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aftr_ooc2019-08-16 08:59 pm
lifeaftr_mods) wrote in aftr_ooc2019-08-16 08:59 pm
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TEST DRIVE MEME ( 026 )
Test Drive Meme #26
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 August 24th!
Two important notes:
In conjunction with our monthly Test Drive Meme, Reserves are now open! Applications will open on August 24th!
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.
Under the Sea
Whilst each island of the archipelago offers a variety of landscapes to explore, nothing contains as much mystery as the ocean itself. In a world that is composed predominantly of water, there is plenty that remains out of reach of any adventure. Rather regrettably, no one truly has a story long enough to uncover it all.
At the least, there's always an opportunity to enjoy what you can. Below the waves, far down on smooth sandbars and coral reefs lit up under the warming light of the sun, silence meets the ears of those who awaken. Buoyancy appears to have no effect on you whatsoever; standing comes as easily as it would on the shoreline, and breathing is surprisingly easy, as if any water that enters your mouth and nostrils simply disperses into air by the time it hits your throat. Those who attempt to swim will find the motions come as easily as if you were floating on air. And the view, of course, is nothing short of splendid.
If you happen to have picked up a few aquatic attributes - gills, scales, fins, or even a mermaid-like fishtail in exchange for legs - that wouldn't be so out of place, would it? It's really quite extraordinary. The transformation is entirely seamless in addition to painless, and can vary quite wildly. Whether it's a shift in complexion, some new tentacle appendages, or webbed feet, you'll find that your body has...shifted to accommodate your new surroundings. Even inorganic or machine-like entities will find that their machinery is now more suited for underwater exploration. The extent of this transformation will vary, as will individual appearance - the only limit is your imagination.
Though attempting to speak will do nothing more than produce a series of useless bubbles, venturing forth with a companion may prove very wise. Encountering a sea creature or five is simply par for the course. Most encounters are likely to be of the more peaceful persuasion, such as schools of tropical fish and kaleidoshells...but some are less pleasant.
And hungry. Be careful where you choose to linger, adventurer. Certain predators such as tigersharks are happy to make a meal of anyone who strays into their waters, and certain caves are surely home to some very large Hydrac. Free in motion as you may be, this is their home, not yours - and they will take full advantage of the ease with which they navigate their turf.
Whiskers on Kittens
The mysteries of the sea are only reflected in the vast landscapes of the archipelago proper, where thick forests hide many creatures from searching eyes for months, or even years. To those with a greater understanding of large ecosystems, the idea of creatures unknown probably isn't at all surprising - after all, there are still so many unanswered questions in regards to the creatures you do know about.
Take the fustercluck, for example. What is a fustercluck? How did it come to be? Can it truly be classified as an animal? Is it sentient, or mindless? Can it make friends? Can it breed?
Can it breed with species completely outside of its own kingdom?
Can a fustercluck produce an unholy amalgamation of cat hair and all-consuming slime?
The answer, unfortunately, is the Myancat.
Less fortunately, they've had a litter of eight.
When hungry, these rotund mounds of cat faces and mewling limbs are exceptionally fierce, exhibiting all the qualities of their larger parental unit. Nothing appears to hurt them, be it sword, flame, or magic, and much unlike your standard fusterclucks, they seem to have no issues in roaming the island of Mu in search of what they want.
Luckily, what they want isn't flesh, though they'll take their unsatisfying fill of it if need be. What they truly want comes from you, deep inside, waiting to be spilled from your lips.
What they crave, above all else, is humor.
Knock knock jokes? Delightful. Puns? Keep 'em coming. A meme or two will certainly appease even the hungriest of Myans, and with every bite of humor bestowed upon them, these bulging felines will slowly shrink down, until they take on the form of a very normal, very happy cat. So put on your clown shoes and step on as many rakes as you can find, because these kitties are starving, and only you can satisfy them.
And for those wondering if these delightful creatures can be tamed...
A roll of 15 or higher will gain you a companion that will last until the dream's end.
I'd Like To Get Off This Wild Ride
On the blissful, bright island of Io, adventurers were given the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves with a multitude of attractions designed to evoke calm, delight, and even fun. Toward the end of that island's tenure, a sprawling circus covered a significant portion of the landscape.
Mu has chosen to recreate that particular phenomenon today. Beneath the star-studded sky, sprawled out across the beaches of this dream-island, lies a deliriously colorful carnival. Massive tents of all sizes and patterns rear up into the night, illuminated with beads of brightly glowing strings of lights. All manner of amusements can be found here - from rides to games to fabulously sugary food, you're bound to find something of interest.
Be wary, however. Some of these particular attractions are more than what they appear to be. It's not all bad, of course, but it can be a dangerous roulette to play, when you end up somewhere strange and new.
Or perhaps you end up entering the Tunnel of Love, cheap and flimsy as it appears to be. You're going to have to steer yourself through on your own in one of those battered wooden rowboats, along with whoever's unlucky enough to be your partner for this ride. You'll soon find that it's less a tunnel of love and more a tunnel of learning to depend on each other or die; the waters in this ride are infested with carnivorous eels that love to leap out and try and take a bite out of the boat's passengers. Either smuggle your own weapons onto the ride or learn how to give these foes a hearty whack with an oar - either way, you're better off watching the back of whoever's stuck on this boat with you.
If heights are more your thing, you could always strap yourself into the Ferris Wheel. Given the fact that it looks like any other ferris wheel, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking that it's an ordinary ride like any other. But once you're in one of those passenger cars and the ride starts up properly, something very, very strange will become apparent: the ride only goes up. Despite being decidedly circular, you'll find that you only ever see yourself moving higher, and never once descending to the ground. The air up here is getting rather thin, too, isn't it? You should probably find a way down, because either this ride spirals infinitely into the heavens or it breaks down and sends everyone plummeting to their deaths - and you probably don't want to find out which one it is.
Thrillseekers and daredevils might want to try their luck with the massive Roller Coaster that curls and spirals in some truly awe-inspiring twists and contortions, threaded through much of the carnival itself. It skates high into the air, features gut-wrenching drops and loop-the-loops, and operates at a truly breakneck speed. It is also, unlike pretty much any other of its kind, plagued with pests. If you've ever seen rats chewing on cables and nibbling holes in walls, these are a little bit like that - only these ones are a good deal larger, and happen to be capable of gnawing through the steel beams and supports that are keeping this wild ride together. Rodents of Unusual Size apparently exist in this reality, so you'd better either find a way to get off the coaster or clear these darn R.O.U.S.'s off your tracks, because if left unchecked, they'll put a stop to the ride for you...prematurely.
All that being said, there's nothing preventing you from just outright avoiding all those lures. You could settle for playing a probably rigged game of darts, or trying to win a giant stuffed animal in a claw machine, or plain making yourself sick on fair food. That's probably safer than risking any of those deadly contraptions, right?
( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )
miles morales | into the spider-verse | ota
[ 1. house of mirrors.
Okay, he really thought this lucid dreaming thing would come with a little more personal control of the situation. Call Miles old-fashioned, but it feels like a waste of time knowing what's going on otherwise.
He makes his way through the house of mirrors with the idle fascination of, well, a New York middle schooler going through what seems like a pretty tame house of mirrors. It only starts getting weird after he's been walking around it for a while. Weirder reflections. Weirder tingling something-bad-is-going-on-here feelings with no immediately identifiable source.
He squints up at an especially distorted mirror as he walks past it. Are the dozens of reflections a whole thing tying back to the other realities? Is this... symbolism? Is he processing? ]
I should not be psycho-analyzing shady carnival mirrors.
[ When he finally gets through to the other side and he's small enough to be his own action figure, he does what any right-minded, unsupervised, lucid-dreaming superhero would do. He says a very loud swear.
From there, Miles can be found climbing and trying to tiny-parkour his way up to higher vantage points, be it the counters of stalls or the sides of tents. He can also be found back inside the house of mirrors, because logic dictates to him that going back through will somehow reverse this situation. It might. Probably.
Regardless of where he is, he's got a full arsenal of "hey, careful!"s at his disposal for all the times he nearly gets stepped on. ]
[ 2. ferris wheel.
This is literally so dumb. This is the worst. Miles is lucky in that he doesn't have a problem with heights. He's actually pretty good with those nowadays. He does have a problem with being on a ferris wheel slowly spiralling its way into infinity, oxygen or no oxygen. So that's not ideal. It doesn't take too long to catch onto that bit, at least. There's time to act.
He swings back to there being good things about knowing he's dreaming: he probably won't really die, sure, and yeah, it's great that this ferris wheel isn't all that crowded, but most importantly? Keeping his powers a secret doesn't matter for a damn. Like, it's a dream. It doesn't even matter. He has web shooters and he knows how to use them.
Which is why there's a kid confidently climbing his way around from seat to seat. So maybe the spinning is making him a little nauseous. This job comes with risks. ]
How's it going? [ Miles both looks and sounds like he wants to sound cool right now. The fact that he has to keep shifting on his feet to keep his balance takes away from the intent. ] You want a ride back down to the ground? 'cause that's where I'm heading.
[ Does that sound ominous? He didn't really think about it before he said it. ]
Oh, uh-- like an actual ride. You're gonna have to trust me, but I promise it's splat-free. I'm pretty good at what I do.
[ Not to brag or anything. ]
2
[Well, shit. Looks like someone else had the right idea. And a...better grasp of the situation. Literally.]
Uh. [God, but he's trying not to feel nauseous. Mostly failing.] What is it that you...do?
no subject
It's kind of a rope thing? Like, it'll stick up here and I can slide us down to the ground. I didn't have time to ask anyone exactly how it works, I just know how to use it.
[ He almost reiterates his splat-free stance, but then he remembers he already said that, so he runs out of steam a little. It's always time to be worried on main. Miles is never out of space for that. This is a Citizen. He can't bail on a Citizen. He literally only just got started on the superhero thing. ]
And not to freak you out, but I think the other option is hanging out up here until we run out of air or fly into the sun. So I'll be real, the rope thing is looking really good to me right now.
no subject
You sure you can...carry us both?
[So let's concentrate on the part of this that has Wash most concerned at present: logistics.]
no subject
Miles actually finds some real confidence rattling around in here somewhere. It exists. He's done it! Having spider-muscles reigns supreme. This is the weirdest dream he's literally ever had. ]
Man, that's one of the only things happening here that I'm sure about. I've got you.
no subject
All right. Fine. Let's do it. Let's...get off this thing.
2 but also im zagging
And maybe they both have no problem with heights in general. And maybe they both have an inclination to help dream people, whether or not they actually exist, because seeing someone, anyone in danger is enough.
Spider-Woman could be contemplating this right now, if she didn't just come to unconsciousness in a ferris wheel of death, have her Spider Sense go haywire instantly, and then immediately notice Miles of all people helping place someone down safely. She watches him for a moment from her own car, eyes squinting after him behind the mask. The picture of incredulity. You go through one trip across the multiverse and suddenly your stress dreams are projecting on you times two. It's very rude.
Incoming Spider-Woman, pardon her. She uses her own web shooters off the cars of the rogue park ride to pull herself down to safety beside her, uh, friend. Yeah, we can go with friend.]
Are you taking constructive criticism? 'Cause my subconscious should not have to remind you the mask isn't optional when you're swinging.
[A beat. Long enough for her to take off her own mask to reveal Gwen beneath, 'cause it doesn't actually matter, it is in fact a dream, and she's doing that... thing she does again.]
Uh... hi. Also. Again.
grabby hands
Fail step one. Miles looks super glad to see her. He has to detour his way into defending his honor, sure, but that doesn't take away from the overall brightening of his expression. It's not a crime to miss the Spider-Fam. The Spider......... Friend. ]
Look, if anyone's subconscious would've given me a mask, I'd have it on. I like the mask. I put a lot of work into the mask. [ To make it look individualized and hype. ] Things just... get pretty optional when you don't have any other options and a ferris wheel wants to kill people.
[ Does that make sense? He likes to think so. This dream is stacked against him. ]
1.
Honestly, it's a wonder anyone hasn't gone into shock when catching a whiff of her dumpster breath. She pants, looking down her long snout at the actual spider sized lad, her lips pulled up in a happy smile, tail wagging behind her. Which isn't...as appealing a sight, considering she is much, much larger than Miles right now. And could easily swallow him. Not that she would mind, but this poor boy doesn't know that.
Her eyes are locked on him, and she doesn't move just yet, other than to inch her snout a little closer...]
no subject
He feels like he's seen movies that went like this. It isn't very encouraging.
Miles makes an executive decision to stand very still. The spider sense thing is not being useful in the slightest, because when a person is very tiny, pretty much everything in a knowable radius has an active capacity for being dangerous. All big danger, all the time. All big animals with sharp teeth and bad breath.
He can probably get out of this uneaten, right? That's gotta be like Superheroing 101, right? So what if he's literally never thought about being in this situation before and doesn't know what to do? Mere details. ]
Good... dog? [ Is this a wolf? Are there wolves that look like this? Is this what coyotes look like???/ Why can he not remember what dangerous wild animals look like when he really needs to?! ] Please be a good dog.
no subject
Slowly, almost meticulously, Ammy's nose moves closer to Miles, hanging under his feet just enough that he could drop down on her wet, leathery snoot if he so wanted to. She's pretty used to small folk climbing on her, so Ammy can promise she won't sneeze, or drop him. Issun's balance was probably way better, but she'll be as careful as she can be, and she's a good enough ride to keep the kid safe from harm while she figures out how to, uh...fix this. Maybe the new god here will have answers. M-Maybe... Hopefully.
Only one way to find out though, and that's not standing around here.]
no subject
It's a good dog after all! Good wolf. Not a coyote, probably. Maybe a service dog? He lives in Brooklyn, okay. What matters is it's better to run into a dog than a pack of rats.
Miles drops a hand onto her nose first, and gives it a couple of pats for good measure. It takes a little bit of flexibility and twisting to do this, but it's worth it. When she doesn't seem to change her mind about this enterprise, he shifts into full "I Will hang out with this cool dog while I figure out how to get back to normal" gear and drops down. At least he's still got climbing on his side. ]
Thanks. If you think you're gonna try to eat me later, maybe give me a heads up.
[ He offers this in the tone any person uses with pets who they know probably don't understand them. Talking helps him feel a little better. ]