aftr_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME ( 014 )

Test Drive Meme #14

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 August 17th, and Applications on August 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.

One Magic Night
The waves are aglow. That might not be the first thing you notice when you wake, but it will probably draw your attention at some point: the way the sea foam glistens with an effervescent light as it rinses the beach in a crystalline, deep blue shimmer. Further out, lurid explosions of color ripple soundlessly beneath the waves - an underwater fireworks show. The atmosphere is peaceful, a blissed-out calm to suit the lazy lap of the surf-spray against the sand.

Maybe turning around will shed a little more light on the situation. What this is, in fact, is the echo of a celebration that was held on Ensō back in June. Torches and campfires crackle with a merry, companionable blaze, and there is food and drink in abundance - including some of the alcoholic persuasion, for those of you who are over the age of twenty-one.

There is, naturally, all sorts to do in a celebration like this. Friendly sparring matches have sprung up along the shoreline; beach cushions and blankets decorate the party site; coconut shells laden with bioluminscent body paint can be dipped into at will, if you fancy shining like a glowstick throughout the artificial night.

Just because you've got no idea how you got here doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good party while it lasts, right?

Growing Pains
The island you've ended up on today is very, very beautiful, particularly if you're a botanist: it's covered in flowers of all sorts. They grow in rich clumps, seemingly at odds with any sense of convention. Here, you can find common dandelions flowering alongside tropical strelitzias, snowdrops spangled beside water lilies. No matter the impossibility of it, despite the discrepancies of seasons and temperatures in which these specimens should be blooming, you'll find that nearly every species can be found represented, flowering in tandem. It's gorgeous. Breathtaking, even.

There's only one problem.

That problem being that the flowers are growing out of you as well.

As might be obvious, this is not exactly a pleasant sensation. There is, in fact, a full list of rather painful symptoms that has been very well-documented of late. All you have to worry about in particular, however, is what has caused these flowers to take root in you in the first place:

Lies.

Is there something you need to get off your chest? Some confession that's aching to be made? Some guilt or regret that you've repressed, that's been dragging you down for years?

Then you'd better get to it. Those flowers aren't leaving unless you spill. And if you'd rather not, well...they're more than happy to fertilize the earth with what's left of you.

Hoo Ha Ha
Stop us if you've heard this one: you and some stranger wake up on a boat. There are no landmasses in sight, and nothing as far as the eye can see but lapping waves and a peaceful, periwinkle, cloudless sky. It's good weather for sailing. Perfect, in fact. There's even a tight breeze that might helpfully guide you along.

The punchline, of course, is the fact that you're surrounded by sharks.

Sorry, did we say sharks? We meant tigersharks, of the most literal sort possible. Part fish and part feline, these dual-headed beasts are summarily more naturally carnivorous and more aggressive than your bog standard tigers or sharks. They're wickedly fast in the water, and just as lethal on land.

And they're currently trying to climb aboard; armed with four sharp-clawed legs, they're more than capable of doing exactly that unless you can fend them off.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[None of them are doing well. Beau has a lot of questions here- how this happened, why it's happening, why her subconscious came up with such a horrifying way to kill her- but she's got no answers. Seriously, is this her conscience pissed that she isn't sharing enough? A jab at more recent events? All of it's unfair and she's going to ride that anger to stave off the fear of actually dying until it backs her into a corner.

But she nods as he approaches, crossing her legs and leaning forward, dragging her busted arm with her good one to show her back to him.]

Yeah. I can handle it, don't worry, just.. do whatever. If you can't get the stem, maybe burn it.

[The one in her arm is damaged, but the cut open part of her bicep reveals the tendril is far in there, another sprig already starting to split off with intent to sprout. She sighs, trying to straighten herself up, but quickly gives in to allow herself to slump instead.]

They keep comin' back. No matter what.

[ Even though these are flowers, not weeds, Caleb has the momentary, delirious thought that he must yank it out by the root. But what would doing that do to Beau's veins? There's some strange magic at work here, but Caleb hasn't managed to dispel it.

Or wake up. He is no longer so sure where the lines between dreams and reality lie. This is hardly so far-fetched. If it's a curse, it's an effective one. ]

I don't want to hurt you.

[ So that's a "no" on the fire, then. He's unwilling to skirt too close to using flame practically on Beau's skin. It feels like tempting fate, especially when his limbs feel heaving and his fingers clumsy. There are flowers slipping from beneath his cuffs. Avoidance is only going to get him so far. He gives a gentle tug on the flower Beau indicated, frowning. ]

Can you feel that?

[ If Caleb thinks too much about this, he might throw up. That's the true danger here. ]

[She's honestly waiting for it to hurt. Sometimes you get into shit and there's something inside you that shouldn't be and you just-- grit your teeth and deal with it. She got herself into this mess, somehow, she can't be bothered with gentleness to get her out of it.

Caleb tugs and she's thankful she's angling her face away from him to conceal the way she bites at her lip.]

Only a little, it's, uh. It's not a big deal. Seriously, I can handle it, it's fine.

[Is it?? Is it Beau?? She takes a deeper breath, trying to steady herself.]

Can you like, cut it? Or something?

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 014 )

!!!!! OMG HI

hELLO

im so glad to see a caleb around i love him