aftr_ooc | 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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Several thousand decaphoebs. Well. That narrows it down.

[This is clearly news that he's not expecting though, and he looks from Lance's face to the bayard in his hand, a mirror to the one that Alfor is holding.

All right. Potential paradoxes apparently are afoot. That's fine. He'll worry about the science of it later. For now he's too busy turning his gaze back to Lance with something of a smile.]

Chosen by two Lions. That is new. But I have something of a vested interest in believing in Red's good taste. [Red chose Alfor himself, after all. Clearly a Lion of discerning taste.] So I'll trust that she's in good hands.

You get used to it, after a while. [Though each time it makes things just a little bit more complicated.]

It's...kind of a long story. [Should he mention Allura taking up the mantle of Blue Paladin?

He can't imagine Alfor being anything but proud of his daughter, but is that going too deep into brain-breaking territory?] But I like to think I'm doing an alright job.

[He almost says "make you proud", but he catches himself. That...might make things weird. But it's Alfor. It's the man he's heard so much about, who was always spoken of with high praise, that...

Would it be so bad if Alfor could be proud of him and what he does for the team?]

Most stories worth telling are.

[Long, that is. More complicated than they may be expected to be. And he imagines that whatever is happening here, whatever this place is, or what lies between this young man and himself and the millennia that apparently separate them, yes, it seems like it must be quite a story.]

I'm certain you must be. My own ego aside, the Lions would not choose a paladin lightly.

[He wants to believe that anyway.]

I bet you have a lot of those.

[He founded Voltron - made their Lions - he has to have countless stories he can tell.

Not that there's much time for telling stories, now, with Upsy on the loose again.]

Honestly, I think I was the most surprised when Red picked me. Looking back on it, I don't know if I would have deserved it.

[He had to grow into being Red's paladin - and he's growing still. He's more comfortable in his position now, at least, that admitting he wasn't perhaps the best choice doesn't hurt.]

One or two.

[And Alfor has never in his life been accused of being shy about sharing. But storytelling will wait, for less cannibal elevator filled moments, yes.]

I think, perhaps, it can be difficult to see in ourselves what others might see in us. It's a matter of perspective. And potential.

[Growing into something is often how it works, isn't it? Alfor is studying this young paladin, quite curious now.] All of us, my fellow paladins, none of us knew what it was we were accepting when we first took on the mantle, and we're still learning it. But we've done some good, spared people from pain and suffering.

[Here he glances skyward.] And if Red were here, I'd very much like to do some good by taking that creature out of the sky. But it appears I'm grounded.

[Lance snorts - yeah, he's sure there's only one or two stories Alfor could tell them.]

You had no idea what you were doing for the world. [He shrugs back in response, feeling awkward. Maybe he shouldn't have just...come out and said this, but Lance isn't known for thinking before he speaks.] Everything we do, we can because of you.

[Ugh. Maybe he's being too sincere? He's not wrong, though - if not for Alfor and the rest of the original Paladins, nothing Lance has seen or done would have been possible.]

There seems to be a limit on what can come in with us - but even if Red was here, there's no gaurantee the Lion would still work. [Lance gestures behind himself.] Even the armor doesn't have full functionality.

[Alfor turns a startled expression at Lance. He clearly hadn't been expecting those words, but the surprise melts into a smile, and he inclines his head, grateful somehow for the words, sincere as they are.]

Is that so? I have to admit, it's a good feeling to think that some good comes of our legacy. ...though my fellow paladins would probably have some complaints about providing that much fuel to my ego.

[A frown as he considers the next piece of information.] Something about this place interferes with technology?

[Better and better, the more he learns of it.] You know, I don't believe I've gotten your name.

[He fidgets under that look, but he's not going to take back his words. He means it, even if...

Even if there are things Alfor doesn't know about his legacy. He should probably not bring up Zarkon any time soon.]

I'm sure their egos would get just as big, if they knew anything we knew about what Voltron means to the universe.

[Or maybe that's just typical Lance over-confidence speaking.]

But yeah, there's something about this place where a lot of stuff just...doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Haven't figured out why [hasn't looked into why] but we learned to work around it.

[A pause.] And it's Lance.

[Someone will eventually have to crush his heart and soul with that news and all the events that follow it. Until then, Alfor is entirely oblivious as to the minefield of his own future.

But that's usually the way these things work. He nods.]

Maybe so. I think we'd all hope for history to remember us in a positive light.

[Another smile as he inclines his head in acknowledgment.] Lance. [Lonce.] It's good to meet you. ...strange, given the circumstances, but good nevertheless.

[There's two ways that can go. Either someone that's not Lance spills the beans, or Lance and Alfor's conversation goes the same way Lance's attempts to keep the future obscured from Shiro goes and Lance ends up spilling the beans.

With the way Lance grimaces as what Alfor says, it could very well go the way of the latter.]

That'd be pretty great, huh?

[Boy Does He Sound Convincing.] It's good to meet you too - as a, like, actual, living person. It's... pretty cool.

As an actual living person, I think I prefer this way as well.

[But now he's curious as to what that means. He rather hopes it's just "a living person instead of the name from history records" or something along those lines.

But. He wonders.]

[It's okay, Alfor, you won't have to wait very long for an explanation.]

There was this, like, AI version of you on the Castle of Lions. Older than you are now, but pretty handy at explaining things.

[See?

Also that AI was great, up until, you know, it tried to kill all of them. Details.]

Ah! I see. Well that does make sense of how you'd recognize me then doesn't it.

[Older though. Well, that's a good sign, right? It likely means he at least lives to see his older days.]

Older though? I hope I age gracefully.

[He's probably kidding.]

Yeah! Yeah. It was pretty cool.

[Of course, it doesn't mean that those days were worth it.

But Lance isn't gonna...go there.]

You didn't look too bad! More beard, though.

[Grade A silver fox material, tbh.]

More beard?

[HUH. Don't mind him, Lance. He's not without his vanities, lifting a hand to rub at his mostly bare jaw. Interesting.

He supposes that might add to a dignified air. Well. There's plenty of time for that in the future.]

Something to keep in mind. [But more importantly.] How is Red, in this future?

[Asking after the Lion like he's asking after a friend because well. It's sort of exactly like that.]

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 018 )

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