aftr_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME ( 006 )

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*test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 006 )

Test Drive Meme #6

Hello, and welcome to LifeAftr! 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 December 17th! Due to the holiday season, Applications will be opening on December 26th, with an app period shifted to end on January 2nd instead of the usual timeframe!

Two important notes:

1. LifeAftr's test drives take place on the island of Mu, which 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, largely in the form of test drive reward items.

United We Stand
This particular month, Mu has seen fit to recreate the strange, dichotomous island of Monsun. Most of the information regarding this peculiar land can be found in the informational post linked, but as a quick rundown: Monsun's western side is a hot wasteland of a desert prone of disasters and mishaps, but will affect your character's emotional and psychological state in a positive sense, while its eastern side is a verdant forest filled with endless resources...as well as a tendency to bring out the absolute worst of your character.

The western region blazes with a vengeance, the imaginary sun roasting overhead. The psychological effects of this area of island will shine far more kindly upon you than the sun does; your character's best qualities have been brought to light, and the longer they remain here, the more profound those qualities will become.

This is probably a good thing, too. Because those cactus plants on the horizon seem to be moving closer...and closer...

In fact, they aren't really plants at all.

Those who squint may find themselves thinking of another, cuter version of sentient cacti found on other worlds, but the mutual relation to a certain desert plant is where the similarities come to an end. Walking cacti are silent predators who prefer to slowly approach their prey, avoiding being noticed by their targets until it is too late.

Luckily, these creatures do not rely on projectiles to attack. Rather, their needle thin spikes can extend up to one foot out of their bodies in a fast, powerful motion - more than enough to puncture flesh and muscle. If you've ever wanted to try death by acupuncture, these are your kind of monster... but if not, a sharp weapon or fire will certainly help whittle down their numbers.

Regardless, all of your best qualities will come to light quickly in a fight, whether it be courage, diplomacy, compassion, earnest hope, or whatever other positive traits you might bear. Such is Monsun's boon to you.

Divided We Fall
The east, on the other hand, is the polar opposite to that desert wasteland. The sun shines evenly through the thick spread of deciduous canopies, which shade you from the worst of that unforgiving heat. The verdant greenery is perfectly temperate and even tranquil.

A pity that you'll soon find your worst qualities manifesting at a rather rapid rate. The proper Monsun generally gives you a twenty-four hour window before your most despicable traits start to flourish, but Mu, it seems, has sped up the clock significantly.

Scattered across the rich landscape, a herd of deer can be found prancing eagerly about, seemingly oblivious to their potentiality as a food source. In fact, they hardly seem to react to the approach of foreign entities at all. They're quite placid, and content to sit idly back until attacked - at which point they'll do little more than flee at a brisk pace.

What an ideal set of circumstances, truly. But should anyone else impose upon your peace, you'd better hope they don't mind encountering you at your absolute worst.

Don't Fear the Succ
You wake on a boat. It's a very nice boat, make no mistake, weatherbeaten and worn as it may seem, but it's still a boat, and you're still surrounded with lapping waves, as far as the eye can see. Or as far as the eye can sea.

Still, no reason not to make the best of this, right? Just sit back, relax, and let the wind take you wherever it may. You hardly need to eat or sleep in the regular sense in dreams, and this might be a good deal more picturesque than many of the dreams you're probably used to. All told, this is really quite a nice diversion -

Hold on. Did something just bump up against the hull?

Yes, in fact. Something did. Something with long, long, reaching tentacles that will soon snake over the deck to try and grasp your vessel in a death grip much like that of a boa constrictor: designed to crush and destroy.

It seems you've run afoul of that legendary creature of the depths; the one that every sailor most fears.

A kraken.

Hope you're not averse to a little hentai.

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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United We Stand

[Several things were readily apparent as she dusted herself off and looked around. It was entirely too hot.

Tikki was not around, which frightened her more than anything else had thus far...

And there were what appeared to be ... walking cacti steadily approaching. What even was this place?]

Merde...

[The first thing she did was shed her jacket, figuring the dark-colored article wasn't going to do her any favors. Rather than toss it away, though, she decided to keep it, and settled for awkwardly clutching it to her chest as she surveyed her surroundings.

She was already looking around for something that could be used to combat the pokey guys. If her time as Ladybug had taught her anything, it was that she was fairly adept at problem-solving. She just had to hope that she was still lucky enough to pull something off.]

Don't Fear the Succ

[Was she... on a boat?

This wasn't right. This definitely wasn't her room, and as far as she could remember she'd never been on a boat this large before. And the last time... she shuddered at the memory.]

Nonononono.... Why did it have to be a boat...?

[The memory of what had almost happened to her the last time she'd been on a boat was still fresh enough in her mind to inspire a nice round of nervous shakes and cold sweat as she looked around in an attempt to figure out a way out of this mess.

The second thing she'd noticed, to her immense horror, was that she could no longer feel Tikki. A quick check told her that she still wore the earrings, but where was her kwami? Had they gotten separated somehow? Had something... NO. She wasn't going to think like that! Tikki would be fine! And so would she!

But then she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and whipped her head around in time to see...]

Are those tentacles?!

Choose Your Own Adventure
[Uh... make something up~?]

From a biological perspective, no. Those are arms. You can tell because they have suckers along their entire length, which is usually the determinant.

[Roy has, by the time this explanation ends, already begun a vigorous duel with one of the tentacles, whacking at it with his greatsword while it pounds down, trying to break his guard.]

But the two terms are used interchangeably in common parlance.

Oh. Well... that's good to know. Thank you!

[As much as she loved learning new things, she wasn't entirely sure that this was the right time for a biology lesson? Then again, such knowledge was useful to have.]

Oh my goodness! Be careful!

[With that pointless outburst out of the way, she's already back to trying to hunt down a makeshift weapon. She's not entirely sure how useful she can be just yet, but she has a feeling her new companion will need help. And she doesn't want to stand around doing nothing.]

[In part, Roy had offered it to demonstrate that he is in control of the situation and there's no need for panic.]

[Now whether or not that's true is unclear, but at the very least he want to encourage a measured response.]

Out of curiosity, if I said 'take shelter, I'll handle this', would you listen?

[He expects the answer is no, but he has to ask.]

[She supposed it would be wiser to sit back and let the (she was assuming??) experts deal with the situation. But that had never been her style.]

That depends on whether or not you're able to handle it yourself. I won't run off and hide and leave you here to deal with something you're not actually capable of dealing with.

If you need help, and I'm capable of doing so, wouldn't it be smarter to work together?

Logically, that's a good question.

[The tentacle by now has snaked around Roy, trying to squeeze him. He responds by vigorously chopping at it, trying to get free before he's lifted off the deck entirely. Nonetheless, he seems perfectly calm about all this.]

I have certain ethical concerns about involving someone your apparent age in a potentially lethal combat -- would you let GO -- but I also recognize you might be more capable of fighting that I would expect based on my -- if this thing gives me a torso-sized hickey I am going to stab someone, probably the Storyteller -- own personal cultural expectations. The more legitimate question for me is whether or not pulling you in is likely to end in your death or serious harm without consideration for whether it ends in -- damn you, Power Attack, would you actually work for once?! -- my own, but since I have no actual authority over you and were I in your situation I personally wouldn't be comfortable just sheltering and watching, I recognize that you may choose to get involved regardless of my suggestion -- nrgh! [The tentacle at last manages to squeeze him enough to cut him off, even as he thrusts his sword practically through the thing.]

[Okay but how was he so calm about this?]

I thought so. And for your information, I'm quite capable, even if I don't look like it! What about you? Have you ever fought ... one of these before? I'm assuming this is a new thing.

[By this point, she's watching the arms curiously, trying to figure out if there might be some kind of weakness they can exploit. There has to be something! Or maybe she was just too used to going up against akuma with Chat. Maybe this was nothing like that. Either way, they needed to do something!]

Do we have any ideas for dealing with this? Or any suggestions for getting you out of there, for that matter?

[If nothing else, she could take directions well, even if she was used to being the one giving out the directions. But she recognized that this situation was different than anything she was used to.]

I'm sorry I'm not more useful. I've just ... well, I've never even seen something like this before!

[Because he's really, really used to this sort of thing. That's the long and the short of it.]

Everyone's new to adventuring at one point -- hit it with something! Throw something at it! If you can get it distracted for a couple of seconds...

[And there go his feet off the deck. Hmm, now he's becoming slightly less calm about all of this.]

If by adventuring you mean suddenly finding one's self on a strange boat in a strange place, fighting a weird tentacle-y beast thing, then yes. I'll admit that I'm new to the game.

[Wow, that just sounded like the plot line of a bad anime.]

So uh... does this sort of thing happen often? Should I be concerned?

[In the meantime, she's hunting around on the deck for something she can throw, because she's not going to ask to borrow his sword. Not finding anything else, Marinette lets out a frustrated sigh before taking off a shoe and throwing it as hard as she can at the arm holding Roy. She liked to think her aim was true, but the boat was rocking and the arm was flailing.]

If we get out of this, I better get that shoe back!

I'll owe you one if not.

[The shoe bonks off the tentacle, which twitches slightly in purely reflexive muscle motion. Still, Roy needs no other opening -- he swings his sword, which crackles with green light as it nearly severs the arm. The end curled around him springs free, dumping Roy back to the deck heavily, while the body-side half lunges back under the water with a heavy splash.]

As usual, my dignity is the first to die. [Roy slaps a hand down, pushing himself back up to a ready stance without delay.] Good shot. Yes, you actually kind of get used to this...

I mean... you won't really owe me anything. It's not like you asked to be here anymore than I did. Right?

[It worked? Success!]

Good job! Score one for us!

[And then she seems to remember her manners, as well as the fact that he's basically just saved her derpy little life.] Are you okay? [Not waiting for an answer, she's rushing over to where he'd fallen, trying to check for signs of damage. Though, what kind of outward signs did a giant sucker arm leave, anyway?]

Guess I've still got it. Really? I'm not sure I want to get used to this kind of thing... Do you think it's going to come back?

Marinette Dupain-Cheng | MLB

Fear that Succ?

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United We Stand

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United

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