aftr_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME ( 013 )

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*test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 013 )

Test Drive Meme #13

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 July 17th, and Applications on July 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.

Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat
When you wake, it's to the bucking of tumultuous ocean waves and the heavy sluice of rain. The boat you've found yourself on was probably seaworthy at some point, but it's been wind-battered and weatherbeaten to the point where it's begun, quite steadily, to sink into the choppy waves. Looks like you're all in the same, sinking vessel.

To make matters worse, it seems that the storm itself has a nasty sense of humor. It seems almost intuitive in its attempts to toss you from your footing on the deck and into the frothing waters below. Gusts of powerful wind try to tear you from the mast if you climb it, and the boat rocks perilously to try and tip you into the churning waves. Oh, and did we mention the lightning? Because there's lightning, and it seems to have a personal interest in incinerating your pitifully wooden little boat on the spot.

That doesn't mean you're completely helpless. There is an island in sight, one that resembles the waking land of Ensō, albeit somewhat far off, its silhouette fuzzy and indistinct from the curtains of rain. But if you can make it...

Well, anywhere's got to be better than here, right?

Gibbon No Quarter
It's been a year since the first adventurers were initially drawn to Mu's shores, and then, later, to Ensō's. And so, in celebration, the dream-island has cribbed only the best bits of the previous year for prospective explorers to sample on their way in.

Take now, for instance. You'll find yourself in a cage of all things, with the pound of drums and excited hoots of hungry simians to greet you upon waking. This particular breed of monkeys was once unique to Ensō, before travelers were forced to more or less thoroughly exterminate them. Devilishly smart and naturally inventive, gun monkeys are so named for their trademark weaponry - coconut guns, naturally - and their generally cunning capacity to craft tools out of very rudimentary resources.

And oh, right - they're also very carnivorous. They've set up a smoking bonfire in the center of the jungle clearing that makes up their temporary home, and if you don't figure out a way to come out of your cage (have you been doing just fine, perhaps?), then you're going to be next on the menu.

Think fast, or work with whoever's nearby, and you might have a chance. Or you could always call for help. That always works out, right?

To Be Continued
Stories, stories, stories. Anyone who's hung around the block for any length of time can tell you, dear newcomers, that those little things are of the utmost importance in this neck of the woods. There's no mistaking the purpose behind this inviting scene - log seats set up around a roaring campfire, and even a packet or two of marshmallows if you're feeling hungry.

It almost might be enough to distract you from the fact that there's no fuel for said fire. And what's more, the darkness surrounding the woodland backdrop is so impenetrable that you may as well be an isolated blot of warmth in an otherwise unforgiving void. And within that void, if you listen close, you might hear something - a snarling, an indistinct rumble of massive jaws parting, hungrily, in search of something alive.

If that flame burns out...well, something out there isn't fond of fire, and that's the only thing keeping it from claiming everyone seated here for its own enjoyment. But the good news is that there's a very easy way to keep this fire blazing well through the danger. Can you tell where this is going?

It's stories, of course. Regale us with tales of your past exploits, or with fairytales or nursery rhymes you remember from your childhood. Relay your tales of triumph and of grief, of laughter and of agony, of anything you can possibly imagine. As long as a story of some sort is being told, the fire will burn merrily onward, and the blanket of all-consuming darkness will be kept at bay.

Just try not to embellish too much. If your story is too vague, if it is more lies than it is something genuine, the fire might start to gutter dangerously low as a consequence. And that beast, whatever it is - oh, it's hungry.

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

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[Ray nods, satisfied with the explanation, and moves to make herself useful.]

Of course. Let me--

[She loops one arm around the mast to keep herself anchored and uses her now-freed hands to grab the ropes. Tying them down is difficult with the constant rocking and roiling of the sea, but she soon enough has them tied down in a serviceable knot.]

I think we're getting closer already. [Maybe that's one benefit to the strength of the wind. She's relieved in spite of the uncertainty before them. It has to be better than this--and if it's not... well, she'll just have to keep hoping that it's better. There is the issue of landing, though.]

...We're probably going to crash, aren't we? I don't know how to dock a boat.

[And even if she did, she's not sure they have much a chance of controlling this thing.]

(Oh, she accepted that so easily! She must know about magic. Perhaps magic is commonplace here.

Lucretia, as per usual, immediately gets the itch to write this all down somewhere but they're not really in a good place right now so she'll file that tidbit away for later.)

Thanks, (she pants, helping Ray to wrestle them down to the foot of the mast, watching her tie them off in a solid looking knot. Good, that's as– well, as sorted as it's going to be. The ship is moving very quickly now, cutting a path through the storm.

Lucretia nods, suddenly uncertain.) Yes. Um– probably. Maybe we should jump when we reach the shallows.

[Having your school overrun by lingered teaches you to accept some things--particularly if something's helpful, Ray's not going to question too hard.

She looks like she wants to question the idea of jumping off the boat, but, despite her frown and furrowed brow, can't. She doesn't have a better plan, after all.]

Okay...

[Even as they move closer, she's having a hard time telling when the water gets shallower, but soon they're close enough that she figures they can no longer risk it. Her eyes dart from the water to Lucretia.]

Are you ready?

(It's certainly not ideal, but Lucretia vastly prefers a bit of a swim to getting dashed on the rocks with the boat.)

Um, (she says, and joins Ray at the side of the boat. This is all seeming extremely perilous now that she's considered this. But hey, this is just another cycle right? If she dies she'll just come back in the new one. No harm done.

She clutches the railing a little harder, trying to look more confident. She swallows.) ... Sure.

...On 3?

[Hey, she wants to make sure she's not jumping alone. And is also maybe delaying a bit.

But another wave makes the boat pitch so dramatically that she realizes she can't delay anymore. She swallows her fear and squeaks out, all at once:]

1-2-3!

[And there she goes, into the drink.]

(Lucretia has a split second to inhale before she hits the water, but when she does all of the breath leaves her lungs immediately anyway. The water seems to be a lot calmer closer to the shore but it isn't any warmer; she breaks the surface with a gasp and a shiver, instantly regretting not thinking of getting rid of her bright red IPRE robes before jumping in. They're just weighing her down now, though, when she does let herself sink curiously underneath the surface she finds the sand bar is only a few seconds below her.

That's fine, then. She returns and starts treading water toward the shore, looking about herself.)

Ray?

[Ray bobs up several feet away as she hits the same sandbar and tries to keep her head above water.]

Here!

[She waves a few times just to make sure Lucretia sees before she starts paddling for shallower water. Lucretia didn't leave Ray, so Ray will stick with her too--much as she wants to make a mad dash to the beach to get out of the frigid water.

She will, but only once they're both almost at the shore.]

(Oh, she sees! She makes her way determinedly over to Ray, though without any real urgency: it seems she can swim. Good. Lucretia hadn't thought to ask her before the both of them had made a jump for it. Shore isn't too far away, and once they've set a good pace it's easier to ignore how cold the water is.

Lucretia is thinking very longingly of hoisting herself up onto the sands and casting a small fire for the pair of them. By the time she is at the shore her teeth are chattering; she lets her arms fall out of her robes, leaving them in a wet heap on the sand as she staggers out of the surf. It will be much easier to try off her t-shirt and jeans. Lucretia rubs her arms frantically, glancing about them for a moment.)

Let's find shelter; I can light a fire.

[Ray nods vigorously, though she's shivering enough that the motion may just look like an extension of that. There's not much relief in getting out of the cold water into the still-chilly air; she smiles wearily at the thought of fire.]

I think I've already forgotten what it's like to be warm... I see plants up there [she points farther inland] but no houses. Do you think anybody lives out here?

I don't know...

(Lucretia bites the inside of her cheek, still rubbing her arms uselessly: there's really nothing to be done except head for the plants and the trees inland as fast as possible. The moment they have sufficient shelter against a tree trunk she finds a couple of snapped boughs, dragging them over, and casting prestidigitation to light a small fire.

The flame isn't big, but it can, at least, be stoked. After some careful feeding with dried leaves, it starts to burn properly. Lucretia shivers madly, holding her hands out to it.)

Lets dry off as best we can and then go exploring. S-Sound good?

[Ray watches in amazement as the flame laps over the branches; catching on, she roots around the area for some more kindling that hasn't been soaked through from the rain. It's a tall order in this weather, so some of her contributions may add more to the smoke than intended.]

Yes, that's a good plan. [She creeps as close as she can bear, relaxing in both the warmth and the idea that they have a vague idea of knowing what to do next. With awe in her voice, she stares into the fire.]

How did you do that? I've never seen anything like it.

[Except with the incense in her school, but that had been almost more startling than comforting. And she's relatively certain that some other force, not a human, did that.]

(Lucretia's lived this stupid life before; she kicks over all the wet leaves to find the dry ones underneath, finds sticks that have scattered close to the bases of trees. Those work well enough. The fire is a bit smoky but that's okay, they just need to get warm.)

It's... just a cantrip. (She glances sideways at Ray, confused. She'd been so at ease with the shield she'd just assumed that she knew what magic was. Strange.

That reminds me that she wanted to write everything down and she automatically pats herself as if she's wearing robes... and only then remembers that she left them on the beach in a sodden heap. Her journal is probably waterlogged and useless anyway. She can't find her pen, either. So it's shaping up to be a good start to the cycle. Something that Ray said before comes back to her, then: 'no houses. Do you think anybody lives out here?')

Wait, you don't live here?

[The term cantrip isn't familiar to her, but she nods nonetheless. Her surprise comes from having never seen a person control magic--as opposed to things just happening out of nowhere--but she supposes she should just accept this twist as well. Lucretia's fire is helping them, so no need to fuss too much about it when they still need to get their bearings.

She shakes her head at the question.]

No. I live on an island, but this doesn't look anything like the one I'm from--there would be buildings and mountains. I thought maybe this was one of the smaller ones off the coast.

Oh.

(That's... how does that work, exactly? Lucretia's used to appearing in new worlds and having to piece together knowledge about it from the people that live there. Maybe Ray is right in thinking this is an island off the coast of her home. It certainly makes more sense to Lucretia; she'll think of it this way until she can get some more information.)

What is your island like? Aside from the buildings and the mountains, I mean?

[Ray purses her lips and thinks a moment about what might be most relevant to their situation.]

It's off the coast of the Mainland and is much larger than the other surrounding islands. In my region, we usually have typhoons in the summer, which is what I assume this storm is.

If we're on one of the small islands... there probably are some people somewhere around here. But some of the small islands are more vulnerable to bombing attacks from the Communists. Does that help at all?

[She doesn't exactly sound frightened by the last part; she's not convinced anymore that the Communists are more fearsome than some of the Nationalists she lives among.]

Yes, thank you.

(Oh, Lucretia really wishes she had a journal on her right now! She doesn't trust herself to remember all of this off the top of her head. She's tracing words on the palm of her hand with her index finger as she listens, as thought that might help.)

Who... are the 'Communists'? (She's obviously not taking the name for face value, but thinking of it like a strange nickname.) Why are they bombing the islands?

[Ray carefully considers Lucretia's face for a moment. How honest can she be? This woman has helped her, and she doesn't seem to be familiar with any of the terms Ray's using, so perhaps Ray doesn't have to pay the usual lip services to what she's been taught. She thinks she can trust her.]

According to most people, they're the enemy. They drove the President's forces off of the Mainland, and that's why they attack now. We've been at war for years.

(Lucretia clicks her tongue in sympathy, rubbing her hands lightly together as she listens.)

I'm sorry to hear that. I– um, I've visited places at war before and it's... (she sighs, and falls silent, shrugging a shoulder.)

Is there an end in sight?

...I don't think so. Neither side will relent, but of course no one wants all-out war to break out either. It's been a stalemate as long as I can remember.

[The party line is that of course the Nationalist government will reclaim the Mainland and bring everyone together, but Ray can't imagine not being at war.

She hugs her knees closer and tilts her head at Lucretia.]

Where have you visited?

[This probably isn't the time or place to ask, but Ray can't help but be curious. This is the first time she's ever left her island.]

(A stalemate, as long as she can remember. It sounds so depressing to Lucretia; almost worst that outright war. Living with that kind of tension... it must be exhausting.)

How old are you? (She realises that she can't really tell that kind of thing any more. She used to be a good judge of age, but considering her own status she tries not to leap to conclusions any more.)

Well... I've visited quite a lot of places. Sixty-three all up, currently. I've been spending a... a year, at each.

17. I'll be graduating high school after this year.

[And then... who knows what. Even in their current predicament, her eyebrows still knit together in concern when she thinks about the future after school.

She shakes her head and makes herself focus on Lucretia again. And then does some quick math.]

You look amazing for someone over 63!

[Unless she started this as an infant? Either way, both her traveling and her appearance are remarkable.]

Seventeen...

(She's like a baby in Lucretia's eyes, who feels much older than her body looks; Ray has obviously figured this out. She smiles, a quick quirk of her lips.)

It's complicated. I– my crew and I are trapped in a... a time loop, of sorts. Physically I'm twenty-five, but mentally I'm... eighty-eight? Something to that effect.

Eighty-eight?

Is this--is this all part of your time loop?

[And what would that mean for Ray herself? Selfishly, that's the thing she's most worried about with this new information, if she's just a pawn or side character in someone else's life.

That couldn't be possible, right? She's real, and she knows it. She pokes her thumb with the nail of her forefinger for proof.]

No, no–

(She holds her hands up to Ray, palms out, trying to think of what to say. This is a little unprecedented of her! They try very hard not to talk about the cycles to anybody they meet while travelling. Lucretia, for the life of her, can't think of why she's being so cavalier.)

The time loop only affects myself and my crew, it's... something to do with our ship. (She's not sure how to explain the bonds engine, so she may... leave it at that.)

[Ray nods slowly; this is a lot to digest, but it could be important beyond her own curiosity.]

And that would be a different ship than the one we came in on, right?

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 013 )

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sorry for being slow, but also i finished detention!! please clap

No need to apologize at all! And yaaay! /thunderous applause

it was SUCH a good game!! thanks for inspiring me to pick it back up!

I'm so glad you liked it! :)

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