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

[budgetmage]

This isn't up for debate! I have a degree! [ The comedy act seems to have restored her spirits somewhat, but she's still moving kind of sluggishly and weakly. Give her that walking cactus juice strange man with giant sword. ]

[greatcleavage]

I have an MBA. [It's less 'juice' and more 'juicy plant' that he's passing over, but Roy knows it serves the purpose. It's kept him alive, anyway.]

[budgetmage]

What's an "NBA"? [ She asks as she takes juice plant and shoves it in her mouth hole. ] Dudgh hht t mn srrd ndlan. [ ...And apparently, continuing to talk while doing that does not work out so well. ]

[greatcleavage]

Master of Battle Administration. We were comparing college educations, I thought. [And he isn't even going to try to pretend he understood the rest of it.]

[budgetmage]

[ She pulls the cactus from her face to speak now. Good plan, college education coming in use. ]

Never heard of a degree like that. I graduated from the Academy of Arcane Studies. Work there, now. [ IMPRESSED, BUDDY? ]

...Thanks for the cactus.

[greatcleavage]

You're welcome. [He offers a sincere smile for the kind words.] So you're a wizard, then?

[At least she's a graduate. Roy is kind of sick of running into girls younger than his kid sister on this island.]

[budgetmage]

"Mage" is the appropriate title. "Wizard" isn't an official term, and is usually only used when describing people who perform impossible magical feats in fables and fairy tales. [ She says all of this in one breath, but punctuates the end of it with a bite of cactus.

She's a nerd. A history nerd. Sorry. ]

[greatcleavage]

That's a terminology not in keeping with my own culture, so I apologize in advance for any reflexive use of the terms I'm more familiar with in relation to you.

[Roy knows he's going to screw that up at some point, purely by mistake and his own cultural history, and he'll get pilloried for it.]

[budgetmage]

I'd ask more about where you're from but. Doesn't seem like the best time.

Maybe once we're out of the. [ Gestures. At sand. ] Desert.

[greatcleavage]

There's a river thataway -- [Roy points to the east] -- that divides the island in half. The other half of the island is much nicer in environment, but apparently has a deleterious mental effect. Not worth the tradeoff in my person opinion.

[budgetmage]

[ Yeah, okay, that's not ideal. ]

How about a town, then?

[greatcleavage]

Nonexistent. [Roy folds his arms, resigning himself to breaking the bad news.] These islands have no meaningful civilization whatsoever except what we bring to it. There's a small camp by the river and a series of islets many of us live on, but as for people, that's just those of us who have been hauled here.