TEST DRIVE MEME ( 029 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #29

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.

Reserves and Applications are always open, and are processed every weekend.

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.

Hee Ho!
It's cold, wherever you are - in a world blanketed thickly with snow. Dense clusters of evergreens, their branches heavy with ice crystals, paired with skeletal deciduous trees, pepper the region. Overhead, scattered flakes of snow drift from the slate-gray sky. The forest is thickly wooded, but that's not terribly sufficient in the way of insulation from the cold. You should probably find somewhere warm, unless this is agreeable weather to you.

It's chilly enough for the proverbial Jack Frost to be nipping at your nose. Or maybe...not so proverbial. These woods are packed with all sorts of little creatures. Wait for long enough, and you might see one of them coming your way. Jack Frosts are snow demons that only appear in the wintertime, and revel in creating mischief. With bodies made of ice and snow and an alarmingly high constitution, Jack Frosts are generally not hostile, but they do enjoy causing all sorts of mischief. They're known to spit ice and freeze unsuspecting travelers, and use their deceptively cute appearance to lure their prey in. And these woods...well, these woods happen to be full of them.

The good news is that this fate only awaits you if you provoke them. It's even possible to befriend them. One of the best and easiest ways to do this is with gifts and offerings, such as clothing items. A pair of boots or a vest or a hat that will fit these cute little creatures will buy you a friend for a while! You can tell when you've managed to make friends with one, too. They're sure to leave you a little token of their appreciation...and it is extremely cuddly.

If you piss them off, on the other hand, they tend to react...poorly. They'll gust ice and snow your way in copious amounts, and even try to freeze you solid in blocks of ice or impale you on falling icicles. By and large, it's recommended that you play nice. Or, at the very least, have a reliable method of dealing with them if you choose not to. They probably melt very easily, after all.

Unearthly Delights
In the waking world, the harvest island of Nuidan has seen fit to shower adventurers with celebrations in full swing, and the island of Mu has seen fit to reflect such a joyous celebration. However, dreams are tricky things, and nothing carries over quite as it should.

Like the harvest festival in reality, Mu has provided tables laden full of food and drink alike. Unlike its more realistic counterpart, however, the food is just a little strange - in color, in texture, taste, or smell - and the drinks, no matter how much you pour to fill your cup, are seemingly bottomless. Maybe those vegetables are a few shades off, or maybe this sweet pudding tastes a little on the savory side. It's not outright revolting, in most cases, but it's definitely noticeably odd. Andhey smell strange, too; a little too sweet, a little too heady.

For those who are brave enough to sample these dreamed-up delicacies, however, they'll find the world proves to be exceptionally malleable. Partaking of the food and drink that comes from Mu's tables will make your emotions, whatever they may be, leak out into the dreaming world.

If you're feeling mellow and happy, for example, the world around you will change to suit; filling up with your favorite colours, your favorite smells, and anything else that you find cheerful and relaxing. It will manifest as shifting lights, textures, and sounds around you. Suddenly, the food and drink you're eating tastes, looks and feels just like your favorite things, even if they're not quite as you remember them.

If you're not feeling so positive, however...well, we'll leave that up to your imagination as to how the dream could shift. While nothing at this table will ever outright harm you, that doesn't mean your mind can't get creative about the things it might conjure in the meantime. Maybe the food and drink will turn to dust and ashes in your mouth. Maybe it'll start to look a little off, like the meat's gone bad, or the milk's started to sour. Maybe you'll be struck with a sensation of bitter melancholy.

All in all, it's better to try and enjoy yourself...for everyone's sakes.

Let's Have a Blast
In less pleasant news, the waking world has also been stricken with an influx of devilish creatures known only as creepers, and...yes, they're exactly what you thinking. With features frozen in a gaping grimace, a greenish complexion, and a hated proclivity to sneak up silently behind people and explode with only a sinister hiss as warning, creepers are the bane of any builder. And it's certainly not fun to have one blow up in your face, either - you try climbing out of the crater these things always leave behind while dealing with third degree burns.

Whereas the waking world only has the one type to deal with, you adventurers in Mu won't be nearly so lucky. For starters, Mu has dropped you in a thick, steaming jungle, and the dense vegetation can make it awful hard to pick out what's around you. It'd be bad enough trying to pick out ordinary creepers in this mess, thanks to their mottled green texture, but you're not dealing with just ordinary creepers in this dream-world. No, you're dealing with different species of them. In addition to your run-of-the-mill, "aw, man" style of creeper, you'll be able to encounter all sorts in what would ordinarily be a tropical paradise. Some of them are harmless, like the cookie creeper that does little besides shower you with soft, chewy confectionaries when it explodes, or the friendly creeper, which does little besides stick around and keep you company.

Most, however, aren't. Spider creepers tend to coat you with sticky webs and can even poison you if you get too close to them when they pop, and magma creepers carry with them the unfortunate possibility of starting a full-on forest fire if they explode in a place with thick enough vegetation. And, really, if it's on the list, if you can think of it, a variant of it probably exists. Mu doesn't discriminate; it's happy to let your imagination fill in the blanks of whatever variants of these explosive complications you can dream up!

The good news is that they can all be killed the same way. All creepers are vulnerable at a distance - they can be sniped or shot from a distance without exploding and spewing all of their mess everywhere. You can also deal with them up close, as long as you're fast on your feet and don't let them implode all over you. And, if you happen to have a cat nearby, you're in luck! They'll steer clear from you no matter what.

Just watch your back. These things are completely silent when they're creeping up on you. Oftentimes, you won't know that there's one right behind you until you hear it: the dreaded, telltale hsssssss...

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

October Daye | October Daye

[errantdetective]

Hee Ho

Toby does not care for the cold. At least the winter hat and scarf she's wearing to keep herself as bundled as possible takes care of the need for a disguise. Her bone structures and ears might not look human, but she couldn't expose them to other people without exposing herself to the cold, and she is not willing to do that. Bright side?

She also doesn't love the tiny creatures who are antagonizing her, at least, not at first. They're annoying and obnoxious and... kind of like angry frozen pixies. She knows very well how to deal with pixies. Respect them and don't be an asshole, which is to say don't be like MOST pureblood fae out there.

"Hey." She kneels down as one comes near her. "Must be hard being tiny in these woods, right? Here." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a half eaten snickers bar. "What else do you need? I can see what I can bring you."

Unearthly Delights (cw: blood)

Toby has never felt mellow and happy in her life. It's no surprise, then, when she takes her first absent-minded sip, the world shifts, and she finds her mouth filled with a far too familiar taste, though thankfully, not with the memories that usually accompany it. She leans over and spits out a mouthful of blood onto the floor and glowers.

"Oak and ash! What the hell?"

[blindfoster]

It's the dream island again. Quentin passed through just before he landed in the archipelago for real, and now he's back and he's not sure what to make of that. He does however play nice with the Jack Frosts because dream or not, it pays to be kind to little things. His knight has taught him well.

However playing nice has gone from a gift of seashells from his pocket and led straight into a snowball fight because what else does one do with snow? Quentin is having fun. The little snow demons are having fun. It's a win win. Or well, it is for them. Maybe less so when one of said snowballs pegs the poor unsuspecting changeling in the back of the head. Oops.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! Are you--" and then recognition hits, and Toby will find herself on the receiving end of a hug that is at least half tackle. "Toby! You're here!"

[errantdetective]

"Quentin!" And now he's tackling her. She stumbles but doesn't fall, at least, just hugs him back. It's good to see him. Good enough that she doesn't even make an effort to sound actually annoyed. "You threw snow at me!"

Hee ho

[thermalwind]

One little demon reaches out for the bar and stops in mid-motion as something comes out of the brush. A large wolf with blue fur shakes the snow off of itself and a man follows it out. "I know, it isn't the right season. Has to be Mu again." He's tall with a scar on the right side of his face. His features are subtly in-human enough to broadcast his heritage to whoever knows what to look for.

He grumbles something and stops, looking up, pushing his own woolen white cap slightly back out of his face. The horde of little Jack Frosts regard the newcomer and shuffle closer to Toby, reaching for the bar.

He blinks, with one hand resting on the massive wolf that's almost as large as he is. "Steady." He tells his furry friend and one frost knocks his hat off. His ears are half hidden by his hair, hiding the shape of his ears. The jack frosts claim his hat and the snickers bar, toddling off but leaving the gift of cuddly dolls behind. The man, Keith, says. "That's...better than I was expecting. Still might want to move before something else comes along."

[errantdetective]

Toby's distracted trying to figure out his heritage. She can tell he's not entirely human, but when she tastes the air to feel out the balance of his blood, she gets something entirely unfamiliar.

Of course, most humans don't pal around with giant blue wolves. That probably should have been her first clue.

"Hm?" She blinks, then nods. "Right. If you know somewhere with an inside, let's go there."

General Amaya | The Dragon Prince

[clypeus]

Unearthly Delights

Amaya is immediately suspicious at this much free food. Dream or not, it feels off, and she hasn't led the Katolis armies for as long as she has without learning caution. She picks up an apple, sniffs it, then puts it down, shaking her head. Her hands flick through a series of signs.

What kind of idiot would eat this?

Let's Have a Blast

Wow, not being able to hear something creeping up on you? Sounds dreadful. Really, how can Amaya possibly cope? Oh, right, by being Deaf and not being able to hear them anyway.

She's staying as alert as ever, but when she sees someone who seems less aware about to get taken unaware, she signs get behind me! and without waiting for a response, takes her shield off her back and gets between the creeper and this person, letting the shield take the brunt of the explosion.

You're welcome, new friend.

Let's Have A Blast

[souldeterminant]

Frisk is used to danger. They're even used to dying. More than both of those things, though, they're used to dodging, so when the creature comes literally steaming their way with the complete opposite response they were hoping for when they'd waved at it, Frisk is already bending their knees, preparing to jump sharply backwards --

-- but for all the danger and dodging they're used to, explosions are actually on the newer-ish side.

Which is why, even though they're caught off-guard by the person leaping in front of them, Frisk is quick to obey her once the shield comes up and the deafening crack of the explosion splits their eardrums. Whoa. Instinctively, they latch onto whatever article of her clothing they can reach first - though they don't grip too hard. Luckily, they're just a kid, and pretty short for their age at that; when all is said and done, though everything happened quickly, the force of the blast doesn't even singe a hair on their fluffy head.

Whoa. That was kinda cool.

Also really startling, but there's not a lot that can actually shock Frisk - the moment the air quiets down around them again, Frisk peeks first around their savior to the crater left behind, and then immediately at her, tugging gently to get her attention.

"OK?"

[clypeus]

She looks down and smiles warmly. The kid reminds them instantly of Ezran. Maybe it's their immediate concern for a stranger. She nods at the question she reads on their lips then points at them and raises an eyebrow.

Are they okay?

Unearthly Delights

[uptightness]

Carolina, without armour, had been exploring around, although not partaking in anything yet. Call it the soldier in her, but she's always more weary than not, tending towards the glass being half empty. That sentiment has saved her quite often, but it's also been detrimental to her, if she's being honest with herself...

Seeing strange colours in food isn't exactly new. When one is able to explore different planets, you come across all sorts of items. Nothing quite like this, but enough that it doesn't make her wrinkle her noise in disdain. Yet there is a small snort, unable to help seeing the other woman sniff at an apple, before seeming less than impressed with it. "Sometimes things here are better than they look... and smell."

Although sometimes they aren't.

[clypeus]

Amaya reads Carolina’s lips easily enough. She wrinkles her nose. Yes, it may be better than it looks. But it looks especially suspicious.

Her fingers fly through a series of signs.

I don’t know who left it. It could be poisoned.

let's have a blast

[hyperlit]

[The Drifter, fortunately, has a very solid grasp on sign language. This human's makes perfect sense to them, and the Drifter would ordinarily contest the wisdom of it, but this person has armor and a shield and the Drifter has a measly 5HP and knows from experience that they can't weather these explosions too easily.]

[They dive behind her shield just in time for the creeper to erupt in a blast of ashy, sulfur-smelling dust. It's probably immediately apparent that they aren't human - the strip of blue skin between helmet and cowl isn't much by way of species identification, but you don't see very many electric blue humans.]

[clypeus]

[The blue skin is interesting, but Amaya’s not going to jump to any conclusions. Besides, human or not, they’re currently on the same side, and she’s willing to reserve judgment until she knows more. She looks over the shield to check to make sure the coast is clear, then lowers it. She signs again.]

Are you okay?

ichimatsu matsuno // osomatsu-san // w/ game memories!

[ichininyaanshi]

i. unearthly delights

[Where free food and drinks are to be found, so are any number of freeloading NEETs. It's just the one for now, though, hunched over and drooping like he just rolled out of bed two seconds ago, collecting various foods onto a tray and putting just as many back in the wrong places. That process takes way longer than it should be, and possibly suggests a certain level of not being able to function by himself. By the time he sits down, he's mostly got sweets and a few skewers, but no alcohol to speak of.]

[He's also literally sitting down. On the ground. And more or less away from everyone else, though he does have to take off his hygiene mask in order to start nibbling on a skewer. If he notices the off-taste, nothing in his dead-fish expression seems to betray it - though, the atmosphere does seem to darken around him. Like, noticeably. I mean, like, is someone turning down the lights or what?]

[And... where is all that meowing coming from?]

---

ii. let's have a blast

[Once upon a time, there was an explosion deep in the jungle. Followed by about three more, all in rapid succession. Also, by that, we meant about ten seconds ago. The local wildlife, in fact, is still pretty stirred up; birds and monkeys alike tear through the treetops, rapidly fleeing the site of the explosion, and trailing right behind them...]

[... are more Creepers. Who don't in fact stop at the sight of you, or even let out so much as a soft, warning hiss. No, they just shamble right along on their tiny gross legs as quickly as they can, clearly also very eager to get away from whatever lies just beyond the trees. Whatever it is, though, doesn't seem interested in chasing them at all. A rumble seeps through the trees, low and loud, but entirely stationary.]

[If one were to squint, they might be able to see it from where they stand: a limp body, curled on its side, lying neatly on the fluffy grass between several smoldering craters. There's no sign of being caught in the explosions on the man's body, but he's quite still... perhaps he's dead.]

Zzzz....

[Oh. No, that was just a very loud snore.]

ii

[vayas]

AAAAAAAAA!

[Hey, so Vaya's having a shitty day! Explosions, things blowing up right in their goddamn face, you name it. Which, okay, maybe that isn't so different from usual, but most of the time, they can at least tell what's blowing up in their face and why. Usually, it's got a pretty clear source, and it's not these weird, bumpy, green...things...]

[They're understandably frantic to get to a little bit of peace and quiet, which is why when a bunch of creepers come ambling on past, Vaya is quick to run toward the thing that they're so apparently scared of. Anything to get away from these...whatever they are.]

[What're they running from? Uh, a dude, apparently. Lying on the ground?]

[Vaya wrinkles their nose, stepping cautiously closer.]

Hey. Hey, guy. You dead?

i.

[yakyuuman]

Ichimatsu-niisan!!!

[ The voice of a very rambunctious twin tears through the air, and then there's an impact that can be compared with the feeling of a truck slamming full into Ichimatsu's side. ]

You're back, Ichimatsu-niisan! I'm so happy!

[ Jyushimatsu has both his long sleeves wrapped around his older brother's shoulders in a tight and inescapable hug, and his cheek is burrowed and rubbing into the man's messy hair. There's also a little hint of tears appearing to wet his eyelashes. ]

It was so lonely for weeks without you!

Mira Delacroix | OC | Balance CRAU

[philoxenia]

[ a note for previous cr: she absolutely looks the same, even with the changed pb!! the power of imagination. ]

hee ho
[ Oh, these things are absolutely adorable. It makes her momentarily forget about the fact that here is not where she should be but that's-- that's probably fine. It's fine. Getting away from time loops? That's ideal, and she's totally not stressing out with how worried she is. Definitely not.

She tries to focus on anything but Faerun, and she looks through her pack. ]

I don't have much for you, if you want anything... Would you like a new scarf?

[ The demon seems to agree, and it looks incredibly happy as she hands it over. ]

There. I'm glad you like it.

unearthly delights: side one
[ Momentarily, she can let go of her anxiety and stress and just... try to enjoy herself. It works, which is good. The food she's holding turns into a beignet, fluffy and sweet, and she looks absolutely delighted. ]

Is this magic? It's incredible.

unearthly delights: side two
[ On the other hand... she starts stressing. Big time. The drink in her hand turns a deep, inky black, and she doesn't realize it until she takes a sip. She's that preoccupied with her thoughts, but when she swallows it, she immediately chokes. ]

Ugh--! That's horrible...

[ The food around her is starting to rot, too. Welp. ]

let's have a blast
I've had enough of things that shoot webs--!

[ Ugh, gross. She's absolutely covered in the webbing, and the thing keeps advancing on her. Luckily, when she reaches out, she manages to give it a nasty shock. It reels back, but it's close to exploding, and she doesn't even realize it. ]

That's right, just-- Stay away from me!

let's have a blast

[afterthemoment]

[What interesting creatures this place holds. At least, the ones that aren't dog-shaped anyway. In typical too-curious-for-his-own-health fashion, Wei Wuxian's been trailing the spider creeper with great interest, his eyes filled with an inquisitive gleam as he wanders after it.

However, something even more eyecatching appears before him: a young maiden in distress! With entirely too much cheer considering there's literally things sneaky things exploding everywhere, Wei Wuxian announces himself with an enthusiastic handwave and beaming smile.]

Hello! Is everything okay over there? Do you need assistance?

[What that assistance will be and if it'll even be helpful at all is a crapshoot but for better or worse, someone's noticed her plight? Though it doesn't seem like he's aware the creature's about to explode either...]

unearthly delights: side one

[notalisaie]

It certainly seems to be some kind of magic.

[The soft voice comes from a boy standing not too far away from her - he's not very tall, and he's very slender, with white hair and large, pointed ears. He puts a hand to his chin, looking thoughtful.]

Though I cannot say it's a type of magic I'm familiar with.

side two

[thermalwind]

Yeah, things aren't what they seem around here. [Someone says to her left. When she turns her head a man is standing a little ways away with an unreadable expression on his face. His dully pointed ears are framed by his long, dark hair.

His armor is a crisp sleek white with red accents. He takes a step closer, but he only bridges the distance as much as he has to. Whatever he's feeling it shut away behind too many guards. He can't afford to let the hurt and frustration at Mu for doing this show. Or dare feed any hope he has. His student, his friend...who might not remember anything.]

Probably better to put it aside for a bit and see if things return to what you saw. The rules are murky in Mu but, can't hurt to try.

alphinaud leveilleur | final fantasy xiv

[notalisaie]

hee ho

[By now, he's gotten used to the bitter cold. He's thankful for the clothing Tataru made him wear - it made Ishgard and it's surrounds bearable, and it's keeping him warm in this wasteland.

Still, being able to tolerate the cold does not prepare him to deal with those that live in such a place. He blinks at the demon, momentarily confused, but...

Well. Time to see if he can communicate with these things.]

You may call me Alphinaud - do you have any name I can call you by?

[The creature seems to acknowledge what he says, but it doesn't respond.

Well. He tried.]

let's have a blast;
[It doesn't take him long to clock what the deal with these explosive green things is. They're peculiar creatures, but no different from a bomb, he supposes. Still, they've gotten him on edge.

So once he hears the tell-tale hiss of one about to explode, he slides his tome free and prepares to cast when he gets hit by a harmless cookie. Several harmless cookies, actually.

He blinks, standing in the remains of a cookie creeper, book in hand and looking completely befuddled.]

[ooc note - alphinaud is only from HW currently because i don't have the patience to wait to get through all the expansions before voice testing him.]

blast

[lightsmith]

Alphin-

[BOOM, and...cookies, instead of fiery death. Which was a relief, to be sure, but what exactly did one make of that?]

[Investigation was required. Scintilla sheathed both daggers, plucking half a cookie off Alphinaud's shoulder and shoving it in her mouth.]

Don' ffre me li' tha'.

[Don't talk with your mouth full.]

Blast

[thermalwind]

[Someone comes to an abrupt stop behind him in the snow and sends a wave of it in their wake. Keith stands there with his eyes still wide and pupils narrow slits as he takes in that this stranger isn't as hurt as he worried they would be.

He straightens and slowly lowers the hand that had almost yanked Alpinaud to safety.]

Sorry, I thought it was going to- [Keith straightens up and takes a step back. He stands out against the snow, the red accents on his armor making him too easy to spot.]

We should get out of this area. Where there's one there's always more of them.

Fun Ghoul / The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

[radioactivedonuts]

[OOC: I'm rusty as heck, so I hope I did this right! Also cw for Ghoul having a potty mouth.]

Hee Ho!

[Y'know, most people were probably smart enough to make nice with the little snow demons. Fun Ghoul was not one of those people.

He had just been minding his own business as he wandered through the snow-covered forest shivering in his baseball tee and vest while still admiring the snow and making at least five snow angels when he almost bumped into one of the little guys. It was at the last minute that me managed to sidestep it, stumbling and barely catching his balance.

Then another had appeared, then a third and a fourth. That had freaked Ghoul out enough to draw his ray gun and-

And well now here he was running from some very pissed off snow demons and firing blast over his shoulder.]

Fuuuuck ooooooffff!

[shatteredlenses]

[It's the yelling, of course, that catches Ignis' attention as it so often does when he's brought to Mu. Despite the fact raising his head doesn't help him to actually see what is going on, he does so, turning away from the snow demons he has befriended and slipping the token of that friendship into the Armiger.

Oh, it's nice having access to that back.

As he can't really tell what is going on aside from the fact it's agitated the snow demons near him, Ignis focuses in on the sound of the person running and decides that escape might be the best option--at least until he can figure out more about the situation.

Fortunately, his warp skill is still higher than it should be at the moment due to the island swapping his and Ardyn's skill level, so it's no problem for him to warp into where the newcomer is even though he can't see. He wraps one arm around the young man's waist and then calls out.]

Hold onto your lunch.

[That is all the warning that Ghoul will get before they are warping away from the demons chasing him.]

you mind late tag-ins? i'm still voicetesting this lad but i couldn't resist

[trafficreport]

[Where unprompted chaos flourishes, Ghoul is sure to either follow or be responsible for it, and sure enough, that's what's happening. The blitz of laser fire is undeniable.]

[Place is freezing. Jet can already feel his reflexes slowing down as the chill starts to bite into his blood and make his pulse sluggish.]

[He sights down the cluster of whitish things skittering close. The fact that they're in pursuit of Ghoul at all is enough to snap up Jet's raygun and start him laying down cover fire.]

You piss off the locals already?