TEST DRIVE MEME ( 001 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

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!

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.

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

shipwrecked

[whiteas]

[ Weiss's arms were crossed. She certainly didn't looked amused by the way he was speaking to her. The eyebrows and the tone didn't exactly speak to positive company. Then again, last time she'd been in "proper company" she hadn't exactly enjoyed that either, and while she knew how to get her things out of the water just fine with her own abilities...

Fishing and hunting for food weren't exactly in her range of talents. Or at the very least, she hadn't had time to figure out how to work her current talents into procuring them yet, and she definitely didn't know how to properly cook them sans kitchen after they were out.

It might be worth using a little Dust to build a shelter big enough for both of them if he could bring that to the table. She uncrosses her arms and holds one hand out. ]

I can fetch my things on my own but I wouldn't say no to food, if you know how to cook it properly as well.

[ Her eyes glance to the gills for a moment. She's seen a Faunus before, but usually Faunus didn't have multiple parts.. and certainly not parts for breathing that looked like they were struggling. ]

Are you okay?

[chummer]

[ Finley is about the farthest thing from 'good company' one can get. He might be a royal, by proxy, but he certainly doesn't act anything close to regal. ]

Of course I do, [ he practically scoffs. Like her insinuating he couldn't cook was insulting. (He can't though, is the thing, so he really has no right to act so offended. Unfortunately, he's not above lying to get what he wants.) ]

I'm fine, [ he sighs, taking a moment to concentrate. Regulate his above water breathing. The gills stop their motion. ] See? Just gotta' get used to this... breathing through my nose and mouth nonsense. So fucking weird.

[whiteas]

[ As long as the food doesn't make her sick, she'll consider it acceptable. That doesn't mean she won't complain, but if it's about not dying of disease or starvation, she'll accept the deal. ]

We'll need to find a place with good coverage, then I can create shelter very few people would be able to get in and out of. I suppose I could let you in if you can cook.

[ It takes her about three seconds before she blurts out something that's probably not socially approved. ]

What are you? Not to be rude, but I've never heard of a faunus with multiple.. features.

[ She sounds honestly curious at least, and not like she's trying to be rude. ]

[chummer]

[ Weiss, you're already expecting far too much about this terrible being. He nods, however, as she talks. Yeah, yeah, shelter, he's invited. Cool. Actually, she's kind of cute, maybe he could-

Well, she was cute. Until she asked what he was. It wasn't that he found it rude to ask, but that he seemed... offended she didn't know. ]

I'm a shark, [ he says, as if that makes completely perfect sense. Shark-Man, technically, but they just call themselves sharks. ] The fuck is a faunus?

[whiteas]

[ Weiss didn't seem particularly bothered by the offended tone. It happened often, so she was usually just grateful when it wasn't her father's fault and someone was offended by her she existence by extension. Besides, there were far more important matters to discuss right now. Namely how a person she thought was a faunus didn't know what a faunus was.

A perplexed expression furrowed her brows and she moved her hands to her hips. ]

A faunus is a person with an animal feature. They're like humans, except with one feature and a few other species-wide traits like night vision. They're all over Remnant, I have no idea how you've never heard the term before.

[ Wait. Wait!! Maybe.. ]

I suppose if you live under water it might make sense if you never interact with the rest of the world. That's probably why I've never heard of your people.

[ There are so many questions boiling up inside of Weiss right now. One of the many problems of wanting to be the know-it-all. Weiss mentally reminds herself to sort out the faunus question first though. ]

[chummer]

We don't have faunus. I mean, there's the mers and the sea witches, but... That's it, really. [Also,] The fuck is Remnant?

[What the fuck is she even on about, he has no idea. He's never heard of any place called 'Remnant' even on land, so. Weird.]

You've never heard of us? What rock did you live under? Probably super main land, I guess... [It's a possibility, anyway.]

[whiteas]

We have neither mers nor sea witches in Remnant, which is the name of the actual world.

[ She's giving him the most exaggerated and disbelieving expression, though it's not because she doesn't want to believe it. ]

Either one of us is an alien or we're both very lost because I'm one of the people other people are accused of living under rocks for not recognizing.

[ And that's a little more worrisome to her than shark boy's foul language or specific species. Her gaze turns to the sky as if she was wishing she could see a Grimm or an airship or something that would at least tell her she wasn't the one horribly displaced here. ]

[chummer]

[ Oh. That's... ]

My world is called earth, not Remnant. [ Perhaps not the earth that most people know of, but an alternate version. One where water is the main domain instead of land; one where the sea took the reins on reality and the most prominent species live beneath the waves instead of walking the earth. ]

I mean, you seem weird as fuck, so you're probably the alien.

[ Says the boy with shark appendages and gills on his neck.

Also, what the fuck. There are other worlds now? Ugh. ]

[whiteas]

[ Okay, she's gotten much nicer since she's gotten a little more social experience outside of terrible people, but if he's going to go slinging insults she's not going to be able to hold in the scoff. Her weight shifts to one hip and her tone takes a turn toward snide. ]

Just because I didn't waste time sputtering around not being able to perform basic functions like breathing air properly doesn't make me the weird one. We're both lost here, so if you don't want me calling you a cold fish, I think we should start over with names.

[ She's still trying, she's just clearly not got much patience for telling to be polite about it the second she's given a reason. ]

[chummer]

Last I checked, it was my time to waste.

[ Oho, she's getting sassy. It's about time, honestly. Finley likes ladies who can hold their own. ]

I'm perfectly fine with calling you Bitchtits McGee, actually. [ And 'cold fish' isn't the worst thing he's been called so she's going to have to try better than that. ]

[whiteas]

Are shark-boys [ he's definitely not a man as he originally declared, she's decided ] warm blooded or cold blooded?

[ It's a very important question after a comment like that. ]

[chummer]

[ His eyes narrow at the thinly veiled threat. Despite himself, his mouth curls up into a toothy grin. ]

Like I'm going to tell you, [ he scoffs. ]

[whiteas]

[ She rolls her eyes, gesturing her hands out to the side as if to indicate she doesn't care that he didn't answer. She so does but she's trying really hard not to just tell him to go screw home. Survival is important, don't lose the guy who can fish well, Weiss. She can't abandon him while he needs help either even if he's a jackass. ]

I'm going to find out very quickly if you call me that again. I'd prefer to not nearly kill you, but if you won't tell me, I may have to learn the hard way.

[chummer]

[ Sucks to suck, Weiss. He could do perfectly fine without her, but it's the fact that she seems to need his help (or at least want it) that has him pushing his limits here. ]

Damn, [ he breathes out. ] I'm cold-blooded, but not nearly as you. [ Well. At least he actually answered her question. ]

Alright, deal. I won't call you any more names - if you cease your bitchitude - and you don't kill me. And I'll fish for you. Really, you're getting the winning deal here. I'm being nice.

[ Some logic. ]

[whiteas]

[ She's already making a mental now too find alternate means of finding sustenance here. Her patience is but unlimited, and sometimes in short supply. He's already run through a lot of it. ]

I have no intention of killing you unless you try first. I promise not to freeze your feet to the ground, but I'm not convinced I'm the one who needs to stop acting in the manner you described.

[ She's not going to outright say she thinks he's acting like a bitch but she'll certainly imply it. Her manners are much better than that. Apparently not better enough not to point squarely into his chest as she speaks. ]

I'll try to be a little nicer if you treat me with enough respect to at least not engage in name-calling. Just because I don't know how to fish doesn't mean I won't find a way to get food; you're the one who came to me. Maybe try acting like it before I find someone else to team up with because I have the distinct feeling I'm going to have a much easier time finding someone to put up with me than you are.

[chummer]

[ That's probably smart, Weiss. Find yourself a lot better than this Shark-Brat. ]

I don't owe you any respect, [ he says, matter-of-factly.
In his mind, he doesn't. ] And I came to you because you seemed competent. It's a compliment, but. I'm starting to think I overestimated you.

[ He

really doesn't want shelter that bad, apparently. ]

[whiteas]

You don't seem competent or respectful, so I'm honestly not sure what you're offering me here besides the obvious headache that someone else much more tolerable than you can't provide.

[ She's put up with someone trying to make her feel worthless for far too long to escape the kingdom and go right back to living with someone who refuses to treat her like a person. Weiss steps around him, ready to go fetch her things herself despite the rocks and water or the fact that she's wearing heels. She'll find another way to get food. ]

Look on the bright side, I'm sure the view at night is amazing. [ He'll be getting a lot of it without a roof over his head. ]

[chummer]

Fine, [ he practically hisses, rolling his eyes. ] Not like I fucking need you either.

[ He'll find someone else to build a shelter with. He has to, or else he risks freezing to death. But he'd rather find it elsewhere than do anything like apologize or - heaven forbid - admit he's being a raging twat, so. Looks like they're a a crossroads. ]

I'll fish for someone else. Have fun with your probably poisonous fruit and shitty shelter.

[ Bye Felicia. ]