| 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

[keepscalm]

[Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin when the person revealed himself, a jolt of fear spiking through him at the sudden voice. He whirled in the direction of the noise, knife held at the ready and a spark of panic in his eyes.

But after a moment, staring into the barest hint of light in the cave and lingering on the quality of the voice, Arthur realised who it was. Naturally, anyone would sound familiar, as all of his fellow combatants were also his classmates, but this particular person tended to stand out, voice and all.

His tone was venturing, wary and tentative as he squinted into the cave to try and better make out his unwitting companion.] Alfred?

[redrightandblue]

[Alfred squinted through the darkness - his eyes were likely more adjusted to the cave's low light than Arthur's, but the awkward angle of his glasses curbed any advantage that gave him.

He stretched his neck out around the corner, the voice that echoed inside the cave's walls hardly hostile.] Arthur...?

[And for once Alfred's voice was soft, clearly unsure and laced with exhaustion. Adrenaline drained from him as his company was more 'friend' than 'foe'.]

You alright...? [Not because he thought Arthur sounded like shit, but he didn't want to come out there to a bloody mess because, honestly, he'd probably scream.]

[keepscalm]

[God, Alfred sounded terrible. Arthur had never heard him like this before, and this certainly wasn't the way he wanted to find out that the other boy's infinite enthusiasm wasn't so infinite after all.

Of course, it could be a ruse. But Arthur didn't want to believe that about— his friend? His whatever they are. His...friendly acquaintance.

Arthur wasn't a picture of cleanliness, himself. He'd taken the opportunity to rinse the blood from his skin and hair in the lake, but his clothes were still stained with it in faded brown splotches where he'd tried to scrub the garments clean. But he was hardly the terror that some of the other students were at this point. He hadn't killed anyone today.]

I'm all right. [In a very loose sense. He's alive and uninjured; that was about all he could ask for.] ...What about you?

[He did his best not to sound too worried as he asked, but he was never as good at hiding his feelings as he thought.]

[redrightandblue]

[Alfred had done his best not to notice the shake in his voice, but with it echoing around the cave like it was, he couldn't help it. But...that was just the echo, he really didn't sound that pathetic, just tired.

With that delusion firmly in place, Alfred finally stepped out of his hiding place.

Seeing Arthur brought more relief to him than panic, though that was in part due to how he refused to look directly at him. Hey, that rock over there was pretty interesting!]

I'm great! Well, you know, as great as anyone can be in a place like this...it's been too long since I've had a good soda! [He's trying his best to keep this normal, to keep everything casual. Especially with how concerned Arthur sounded; it didn't fit him.

Killing people, having your life at risk - Alfred didn't want to talk about any of that. It was heavy enough in the back of his mind without weighing on the front, too.

So here we have two idiots trying to mask their feelings with dubious success.]

[keepscalm]

[For a moment, Arthur was undecided as to if he wanted to allow Alfred to keep up his ruse. Because, damn it all, he really was concerned for his classmate. The idiot had grown on him, and it pained Arthur to know that only one of them could leave this island alive.

Ultimately, though, there was a part of Arthur that didn't want to deal with this, either. He was too young. He had a whole future ahead of him! And it wasn't fair to ask him to kill people, especially not when, somehow, he'd gotten very attached to one of those people. He almost wished Alfred had been in a different class. They probably wouldn't have gotten to spend as much time together, but at least he wouldn't be stuck here.

So, chasing his own selfish moment of peace, Arthur forced out a miserable laugh. It was one of the rare times he laughed around Alfred at all, which in and of itself was an obvious sign that not all was right in the world of Arthur Kirkland. And despite his efforts at humour, there was a sad edge to his words.] Honestly! What I wouldn't give for a decent cup of tea, myself.