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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 )
Jaune Arc ☽☽ RWBY ☽☽ OTA
[At this point, Jaune feels like he's seen a lot. He's been to a different continent, seen a kingdom vastly different from the small villages he's used to, and he's seen more ocean and sky than he's ever wanted to.
But he's never been anywhere like this. He's heard stories of islands, with water bluer than Anima's purest lake and with bright vegetation, but he's never seen one. So how was it that his mind knew what to conjure? That's clearly what this was: an incredibly realistic dream, or a convincing hallucination.
Fishing yet another piece of seaweed out of his hair, he scans the expanse of rocks and weighs his options. His armor is unscathed. That's a relief. He still has his sash. But he needs his weapon if he wants to survive. For the first time in his life, Jaune feels truly alone, and he doesn't have anyone else he can rely on to fight for him while he "strategizes". Not that he can stand being without it. Catching a glimpse of white reflecting off the sun, he freezes, a sudden painful desperation hitting him in the chest. He’s lost enough; he can’t stand to lose this too. Instinct takes over and he jumps, sliding down the rocks with his boots and scaling the cliff.
Jaune Arc is not a graceful person.
About halfway down, his foot gets caught on one of the jagged edges, misdirecting his balance and sending him to the water face-first.]
This! [Ouch.] Wasn’t-- [This is fine he doesn’t need to use both feet.] How much longer?!
[Grabbing onto a rock, he barely just catches himself, eyes wide and fearful as he views the rest of the drop. So much for a landing strategy.]
[Lessons on What Not to Do]
[It doesn’t take much prompting to encourage Jaune to tell a story. The fire is warm and for the time being, everyone is safe. Jaune isn’t alone anymore, and even though he doesn’t recognize all these faces, it’s comfortable. It reminds him of camping with his family.
Stories can be used to immortalize the memories of others or teach lessons. Often, it’s some combination of the two. Perhaps this story’s lesson is to not allow him to narrate one. Wearing his most serious expression, he clears his throat and gets started.]
Storytime on the island
You can call it chapter one
Everyone had dreams it was super darning fun
No one knew what we’d be up against
All we knew was to fight with our fists
Or swords you know whatever
We thought we’d be friends forever
Going on a journey not end up on a gurney
But it started out simple, clean and smart
Just like the Ice Queen who stole a hero’s heart
Don’t call that to her face or you’ll end up last place
But you gotta own up keep up not fake it til you make it
Don’t steal or lie or else you’ll break it
And things might suck now but we keep moving forward
Together as Team--
[Pausing, Jaune does a headcount, putting a palm to his forehead.]
Yeah, there’s no way to combine the names of everyone here to create a cohesive team name that rhymes with forward.
[He looks so frustrated and disappointed in himself.]
[Dance Dance Resolution]
[When Jaune figures out the source of the literally catchy beat is…a creepy guy in a mask and some kind of weird looking Grimm that reminds him of a dessert gone wrong, he actually smirks.
It feels good to smirk. He's used to bitter scowls or staring in fear.]
You picked the wrong guy to start a dance battle with.
[This is what his life has built up to. He starts to roll up his sleeves and stops after realizing he’s already wearing short sleeves. Shrugging, he withdraws his sword and starts attacking the blobs, all to the rhythm provided by the very entity trying to keep him dancing. Maybe he should always play music when he fights because his footwork is on point.]
lessons on what not to do
She's pretty sure if there was one positive thing here it was that she didn't have her reputation as an ice queen. Welllp.
Jaune, you are the thorn in her side. The impending headache she can't escape. ]
no subject
[Jaune waves a dismissive hand at her facepalming. He looks at her expectantly, with so much hope, biting his lower lip and venturing with his question.]
So, what did you think? I can make one just about you.
no subject
[ She gestures to a lone rock cropped out of the sand about 30 feet away. Just far enough that he could watch everyone else have fun if he was stuck there. She doesn't know how yet, but if he starts singing to her, she'll make it happen. ]
no subject
You know what Weiss
That's not very nice
And I say that as your friend
But when it comes to musical talent I know we all tend
To prefer you yes it's true
I might not be much of a singer
But we share a special bond
And I can guitar with my...fingers
A song about you can't be wrong
I've dug my grave and gone on too long
So while I improvise to all eyes
I hope you can forgive
Sending your friend to a rock is no way to make them live!
no subject
I'm going to ignore you for the next three days if you don't go sit on the rock.
[ 20 minutes of sadness or three days? Your move, Jaune. ]
no subject
Who decided you were-- I guess, queen of wherever it is we are?
[Maybe he says it because he knows it bothers her. Or maybe it's bad word choice. It's probably both; he's on edge too and this isn't how he imagined reuniting with Weiss. Part of him didn't even think he would. Rolling his eyes once, he hangs his head, he walks off sullenly.]
The first one wasn't even about you.
no subject
[ she crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes and stepping closer to him, following him to make sure he goes all the way to the rock and sits properly.
Normally, she might have just let him go off on his own. But after everything, she wanted to make sure the area was safe before banishing him to it. As much as this has started off irritatingly, he was still her friend- even if she wouldn't share such a fact. ]
no subject
[He waves a hand dismissively, shoulders tense, stalking off the rest of the way. Sitting against the rock, he folds his arms, more on edge now and paying attention to his surroundings. Just because they haven't seen any Grimm yet doesn't mean there aren't any.]
no subject
It's probably not hard to notice that she's not going back and just trying to keep a fair distance to let him know he's still being punished, but he's not alone. ]
[ lessons on what not to do ]
And her face crumples, her strong facade slipping away before she can recall it. ]
Jaune?
[ lessons on what not to do ]
But he notices movement, and there's no mistaking it. Everything...from her voice to how she moves-- even her expression is so unforgivably accurate. He's forgotten to move, his armor suddenly trapping him from the world instead of protecting him from it. His fingers have started shaking and his voice is hoarse, accusing and trying to find someone to blame.]
This isn't funny. [What kind of sick joke was this? Didn't anyone else see her?]
no subject
[ Pyrrha makes an aborted move forward and stops herself. She is dead. Ruby confirmed it and Pyrrha has felt it. Could she really go to him right now? Like this? She wraps her arms around herself, trying to hold herself back. ]
— It's me.
no subject
But he can't move. He doesn't even stare at her like he sees a ghost; whatever is going on is much crueler than that. It's almost as if he's testing her to see what she does next. If she disappears, he'll know he's finally lost it. It will be losing her all over again, but at least he'll know.
Say something. Anything. But he can't. Why can't he say anything?
Jaune tried not to give the afterlife much thought. He always figured he'd die pretty young; huntresses and huntsman weren't known for living to enjoy retirement. But he would have rather been remembered as a hero, than someone mediocre and helpless. Someone that needed to be protected. It's not an explanation he wants to think about, but if he's not crazy it makes the most sense.]
Am I dead? [He blurts out to no one.]
no subject
[ Her voice quavers. The idea of Jaune being dead — Pyrrha blinks tears from her eyes before wiping her face hastily. She can't begin to imagine what's going through his head right now. How long it might have been. ]
N-No, I don't think so.
[ Ruby had said the others were fine and Pyrrha believes her. She keep her gaze on the ground. She's not ashamed but she can't — she's not ready. ]
no subject
[He bites out between grit teeth, more harshly than he intended. Seeing her cry like this tears open wounds that haven't healed and never will. It hurts but it's also so real. Pyrrha rarely showed this side and he couldn't help her when she did. If it's his mind playing tricks on him, he must hate himself more than he thinks. But she's still far enough away to make him distrust himself. It's hard to think anything is real when your surroundings have blurred around you and you feel numb.]
Did I lose it? Because I'm not sure which one's worse.
no subject
Gently, she touches Jaune's cheek. He's really here. ]
You didn't lose anything.
no subject
Didn't lose anything? [His voice cracks as he parrots her words in disbelief. He's past any point where he might ask rational questions: Why was she here? Did she remember everything? He can feel a tremor as she touches him. Or is that him? He didn't think he could cry anymore, but tears fall from his eyes and he honestly doesn't care at this point.]
We all lost that night so don't-- Don't act like-- [Choking on his words, he crumples against her and just breaks down.]
no subject
Do you believe in destiny?
She did. She still does. Carefully, her fingers brush the tears from his cheeks. ]
I'm glad you're all right.
[ Everyone else made it okay. She is sorry for their grief, their loss and all the moments in between. But that's as far as it goes. ]
no subject
Destiny is an excuse to reign in good people to be used by others. If destiny was the reason why Pyrrha couldn't laugh with her teammates and why Ren sometimes talked more than Jaune now and Nora had become more reliable than ever and Ruby was so quiet and uncertain when she didn't think people were looking, then he was better off without it. Holding his breath, he doesn't move closer, but he doesn't try to stop her either.]
I'm not.
[He says it like it's a fact that's hard to admit.] We're not okay. [She's so pale.
He wants to reach to grab her hand, but he doesn't want to set her off. Or worse, watch her disappear again.]
no subject
Pyrrha Nikos is a Huntress.
But she also loves this boy and that's what keeps her there, caught by his misery. Her hands haven't moved far away. ]
I know.
no subject
As much as he pointed the blame to everyone else, there was only one person he despised equally, if not more, than Cinder. Not that the reasons really mattered when you had lost someone. They didn't bring Pyrrha back.
He doesn't know how she's back, and he doesn't want to ask. He's afraid doing anything to question her presence or point it out will only force her to disappear like the floating embers that danced their way. Everything good in his life had a habit of doing that lately and he doesn't think he can take it happening again.]
Can we sit?
no subject
Of course.
[ She gently pulls him along to the driftwood, close to the fire. She resists the urge to fidget and if she still holds his hand . . . Pyrrha is sure someone will forgive her for this small comfort. ]
Going Down
I can catch you and bring you down here, if you let go.
[Not the most reassuring offer, especially from what appears to be some sort of spider lady, but it's probably better than hitting the ground?]