TEST DRIVE MEME ( 001 )

[lifeaftr_mods]

Test Drive Meme #1

Hello, and welcome to our very first test drive! 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 July 17th and that Applications will open on July 24th, in preparation for the game’s official opening on August 3rd!

But first, two important notes!

1. The island of Mu 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.

Shipwrecked
The white sand of the beach ridges the island’s edge, even if the clear water soon becomes murky the further out you look across the horizon until the turquoise gleam of the tide disappears in a coil of surrounding fog. Indeed, your best prospects may very well be to strike out among the trees or the crags looming out over the foam-capped waves. There’s lumber to be found and made from the palm-like trees, potentially fruit or edible tubers of some kind if you forage about some. The further you travel, however, the more of your surroundings will reveal themselves in a steady unspooling of curiosities.

One corner of Mu’s current construct drops away into a sheer cliff, initially too dangerous to brave for all but the more daredevilish, but if one starts to scan the sharp rocks below, you might catch sight of what appears to be sodden planks of wood - a wreckage tossed up against the rocks. And a little further...a bobbing, shattered wreck of a lifeboat’s remains, potentially bearing supplies that might yet be salvageable.

Fashion what you can from the wood and stone around you or scavenge from the ruin of the land, if you like. But you can’t simply stand around and wait forever. It’s going to get dark sometime - and if a creature of unknown terror doesn’t catch you, the elements surely will.

Storytime

There’s a sense of camaraderie in this cove, you think. As the sun hangs low over the horizon, the world cast into orange hues, long shadows dispersed by roaring fires that dot across the beach.

That’s right, folks: it’s storytime.

There’s no one to preside over this meeting of the minds in Mu. Call it a vague recreation of things to come, if you like, some vaguely fatidic dreamlike state where you may find yourself drawn to the heat and company that awaits you by the fire. And from there, compelled to default to that old instinct that most of intelligent civilization has revered since they were advanced enough to paint geometric shapes on cave walls.

You tell a story.

Perhaps it’s a tragedy, a tale of woe and of personal loss. Perhaps it’s the sort of thing you’d break out after a few rounds of your alcoholic beverage of choice, clapping hands to your knees as you try to bite back your mirth long enough to spill the punchline. Perhaps it’s an adventure of some sort, some unbelievable rendition of your past exploits. The only common thread to be had, as those gathered around the fire share their tales, is the fundamental rule of a ritualistic sharing of stories such as this: its truth.

But how one chooses to define "truth" is, in its own way, another story entirely...

Dance, Sucker, Dance!
The beat of your heart in your chest is difficult to ignore. It judders with a pulsing, rhythmic quality. If you’re one of those that lacks a heart, the beat is still omnipresent and all-encompassing, until your entire body is unwittingly bobbing in time to a metronomic tune that seems ingrained into your very soul. It’s inescapable. You can’t seem to move unless it’s in time to the rhythm that’s now singing in every atom of your being.

But rest assured, you’re not alone in this musical curse. Everything, from the swaying trees to the waves against the beach, jumps in time to the music. And so do the monsters approaching you, that - wait a minute.

Monsters?

Oh, yes. Did we mention those?


It seems you’ve encountered the wrath of the Boogieman, who curses you to only dance to his infernal beat. If you wish to best him, you’ll have to either evade or destroy the blobs of greenish slime that serve as his minions, all in time to the hard beat of the tune in your head. Clear the radius of his curse or risk an open confrontation, if you dare. Don’t worry if you look foolish; chances are anyone else caught in the Boogieman’s thrall feels just the same.

Mu isn’t pulling any punches to start with. It is a flighty creation, after all, and seems to revel in displacing people into new and uncomfortable situations.

---

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

Re: [Prompto | Noctis]

[noctanotheroneout]

Noctis had the makeshift sack over his shoulder as he trailed behind Prompto. He gave pause when he saw Iggy, keeping in mine what Prompto has said about his "amnesia." He felt his heart sink a moment. It was hard to look at his friend in such a condition.

He left him in that condition.

"Hey," it was all he could say at the moment.

[shatteredlenses]

The moment he hears footsteps coming toward him, Ignis turns on the log of driftwood that has been pressed into service as his chair. Tired worn as he appears, he's obviously relieved that Prompto is back.

"It sounds as if your quest was a success?" Ignis is expecting a list of items found or places that Prompto visited while he was away. What's he's not expecting is to hear the that beloved and oh-so-familiar voice.

"Noct?" Before he realizes it, Ignis has pushed himself to his feet, but the sudden movement brings a return of the vertigo from earlier. He's barely able to get himself sat back down without falling, fingers gripping the log for dear life.

"Pardon me for not greeting you more properly. It seems my head is not done playing tricks on me."

[want_to_belong]

"Don't worry about it, Iggy."

Even if he hated to see Iggy struggling, he so very much wanted this to be a good moment. They had Noct back. Barely able to stay still, he set down the rest of his stuff and suddenly darted back to Noctis, grabbing the cast iron pot and carrying it over to Ignis.

"Check out what Noct found." As he set it down on Ignis' lap, he gently guided Ignis' hand to it. "We got some firewood, too. And some fabric. Maybe we can make a tent and stuff? Noct is going to catch dinner."

Though he was undoubtedly more positive, he sat down next to Ignis and rested a hand on his lower back, rubbing gently. There wasn't a lot of thought to his actions. Just trying to soothe away the dizziness.

[noctanotheroneout]

"Hey don't strain yourself," Noctis greeted. "I'd rather a quiet reunion, anyway." He set his sack down and approached his friend. His hand placed on Ignis's shoulder. He was real. Just like Prompto was real.

What exactly was this place?

"But yeah, we found a ship, and it had all kinds of things we can use." His hand didn't move. He had no idea how long he had been in the crystal. He didn't feel or look any different (not that Ignis was capable of telling). Though there was some weight in his voice, and in the placement of his hand. He missed them.

"You okay?"

It was a different reunion than he had with Prompto, but it was real and good all the same.

[shatteredlenses]

"Noct, I'm..." Ignis cuts himself off with a soft chuckle, looking up slowly as to not give the dizziness a reason to return. It's harder to see now with his eyes so badly scarred and hidden behind sunglasses, but his expression is a fond one. He'd been about to answer with his usual 'I'm fine,' but Noctis deserves more honesty than that. They both do.

"I'm better now that you're here," he allows a small smile to cross his face, before it fades into his more usual serious expression. "Did Prompto mention I can't remember anything after my injury in Altissia? I don't know if the injury itself is the cause, but that is a mystery we can leave for later. There are more pressing things we need to attend to now."

He allows his hand to come to rest atop Noctis'. There is something off about his prince. Something heavier than usual weighing on his shoulders, but like with Prompto, he won't press for now. There will be time for that once they have secured some kind of shelter and food for the night.

Before letting his hand drop, Ignis give Noctis' hand a squeeze and then turns his face toward Prompto, giving the blonde a nod of encouragement, "I'm glad raiding the galley was a high priority. I see you both have finally learned how to get on my good side."

[want_to_belong]

No doubt there was some sarcasm in that praise, but Prompto would take it. "You know us. We're just thoughtful like that."

It was both a joke and the truth. For the moment he was happy to relish in their good fortune. They still had challenges ahead. Gladio usually set up camp and started the fire, so inevitably he and Noct were probably going to be a disaster trying to do it with a downgrade in supplies. But Iggy could make fun of their prospective crap-tent later.

"I let'im know. I bet it'll all come back to you later. You probably just need to rest." Positive, positive. He needed to keep hopes up here. "I'm still not sure how you guys ended up here from the train, but... You know, Noct mentioned something kind of weird earlier." Well, a couple things, but Prompto wasn't sure how the crystal tied into anything yet. "He thought that maybe daemons don't come out here at night."

His gaze shifted up to Noct doubtfully. It'd be great if it was true, but it was hard to believe after all this time. "Like, we might be really far from home or something?"

He was rarely the one to slam ideas. It was mostly when he and Gladio had disagreed about what should happen with Ignis that he spoke up firmly, and that was in defense of a friend. Here he was more curious about what Ignis' input would be, or where they thought they might be.

[noctanotheroneout]

Noctis shrugged . "I'm not saying that they don't. We'll see when the sun sets." He looked towards the horizon. "This place doesn't seem to be infected with starscourge. The days are too long, longer than they were from what I remember at home. So with that, I can at least say we're a far ways from home."

He kicked around some of the dirt. "I wouldn't worry about the amnesia for now. It's hard to figure most things out on an empty stomach anyway."

[shatteredlenses]

"Ah, and there is the prince I know so well. Always thinking with his stomach. I trust you will want a nap next?" Hearing such a normal sounding comment from Noctis lifts Ignis' spirits, though only so far. He hasn't got the heart to tell Noctis that he's pretty sure his stomach won't handle food at the moment. Perhaps, that will change once he can smell it.

Ignis is quite happy to leave discussion of his amnesia behind to focus on something not related to himself, "When I first awoke, I thought this might be Altissia, but that thought only lasted as long as it took me to notice the sand beneath my hands. I have to agree with Noctis. I suspect that we are far from home. That may also explain why Prompto and I cannot access the armory or the magical abilities we should be able to."

He tilts his head questioningly in Noctis' direction, "Are you able to summon anything, Noct?"

[want_to_belong]

"Yeah, I just had what I was carrying with me," he confirmed Ignis' synopsis. "You guys think there's continents out there that don't have daemon problems?"

Might make sense. They didn't know everything about daemons yet. Ignis seemed to be feeling a bit better, so he folded his arms, tapping his foot on the ground as he thought. "It's kind of weird we all washed up at the same place, isn't it? I mean, we weren't even all together. Not that I'm complaining."

Honestly, he was glad for that part at least.

[noctanotheroneout]

"I can summon. It's limited though. I only have a basic engine blade on me, my fishing rod, and I can't perform Armiger." He did have a royal arm, his father's. He lifted his hand hand, The Ring of the Lucii was there, but devoid of any magics.

It was weird, even with him present that his friends couldn't summon their own weapons.

"We could be dealing with the gods," he suggested. "It's the only explanation I can think of."

[shatteredlenses]

It's very clear on Ignis' face he's relieved to know that at least Noctis still has some of his abilities. Is it because of his royal blood? He is closer to the crystal than they are, after all.

"Who- or whatever we are dealing with, it would be foolish of us not to assume they are just as strong, if not stronger than the Astrals. There is a very specific purpose to what we were doing before all this. Noctis is the Chosen King. They would not divert him or us from that path willingly," Ignis pauses a moment, hand drifting to touch just below where the scars on the left side of his face end. "Then there is the matter of my injuries. To put it bluntly, I should be in much worse shape than I am. I can still feel my wounds, but it's as if very strong healing magic was used on me."

Ignis reaches out blindly to search for Prompto's shoulder. He knows the blonde is nearby, but isn't exactly sure where, "As much as I want to buy amnesia being the cause of my missing memories, it just doesn't feel right. Why would my wounds feel so new if as much time as you say has passed? If these beings are strong enough to bring us here from different locations, why not heal my wounds entirely or even go so far as to return my vision?"

[want_to_belong]

When he saw Ignis searching for him, he reached out to guide his hand a little further to the side. It was kind of odd. Ignis was still having trouble, yes, but over the weeks he'd improved at little things like that. He hadn't thought about it until now, when it seemed like Iggy had taken a step backwards. That wasn't like him.

"You think we came from different times?" he asked, struggling to believe it. Time travel was one of those things that only happened in video games and movies. Some parts of it fit, but it sounded so impossible.

Speaking of that, though...

He glanced up at Noctis, "Hey, Noct. You were saying something about the crystal before? You think that could have something to do with this?"

[noctanotheroneout]

It was as if Prompto read his mind. Time travel, or at least taken from different times and not different places. "I don't know," Noctis replied. "Maybe."

He took a few steps forward, treading a few paces from his friends. They didn't know. This conversation was going to happen sooner or later. "I'm inside it. Or, I'm not anymore. I don't know. Just last I remembered was being absorbed into the crystal, and the Draconian. It's...hazy."

[shatteredlenses]

Time travel. Every logical part of Ignis' mind screams that such an absurd thing isn't possible, but how many other absurd things are part of their day to day lives? The Astrals, the Crystal, the Prophecy, the Daemons. At least tying it back to the crystal makes it seem a little more possible, if only a little.

"I'm honestly not sure how else to explain it. Amnesia is more logical answer, but I strongly suspect logic isn't something that will hold much power here," Ignis sounds more than a little irritated by that. If he can't see things in crystal clarity anymore, it would be nice if they would at least obey the laws of logic.

When Noctis begins his explanation, it's almost as if whatever is in charge of this place has decided Ignis needs proof positive of his previous statement because there is nothing logical about what is said. The crystal was absorbing Noctis? None of the legends nor the prophecy mentioned anything about that!

Desperate to grab onto something that does make sense, Ignis focuses himself on the second part of the statement, "You talked to Bahamut. Do you recall what he said?"

[want_to_belong]

If anything could explain this it was the crystal. They didn't know exactly what it would do when they got to it, they were just gambling that it would somehow have the power to save the world. Prompto was a little more willing to entertain fantasy than Ignis. After all, he thought he had a chance with Cindy. Time travel sounded pretty crazy, but maybe it was possible.

He stayed quiet for now, looking to Noct to hear what his answer was.

[noctanotheroneout]

Noctis looked towards Prompto for a moment. It was almost as if he was looking towards his best friend for some reassurance. "Yeah," he continued. "It....he...whatever, told me I needed to gather my power." He closed his eyes, doing his best to recall what the great dragon said. " 'In the heart of the crystal wherein lies the soul of the star, and it is in this place that the King will gain his power to fulfill his calling.' " He opened his eyes again. "That's basically it."

He was to defeat Arydn. His sacrifice was the only thing could defeat the Accursed and shine the light of the crystal.

His sacrifice.

Noctis didn't quite have it in his heart just yet to talk about the fact he needed to die to save their world. "I don't really know how long that's supposed to take by the way."

[shatteredlenses]

"It's all right, Noct. It's not like we've been given specifics on much else on this journey. I know you will do your best to gather the strength you need and then return to us as soon as you can," Ignis gives him a confident, though tired look. Pain and weariness are starting to cloud his mind again, and it's clearly shown on his face when he removes his sunglasses to carefully rub at his nose. Folding the sunglasses, he rests them in his lap before looking between the two boys.

"It may be wise to shelve further discussion on this topic for now. Even with Noct's fishing skill, it make take some time to catch something suitable for a meal. Considering we have no idea the dangers that appear when the sun sets, I would prefer we not be separated for long after darkness falls."

[want_to_belong]

"Yeah, we'll wait for you," he assured Noctis, much in line with Ignis' thinking. He nudged Ignis slightly. "At least we know we made it."

He sat, leg on his knee, about as relaxed as he could manage to get for the moment. He didn't usually see Ignis without his glasses on, and it looked painful. He tried not to react, though. Ignis probably didn't need that.

"There were some ruins. Should we try to set up camp there while Noct gets some fish?" He glanced between them. "He can always come back before dark. It's not like we've never eaten light before."

[noctanotheroneout]

"Thanks."

He lingered in the silence for a bit. "Alright. I'll go find us something to eat, if you guys can handle the setting up camp." It would give him some time to think. He figured he could find this ruins with relative ease once he laid out his path. "Don't hurt yourselves okay," he added with a teasing note.

With that he turned his heel and headed back to the water.