aurorastation | Test Drive Meme (12)

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Test Drive Meme (12)

test drive meme

Your character wakes up in a neat bedroom in their team carriage, in nondescript underwear. They might be missing their memories, or their special abilities, or they may just feel a little queasy. Next to them is what seems to be a smartphone, which they know how to use even if they never had before, even if they don't know if they have before. On the screen is a simple message:

Welcome aboard the Aurora!

You have been selected by the Star Prince as a potential hero, tasked with saving the universe from Malice. As a passenger I, your Construct and Conductor, will attempt to provide you with quality lodgings and safety. In return, we ask that you join your fellows in making bonds and doing your utmost to bring joy back to the Stars.

Due to the process of restoring your body, you may find some things are missing. We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to return them to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation.

★ One

Upon investigation, you'll find some basic clothes matching your team's theme in the storage provided in your room. Or, perhaps, you're wandering out of the room still undressed. Either way, downstairs you'll find someone has left a tray of cups of hot tea on the living room table. Drinking it may be simply pleasant, or it may cause you to feel a sudden need to warm up to the others in your carriage -- emotionally or physically. Welcome to the team, newbie!

☆ Two

Shortly after your arrival, you find yourself wrapped up in some monster NPC's Game. You're inside what appears to be a stone temple, with a massive golden scale on one wall. Suddenly, on one side, a heavy metal weight is dropped. As the scales tip out of balance, the floor begins to slowly disappear, brick by brick, ready to drop you -- and whoever is with you -- into an abyss. Your only hope comes in the form of an inscription on the altar:

How much do your secrets weigh?

Every secret you tell causes a weight to fall onto the other side of the scale. The bigger the secret, the bigger the weight. If you can collectively tip the scales, the floor will quit dropping bricks and a door will appear to allow you back to the train. If you can't, you'll fall, seemingly forever, til you pass out. When you wake up you'll find yourself unable to lie.

★ Three

You've been on the Aurora for awhile, but this is new. One morning, you awaken to find yourself in the lounge, rather than your own bed. On your Chain is a screen showing a key, with three unmarked check boxes and a note: you've been locked out of your carriage, and must make a meaningful pact of some sort with three people, on or off your team, to enter. Pinky promises are always encouraged!

☆ Four

Wildcard. Make up your own prompt! Check out the setting and team pages for info on the train. If you have any questions, ask on the q&a page. Otherwise, apps open on January 8! In the meantime you're free to join us on Discord.

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[ that's an ice cold reaction, but sadly, he's used to it from rin. that is how she has behaved to him recently. however, it is water off a duck's back because he doesn't let it phase him. why would he? it isn't as if he hates her.

he's just sad. ]

... I got locked out of my carriage.

[ Her mind is spinning at a thousand kilometers a second, feeling very off-balanced and severely out of sorts. It's hard enough to hold her distance from him, moreso when she didn't expect him in the first place.

But she can handle this, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before she responds. Keeping her face as carefully blank as she can manage. ]

I'd suggest you keep your chain on you at all times-- your phone. It's what lets you in.

[ She pauses, then adds-- ]

One of your team members should be able to help you.

Oh.

I have it. [ he steps towards her, partly to test the boundaries and partly so he can take the chain from his pocket and show it off to her with the message it came with. ]

I don’t know if one of them letting me in will work. [ and, maybe he should ask. but with rin in front of him, he doesn’t exactly what to leave unless he is forced to do so. perhaps one will see it as a lame excuse and yet he doesn’t want to give up that chance to use it. ]

[ Rin knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she should pull away. She knows that, as intimately and familiarly as she knows Haru himself. But though she keeps herself carefully apart from him, her arms folded across her chest, she does not yet move. ]

I haven't tested it.

[ She wants him to go away now. She wants to hold onto him and never let go.

She still doesn't move. ]

[ no reaction is better than a negative reaction. for a second, hatsuharu looks away and puts his phone back into his pocket. ]

Then it might not work.

[ it won’t surprise him if it doesn’t at least. he doesn’t move. ] Do you not wish to help me?

[ Rin is intensely aware of him at all times, even as she glances towards him and then swiftly away. ]

I've answered your questions, haven't I?

[ Her tone comes out impatient, but the truth is all that she wants is to help him. Moreso than she can ever let him realize. ]

No.

[ he won’t let her get away that easily. fully prepared to get hurt by doing this, he puts his hand on one of his wrists and attempts to unfold her arms. ]

There is still more.

[ Her gaze snaps back towards him. ]

Haru--

[ The nickname slips out of her involuntarily, still every bit as familiar despite the distance she's forced between the two of them. (Then again, she doesn't know what she'd do if he ever called her "Isuzu.") Her arms do unfold at his touch, though she immediately pulls her wrist away from him. ]

I'll answer any questions you have about this place, but you can't touch me.

[ there is a faint smile that spreads out on his lips at the nickname, but it disappears shortly afterwards. ]

Why? [ just how long will she be in this? he pushes his brows in together for a moment. then, he relaxes and drops his hand down to his side for the time being. if she isn’t going to hold back then he won’t either. there’s no point if he has questions. ]

Hey, Rin, do you hate me?

[ That catches her entirely off-guard, her eyes flaring wide in distress. ]

Wha--

[ She's trying desperately to get together an icy mask of indifference but the cracks are already there, plain for him to see even as she swallows and tries to force out a cold tone. ]

Isn't that answer obvious by now?

[ It would help, perhaps, if her voice didn't quaver slightly as she said that. ]

[ the answer is painfully obvious, but it feels like she is lying to herself in his mind. ]

No. I want to hear it from your lips. [ he wants to see how she will act if she has to say it out loud. it won’t surprise him if she is able to spit the words out, it isn’t too hard to do. but, can she maintain the act while doing it is the question on his mind. ]

[ All she has to do is say the opposite of what she feels, right? She balls her hands at her fists, digging her nails sharply into her palms. It's painful, but the pain brings with it a clarity that helps her focus on what she's saying. ]

"Hate" is too strong a feeling, of course.

[ Because the opposite of "love" isn't "hate," it's... ]

I'm indifferent. I don't feel anything for you anymore. Perhaps I never did to begin with.

[ She manages to keep her voice level and steady the entire time, her gaze firmly fixed on him. But her fists, those are shaking at her side from the effort of it. She's dug her nails so deeply into her palms that she's drawn blood, a droplet trickling from the fingertips. ]

[ the words hurt. it is impossible to deny that and it takes him a second to swallow it down. but, that doesn't sound like her. his eyes flicker down to her hands and hatsuharu frowns.

‘don't touch me' is what she said. a wise person would pay attention and not make a second attempt, but no one said that he's wise.

in fact, the sight of blood just makes him mad. once again hatsuharu goes to grab her worst and if this attempt is successful, he will then it to show off her hand. ]

You're hurting yourself. Rin. Stop.

[ He's successful in grabbing her wrist and she looks at her hand, focusing on it rather than whatever face Haru is making. It's better if he's mad, she thinks to herself, though it would help if it were because of her words and not her actions. ]

You really should just move on, Haru.

[ She murmurs the words distantly as she stares at a droplet of blood. She isn't bleeding too badly at least, her nails didn't do that much damage. ]

[ fighting isn't going to change her mind, that much is obvious to him. as he takes in a deep breath, he lets go of her as he releases the breath. ]

Then you don't mind if I end up dead, right? [ it's a low blow, but that is exactly how he feels about the situation. sometimes denying is better than being alive if it hurts too much. ]

No, you can't--!

[ This time, the distress is too real, too bright and sharp to keep from her voice, from her tone. Even as she cradles her hand to her chest she's looking at him with undisguised dismay.

If Haru dies-- if Haru dies, then everything was for nothing. She could never forgive herself for it. ]

I can. Why shouldn't I?

[ he'll do it in a dumb way most likely, or maybe a heroic? he heard that sometimes they have to face danger her and if means protecting people, he doesn't mind getting hurt in the process. ]

[ The distress is still there but she channels it into anger, fire snapping in her eyes as she draws herself up as tall as she is capable of. ]

If you want to die so badly--

[ She manages to say "die" without her voice quavering, she's almost proud of herself. ]

--then don't expect me to stand around and watch you do it!

[ he shouldn't be surprised that is her reaction. it stings, but it will roll off of him.

he feels like it's a lie. however, there's nothing he can do if she says it's the truth. ]

Okay. Sure.

[ He says that so calmly and it cuts into her as sure and deep as any blade might. Surely that would have been less painful. ]

If that's really what you want--

[ She feels like her words are strangling her, like her own voice is trying to squeeze the breath out of her. ]

--if you want to throw away your life, then...!

[ She's trying to say it's his life, that he can do what he wants with it, but she's got terrible mental images behind her eyes and she can't even finish what she's saying. It's all she can do to keep the tears threatening to overflow at bay. ]

[ he's a real, well, cow sometimes. ]

It isn't like there is any reason to not.

[ hatsuharu rubs the back of his neck and comes off as if it isn't a big deal because, in his mind, it isn't too much. ]

Should I leave you alone?

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Test Drive Meme (12)

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1/2

Done.

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