insiders | TEST DRIVE MEME

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test drive

TEST DRIVE MEME

ΩUTSIDERS
TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to the

outsiders test drive meme! You can use this post to tag with characters you're interested in bringing to the game or who you'd like to try out in the setting.

Landing zone

Please set all threads in one of three areas: the landing zone, where your character get off the shuttle upon arrival; the markets, where your character might run into any of the station's alien population; or in the residential district they'll be staying in.

φ Please give the name and canon of your character in the subject line! OCs and AUs are welcome.
φ You may use threads from this post as a log sample, so long as it has at least 5 of your comments in action tags or prose.
φ You can keep CR from this meme if both players agree to it OOCly, and so long as you keep interactions to these starting areas.
φ Apps open on 1/27; the game opens 2/2.
φ You can find more information on our setting here, and our navigation is here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Do I look like a native to you?

[Still irritable, he glances over at her, analyzing her carefully. The laughter is...definitely off-putting, but the way she clutches her head reminds him of the pain his cousin endures in secret everyday. His demeanour softens very, very slightly, and when he speaks he sounds more gruff than angry.]

If you have any information about this place and perhaps a horse so that I may ride back home, then you may be of some use to me yet. As you probably have neither, then there is nothing else left for us to talk about. You'd have best speak to someone else if you're searching for answers, girl, because I have none to give you myself.

No... [Or at least his appearance didn't seem to mesh well with the surroundings.] But I -- eheh -- I don't know! I just got here!

[She furrows her eyebrows at the mention of a horse, before looking around the area. What kind of a place was he from anyway? The idea of people from different times being brought together in one place was far too ridiculous of an idea for even her to comprehend right now, so she just figured he was from a really technologically backwards place.]

I don't know anything about this place, but, ah, aren't you going to need more than a horse to get out of here? Hahaha? Like maybe one of those vehicles I woke up next to?

I have travelled from the capital to Hefei with a horse; I see no reason why I cannot escape with one.

[No one has explained the concept of space and Relays to him yet. God help the poor person who tries.]

Where are you from? Your pale skin seems to suggest that you are from the North, but you do not look like any of the tribesmen that I have seen skulking around the borders.

[She had no idea about where or what Hefei was, but she was at least going to trust that he was good with a horse.]

Do they have mechanical horses, where you're from?

[Because being from a world where there were all sorts of brutal wars going on, she still wasn't about to believe that he could travel through a battlefield on a regular horse.]

And from your appearance, I assume you're from somewhere in Asia -- heeheehee -- but I don't know much about what goes on there; none of the major PMCs had any business over there. I don't know what "tribesmen" you speak of -- haha -- but I wasn't one of them.

[Clearly, this conversation was going smoothly.]

Are you trying to make fun of me, girl? I warn you , I am in no mood for jests. A horse is a horse; the men of the Liang plains would tell you that different breeds have different traits, but they will all get you from one place to another.

[Aka, he does not know what a mechanical horse is, but he's too proud to admit as such. Add all the other lingo like "Asia" and "PMC" and he's now convinced she's slightly off in the head. ]

You are rambling; are you taken with fever?

[He's going to reach up to her forehead to check her temperature.]

I am from the Han Empire; it may be but a thin, pathetic shadow of what it once was, but surely it is still famous enough for even a foreign women to know its name.

[She shakes her head quickly at his accusation.]

No! Eheheh! I don't know the men of Liang plains at all, but maybe-- maybe that's your specialty! I just don't know how you'd get a horse past a Gekko!

[Because he would totally know about bipedal robots that moo, totally.

But once he reaches out to her, she flinches back, confused to what he was trying to do.]

I'm sorry, but I've never heard of it -- heeheehee -- are you a soldier, then?

I'm an army commander, what else did you think I was? Now stay still and stop fidgeting, I'm not going to hurt you!

[No, she isn't sick, but she was still babbling. Maybe the shock of ending up in this place had gotten to her? She seemed a mess; Xiahou Dun could in no good conscience leave her to her own devices. Some of the guards here, especially the big ugly brutes, were not kind to the newcomers, and if she kept grabbing people this way she'd get into trouble eventually.

It is important to get back home. But perhaps he could spare a minute or two to help her out. Besides, her questions (Who, What, Where, When and How) were ones relevant to his own search for a way out. By helping her, he could help himself. It's a win-win situation.]

You're obviously hopeless at this. Go sit over there at that corner and wait for me, understand?

[He points at a relatively quiet corner with fewer shady characters around.]

Don't touch or speak to anyone. When I get back, I'll have your answers.

[Even if she was used to being around harsh men, like him, that constantly barked out orders, the Beauty never was good at following orders. Even in her fragile state of mind, she didn't feel comfortable with letting a complete stranger order her around. So, at his command, she grimaces with a defiant tilt of her head.]

Eheh! If I can just find my suit, I won't be so hopeless! Besides, how can I trust you? Heeheehee? I just met you and you're already telling me to do things!

Because you don't have a choice. If you keep going on like this, you're going to end up crossing the wrong person. Not every man is as patient as I am, girl, and you're obviously not in a state to ask anyone anything! Besides...

[At this, he looks away, refusing to meet her eyes. He would not let her see the uncertainty in his own.]

I have questions that are similar to yours. I need to ask them anyway.

[Her expression tenses up as she considers his words, knowing that there was at least a little truth in them; after being in a suit for around four years and convincing herself that she was an Octopus, dealing with people outside of the battlefield was something that she was going to have to adapt herself to again.

However, she really didn't want to have to stay in one spot either, in an unfamiliar territory.]

Then let me come with you! Hahaha! I'm-- I'm not as good at hiding, without my suit!

[To be honest, Xiahou Dun isn't the best at making first good impressions either. But he can be civil if need be, and this looks like one of those times.]

Fine. Just don't get in my way and let me do all the talking.

[With a small "hmph", he takes a look around them, trying to find someone willing enough to answer a question or two. Or at least, someone he could intimidate into doing so. Perhaps this small, chubby thing in a suit that had walked up to him and was now trying to sell him some weird instrument. He could care less about upgrades to whatever an Omni-tool is, but at least the Volus was a native who could actually speak and not just grunt or growl at him. To Dun's credit, he started out just asking simple questions. It was clearly the Volus's fault for trying to charge him for answers. That's what Dun thinks anyway, as he dangles the pudgy being by one foot and starts shaking him.]

[She follows Dun around, managing to keep her hands to herself, but still staring perhaps a little too long at all of the aliens around her. Once he stops at the unsuspecting volus, however, LB stares at the thing with a sense of wonderment.

It was almost cute, in a way, as it somewhat resembled an over-sized toy. Was that an actual, living being in there? Or was it merely a little robot?

Regardless, the Beauty was a shady person herself, so she didn't take issue to the rough tactics that Dun used on the little merchant. In fact, she leans down, pivots her head to try to look at the creature from an upside-down perspective, and stares curiously.]

What's an "omni-tool" anyway? Eeheehee? [It's unclear if she was asking the volus or Dun the question, but perhaps both, since she didn't quite grasp that her temporary traveling companion was from an era far before hers.] Sounds useful.

[The Volus squeaks out a description about the Omni-tool, but Dun stopped listening after the word "computer". Instead he glances at the woman from the side, not very happy to have someone interrupt his questioning.]

Do you mind? I'm trying to get answers here.

[And by trying, it means he's drawn his sword and lifting the blade up to the mask of the alien. He doesn't understand the significance of the gas mask and how important it is to the Volus's survival, but the Volus does and starts to beg for mercy.]

Then you'd better start giving me answers, beast. Less I cut you up and skin you alive!

[Unlike Dun, she listens to what she can of the Omni-tool's description before looking over to the odd contraption she woke up with -- so that's what that was? So focused on looking over the item, the Beauty barely even registers Dun's protest to her interrupting.

However, his mention of the word "beast" cuts through to her sharply, as it was a word she had become accustomed to being referred to, in the last several years of her life; it was a word synonymous with all of the bad things she ever did, the sins she couldn't seem to cleanse herself of. Staring back at the scene before her, she frowns and slowly rises back up to a standing position. After a few moments of hesitation, she averts her eyes away.]

Eheheheh... he's not the one that's the "Beast" here.

[Perhaps greedy and perhaps a little stupid, but from the little she knew of the volus, he didn't deserve to be categorized in the same category as her. While those words were almost as quiet as a mutter, her next words are vocalized in a louder fashion, as if it would distract from her previous musing.]

Maybe we should be using these Omni-tools to get information -- eheheh -- they seem to be some - odd sort of computer, if what he says is true.

[He felt a twinge of annoyance; exactly who was she calling a beast here!? But her attempt at changing the topic worked, especially when she mentions that one can use the Omni-tool for information.]

Then get to it, girl. You try that contraption on your arm; I'll continue with this willing and helpful gentlemen.

[The look he levels the Volus spells out his intentions pretty clear; talk or die. The poor merchant starts talking alright, and by the end of it Dun's got a better idea of where they are and where they stand. There are other questions that still need answers of course, ("What the hell is a relay...?") but at least the basic idea of them being stuck here for the time being gets through. Not that Dun's happy with the answer either; it puts him in a foul mood, but he does let go of the Volus as promised, along with a sharp warning never to get in his sight ever again.]

[She felt a little annoyed herself that he was still barking out orders to her, but the Beauty supposed that she was going to try to tinker around with it anyway. So after a short, nearly inaudible huff, she gets to trying to figure the tool out... even if she never was much of a technological genius, outside of the seamless way her Octopus suit connected with her body.

After a minute or two, she still has a strained smile, from stressing her mind out over this, but addresses Dun as she thoughtfully presses a couple of buttons.]

I'm not sure if you can access any sort of information at all, actually -- heheh -- but I think you can communicate with different people through this? Maybe we can find people more willing to give out information this way...

[That's unfortunately just how Dun is; snapping and barking is how he interacts with nearly everyone. Her explanation of the Omni-tool is good enough to get him slightly curious and he leans over slightly towards hers, looking at all the buttons. Beauty may not know it, and Dun is definitely not one to admit it, but he is apprehensive of all this technology. It's only his pride that has kept him from freaking out ever since he was forced out of the space ship onto the landing zone. So Beauty's hypothesis about the Omni-tool is secretly welcomed indeed.]

The...Volus [that's what the creature had called himself, right?] said that we are in a place called, "Omega". A person called "Aria" is the ruler of this denigrate hole; there are no strict rules or governing body, but apparently there is only one rule that all citizens of Omega must obey.

Don't mess with Aria.

[Xiahou Dun hmmphs and shakes his head. Rubbish. This Aria person doesn't hold a candle to Lord Cao Cao.]

[She listens to what Dun says, rubbing her temples as the severity of the situation sunk into her head, once again. Before, she had at least been on the side of the strongest PMC force on earth, but now she was the one at the disadvantage and in her experience, bad shit happened to her when she was put in such a position.] I-- I don't know this Aria -- heeheehee -- but clearly, she knows this terrain better than either of us combined; she really does have the advantage over either of us, for now.

[It was a hard thing to admit, but without her Octopus suit, she was nearly powerless. She still had a gun and she could deplete people's energy through hugs, of all things, but she had the feeling that those abilities weren't going to do a whole lot against enemies she hadn't gotten the chance to stake out just yet.]

For now.

[He repeats, one hand gripping the hilt of his podao. No matter how impossible the situation, Dun knows that he will, must even, rise above this all and secure a way back to his cousin and lord.

He won't let anything get in his way.]

What's your name, girl?

[If he's going to take on this city's biggest power, he's going to need some allies.]

Octopus. Laughing Octopus.

[But as soon as she introduces herself that way, she furrows her eyebrows, confused. That was the name she was referred to the most often, in the past four years, but she wasn't much of an Octopus now.]

No... heheheh... no, maybe not anymore...

[But there was one other name she was referred to as, even if it was far less common.]

I-- I suppose it's "Laughing Beauty" now. That's what my superiors called me, anyway.

[Satisfied with that answer, she looks back to Dun as her eyes curiously scanned his appearance yet again.]

Who are you?

The name's Xiahou Dun.

[He barely raises an eyebrow at her name though; Chinese naming customs had parents naming their children with characteristics and positive words. His own name, "Dun", means sincere. He supposed his parents called him that in hopes that he would be honest in his dealings. If her superiors chose to call her "Laughing Beauty", then perhaps they wanted her to smile more. Certainly she took their intent to an extreme; Dun found her constant giggles very annoying.]

You appear somewhat familiar with all these gadgets. [And by gadgets, he gestures at the electronics and wires that make up Omega.] Perhaps I was wrong to write you off as useless from the start. But you must take care of how you speak and to whom you're speaking to, especially here. There are too many men with evil designs on their minds, especially for one with a pretty face such as yourself.

[She did have a birth name, but no one had referred to her by that name for... how long had it been anyway? Seven years? In that amount of time, the name was almost foreign to her, and she was far more conditioned to being referred to as a Beast, rather than a human. It was odd to be in a place like this, where there wasn't any obvious warring going on.

She's surprised that he seems to think that she's "useful" just because she had a passing knowledge of technology and it shows on her face -- the remark about her beauty didn't even faze her as she knew it was one of her few assets she carried, obvious when one of her codenames actually drew focus to that side of her.]

You really think appearances matter, in a place like this? Eheh? How odd...

[Indeed, that never mattered on the battlefield. Though again, perhaps the focus of this place wasn't on the battlefield? Oh, this was all so terribly confusing! She considers Dun's words before pulling out her gun -- a sort of submachine gun -- out for display.]

I may not have my tentacles, but I have this, heheh! If anyone tries to fuck with me, I'll kill them! [And she seems so nonchalant about stating that fact too. After what she went through, it didn't seem to be a big deal to strike down anyone first that might threaten her security.]

... But thanks, Xiahou. [Also, she doesn't understand the Chinese naming order.]

Appearances don't make up a measure of a person, but they can attract the wrong kind of attention.

[The piece of metal she's waving around hardly impresses Dun. It's not sharp, and apart from bludgeoning damage what else can it do? He'll keep to his podao and his sword, thanks.]

I fail to see how that small thing you're carrying can protect you. Can you even fight? And it's Xiahou Dun. Not Xiahou. It's a double surname. Have you never heard of one before?

It's not that small! It's bigger than a typical handgun, you know! Eeheehee! And it fires a lot faster than one too! And of course I know how to shoot a gun, if that's what you're asking!

[Even though she was still a pretty piss-poor hand-to-hand fighter and would be terrible at using any weapon that wasn't her suit or a gun.

After her initial protesting, however, she calms down to answer Dun's second question, rubbing one hand near her neck..]

But, ah, no... I hadn't heard of them before. Eheh... sorry, Xiahou Dun.

[A gun? He's never heard of those before. He regards the item with some scepticism; there were no arrows, not even stones. What would this "gun" fire, and how effective could it be?

There was only one way to find out.]

Shoot that glass jar over there.

[He points to an empty bottle, conveniently placed on a nearby abandoned shelf. Bottles had yet to be invented by 2nd century AD either, unfortunately.]

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