do you usually order? Have you played darts professionally?”

This role was exhausting. He was so tired of talking to people and trying to remember to whom he'd told what. Tomorrow he'd start making fliers or mass-texting.

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Page 1 of 5

Test Drive Meme 2.1

Test Drive 2.1

GENERAL PROMPTS

TUTORIAL ROLES

SETTING GLITCHES

QUESTIONS

Domino | Deadpool Live Action | Tourist: OTA, couple of formats, will match

Send to 8 People

Genis Sage | Tales of Symphonia | OTA

no subject

Make a Wish

Park

no subject

no subject

Re: Make a Wish

no subject

Oboro | Gintama | Buddy Cop OTA

Peter Parker | MCU | Tourist, Vandal. OTA

no subject

no subject

Make A Wish

Dr. Taklamakan Strange Love | élDLIVE | third times the charm i guess

Buddy Cop

Make a wish.

Nakajima Atsushi | Bungo Stray Dogs | OTA, various roles

This is the Only Bar in Town

(A) Send to 8 People

Cold Nights

Re: This is the Only Bar in Town

Re: This is the Only Bar in Town