cityofsin_ooc | Test Drive Meme 008

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Test Drive Meme 008

Test Drive Meme

Considering apping to the City of Sin, but unsure of who to bring or if they'll fit? Feel free to give the setting a test drive here! These are a perfect way of getting your playing sample done for the application.

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→ Comment with the character you'd like to test drive in the setting, with name and canon in the subject line
→ Choose a scenario, or create your own
→ Tag around

Possible Scenarios
01. A New Arrival: Hello, New Person! You seem to have found yourself on a sidewalk in the City of Sin with nothing but the clothes on your back and a stomach chruning feeling of being displaced. Thankfully, the streets are full of people - Watch out that you don't get mugged!

02. Demonic Presences: You were just minding your own business, weren't you? But that's always when bad things seem to happen, and the City of Sin isn't really that friendly. Whatever bar or street you're hanging out in suddenly go dim, filing the area with an unnerving feeling as the shadows on the walls jump out into reality. We suggest you phone a friend for help, or maybe try running?

03. Party Hard: You've been invited to a massive, elegant party at the Tower that spills out it's doors in welcome, by someone who calls themselves the Emperor. Obviously that's weird, but maybe you can get some free drinks and food out of it! This place might not be so bad.

04. Prominence: The City of Sin influences it's population on a weekly basis. Too bad you came right smack dab in the middle of a heavy Prominence. Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, or Pride. Choose your choice of sin and be wicked.

05. Trouble: Not everyone is sunshine and roses here. Some people are violent and cruel, raised in the sludge of a sinful city. And they like to pick on people they think can't fight back. Are you that person? Or are you the Hero who can't stand to watch? Worse yet, could you be the person doing the instigating? Villian.

06. Carnival: The City has carnivals or festivals now and then; you're lucky to catch one! With it's open booths filled with cork gun games and funnel cakes, how can someone not have any fun! Go win your darling a stuffed animal, or meet someone new on the spinning cup ride. You might even see someone you know being talked into sitting in the Dunk Tank.

07. Wild Card: Choose your own adventure in the game's setting!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Impact consumed most of Devi's time now days and she'd sank into it with a fever. Art had expanded from canvas and paints; Devi was delving into ceramics, dabbling in what she had for Draco's housewarming gift.

She hadn't visited OHM since Caius had left, aside from when she found out and the Halloween party, but she still had his CD. It still got played. Right now, the headphones hanging around her neck where blasting out some house techno and Devi was wrapping up yet another sale with a local.

Her hands, forever paint-stained gestured as she talked and there wasn't a hint to be had that her world would get tumbled over once Caius came through her doors.

It was during a few quiet moments in his office that the Roman realised there was someone else he wanted to see. Was it too soon? Hell, it had been a little over a month, yes, but that was really nothing in the grand scheme of things. Especially there in the City, time had its way of moving slower and between how long it had been for him and true time there, well..

Caius wanted to see her. At least let her know he was back -- yet again -- without her finding out through someone else, or on the network. So he grabbed his leather jacket and headed over to the gallery he and Gork helped a little with.

Once through the doors, he glanced deeper in, hearing her voice as she spoke with someone. He couldn't see either at first, but when he stepped into view, bright blue eyes settled right on her.

He lifted a hand in hello, but said nothing and wouldn't until she excused herself from whatever company she was currently in talks with.

The air was sucked out of the room when her eyes landed on him. Devi waves a few fingers back, lips tilting slightly as she finished her conversation. Every bitter and cheated feeling that she'd had since he left rushed to the surface and Devi took the half minute as she shuffled her customer towards the door to remind herself that it wouldn't do any good.

Feeling very rarely did.

Once the door shut, Devi turned to him, hands slipping in her pocket.

"Caius. You're back." She wanted to rush over and throw her arms around him but she didn't. She wanted to know how much was different. He remembered her obviously - she'd seen too many people not, to not catch those cues, but what he remembered or anything else was up to chance.

While she did that, Caius let himself look at the walls. Most of the pieces were ones he had never seen, but there were a couple that were familiar to him. Or, seemed to be. Things were still trying to fall back, weave, mesh back together and seeing her brought back emotions, definitely. Ones that were both good and not so good; happy and heartbreaking.

There was also that prolonged few seconds where he maybe hoped she would rush over and throw her arms around him. But, things had changed, even before he left and judging by the distance he felt, Devi was guarding.

But so was he. It's the reason why he didn't move closer towards her. As if that would keep and make things easier for her especially.

Still, he gave her a true, genuine smile and gave a nod. "Yeah, I am. Not that I had much of a choice. You know how the City works." He shrugged pathetically and laughed similarly. "You look good. And the place looks amazing."

She was guarding and with good reason. The seams that had been so neatly stitched in her heart dissolved the longer she stood in the same space as him and part of her despaired at that weakness, keeping her firmly in a subtly agonizing whirlwind that was classified as 'of her own making'.

God save her from men with her best interests in mind.

Devi walked towards him until they were a few feet away, unwilling to cage herself X number of yards away from him and wearing a slanted half smile. She was sure there would be ample opportunity, rife with all the right reasons to do so later.

"Thank you. It's a shame you missed opening night; I wanted you to see it." To celebrate what he had helped her build. "Business has expanded a little bit now," she said, stepping past him with a gesture of her hand towards the chest high counter, and one such example.

"Things could be worse." Her way of saying things weren't horrible. And they weren't. It made the whole situation.. Sadder. But she would smile her crooked half smile, since she was glad to see him back, in spite of everything.

"How long have you been back?"

Edited 2016-08-27 22:25 (UTC)

There were several moments during the two years Caius spent away in his world in the month he was gone in the City that he couldn't understand. Moments where his heart felt shattered, and brief periods where it seemed he longed for something or something that seemed so blurred and obscure. Just like certain dreams he'd had of a place he couldn't remember ever being before, with a faceless person who seem to conjure up emotions that left him feeling empty.

None of it made sense before, but it did now. Funny how his subconscious dealt with it, too, deciding without much argument from his heart that he couldn't stand the pain of watching someone leave, or worse, die.

Outwardly now, Caius seems far more calm and reserved than he's ever been before. He shows an obvious weariness, and an essence of surrender. But the immortal smiles regardless and it's one she knows and has seen numerous times.

Eyes follow her and he offers a look of apology at missing her big night. He would have been there, showing his support no matter the tension it would have caused, mostly with her current boyfriend. Not that it would have stopped the Roman.

"I'm really happy for you, Dev." he said honestly, bringing his eyes back from the ceramic rabbits with a nod of his head. "This morning, actually. I went straight to the club first. Got caught up on the last month and started making my rounds."

Given it was only mid afternoon, she'd be able to see he made seeing her a priority.

Edited 2016-08-28 01:48 (UTC)

Seeing him was going to be a constant manage of feelings; she could already tell that much. It was almost hard to know him well and still be so distant. Likely for the better and that's what Devi tries to convince herself of as she thinks about it.

"Thank you." She never doubted that he wanted her to succeed.

Yes, she noted his making her a priority and she was thrilled and saddened all at once. It was kept down and tucked away behind a slight pleased quirk of her lips.

"Lydia's making good headway on patching it back up, isn't she? You're lucky that you missed Halloween; it was noisy. Probably better that you did though, considering." He'd have been pissed to see what the club looked like after the initial attack. She didn't know if he knew about Erik's promotion and wasn't going to mention it - that was a can of worms she was going to avoid.

As was he. Erik Lehnsherr wasn't someone he cared about to ask out of formality. But, he had heard, if only because it was a little hard not to. It seemed to be the talk of the town. Even a week later. However, it did raise questions and they were ones he'd eventually come around to asking.

Just not today.

Caius let out an incredulous sound and nodded with a little groan as he diverted his attention for a mere moment. "Yeah, I heard about that, too. I can easily say I'm glad I wasn't here for that." Given 'pissed' was a word a little too benign to use for how he would have truly felt. It was a damn good thing that it was all things that could be fixed and the art she did wasn't touched.

There was a damn good reason he left Claire and Lydia in charge to take care of his place.

"Even if it started as a damn good party." he added, laughing. "So how's business? The new stuff looks incredible." Caius moved back a step and glanced around before moving towards one such particular piece.

Her art had been her first concern, followed only by how she could help clean up without getting into awkward conversations, but part of her wondered is maybe it wouldn't have been better. Probably not. Stepping out from behind her counter, Devi shrugged, looking around the studio.

As they moved, something else did too and from the stairs in the back a juvenile black panther who's spots showed like iridescence, sinking in and out of sight, fading into the furry blackish-blue and out again as the creature moved. His eyes were locked on the newcomer and his paws were silent.

"It's going alright. I'm still running off mostly commissions, mostly to avoid paying the 30% tax the Emperor expects of me but.." She glanced behind them and caught the cat's eye. "Be careful, I think someone's noticed you."

Edited 2016-08-31 22:46 (UTC)

Caius had been somewhat absorbed, listening but also entranced by the new pieces. It drew memories of being transfixed with a certain sketchbook of hers that first time. Or, those odd moments he caught her drawing, teeth biting the corner of her bottom lip..

"Hm?" the immortal glanced to her and then behind in following her direct line of sight to the cat. Caius looked at her, one brow rising in disbelief then turned slightly to get a better look.

Caius gestured. "Is that what I think it is?"

If he wandered around town, no doubt he would find her doing just that in some coffee shop or park bench. Her bottom lip would always get the abuse of her focus.

Currently, her lips were pulled into a crooked smirk as she watched the reaction.

"Might be. Business has been alright, but Banaded has been.." She smiled at the cat, unsure exactly how to put it. "Comforting. He's my permanent plus one." Squatting down, Devi draped her arms over her knees, and rubbed her fingers together to silently call the creature over.

He eyes Caius for another long second before responding and padding over to Devi, placing himself in between them and giving Devi a place to drape her arms over.

"His body count is pretty impressive too," she finished, smirking. It was a tease, because that number was zero.

He could tell the creature was a comfort, judging by the way it responded so quickly to the way Devi called it. It was an experience the Roman never had. In fact, the last time he ever came face to wild animal was in the Coliseum during his gladiator days; a tiger. And one that wasn't as friendly as this one seemed to be.

Good thing he recognized that lopsided grin. No, he wouldn't let the curiosity of the panther bring him down lower, not yet.

"Banaded. Said to be an incarnation of Osiris," Caius says, blue eyes fixed calmly on the beautiful black animal. "God of transition, resurrection, and regeneration."

The cat loved her without any conditions, so long as she continued to treat him well. He didn't care about the rest of the world, or the chaos of their lives. It was simple. It was what she needed after losing Caius and the humane part of her was endlessly grateful for the creature's companionship.

"Look who's up on their history. I thought it was fitting, considering.." She looked at Banaded for a second, scratching behind his ears before standing up again, sliding her hands away in her pockets and looking back to the immortal.

"You don't seem like you've changed much.. How much time did you gain?"

That little linger wasn't lost on him even though it probably appeared that it was. He wouldn't be bold to assume, but he felt he played a part in there somewhere and Caius wasn't sure how to feel about that. A small bit decided to be satisfied while the rest was overtaken by a new level of cynicism that he acquired back home. The same kind that forced him into surrendering and accepting that nothing would be constant for him.

That was irony at it's finest.

Those thoughts were schooled behind a well-practiced mask and an unyielding obstinance to never put himself in a position again where he had to mourn the loss of anyone else. Either by their own choice to leave, or through death. Sometimes they made that decision, other times he decided for them both and as a result, Caius became rather good at distancing himself altogether.

"Two years." he says, drawing it out in an exhale like it was so much longer. It certainly felt longer than it usually did. "We moved from Italy back to Ireland after Abigail 'died' in a car accident."

Yes, he added in the quotes and everything for that one.

"But it came at the right time. I needed to go back."

Edited 2016-09-02 02:11 (UTC)

Of course he needed to go back. Things would logically be easier to deal with.. away. Devi still felt slighted by the city snatching him away - there was a prime ripe time to ease things somehow, the possibility would have arose but the multiverse had other plans. Perhaps it was better. Caius had his distance. He had a sea's worth of it.

The subtle, tinged with anger pain made her quieter and more reserved with her animation but no part of her planned on upsetting whatever balance they struck. With limited options, she would choose the one of least resistance.

She nodded as he finished.

"I'm glad you got to go home when you were needed. Are they going to be fine without you? You didn't get pulled back at a bad time?"

Why did she care? Oh right, because he did.

"You know," he exhaled audibly, the sound incredibly unsure even though it was well masked behind a far away smile as he glanced away and back to the large feline. Not because Caius was having a hard time looking at her. That wasn't it, no. Caius merely didn't want his inner torment a chance to show in his face. Or, his eyes.

He thought a long second on how he wanted to put it, then shrugged. "Sending me back might have just been a strong reminder of who I am. Going back to Ireland was a trip I was avoiding for.. a long time."

For so many reasons.

"But I'm back here again and a little older. Not so much wiser."

More humor to counter that rather deep moment there.

Devi had a pretty good idea of how this was going to go. They would have their small talk, he would go back to his club and she to her art and they would share a random passing glance across a room. How could they do anything else, when he could barely keep his eyes on her? What options were there, when she could already feel the subtle tension start to mount in her chest?

"Somehow I doubt that," she said, not unkindly. "So why'd you come here? Why come see me instead of letting me find out that you were back with the rest of the general public?"

For as much as he wished they could at least reach some kind of mutual friendship, today wasn't going to be that day. Maybe it would have been better to just let word get out on its own that he was back. Or, done a broadcast to basically announce it like it was some big news. Fact was, he wasn't that kind of guy.

"Would you have preferred that?" Caius asked her, attention coming to her and her face. "Maybe it was foolish to think you might appreciate this more instead of lumping you in with the general public."

Somehow singling her out with a 'Hey, Devi! I'm back!" didn't seem the wisest thing to do. Especially given who her boyfriend was.

That was simply honest thinking without any bitter resentment.

There was a passing wince, a brief tightness around her eyes that dropped to the floor for a second, glanced at the window and came back to him recovered. It felt like a slap in the face kind of response. She should stick to talking about the weather or something.

"I didn't mean it like that."

He let her have her moment to recoup and when she looked back at him, his features were soft as he shook his head.

"I didn't take it like that, Dev." Caius assured her quietly. "I also.."

Stopping, it was his turn to pause and collect himself; a moment lapsing as he finally felt the distance between them.

"I still care. That's not going to change."

He'd spoken like he'd taken it that way, and that's what left an impression. Her mind tilted into full whirl, filling her mind with conflicting conversation over what should be done, What shouldn't be done and everything in between.

"That would have been a better answer," she replied, tone staying softly level and calm. "I was real pissed when you left. I'm still pissed.." A breath was let out through her nose. "I'm glad to not hear it over the network. I'm glad I warrant a visit."

Because like it or not, she still cared, and it wasn't in the detached, neighbourhood friendly way most people meant their care. Devi didn't work like that, emotionally.

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Test Drive Meme 008

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