academyooc | test drive meme

Test Drive Meme The Pan Pacific Defense Corps was usually offered any of a variety of local buildings to set up their testing centers. For reasons of access and availability, most testing clinics were set up in central areas for any given community. Those of the PPDC staff on hand vary in their personal intensity. Some of the men and women wearing Strike Group insignia seemed overly serious, to the point of frowning with intensity at some of the youngest checking in for this testing round. Those from the K-Science division are tight with nervous energy as they direct prospective cadets through various activities. Everything was meant to measure potential, looking for that spark that meant they had somebody who was Drift Compatible. The majority of people were turned away after the first series of seemingly random tests, officials looking in eyes, placing odd looking contraptions over heads, asking for people to play a series of short games, one even in a virtual reality set-up.

	( SCENARIO ONE ) If you are still here now, you've made it past the first cut. You'll be sat down in a room with the rest who have made it this far, then systematically led into smaller interview rooms as pairs. If you came with a partner, they're your first interview candidate. If you came on your own, all your interviews are random assignment. All who have been asked to stay are required to sit through and conduct a series of short peer to peer interviews. The questions are straightforward. What is your least favorite color? Which tool in a standard toolbox is most useful to you? What time of day do you accomplish the most? Do you have children? What do you believe the Drift is like? Peer to peer interviews last for half an hour to an hour, and each person is asked to participate in at least three peer-to-peer interviews. There is no punishment for going off script. There is a one-way mirror looking into each interview area, and one door leading into the room with a small panel of glass located on the door. There is a clock on the wall in each room. The time they report is odd, when examined. These are not digital clocks, but timers, counting up time since the last Kaiju attack.

	( SCENARIO TWO ) Congratulations! You have been judged Drift Compatible, and sent home to pack after giving a definite yes to the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. The next thing you face down is the flight into Santiago, Chile, and the subsequent drive in to Valparaíso's Shatterdome. You and the rest of the crowd of soon to be PPDC Ranger Cadets have been gathered together to wait for the old bus scheduled to take you to the Shatterdome. While waiting in the open air, those from any Northern Hemisphere countries may find the summer weather strange. Today's high is going to be in the upper 80's, and there's not a cloud to be seen that's not clinging to the distant mountains. Welcome to Chile. When the bus arrives, it's another hour ride out toward the coastline to get to the Shatterdome. Even better? The bus Air Conditioner is broken. Safe travels, Cadets!

Please set up your own scenarios as you like. The above two scenarios are suggestions. Anything goes!

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The seating had seemed anything but cramped to Kou, who'd had the benefit of very good seats and a much smaller stature on his side. Still, he hadn't been able to sleep a wink, he'd been so excited at the adventure that waited for him on the other side.

He can see unasked questions in Yaichirou's expression. It's no small wonder. It probably seems a pretty ridiculous maneuver to the guy, checking out right in the middle of being groomed for family obligations to go play hero in another country. In Kou's opinion, it's a breath of fresh air. With the exception of the stuff choking him as it whistles in through the bus window, that is.

He smiles faintly, and rolls his eyes. Might as well acknowledge it, right? "I was too excited. When I passed the first level everyone was shocked. You can imagine they weren't too happy to let me go try my hand at this."

He laughs, cheerful and musical, not the polite chuckle or formal smile that Yaichirou is accustomed to seeing from him.

Edited 2014-02-09 05:58 (UTC)

Yaichirou gets as far as a polite smile before he fully registers what Kou said. The smile petrifies on his face, clashing with his obvious horror.

"You mean to say that you're here against their will?"

It's unfathomable to him that Kou would not only disobey them but gleefully flaunt his disobedience. What about his obligations to the family? What about the Ichijo's business? The part of Yaichirou that was well-trained by years of formalities wrestled with the part of him that was floored by Kou's mind-blowing irresponsibility, but it didn't take long for the latter to win out. After all, it's obvious that the boy before him is not the sensible heir of the Ichijo family that he knew.

"Are you insane?"

It's not such an unexpected response, all things considered. Kou refrains from rolling his eyes, but inwardly he does. Right, right. It's not exactly proper to be gleeful about sliding around the rules, is it? He srhugs, and clarifies so Yaichirou won't pop a vein or something.

"Not against their will, no." Against their initial better judgement sure, but that's not the question at hand here. "It was decided that I should be allowed."

"I see."

That's enough to keep him from popping a vein, but it's not enough to satisfy him.

"And is that because they came around to your reasoning, or because you were going to run off regardless of their decision?"

His tone is more curiosity than accusation. It's appalling of course, but it's just horrible enough to be fascinating. Besides, who doesn't enjoy a good opportunity to feel superior?

Curiosity or not, it sparks some anger in Kou's eyes to be accused of it. He wouldn't ever throw the things his family has done for him in their faces. He's grateful to them, especially now. He bites his tongue and reminds himself that they aren't alone, here. It doesn't stop him from glaring.

"There wasn't a discussion."

There never was. He could give his case to his parents in hopes they might fall on his side and try to influence things, but he didn't have sway over any of it personally. The same as with basketball, the answer had nearly been 'no.' But then they'd thought things over again and realized they could spare him. It wasn't a joy filled moment for him after all.

"Hmm."

He deserves that glare, probably. That's one thing he had always taken for granted. It was a cold day in hell when he disagreed with his parents, but they would at least hear him out and include him in discussions about his future. Sometimes he forgets that everyone wasn't that lucky. He almost regrets the accusation-- just not enough to apologize. He sits back and shifts his gaze to the passing scenery.

"Regardless, it's good to see a familiar face here. Why do you want to be a pilot, though? It's a fairly radical change of direction."

There's a brief moment where he's tempted to inform Yaichirou that he doesn't have any idea what Kou's direction was, but he bites his tongue again. It's social commentary, he knows it is. It had been expected for so long that Kou would inherit the responsibility as head of the Ichijo family that it makes perfect sense for someone who's been out of the scene for a while not to have any new speculations on the matter.

Something hot and bitter bubbles up in his throat and Kou swallows it, forcing the ugly burning feeling to stew in his guts where it belongs. He glances away, wishing the bus would hit a big bump and throw them all to the floor so he could get out of answering.

It doesn't. What sounds like a change of topic to any casual observers who happen to speak fluent Japanese should be a razor edged explanation to Yaichirou's ears if he thinks it over. "Sachiko will be having a birthday, soon. I wonder what local toys I can find to send to her..."

Logic isn't Yaichirou's strong suit so his first reaction is a long stare, but he figures it out. His expression reverts to polite stoicism. It seems appropriate for such an evasive answer, and it conveniently lets him avoid his own feelings on the matter. Empathy is as useless as it is uncomfortable.

"I could help you you find something age appropriate if you like, " he offers, still staring out the window. "I've survived three baby brothers, so I may be of some use."

"Sure." Kou responds, a bit less stoic perhaps as he gazes glumly out the window. It isn't the power or prestige that he's worried about losing. Honestly, he couldn't care less about those. But the idea of not being needed anymore is painful. His family gave him a home when he needed one and then poured years and years into raising him for this, and now he can't even fulfill that duty for them in return. The whole of his existence is pointless.

And yeah, fine, he doesn't want to talk about it. Alright?

test drive meme

(this particular conversation is in Japanese btw to anyone seated nearby, belatedly)

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