thetube | Test Drive Meme: August 2015

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Welcome to the Underground test drive meme! This is where you can try out the AU version of your character, start some potential CR and get a feel for the world of the game. Choose your character's species, read up on the available factions and you're ready to go. Put your character's name in your subject line when you post, tag out, and have fun!

Note to current players: Activity in this meme counts as game canon! So you can use it for activity check. If you end up playing anything that you can't or don't want to use as game canon, it's fine to ignore it. (In that case you shouldn't submit it for activity check.)

For prospective players: Thinking about bringing a character to the game? Feel free to comment to our Potential CR Planning meme for OOC planning and discussion.

Here are some prompts to inspire you:

1) BABY COME BACK. Is there someone you miss? Maybe you've come to visit for the first time in months. Maybe you'll even stay.

2) FULL MOON. (29th August) Uh oh, it's that time of the month. Werewolves, have you been feeling more aggressive lately? A little short of temper? Better start preparing for your monthly transformation and hope that you don't get interrupted. And then there's the morning after, which feels like a massive hangover. Wait, where are your clothes?

3) CARNIVAL. (30th-31st August) It's the August bank holiday weekend and that can only mean one thing: the Notting Hill Carnival! With the sun high in the sky, enjoy the parade, the music and of course the food. Jerk chicken, anyone?

4) SPECIAL EFFECTS. There's nothing like a touch of subtle magic to add to the occasion. Dress up and show off. Mind you, there could be other supernatural types around who see straight through your tricks.

5) PARTY ALL NIGHT. It's not over when the sun goes down. Get yourself to one of the bars or after-parties and keep on partying. Just don't drink too much. You know it makes it harder to control your powers... and your urges.

6) BRAWL. The police work hard to keep London's gangs away from Carnival. When you have supernatural gangs to contend with, their job gets a whole lot harder. Drunk and disorderly or simply looking for an excuse to cause trouble, encounters between rival factions can soon become hostile. Now are you here to cause a fight or to stop it?

7) NIGHT IN JAIL. Oops. What did you do? And who's that with you?

8) CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. Anything goes.

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"Good. Mom likes hearing that kind of thing. You hungry? I have a cousin who runs a place not far from here."

Normally Kenzi would never make an offer like that to a total stranger but - he wasn't a stranger was he? He was from home. She was obligated to show him a good time and warm food by virtue of being a good Russian girl.

Okay maybe she wasn't actually a good Russian girl. But she had some values installed in her.

Normally, Illya doesn't accept meals from strangers. A restaurant is different, of course, but even then he's careful. This girl, though? Like her, he doesn't consider a fellow Russian to be a stranger. Merely an acquaintance.

"As long as it's warm and edible, I'd be grateful." Then, after a pause, his smile still in place. "Where is your mother from?"

Kenzi begins walking without much preamble. She could use some food herself, and she's got just the credit card (not hers) to pay for it. When he asks where her mother is from she has to think about it for one hot second before replying.

"Piter."

St. Petersburg, really. But her mom always called it that, so she figured it'd be appropriate to do that with someone from the country.

"I haven't been back since I was a kid though."

Most would say she still was a kid...

"A beautiful city. I lived there until I was twelve." The rest comes out before he can really think. Speaking in Russian to another Russian, it feels like a natural thing to talk about. "My father was the mayor."

A man trusted by government officials at a federal level. Who had decided to take more than his share of money. And his family had paid the real price for it. But that shame would be wiped from their name with his service.

Kenzi's brow flies up past her bangs and she pauses for a second in their walk to really drive home 'incredulous'.

"What, seriously?"

She doesn't look as if she believes you - but then, she regularly told people she was a princess for a while as a teen.

"Of course. Nikolay Ruslanovich Kurykain."

Illya Nikovitch Kurykain. It was a full name that was rarely used now. He was, at best, 'Kuryakin.' If someone was angry... Well. 'Nickovitch' was what was spat at him. Driving home the connection with his father he so wanted to break. But when he gave his father's name, he couldn't help but think of his own. Though, his large shoulders shrugged and he waved off the thought and the topic.

"It was a long time ago."

Edited 2015-12-10 07:04 (UTC)

She won't pretend she recognizes the name but if she told her grandmother she ran into Kurykain's son she'd get a reaction out of her. Too bad the old bat was dead.

"Well the evening's still young. I don't think we'll run out of coincidences yet."

Kenzi can spot the tea house down the block by it's bright red awnings and smiles up, and up at Illya.

"Hope you want something familiar."

It doesn't occur to her that she has yet to introduce herself.

Part of Illya is relieved to find his family name means nothing to her. Another part aches for home because of it. His family shame is well known, yes, but so is he. He isn't... quite so alone... as he is in this country. Still, he smiles a little nonetheless.

"Familiar sounds wonderful. Though-- you have yet to tell me your name. Or shall I just call you 'Cousin'?"

It's almost teasing, but there's real warmth behind the words. After all, in a foreign country, any Russian is as good as family.

Kenzi snorts a little at the offered name and she swipes her hands through the air in a slash as they walk up to the red awning'd building. The door is huge and the bouncer in front of it is equally so.

"I have way too many freaking cousins as it is, dude."

She smiles as prettily as she knows how at the bouncer and he doesn't so much as twitch back before opening the door silently. The inside is quite opulent.

"Kenzi'll do just fine."

"Kenzi," he repeats, giving a nod.

The inside of the building... Well. It's impressive, and he smiles a bit as he looks around. The smell tells him everything he needs to know about the food here. It ought to be just what he needs.

Kenzi sits them down in a booth and orders some 'tea'. The tea is vodka. But no self respecting Russian would admit to being a stereotype with what they drank.

As far as food goes, Kenzi just asks for 'the most homey thing' they had and leaves it at that.

"So. Illya. Whatcha doin' in London?"

Fishing for info? Of course. It doesn't matter if she tries to be subtle or not.

"Looking for a job," he replied.

It was true enough. Well. Mostly. He had a job. Even had the position if Redbright liked him enough. But that would sound odd. Coming here for a job as a security guard, which was all he would ever claim to being here.

Kenzi's whole face lights up as he tells her and if bouncing in her seat wasn't a good enough indicator of how excited she was to hear that she taps on the table like a kid getting told that pony they wanted was actually a unicorn.

"Really?!"

It occurs to her that just because he's huge doesn't mean he wants to be a bodyguard. So she tones it down. As much as Kenzi can tone down anything.

"I mean uh, what...kind of job?"

Kenzi folds her arms udner her chin and peers up at him with a look that already speaks to begging.

Illya arches an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. He can see the wheels turning in her head, though he can't say for certain what she's up to. He just knows what people look like when they scheme. Still, he keeps a small smile. After all, she's cute.

"I have an interview at Redbright Institute. Security."

Welp. There goes her excitement Illya. Down the drain with her dreams. She'd push away the shot of vodka that's set in front of her and the cup of tea that comes with it for you to mix at your discretion but she's economic and downs the shot pure. Tea is for the English.

"Ugh. Redbright? Seriously?"

Seriously? What is with all the eligible bodyguards being Sylvia's lackeys? She's just about ready to give up at this point.

"So what are you?"

She thinks it's a pretty fair question with him having seen hers and not done much more than raise a brow.

"It's a job."

More than that, but he, unlike a recent associate, is able to lie. Not that he often does. If anything, he does what fae do frequently. He weaves around the truth. He just... usually does it so bluntly that no one sees the evasion.

It works to his advantage.

Unlike her, he mixes his tea and drinks only that, leaving the vodka in front of him untouched. It's better for everyone if he abstains from drinking. Except under particular circumstances.

At her question, he smiles just a bit. It's fair, certainly. He knows what she is.

"Wolf."

Kenzi makes a noise and nods before reaching over the table and taking his vodka. If he was gonna drink it, he would already. She sets down the glass and gestures to herself with a loose wrist.

"Witch. Obviously."

Illya gave a small nod when she took his vodka. He smiled ever so faintly.

"I thought so. But not English."

It's partially a question.

Kenzi wouldn't be her if she didn't roll her eyes at his question.

"Not obvious?"

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Test Drive Meme: August 2015

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