aftr_ooc | TEST DRIVE MEME ( 001 )

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*test drive meme

TEST DRIVE MEME ( 001 )

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 )

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[She gives Ariados a friendly little wave with one hand (lovely to see another spider monster around, even if they seem like the quite type), using another to cast more bullets at the slimes, while swaying her hips as the dance beat requires. By now, they're finding out that she hits surprisingly hard for such a small thing- a little over 38 ATK is nothing to be sneezed at, although she's wary of letting any of them get too close.]

For the sake of politeness, I'll assume that was a request for an introduction. You may call me Miss Muffet. And you are?

[Ariados actually isn't his quietest pokemon (that'd be Scizor), but she just doesn't exactly communicate like Muffet does. The wave gets a happy click of the pokemon's fangs in her general direction, and the stingers on Ariados' abdomen wriggle in a waving motion of their own. That is, before another slime gets too close to her trainer and she shows just how ferocious she can be. Eyes glowing a lavender hue, the spider lifts her rump up and her shadow slithers towards the slime, catches its own, then attacks the slime's actual body from behind. The spider's dark shadow, eyes glowing the same wicked lavender color as its body, grabs the goopy creature with its front legs and delivers a harsh bite with those wicked fangs. The slime makes a pained keening sound, melting into a frothing puddle as Ariados' shadow begins to fade and move back under her where it belongs.

Shadow Sneak.

Guzma, still afflicted with Da Moves, also spins his lower half under him before he hops up, wobbling a bit because of the uneven sand. He readjusts his sunglasses (no longer asymmetrical) and can't help staring still. It's a bug. A spider. A spider lady. That's talking to him... Okay. Okay okay okay okay okay--]

Uh...Guzma.

A pleasure-

[She dodges a lunge by one of the slimes, turning it into a pirouette and lashing out with a particularly vicious stream of bullets at her viscous enemies.]

-to meet you, I'm sure. If under somewhat trying circumstances.

[Mumbling out a 'right', Guzma shakes his head and tries to actually concentrate on the actual scene playing out in front of him. He needs to actually command his pokemon - though Ariados is doing pretty well on her own, spurred on by the instinct to protect her trainer from harm.

There's a shift in the beat Guzma feels pulsing deep in his bones, and try as he may to fight it, it's a rhythm that sinks into his very soul. He relents, with a heaved sigh, and thanks his lucky stars that what comes next is actually old hat. He can dance, pretty darn well actually, but none of this flowery crap (no offense). As two slimes launch themselves at him, Guzma braces his weight on the wet sand with his arms and spins his body around, legs pinwheeling around him and striking the two opposing monsters hard with the velocity of his movements.

Getting back up with a bit of a flourishing half cartwheel, Guzma dusts his hair out and adjusts his hoodie.]

Yo, Muffler. [He'll get it eventually, just...bear with him until then.] Think you can clear me a path to Ugly over there? You too, Ariados.

[Pretty sure the Boogieman can't throw or take a punch at all, and Guzma's gt the adrenaline pumping hard and fast through his veins (or maybe that's the music?), but he's ready to throw down. One hit oughta at least dizzy the guy.]

Muffet, thank you- I'm not part of a car. But yes- if Ariados doesn't mind dealing out the heavy damage, I can hold these things in place while she hits them, certainly enough to keep them out of your way.

Oh, um...sorry.

[He actually looks it. Kind of. Her name's not exactly in his vocabulary, after all, but he'll try to commit it to memory. I mean, it's not every day he's fighting a dance battle against freaky Grimer with his pokemon and talking spider-lady...thing. He really doesn't want to think too hard on what Muffet is.

With an affirmative click of her fangs, Ariados raises herself up on her legs and lifts her abdomen. Girlfriend, she was ready for battle, and the fangs and stingers on her backside aren't for show. She just needs the commands from her trainer and she'll be dishing as much as these globs can give.]

Atta girl. Ariados, spam Sucker Punch as much as you got the stamina for if those freaky Grimer get too close'a me after Muffy does her thing, yeah? [It's a good ploy. If Muffet can slow the slime down with her webs or bullets, Ariados' speedy moves should take out any stragglers, and Guzma can rush the Boogieman himself. Or get close enough to release Golisopod from his pokeball to end the wanker with one shot.]

[He did look genuinely apologetic, so she'll let the nickname slide. She smiles and nods slowly, pleased by the plan.]

Right. Everyone ready?

[She sways to the music, eyes half-lidded, listening to the beat and... there.]

[Right when the blobs shift close enough to each other to make a single target, Muffet plants her feet and raises her arms in an appropriately dramatic pose, grinning sharply as lines of gleaming purple webbing appear around the blobs. She pulls the thread tight, leaving them pinned down and open to attack.]

[And their master, undefended.]

Go!

[This is...exciting? Is that the feeling Guzma has inside of him? I mean, it's either that, the adrenaline, or the feverish thrum of his heartbeat pumping in time to the music. He still isn't sure this is entirely real either - I mean, who would believe him if he said he woke up on a deserted island, got attacked by a stranger in a gas mask playing the sickest beats ever and his 3000 Alolan Grimer, then tag-teamed a battle with a half-human spider lady/creature/thing?

Like, bro, homes. Buddy.

That's whack.

But on 'go, Guzma's moving, charging through the slimes and-- oh, of course, he's still under the musical spell. I mean, there's really no other explanation for that ballet-like midair split as he hopped over a wayward slime so Ariados could attack it like instructed. It's a crescendo of glorping screeches and splattering mixed to the sound of his heart racing. Each step feels calculated, and Guzma's got his eye on the prize, rears his fist back and--

And the Boogieman howls a cry that sounds like a fanfare of broken trumpets as the man's fist collides square with the monstrous demon's masked face. It's equal parts pain for both parties involved - that mask cuts into Guzma's fist, slicing up his knuckles as parts of it bend and crack from the force of his hit, but...hey, he's had worse. Staggering, the Boogieman rears back and hisses with a string of ungodly violin strings and the slimes seem to melt into the ground, or slither back into the tides, and he, too, seems to rush away into the forest like a shadow - presumably to lick his wounds.]

YEAH, BOY, HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW?! GET WRECKED, BEETHOVEN! [And in true Team Skull fashion - because old habit never really die - Guzma throws a few wild hand motions after the creeper, and sinks into a squat to hug his pokemon when it comes scurrying over.] Nice job, sweetheart, you were awesome.

[Muffet opens her hands and lets the webbing dissipate once the slimes are gone. Seeing Guzma's enthusiastic response to victory, she laughs lightly and gives him a brief bit of polite applause.]

Certainly a very invigorating performance, all round. Although where on earth that man came from, I have no idea...

[After giving Ariados a final pat on her large abdomen, scratching between her two back stingers, Guzma recalls her to her pokeball and snickers softly at the applause he hears. He shakes his head, running a few fingers through the longer, white hair, pushing it back from his face.]

Girl, I could ask you the same question. You never answered me back then, neither - what even are you? Y'all's no pokemon, that's for dang sure. I know my bug types, and I ain't never met one what could talk.

Oh, I'm just your average spider monster, really. I can't say I've ever heard of 'Pokémon', but I'm getting the feeling we're both very far from home. Wherever this place is, anyway...

[Average spider monster, she says... Guzma screws up his face trying to picture it, coming up short. It just doesn't click - anything even remotely 'monstrous' to him would be classified as a pokemon, end of story. The concept of other beasts aside from the pocket monsters he's known all his life is just such a bizarre concept. Guzma can accept it, sure, the proof is standing right in front of him, but still. It's not easy.]

Mmn...thought this was a dream at first, then maybe I got washed out to 'nother island in Alola--uh, my home...but ain't no where in the four islands what looks like this. Gotta admit though, looks like I'm still back home. [The surf, the sand, the sun... In all honesty, this could be an island in the Alolan archipelago.] But it sure don't feel like it now I been here a few hours.

I've been coming to similar conclusions- wherever this place is, it's even less like my home. Where we live, it's all mountain ranges and temperate forests and lakes.

And I don't remember anything about how I got from my shop to here.

From what I've seen, I'm beginning to believe this whole place might be something more... otherworldly. It's a strange idea, but I can't come up with a more likely one.

[Without saying, Guzma's already trying to think of what region of his own world that description fits, then mentally kicks himself for it. Man, this really is going to be difficult, thinking about other worlds out there, other creatures... It's not an weird as it sounds, there's always Ultra Space, but haaah...Guzma would rather not think along those lines.]

Yeah I, uh...I was on the beach back home. [After getting trumped again by the cheeky brat.] But I know I didn't go out in the water, and sirens will warn if any big wave's coming... There ain't no way I'd suddenly wind up on another beach.

[He hums thoughtfully at Muffet's latter statement, not really having much to say on it. Guzma doesn't really want to think of the possibility he was thrust into another world again. Bad memories about the last time, though in all fairness...this place is a heck of a lot better than Ultra Space. Still, he seems uncomfortable with the subject, despite his efforts to remains neutral, if a bit grumpier than before.]

Mm. None of this is impossible, but it's all terribly unlikely.

I suppose there's nothing for it but to keep looking until we find answers.

We?

[It's not meant to sound as rude as it does, really and truly. Guzma's more confounded by the thought than anything else. Yeah, sure, the weird, purple Ariados woman did save his hide back there, and he, uh...he does tend to attract bugs, what with them being his favorite type and all. N-Not to mention he is fascinated by this weird woman, but...but he's not really the best company to keep, all things considered. Guzma is a thug, he's violent and temperamental, he's crass and has the manners of a honey badger (he don't curr).

He's also just a generally Bad Guy, in his and many, many other peoples' opinions.]

What, are you saying you don't want answers? I certainly want to find out what just happened here, and what happened to us.

[Muffet appreciates the value of a mildly sinister reputation- in fact, she can probably name the exact dollar amount, in terms of improved sales. Besides, why be choosy in this situation? If it works, it works.]

Not everyone here is going to get along, of course, but there's no sense in ignoring potentially useful help when we're all here together, yes?

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TEST DRIVE MEME ( 001 )

SO MUCH YELLING

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