aftr_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME ( 007 )

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*test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 007 )

Test Drive Meme #7

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 January 15th, and Applications on January 24th!

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.

Ice of You to Drop By
The winter has well and truly settled in, both on LifeAftr and here in Mu; when you wake, you may discover that it isn't on dry land at all, but on a thick crust of ice. In fact, there doesn't seem to be any land in sight, in any direction - just ice, stretching on and on for as far as the eye can see.

Assuming the chill doesn't get to you first, you'll find that there are much more pressing matters than frostbite. One of those things will start cutting to the chase rather quickly in the form of a wickedly pointed fin, glinting beneath the weak winter sun, shearing through the mantle of ice like a hot knife through butter.

Ice sharks sound like something out of a sci-fi B-movie and probably are something out of a sci-fi B-movie, but rest assured: they are still quite dangerous. Fragments of undersea ice animated to suit a particularly sadistic shape and size, ice sharks almost look like delicately worked sculptures of glass or diamond, right up until the point where one of them gets their jaws around you. Their preternatural strength and tenacity allows them to "swim" through ice as easily as water. In fact, that happens to be one of their hunting tactics, as they tend to circle a target and break at the ice around them until they're surrounded by icy water, with no means of escape.

Much like real sharks, they can smell blood, and will set upon it eagerly. Unlike real sharks, they are also innately hostile. Anyone who looks like they might be an easy target will be quickly zeroed in upon by several ravenous, but nonetheless quite pretty, of these glittering creatures.

With Our Wassailing Bowl
The rest of Mu might be more forgiving in terms of setting, but that does not mean you're safe. Waking on dry land is generally considered preferable to waking on nothing more than a layer of ice, even if said dry land is nothing more than a jagged spurt of dark, coastal cliff. It's obvious from the start that nothing truly lives here. The island itself is simply some fragment of rock, eroded away from its mainland until it is all that remains.

The island itself isn't special, no. What is special is what is at its center.

A massive clay pot of piping-hot wassail steams temptingly at the island's heart, nestled between the crags of rock. Just looking at it, you can know that drinking that heated, blissful drink of cider and cinnamon will surely chase away the unforgiving winter chill, and warm you from your bones to your toes.

Really, the only problem here is that everyone else wants it too.

The second you lay eyes on that treasure, you'll be seized with an instinctive, inescapable need to have it. No one else can be allowed to partake; it is yours by right. You saw it first, after all, didn't you? You'll have to race with your peers to seize it before anyone else does, and you might even have to start fighting dirty to claim your prize. Sure, you could fight that initial instinct, but where's the fun in that?

Dig a Little Deeper
It's not as though actual, real dry land is out of the question for Mu this go around. It's just that there aren't very many desirable options, evidently, when it comes to the manner of islands that resemble those in the proper archipelago. This island in question might be a bit cold, brisk as the winter air is, but it is otherwise quite ordinary. In fact, one would not be remiss in thinking it bears more than a passing resemblance to the island of Chol.

Unfortunately, it's also chosen to emulate a rather unpleasant, if rare, aspect of Chol's landscape: quicksand. No getting out of this one, we're afraid - Mu has dropped you right smack in the middle of a patch of it.

The myth that one can "drown" in quicksand is largely without much scientific bearing. Indeed, the most prominent danger is that one will start to sink and quickly become mired in the stuff, but eventually they'll cease to properly sink at all. No; the real peril lies in the fact that, once stuck, it is nearly impossible to get out of it. Most victims of quicksand risk death by dehydration or starvation, though we wouldn't fault you for fearing death by, er, sand. Who doesn't hate sand? It's coarse, it's rough, it's irritating, and it gets everywhere.

There doesn't seem to be much in the way of ropes or branches one might grab onto for purchase, once stuck. You'll have to ask passersby for a helping hand, and hope they're feeling charitable...or just drag them in with you, if you're that sort of person.

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[UMM excuse you, he was trying to use it like a stick or leverage or something!! It wasn't working at all.]

Wherever you start sinking. [If he KNEW, he wouldn't be stuck right now. He's eyeing those boots, looking out for it himself. The last thing he wants is some guy getting stuck next to him because he tried to help.]

Move steady and watch where you're walking. If it looks too wet, stay out of it. [But he's still going to lean forward with his whole body himself, reaching out with his free (muddy) hand.]

I know!

[ He doesn't know, but don't tell him what to do!! He takes another cautious step forward, reaching out, and manages to grab that gross hand. ]

I got—

[ —Haha nah, the second he starts to pull his heels slide forward, and now he's sinking. It's slow enough that he can stumble back, but the mud's gotten enough of his boots already that he still falls on his ass. He back up, frowning (at both the situation and the sandy mud he's now half-covered in, great). ]

Lemme see that sword.

[Ah, great. He stares as Gojyo falls on his ass, too busy quietly thinking about how to make sure things don't go south to comment on it. Then, there's that question, and Guren looks to his sword. He hesitates for a moment before shifting to pass the sword so that Gojyo can take it from the handle.]

It's sharp. [He's mostly saying that to be a punk, but it's also partial warning and reminder. Don't go hurting yourself, red haired stranger.]

I'm not takin' safety lessons from a guy who's about to drown in sand.

[ Compare to him, the Safety Genius, who has avoided almost drowning for over one continuous minute and counting!! Speaking of being a safety genius, though — he gets close enough to reach it, muddy fingers outstretched, and has a sudden gruesome mental image of losing his balance and falling on the dude, or his sword, or both. That'd be just about his luck. ]

Actually, uh— just kidding. Throw it over there. [ To a spot that looks like it might be okay, and if it's not, the guy's just gonna have to lose his weird sword. ] I need both your hands.

...

[He is not going to lose his sword, thanks. So, after giving Gojyo a look, he pulls the sword back.] You better make this quick.

[Or they really will both sink. Instead of throwing his sword anywhere in this, though, he brings it to his mouth and... takes the handle between his teeth. In a show, he wiggles his fingers of both free hands back at Gojyo before holding them out. Hurry up!!!]

Hell no, I'm not gonna pull you out while you have a sword in your teeth! You're gonna fall on me and I'm gonna die!

[ This guy probably sleeps with his sword. (He knows the type, and it's a bullshit weirdo type to be.) ]

Never mind, I got this.

[ Knowing the type necessitates being able to accommodate them, so okay, fine. He circles around behind Guren and steps in close, crouching down to grab him around the chest. His boots are sinking already, but it's fine, he'll just pull— ]

Motherfuck—

[ He just sinks deeper, of course. He tries to step back, embarrassingly loses both his boots (not that Guren can tell), and falls on his ass again. This is going super well. ]

What the hell are you doing back there?! You're supposed to get me out, not fall in yourself!

[It sounds like CHAOS... He had to take the sword out of his mouth to yell this, and now he is just, really grumpy. Putting all of his weight on one of his legs, he begins trying to shake the other as much as he can. It looks ridiculous since he is very much stuck, but if he keeps this up for a while, maybe he'll be free before this idiot can get to being helpful. That's his thinking on it.]

If you're not stuck, get back in front of me and just hold out your hand! All I need is the extra support.

I'm not stuck! I'm gonna leave you in there.

[ He's just extracting his boots from quicksand like an idiot. Everyone has to do this sometimes, probably... He stomps back around (now his feet are gross, too, this is great), holding out his hand: an outmoded and way-too-sharp monk's spade just kind of conveniently appears in it. He offers the less ridiculously dangerous end to Guren. ]

Watch out, it's sharp. [ Dick. ]

[Hey... asshole. That's not what he expected, though. The weapon appears, and Guren gives Gojyo's face another look. He's not familiar at all, not wearing a uniform, that weird scar doesn't tell him anything. After a notable pause, he reaches with his free hand to grab the pole part of this ridiculous weapon as well as he can.]

Thought you were gonna leave me. [Punk?? But good, this helps, and with Gojyo hopefully supporting or pulling, he can more easily wiggle one leg free at a time and start to crawl out of this mess.]

Yeah, well, I decided I was gonna be nice.

[ Do Not Call Him Out, thanks!! As soon as they're both well away from the quicksand (or at least that patch of it, who knows), he lets his absurd monk's spade disappear — it just vanishes out of his hand — and turns his attention to checking out how gross and covered in sand he is. Fantastic. It's clearly time for a cigarette; he digs a pack out of his filthy jacket. ]

How'd you even get that stuck?

[Once they're out, he sheathes his sword, sighing down at his sandy, messy self. Whatever. He's walking carefully now, but it's unlikely that he'll get as stuck as he was before. ...Probably.]

When I came to, it was over my knees. The more I struggled, the more I sank. [So, yeah. He gives Gojyo a side glance.]

Where'd you pick up that thing?

[ He shoots Guren a side glance right back, in the middle of lighting a cigarette, somewhat obviously trying to sort out what to say. It's a stupid and embarrassing story and no one needs to hear it in full, okay. ]

The ground. I'm lucky. [ He pauses to take a drag, relenting a little. ] You wouldn't believe me if I told you; it was a whole— weird thing.

[ Kind of like waking up in quicksand, but whatever. He starts to turn in a circle, looking for anything shelter-like they might head for: it's cold, especially now that he's half-covered in mud. ]

Edited 2018-01-21 06:04 (UTC)

Try me.

[Guren insists, because he's really wondering if something like that could be cursed gear. It really seemed like a manifestation type, but...]

I always deal with weird things. [It's Fine, tell him the story.] Besides, it's probably better to talk. Maybe we can keep warm.

[He's full of it with that but he'll throw it out there anyway.]

The fuck does that have to do with keeping warm?

[ He'll just pick a direction at random, it'll be fine. Nothing else looks like quicksand, but the stuff they were just in has already smoothed over, and now it doesn't look like quicksand. This is great. He starts walking anyway, shoving his free hand in his pocket. ]

There was a cursed jar, okay? The jar was cursed, I opened it, and now I have that.

[ A harmless and necessary lie; he doesn't need to sound like an idiot in front of a dude who seems extremely likely to call people idiots. ]

Shut up.

[Just answer his question? Ah, but the answer he gets has him staring dubiously at Gojyo for a long few seconds before he speaks again.]

What kind of jar would fit that thing? You just knew it was cursed? Was it labeled or something? Call out your demon for me.

[When all else fails he will just shove it into a line of questions.]

[ He opens his mouth to give some sassy answers to these sassy questions (it doesn't need to fit in the jar, and if he'd known it was cursed he wouldn't have been dicking around with it, and what would it have been labeled, "CURSED: DON'T TOUCH"?

—But the last question makes him shut his mouth again, momentarily, and squint at Guren.

He's not that obvious, is he? Some human being able to pick up on it immediately would be a first, anyway. ]

I don't know what you're talkin' about. What demon?

[ He looks away, though, tellingly. ]

[So he was right? That's all he can think about that sort of dodgy reaction, the almost-answering but stopping before he did. Guren places a hand at his hip, near his sword, just in case.]

You know what demon. [Or, he assumes so, right now. Guessing and pushing forward seems to be a tactic that's working.] Did you think I wouldn't notice?

[ What the hell's happening, honestly. He squints at Guren again, scratching his chin. ]

Uh, yeah? [ Just being honest. ] Nobody ever does; I pretty much have to say it. How'd you even—?

[ He stops dead in his tracks, eyes going wide. There's only one way it'd be that obvious: his hands fly up to the tips of his ears.

...And they're normal, and now he looks super weird. He lowers his hands again, shooting Guren a furtive look. Don't say anything. ]

[Uh. That's not a reaction he was expecting, and his eyebrows raise in genuine surprise as Gojyo stares right back. He keeps his hand on the hilt of his sword, but he's not drawing it or anything, staying defensive.]

What's the matter? Checking for something? [He's clearly not a vampire, so what is he checking his ears for? A namanari? None of this is lining up together. It's kind of frustrating, actually.]

Who are you?

[ That's a weird way to put it, like he's expecting someone important — if that's the case, maybe he should say he's with Genjo Sanzo, but on the other hand, now that he's looking at it, this dude's wearing a uniform he's never seen before in his life, and it's covered with all kinds of stupid fancy shit, too. Must be an officer. ]

Nobody.

[ He turns back to start walking again. ]

Gojyo. Who're you?

Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army.

[He follows him at his side, but his hand drops away from his sword. This guy doesn't seem like he's going to attack him out of nowhere, but depending on how he reacts to that, he should be ready without revealing it. It'll look like he's let his guard down, maybe.]

I'm also in charge of the Moon Demon Company. [The one,,, that uses cursed gear,,, stares.] What's your full name? Where are you from?

[ His full name, like it'll somehow help. Gojyo tosses his cigarette into the sand, grimacing. ]

Gojyo Sha, Chang'an. Never heard of a moon demon company; sorry, "Lieutenant Colonel Guren Ichinose." [ He repeats it back too formally, mocking: nerd. ]

So what do you do, kill demons, I guess? [ His tone's still bored — the guy may have somehow (????) figured him out, but he's been non-murderous enough so far. ]

[No reaction, except for maybe a distaste for his title in general. Hm. And, despite the red hair, he's not from the family he thought he might be. Well, that would be weird if he was— he's seen enough of them now to know he doesn't fit in.]

No, idiot. We use demons to kill vampires.

[Duh?? Whatever. He decides that if he's in some weird illusion-world that he can't break out of and people don't know about vampires or anything, he'll at least show it. This guy clearly has some connection with demons, but how could he pair up with one without their research? Mahiru found out before anyone else.

He draws his sword, but it's with incredibly slow speed that he does. Holding it out straight, casually, he blinks boredly himself, even if he's very interested.]

Let's see if you're really relevant.

[That's the only warning before he decides to give off some casually intense demonic aura... It's like a friendly nudge, right? If he passes out, at least they're not in quicksand.]

[ The vampire comment was sarcasm, of course; the guy's definitely part of some kind of anti-demon militia, so when the sword comes back out Gojyo takes a wary step to the side, giving himself space — but he stops dead again, brow furrowing, when that aura hits him. That it's strong enough for him to feel is unusual in and of itself, but that might have a lot to do with Recent Shitty Developments. He rubs the back of his neck unconsciously. ]

How are you doing that?

[ He tilts his head and leans in a little, peering at Guren: it'd sure put a different spin on the demon army thing, but if he's wearing a limiter, it's not obvious. ]

[Not even a flinch, aside from noticing it. That's intriguing, and it has Guren smirking as he rests the blade in his opposite hand. There's black smoke coming from it, it looks like, and after he's done showing that off, he sheathes it, and it fades away completely.]

It's called cursed gear. [So this guy really is clueless, but he has potential? Interesting. Guren is not helpful at all with this answer, of course.] Let me ask you this: how can you make your weapon appear and disappear at will?

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