Test Drive for January 2014 Apps

[highseasmods]

Welcome to your monthly Test Drive for high_seas! Here is where new players can test out their characters' voices, old players can try out new muses, and everyone can help each other get some threads for their applications! Feel free to use one of the prompts below, or come up with something on your own! Comment around, have fun, and remember that any CR formed here does not carry over to the game!

See you during the application round!

♦ So you're new to this world and have just woken up in the Town Square. How do you react? What do you do?

♦ You're lost at sea. Maybe you got separated from your crew. Or perhaps you're on an abandoned island. You need help!

♦ "Pirates off the starboard bow!" It's an enemy ship! Attack!!

♦ You and your crew are hanging out on your ship. Just another day at sea!

♦ "LAND, HO!" Hey look, a new island! How about you go explore it? Tell us what you find!

Comments

[breakfastmetaphors]

[L-Elf catches him by the wrist and stares at him for a few moments. Roxas. Moderately effective in combat with unconventional and inefficient weaponry. Significant deficiency in processing and retaining information. His initial crew assignment was menial chores and on that he agrees with the captain's assessment for once.]

Don't ask unnecessary questions. What were your assigned duties for this morning?

[heartismyown]

[Moderate? Who was L-Elf calling moderate?]

I thought you might be sick or something so I thought I'd make sure you were okay.

[breakfastmetaphors]

[He releases his wrist, but the stare only intensifies.]

I was resting. Have you forgotten your duties for the morning again? I believe you were told to write them down.

[heartismyown]

[It's one thing for Lea to tell him that, it's quite another for this guy to do it. He frowns at him in annoyance.]

I don't have any duties right now.

[breakfastmetaphors]

Is that so?

[It wouldn't be surprising. Ace isn't the best manager of time or personnel. He'd offered his services to help with both, but was unceremoniously told that he'd start off as a cabin boy just like everyone else whose abilities the captain had yet to test.

Such a waste.]

It would to be to your advantage to practice shipboard combat or record this morning's events in your diary.

[That would be the most effective use of Roxas' time that he would be likely to pursue. It's to his understanding that Thatch wants Roxas to be trained for the defense of the ship and there really isn't any role beyond that and cabin boy that he's suited for.]

[heartismyown]

[Ace tells people when he needs them to do something and they do it. It's a pretty good system all things considered. He blinks at L-Elf's oh-so-helpful commentary on his time.]

Nothing happened this morning and I don't have to practice combat. I do it all the time.

[breakfastmetaphors]

[Without warning, L-Elf draws his knife from his sleeve and swings at Roxas. The boy's sidestep is practiced, but only barely effective. It's clear that his speed has been vastly underestimated and it only takes ducking past Roxas' guard before he can register what's going on to effectively pin him to the deck with the knife to his throat.

His point made, he just smirks and holds his position.]

[heartismyown]

[At first Roxas is confused, why is this guy attacking him? Then his eyes change as his temper flares. The first thing he does is bring his knee up in an attempt to get this jerk off of him.

Meanwhile his hands are spread on the deck, summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion in short order.]

[breakfastmetaphors]

[And here are the Keyblades. Supposedly they have some sort of purpose in their world of origin, but as a weapon they don't seem at all practical. They don't have the weight for a proper bludgeon nor enough of an actual "blade" to do more than cause superficial scratches. The taller ones, Riku and Lea, might be capable of putting enough force behind theirs to break a bone, but Sora and Roxas are like children playing with toys.

He rolls to avoid the knee, content to release Roxas to see what he'll do next. He isn't accustomed to pulling his punches, but at least he has more experience with it now. The training he gave the students of Sakimori Academy was far more forgiving than how he himself had learned.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas is on his feet in a flash and he holds out his keyblades at his side.]

What do you think you're doing?!

[breakfastmetaphors]

[L-Elf stands, not even holding his knife in a defensive position.]

Making better use of your free time and of my own.

[That seems to be Roxas' preferred stance, contrived to show off the weapons themselves and leaving his entire torso and head open for any attack. He must rely on speed and hope he can block attacks. The reach of his knife is much smaller than that of a Keyblade, but he doesn't expect to even need it. He takes a few steps toward Roxas to close the distance and attempts to simply punch him in the gut with his free hand.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas has a few stances, but this is one of the ones he favours, dragging his keyblades on the deck, at the last moment he drives Oathkeeper into the ground and propels himself into the air to come down on L-Elf, Oblivion ready to whack him in the head.]

[breakfastmetaphors]

[Such an clearly telegraphed attack is easy to dodge and before Roxas can find his footing, he aims a kick at the middle of his back.]

You're far too flashy.

[heartismyown]

[Roxas grunts at the kick and digs Oblivion into the deck and does one of his turns so he winds up behind L-Elf. Both blades disappear and reappear into his hands. He crosses them in front of himself, breathing hard.]

[breakfastmetaphors]

[L-Elf watches him impassively. Winded already?]

Are both of those weapons necessary? Your comrades only use one.

[It at least allows them to put more force behind their blows. Dual-wielding is something for video games and movies. It looks impressive, but one's accuracy, mobility, and damage all decrease.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas frowns at him and charges in again, spinning the one in his right hand before he comes in. He swings each sword in succession, one after the other. If L-Elf tries to move into his space, he will move around quickly out of the way. His guard is up, he's not going to get another chance to pin him.]

[breakfastmetaphors]

[He manages to block the first swing with his knife, but it takes both hands. He knew the second swing would hit, but with less force, so he at least manages to turn his body as well he can to minimize the damage. It will bruise, but the force wasn't even enough to break a rib.]

You use more strength on your first swing. The second is an afterthought.

[heartismyown]

I'm not trying to kill you. I'm just...mad at you! Stop telling me what to do!

[breakfastmetaphors]

[He doubts Roxas is capable of coming at him with killing intent. His weapons aren't designed to kill, though certainly you could kill with them if you wanted.]

I'm advising you on how best to improve your attack patterns so that you may be of more use in the defense of this ship. Or are you content to remain a cabin boy?

[heartismyown]

I don't want you to advise me! I don't care what I am.

[breakfastmetaphors]

Then why exist? You're of no good to anyone if that's how you think.

[There is more emotion in his usual flat tone than anyone on the ship has ever heard from him. He can't stand people who have so little interest in their own life as to have no direction, no goals of their own.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas huffs softly and vanishes his keyblades.]

You don't know anything.

[breakfastmetaphors]

[The glare doesn't waver. It sounds like the sort of inane, childish thing Haruto Tokishima would say and he has no patience for it.]

Where would you like me to begin? I've made a full account of every member of this crew.

[There are still many details he hasn't been able to ascertain, but as far as the information he needs to make his predictions, he has more than enough.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas only calls on Oblivion and holds it out to face him. He can single wield too, but it's a different style. He likes his keyblade styles, even moreso now that he knows Sora doesn't double wield like he does.]

I mean about me. Don't tell me what to do. Don't talk to me like that.

[breakfastmetaphors]

[L-Elf turns and retakes his seat against the mast, totally ignoring the weapon drawn against him.]

If you wish to continue to be a burden on the crew, that's your choice.

[He can always adjust to compensate.]