aftr_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME ( 022 )

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 )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Genji cocks his head, and the light dims after a moment. He could turn the lights off entirely - but it's dangerously dark in these caves.]

I don't know of any Murfrees. [So the answer is no.] This place seems to be somewhere very strange, though.

[He scoffs.]

Then you are a lucky man. [If it's not Murfree territory, though, then Arthur truly has no idea where he's ended up or how. Sound like his new acquaintance is about as lost, too. He notices the lights on Genji's strange armor dimming, but doesn't comment on it; starts opening his mouth to say something else instead.]

[That's when a particularly mean tremor shoots through the tunnel, though, and Arthur finds himself steadying one hand against the wall. Grimacing, he raises his voice over the ominous rumble echoing down from the way he came.]

Well, mister, I don't know how you got here, but Murfrees or not I suggest we get out and quick. How good can you see outta that... [he gestures to Genji's visor, helplessly.]

I've been told that before.

[Many times. He's a medical miracle, after all. People love to point that out.

He starts when the tremors begin. It seems they will not have peace. He looks between the wall of the cavern and Arthur, before shrugging.]

I can see at least as well as you can. [Perhaps a bit better, he doesn't say. He looks around, trying to find some sort of exit. He does see one, but it's far off. He points at it nonetheless.] I think that may be our escape route.

[He doesn't make any effort to move, waiting for Arthur. He knows he's fast, and he wants to make sure this other man gets out okay.]

[He squints up in that direction, his brows furrowing. He doesn't see the opening in the distance at first, but after a few seconds of staring, it does look like there's some sort of smallish hole in the wall where the shadows change. Arthur gives a low, exasperated noise, breaking it off with a grumbling cough.]

Let's get on, then.

[He mounts the next ledge and starts climbing his way up without waiting for a response. There's nothing too fast about him, but he's fit enough to maintain a steady pace, halfway up the first set of rocks in just a few seconds. A rock comes loose from his boot banging against it and starts tumbling down. Unsuccessfully, Arthur tries kicking at it.]

Shit - look out. Place is comin' apart.

[Genji scales the walls effortlessly - he had years of training before he was turned into Overwatch's latest marvel, and it makes scaling the rocks as easy as breathing. He minds his pace, though, not wanting to get too far away in case the other man - he should have asked for his name in return, he's realizing - needs assistance.

It would be terrible if he climbed all the way up, just to fall because of loose rocks.]

You don't need to tell me twice.

[The fact this place seems so close to caving in on itself makes his appearance here even more baffling. He wouldn't have chosen to come here, so how did he wind up trapped here?]

Be careful.

[Though the warning is probably unnecessary.]

[Boy climbs like a mountain goat. Arthur is vaguely annoyed by how effortless it seems for the other man; but he's impressed, more, and bites his tongue to concentrate on getting up there. At Genji's warning, he gives a short huff of laughter.]

Reckon I'm past bein' careful by now. [He grunts, picking up the pace so he doesn't have to raise his voice quite as loudly. If they're going to be escape buddies, they may as well get better acquainted.] So what's your story, feller? Sure don't look like a miner or a Murfree to me.

Wouldn't want to fall. It's a long way down. [There's a smile in his voice. The man reminds him too much of McCree, and he knows it's because of the hat, the accent, nothing else, but it still means Genji is predisposed to be fond of him.

Not that he had necessarily been fond of the cowboy when he knew him, but Genji would be the first to admit he's been softened by time.]

Do you want the long version or the short version?

Considerin' you got a light comin' outta your face, I get the impression there is no short version.

[Or at least not one Arthur could wrap his head around. Sure, he got his fancy electric lantern from a scientist, but this seems to be miles stranger. Though speaking of that crazy fool's inventions.]

You ain't some kinda... killer robot, are ya?

You'd be surprised.

[At the question, he laughs. Loudly.]

You know what a robot is? I didn't think they existed during cowboy times.

Cowboy times?

[He gets the vague feeling he should be offended by that, somehow, only he doesn't know what it means. Arthur decides to leave that be, stopping for a few seconds on a wider ledge to catch his breath.]

Met a professor who thought it were a good idea to make himself one. European fella. Didn't end well, poor bastard. [He sniffs, starts climbing again.] Was all flashin' lights an metal... kinda like you.

You know. When people rode horses everywhere and shot guns and rustled cows.

[He doesn't mean to be insulting, but this is kind of like running into a historical reenactor out in the wild.]

I see. Well, I can promise you I'm not all metal.

[So like...,, yesterday? Sometimes Arthur thinks that his divine punishment for lack of personal creativity is meeting the weirdest damn people wherever he goes. He gives a wheezy chuckle, because at least Genji seems to mean it in a friendly way, somehow.]

And I do not rustle cows. More trouble than it's worth. Sheep are dumber and a hell of a lot easier t'keep in a line.

[Arthur is past trying to hide the fact that he's a criminal. Generally, and also right now. Feller doesn't seem the type to care. Anyway.]

Still ain't heard an answer.

When people rustled sheep, then.

[He sounds amused, and he turns to look down at Arthur. There's no point in hiding the past - especially when it seems the man might actually be able to grasp the concepts.]

I was a man like you, once. Flesh and blood. And then...I was murdered. I was rebuilt, remade, to be a mix of man and machine. Both and neither.

[He'll just...leave out the reasons behind his "death" and the details of him being made into Overwatch's weapon.]

[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.

[The man laughs, and Genji isn't necessarily surprised? He supposes it must be pretty outlandish, if you're not familiar with robotics and cybernetics.]

Oh, I'm very much improved.

[He sounds amused himself, as he doubles his pace.]

Top of the line, you could say.

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 022 )

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