TEST DRIVE MEME ( 006 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

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.

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[greatcleavage]

Hit points are a renewable resource. "Nice!" Roy called out, following right on her heels through the breach she made. Her style focuses on defense, a nice counterpoint to his own -- as he intended to demonstrate.

Planting one foot, Roy let his grip on the greatsword slide down the hilt slightly as he whirled, putting the muscles of his legs and back into the strike along with his shoulders and arms. His weapon cut an arc through the air from her left shoulder clear around to her right, and none of the cacti it met did a thing to slow it down. The noise was half like chopping through a tree, half like beating a bush with a tennis racket. "We're clear back here!"

[quietknight]

A quick slash sent a cactoid reeling, short an arm. A shield bash crushed another against a cliff face, killing it. She spun around to find her next foe, but couldn't find any.

She just stood their for another few seconds, gasping for breath. "...I think...that's all of them."

[greatcleavage]

"That's a lot more of them than I'm used to seeing, honestly," Roy said, his own endurance nowhere near as taxed -- but then, to be fair, he was guessing his level was a little higher than hers. "They're probably learning, as we spend time out here."

Satisfied that she'd assessed the situation correctly, Roy turned, sliding his sword into the straps on his back as he did. "That was some very nice work."

[quietknight]

Sonje flopped down against a rock and loosened her breastplate. "Hah...Thanks. I'll admit I'd have dressed differently if I knew I'd be spending time in the desert."

She reached over and grabbed a chunk of cactoid to inspect it. Could she just...take a bite out of it?

[greatcleavage]

Well, Roy certainly had done just that. "It's not just desert. There's forest on the other side of the island, and our main island has a variety of terrain. You won't regret it in the long term, I think."

Roy, wearing armor himself, was probably well-placed to speak authoritatively on the matter.

Like a year later, I respond

[quietknight]

"Oh thank the stars."

If Roy was eating it, Sonje didn't see why she shouldn't either, so she took a big bite and immediately felt a bit better as juice ran down her chin. Pity about the flavor, but at least she wasn't going to die of thirst just yet.

As the adrenaline of combat faded, Sonje suddenly felt self conscious, and wished she had a napkin so she could wipe her chin off with anything but her sleeve. Would he think her a slob? Would he demand payment for his advice? Sonje fell silent, glancing around awkwardly.

[greatcleavage]

"Although I should warn you," Roy said, doing none of the things she was worrying about and instead frowning off in the direction she could reasonably guess was 'the other side', "that this place has a mental effect, and the 'nice' side brings out your nasty side. Because of course it does."

[quietknight]

"That doesn't sound very 'of course' to me..."

Maybe that kind of magic was common around here. Or maybe Roy was just a cynic? She couldn't tell yet. Maybe both.

[greatcleavage]

"A few months of being here have taught me that there is no singularly positive thing. Everything here has a drawback of some sort. Everything has a cost." Cynical, yes, but not without cause. "Just keep that in mind, if apparently-friendly gods or pastoral landscapes tempt you."

[quietknight]

She realized around now she didn't know his name, but it felt too awkward to ask now.

"That's...Is there something good about the barren desert, at least, or are we just doomed?"

[greatcleavage]

"It's sort of the opposite. Our good tendencies come out here, I think." Roy shrugged slightly. "I'd like to think I don't notice the difference, but to be fair, it might just be digging up a little optimism."

[quietknight]

"I DID feel a little more eager to jump to the defense of a noncombatant than I think I normally would, now that you mention it..."

Nevermind that he hadn't turned out to be a noncombatant.

[greatcleavage]

"To the best of my knowledge, it only augments, it doesn't create. So at least you have some level of that anyway." Which was good, and Roy approved. How much of that impulse existed outside of this region, only time would tell.