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aftr_ooc2017-07-04 10:46 pm
lifeaftr_mods) wrote in aftr_ooc2017-07-04 10:46 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME ( 001 )
Test Drive Meme #1
Hello, and welcome to our very first test drive! We’re pleased that you’re expressing an interest in the game. Here, you can test the waters, gauge how your character may fare in the world of LifeAftr, and even gain some in-game incentives, if you so choose.
Remember that Reserves will open on July 17th and that Applications will open on July 24th, in preparation for the game’s official opening on August 3rd!
But first, two important notes!
Remember that Reserves will open on July 17th and that Applications will open on July 24th, in preparation for the game’s official opening on August 3rd!
1. The island of Mu exists apart from the real world and possesses a dream-like quality that characters are innately aware of from the moment they appear on its shores. No need to panic or fret. Dreams are odd things, after all - and anything can happen in them. Why would anyone question where their mind chooses to wander in its sleep?
2. Due to the nature of Mu, threads in our test drive can not only be accepted as thread samples in your application, but can be accepted as game canon as well. In fact, certain choices your character makes in Mu have the potential to bear in-game consequences.
Shipwrecked
The white sand of the beach ridges the island’s edge, even if the clear water soon becomes murky the further out you look across the horizon until the turquoise gleam of the tide disappears in a coil of surrounding fog. Indeed, your best prospects may very well be to strike out among the trees or the crags looming out over the foam-capped waves. There’s lumber to be found and made from the palm-like trees, potentially fruit or edible tubers of some kind if you forage about some. The further you travel, however, the more of your surroundings will reveal themselves in a steady unspooling of curiosities.
One corner of Mu’s current construct drops away into a sheer cliff, initially too dangerous to brave for all but the more daredevilish, but if one starts to scan the sharp rocks below, you might catch sight of what appears to be sodden planks of wood - a wreckage tossed up against the rocks. And a little further...a bobbing, shattered wreck of a lifeboat’s remains, potentially bearing supplies that might yet be salvageable.
Fashion what you can from the wood and stone around you or scavenge from the ruin of the land, if you like. But you can’t simply stand around and wait forever. It’s going to get dark sometime - and if a creature of unknown terror doesn’t catch you, the elements surely will.
Storytime
There’s a sense of camaraderie in this cove, you think. As the sun hangs low over the horizon, the world cast into orange hues, long shadows dispersed by roaring fires that dot across the beach.
That’s right, folks: it’s storytime.
There’s no one to preside over this meeting of the minds in Mu. Call it a vague recreation of things to come, if you like, some vaguely fatidic dreamlike state where you may find yourself drawn to the heat and company that awaits you by the fire. And from there, compelled to default to that old instinct that most of intelligent civilization has revered since they were advanced enough to paint geometric shapes on cave walls.
You tell a story.
Perhaps it’s a tragedy, a tale of woe and of personal loss. Perhaps it’s the sort of thing you’d break out after a few rounds of your alcoholic beverage of choice, clapping hands to your knees as you try to bite back your mirth long enough to spill the punchline. Perhaps it’s an adventure of some sort, some unbelievable rendition of your past exploits. The only common thread to be had, as those gathered around the fire share their tales, is the fundamental rule of a ritualistic sharing of stories such as this: its truth.
But how one chooses to define "truth" is, in its own way, another story entirely...
Dance, Sucker, Dance!
The beat of your heart in your chest is difficult to ignore. It judders with a pulsing, rhythmic quality. If you’re one of those that lacks a heart, the beat is still omnipresent and all-encompassing, until your entire body is unwittingly bobbing in time to a metronomic tune that seems ingrained into your very soul. It’s inescapable. You can’t seem to move unless it’s in time to the rhythm that’s now singing in every atom of your being.
But rest assured, you’re not alone in this musical curse. Everything, from the swaying trees to the waves against the beach, jumps in time to the music. And so do the monsters approaching you, that - wait a minute.
Monsters?
Oh, yes. Did we mention those?
It seems you’ve encountered the wrath of the Boogieman, who curses you to only dance to his infernal beat. If you wish to best him, you’ll have to either evade or destroy the blobs of greenish slime that serve as his minions, all in time to the hard beat of the tune in your head. Clear the radius of his curse or risk an open confrontation, if you dare. Don’t worry if you look foolish; chances are anyone else caught in the Boogieman’s thrall feels just the same.
Mu isn’t pulling any punches to start with. It is a flighty creation, after all, and seems to revel in displacing people into new and uncomfortable situations.
( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )
Storytime
That was why while Nyx was regaling everyone with tales of super mages, he very. slowly. leaned towards him. Until he finally slumped onto Nyx, eyes closed, barely keeping any semblance of consciousness.]
Re: Storytime
But he doesn't have the heart to tell Prompto to move. So he just carries on his tale, making sure to keep as still as he can so as not to disturb Prompto too much. When he's done he sits and listens to another person's story, finishing his drink. It's only once that's done and someone else has stepped up that he glances down at Prompto.]
That really can't be comfortable.
no subject
He stayed quite comfortably in place during the rest of Nyx's story, not moving much at all, when suddenly someone speaking to him woke him up. He straightened up quickly, trying to shake sleep from his eyes and acting alert.]
Ah, great story. Love to hear about mages and stuff.
[He didn't realize that there'd already been another story after Nyx'.]
no subject
I'll think of a couple more stories to tell you another time, then. For now, maybe we should find a place for you to sleep.
[You know. Like a sleeping bag or something.]
no subject
[A task that didn't usually fall to him, and without the usual luxuries he was down to trying to rub sticks together, something that could take a lot of doing. Enough so that he'd been unsuccessful and they'd decided to head here instead.
He'd also dragged the raft and snowmobile around, ran around the island, investigated a shipwreck and a few other things, but he'd been trying to brush it off as nothing for Ignis' sake. The last thing he wanted to do was make Ignis feel like he was being a burden.
Though he hadn't caught anything in depth, he had picked up on some hints from watching that there was more to Nyx than being just some random guy.]
So... You and Iggy know each other?
no subject
[He'll probably be sticking close anyways given Ignis' current blindness, the Prince being here and Prompto clearly running himself ragged the first day in.]
I might be able to show you a couple tricks to starting a fire.
[Although he was probably a little rusty. He's taken being able to cast fire for granted these past few years.
The question has him glancing sideways at Prompto.]
Yeah. You didn't think he learned how to use his daggers from Amicitia, did you?
no subject
Thanks. I didn't think it'd be such a pain.
[Thank goodness they had Gladio to take care of stuff all that time. And magic. And lighters if necessary. It was a lot easier than doing it the old-fashioned way.]
Wait. Seriously? You taught Ignis?
[He sounded completely baffled by that, and in a subtle way he tried to straighten himself out a bit. Sit a little taller. Hands more neatly laid on his lap. If this guy taught Ignis, then he was someone like Cor, wasn't he?]
I guess not. I never thought about it all that much. I kind of figured he popped out of the womb knowing everything, you know?
no subject
[Nyx can't help it. He laughs, reaching over to give Prompto's shoulder a little shove and shake.]
Relax. Trust me, at the end of the day I'm not all that important.
[Alright, maybe he was a little important but saying that might keep Prompto from relaxing. He nods at the question, grinning as he looks back towards the fire.]
Well, that's a pretty good guess to have. I mean, he does have that way about him. But nope. I taught him. I'm apart of the King's Glaive back home, or well, I was. Anyways, I'm pretty sure the Captain actually gave me the task in the hope that Ignis would be a good influence on me.
no subject
Man, good thing he didn't wake up to realize he'd been drooling on Cor.]
You were part of the Kingsglaive? Cool.
[Definitely not the response they always got, but Prompto was an outsider, like they were. Though he'd never really told other people about it, he'd admired them for that and wished that he could be more like them. They were tough outsiders who were fighting the Empire.
Prompto knew everyone didn't view them that way. It just added to his worry about someone finding out that he wasn't from Lucis.
He did slump down slightly, but he dragged out his camera but just looked at the black screen on his lap, like it was an excuse not to look Nyx directly in the eye, instead keeping his gaze somewhat downward even when he glanced in the other man's direction, eyes oft wandering back to the device he was fiddling mindlessly with.]
So that jacket... [He asked in a more low-key tone, indicating the one that Ignis had.] ...is yours?
no subject
Guess it was cool. I mean can't complain too much when I can use magic.
[He keeps it casual because there was no need to bring up all the fighting that went along with being a Glaive. Let alone how they were all just outsiders fighting for their homes...
He cranes his head towards where Ignis he's pretty sure Ignis was sitting, letting out a sigh.]
Yeah. That's mine but I don't think I'm getting it back anytime soon. [Then he turns his attention back to Prompto, watching him fiddle with the camera.] You a photographer?
no subject
[It was a quiet, genuine expression of gratitude. He hadn't been able to do anything about Ignis being cold. The only thing that had even kept Prompto from getting cold himself was the seemingly endless running around. It made him feel guilty for not speaking in defense of the Kingsglaive before, but he'd been a shy kid, hardly able to talk to anyone.
He glanced up momentarily when Nyx asked if he was a photographer. Last time he had asked if anyone had wanted to look at photos... Well, Ignis was blind, Gladio was mad and Noctis just plain out rejected him. He hadn't really gotten to enjoy them since.]
Yeah. I want to be a professional someday. [Looking back down on the camera on his lap and fiddling with it, he hesitantly asked.] You... wanna see some pics?
[His tone was a mixture of hopeful and apprehensive.]
no subject
[Why no, he's not over that snow mobile. Why do you have a snowmobile, Prompto? Real talk.
Nyx is almost a little caught off guard by the tone in Prompto's voice. Well... Well how could he say no to that? So he nods, leaning a bit closer to look at the screen.]
Let's see them.
no subject
Oh, this was Noct right after we left, when the Regalia broke down on the way to Hammerhead. And this is when we got it repaired! That feels like a long time ago now... OH! But this is the garage goddess who repaired it. She does all of our repairs. She's so amazing. And kind. She's always helping us out, giving us tips on where to find parts to upgrade the Regalia.
This was the first time we saw a catoblepas. It was so big. I can't believe we've taken one down now...
[As he went through them, reliving the past that led them up to where they were now, he had some renewed fervor. His camera was full of photos of all kinds, from Ignis drinking in the car to their stay in Lestallum. Iris, and the mandatory picture of Noctis' butt while he was getting on a chocobo. Lots of happy times and hard times, but they were together and healthy.
It was when he reached the group photo at Cape Caem that he slowed down and paused on it, tone dropping.]
This... was right before we went to Altissia. Before Lady Lunafreya performed the rite to summon Leviathan....
[Before everything went wrong.]