Test Drive Meme #1

[proximods]

The sun is shining and the weather is nice and toasty. Overly toasty one might argue, even. It's a great day to be laying around at the beach, so it's a good thing that that's where you've found yourself today, whether you'd made plans to be there or not. Bathing suit and sunscreen ready, you're going to get your tanning time on.

But with heat comes the expected side effects for a place like Proxima Gamma. While the cool water can sometimes slow the effects, the heated beaches and freshly popped flowers seem to have made getting close to someone else just seem like a really great idea. You can try to fight off the side effects much as you want, but the scientists like to believe everyone has a breaking point.

Comments

Astrid Hofferson | HTTYD | OPEN

[imnotmean]

[ When going to the beach, the common activities usually included swimming, sunbathing, and relaxing; Astrid was involved in none of those things. In fact, she was partaking in the ever enjoyable activity of teaching a palm tree the very extent of her axe skills. Everything inside of her felt on edge. She enjoyed traveling and adventures more than the average person, but the nature of this place was not an experience that had left her eager to further explore it's boundaries. The motivations were questionable and having been stranded without most of her friends hadn't made her particular happy. She liked being free and not even her beloved dragon was there, leaving her wondering if she was okay back home.

The palm tree that was the present target of her aggression, at least made a quiet adversary, and so she continued to toss her axe, grab it back and toss it again. She repeated the rhythmic practice as it started to at the very least calm her nerves down. Anyone might be nervous about the viking girl if they saw her, though she was really not dangerous in nature. She could be very gentle and kind, but she preferred to come off as strong, as kept the appearance as a form of armor in the face of potential threats. And at this point, she considered just about everything on this island, a threat. ]

[true_noir]

[Someone was throwing sharp, pointed, metal things at harmless trees? Oh, this was something that Chloe had to get in on. The first indication that Astrid wasn't alone came from the blade that slammed into the tree just below her axe after her latest throw. Short, thin and razor sharp, the throwing knife jutted out with little warning.

A short, thin and purple haired figure in a one-piece padded up behind Astrid seconds later. She smiled in her general direction, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was sizing the other girl up. Another knife was in one hand, though she only had the two today, at least visibly. It was hard to conceal them in a bathing suit.]

It takes practice to be accurate with one of those.

[imnotmean]

[To say that she had been expecting another, smaller, blade to hit her mark would have been a lie. She was trained enough with weaponry and battle that she immediately yanked her axe from it's spot and stood at attention searching for the potential enemy. Already on edge, the viking girl was less than amused by the actions of the person and in that moment, she could only assume it had been meant as a threat.

When her eyes landed on the the other girl, she narrowed them, sizing her up to see whether she was going to attack again.]

Been practicing since I was a babe practically. Who are you?

[true_noir]

[She smiled over at her impishly when the other woman sized her right back up. The hand holding a knife flicked it almost casually as she walked forward, smirking away and watching Astrid with only a mild element of caution, in case the other actually took her actions as a direct threat.

Drawing closer, she reached for her knife, winking at her.]

You and I both. You may call me Chloe. [Her smile broadened.] Not enjoying the sand and fun, I take it? The poor tree won't take too much punishment from us, after all before it regrets ever meeting either of us.

[imnotmean]

[Being a warrior partly meant knowing when to hold back and she judged Chloe to not be such an immediate threat. Her cautious nature wouldn't allow her to follow relax in front of a woman who had thrown weaponry without prior acknowledgement, but she was enough at ease.]

Astrid.

[Glancing back over her shoulder at the deep marks on the tree she gave a shrug.] I guess the trees where I come from are a bit bigger and stronger.

[true_noir]

[She pulled the blade from the tree and flicked it into her free hand, both of them held backwards and away from obvious threat. She continued to grin away at Astrid, giving her another once over before regarding the tree again and smirking.]

Palm trees are more sturdy than you'd think, but they can only take so much. You look like you were craving some practice. [The smile broadened a little.] How long has it been since you had a good spar?

[imnotmean]

[ Sparring wasn't something that Astrid actually did as often as she might seem. It had been awhile since she'd sparred with another person, but she certainly hadn't lost her touch or anything. Truth be told, when she fought it was often on dragons, but it would be good to catch up. ]

Been awhile actually. [She smirked.] But I'm up for the challenge.

[true_noir]

[Chloe smiled more broadly at that statement, her gaze turning both warm and a touch viperish. She looked around and started to move to a few paces away, flicking her knives in her fingers. Glancing back and over her shoulder, she winked once.]

I do love a bit of boldness, but before I challenge you, I do have only one question. Live steel or just our hands? I'm fine with either, but we don't have too many practice weapons around.

[She would have loved either. There were prizes in both possibilities, but above all she was glad to find someone she could possibly get her blood flowing with. It never did to lose her edge.]

[imnotmean]

[While her axe was her favorite weapon, she was no stranger to hand to hand combat. She could just as easily work without it.]

Considering our weapons vary a bit too much in size, hand to hand seems to be more fair.

[true_noir]

[She held up her knives for a second, as if looking at them and laughed softly to herself. This was one of the first times she could recall in a very long time anyone had commented on her blades being small, compared to another weapon. It was true, though she really would only have been concerned at the lack of guards. There were better knives for taking on a hafted or bladed weapon, ones that could catch and disarm. Here, she would need quick strikes to glance off the angle and deflect, rather than risk her fingers.

But, she wasn't about to turn down the suggestion either way. Taking her towel up from nearby and setting it on the sand, she placed the two knives within and settled herself into a comfortable posture while she waited for Astrid.]

You might be surprised what they're capable of, what I'm capable of. But bare hands it is. Nothing wrong with a little brawl to get the pulse going in the morning, is there?

[imnotmean]

[Astrid set her own axe to the side, laying it with great care against a nearby tree that had not yet been a victim of it. Then she stretched out her arms and cracked her knuckles.]

I'm a viking, if I underestimated people, I would be dead by now.

ayyyyyy

[brandedrose]

[Light had to give the girl credit, she knew how to fling that axe. And she recognized all too well the frustration behind those actions. Being in a cage, even a big one like this island, aggravated even the most stalwart of people, herself included. She's used to it by now, though. That's not easy to pass onto a newcomer, however. And most didn't even want to hear it, not in the beginning. So Light is simply content to watch Astrid hurl her axe repeatedly at the tree and admire the precision.]

heyyyyyy bb ;;

[imnotmean]

[She continued to throw her axe, before the presence of someone standing by hit her senses. She turned around, hand wrapped tightly around the handle, though she didn't plan to go on the attack at all. She'd learned that most people around here were not threats, but that didn't mean she had lost her natural instincts.]

How long have you been standing there?

[brandedrose]

Not long.

[It's a very noncommittal answer. It hadn't been for ages, at least, but she won't reveal more than that.]

Bark on those trees aren't kind to blades, just as a heads up. Be a shame to dull that axe so soon.

[imnotmean]

Trees back home aren't exactly kind to them either. Don't worry, I know a good blacksmith.

[She didn't think the other woman was a threat, but it was still best to be cautious.]

[brandedrose]

Here, on the island? Wow. Didn't think there'd be any around here.

[That's rather surprising, given the kind of technology found here. Blacksmithing was not a trade she expected to be in demand around here. Unless this girl met someone who's a blacksmith that was brought here...]

[imnotmean]

[She shrugged her shoulders a bit, tossing her braid down her back.]

Eh, I brought him with me. He's handy enough to keep around.

[brandedrose]

[That answers that question.]

Then you're lucky he came along. Hopefully he'll find a good forge here. Carry on.

[She's going to just lean up against a tree, one leg crossed over the other. It had never been her intention to disturb Astrid from her swings.]

[imnotmean]

If he can't find one, he'll make one.

[Looking back at the tree, she wasn't sure whether or not to continue in front of another person.]

I'll take the tree down at this rate.

[brandedrose]

[All this talk is making her miss her weapons shop. A lot. But she keeps that to herself.]

It'd take a while, but I'm sure the tree would appreciate you not repeatedly embedding your axe into it.

[imnotmean]

[Yanking her axe out of the trunk, she looked at the deep groove where she had repeatedly struck it.]

Where I come from, it'd be worth it for the wood. Weapon practice and then firewood, or building materials.

[magiheart]

[Magic was tied to emotion, where she came from. Or at the very least hers was. So when she wanders away from her little spot on the beach only to find some girl throwing blunt sharp objects at a tree her immediate reaction is surprise. This resulted in her finger tips lighting up subtly like sparklers and a very nervous and surprised Nana trying to hide them behind her back, gasping in surprise at both how heavy that axe must be and how killed this girl was. She knows she should hurry away, spending years trying to hide her abilities and failing miserably, but seeing someone who could be so honest about her own strength and not care who saw it drew her to her.]

Wow!! How long have you been doing that? I mean- to the tree.

[Leaning to one side, she peers from behind the other girl, eyes wide in surprise.]

[imnotmean]

[Stopping before she threw the axe again, she turned around and offered a grin at the look on her face.]

This tree? I dunno. Over an hour I guess, I had to give up on a couple of the other trees.

[magiheart]

Oh, but doesn't your arm get tired?

[Hers certainly would! She wasn't much for throwing heavy blunt objects, let alone lifting something like that. That axe probably weighed far too much for her to be able to throw, just a guess by looking at it.]

[imnotmean]

It did when I first started training, but not anymore. You build the muscle.