cityofcoba | TESTDRIVE #1

TESTDRIVE #1

There's a number of ways it could happen, but regardless you find yourself standing on the outskirts of a city. A beautiful city, as familiar to you as any from your world, with all manner of buildings within sight. A sign on the side of the road greets you, saying WELCOME TO COBA You're already part of the family! It's practically inviting you to step into the city limits. Why don't you?

As soon as you do, you'll find a pamphlet in your hand, almost eager to tell you all about what this mysterious Coba has to offer. And eager seems to be the impression you get about almost everything - the sun seems to brighten, the flowers seem to perk up - it's almost as if everything about Coba is welcoming you as an honored guest.

And you are. Though hopefully, only temporarily. Coba would love nothing more for you to become an honored member of her precious community.

Welcome to Coba, visitor, and we hope you enjoy your stay!

PREMISE | RULES | FAQ & QUESTIONS | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS
Please read the FAQ before commenting! ♥

Welcome to the City of Coba Testdrive! Your character has found themselves in Coba, and are welcome to do any of the following:

● As you enter the city, you hear some bustle about a homecoming party! Following the signs will find yourself at a plaza with food, drink and live music, of all sorts and types. Why don't you stay awhile and indulge?

● Or, if you're not the party type, maybe you'd like to check out the city's cultural center! There's art, books, and other things to keep your mind occupied. And, maybe you'll meet other like-minded people there.

● Not in the mood for any of the above? There's always the beach! It's a lovely day, the waves are beautiful and the stores along the boardwalk all have signs up that read "TAKE WHAT YOU NEED". Maybe you need a surf board.

● Or maybe you have something else you want to do? Go for it! You're more than welcome to come up with your own prompts.

In addition to the above, we would love to encourage anyone taking part in the testdrive to world build with us! Whether it be a street name or an entire neighborhood, whatever you come up with will become part of the game's canon. All we ask is that you pop over here to link us so we can see what you've done!

Finally, ENJOY YOURSELVES. Seriously, this is meant to be a laid back, enjoyable game. We welcome any questions, critiques, and ideas, so always feel welcome to approach us about any and everything.

We hope you decide to stay here in Coba!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Uh, I'd say that qualifies as messed with, Stefan.

[he almost, almost just wants to turn tail and leave the city, go back to what's normal for him and pretend that this isn't happening, but he can't. And he won't, because he's a dick, but he's not that big of a dick. Sometimes. He brings his free hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose]

Okay, so you have memories of some guy's life - that's a little weird. Do they feel like yours?

[He takes another sip of his earl grey. Of course they feel like his. He remembers so much more of that life, from the way his parents would joke with him over Skype to the crazy college roommates and even the siblings who were too physically affectionate for their own good.

But he doesn't have the heart to say that to Damon's face, because Damon was - is - his brother too. They're family, and as his sister's favorite movie said, you never left family behind.]

Sometimes. [He shrugs, staring down into his mug.] I haven't been able to shake off his tea addiction. But otherwise, I feel like me. Not this... this Alesci guy.

Tea addiction.

[he says it like he doesn't believe it, but the evidence is right there in Stefan's hand. So being the caring older brother he is, he's going to fix that. By stealing the tea and replacing it with the bourbon he'd been nursing, and putting the tea somewhere that his brother couldn't touch again.

And while he had Thoughts on his brother having these strange, not-his memories . . . if he thought about it too seriously, he'd start feeling things and he wasn't in the mood for that]

Well, take it from me, but you still have the broody eyebrows of one Stefan Salvatore, so I can guarantee you're him and not - Alesci? The hell kind of name is that?

[Hey! He liked that mug! Except, as Stefan realizes what Damon's been drinking, he inwardly recoils. That's alcohol. He doesn't drink alcohol.

Well, Alesci doesn't. Stefan Salvatore, on the other hand, isn't bound by those same religious restrictions, and yet... He stares down glumly at the bourbon.]

Stefan Yunas Alesci. That was his name. [He shrugs, swirling the bourbon around a little.] Makes the memories easier to digest, in a way.

[. . . fiiiine. Damon snatches the glass back at the face, but he isn't giving back the tea! And he needs the drink anyway]

That's a mouthful. So, tell me more about this not-Stefan guy.

[He breathes a sigh of relief. Good, he can handle his brother drinking, but him? Totally a different story.]

He was... well, he was a college student at Princeton. Pre-med kid, also dabbled in religion and interfaith-type stuff. Guy even worked at one of those religious groups over the summer. [Stefan smiles fondly at the memories. Alesci could organize a party almost as well as Caroline!] He had an older brother too, and a younger sister who sent them cupcakes all the time.

But mostly, the guy was normal. Smart, sure - he was trying to invent synthetic blood - but normal.

[it probably isn't a surprise, but the one thing he's going to focus on is the most selfish thing, albeit it's more of a joke than anything entirely serious. Coupled with a gasp and a hand flying to his chest in surprise]

So he replaced me? I'm hurt! [no, no he wasn't]

He sure sounds . . . normal, though. [although, the way he says it, "normal" was completely interchangeable with "boring"] Synthetic blood, though? That sounds gross.

[He feels like he should scowl. Salvatore would've scowled, even though he's tempted to laugh, because god. God he missed his big brother.]

You're impossible to replace. Trust me.

Other-Stefan had a pretty great life, until my memories tumbled back in. So now there's two sets of memories in my brain and wallah-- [He groans.] See? I even talk like him sometimes.

I'm one of a kind, I know.

[he can't help but snort, even if he doesn't understand just what he was about to say] Oh no, how dare the real Stefan ruin Other-Stefan's perfect life, how dare you. That happen a lot?

The talking in Arabic thing? Yeah. I've been fluent in it for a while now. [It doesn't bother him much - it feels like his first language. Alesci, after all, had Muslim parents who encouraged Qur'anic recitation and--shit. Shit, he's memorized a whole holy book.

(He's so not mentioning this to Damon.)]

The ruining his life thing, on the other hand... that's been pretty consistent. I might've dropped out of Princeton.

[never mention it to Damon, Stefan will never hear the end of it. Ever. For all eternity]

That's . . . pretty mild. I mean, I'd be a little more worried if you started trying to eat people when you're—

Wait, are you human or vampire? [because that's probably an important thing to find out]

Vampire. Unfortunately. [He almost groans, though he does briefly show off his yellow eyes and fangs to demonstrate that yes, he is no longer the Muslim activist he once thought he was.

Only he would think immortality during an alien invasion was a curse.] What was that about me trying to eat people?

[while that's a plus in Damon's book, he can see why Stefan wouldn't be too happy about it. But then again, they never did see eye to eye on the vampire thing.

Before he answers, he takes a drink - a long one, that nearly finishes off the glass] Vampires drink human blood, except you don't. So I was just asking.

Oh.

[He's relieved to hear this from someone else, even though he'd been planning on buying animal blood from the butcher's. (Thank you, Chinese community, for believing in blood pudding.) Stefan had accidentally almost killed the girl he liked - no sense in repeating a mistake like that.] Makes sense. If I did drink human blood, that'd complicate things more - and make me not-me, right?

Something like that.

[it'd make him an entirely different Stefan, and not one Damon wants to deal with. Or at least, not a ripper who has complicated memories of two lives and that could only further complicate things, for all he knew. That and he knew, knew it wouldn't go well at all. It never did]

[The funny thing about having two sets of memories: having two different - but equally strong - instinctive reactions. Stefan swears, having all of Salvatore's memories would be kind of nice. It would help in determining if he should awkwardly change the subject, or as Alesci would do, rush up and hug his brother, nearby partygoers be damned.

He checks to make sure no one's watching (more for Damon's sake than his own), and to set the bourbon down for a few seconds, before he gives into Alesci's instinct and rushes over for a quick, short hug.]

Yeah, well... I don't think you have to worry about that here.

[hugs. Hugs are weird, sometimes. Not that he's particularly against them, but they're also not something he ever really pursues. Who wants to hug Damon anyway? He can count the hugs he's gotten in the last few years, but.

It's different when Stefan hugs him, because that's even rarer, and usually for a reason. He's stiff at first, in that surprised, unsure way before he lifts an arm to hug Stefan back, just as brief but tightly]

I'm not worried.

Still.

[Stefan should have let go by now. He should have, but he doesn't want to, because god, his brother's so stiff. Stefan's hugs, according to other people, are warm and tight, enveloping the other person in "warm, fuzzy feelings." But Stefan doesn't think about that when he rests his head on his brother's shoulder.

Nah, Stefan thinks about how he can't remember the last time he hugged Damon like this. Maybe Salvatore should've done it more, like Alesci and his siblings did (because their house was one big giant cuddlefest).] Until you head home, you're kinda stuck with me.

[Damon can't remember the last time they hugged like this either, but if Stefan wants to keep it going, he isn't exactly going to argue it. At least, not until someone looks over or some other ridiculous excuse he could use]

There's worst fates, little brother. Besides, what kind of brother would I be if I let you wander around here by yourself?

[Eh, let people gawk (if they were). Stefan could actually play the Islamophobia card on them - though he does let go, albeit reluctantly.] The worst kind, obviously.

[He's so gonna grab another cup of tea if he can, because dangit, he really can't shake this eternal craving. Stefan would've thought he craved blood. A normal vampire should've craved blood. But nope, he was all about different tea blends.] From the looks of it, they're pretty desperate to get us to stay too. I think I even saw a masjid.

Obviously.

[another thing Damon is never going to stop teasing him about, but he certainly isn't going to stop him from getting more if he wants. As long as Stefan doesn't stop him from his goal to drink all the bourbon he can. As - nice as this is, it's still a touch weird, and if he can't go feed on people, he's going to indulge in his other vice. At least for now]

That's the impression I've been getting, aside from the whole "honored guests" crap I keep hearing. I guess it wouldn't hurt to humor them a little.

It's peaceful, they make good tea... [He shrugs.] I can't complain so far.

[He pauses - is that Alesci talking, or Salvatore? Eh, he'll figure it out once he gets a better grip on everything. On being the only Numbered in the city (for now). After all, it's not like he's bound to this place forever.] Have you wandered around much yet? Or did you just make a beeline for the bourbon?

What do you think I did first?

[he made a beeline for the bourbon, of course. Although he is shooting Stefan an entirely far too amused look at the tea comment. Oh no, here it comes] Good tea? That's a qualifier?

Of course it is. If you don't brew it a certain way, you'll lose the taste-- [He's not even trying to sound like a tea snob, but there it is. There's the evidence that he was born and bred one, whether he likes it or not.]

On second thought, let's just grab another round and look around.

[the grin that spreads across Damon's face promises nothing but teasing and jokes]

Oh, of course, how could I forget? Tea is serious business.

But I'm game for looking around. I could use another kind of drink anyway. [and he'd be good and find a hospital, rather than a vein. This time]

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that icon omfg

it sums up his life rn :')

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hover for translation

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