| test drive |

[attribution]

Welcome to The Lottery’s test drive meme! Before we get to the prompts, here are a few things to note:

Though you may only have ONE active character per round, you are free to play as many characters you wish on the TDM. Later, you will have the opportunity to bench characters if you want to try another, but only after you’ve been accepted.

Please be sure to thoroughly look through our FAQ so that you have a good understanding of the game’s mechanics. Also be sure to browse the information provided on both The Attribution Study and Shiroiwa for a better idea of the setting.

The date for the next round of Reserves is: February 29th
The number of currently available character slots is: 25

Important Note: A thread of 9 comments in the TDM (with at least 5 comments from your character) will count towards both sample requirements in the application. Consider this a special bonus for getting your feet wet in our community!

If your thread does not reach the required amount of comments, it may still be used as the In-World Sample in your application.

Flashback/Background threads in the TDM may be reposted to Shiroiwa Academy’s Community if both players were accepted into the game.

Provided below are some sample scenarios, but please feel free to plot and play whatever you’d like!

Sample Scenarios:

Sample 1:

You’ve just transferred to one of the three grade levels in Shiroiwa Academy and have yet to make any friends. Sure, people showed you around, but nothing has quite stuck yet. So as the lunch bell goes off, you pull out your bento and prepare to eat alone when another student saddles up beside you. Perhaps they’re being friendly or perhaps they simply want to mooch off of your food. Whatever the reasoning, you’re now stuck in some form of communication whether you like it or not.

Sample 2:

Everyone just loves partner projects, don’t they? Your teacher has randomly assigned you a partner, and now you both must come up with a presentation to show the class. Are you the type who does all the work? Do you push for fair exchange? Or perhaps you have no plans to do any work at all. Whichever it is, your partner is now moving their stuff to sit at the desk next to you. Better gather your might and prepare to weather the oncoming storm…

Sample 3:

It’s March 14, 20XX. You have been kidnapped and taken to the island, given your randomized duffle bag, and are now either desperately seeking shelter or methodically preparing to hunt down your weaker classmates. Whatever it is, you stumble upon another student - whether you know them well or not doesn’t matter. The rules have already been made clear to both of you - only one person gets to win. You need to either escape, kill, or attempt to make a truce with this classmate. What will you do?

Sample 4:

Your weapon broke. Perhaps it snapped as you embedded it into the skull of one of your classmates, or perhaps it was simply a stroke of bad luck. You return to the hideout you created for yourself, seeking a weapon you’d taken from a fallen student. But as you near the space, you realize something is off. There is some telltale sign that another has been here… Are they still around? Will you investigate? What if your stockpile has been pilfered by another student?

Comments

[egaode]

[It's a strange feeling, the sensation of cold steel sliding against bone, it's a stranger feeling when that bone shifts, when the space between them widens, when soft tissue twists and tears to make room for something unyielding.

He feels like he can almost hear it groan under the strain, but of course he can't. He feels like he's going to vomit from the awful, uncanny sensation of it, but of course he doesn't.

He grins. And he shifts. Gets his other foot under him, presses harder into Takasugi's neck, makes to stand slowly, slowly, so he doesn't lose his leverage over him, so he can eliminate any openings Takasugi might be able to desperately grasp at, when stepping forward would crush his windpipe. It's a threat - he's stopped short of the final blow, but he doesn't have to - even with pain spidering up his arm, even with the knife brushing nerves and making his fingers twitch erratically on Takasugi's hand, out of his control.

That doesn't matter. That's why his other hand is gripping his wrist. Just in case.]

Let go, Shinsuke.

[toukai]

[That must be an interesting experience - Takasugi was only getting the remnants, the tremors and the cracks of bone that coursed down his aching arm as the knife ticked away at Kamui's flesh.

Though the only thing he really considered himself to be missing was the bright trail of red that would spring from the mangled hand when the knife was removed. A sight he hoped to be conscious to see.

The black ringing his vision brought that goal into precarious prospects.

Kamui standing up would crush his windpipe and press his final breath from his body on the whim of a chipper hop.

The worst part about this situation? He had to take Kamui's advice.

Takasugi let go of the knife, sliding fist into palm to slam his hands against Kamui's knee - standing with a food on a man's windpipe did no favors for one's balance. Whatever window was given to him Shinsuke would take, immediately rolling out of reach.

He'd meant to stand right away, but a short fit of coughing to regain his breath gave just a moment of delay before he was on his feet.]

[egaode]

[The bright trail of red would come, in time, when it would be for the best to remove the knife. Now wasn't it. Now would be giving Takasugi the knife back, and would be a haphazard removal that was sure to cause more harm.

Unfortunately, Takasugi was right, he was off balance just enough that the well-placed strike sent him tumbling. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. Normally, he'd tumble to the side and push off the ground and end up back on his feet in a moment.

The problem with that was normally there wasn't a knife in his hand.

the hilt in his palm embedded itself in the soft dirt and twisted as his body did, scraped nerves and sent numb vibrations all the way up his arm sapped strength, landing him on his knees and curled over instead of back on his feet, a sound of pain and surprise just barely choked back.

Moving to pull it out of the ground made it worse, and he couldn't dig it out quickly enough to face Takasugi down so he switches tactics, again. Offers him a smile, a laugh that he hopes doesn't sound as nervous as it could.]

Ah- haha... My luck's run out, it looks like.

[toukai]

[Nervous, huh? Between strangled vocal chords calling out alarm and nerves whispering their last breaths in his words, Kamui certainly resonated the concept beautifully.

Takasugi stood still, the lack of immediate attack a very likely indicator that one would never come. His vision was still blurred, ebbing back into focus, so his surveillance of Kamui's situation took longer than it should have - but he didn't begrudge appearing to take his time.

So much so, that he would begin to do just that.

The teen let Kamui's jovial implicit plea for mercy settle in the stale forest air as he crossed their battleground. He bent, lifting Kamui's bag with indifference and slinging it over his shoulder. The bat was next, dragged up from the dirt to it's new owner.

Only after adjusting his new effects would Takasugi approach Kamui, keeping enough distance to be out of arm and leg's reach.] Wouldn't do for it to run completely dry. [A water bottle, dug out during his adjustments, tossed to Kamui.]

[egaode]

[Takasugi's hesitance gave Kamui the chance to assess his situation. Nerves were dulled, but not deadened - he could flex and press fingers into the dirt, could feel the seeping would through his hand, but it felt odd. He suspected the adrenaline rush from finding someone would alleviate that.

Or from a snarky asshole stealing his things and rubbing it in, to boot.

But Takasugi had stayed just out of reach, probably figuring he'd be angry, but wouldn't come after him right away. After all, he had a pretty serious injury to tend to, right?

With no supplies.

So he had nothing to lose, really, but also didn't have a good opening, so he's left to seethe, and wait, with blood rushing in his ears telling him to just go for it, just lash out at him, he deserves it...

It doesn't simmer down, the longer he waits, and he can't even really keep up his (forced, for now) lopsided grin.]

No, it wouldn't.

[Just walk away, asshole, jeez.]

[toukai]

[The purpose was to allow Kamui to discover how hopeless his situation was. Though it had done it's job a bit too well.

Forcing the other into a corner had been his intention, but not something that would elicit an immediate reaction. The idea was to trap the animal and let it pace and writhe, let it wet it's lips with drool for the next time it could eat-

But push it too far - make survival not a matter of nourishment but of simply being the first to sink one's fangs in - and they'd be rolling in the dirt until one of them was put there permanently.

Takasugi gave Kamui another lagging glance of consideration. Was there a spark in his eyes? Or were they dulled by pain?

One way to find out.

The boy turned, fingers drumming on the baseball bat and shoulders rolling to support the supplies on his back. He'd walk away, just like you wanted, but the way the balls of his feet rolled against the leaves betrayed his poise to react.]

[egaode]

[Was there a spark? Yes. Were they dulled by pain? Also, yes, but as Takasugi turns, the spark builds back to a proper flame. As he walks away, Kamui brings his other hand to the flat of the blade.

As he observes how ready Takasugi is to react, he shifts, getting his feet under him properly, because he'll have only seconds to strike, so it had better be a good one.

An animal, cornered and starving, but not caged, that was the mistake, because he can still fight. He was ready to stop it, save it, but... well, to do that, he'd have to make it to the end, and there was no guarantee he would be able to, now, with his supplies taken, so it's disappointing, but he supposes their fight can be now, unless something else sees fit to end it prematurely.

He'll steady his breathing, wait until Takasugi is four long paces away, and then strike, pull the knife and his hand up from the ground in one movement, keeping it lodged, but wrapping his fingers around the hilt to keep it secure. He'll use forward momentum to run, three quick steps, and then a jump up and forward just before he enters striking distance with the bat, aiming to come down knife-first and...

Well, if Takasugi's taking everything, then he needs to take his weapon back, doesn't he?]