TEST DRIVE MEME ( 018 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #18

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 December 17th! Due to the holiday season, Applications will be opening on December 26th, with an app period shifted to end on January 2nd instead of the usual timeframe!

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.

Upsy Wars: Revenge of the Lift
Over the past sixteen months, adventurers have adjusted to the sight of a wide variety of odd and fantastical creatures, some friendlier than others. Of the more ferocious, it's wise to consider giving them a wide berth - from the indomitable fustercluck to living black holes to the deadly contagious quartzalcoatls. However, only one predator has gained the dubious title of "that weird flying mouth thing."

Invasive to LifeAftr, Upsy the elevator is not satisfied with haunting the memories of those who encountered it during its arrival in July. Now it's here to haunt your dreams, too! While capable of speech and some style of sentience on its home world, it seems LifeAftr has yet to agree with a machine that is equal parts flesh and metal. Driven to silence by whatever forces this world has exposed it to, Upsy is driven by one, basic instinct, and one alone.

To give you a lift, whether you want it or not. Upsy’s attacks are abrupt and immediate. Swooping down from the sky, it will collect as many living things in its mouth as can fit, before closing its doors and soaring away. Want to leave? Don't worry; Upsy has no intentions of keeping you, or digesting you. Release from that fleshy mouth prison is as immediate as the initial attack. We hope you enjoy flying, because Upsy can spit even the heaviest of creatures a good hundred feet away from itself, at any altitude. Do look out below.

The Emoji Movie
Communication on the islands currently consists of Stones of Far Speech, a relatively adaptable system that is open to requests and suggestions for improvement. One such request has been met with a small bout of confusion, however; as adaptable as the Storyteller attempts to be, you kids with your mobile phones and your texting and emojis get a little beyond them, sometimes.

Beyond Mu as well, it seems. When you asked for emojis, this is what you wanted, right? Exclusive to Mu, Emojees come in a variety of shapes and sizes; from knee-high yellow orbs with rows of sharp teeth that simply cannot stop laughing, to horse-sized poop emojees that - well. One can guess. Numbering in the hundreds and intending to convey their meaning by any means possible, it's a good idea to avoid prolonged contact with these happy little abominations.

The taller, more objective emojees will simply try to absorb those attached to them in an effort to become even larger, but the smaller infect their prey with the emotions they portray, influencing them into the perfect emotional state for consumption.

In hindsight, this is probably not what the children actually wanted...

Close enough.

Let It Go Snow
LifeAftr may be primarily tropical, but that doesn't mean some of its creatures don't appreciate a good white Christmas - and a white rest of the year, at that.

Gelfs are one such species. While they may be visually reminiscent of Santa's Little Helpers, these small creatures aren't about to start handing out presents. Having snuck onto Mu's metaphysical shores at the beginning of the month, these little critters have immediately set about doing what they do best - spreading ice and snow across the island, in increasingly hazardous quantities. As the influence of the gelfs settles across Mu, it's quite possible that the abrupt cold snap will lead to severe consequences for any adventurous guests, unless you enjoy the prospect of an avalanche waiting to happen Now may be the best time to hunt these gelfs down, before such disaster can occur.

For those uninterested in massacring a local creature population (again), you may as well enjoy this winter wonderland while it lasts. Ice skating, snowball fights - and for those in the know, the time-honored competition to create the best dabbing ice sculpture. If you're lucky, you might even find a container of piping hot wassail - spiced apple cider - laying around.

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

avatar korra | legend of korra

[spiritportals]

UPSY WARS.

[ what in the spirits' name is that supposed to be. this is not the first thing korra wanted to see when she fell asleep. (she's pretty sure this is a dream, anyway.) it's huge and terrifying and unlike anything she's ever seen before.

and it's also swooping down from the sky, right at korra and whoever else happens to be in the vicinity. her fight or flight instincts came in, and in this case, she's going with the latter. ]

Run!

[ korra grabs onto whoever else is around and pulls them with her as she runs for her life away from the cursed thing descending upon them. ]

EMOJI HELL.

[ emojis are not a thing korra is familiar with at all. but she knows they're supposed to resemble faces, albeit way creepier, but wow, if that laughing one isn't creepy at all. korra is going to be doing her best to avoid the things.

she's already starting to get a very, very good idea that this is all just some kind of weird nightmare, and she's hoping someone wakes her up soon.

except the people here just seem unfamiliar, and the people who usually show up in her dreams are people she knows...like a certain airbending lunatic who ruined her life. so this is certainly unique and unusual.

speaking of unusual... a small, angry emoji makes eye contact with korra despite her best efforts to try and avoid them. as a result, she suddenly starts to feel her blood boil, and she has no idea why. but it's enough to get her to glower at the next person who looks at her. ]

What do you want, huh?

LET IT SNOW.

[ snowball fights? heck yes, korra's in. she tends to be very...resourceful with her ammo, especially back when she was still living in the water tribe, because it's basically unlimited when you're a waterbender. korra's made it a habit to not use her bending for fun as much as she used to. but...

maybe this once, she can have fun. so she gathers up some snow in her hand and molds it into a snowball. she calls to an unsuspecting target. ]

Think fast!

[ and she throws it at them. up for the challenge? ]

WILDCARD.

[ throw anything at me! also still voicetesting, please let me know if there's anything i can do to improve! ]

upsy

[tokenflavortownie]

[Looking up at the odd shape as it fell through the sky towards her position, Pyrrha only felt a pervading sense of deja vu. Has she had this dream before? Is that why?

She's not entire sure, because her thoughts are shaken by the sudden appearance of another girl who snatches her up by her wrist as she starts to run for her life. Pyrrha should... probably be doing the same, honestly.]

We won't be able to outrun it! It's too fast!

snow!

[ratsinadaze]

[Eventually, hiding in a hollow log gets boring, and wandering through the ever-expanding patches of snow on this island is really the only form of entertainment available. The pain in her ribs and back is starting to fade - the magic of dreaming is that injuries aren't permanent - so, she feels fairly comfortable in just picking a direction and going for a while. If the elevator comes back, she can run or hide without being hindered by pain.

Gobbet's pace slows when she sees Korra. That's...weird. Aren't you supposed to recognize people in your dreams? Or at least you have to have seen them somewhere - and this girl does NOT look like someone she'd have bumped into in Hong Kong. Maybe she's a messenger of some sort? Honestly Gobbet forgets she's a shaman from time to time, but messengers in your dreams are a thing that shamans experience sometimes, right?

The moment the snowball is airborne, Gobbet's hand is out to catch it, as if it were a baseball. She only succeeds in catching a splattered handful of snow, which she shakes free from her bare hand absently.]

Well, it's better than being shot at, I guess.

Let it Snow

[plzunstick]

Whoa!

[Miles doesn't see the girl lobbing a snow ball his way, but he senses it, narrowly dodging it with a quick turn as it whizzes past his nose.

Of course, being thirteen years old and a born and raised New Yorker, he asks no further questions; the challenge has been presented. He scoops up some snow without hesitation, packing it into compact ball before lobbing it back at her, grinning.]

Dirk Strider | Homestuck

[timaeus_testified]

I told you about the - WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT

[The sound of the sea is familiar but not welcome. He spits out sand and climbs slowly to his feet. His sword is still in his hand. Cool. If something decides to murder him, he can do what he does best. Dirk lifts his head. His shades are still on and now grubby with sand.

Awesome.

He glances around. No Dave. No creepy, personal space invading Terezi. No Jacks about to try to wreck their day. He taps his shades and no computer screens.]

Really? I better not be fuckin' dead.

[He pats his chest. No blood suddenly appearing. A cry is taken up in the distance and he whips around to face it. A stampede of creatures rushes towards him with all due speed. Before he can process that a shadow falls across him. He turns and stares into a fleshy horror filled wet expanse. Upsy closes around him.

Welcome to Mu, cool kid.]

Are you kidding me?

[Once he's been rejected from the abomination of an elevator he is left to process what the hell he got dumped into. Dripping with who knows what, Dirk walks slowly up a grassy rise. He attempts twice to wipe it from his chest. No dice.

He reaches the top of the rise and peers over into hell.

Actually, hell would be a lot kinder.] Probably more original.

[Spread out below him like someone scooped up the dredges of the internet is a vast cluster of yellow orbs, massive still possibly steaming shit, and various other colored orbs all chattering on in various noises. He really better not be dead. He doesn't want to know who would envision or live with this. He backs up slowly, but one yellow orb catches sight of him and grins too wide with too many teeth.

There's only one solution to be had. He turns and books it.]

You Gelf me. I'll put my boot in your Gelf.

[If this is someone's dream bubble they have to be really off the deep end. Or possibly the sanest fucker in all of known time and space. He's not sure which of those is a lie as he treads deeper into this mysterious land. By now the saliva of the elevator has dried and he feels less like something chewed and spit up. Literally.]

Not a fuckin statement I ever thought I could make but here we are.

[Snowflakes begin to fall and he looks up. What the fuck is going to happen now. He's not messing around this time. He draws his sword and balances it against his shoulder. He'll solve the problem in the way he's damn successful at. With a sword.

He takes a step and almost slips and falls at the sudden ice under his feet. Dirk stabs his sword down into the ice and plants himself firmly on terra firma. Right across from him staring at him with little beady eyes is what looks like a small elf.]

Hell no. [It raises its hands. Not this time. He moves as only he can, fast and with relentless drive. The creature drops a hell of a lot of snow where he and his sword had been. He scoops up some of it and hurls it at it. It nails it square in the face. He doesn't stop to see if it will back off.

He throws another one.] I'm not going to be subjected to whatever is rolling through your tiny brain. [He sends another whizzing through the air.]

I've had just about enough of this place and whatever mind is designing this. Or dreaming it. [Another one.] Give me a damn answer. Or send me back!

[Maybe he's having a quiet meltdown. Maybe he's just hit Doneville population one Dirk Strider with a lifetime membership. Hard to say.] I'm busy!

Wildcard
[Got an idea? Hit me.]

second prompt!

[ratsinadaze]

[Progress is slow with the damage Upsy has caused by spitting her out from a relatively high altitude, but Gobbet is almost to the edge of the jungle when Dirk goes streaking past her like a bat out of hell. She can only assume the elevator has returned and wastes absolutely zero time in following suit.

Guess what? Running with broken and/or bruised ribs sucks. And it's only a matter of time before it catches up anyway if that's what they're running from. Which is why she grabs Dirk's arm and dives for the cover of a fallen tree's upended roots. If they can get far enough under the overhanging tangle of roots and dirt, they can avoid aerial detection.

About halfway through the action, she thinks "Wow, this is stupid, I should have just let him be bait and lead it away." but it's a bit late for regrets for one, and he's the first person she's seen on this godforsaken island for another. Therefor she feels obligated to at least make an attempt.]

gelf go vroom vroom :)))

[sideswitch]

[ he talks a lot, she thinks. talking distracts from the battle. acxa is quiet as she watches the creature's movement, but it doesn't appear hostile. yet, with how much snow it's generating and the mound that's underneath it, acxa can already foresee some lethal consequences coming out of allowing these creatures to fill the island with copious amounts of snow.

if there's one thing that can be said about her, however, it's that acxa doesn't care for bloodshed. she puts her hand out in front of dirk to try and stop him. ]

Let me take care of this.

gelf on the shelf

[thegoofball]

[Well, someone is not having a good day. Lance is almost tempted to leave the guy and his tantrum alone, but...

He hasn't had entertainment like this in a while. He almost wishes he had popcorn.]

Talking to yourself isn't going to do you much, buddy.

[Lance stands a decent ways away with his arms crossed, watching Dirk throw a shitfit at the weird little elves. He's not a fan of them - definitely isn't a fan of the way they're just spewing up snow - but he's not as bothered as this weirdo is.]

skull man | megaman megamix

[bonely]

A.

[ Who's had enough of being forcibly carried against his will from place to place? This robot, that's who.

The sound of blasts echo in the distance. Anyone following the loud, distinctive noise might come across a strange sight - a skeletal robot in a tattered cloak, opening fire on a flying elevator.

He's not having much luck damaging it - only a few scorch marks mar the smooth metal - but he's not really panicking either. He seems to be used to this sort of thing.

Coming close will cause him to shift his attention suddenly with unnatural reflexes, apparently feeling the need to train one of those guns on you instead. ]

B.

[ He's not sure how much he likes snow, but it's one of the things he truly can't bring himself to feel much actual hatred about, so given no reason to expect that this isn't how things usually are...he wanders.

Often, he stands still, hood pulled over his face, looking up at the sky. He's easy to bump into at these times; he's tall and angular enough to be mistaken for a sculpture, a particularly misshapen tree, or some kind of environmental obstacle, and he sees no particular reason to not let the snow pile up.

Anyone who gets too close will be subjected to Skullman's intense gaze, but since he's not feeling particularly combative, people will just get...stared at.

Which is its own kind of unsettling, really. Calm down, dude. ]

C.

[ WILDCARD, do whatever ]

[notwithoutafight]

[ This snowy dream is pretty neat!---For about the first five minutes.

Somewhere around Minute #6, while hiking through snowdrifts where sandy beaches should have been, the novelty officially wears off for Videl. Her usual shorts and t-shirt are doing basically nothing to protect against the biting chill.

She has pulled her arms inside her t-shirt and her head down low in the collar, turtling into the white cotton garment to conserve what little warmth she had. So focused on how cold she was, Videl doesn't notice where she's walking until she collides head-first into Skullman's back. ]

Owww! [ As she stumbles back, Videl pops her head up out of her shirt to see what she ran into. A tall... skeleton statue? She tilts her head to the side. What's a skeleton statue doing out on the beach?

And maybe it's just the cold getting to her, but Videl could almost swear the statue is staring at her. ]

Gobbet | Shadowrun: Hong Kong

[ratsinadaze]

HELL

[Nightmares aren't foreign to Gobbet, though she admits she was hoping they'd subside after what they did back in the Walled City. It's a small mercy that there are less teeth and feelings of unearthly dread here on this idyllic beach. That said, this was a new and incomprehensible breed of horror bearing down on her. So new and so incomprehensible, in fact, that it takes a solid moment to even register that she's in danger.]

Oh shit.

[Gobbet scrambles to her feet, cursing the loose sand beneath her as she takes off towards the tree line where she's hoping the hellevator won't follow her. Unfortunately, Upsy is far too fast to outrun, and she finds herself transferred from a sandy beach to a wet, dark, uncomfortably humid place in the span of half a second. And in the other half of that second, she's being spat out at canopy level into the jungle. The branches slow her descent, although they do scratch her up a bit, and when she hits the jungle floor flat on her back, it knocks the breath out of her. She can feel the bruises spreading over her back and sides in real time, and is not unfamiliar with the feeling of broken ribs.

A desperate wheeze and groaning noise that might actually be a laugh chokes out of her.

Yeah, this might as well happen.]

😈 🐀 😈

[After a few minutes of laying in a puddle of drool (she hopes???) and catching her breath, Gobbet gets herself up and starts heading further into the jungle. What else is she going to do? Sit there and wait for that thing to come back? Fuck that. And while it hurts to move with broken (or at the very least badly bruised) ribs, she really has no choice.

She alternates on trying to work the spit out of her hair and reassuring her rats, which have survived the fall only slightly dazed and damp but otherwise intact. That's part of the reason she doesn't notice the red, horned orb that comes halfway up her shin in time to avoid tripping over it. The mischievous grin on it's face makes her think this was it's intention all along - to trip her and further aggravate her battered body. Calmly rising to her feet, Gobbet does the obvious thing to do when faced with such a situation.

She punts it into the trees. You might want to duck, it's sailing pretty damn fast.]

SNOW PROBLEM

[Shamanic garb is not known for being particularly warm to begin with, and hers is sleeveless, so when the temperature suddenly drops and snow starts falling through the jungle canopy, Gobbet just laughs. Yup. Broken, stranded, cold as hell. Sounds about right. Pretty tame for a Heoi nightmare, though.

Well, it could be worse. The elevator could be here. This snow could be flesh and teeth. This could be reality instead of a dream. So it's not so bad in the long run. Catch her in this little snowy patch of jungle packing a stockpile of snowballs while hiding in a large, hollow fallen tree for warmth. What is she planning to do with all those snowballs...?]

Wildcard
[Go with your heart.]

emojis

[madamdirector]

[ Gobbet kicks the emojee into the jungle and there's the clear sound of an oof as it connects with its accidental target. A few moments later, Lucretia emerges, brushing dirt from her robes and carefully stepping over vines.

She looks around, and when her eyes land on Gobbet she just raises an eyebrow, looking more tired than annoyed. ]

I'm going to assume that was unintentional.

[ A pause, as she looks over the orc, who looks more or less like Lucretia feels, and sighs. ]

And that you're...just as lost here as I am.

HELL

[plzunstick]

[Miles sees the figure crashing through the canopy and groans. Whatever was going on here was not going well.

Swinging down from his perch in a high branch on a thin filament of web, he stumbles over to her, wondering for a brief moment if she was dead. That was a pretty gnarly fall.

He's relieved, if a little surprised, when he hears that half-choked laugh rise from her.]

Hey....you okay?

Lucretia | The Adventure Zone

[madamdirector]

your lifting friend

[ If one were feeling optimistic, one might point out that Lucretia actually has an advantage over the island's other new inhabitants. After all, while it's almost certain that no one wants to be terrorized by a flying elevator with too many teeth and an unsettlingly fleshlike interior, no one expects it either. And while an Upsy roaming free over the countryside is a far cry from an Upsy sitting quiet and decommissioned in the Millers' lab, Lucretia at least has had the benefit - or the misfortune - of seeing it before. Which means that rather than being delayed by the mix of shock, bafflement, and deep-seated psychological horror that Upsy unsually inspires in everyone it meets, she can skip straight to dealing with the problem.

For a moment, she just watches it. Then, with a measured sigh, she raises her staff. ]

Well, shit.

[ And with that deadpan proclamation, she brandishes the staff, sending a bolt of energy streaking towards the elevator. ]

^_^

[ Let's face it, emoticons would be a mystery to Lucretia even if she didn't come from a world with no cell phones. She is, after all, a woman of a certain age, whatever that age may be. She's dignified and professional and even if she had ever had the opportunity to utilize a poop emoji, she never, ever would.

But while the larger threats can be dispatched or outrun, the smaller ones are more difficult to avoid. Which means that the normally reticent and detached Madam Director may well be found unable to stop smiling, winking far more than any single person should wink, or - worst of all - laughing out loud. ]

winter wonderland

[ There's no snow on the moon.

Not that that's the most confusing thing about this place, or how she got here, or what's going on. But as the temperature drops, it's quickly becoming Lucretia's number one priority. Her robes are designed for an office environment where the AC is always set to blast just a little too much, not below-freezing temperatures. Magic helps, but hey, there are spell slots to consider.

So for now, she's just trudging forward, arms wrapped around herself and head bowed against the wind, seeking some form of shelter. She doesn't even take note of the approaching threat behind her - whether that's a snowball aimed at the back of her head, or a looming avalanche. ]

wildcard

[ Canon point is flexible - let me know! ]

winter wonderland :-)

[barberian]

(That's not an approaching threat! It's just Yasha, lumbering through the snow. She does not have any strong feelings about this kind of weather one way or the other but it certainly makes the environment around her very pretty. She likes looking at the way the snow piles upon the trees, and so she has decided to spend a few hours exploring. Maybe she'll even try out ice skating later.

Anyway: she comes up behind Lucretia as she searches for her shelter, and stops abruptly, her arms folded across her chest. Normally she would have passed a stranger by without glancing, but the way this person has their arms tucked around themselves, head bowed against the wind... it seems they were not as prepared for the sudden shift in temperature as Yasha was.

Hmm. Yasha hesitates, opens her mouth. Closes it again. Sort of comes up beside Lucretia awkwardly, unsure of how to address her, exactly.)

... Excuse me. (She might be tall and broad-shouldered but her voice is, comparatively, very gentle.) Are you alright?

peter parker | marvel cinematic universe

[araneolus]

i. hellevator
[Elevator monster. You know, Peter's never had much of a fear of elevators, but right now? Yeah, he's feeling it! At least he manages not to get scooped up into its mouth himself.

Not that other people are as lucky. And what sort of hero would he be if he ignored people getting eaten by some sort of terrifying hellbeast? The trouble being that there's not much in the way of tall buildings here. At all. He's really lacking anything to swing from that's at all high enough, other than--

...Yeah, alright. Superhero life is already so goddamn weird. This might as well happen.

So getting some momentum going and swinging from Upsy itself, Spider-Man swoops by just in time to catch someone the thing just spit out. Don't worry, you're gonna be set down on the ground safely with another swing down.]

Oh, that was so gross! You alright?

ii. 🕷️
[Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is pretty new at the hero thing, but he likes to think he's been doing pretty well so far. He's faced down some scary things. He's been brave.

But staring down all these orbs of various sizes, suddenly, he feels a lot less sure of himself. Mostly he's staring ahead in total horror, eyepieces on his suit completely wide. Really, that feels like a valid response? That feels fair, considering the time he's having? Look at what he's dealing with.]

Oh my god... Sony Pictures was warning us this whole time!

iii. snow day
[Ice sculptures are maybe a little beyond him, but listen, you know what everyone loves? A good snowman. And the snowman Spider-Man - not Peter, listen he came here in his suit and there's heating installed in it, shut up - is making is looking like it's gonna be a life sized person. Except the shape is almost looking more robotic, almost? Or, no, like a suit. It's kinda--

It's Iron Man.

He's just making a snow version of Iron Man.

Peter, stop being embarrassing.]

iv. wildcard
[throw whatever at me and see what sticks friendos]

beaten to hellevator smh

[schrohumdinger]

[ Set down safely on terra firma and not shattering into fine dust is not the logical conclusion he figured he was heading for but who's complaining? A blue hood covers just about everything under it except for a broad, really broad grin. ]

My hero. This is why I'm not the biggest fan of elevators. They just bring you down eventually.

[ Shrugging at his rescuer, he puts out a hand. A very bony, very skeletal hand. ]

Thanks, pal. I thought I was a goner.

Faust | Guilty Gear

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

Do you even lift, bro?

Now this is definitely a first. He's only here for a pleasant stroll within the dreamscape, yet he cannot help but notice he's far from alone. He's technically experienced a type of shared dream before - so the sight of semi-shapeless humanoid blobs, speaking intonations beyond his understanding, makes him feel a refreshing wave of nostalgia.

Some are conversing, some are laughing, some are...sprinting in his general direction, fleeing. They cry out warnings not meant for his ears, and it is here that he sees the source of their distress. He reacts as well as you would expect:

"Good golly WHAT IS THA-" He can barely contain the eyeball that throttles through the bag's eyehole, bulging with ill-contained shock. The imminent threat of kidnapping by weird lifting thing jolts him to action as he desperately launches his entire body to the side, naught but a prayer to guarantee he is not snatched up by this monstrosity.

What has science done?!

Horror! HORROR! Abominations spawned from the very deepest, darkest depths of the soul, sprawling as far as the eye can see! With a horde of the terrible beasts hot on his coattails, it is the best Faust can do to keep fleeing - scampering on all fours like an elderly dog on a polished tile floor.

Credit where credit is due, they're certainly struggling to gain any ground against a 9'3" lanky man with a bag on his head, violently fluttering in the wind yet never threatening to leave it's rightful place. Between strained panting and his pulse pounding in his temples, he makes his distress known:

"SOMEONE CALL A DOCTORRRRR!!!" He proclaims, shrill and without a hint of irony and an ocean of obliviousness.

A Christmas miracle!(...?)

He's not going to question why these creatures are building a winter wonderland as they are - answers are for diagnosticians and pathologists. The world is built to be mysterious and unknown, and sometimes it's much more fun simply letting something be bizarre rather than trying to identify it. Which is why Faust is on his back, creating a giant snow angel, humming a nonsensical tune to himself.

When he is finished, he rises up on the heels of his shoes alone, spinning like a ballerina to observe his fine work. He only stands taller and prouder as he expands the horizons of his vision, appraising the several hundred other snow angels adjacent to his previous work - a giant pattern within the snow, elegant and avant-garde in it's nature.

For the moment, he allows himself a measure of genuine pride in his accomplishment, slowly nodding his head to himself in approval of this turn of events. It only makes what happens next even more tragic...

C-c-combo breaker!!!

(Wild Card like nobody is watching - Faust is familiar with the unfamiliar, and expects the unexpected. They go out for drinks every other Saturday.)

Christmas Miracle!

[fortunefavored]

[Newt, unlike Faust, is much less inclined to just "go with it." He's been tracking these things for the past couple of hours, trying to observe their work and how the hell they actually somehow manage to create winter around them. It's weird. Super weird. Not that most of the things on this island haven't been super weird but, eh...this one in particular is pretty strange. Unfortunately, however, he's lost their trail for the moment and is trying to get it back, squinting through the snow and ice, grumbling to himself as he pulls his coat tighter around himself.

His upset stomping has actually sent him right through the middle of Faust's artistic hard work, ruining the delicate patterns in his single-minded grumpiness. In fact, Newt doesn't even seem to have noticed that he's trekked right into the middle of them. Tragic, indeed.]

sans | undertale

[schrohumdinger]

snowman's land

[ Gelfs? Never heard of them. While some may decide murder is the answer to these frigid little blighters, Sans is pretty chill with the cold snap and whatever these little creatures are that are its cause. It's easy to be when you're dreaming and you know it. ]

[ Building snowmen and forts to defend against frozen missiles could be fun. Sounds like a lot of work with little payoff. There's something funny about taking a nap when he's certain he's already asleep, though, which makes it the obvious choice. So someone might happen upon Sans as he gradually becomes one with a snow drift, a snoring figure covered in a growing layer of white flakes. ]

[ If someone's noisy enough to wake him, Sans won't bother sitting up or dust off the snow. He offers: ]

Hey pal. Wanna buy a snow cone?

wildcard

want something else? hmu on any of my contacts on my profile

snowman's land (hope this works!)

[sideswitch]

[ acxa isn't really sure how to partake in any of these activities. namely because she doesn't really know what it means to relax and have fun. her life revolves around war with little to no downtime. so...it's strange, being in an environment where people are so relaxed like this.

she hears someone underneath a snow drift, however, and her first thought is that someone's trapped under there. she starts to dig, hoping to get them out; but she's promptly stopped by a voice.

.... ]

...No. [ ??? ] I'm going to get you out.

lunafreya nox fleuret | ffxv

[coincollection]

THE UPSY WARS

[Congratulations! You’re not alone, once the abomination opens its mouth and swallows you up. A woman dressed is white is there right beside you, and she gives you a quick once over as you go sailing through the sky in your new ride.]

Are you alright?

[She doesn’t seem to be all that phased over being vored - she seems more grimly concerned with your well-being.

Must be a trauma response, or something.]

how do you do, fellow kids?

[She doesn’t think much of the small yellow creature, when she first sees it. It seems harmless enough, despite the laughter. It’s unsettling and creepy but it doesn’t seem to be much of a threat.

And Lunafreya can’t help but start...giggling along. It’s been so long since she’s laughed - since she’s well and truly felt joy, so long since she hasn’t been bogged down by responsibilities and burdens and been allowed to be open and free. So she embraces the laughter, even as she gets an audience of the peculiar emojees.

Ah, well. She’s having a good time. Surely this is fine.]

wildcard;

[Want something else with Lunafreya? Feel free to make something up or hit me up at daintily!]

guess

[warpstriking]

[Of all the times to get pulled back onto Mu, it had to be when an elevator decided it wants to eat people. What is even happening anymore. What has their lives become?

He's getting onto his hands and knees in order to get back up on his feet when he hears another voice and realizes he isn't alone. Noctis blinks, looking up at first to see her shoes and-

Even before he does, he knows that voice. Knows who it belongs to and he can feel his chest tightening at the realization.

Mu, whatever you do, don't let this only be a dream.]

...Luna? [Noctis pauses, shaking his head and standing.] Yeah, m'fine.

[It's just another day that ends with the letter Y.]

Alfor | Voltron: Legendary Defender

[alchemisted]

((note: Alfor's canon point is basically the golden age of the original paladins when they're out defending the galaxy with Voltron, pre-everything-goes-to-hell-thanks-zarkon time))

[ i. what goes up ]

...huh.

[That, for a moment, is the totality of Alfor's reaction to seeing... well... Honestly he has no frame of reference to even begin to put a name to what he's seeing. For now his brain settles on face monster. The Altean looks oddly mesmerized, as if he's trying to puzzle out how his subconscious has come up with this particular terror, standing still and staring up at it.

Dreams are strange, but seldom this strange.

It's about now that he realizes the thing is coming closer, rapidly, and that he probably ought to move. So he does, running and barely diving out of the thing's path and into a small measure of concealing underbrush, but not before catching a glimpse of the mouth. His bayard is in his hand. His paladin armor isn't exactly good for camouflage however, so his hiding place offers little cover.

It's good enough cover, however, that he's not the thing's target any longer. That's less than reassuring when he catches sight of someone who is. The Altean king is already in motion, so please don't mind what amounts to being grabbed -- politely, but with little room for argument -- and pulled immediately into a sprint.] You'll have to excuse me, but we need to be running.

[Now.]


[ ii. must come down ]

[It's not a dream. It's a nightmare. And despite a few successful dodges, well, eventually Alfor finds himself caught by the monstrosity and then summarily expelled into the air like a red and black and white missile. He fires the armor's jet pack to stabilize, right himself, and he mostly manages to at least stop tumbling end over end in the moment before he strikes the ground and goes skidding by. Or straight into someone if they're that unlucky.]

That... did not go exactly as planned.

[Help? Please?]


[ iii. cooling off ]

[Is it just Alfor, or did the weather turn rather quickly? His armor is equipped for deep space travel, so he's not exactly worried about the chill. But the snow, now that's interesting. He's been to planets made entirely of ice, but the gentle fall of snowflakes like this (even if the intensity does seem to be picking up) is somewhat new. Novel. He wouldn't know the term snow-globe, but that doesn't make the scene any less fascinating.

Enough that he removes his helmet for a better look, holding up a gloved hand to catch a number of snowflakes in his palm.]

It's really quite beautiful, isn't it?

[It's a quiet remark, really to no one in particular.]


[ iv. wildcard ]

[Something else? Hit me with your best shot. Or poke me at seasided if you want to discuss!]

ii

[thermalwind]

[One moment he's minding his own business, scouting for more people who might need help. The next he's being slammed into and having that sense of deja-vu as he hits the dirt. Keith spits out dirt and pushes himself up throwing a glare over his shoulder.

The sight followed by the voice makes him lock up. The face is less lined, lacking a beard but he knows it. With the red armor matching his own there's only one person it could be.

He's seen Zarkon here from that nebulous time. To see Alfor. He wriggles out from under the Altean and offers him a hand.]

Before you ask why I'm wearing the same armor as you, how much do you know about this realm? You need that information asap.

great saiyaman (son gohan) | dbz

[fourstars]

>A - GOING UP

[ Well. That sure was new. Granted, not any weirder than some of the things he'd seen in his childhood, but... he could admit that it was certainly up there, if nothing else.

Someone had to have built that though, right? Like, there had to have been someone out there somewhere who thought that building this was a good idea. He'd have to go find them after this, give them a stern talking to, make sure they put their skills to better use. But for now... ]

HALT, YOU DASTARDLY MACHINATION!

[ He pointed at the... elevator(?), not a shred of fear in his voice. His helmet shining under the sunlight, as he drew the machine's attention away from whoever it was attacking, and right to the costumed vigilante. ]

You may be having fun sending people up, but it's time for you to go down!

>B - FROZEN BROWSER

[ Up until now, Gohan thought he'd honestly been in the middle of some random dream. After all, he was in his uniform (not a costume!), stopping a giant robot, and saving civilians. It was the kind of thing he ended up dreaming about most nights, when he wasn't stressed about what he'd end up doing after high school.

But somehow, a frozen island was the thing that started to make him wonder if this was still a dream. Not the island itself, but the fact that he was cold, and it was biting enough that he could feel it.

It was slowing down his movements, forcing him to use some of his energy to keep warm. An aura surrounding him, as he became more aware of the fact that he couldn't fly, which he hadn't questioned before. Still, he could sense people on the island, and their power levels were fluctuating, probably not dealing with the cold well. So, even despite his lack of flight...

He used his energy to jump around, hopping great distances, making his way to some of those power levels. It wasn't as fast as flying, but it was still infinitely better than just walking. ]

Is anyone out there?! If you need help, call out to me!!

A

[notwithoutafight]

All right, Upsy. It's just you and me.

[ Videl glared down (figuratively, not literally) the four-story tall elevator, adjusting her fingerless gloves. She'd never fought a living elevator with wild, googly limbs that ate people and then launched them up into midair, but the young protector of Satan City the island of Mu never backed down from a challenge.

She crouched down, ready to launch herself at Upsy's hideous metal and biological face, when a familiar voice echoed from behind the elevator.

"HALT, YOU DASTARDLY MACHINATION!" ]

UGHHH! [ Videl let out a loud groan of frustration as Upsy turned his attention to the new challenger. Even in her dreams, the Great Saiyaman got in the way of her justicing! ]

Dang it, Gohan! I had this! [ She shouted angrily, heedless of the costume that was supposed to be hiding the identity Videl had just revealed. ]

Electro | The Spectacular Spider-Man (Mockweek CRAU)

[maxout]

i. why
[He knew this terrible abomination was going to haunt his nightmares. Well, lo and behold, here we are. And this time, there's no reason to hold back and not zap the thing.

If you're lucky, this happens right before Upsy can get you and Electro inadvertently saves you from that incredibly gross fate. If it's even harming the thing? Eh, it's distracting it if nothing else. Good enough.

If you're less lucky, it might happen after you get stuck in Upsy's mouth and... uh. Well. Let's hope the elevator really does act like a Faraday cage. It's probably fine. Worst case, you get zapped a bit. You'll walk it off.]

ii. snow shock
[Electro is grumbling. This is not in the least bit surprising to anyone has ever met Electro, of course. Someone's not enjoying the snowfall much. Which might have something to do with the fact that, as snow falls and melts on him, he keeps sparking a lot.

Yeah, when you're walking lightning, you're not exactly made for this weather. Really, it's only annoying, but right now he refuses to deal with annoying. And eventually, he lets out a frustrated growl.]

I'm done with this! [Angrily, he blasts the surrounding snow with electricity. And... actually manages to hit one of those gelfs. Electro blinks a moment. And then grins.] Uh... Yeah, that'll show ya!

[He definitely meant to hit that thing, it surely wasn't an accident.]

iii. target practice
[Now that he can stop the snow all on his own. And he doesn't. But eventually, even Electro manages to chill out. Even if it's just bringing him down to sulking instead of throwing lightning around.

His containment suit is all sealed up, which is probably safer for everyone involved.

But right now, as he's trudging through the snow... Electro makes for a perfect snowball target. Come on. You know you wanna. What could go wrong?]

iv. wildcard
[come at me]

III and I apologize for nothing

[ishotyouuu]

[One would expect Wade to be bamboozled at being back here again, or at the very least, slightly perplexed, but he's not. Not entirely anyway. Zipping back and forth through worlds has become as regular as breathing in his admittedly long tenure, and at least this one takes him back to his Canadian roots.

And right now he's currently celebrating the time-honored Canadian tradition of iceball, which is totally a real sport and not just something he's been waiting for the patent office to get back to him on. And of course, the first priority is to make sure his baby Cubone has the proper handle on such an important and totally legitimate national pastime. Tibia positions her club like a bat, watching Wade with inquisitive eyes for confirmation that she's doing it right, and Wade has to bite his lip hard to keep from completely losing his mercenary street cred at the adorable display.]

That's it, Tibs. Keep it just above your shoulder and bend your knees a little. There you go, now you're lookin' like a regular Roger Maris. If Roger Maris was a Cubone. And a girl. Th-the metaphor still works, okay? Just semantics. Anyway, I'mma toss it to ya gently-- ready?

[Tibia nods, never taking her eyes off the sphere of solid ice that Wade currently has in his hand. So saying, Wade bends down to accommodate her diminutive size, lobbing the ball gently towards her, underhand. She's tiny, after all, and he doesn't want to throw too hard until he's sure of what she can handle.

Turns out his concerns are completely unfounded. Tibia moves her body like a seasoned pro, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she swings her club in a beautiful arc, connecting with the ice ball with a satisfying crack of sound. Wade barely has enough time to duck to the side as the projectile comes very close to shearing the tip of his nose off.]

Nice hit, baby girl!

[His voice is positively brimming with pride. Unfortunately, his celebration is about to be short-lived. It's around this time, as he's following the ball's trajectory through the air, that he notices that there's someone milling around a few feet away from them-- someone who is coming dangerously close to becoming collateral damage.]

Oh, shi-- FORE!

[Not the appropriate terminology for the sport at hand, but at least it's a warning.]

acxa | voltron: legendary defender (s7)

[sideswitch]

UPSY HELL.

[ acxa is very quick and agile and isn't one to be underestimated in a fight by any means. her intelligence and quick thinking is what has gotten her out of sticky situations and has kept her alive throughout the war. however, when the upsy hones in on her, her eyes widen in horror and she prepares herself to have to fight her way out, if it doesn't kill her first.

she braces for impact... and her eyes open once more. they're simply just...there. inside of the strange elevator-looking thing.

she groans a little from the vertigo that came with being swept up, glances over at whoever else happens to be inside, and rises.

then, without warning, she begins to kick the door. and when that does the work, she starts slamming into it, trying to break free.

but alas... acxa stops and takes in a deep breath before turning to the other person stuck inside. ]

Any ideas on how to combat this?

SNOW.

[ for acxa, snow isn't unfamiliar to her--but it's something she hasn't quite enjoyed in years. she hasn't lived a calm life. she doesn't know what calm is. her life has been defined by war and dedication to where her loyalties lie...so she doesn't seem to know what a "snowman" is, nor does she know what "dabbing" is, judging by the expression on her face when she's asked to create one for a contest.

she crosses her arms and gives whoever wants her to participate in the festivities a side glance. ]

We should be concentrating our efforts towards searching for a way out. Not...this.

WILDCARD.

[ anything goes! (still voice testing!) ]

snow problems

[antepone]

[ Mira looks over from where she's currently making her snowman. Or... rather, a snowcat. It's very cute. There's a whole family, complete with kitty faces made of stones. She considers what the other woman is saying, then offers a little smile. ]

Maybe... but it's not bad to relax, right? Besides, until you wake up, there's not really any way to get out of here.

Makoto Niijima | Persona 5

[shadowfactorization]

A. WILDCARD.

[The dreamlike quality of Mu hits Makoto as soon as she becomes aware of her surroundings, leaving her lacking a sense of apprehension that usually comes with unfamiliar surroundings. She stands there, turning her gaze from one side of the horizon to the other, slowly and passively taking in the island around her.]

Lucid dreaming... [That was it. She'd read something about that once--being aware that one is dreaming while within a dream. Her own voice startles her a little, louder than she expects it to be. It hushes her into silence again, as she tries to refocus on her thoughts.

What else was there?... Right. Lucid dreaming should involve some measure of control over her surroundings. So does that mean that she can control what happens here? It couldn't hurt to try.

The easiest test would be to make something appear that wasn't there before. She happens to be on a beach, so... Why not a large conch shell? Yes, that'll do nicely.

Those who come upon Makoto in that moment might find her staring with great intent and concentration at a specific point in the sand as she tries to will a shell to appear in front of her.]

B. UPSY WARS.

[It doesn't take long for Makoto to realize that this dream is not under her control. Nor is anything else about what is happening to her right now.

After failing to summon a conch shell out of thin air, Makoto gave up her endeavor. If she's going to be in a dream like this, she might as well do some exploring... At least, that's what she thought.

Really, it's the dream's fault that she's in this situation. She'd watched the creature bound her way in complete and utter awe at how nonsensical it looked. Who would make something like that? Certainly not her brain.

It was only after several prolonged seconds of watching the thing approach that she realized it wasn't coming towards her... It was coming at her. She had bristled, tensing in her shoulders, and turned to make a quick escape. But no such luck.]

Let me out of here! [she shouts, trying to find her footing inside this contraption's face and pounding her fists against the doors. She really doesn't want to think about what she's standing on or in right now. It feels weird, and it's too gross to even consider.]

Let! Me!-- [She doesn't get to finish any further protest. The machine lands with a crunch of ground beneath its metal limbs and projectile discharges her several yards away. She hits the ground and rolls, coming to a stop in a heap a number of feet past where she landed.]

Ow... [She groans and winces, rolling over onto her hands and knees and pushing herself onto her feet.]

C. LET IT SNOW.

[After her beach experiments and her elevator nightmare, Makoto is more than ready to call this dream done. How does she wake herself up? Was there a certain trick to waking from a lucid dream? She can't quite remember with how frazzled she's feeling. If only she had something to calm her frayed nerves...

Her foot bumps against something that goes rolling along the ground, making tracks in the light dusting of snow that seems to have drifted over the dream world. Frowning, she picks it up and unscrews the lid. The scent of apples and spices wafts up to her nose and makes her stomach growl in response.

That's weird... Can you even be hungry in a dream? She doesn't remember ready about that, but maybe there's some correlation between the physical body and the dream body that might present in-- Before her thoughts run too far away from her, the scent again pulls her attention back to the drink in her hand. Cautiously, she looks around.]

Hello? Is anyone there? [Did someone drop this here? Or is it just another part of the dream? ...Would anyone mind if she took a few sips? It smells so good, and the weather has gotten nippy in this area.]

A. WILDCARD.

[wanderingdoctorfaust]

This is turning out far better than he ever could have hoped - Amidst the ocean of vaguely humanoid blobs disappearing and reappearing in and out of existence, Faust has found someone corporeal! Someone of flesh, blood and...a very intense glare, evidently. His own eyehole contracts, as if squinting to get a better look himself.

He approaches quietly, lightly swinging his doctors bag with one hand and scratching the underside of his bag with the other. There's clearly nothing in the sand, at first glance...perhaps this young lady - if she is a young lady - is deep in contemplation, and who could blame her? The mere existence of this place alone would serve as a great revelation to almost anyone.

Perhaps the wisdom of someone who has travelled this path before can help her find the enlightenment she seeks. He carefully kneels down by her side, in hopes of rendering his tall frame less intimidating. He speaks quietly to her:

"Are you lost, young one?"

snas | undertale

[skelepun]

upsy rises (and also lowers i guess)

[How Upsy got their pulsating, electroflesh hands on you is surely unique to you. Maybe you were hiding, maybe you were fighting, maybe you were marveling. It is quite a sight, after all.

But however you got there, the wet crunch of the elevator doors (elevator face?) opening reveals a dingy interior and an even dingier skeleton. Not that there's much time to admire either when one of those hands is stuffing you inside.]

Going up? [The skeleton asks, beaming, as Upsy suddenly rockets upwards with the speed of a bullet train. Despite this, Sans seems to have no trouble staying upright. Even as the elevator reaches its apex, a sort of artificial zero G, there he is by the button pad with a broad smile on his face. Maybe it has something to do with the blue glow at the base of his slippers.]

Here--

[Suddenly, the shoes of those sharing the elevator with him begin to glow, followed immediately by a steadying adhesion to the elevator floor. As Upsy's doors open, ready to fling its riders outwards, the heavy magic keeps all its riders in place.]

Your soles are blue now, so. You're welcome.

[vagabone]

[But what if you have no soles?? No shoes or skin on this guy's feet, not for years and years! Kinda ruins the joke, doesn't it.

Anyhow, he's not paying attention. Being snatched up by a gigantic vore machine doesn't put a man in the right mood for jokes. His shirt's a bit funny, though, and does not match the rest of his outfit at all--sad tattered pants and a straw hat with holes in it. (Also eyeballs and hair, unlike some skeletons.)

A proper thank you might come later, since it would have been even worse to have been spat out, and Sans's blue magic is keeping all his bones inside Upsy's mouth. Right now... now is for yelling!!]

Not this stupid thing again! I hate these islands! And elevators!

[All elevators, everywhere, yeah you heard it here folks.]

Peter B. Parker | Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

[brunetterecluse]

A. UPSY WAR

[Where is he? Doesn't matter. This whole dimension hopping thing is pretty old hat by now, and giant mechanical flesh hybrids causing havoc is even an even older, dustier hat. The not remembering how he got here part is new, but maybe he was sleeping. Or, like, knocked out. Both of those things were equally possible and Peter was equally uninterested in analyzing it further.]

Mask, mask, mask--

[His mask was--not here. Huh. Unfortunate, but secret identities didn't matter that much in alternate timelines. He could roll with this. I mean, c'mon. He's Spiderman.

Spotting a nearby onlooker, Peter waves them back with practiced ease.]

Hey, don't worry, it's all gonna be fine. Just stay hidden, I've got this. [And, turning back to Upsy:] Alright big guy, something tells me you're way overdue for an inspection.

[The disheveled man in his dirty pajamas lifts up a hand, pressing down on his palm with his middle and ring finger. Throwing up the horns, as they say. Literally nothing else happens.

Apparently, the mask wasn't the only thing this dimension left out.]

Wait, shi--[Is all Peter gets out before getting summarily crushed by a giant hand. When it raises again, Peter looks more annoyed than crushed to death.]

Okay. [He turns to the onlooker.] New plan. A. what's your name, and B. are you some sort of spider person that can spare a guy some silk.

B. GELFS...

[Peter was Cold. Cold with the big C and everything, the kind that makes your bones shiver and your head ache. His threadbare sweatpants only did so much and his foot situation was frankly, untenable. No shoes, no socks, no sirculation. He needed to warm up, and quick.

As for the small elves freezing everything, okay, whatever, it looked like a half hour job. He'd deal with it later. Right now, there was a person holding a steaming jug of warm that had his name on it.]

Hey, you, where'd you get that?

A

[plzunstick]

[Miles hears the crunch and crash of the giant robot before he sees it, swinging down to the ground, half stumbling over the giant treads in the earth it had left. He takes a breath, catching a glimpse of it just in time to see it crushing a guy.

Not just any guy...]

Mr. Park- Peter! [There's a hot second where Miles remembers how many Peter Parkers there could be...how many multiverses where they never even knew each other. That would be weird. Not that weird, but you know. Weird.]

[But how many Peters wore pants like that.]