aftr_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME ( 018 )

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TEST DRIVE MEME ( 018 )

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 )

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[His knife reshapes itself into a sword as he risks a glance over his shoulder. The hellish machine is gaining on them. He swings his sword to warm up his wrist.]

You were the first Red Paladin. That kind of thing is recorded for the future.

[Keith reaches the trees and grabs the side of the tree trunk to kill his momentum. He spins to see if Alfor's right behind him. Keith thrusts his arm out to yank him back and past him deeper into the forest.]

History does have a habit of remembering...

[He's just not used to being that history. He isn't sure he likes it. In fact, he's quite certain that he does not. At all. Not even a little. But there's a great deal about this moment that he's not fond of.

Starting with the thing pursuing them.

A startled sound as he's yanked forward, and his own forward momentum carries him a few steps before he can skid to a stop and turn, bayard drawn and flaring into its broadsword shape. What's the idea here, Keith? Alfor is all too happy to provide backup.]

[Keith's eyes narrow and pupils shift, narrowing to a vertical slit. He speaks, his voice low.] Hold.

[Thirty feet and closing. It's fast but in the forest it will slow down. Twenty. He tenses, his sword arm moving up. Fifteen.] Retreat!

[He slashes hard, cleaving right through the tree he'd been nearest to and kicks hard. The elevator takes the tree into it and shoots right up. Keith draws his bayard, the weapon transforming into a sword as well.

But the elevator has what it wants, something living to take up. Keith watches it with faintly yellow and violet eyes.]

...we should be good now. [Just in case he moves backward, unsurprised when his wolf friend pads out of the brush to stand at his side. The machine is just a dot in the sky. He blinks and cools down, eyes normal again.]

I hate that thing. It shows up random and does...that. All damn day.

[Alfor watches Keith, curious now, bit by bit realizing what he's got in mind, a fraction of a second before it happens. Ah.

He can't quite help an approving, impressed not. Not bad at all, whoever this Keith may be. He watches the elevator thing fly up. He reaches out to clap a hand against his shoulder.] Well done.

[But it is hard not to notice those eyes -- and he's quite certain they weren't like that before. There's something familiar about it, and while he doesn't recognize what people Keith may belong to in part, the change in those eyes.] Are you part Galra?

[He's already starting to smile at that.] You are, aren't you? I admit, it's nice to see such a familiar sight. [Between that and the paladin armor. It mitigates some of the strangeness of this place.]

[He kills a twitch when the hand makes contact with his shoulder. It's not what he expected but it's welcome camaraderie. He smiles a little. On the islands, no one reacts badly to his not quite human status. There's a lot of non-humans here so he fits, odd, right in.] Yeah, my mother is.

My dad was from Earth. [He motions for Alfor to follow him as he turns and walks deeper into the forest. A lazy plant-like tiger with orange and black fur lays sunning itself in an open patch of sunlight. Keith glances at it as he passes by.]

This reality is like a waystation or,I guess, a hub? People from all kinds of realities can come here. From any point in their timelines.

I've never heard of Earth. Maybe it's farther than we've managed to explore in my time, but it's not surprising that the universe has gotten wider over the course of millennia.

[He has no concept of it, of the dark turn that everything will take in his own future in such a short time. Alfor is looking around as they go, trying to make sense of this strange dreamlike setting. A plant-tiger seems perfectly normal, and he watches it, curious a moment, but keeps walking.

And the smile on his face falters.] ...crossing realities can be fraught with risk.

[He doesn't know the half of it honestly, but he at least knows that for all the potential of the rift back on Daibazaal it's also proven the source of a great deal of danger.]

Yes, it is. Rifts cause nothing but problems. We're not sure exactly how we get here. Not even the greater beings of this reality know the answer. [He glances up in time to catch a flash of antlers and dark turquoise fur.]

So far we know something broke the land and separated them. They were isolated from their people and... [He shuts his eyes and takes a breath. He's not sure if he'll ever be over the quiet tone in Rapsho's voice when they said they didn't want to remember what they lost.]

Some of them fell to corruption and are too far gone to be saved. There's enough pieces of information to think some kind of water god might be responsible for the fracturing.

But not enough to know for sure.

[Alfor frowns. That right there sounds like the voice of experience, which does concern him if Voltron is still dealing with rifts between realities in the future. For now though he doesn't comment, listening instead. This seems like important information.

Though what he hears is, well, worrying.]

No explanation of how, and landed in the middle of quite a mess. And mystery it seems. Are you trying to save... the ones who can be?

Yes. [There is no hesitation in his voice. He will save them. As many as he can. Keith moves some ferns aside and moves forward into a small clearing. He abruptly flattens himself against the trunk of the nearest tree.

That’s right. Upsy is back. It floats over head and Keith talks low.] We can slip back into the woods and circle around to another pathway.

There’s a game trail that goes through the north end.

[There's a faint flicker of a smile over Alfor's features, and he inclines his head in agreement with that answer. Keith is a paladin without a doubt.

But Alfor lets that thought slip as he looks up, scowling. His own voice is just above a whisper,] That sounds good to me. I'm... increasingly unfond of that thing.

[Keith squints up at Upsy like a cat sighting the vet.] That's the general feeling about it. It's less weird than the...balls of organic stuff. Or the weirdly not killing us black holes...

But still weird. [He gives it one more glare and slinks along the edge of clearing. He keeps his eye on it as he moves.] The black holes only suck things in if you're near them. Otherwise seems like some kind of field around them.

Well. That's just terrible physics.

[Alfor says, offended on the behalf of science. He falls in line, following Keith though, trusting the other paladin to lead him true through the unfamiliar terrain.]

So weird is the general rule of the land then. I suppose that helps me set my expectations.

Set them really low. [His thoughts stray to Lance stuck in the air making that infernal jetpack noise for hours. He winces.]

I don't think it cares about scie- [An Arboreal owl made entirely of plants flies out and abruptly Upsy opens its doors and dives at them.

It's an attack so fast that King, half Galra, and plant owl all get snatched up. Keith lets out a yelp he will deny later. He tries to stab the inside on reflex to no avail.]

Sorry, habit. [He can hear Kosmo whining as Upsy in total silence rises into the air. The poor owl is stuck between them and making distressed hoots.]

...noted.

[Bar as low as he can feasibly set it and... then it appears he should have aimed lower because.

The creature is back. There's a startled sound and he moves to activate his bayard before it's too late anyway, but hey Keith has that covered so he'll just... hold his sword and grin sheepishly. He can't talk either, Keith.]

Understandable habit.

[And then, in case there are any questions about it,] I believe I despise this thing.

Yeah, I don't blame you.

[He rams his fist against the shut doors. He can't whistle for Ember. Kosmo can't port his way in nor would he ask him to. They have to sit tight until this damn thing opens and spits them out like alien missiles.

Keith grumbles as he tucks his weapons away and feels the seam between the doors. Could he force them open? Nope. They're sealed shut.

He kicks the doors and as if to point out the futility of his actions. Soothing music plays and mocks him. His eyes flash yellow and he puts a hand over his face.

It's a toss-up between him having a rage aneurysm and laughing without any humor at the return of Trial of the Patient hell.]

[Sorry, Keith. Alfor is going to wind up laughing right about then. It's the elevator music. It's being stuck and just waiting to actually be flung through the air.

It's the fact that it's his second time in this hell.]

Well. Should we get separated when we're inevitably spat back out into the wide world, good luck.

[And then, chuckling more because how do things even get this absurd.] Or do you suppose we should hold hands?

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TEST DRIVE MEME ( 018 )

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