TEST DRIVE MEME ( 010 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #10

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 April 17th, and Applications on April 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.

Friends on the Other Side
When you open your eyes, it is to a shadow-tinted cityscape. The buildings are clay-built and colorless, plunging seemingly infinitely onward into the sky before disappearing into a dense pool of foglike sky. The silence weighs heavily like a mantle across every inch of this place, and no matter how you squint at them, every structure seems strangely blurred, as though being viewed through distorted telescope lens, or in the reflection of a pool of water.

All told, it's probably obvious from the start that all is not well here. From the moment you arrive in this strange nether-place, your eyelids have begun to grow heavy. Something about this city and its perpetual, misted darkness leaves you inexplicably drowsy, ready to curl up and fall asleep on the spot.

That wouldn't be a problem, perhaps, if you were alone. Mu does not boast a great deal of flora and fauna, but what it does have is a creature capable of inflicting much in the way of misfortune - clockroach. They occupy this city in swarms of wraith-like wisps, both intangible and curiously amorphous. But when they draw close, they instill a sense of terror like no other, usually igniting one's fight-or-flight response as a result. Sure, they might not be capable of actually hurting you, but why should that matter, when they have a skill for inducing a sense of utter dread in their targets?

Ever try to get some sleep with fresh adrenaline pumping in your veins?

Pretty Fly for a...Fire Guy
With indigo-blue skies, lush fields of green, and miles of rippling grass hills for as far as the eye can see, Mu has cast you into the perfect and picturesque evening. As the imaginary sun lips the very edge of the horizon and the last glow of orange fades to the purple of dusk, the fields come to life with a smattering of bright, wavering lights. LifeAftr has its fair share of fireflies native to its many regions, but this particular kind is special. They're the size of quarters, very pretty to look at...and incredibly volatile besides. It's hard to interpret what these wondrous little glow-bugs might view as a threat or not, but at least it's remarkably easy to discern as much based on the sight of them alone: they're handily color-coded depending on their moods.

While they glow a contented amber by default, those that fireflies warm to will find themselves bathed in a green-blue glow as those bulbous, organic lanterns tint with a soft, cool turquoise. A few of them might even settle across your arms and in your hair, if they take that much of a shine to you.

Of course, those the fireflies don't warm to will be able to note as such when they light up a blazing crimson, mere seconds before the insects spit a stream of glowing orange, molten-colored acid. It stings and burns in equal measure, just as likely to scald you as it is to set the surrounding fields aflame.

Flower You Doing That?
Adventurers were both wary and relieved to discover that the next island on the horizon, known as Ziziphus, appeared to be a rather vegetation-rich paradise. They were considerably less relieved to learn that this island contained predators just like all the rest of them, despite the rich green backdrop of its meadows and the promise of lush woodland at its heart.

So it is that you, too, will learn that sometimes tufts of ferns are not tufts of ferns at all...but dangerous creatures called spindlanks. What might initially appear to be a leafy hillock will very quickly prove to be something far more...mobile, if you get close enough. That clump of grass and red ferns will abruptly hoist itself up on six vine-like tendrils, crawling for its prey like a very large, mossy spider. While it's fully capable of swiping at its foes with its massive, leafy arms, the spindlank's favored method of dispatching its prey is simply to scuttle forth until it's positioned directly above you and drop down. If its weight does not crush you and choking on the clods of earth doesn't smother you, don't worry; the spindlank intends to eat you alive with a set of fleshy jaws set deep in its center.

For despite their leafy appearance, spindlanks are very much carnivorous. Their size can vary from anywhere between six and ten feet tall when their appendages unfurl entirely. They burn as easily as any plant matter would, but the size of them can make them quite difficult to topple alone.

And they are almost always hungry.

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

Fire guy

[want_to_belong]

[The scenery didn't escape Prompto's notice. He'd been trotting around looking for Ignis since he found out he was here. Of course he believed in the other man's strength and ability, he just couldn't help worrying as well. For many months now he'd been balancing the two feelings when it came to Iggy.

But that didn't mean he couldn't slow to watch the little nightlights hover around. Little blue-green lights slowly drifted passed him and he pulled out the camera instinctively. Ready, aim...

With a familiar click and a flash of light everything changed in an instant. The nightlights apparently weren't fond of the camera outdoing them. The green swiftly changed into a warmer colors and gave him an eerie feeling. He stared confused for a moment until something hot hit the back of his hand and broke him out of his reverie.]

Ah!

[He shook his hand to get it off and instinctively darted away. He was, at least, swift enough that nothing was really hitting him, but he wasn't paying close attention as things started to catch on fire behind him. Instead he ran at full speed - until he didn't. He ran smack into a walking mountain and bounced off, hitting the ground.]

Hey...!!

[Adrenaline still pumped through him as he glanced up.

No way. It couldn't be. He stared, dumbfounded.]

Prompto how are you so cute

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio spun to face the impact, shield flashing into existence on his arm as he dropped to a defensive stance immediately. He blinked down at Prompto for a moment, confused but dismissing it in favor of stepping past the blond to look for whatever was chasing him.]

Daemons? [Of course it would be, though he didn't really see anything. That hardly meant they weren't there.

And now that he was looking Prompto would notice a few things about the man in front of him. He was dressed in his official Kingsglaive uniform, hair considerably longer than what Prompto remembered, and, even in the uniform, there were more scars scattered over his face and hands.]

[Insert chocobo pic here]

[want_to_belong]

[What was up with the island bringing in old versions of his friends today? The last thing Prompto remembered of Gladios being on the train and, though things had improved, he was still concerned about possible face-shoving.]

Big guy...

[He couldn't help but sound shocked. Nine months was a long time for it to be him, Iggy and Noct. He hadn't seen Gladio in a good part of a year.

Damnit. He didn't even want to say what it was. Gladio was going to make fun of him. The dire situation behind him could not go ignored, though.]

Bugs!

[Immediately he was climbing back to his feet. Not to fight, but to run, smacking Gladio on the arm to indicate to follow him. Shooting a myriad of fireflies seemed kind of an exercise in futility. He could ask about why Gladio looked weird in a bit.]

Come on!

best chocobo

[piercetheheart]

Heh. Shoulda known.

[He lets his shield drop, eyeing the scarlet fireflies buzzing after Prompto and shaking his head. But he doesn't say anything. He'll take the time to give Prompto shit about it later, always assuming there is a later.

These were not the kind of bugs you could really fight with a sword and, to be fair, they're the ones intruding. So Gladio turns and falls into step beside Prompto, the blond seemed to have a destination in mind, after all.]

The hell'd you do to 'em?!

[want_to_belong]

I just wanted to take a pic!

[Leave it to him to mess up something with the flash of his camera. Maybe he should have seen if the camera was effective against MTs.

The only destination he had in mind was 'away from the bugs'. Since Mu changed all the time he knew it was pointless to even try memorizing it. Luckily, bugs didn't fly as fast as people often perceived, so after a decent distance they seemed to have lost them. That didn't really fix the fires blazing, but eh. Those would be gone next time they showed up here.

Prompto ducked behind some brush like he was worried they were going to hunt him out and stopped to catch his breath. Now he really had a chance to acknowledge Gladio.]

Dude, what happened to you?

[He noticed the extra scarring. But, besides that, it was pretty obvious that this Prompto lacked the embarrassing goatee or any indication that he was older than his early 20's. He might have seemed skinnier than normal - surviving on an island with a blind Ignis and without their survivalist would do that to a guy - but he was definitely young.]

[piercetheheart]

[Prompto ducks down to hide in the brush and Gladio just crosses his arms and sighs. That camera was going to get the boy killed one of these days... and that's when it really hits him. Prompto is a boy. He looks like he walked straight out of one of those photos from their road trip and Gladio frowns, leaning in to examine him a little more closely.]

Think that question goes both ways.

[want_to_belong]

Me? Nothing happened to...

[He cut off his own sentence when he realized it was wrong. A hell of a lot had happened to him, it just didn't feel like it because he'd been taking it day by day. He sighed.]

I mean, I've been here. Well. Not here. But on these islands. With Noct and Iggy.

What took you so long?! You're supposed to be the one who's into camping! And why do you look so old!

[Yes, he was already shifting away to escape any attempts at a headlock.]

[piercetheheart]

Took me so-?

[He's about to protest that he didn't know he was supposed to be looking for them when he lunges for Prompto only to have the blond dance out of reach.]

OLD!? C'mere ya little shit you're gonna pay for that! [The words are mostly growled but he's grinning as he reaches for him again. There's serious conversations that need to happen. He knows that. But damn if it doesn't feel good to be able to joke around a little again. Even if he still has half his attention on their surroundings. Peaceful as this place seems there's no guarantee they won't be attacked by something far worse than angry fireflies any moment.]

[want_to_belong]

[At least, if nothing else, he was a nimble little thing. He knew Gladio, so he kept his distance, practically dancing. Gladio might have been half-focused on their surroundings, but Prompto was fully focused on him.]

Seriously! Noct was all old and stuff, too! Don't tell me you're a grandpa??

[Okay, he was really pushing his luck there, but he was glad to see Gladio, even if he was different. Now he'd probably just have to be careful in his sleep... Gladio was going to kick his ass at some point.

That aside, it was clear they needed to exchange some information here.]

The last time I saw you was... right before I fell off the train.

[He paused not because he couldn't remember, but because it was still far too vivid in his mind. Even after all this time that painful moment had a sting to it.]

[piercetheheart]

[Definitely going to kick your ass at some point, Prom. Preferably when they're somewhere safe and well-lit though.]

Grandpa!? [That's a step too far but before he can redirect his focus to really try catching Prompto he goes and changes the subject and Gladio's expression shifts to something darker, harder, more of a testament to the years between them than his hair or scars could ever be.]

That... was more than a decade ago, Prompto. [Which begged the question of just what the hell was going on here. His immediate thought is that his memories have been messed up somehow but Prompto looks younger. His hair hasn't lost it's vibrancy from the sunless years, there's scars missing, a somberness that had crept into all of their mannerisms over time.

Never mind that gods awful goatee.]

[want_to_belong]

Hey, if you can call us kids...

[Fair play. And that was ten years ago, according to Gladio. After seeing Noct it was somehow a bit easier to register even if it was still weird as hell.]

Noct said something like that, too. Why would you guys be...?

[He furrowed his brows in confusion for a moment.]

When Iggy and I arrived, we weren't far apart, but he said his last memories were of Altissia. Right after he... you know. And before Noct said that we'd gotten to the crystal and he was inside of it.

[Prompto had been in the middle of them in terms of memories. Oh man, did Gladio even know? His expression darkened a little.]

Has he told you? About what he has to do...?

[For someone who knew the answer it was probably obvious what Prompto was getting at, especially when his expression was straining to hold back the pain.]

[piercetheheart]

[Gladio takes in the information, turning it over in his head, trying to figure out how they could be here, together, with so many years between them. He takes a few steps, leans back against the trunk of a tree and folds his arms.]

Guess we're doin' this then. [If they're going to have this shit conversation he's going to be comfortable doing it. There's plenty of grass and the night is brighter than what he's used to, the stars and moon overhead for once. So he slides down, careless with his uniform, to settle on the ground beside the tree, legs stretched out in front of him. ]

Course he has. We were- [He clenches his jaw, remembering what they left the Marshal too, what was left of the Crown City, what they all knew was coming for Noctis.] We were right there. The Glacian helped us put down Ifrit. The barrier around the Citadel had fallen...

[The next breath comes out through grit teeth and he slams his fist into the ground.] I should be there.

[want_to_belong]

Ifrit?! Damn...

[He wasn't ready for that. At least he had ten years to get ready. Unless...

He was really hesitant to say this. He'd even held back from talking to Ignis much about it for a while. He knew what he was going to say could be construed as treasonous even. But who could blame him? Because of all of that, he struggled through his next words, knowing Gladio could very well judge him very harshly. His tone heightened and weakened noticeably at the end, like a kid asking for permission for something he knew he shouldn't be doing.]

Iggy and I... We were thinking maybe we could find another way?

[This wasn't the Prompto from ten years later. He was too young for this information. He couldn't let go of Noct.]

[piercetheheart]

[The look Gladio casts his way is something dark, something this Prompto has never seen. Weighted with too many years and too much tragedy.]

You think any of us just sat idle and waited for him to come back just so- [He swallows hard, looks away and grinds his teeth together to fight back the emotions. There were still things that needed to be done, battles to fight, victories that must be won. There was no time to sit around and wallow in their emotions.]

You got an idea I'd love to hear it. [He didn't mean it to but the words came out harsh and challenging. It was easier to condemn Prompto's ideas before he'd heard them than it was to hope when he'd been standing before the inevitability of his King's fate only a short time ago.]

[want_to_belong]

[He could definitely sense that aggression. He knew what he was saying, and he knew it straight up against what Noct said he was going to do, which was why Prompto had kept it to himself for so long. Now with Iggy being understanding of him, he was taking some risk and trying to bring it up to Gladio. Maybe, just maybe, they could recruit more help...

He shifted anxiously on his feet, looking rather small and meek, not quite meeting Gladio's gaze.]

I kind of thought since we're here and Ardyn's here we could just, sort of, stay here? The daemons aren't here and we've got Ardyn under control. Kind of. So nothing bad has to happen?

[Really he was sort of pleading. He could be yelled at a hundred different ways, but when it came down to it he just didn't want to lose his friend.]

nfsjdknjk I'm so sorry.... why do I have to keep apologizing for this man.

[piercetheheart]

[There's a brief moment of utter stillness as Gladio looks up at Prompto, mahogany eyes flashing with something sharp and dangerous.

Then he explodes.]

Nothing bad? Nothing bad!?

And what about the rest of Lucis? You think the Marshal died so we could give up and run away!? Running away isn't gonna solve shit! The daemons aren't here because everyone back home is turning into them.

[He's on his feet and in Prompto's face without even realizing he's moved.]

But if Ardyn is here then I know one way we can stop this shit and go home.

[He doesn't care, in that moment, that he's probably scaring the crap out of Prompto. None of it matters if there's something here he can actually fight. And that has him turning on his heel, stalking away from Prompto with murderous intent. He will find Ardyn and he will put the bastard down before he can ever lay a finger on Noct.]

Gladioooo

[want_to_belong]

[Maybe this was a bad idea.

Gladio was a lot bigger than him, and while Prompto didn't completely back down or run away it was clear that he was intimidating. It didn't help that Prompto was starting from a shaky position or that he didn't have the explosive personality that Gladio did. He pursed his lips, bearing the outburst with heated breaths. Maybe this was the scolding he deserved. It was definitely the one he feared.

How could he even try to explain the weird otherworldly timey stuff potentially going on here? Ignis was the better man for that.

This was a really dumb idea. He should have talked to Ignis about it first.

For a moment it was as if his feet were glued to their spot when Gladio started walking away. Chasing after an angry mountain probably wasn't many people's idea of a good time. There was one pretty big flaw in his plan, though. After a few seconds, when it seemed like Prompto might just let him walk away, he took a reluctant step forward and shouted.]

There's no death here!

He loves the chocobo, really he does. He's just *so mad*

[piercetheheart]

[He would never really hurt Prompto. Even with the distance that's grown between them through the years he'd cut off his own hand before he hurt one of his friends. That doesn't stop him from responding to worry and fear with aggression though, still so much the frightened big brother, terrified that he can't protect everyone he cares for.

Cor was gone, they were likely all going to die bringing down Ardyn, Noctis would surrender his life for the kingdom. Going home only meant misery and death but if it meant that there was a chance for the rest of the world, an opportunity for Iris and Cindy and Talcott, to live a real life how could he not do everything in his power to make sure they'd be safe?

Prompto calls after him and he stops but doesn't turn, doesn't look back at the blond. If he looks closely Gladio's shaking. Barely restrained anger bubbling over heartache and despair.]

I have to do something.

Gladio arrives. Party explodes.

[want_to_belong]

You...

[Should what? Prompto didn't exactly have all the answers here. What he knew was that people came back, timelines were weird, and people disappeared and reappeared sometimes. He wasn't exactly keen on becoming part of Gladio's "doing something" right then, so he went to the next person he thought he could count on, spouting it out quickly.]

You should talk to Ignis!

[Ignis could explain this stuff better than him. Maybe calm him down or something. Hopefully. They'd had those issues on the train, but that was over, right?]

[piercetheheart]

[This was so much different than the issues they'd had on the train but at the same time.... exactly the same. He couldn't stand sitting idly by, helpless to do anything to change the path set before them. He couldn't fix anything, he couldn't beat this problem into submission with brute force alone.

His shoulders sag a little and he turns a half step, looking back at Prompto but not turning fully to face him again.]

Hmmph... If you're telling me not to kill his ass then there's no way Ignis will condone it. [But what else is he supposed to do? They've haven't stopped fighting for a moment since the light vanished. He doesn't know what else to do if he doesn't have an enemy to fight.]

[want_to_belong]

He'd just come back.

[The sad reality they all had to live with. Including Ardyn himself.]

There's a lot of weird stuff about this place, I don't know where to begin. I don't think this island is even exactly real.

[He let out a heavy sigh, air that had been locked inside a tense chest.]

There's other gods here, and the Astrals don't seem to exist here at all. Iggy thought we should learn more about them.

[piercetheheart]

I know. [Island magic or not they'd tried that once, cut him down only to have him get back up and walk away like nothing had happened.

But it had felt damned good.]

If we're on it it's gotta be real. [He snaps it, short tempered still but groaning to himself as he actually realizes it this time, shooting Prompto an apologetic look.]

Other Gods? But- [One hand comes back to shove a few strands that have escaped his ponytail back out of his face.] What the hell is this place?

[want_to_belong]

[Gladio was still clearly frustrated but at least he seemed less in-your-face. Prompto slightly relaxed his position, still staying where he was.]

As far as I know, me and Iggy and Noct were the among the first people to show up, and I still couldn't tell you that. Kinda been busy trying to not starve and stuff.

[That did remind him of something else that probably would get Gladio to settle down more, though.]

Gladio, there's kids here. I mean. Maybe not here here. This is kind of a weird dream-type-place-thing. But back on the island there's a bunch of regular people and kids and stuff trying to survive. I wish all there was to it was camping, but danger keeps popping up.

[piercetheheart]

[Not having anything to take the frustration out on was enough to let his anger fizzle down, still close to the surface but not quite as volatile. Mentioning Ardyn was... probably the worst thing Prompto could've done.]

Weird dream type...? [He shakes his head to dismiss it, that was not the point right now.]

Civilians? How many? What kind of measures have you guys taken? Is it- [Does he dare ask? No, weird or not he can't even begin to fathom something so strange as a world unaffected by the darkness. Surely the sun cannot shine anywhere while Ardyn still lives.] Are there lights?

[want_to_belong]

['Are there lights?' Strange how that question gave Prompto a pause. He had to remember his own world and why Gladio would ask that. Had it really been so long that this was his new normal and home was a distant place?

He actually got a chance to smile a little bit, though.]

There's light.

[It was the type of thing that would mean so much to anyone from his world.]

Not sure how many people. It keeps changing and not everyone sticks together. We've got some bitty islands we've set up shop on. The shelter isn't as cushy as the tent was, but we have something.

[And if Prompto thought the tent was cushy in comparison, that said something about the quality of their accommodations. As if his slight weight loss didn't speak loud enough already - he was not someone who needed to lose anymore pounds.

He folded his arms as he continued, tone slightly more casual.]

When we got here Iggy had just lost his sight and Noct insisted that all vegetables are dangerous to eat [Couldn't help taking a small jab at his friend] sooooo, some survival skills would really come in handy. Buddy?

[A peace offering? Really, he wasn't much different than before. He just wanted everyone to get along and for things to be happy. He didn't want to argue unless it was to stick up for a friend.]