Test Drive - March Edition

[rekindlemods]

SURPRISE! It's time for our new Rekindle Test Drive! Trying to see if a character will fit or work in the setting? Need some interaction samples? Well this meme is for you! Make a post, tag around, and most importantly, have fun! Here's the setting page for those who want to learn a little more about the city itself. And don't forget to go reserve your character, GO GO GO.......

Here's some prompts to help you get started, if you need it:

Option 1

[ It's looking gray here, still in that colorless pre-spring phase. There is one bright spot of color, in the form of roses decorating a few tables inside buildings. They even appear to be free for the taking, if you need a little color! And mostly benign. Mostly.]

Option 2

[ The entire city looks pretty new to you, but there seems to be a special amount of shine to one particular spot. Maybe it's just the lights on the ferris wheel, which looks like it could offer a great view of the new city. Only catch is that you're going to end up sharing the ride with another person.]

Option 3

[Apparently this place has a zoo and an aquarium, and is currently holding a special deal and event. Bring a second person in with you, get a special pass to the exhibits! Though why the bath house is ALSO holding a similar event is anyone's guess.]

Option 4

[The slow warming and change in the season has another effect; visibility has a way of suddenly dropping when a cool mist rolls in off the banks of the river and down from the clouds. It's got a chill and dampness to it, and makes it hard to see. You might want to be careful not to bump into anyone while trying to get in out of the fog.]

Option 5

[Whoops. Looks like you haven't taken the cautionary words of the other NPCs to heart, or maybe you just wanted to take your chances. Either way, the withdrawal symptoms have started and you need to find someone to hug quickly before you get even more sick.]

Option 6

[If there's something else you wanted to play with, that you didn't see here, then have fun with that. You've just arrived in a strange city, after all. There's got to be plenty to explore out and about, not to mention people to meet.]

Comments

[evocalize]

Junpei-san... [Minato remains seated but he does look up, and the smell of dinner reminds him that he's feeling rather hungry after walking around aimlessly for hours.] I guess so, but I still don't know what to do with myself. [They've probably seen signs of his distress, ranging from dismal attempts at trying to get his reprogrammed cell phone to connect to wherever he'd come from to his frustration at not getting any answers as to why he was the only one from that world brought here. He also had a hard time accepting that only one of the SEES members here truly remembered him, which only made talking about his issues more difficult...

And yet Junpei had been so kind as to take a week off just to visit him. There's so much that Minato wants to ask, but he'll settle with a simple question for now.] Do you want to sit here with me?

[blazeoflife]

Hey, what's with the '-san'? I toldja to call me Junpei, right? No need to be formal!

[He gave Minato a grin, shaking his head. They were friends, right? No need for pretenses between them.]

And yeah, it takes a while to figure out what to do around here... I mean, no school or anything! ...Whiiich is a pretty awesome break.

[There was a lot he wanted to ask Minato; mainly how he'd ended up in such a messed up state upon arriving here, as well as petty little things like if he was just as much as a jerk to him as he had been sometimes to Minako. But that could wait for a bit.]

Sure! Got nothing else to do right now.

[He took a seat next to the other teen, opening up his paper bag and holding it out to him.]

Here, I bought two burgers, but I don't really need em both... and the fries are not soggy at all, heh.

[evocalize]

Sorry, it's become a habit. [He smiles faintly as he reaches into the bag to pull out some fries and munches on them before taking out the burger for later.] ...would it be weird if I said that I still don't feel comfortable here? I think that's why I don't know what to do with myself. [Which is both true and not true. As sad as it is, he's still too worried about what's happening back at his previous location to truly enjoy himself, assuming that this wasn't a ploy after all.]

[blazeoflife]

Well, no time like the present to break it! I'd even let you call me 'Stupei' if that worked better for you, heheh. Just don't tell Yuka-tan that.

[Getting properly settled, Junpei had been in the process of unwrapping his own burger when Minato asked that question.]

I... hm.

[He nearly blurted out an answer, but this time caught himself. The guy seemed pretty reserved, and whatever happened to him was pretty horrible. From what he'd heard, there'd been other people trapped where Minato was, and the horror's they'd experienced...

How to answer this?]

I don't think it's weird, Minato.

[Taking a bite of his burger, Junpei chewed it of thoughtfully, before continuing. Should he bring that up? But it was something he could relate back to Minato, and surely, Minato knew about his past too...]

Like... maybe you got what Chidori sort of had a bit, I think... 'survivor's guilt'? Y'know, 'why me and not them?'

[Not like Junpei couldn't relate to that himself, but no need to bring that up. It wan't quite the same thing, after all.]

It takes a while for that to go away, I think. Or you gotta make it go away and just accept to live life the best you can, right? Not that it's easy, but otherwise you're not... well, you're wasting the chance you were given.

[Was he talking more about himself, or Minato? He wasn't sure. Rubbing the back of his head, Junpei mumbled.]

H-heh, sorry, dunno if that's what you wanted to hear...

[evocalize]

I don't think there's a right answer for this, Junpei. [He unwraps his burger too, gingerly opening it up so that only half of the burger is exposed and he can hold it with both hands to take a bite.] What you said is true, but it's just hard to accept what I have now when everyone else from there deserves it too. [And the reminders linger everywhere, from the warm burger he holds in his hands to the friend sitting by him, perfectly contented where he is. Truly, why him and not other people when he's yet to let even his dearest friends hold him after a week? He leans slightly, taking bigger mouthfuls from his dinner before crumpling the empty wrapper in his right hand.] Then again, you've also known that feeling...I'm sorry if it brings up bad memories.

[blazeoflife]

... Well, that's makes sense.

[He shrugged a little as he took a bite out of his burger. Mmm, damn, he loved these bacon cheeseburgers...]

You did the same thing Minako did, right? I...

[His face was serious, and he had to take a moment to collect his thoughts again, staring out into the river.]

I'm still not really sure what happened, but I'm pretty damn sure it's what had to be done to stop Nyx. So that means...

[Taking a sip from his pop, he looked over at Minato again.]

That means you already sacrificed everything... for us. For all of us. So suddenly you're being made to do the opposite, and after giving up everything, and being put in a craptacular situation that was where you came from... I dunno man, I don't think I could handle that either.

[He shook his head at Minato concern, waving it off.]

Maybe I got an idea how it feels, but like usual--if ace detective intuition it right-- you're leaps and bounds over me. And sometimes... talking shit out is the only way to deal with things.

[Or singing it out, buuuut... that was another story.]

[evocalize]

[That part about the 'ace detective' has Minato laughing softly but his expression remains somber, much like when he'd first woken up after being brought to the hospital.] Yeah. I could never tell anyone about it, and now that I'm not there anymore it's easy to see how terrible it really was. [And yet he feels like he should return, to finish what he started or die trying.] ...maybe what they said to do is worth a try, since I'm not going anywhere any time soon.

[blazeoflife]

'They said'?

[Okay, ya lost him for a sec.]

You mean something the people from where you came from said, or...

[And then it clicked, and Junpei frowned. Oh, don't tell him...]

You mean, you still haven't let anyone hug you? Not even Yuka-tan?

[Jesus, first Minako, now you dude. You're both gonna make his hair go as grey as Akihiko-senpai or Yu-san at this rate...!]

[evocalize]

I haven't. [For many reasons, from how he was sick at that time to the uncomfortable feeling of blindly taking the instructions of this city's masters to heart. A gust of wind goes by just then and he shivers, holding his arms close to himself.] It just seemed odd at that time, and I didn't feel ready to hold someone... [It reminds Minato of a friend he's hugged a lot of times where he was before, who vanished right as he'd left. What if she'd returned only to find him gone again, without a trace?]

[blazeoflife]

...

[Junpei wanted to scold him, wanted to say 'stop being an idiot, don't let yourself get sick anymore!' ...But he knew from past experience that didn't work, not really. Sighing through his nose, he scooted closer, and shifted his arm so it would be lifted behind Minato's shoulders, though still not touching.]

...Then will you let someone else do it to you?

[He wanted to help Minato, but he knew he couldn't force it. Just... please accept it, dude? Please?]

[evocalize]

[Minato jerks reflexively when he sees what Junpei is doing but he remains still, taken aback by the gesture. He's never seen Junpei this serious even in his own world and considering how they were relative strangers it leaves him wondering what it means to accept, to acknowledge that he's free.

And yet he knows that if he must be the only one to escape Haven, it's as much his duty to survive as it is to remember those who might not make it- far too many people lost to cruelty and who knows what else. His response is soft, but filled with what seems like an odd kind of longing.] ...I don't mind it, Junpei. [But some things will always be the same, and Minato will probably always feel awkward being hugged by other guys. Sorry, Junpei.]

[blazeoflife]

[Junpei nearly drew back his arm completely, but instead only keeps it still.

A lot of things change when you lose three of your closest loved ones in less than a year, Minato. Junpei's ability to be serious was one of the things that did.

And somewhere out there was a Junpei who knew Minato as well as he knew Minako, and missed him just as much. It was the right thing to do, for both Minato's sake and this 'other' version of himself. At Minato's okay, Junpei gingerly brought his arm to rest on Minato's shoulder, giving him a squeeze. Just to remind him that hey, you're here now, you're safe now...

Junpei was surprised somewhat that he didn't find it awkward at all; maybe he'd been in Saeng Seong too long.]

Just tell me when ya want me to let go, okay dude?

[evocalize]

Sure. [The squeeze feels surprisingly warm and Minato finds himself wanting more, leaning on Junpei's arm. It's hard for him to say why he feels so much happier just being held like this but moments like this had been rare enough in Haven that he doesn't want Junpei to let go so quickly.

A smile begins to form on his lips, faint but sincere. Minato's long forced himself to not think of how he's only human but in the light of everything he's been through, how he's witnessed lives being snuffed over and over- there really wasn't much harm in seeking happiness for himself and he's finally beginning to accept it.] Your arm feels really warm like this. Is this how it's supposed to feel like?

[blazeoflife]

Yeah, that's normal for here... it's kinda cool and weird at the same time, isn't it?

[Junpei didn't move, letting Minato lean on him as much as he needed or wanted. To be honest, Junpei kinda needed it too... if anything to reassure himself that this new friend of his wasn't going to vanish somewhere else again. He wanted to get to know this Minato, not as a replacement or alternative to Minako, but as his own person now. That was okay, right?]

It's funny, because... you kinda forget how much you miss touch back home-- y'know, back in Tatsumi Port. Here's, it's a necessity, like breathing or eating, but it's kinda making me wonder how much we really do need it back in our normal lives.

[A pause, and Junpei chuckled to himself.]

Man, I'm sounding all... what's that word, philosophical? This is what happens when you don't got to memorize math equations all day!

[evocalize]

Yeah. I know that it's supposed to be healthy and make us feel good back at home, but this feels different...it's almost like magic. [Minato remains seated where he is now, only now feeling curious about why this is even possible here. He might still be cynical, but he's not about to get left out if his friends want to do their best.] And you know, you were like that back at my world too, at least after everything we went through.