TEST DRIVE MEME ( 022 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #22

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.

In conjunction with our monthly Test Drive Meme, Reserves are now open! Applications will open on April 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.

To Dungeons Deep And Caverns Old
Caves are usually natural structures, though the one you find yourself within shows signs of manual influence. Brackets set into stones hold odd, glowing plants that illuminate the darkness with almost neon tones. Slightly sunken ceilings appear less threatening with the addition of great, wood beams to brace them upright, and traversing the more heavily inclined passages becomes far easier with the addition of roughly carved stairwells, worn smooth by the passage of many feet that have passed this way before you.

If it weren't for the way the ground tremors and rumbles underfoot, it would be a strange but otherwise pleasant scene. As it stands, that clamorous shaking only worsens the longer you stand here, rumbles like thunder vibrating through the stone in dense waves. An earthquake? A volcanic eruption?

...a cave-in? Regardless of the cause, that final option is becoming more likely to occur in your general vicinity, the longer these tremors continue. It's time to go - and quickly, before that option is lost to you entirely. To the left, or right? Up, or down? If you look up, if you really squint, a few shimmering rays of sunlight glimmer far, far above your head from a natural skylight, if you think you can survive whatever's happening on the surface. Or you can keep forging your way downward, deeper, and hope that there's a stable little alcove set somewhere in the stone where you can wait this whole thing out. There really are innumerable options in this labyrinthian underground - and what awaits you around the next corner could be your salvation or your downfall.

Your very long downfall. So watch your step.

What's My Age Again?
Last month, adventurers found themselves dealing with the aftermath of a volcanic eruption... and the odd, transformative effects the volcanic ash seemed to have upon them. Ever curious of what occurs in the waking world, Mu has once again sought to emulate this oddity, reshaping its visitors to fit the images of their past - or even their potential future. Waking up in your preteen body is the nightmare of many, but hardly the greatest oddity one might come across in a dream. Fifteen years younger, thirty years older - either way, you seem to be a tad displaced from who you are in the now. Those aware of this may find it something of a challenge, with vocal chords cracking for the first time in years, or creaking bones that don't move quite as fast as they used to. For others, however, nothing appears to be amiss at all; mentally or physically. Your memories may have leapt up to follow suit with these radical changes...or maybe you're an adult mind trying to cope with a toddler's body.

Perhaps this dream is precisely the chance you've been looking for. It's time to relive your childhood, or experience your golden years in peace. The calm, resort-like beachfront you find yourself upon will hinder neither. You could always go looking for answers - where you are, why this is happening to you - but there's no guarantee you'll be successful in locating any.

Maybe you'll get lucky, though, and find someone who believes you.

Worth A Thousand Words
The Chamber of Glyphs is a unique feature to LifeAftr, resting on the border between the waking world and Mu itself. An immense room of seemingly infinite length and height, every space, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, is occupied by images scratched into stone with chalk and charcoal.

The drawings themselves also appear to be- unique. Beams of light from a chalked-in sun mingle with illustrations raindrops to create a shimmering rainbow. Roughly drawn animals leap away from those who approach, startled out of stillness, and ancient battles play out in never-ending loops upon the floor. Everywhere one looks, drawings seem to shift upon the walls, disappearing and reappearing elsewhere, or mingling with images that had not been there prior. A basin of endless chalk sits next to a firepit in the center of the room, ripe for the inspired artist to take to whatever blank canvas is available in the architecture - and there is always space available. If you're bored of watching the charcoal rabbits leap away to hide in green, chalky grass, perhaps there's a drawing of your own that's ready to come to life, a permanent fixture to the walls about you.

Or not. Take care with just what you decide to draw, as some images may not be content staying glued to flat surfaces. Outliners are perhaps exactly what one would expect them to be, and exactly what they sound like: something that's both out of bounds and out of line. Rogue outlines of chalk, charcoal, and paint, they break away from the surface upon which they were initially spawned to shamble after the living with often awkward shambling. Very few have been given the gift of depth, a fact that leaves most paper thin and prone to crumpling into scribbled heaps.

Though not the greatest of threats, it's best not to let them touch you. Those without depth or dimension may be quite eager to steal yours - and once you find yourself drawn into the two-dimensional spaces across the walls and floor, returning to normal will prove near impossible.

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[the_archivist]

...I wish I could say this was the strangest thing in my life.

[Once it would have been. Now? Now it doesn't even make the top ten. He keeps following the man through the tunnels. he pauses when he mentions dreaming and cocks his head slightly, considering before shaking his head.]

I can't dream. And this doesn't feel like someone else's.

[sandsister]

How amazing! You're just like Cent. Maybe you're related to him, huh? I'll have to ask. Let me guess which one it is-maybe a golem? But oh, you said monsters-

[If he was expecting her to react poorly, that doesn't happen. The blue in her eyes seems to get a little brighter and a smile extends across her whole face as she thinks about her companions. The ones her family can summon. They do come from somewhere else. Probably another world. She doesn't think much about it. Heck, maybe they just appear outta the sand in her home.

Come to think of it-

Well, she doesn't need to know how it works. It just does! Because of Cent! And herself, but it's mostly him.]

So what's your song sound like? Do you need to sing or do they come on their own? What do they look like?

[evergonnahaunt]

[Her enthusiasm is a little bit bewildering. Nobody likes Ben's powers, and most interviewers just glossed over Ben entirely when they asked about powers. It was gross, which meant nobody wanted to talk about it.]

Like Cthulhu, I guess? [He belatedly realizes that's a specific reference Two might not understand.] There's long tentacles but I don't know what the rest looks like because -

[You know, he probably should have explained what he meant by "conduit" beforehand. That was literal. He is literally summoning monsters through a portal in his body.]

- they don't fit through. But I can summon them whenever I want, I don't have to do anything special.

[bloodbathing]

[ Maine glances back at that, puzzled by both of those statements. This feels dream-like enough to him that he's not overly concerned by how he got here. He's silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase the question before he asks: ]

Would know?

[ If this was someone else's dream, he means. ]

[the_archivist]

[Jon pauses and considers for a moment before giving a short nod.]

I can't participate in other people's dreams. All I can do is watch.

[Over and over again. But here... he's part of it. He doesn't like it.]

[bloodbathing]

[ Well. That's a bit— ]

Weird.

[ Agent Maine, the Master of Tact. ]

Here now.

[ And this certainly feels like a dream to Maine.

The path they're on climbs slightly before reaching another intersection. Maine curses his HUD's nonfunctional state and squats down, trying to gauge by sight what the most-used path might be. ]

[the_archivist]

That's the story of my life recently.

[Jon mutters the words and it comes with a sigh. He's got used to it and that is perhaps the most worrying thing.

He pauses when the man does, watches as he peers at the branching paths. It comes to him then, a drip of knowledge and for once he's relieved by it. Pleased even.]

That way. It's that way.

[fourgasm]

Okay, but it doesn't work all the time!

[Asking Klaus to be observant is like asking fish to breathe air. They'll sure fucking try, but it's not going to end well for anyone. He never knew how his power really worked to begin with, assumed Ben was pretty normal as far as ghosts go, and after years of trying to keep it dampened by numbing all his senses? Yeah.

And sure, ideally? Klaus doesn't get punched in the face again. But he's a little keyed up right now, so he taps his cheek like it's a target, getting in an "I'm ready to be punched now, thanks," stance. Since no one alive or dead knows what kind of stance that is, Klaus just wings it, trying to center his gravity.]

Sure! Yeah! Try it, right now. Right here. Come on. Give it a go. Really let me have it. Come on, Ben, let all that... pent-up "I'm dead" anger out.

dungeons deep

[fourgasm]

[Mm, yeah, cool, so Klaus doesn't know the difference between recognizing he's in a dream and the general feeling of everything probably not being real that he's used to anyway? So far his theory is: this is totally normal, I was just teleported wrong, and now I'm alone in a cave and I have claustrophobia and am withdrawing from possibly every drug in existence so that's just all very convenient.

He's a little agitated, to say the least. So when he hears someone groaning in fear, his brain parses it as "negative input" and automatically tranlates it to "negative output". Sorry, Chidi.]

Would you— Stop doing that, you're already dead anyway.

[Because, you know. Klaus is assuming this guy is a ghost that died here or something. Long story, it would be a totally normal reaction if you knew it, coincidentally dead stranger.]

Tell me I don't have to be a therapist now. I'm pretty sure I'm permanently disqualified from... [He makes a face.] careers.

[Still, he gestures dismissively at Chidi, "trying" to "encourage" him to get up and out of the place that's causing him so much distress.]

Come on. Get up. Chip chop. Pip pip. Let's go. We're moving, we're leaving.

[evergonnahaunt]

[Ben doesn't actually punch Klaus in the face, because he's nice and also he's aware that if he bruises Klaus' face then Klaus will complain about it forever. It won't even matter that he said Ben could do it, because that's how sibling disagreements are. It's just gonna be "you gave me a black eye!" every time they argue from now until the end of time if Ben actually does punch him.

But he also wants Klaus to shut the fuck up, so Ben smacks the back of Klaus' head. The blow is harder than he meant it to be, because he was kind of just assuming it would take more energy? To do the thing? It took more energy the last time he did it.

That's not what Ben's concerned about, though, even though he should maybe be concerned about Klaus' wellbeing. He's concerned about the fact that his palm stings, and that's not normal. The realization that Klaus was probably right and he's alive now sets off a chain reaction where Ben rapidly realizes he is, in fact, living again and he has to breathe but that realization makes him forget how to breathe because he's thinking too hard about breathing and doesn't remember how it works. So you know, he's having what superficially resembles a panic attack right now.

It's fine. He's fine. It'll pass.]

[fourgasm]

OW—!

[Klaus is 100% about to yell at his brother anyway, even if he didn't punch him, because Ben was completely right and Klaus absolutely wants to complain about the fact he just smacked the back of his head like he didn't just get over a concussion or whatever it was like a day ago.

Except something different happens. It's not what Klaus expects, actually. He still sort of figured Ben was dead, just... solid? You can't just. Make a ghost alive. He'd need a body to be in. And Ben's body certainly doesn't look like the guy standing in front of him right now.

But Ben is breathing, and not in a good way. In a complete and utter panic way. Klaus has had his share of panic attacks, he's been in and out of mental instituations where people mostly had addictions, sure, it was rehab, but like him they were all dealing with their own mental shit. He knows what this is.

So he does what any sensible person who recognizes his brother is having a panic attack would do.]

Oh, fuck. Oh, God. Uhh, uhh—

[He starts hovering his hands around him uselessly, horror written all over his face. Surely this will calm Ben down.]

Stop! Stop stop stop!

[evergonnahaunt]

[It weird to be on the other side of the thing. Usually it's Klaus having a panic attack and Ben telling him to be calm, which you know. He's realizing is maybe horseshit? From the other side of this? But he does remember all those pamphlets they gave Klaus about mindful breathing and whatever other sorts of thing that Klaus definitely never read and Ben only did because if Klaus wasn't going to take care of himself, then Ben would do it for him.

So once he remembers how to actually breathe, it's easy to work out how to slow down his breathing until he can shoot a look at Klaus.]

Seriously? I'm trying to remember how to breathe and your idea of helping is telling me to stop?

[He doesn't know why he's surprised. It's Klaus. They have time traveled so fuckily that it put Ben into an older body (somehow???? explain that one, Five) and Klaus' idea of helping is to try and turn Ben back into a ghost or whatever it was Klaus was actually trying to do. It's hard to tell with Klaus.]

[bloodbathing]

[ Maine looks up, surprised. The path doesn't look any different to him, but the Archivist sounds confident. Remarkably so. He studies the man for a moment, then he nods and stands to continue on their way.

It occurs to Maine that this man might be trying to lead him into a trap — but it doesn't concern him. The massive Freelancer is sure he can handle it. ]

[the_archivist]

[Maine can study him all he wants. He's always being watched so that's long since stopped being something that disconcerts him. He just looks back and gives a small, tight smile.

They head off again, following the path. The walls haven't shifted again yet. They seem remarkably solid and normal.]

Have you been here long?

[bloodbathing]

[ That's a question with two possible answers. Maine's not sure which the other man wants. Isn't sure if asking for clarification would work since the Archivist seems to think this isn't a dream. So, after a second of consideration, he decides to give both. ]

Few minutes, underground. [ Maine had just risen and immediately jumped into action, as he does. ] Few weeks on islands.

[ He turns the question back with a gesture and a tilt of his head: "you?" ]

[the_archivist]

[Oh he wouldn't rule out it being a dream. It feels dream-like. He just knows it isn't his dream. And it doesn't feel the same as when he has other people's. For one thing, those are generally nightmares.]

Islands?

I just woke up. It's a little disconcerting to 'wake up' underground.

[Especially after just crawling out of The Buried.]

ii. time for goblins

[deadlylittlething]

[And here Five thought he might have to make his own fun on this nice tranquil beach. But the telltale spark of his pyromaniac brother draws his attention and he appears in a flash, already looking over Klaus' shoulder.]

You know starting a wildfire can get you life in prison, right?

[Not that he sounds particularly concerned for his brother's criminal record. More like faintly amused, slipping his hands into his pockets and watching his efforts expectantly.]

[caduceusoncall]

I doubt that very much.

[Everything about Angela's expression and posture tightens. The words come out perhaps a bit more bitter than she means them to. It's just that, well. As desperately as she wants things to be what they were before, a part of her knows that's just not possible. This kind of pain has changed her, fundamentally, and even if they walked through the door tomorrow, things wouldn't be the same.

She'd very much like to believe they would, though. Alas, such is the curse of intellectualizing literally every emotion you have as a defense mechanism.]

[yeenaw]

[There's more than a couple beats of absolute silence at that. And then Arthur bursts out into a wheezing, disbelieving laughter, shaking his head.]

Whatever you say.

[Crazy people. Everywhere. It was also possibly rude to laugh at that, considering it didn't exactly sound like it was meant to be sarcastic, but Arthur's tone stays friendly - caught somewhere between humoring and actually accepting.]

Sounds like some bad business, friend. Sorry to hear it. But if you was a man like me, I'd consider yourself much improved.

1

[hurricane_clown]

[Karako is unintimidated by Marvus' grey skin and befanged smile; he is astonished, at first, just struck fucking speechless by the sudden appearance of a fellow troll, emerging from the dark of the tunnel like a fucking chudoo apparition.

Then he remembers, and understands: this is a dream.

Is it a shared dream? Is this the actual motherfucking Marvus Xoloto, wandering into his own dreamscape? It doesn't feel un real, like a normal dream... he comes sprinting up, stopping just next to the celebtrity apparition and falling into step next to him, trotting along at a jog to keep up and staring up at Marvus' face with an uncommonly piercing intensity.]

Honk? Honk?

[onegreeneye]

Yeah, Ginko... can barely begin to make sense of this thing's physiology. Not that he has room to talk, being a literal monster and all that, but that baby face on a bug is pretty weird.

He supposes he'd better be safe about this, but... it's not like he can leave this guy unattended when who knows what might be running around here. So, making up his mind, he grabs the edge of the poncho he's been wearing for sun protection and pulls it over his head. He lays it out in front of the little grub, still holding onto the edges to make kind of a hammock that touches the ground. "C'mon over here."

[bloodbathing]

[ Maine nods and grunts, both in confirmation and in agreement. This is the second time he's woken up in some sort of cave. The first time, he found himself handcuffed to Wash. This time, he's found the Archivist. ]

Islands. Connected to dreams? [ He shrugs; he's not sure how it works. ] Storyteller's in dreams.

[fourgasm]

[Klaus is used to being the one breaking down! Ben really... almost never freaks out, he's supposed to be the level-headed one. Like Klaus is supposed to keep it cool if even Ben can't??

But also, "stop breathing" is sort of the opposite of what Klaus meant. What he wanted to imply was "stop breathing incorrectly, my beloved brother," but far be it for Klaus to ever say something comprehensible.]

I— That's not what I meant! I mean... Do you... have to breathe? Are you just...

[He waves his hand around vaguely. Even he doesn't know what he's trying to ask right now.

But, okay. Obviously, we need to figure out more about all this. So Klaus just... takes a step forward, and grabs Ben's face with both hands.

He looks him over, partly because holy shit he can feel his brother's ??skin?? ghost skin?? Wow. And also partly because he's checking to see just how deep this goes, exactly.

Then he moves the back of his hand to Ben's forehead, feeling the temperature.]

Well. Good news: you don't have a fever. Bad news: I think you have blood, my man.

[evergonnahaunt]

If you don't breathe, generally you die.

[Ben just kind of. Allows Klaus to touch him, like a weirdo, because he figures that if anyone can determine if he is, in fact, alive and not dead? It's Klaus. Klaus knows how ghosts work, kind of, so that's more expertise than most people and also it's really weird to actually feel someone touching him.

Like, he's touched things? In death? But he can't feel them. He didn't feel when he punched Klaus, even though he knew it was happening, but this he feels and it's, uh. It's weird, but if there's one thing Reginald believed in it was exposure therapy so Ben figures it'll stop being weird the more people do it.]

We need to find Five so he can fix this. Or explain it.

[Those are the same thing, with Five.]

pretend i didn't already take up all 100 of my slots and totally have kid icons

[fourgasm]

What!? No fucking way.

[On cue, Klaus is always here to make things awful. Where Five sees a calm, tropical paradise, Klaus sees an opportunity.

As penance for making a Fight Club reference, I will now self-flagellate thrice for every subscription to my Twitch channel.

Anyway. The point is, Klaus is not deterred by the promise of life imprisonment. Life is already a prison, man!!!!! He immediately resumes trying to light the brush, but it's, well, not the driest piece of flora around, considering it's literally a few feet away from the ocean.]

You only get life in prison if you kill someone. Which... almost all of us have done.

[Klaus falters in his arson attempts for a second, thinking about. Murder. You know, kid stuff.

Luckily, dear old dad's rich and powerful enough that he can get away with training kids to engage heavily in vigilantism. But, like, he's still a child who's killed people, which is very cool.]

Well. Our records will get trashed when we turn 18, at least.

[And with that altogether uninformed and naive thought, Klaus returns to fussing with his flint. Listen, Klaus isn't here to know laws, he's here to uphold them. While simultaneously breaking them.]