shabadoobie touch to [TEST DRIVE]

[hopediesalone]

HERE WE GO AGAIIIIIN

Here's a few options, ganked from the last one and still as shamelessly stolen from even earlier versions.

> The Park. Man, what a nice day out. Why not enjoy it? I'm sure -- shit, yep, there's some echo monsters or whatever they're called.
> The Mall. Exactly what it says on the tin! Dodge the hordes of teenage mallrats or take part, whichever suits your tastes.
> Rainy Day. Agh, it's fucking awful out. And is it raining those vermilion things?? Now you've got an Echo to contend with on top of everything else. Find some shelter, quick!
> Arts and Crafts Fair. WILL THE KITSCH OVERWHELM YOU
> Or make up your own

Very nice! Test Strike! FABULOUS!

Comments

hope you don't mind a belated tag

[neonnerd]

[The park is on his way home from the university, and after a long morning of teaching college students, Benjamin usually likes to stop by. He'll get himself a snack - a pretzel or a hot dog or something - and go for a walk while he eats.

Today is little different, save for the fact that he spots a small kitten hiding under a bench. She looks hungry, and, well, Benjamin has quite the soft spot for animals.

He can't resist going over, breaking off a piece of his hot dog and offering it to her.]

i never mind those

[lunarmeow]

[ She is the hungriest and is that hot dog? This is pretty much the mother lode, and the kitten eagerly goes out to get at the hot dog piece. Humans can be so nice if you look properly woebegone.

The problem with being able to speak and think like a human does is that when it happens, you're sort of Too Weird for your family and even for humans. Diana's already scared at least one person, but...

...she's ever hopeful and might slip up in a second. For the time being, she meows again, purring and wrapping her tail around Benjamin's ankle. ]

excellent, i couldn't resist tagging diana!

[neonnerd]

[It is most definitely a hot dog, and the rest of it is likely going to end up going to the kitten. How could Benjamin do anything else when faced with such a reaction?

He crouches down the rest of the way to be on a closer level to the kitten, offering another piece of hot dog as he scratches lightly behind one ear.]

Hello there. How did you end up here? I wonder if there's anyone looking for you.

[lunarmeow]

[ What a nice human!! The kitten takes the time to eat the next piece of the hot dog before considering that question.

Before, it wouldn't have interested her much. The tone would have been comforting, and she would have probably approached, but...the words wouldn't have met anything, before she'd learned what they meant. And that still wasn't clear, how it had happened, but perhaps that was how humans learned speech, too.

One day they saw lights and the next they could talk. ]

I came here because sometimes humans feed you, and I don't have one. [ Diana pipes up with this explanation readily enough, already eyeing what's left of the hot dog. Perhaps words will get more of it. ]

[neonnerd]

[He was certainly not actually expecting an answer to that question, and receiving one is... somewhat surprising.

Although not as shocking as it would have been were he not already involved in the network, and aware of the existence of sentient animals. Still, it takes him a moment to recover.]

I see. Yes, I suppose that would present quite a problem.

[Giving in to those eyes, and to her admission that she has no human, he hands over the rest of the hot dog.]

How long have you been, er. Capable of speech?