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seasonsgreetings2024-12-13 10:55 am
seasonsmods) wrote in seasonsgreetings2024-12-13 10:55 am
Entry tags:
Test Drive Meme #12
Test Drive Meme #12
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION
You arrive in an unknown space, dressed in white clothes (player choice what kind of clothes, as long as they cover everything). Whatever was happening to you before no longer happens. It's like everything was put on a pause and you were transferred away from the situation without you realizing it happened.
The space that you find yourself in is one of these four options:
An empty landscape filled with snow and ice, almost like a blank canvas.
A field with cherry blossom trees and spring flowers.
A sunny beach near an ocean that seems never ending.
A quiet forest with falling autumn leaves.
All of the spaces seem to continue endlessly. No matter where or how far you walk it almost seems like you're not moving at all. There are no animals here - just those who happened to wake up there at the same time, in the same place. Everyone is wearing the same kind of plain, white clothes.
Despite the possible rollercoaster of emotions you might be feeling, the place somehow feels familiar. Like somehow you belong there.
And it looks like you're not alone.
After half an hour has passed the surroundings change as everyone is teleported into a room with all the other new arrivals, no matter what space they woke up in. It's a large place with plenty of seats to sit in and beverages to enjoy. Medical attention is offered to those who need it and the doctors here are very prepared for any challenging situations.
Here, in this room, everyone gets an answer to where they are and why. A hologram of a man appears at the center of the room, waiting to be heard. He brings a message on behalf of the leaders of Ellipsa. The staff nearby tells them that the message has finally been properly updated from the original one that can still be found from the records.
The Message [ Click to Expand ]
Hello, my name is Olwen. I'm one of the leaders of Ellipsa as it currently is. I'm also one of the four who summoned you here.
Our world is in trouble and we need your help. I apologize for tearing you away from your world and forcing you to come here but I hope you understand. The magic we used doesn't let us ask in advance, nor does it let us choose who we bring here. We wouldn't have resorted to it if we weren't desperate. Our world has lost the majority of power holders who kept the balance in our world and dealt with the dangers of the Segments. Just having one power holder for each Season isn't enough. That's why we have summoned you to become the new Seasonal Power Holders.
This world is composed of four Seasonal Segments. All of them represent one of the seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. They were the places we used to get our resources from, but now they're dangerous places no one should go into unless they have the power to fight back. All of them have their own sets of powerful monsters and natural catastrophes. We have recently managed to regain some footing in the segments and made them safer, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The Darkness still plagues our world, but we are constantly finding ways to fight back.
Otherworlders like you have already made great differences to the world. They have managed to find and free the dragons who in turn helped us expand the area we live in. They also managed to find the Fairy Queen and even the Mermaids and Sirens of the Great Ocean Lake are at peace due to the efforts of a few otherworlders. All of these things we couldn't have accomplished with just four power holders.
My sincere wish is that you would join us in working towards saving this world. We promise to send you home afterwards, or enable a way to travel to your world and back, as a compensation for your efforts here. You're even free to stay here, if that suits you better. This world can also be yours.
I know we're asking you a lot and that it might be hard to trust someone who just talks as a hologram, but you are always free to approach us at our guilds to talk in person.
The hologram can be viewed in private in a separate room later, should someone wish to look at it again. For now, the staff of the Research Center hands everyone their new smartphones with their small flower lucky charms (the flower is anything the player decides). They're also told that the building next door is where everyone can find a room assigned to them with some of their belongings there and possibly even any animal companions. Those concerned about their mount-sized companions are welcomed to the stables downstairs to see if their friends are there. The mounts are allowed to stay there until you find a place more suitable for them.
In the arrival's hall there are also several stands with information pamphlets.
First type of stand is for the local Guilds and about the benefits of joining one.
Second type of stand is for the Welcome Center that aim to show otherworlders what the world is like and help guide people in the beginning of the journey and helps in getting settled into the new world. They even have people to help if you're unfamiliar with the new phones.
Third type of a stand has various pamphlets about businesses opened by otherworlders.
Once you get your smartphone and necessary information, you're urged to go out and find your apartment. After that whatever you want to do is up to you.
Part 3
The building next door is where everyone can find their new apartments. As you enter, you're told by a friendly native that for the first two months you can live anywhere rent-free and five meals a day are paid for you. After that they get a monthly payment that helps with some of their living expenses, but otherwise they have to have a job to support themselves.
All of the apartments are comfortable, two bedroom apartments with all necessary utilities. They are also completely soundproof. Sometimes the magic system, however, does glitch and you might find yourself rooming with a stranger. This is not the intention and the staff will immediately prepare you a room of your own. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?
In the arrival's hall there are also several stands with information pamphlets.
First type of stand is for the local Guilds and about the benefits of joining one.
Second type of stand is for the Welcome Center that aim to show otherworlders what the world is like and help guide people in the beginning of the journey and helps in getting settled into the new world. They even have people to help if you're unfamiliar with the new phones.
Third type of a stand has various pamphlets about businesses opened by otherworlders.
Once you get your smartphone and necessary information, you're urged to go out and find your apartment. After that whatever you want to do is up to you.
The building next door is where everyone can find their new apartments. As you enter, you're told by a friendly native that for the first two months you can live anywhere rent-free and five meals a day are paid for you. After that they get a monthly payment that helps with some of their living expenses, but otherwise they have to have a job to support themselves.
All of the apartments are comfortable, two bedroom apartments with all necessary utilities. They are also completely soundproof. Sometimes the magic system, however, does glitch and you might find yourself rooming with a stranger. This is not the intention and the staff will immediately prepare you a room of your own. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?
Among the holidays adopted by Ellipsan natives, Christmas is one of the bigger ones. However, they have opted to calling the celebration the Yuletide season. The streets of Nightwake, no matter what season the districts falls to, are decorated with different kind of holiday ornaments and lights. The Yuletide, for Ellipsan natives, is viewed as the season of love, affection, closeness and new beginnings (which is why the celebrations continue into January).
One of the classic decorations is, of course, mistletoe. They're placed on very strategic places both inside buildings and outside. This year there are also small helpers. The small-sized fairy bunnies (bunnies with fairy wings and cute ribbons) fly all around Nightwake and bring mistletoes over to pairs who seem like couples to them. Sometimes they will also hang around very sad looking people and try to get them a kiss.
These bunnies can be easily bribed to leave someone alone or to pick a specific target by giving them dandelions to snack on. It's also likely that they will stay around after they get tired of carrying around mistletoes (they can't even nibble on them since they're poisonous) and just sleep on someone's lap or shoulder. They may be messengers of love and affection, but they need breaks!
Workshops have been made around the city where people can make evergreen beds for the fairy bunnies to show their appreciation. These beds they can both sleep in and snack on. The same workshop also instructs people on how to make evergreen wreaths to hang on doors that will bring good luck for the next year.
While some of the more modern districts have opted for using electric light displays, some of the more traditional ones like Sunwaning and Dayrise have opted to using natural fire for ambience. The streets are filled with candles of different shapes and sizes. There are even magically floating candles making shapes of christmas decorations in the skies.
Everyone is also provided with free candles to encourage sitting at home in only candlelight. The candles are special and will fill the room with nostalgic aura that will make them feel like they're in the most comfortable place for the people in the room. If their house is already that, there's little to no change. However, the candles will also bring loved ones around as illusions so everyone can spend a night with the people they love.
These illusions can be people that have died or just people who aren't here in Ellipsa. However, illusions can also show someone who is in the world, but just not in the room (or maybe even while the person is in the room, in case someone hasn't confessed their feelings). They will act like the person they know and they can even be physically touched. There can be as many loved ones joining them for the night as they want.
At the end of such an evening with the candles, everyone may find an item from home that has magically appeared for them. Basically, it's a free regain of either magical or normal variety and may or may not be related to the people they saw as illusions. The candles only have one use in them and even if they got new ones, they will only get one item.
A group of students from the Magical Manor wanted to bring snow into every district, including the summer ones, for the Yuletide celebrations. So they combined their magical knowledge and power to make spells that make snow less likely to melt in hot weather, and tasked strong adventurers to bring in snow from Frostreign and the Winter Segment.
They didn't realize that the snow would include small beings called Snow Sprites. They're balls of ice with wings that go around and cause snow storms happen in small areas. Now these sprites have been woken up from their peaceful sleep and are causing a havoc around the whole city, making it snow where it normally shouldn't.
In a way this was great! They're bringing snow everywhere without anyone needing to carry it for several districts. On the other hand they're not stopping anytime soon. Judging by the screams coming from the Solarpeak beach, the bikini season is on hold. Some of the kids love it and some of the shops are taking an advantage of it by selling warm clothes in places they normally couldn't.
The students are asking for people to help with the sprites. The best way to make them calm down is by singing something for them. The more singers in a group the better. Another way is to make it into a dance competition. The Snow Sprites love dancing, so they will even stop the worst snowstorm to join in.
There are several activities inspired by the Yuletide season. All of them promote cleansing the body of the old year and starting anew.
During sunrise hours, each district has a dedicated spot for sunrise Yoga. A moment to relax in the quiet morning hours and doing yoga together with miniature alpacas. The alpacas will act both as if they're doing yoga as well, but also as a distraction by bumping their bodies into people to demand attention. The point is to relax and let negative energies flow out of the body, so there's no shame in just petting an alpaca for the whole yoga session.
The skating rinks are back on every district. Everyone is encouraged to try skating in them to let all their bad feelings out through a dance on ice. This is done with enchanted ice that will promote positive feelings when skated on. Of course, it may not work on everyone, but skating is also fun, so maybe that's enough.
Those who aren't so into sports can participate in one of the artistic workshops, where bad feelings are expelled through different art forms. There are rooms where someone can just paint the walls by throwing water balloons full of paint at them or just quiet spaces to draw, sketch or read. The staff encourages the visitors to write and paint bad feelings on paper, as the paper will help channel them out and leave a more pleasant feeling behind.
The same effect can also be made at the Underground Mall and the Virtual Reality booth, where the games have been selected to promote tranquility. The access is free for games that are feel good. Additionally there's also a very realistic virtual game of power washing that is sure to relax anyone who feels satisfaction of seeing something cleaned with full power.
Evenings in Nightwake are designed for the purposes of new beginnings. Various places offer a chance to think about what people want to set as their goals for the new year. They're also advised to look back into the current year to see what they want to carry with them to the new one.
All things that people wish to forget or leave into the past are written on paper and then set on fire. Meanwhile their new wishes, also written, are stored in a box they can take back home. Whenever a person feels lost they can look back to the box and remember the night.
Those who want to make a bigger display of leaving something in the past can also load their papers into fireworks and blast them off.
Summary of the prompts [ Click to Expand ]
Arrival• Characters appear in one of the four seasonal spaces, depending on what season they are
• After half an hour they are teleported to the Research Center lobby and given information
• Hologram of Olwen (Winter Guild Leader) plays, explaining the situation
• They're given their smartphone-like device and told about the Starter Apartments next door
• Possibility of finding a roommate!
NOW KISS
• It's Yuletide season
• All of Nightwake has been decorated festive style
• Mistletoes are back, this time with helpers from fairy bunnies who carry mistletoes to people
• They are easy to bribe
• Candles are offered to everyone
• The candles have a special effect of making the room feel as comfortable as possibly
• It can also create real-feeling hallucinations of loved ones for one night
• Next day those who lit candles will receive a free regain
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
• Students of the Magical Manor are arranging snow for all the districts
• This in turn wakes up the Snow Sprites who will cause snow storms all around
• To calm them, one must either sing for them or challenge them to a dance battle
• Yuletide activities are happening all around
• Including: miniature alpaca sunrise yoga, ice skating, artistic workshop, virtual reality gaming
• Focus is on letting out negative energies and feeling, letting in positive ones
• At night, things people wish to leave to the past are written on paper and either burned or put onto fireworks
- Ask your questions related to the TDM here.
- The TDM is available only to friends of the mods and their friends. If you want to play in the TDM, please leave a note here to inform us who invited you over. We will get to you as soon as possible.
- Test Drive is open for current characters to make a top level as well. New characters can add TDM on their subject line to indicate they're new!
- Current characters cannot access the starting area again to meet new arrivals. They can, however, be at the Research Center when the newbies are teleported in.
- The TDM is game canon so anything in the TDM can happen for your character(s) in the game as well.
- Smut is not allowed on the TDM. You can play situations leading to it, but if the thread is turning into smut, please move it to a private space such a post in your character's journal, or a locked post in the game's log community if you decide to app!
- Check Locations: City to find more areas to explore inside the city. Every place in the districts are open.
- Similarly, Locations: Segments is useful for outdoors adventures.
- You can find monsters to encounter on Beastiary.
- FAQ has information on characters' smartphones as well as general things about the world that might be handy.
no subject
Last year, the mistletoes were vine-like and aggressive. They'd tie people up together until they kissed. It sucked.
[As such, this year is a vast improvement... but he still doesn't want to kiss anyone, even someone as cute as kissable as Venti, because some flying critters bullied him into it!! It's a matter or samurai pride!]
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I guess this year is a small favor. But...that would mean they want us to kiss, too.
[ He's pretty certain that's what it gets at. He's very carefree. ]
I don't see anything wrong with that.
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Well... no, there'd be nothing wrong with it, but...
[Get a grip, Toshirou!! Lock in! How many times will he have this opportunity?! Yet he can't help but fuss. He couldn't prepare for this!! What if he tastes too much like cigarettes? Does he need a mint?! (Just how deep of a kiss does he think it's going to be...)]
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[ He can tell there's a dozen or more thoughts tossing around in Hijikata's head, but he doesn't know what they are. He's teasing, a little bit. He gets on his toe, reaches up, and pats Hijikata's cheeks. ]
I can help you find someone, if you like.
[ He's certain Hijikata does not intend to walk around being accosted by rabbits all day. ]
If you think I'm bothered by the idea, for some reason, I'm not.
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[That cheek pat alone just now..!! Such soft little hands!
Finally managing to coordinate himself, he gently pulls Venti in by the small of the back and leans down to kiss him on the lips. Inside his head, the screamy part of a generic heavy metals song is playing, but outwardly, he's completely cool and collected (except for his red cheeks).]
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He returns the kiss, just as gentle as his touch, reaching both hands up to grip either of Hijikata's cheeks with a little smile. He pulls back, after only a short few moments, leaving his hands on the other's face. ]
See...look at that. They're already on their way.
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...
[He's supposed to say something, right? But his mind is blank!! So instead, he puts his own bigger, more calloused hands on top of Venti's, caressing them. Just one more moment...]
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Glad to help.
[ He means it, genuinely. He's appreciated Hijikata's help since he arrived and was glad to do something to help in return. ]
You know. You've been really nice to me since I got here. I appreciate it a lot.
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You make it easy to be nice to you.
[Venti may initially have enjoyed preferential treatment thanks to Hijikata's memories of other timelines' Ventis, but by now, he's charmed him just as much as his other selves.]
We should go out again one of these days.
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[ He's been around too long to not have any enemies, after all. He nods. Hijikata has quickly become one of Venti's more trusted individuals. He's earned that trust, and maybe he's earned a part of him that few people hold. There's an impulsive thought in the back of his mind. ]
I have a question, though. It's been on my mind and I should have asked when I first had the thought. But...I know that you've met other...of me. How much do you know about where I'm from? Or me? Did I tell you any secrets about my world?
[ Vague. ]
no subject
Hearing his affirmation of their friendship really warms Hijikata's heart, and at his question, he answers confidently.]
Well, I know that you're a bard from Mondstadt and were blessed with an Ameno Vision. Your other timeline's selves never told me any secrets, and I don't know more from having been an Inazuman in another life, either.
[Getting bold, he playfully flicks one of Venti's braids.]
Are you a devout follower of Barbatos, after all?
[He did ask the first version of Venti he ever met if he styled his hair after the god of freedom, but he just mirthfully laughed it off.]
no subject
[ Well, he doesn't need or technically have a vision. But he does have the powers associated with one. So it's just "pretty much" true in all but the most important way. But that's fine, he'll get there. There's a playful giggle at the suggestion that he's a devout follower of Barbatos. He reaches his hands up, fingers brushing over the braids. ]
While I did style my hair after someone... It would be pretty egotistical if I were a devout follower of Barbatos.
[ Will Hijikata get the implication? He hopes. Venti doesn't think he's an idiot, but sometimes when people are friendly or affectionate in one way or another, it's easy to reject the idea that there's some secret like that hanging over their friendship. ]
no subject
Egoistical..?
[His eyes scan Venti, the gears in his brain clearly turning, but he doesn't arrive at the logical conclusion, simply because it seems so farfetched and outrageous. No archon would wander among his people as a humble lyre player, right? His experience as an Inazuman soldier makes that idea especially incredible. After all, the Raiden Shogun dictated the fate of her land as its ruler.]
Whom did you style your hair after?
no subject
Well, I styled it after a friend of mine I knew when I was just a little wind sprite. He's called the Nameless Bard at home.
[ He doesn't know what the other knows, of course. So he'll be clear. ]
He was a revolutionary who played beautiful music and loved Mondstadt so much that he was a part in saving it.
no subject
[What??? And Mondstadt's revolution... wasn't that centuries, if not millennia ago? He's not very well-versed in the other country's history, but it's been at peace for a long time now, hasn't it?]
...
Say, just how old are you?
[He asked the version of Venti he met on Avalon the same question when he first met him, just to make sure he wasn't a kid, and the cryptic answer he got was "as old as I need to be"... he should've dug deeper into that rather than just laughing it off, shouldn't he?]
no subject
[ A playful look as he moves his fingers over his hair and then looks right up at Hijikata. He doesn't mean to sound like he's joking about it. Honestly like this for him certainly isn't a joke. It's a rare treasure. He looks thoughtful as he answers - as if he's trying to sort out the math and his age for Hijikata, so he can give him a real answer. ]
I'm over 2600 years old. I know it's surprising to a young man like you, but I also know that I trust you with this because you've shown me that you're someone worth trusting.
no subject
Sprites don't usually take on a human form, do they? How come you did?
[What are you? Tell me!]
no subject
No, a Wind Sprite on its own can't. But I became the Anemo Archon. [ He's quiet, but still smiling. ] Because of my love for humans, even. And as an Archon, I can take this form. Or be a sprite again. Whatever I want.
This is my favorite one, though. So I'm not just a Barbatos fan who modeled his hair after a statue. The statue is me.
no subject
...
Well, that's quite the career for a sprite.
[His voice is warmly humorous. He wants to hear the full story of how a wind sprite could become an Archon, and part of him is unsure if he shouldn't show some reverence, but ultimately, he simply tips one of Venti's braid with his finger, making it sway a little.]
Cheeky of you to hide among the common people like this. But I get it. You want to be embraced rather than worshipped, hm?
[It takes a lot to get to know humans over such a long time and still love them, Hijikata knows that much. Despite being capable of both good and evil, the evil of humankind can oftentimes be overwhelming enough to turn from it in disgust. By living among the people, Venti must have kept his eyes on all the little acts of kindness, mercy and compassion that are easy to lose sight of from above.]
no subject
I'd rather be loved as a human than worshiped as an Archon.
[ A playful hum. ]
Wouldn't you have treated me different if that was the first thing you learned about me?
no subject
He ponders the question for a moment. Would he have treated Venti differently if he'd known from the start?]
Honestly? Probably, for a while. But ultimately, you're the same person, human or Archon or wind sprite. So I'm sure that in no time, I'd have gone drinking with you all the same.
[Venti wouldn't have been the first deity he befriended!]
no subject
[ He smiles. He gently reaches up, taking both of Hijikata's cheeks in his hands. ]
But I told you because I trust you not to do that.
[ Which is just as good as him saying that Hijikata better not treat him differently for it. ]
no subject
...
Can I have another kiss?
[Call him an opportunist, but he's really happy right now, and Venti is so close to him!]
no subject
Therefore, he gets up on his toes and pulls Hijikata a little to kiss him right on the lips. The other asked, so Venti was giving his answer. With Venti, things happen because he feels like it. And right now - he felt like telling his friend about who he was. He felt like giving him a kiss. It was a solid kiss this time, zero hesitation.
And he'll only pull away when Hijikata does this time. ]
no subject
While he still thinks of what to say (why is his mind always so empty in moments like this?!), he notices a few people curiously looking at them from different spots in the area, and even though they're not taking photos or laughing or anything like that, he still immediately feels self-conscious.]
Well..!! I should be on my way, I suppose.
[We should do this again, he thinks but doesn't quite have the guts to say - purely because he is, despite all him bravado in battle, a little shy when it comes to things like kissing. Venti's godhood will still occupy his mind, but mostly in terms of making him marvel about everything he experienced with him without knowing that he was in divine company - otherwise, he's already accepted it.]
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