TEST DRIVE MEME ( 012 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #12

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 June 17th, and Applications on June 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.

There Goes the Neighborhood
Today, you're not merely waking up on an island. Oh, no. You're waking up in the world's most perfect suburb, complete with perfectly-trimmed lawns, white picket fences, and a uniformity that borders on the absurd. Not a fleck of paint is out of place, and not a blade of grass is out of line.

Mu has attempted to imitate the sort of fabricated happiness that adventurers dealt with in the month of May, but without the full power to shape fantasies to the whims of each individuals, has opted instead to attempt for a blanket, painfully generic alternative. It's a cheap attempt to mimic something that was already a falsehood to begin with, rote and uncommitted. Thus, much of this world is patchworked with palpable holes, both visible and otherwise: neighbors are featureless specters performing daily routines with robotic precision, entire swathes of the neighborhood are perfect replicas of the same painfully generic family, and, of course, there's you.

You obviously don't belong here. The framework of the narrative is so structured that it's not hard to realize things are amiss. The more you think about it, the more it seems like this entire fantasy is deeply, deeply amiss.

But then again, maybe not. Maybe you buy into it, completely and utterly. Maybe you're so eager to escape whatever life you lived prior to this one that you're all too eager to live in this Stepford-esque facsimile. The degree to which your character adheres to this structured world, and how much they remember from their true life, is up to you.

Do it for the Vine
This next scenario is far from pleasant, though it is much more real. The thick, tropical woodland might be difficult to traverse at first, but don't worry - it's about to get much harder. Do you like earthquakes? How about massive, twisting vines that swarm out from the undergrowth to attempt to snake up around your ankles and shins and root you in place, perhaps smother you in the dirt? Isn't it fortunate that you're being left to contend with both at once? Mu is compensating for the events of May, it seems; commemorating a god whose demise tore an island apart by mimicking with precision efficiency how that must have felt for everyone to bear dramatic witness.

The good news is that while the vines might be both eerily cunning and vast in number, they still are just plants, and plants can be easily pruned or burned. The subterranean rumbles of the ground as it cracks and ruptures underfoot might be less easy to contend with.

To that, our only suggest is simply to run. Good luck!

Taken for Granite
This particular brand of landscape is striped with cliffs and crags, a lifeless mountain range crooked along the horizon with rock the color of fired clay. And not far off from where you've stirred awake is...a rather eccentric rock formation.

By "eccentric", of course, we mean "moving". And by "moving" we mean "it is extricating itself from the ground like some unholy tectonic zombie and it's coming right at you RUN".

Formed entirely from an amalgamation of earth, rocks, ore, and valuable gems, the earth golem is surprisingly territorial for a glorified lump of mud. Approximately fifteen feet tall and half as wide, this lumbering creature has only one concern: the eradication of anything that steps into its territory. It is sensitive to vibrations in the ground, and is thus very difficult to hide from for those moving on foot. However, it is nearly blind and very stupid, preferring to wallop anything within reach using its massive, boulder-sized fists rather than employ any sort of strategy. Still, unless you're looking to travel to the other side of the area via the Golem Express, avoiding this creature's warpath may be a wise choice. Especially given its talent at re-assembling itself upon destruction.

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LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

princess zelda | the legend of zelda: breath of the wild

[wisdomspring]

002. do it for the vine

[ Everything is so intensely verdant that the young royal can't help but to stop and gaze around in awe. This place is like Faron in many ways, so much so that she wonders if her brief travels in the area have inspired this particular dream. Her lips part in a wondering smile, fingers reaching out to take a leaf between her fingers to better examine it.

Just then, a great rumble shakes the ground beneath her feet. Instantly alarmed, the princess starts, looking around for the source of the commotion. Her first guess is that this is an earthquake, though it could also be a stampede of some sort, and-... well, though it's a dream, the fear is still very real.

Zelda wraps her gloved hands around a nearby branch, waiting anxiously for calm to return. When it does, she sighs aloud with relief, hands moving instead to clutch at her front as she works to still her fluttering heart. ]

Goddesses, what was - [ Just then, something takes hold of her ankle. Alarm shoots through her afresh, and she sees before long that some kind of vine has wrapped securely just above her left foot. With a cry of alarm, she stomps on it with her free foot, and, when that does nothing, ducks down to try and pry the thing free. ]

Is anyone there?! Please...! [ Comes her plea for help, panic rising. ]



003. taken for granite

[ Someone else might run from the earth golem, or fight it. Princess Zelda, however, is crouched a short distance away, hidden from the beast's sight (for the moment), and sketching it as it sways in place, as it moves a step or two before settling back into the ground. ]

Fascinating... [ She breathes, eyes wide with enthusiasm as she takes notes on the creature, drawing its form. Zelda is behind cover, stealing looks at the golem when she can while taking care not to alert it to her presence. She seems thrilled at the chance, face alight with this discovery, worrying at her lip as she tries to get everything right in her records. It looks much like a Talus, though... a bit more humanoid, with other changes here and there. A cousin, perhaps?

This will make an excellent addition to the kingdom's bestiary, without a doubt! ]

2

[tuskenlancer]

[ CT had thought she was done with earthquakes. At least for awhile. Bad enough that the island she'd woken up on had been in the middle of shaking itself apart, had been under the sea entirely not hours after her arrival.

Now it's happening again. And maybe it's that very memory that's inspiring the earthquakes here - though given that dreams can apparently be shared here (and does that make them real, or not? Does it matter?) maybe not.

In any event, there's someone else here, and though it's not Wash this time, she obviously still needs help. CT wrests her own armored leg free from a vine seeking purchase and dashes forward, pulling her knife out of its sheath as she does. ]

Move! [ She's already focused on the vine wrapping itself around the girl's ankle, just waiting for her to move her hands out of the way. ]

[wisdomspring]

[ She doesn't have to be told twice. The... odd figure in her dream frees her leg, and Zelda scurries away as soon as she's able, looking back at CT while checking that other, hungry vines aren't snaking their way toward any of her limbs. ]

T-Thank you. [ The princess exhales, eyes still wide with shock. ] Should we...?

[ But her question is left unfinished, considering that she isn't sure what to suggest. Should they run? Hide? What sort of shelter can you find in a place like this? ]

What sort of plant was that? [ She decides to ask, brows furrowed in worry. ]

[tuskenlancer]

The kind that's trying to kill us.

[ Does it matter, beyond that? CT nods in response to the girl's - woman's? - question, gesturing in the direction that seem to have the least amount of vines. ]

We have to keep moving. Try and find - I don't know, higher ground or something. [ Someplace where the vines aren't. She glances back at her companion, forgetting her urgency for a moment as she stares, noticing for the first time her delicate features, her small frame -

And those ears. For a moment, all she can think of is Merrill, looking wide-eyed up at her. CT shakes herself off, resisting the urge to reach out and guide her along by the hand. ]

Okay?

[wisdomspring]

I did see that much... [ Her jaw tightens as she suspects that this person believes her to be simple-minded... but, the stranger had saved her, so she says nothing. Yet. ]

Some flint would do us good, too, I think. [ Zelda murmurs, whether more to herself or to CT. ] Plants are weak to flame, sentient or otherwise...

[ For now, though, higher ground. She's content enough for the moment to let CT lead on. ]

i'm dumb and can't remember my own backstory ignore me

[tuskenlancer]

[ Flint. Not matches or a lighter or some technology beyond even CT. It only serves to strengthen CT's theory about who this girl is.

No fire magic, though. Too bad. ]

Flint would take too long. By the time we got a flame big enough to hurt it, it'd be too late.

[ It's not a bad plan, though. She rummages in her armor a moment, and pulls out her own lighter. ]

I've got something better, though.

[ And she pops it open and flicks it on, letting Zelda see the flame. ]

ALL GOOD

[wisdomspring]

But - [ Before she can make more suggestions of her own, the stranger produces a small flame from a... box that she holds in her palm. Zelda's eyes widen with surprise, and delight, having been shown a new and wonderful technology. ]

Oh! [ She wants to grab and study it, but doesn't. Instead, the princess settles for leaning in a bit, examining the mechanism as best she can from a short distance. ] Can you-... [ The sentence fades as she recalls their situation, so she amends: ] ... Once we've moved someplace safe, can you tell me more about that?

[tuskenlancer]

[ She blinks. She'd assumed the elf would just assume it was fire magic, that she would've seen much more impressive tricks from dozens of mages in Thedas. But...well, there's no time to worry about that now. She nods, closing the lighter and tucking it away again. ]

Uh...sure. But we have to move now. C'mon. And watch your step.

2

[darukisonfire]

[ Do you hear that? It's the battle cry of a Goron running in to protect the princess of Hyrule.

Daruk swings his weapon down and slams it on the vine twinimg its end around Zelda's ankle. It startles, as if sputtering, and slacks its hold. ]

Hah! Can't handle a Goron's raw power, can you, vine monster? [ He swings his massive stone selrd over one shoulder and holds his free hand out to Zelda. ] You're safe now, princess. I won't let these plants hurt ya.

[wisdomspring]

Daruk! [ She can't help the smile that rises to her face as one of the Champions appears to save the day. Zelda accepts Daruk's hand, squeezing affirmingly after he crushes the offending vine. ] Thank you...

[ But... ]

... Where are we? [ Zelda asks softly, looking around at the trees with more wariness than before. ] Things... don't look to be what I remember of Faron.

[darukisonfire]

[ That's good because he loves to see her smiling! And also, he loves hitting bad things with his weapon! He's a Goron of simple tastes, really.

Looking around at this lush, damp area, he frowns. ] I dunno. Ya think it's some kinda magic trick?

[wisdomspring]

[ Zelda can't help but chuckle weakly, shaking her head. ]

This is no trick. ... I would suspect kidnapping, but you, at least, are not so easily taken.

[ Though she hasn't ever been kidnapped, either, thankyouverymuch. Just nearly assassinated. ]

We ought to move on from here... to try and make sense of our location.

[darukisonfire]

Hah! I'd like to see the likes of whoever could kidnap me!

[ He's a big rock man! He's pretty sure there's never been a kidnapping in Goron history, and even if there were, who would be able to take a warrior like him?

...maybe if they brought a dog... ]

All right, then, let's get movin'. You feelin' okay to walk? I can-- whoa there!

[ He's cut off by a brief rumbling of the ground beneath their feet, after which he barks a laugh. ]

Now that's more like it. These woods've got a little Death Mountain in 'em! [ Which makes no sense at all. He scratches his bearded chin. ] Where could we be, I wonder.

[wisdomspring]

[ The rumble is just enough to surprise her, but she's much more composed now that Daruk is at her side. Zelda steadies herself and then nods firmly, brows coming together in a determined expression. ]

If we can find higher ground, then we may be able to make sense of our... situation. [ Zelda moves to rummage in the pack at her hip, but finds it empty, and her eyes widen with unpleasant surprise. ] Oh...! The Sheikah Slate is missing!

[ Its map functionality would make this mystery all the less mysterious, but the precious device is gone. She feels a new spike of a panic and looks around frantically, though there's no sign of it. ]

Could it have been taken? Or...? [ Just what is going on? ]