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seasonsgreetings2025-06-13 01:05 pm
seasonshelpers) wrote in seasonsgreetings2025-06-13 01:05 pm
Entry tags:
Test Drive Meme #15
Test Drive Meme #15
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.
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?
Part 3
The locals have taken upon themselves to advertise the Welcome Center that is run mostly by otherworlders. Newcomers are encouraged to visit it, but sometimes the people might think someone who has been a while is new.
Inside one finds a modern Japanese style lobby with plenty of sofas, soft seats and cushions to sit on. Anyone is welcome to just sit around and eat some home-made snacks. There are also computers for searching information and practicing technology skills. There's usually someone behind the front desk, but if no one seems to be there they might be in the kitchen behind the front desk area.
Upstairs there are many rooms that can be into familiar places for characters (not exactly the same, but similar) with futuristic technology. It's set up to help fight any homesickness and provide a quiet place to relax.
One bonus the Welcome Center provides is a gift basket with some treats, basic ingredients for making meals and some gift cards for the Underground Mall, to possibly shop for new clothes or other necessary items. All of these have been donated by volunteers to help newcomers settle in.
Of course the people working here are always looking for new volunteers to help around! There are plenty of things to do, all in the name of making otherwolders' arrival to a new world more comfortable.
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?
The locals have taken upon themselves to advertise the Welcome Center that is run mostly by otherworlders. Newcomers are encouraged to visit it, but sometimes the people might think someone who has been a while is new.
Inside one finds a modern Japanese style lobby with plenty of sofas, soft seats and cushions to sit on. Anyone is welcome to just sit around and eat some home-made snacks. There are also computers for searching information and practicing technology skills. There's usually someone behind the front desk, but if no one seems to be there they might be in the kitchen behind the front desk area.
Upstairs there are many rooms that can be into familiar places for characters (not exactly the same, but similar) with futuristic technology. It's set up to help fight any homesickness and provide a quiet place to relax.
One bonus the Welcome Center provides is a gift basket with some treats, basic ingredients for making meals and some gift cards for the Underground Mall, to possibly shop for new clothes or other necessary items. All of these have been donated by volunteers to help newcomers settle in.
Of course the people working here are always looking for new volunteers to help around! There are plenty of things to do, all in the name of making otherwolders' arrival to a new world more comfortable.
The City of Nightwake has seen better days. Windows and fixtures are broken, plants are damaged, roads are charred, rubble and garbage litter the streets with some bloodstains in the alleys and sometimes even in the open. Anyone asked will explain that in late May, a number of crises all happened at once, and while things are calm again, parts of the city are still rebuilding.
Magical and mundane repair help of all kinds is requested by various civilian homes and businesses. Anyone who answers the calls for help can be put to work repairing and restoring any items and buildings, replacing windows, repairing doors, building things, and/or cleaning up messes. Any help is appreciated... especially since people are reporting random garbage falling on them from nowhere, thanks to an ongoing quest!
Anyone who volunteers will also be able to learn a new spell that allows them to repair their clothing or armour on the go. Handy when you're out in the Segments and can't just go to the blacksmith!
City council has coordinated the cleanup effort, and snack stations have cropped up near big repair sites so volunteers can get water and food. The snacks vary from place to place, but are always something popular in the district they're in; for example, a stand in Sunwaning might provide curry pan or taiyaki, Dayrise might have fried fish or cream-filled buns, or Coldreach might let you come in for chips or deep-fried pickles.
June and July is also the time of the Solstice, a traditional Ellipsan holiday, and just because everything is in shambles doesn't mean people aren't celebrating. While volunteers take breaks at the snack stations, they're encouraged to weave flower crowns with provided cut flowers that are already enchanted to last longer. Plenty of civilians are already out on the street wearing theirs!
While it's common to make your own flower crown, people are also encouraged to exchange flower crowns with others. Some natives might urge anyone who tries to pay attention to flower language when doing so. After all, while not everyone knows flower language, a crown that says "nice to meet you, can we be friends" is very different from one that says "I hope you lose your fortune" or, for that matter, "elope with me"!
With summer just around the corner, word gets around that there's going to be a giant beach party in Solarpeak. The natives see this as another way to thank the otherworlders for their continual efforts to help across Ellipsa. So, just a couple days before it starts, everyone will receive a message inviting them to come to Solarpeak and join in on the festivities and enjoy the decor and events that they'll be hosting.
Upon entering Solarpeak, visitors will see everything looks ike it's part of the party. There's stalls with a variety of savory foods, drinks, desserts, and frozen treats. Otherworlders can totally find their favorite summer treats in the assortment - the natives did their research!
There's also several events scattered in the sandy landscape and in the pool itself. In the pool - there's floaties, pool noodles, and a variety of fun pool games. On land there's an inflated obstacle course, slip-n-slides, a water gun fight arena, and beach volleyball set up. Party goers are also encouraged to start up their own activities Don't worry - there's plenty of shady spots to relax, too!
Oh - and don't miss the giant bonfire everyday at dark! The bonfire will also include sparklers and smores.
As part of the summer event, Sage Blaze is hosting a cooking competition. Sage is the most recent winner of one of Ellipsa's televised cooking competition shows – Culinary Quest. This competition isn't just about being the best chef, either, it's about learning how to cook with love. Sage will be showing anyone who wants to participate how to make sure that the chefs are cooking with feeling – literally!
People who are tasting the food of the participants will be able to taste the feelings of that participants in the food. That means a dish made with love have a boost in flavor, and if the same dish is made with hate it'll be noticeably less tasty.
While there's no real winner in the competition, participants will walk away with a handy new trick. Sage may also call out when they feel a dish is especially tasty or creative – as long as they can taste the love!
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!
• Welcome Center welcomes newcomers and those who have been here for a while alike
Fix-It Crew
• The city is recovering from a disaster, so buildings and fixtures all over need repairs and cleanup
• Garbage and debris may randomly fall on characters due to someone else using a defective magic item for cleanup
• Characters who take part in repair efforts are taught a spell to repair clothing and armour
• Snack stands offer food and a place to rest to volunteers
• During rest breaks, they can also make enchanted flower crowns for the Solstice holiday
OBLIGATORY BEACH EPISODE
• Solarpeak is hosting a beach/pool party!
• Stalls with food, drink, desserts, and frozen treats.
• There's several pool games, floaties, etc.
• Options to play beach volleyball, water gun fight, slip-n-slide, etc.
• When it gets dark, there's a big bonfire with smores and sparklers.
• Cooking competition where participants learn to "cook with love".
- 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 toplevel 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 is open.
- Similarly, Locations: Segments is useful for outdoors adventures.
- You can find monsters to encounter in the Bestiary.
- The FAQ has information on characters' smartphones as well as general things about the world that might be handy.
no subject
[ In fact, it's almost surprising all of them were not immediately gunned down at Fort Salta, and that's probably why. But his own concern wasn't in relation to that; he'd just been so banged up that he really expected to succumb to his injuries when he'd thrown up the only salute of his life, before the confrontation with survivors ever happened. ]
Putting that brain of his to use again, huh? That's good.
[ That certainly had to require one damn speech. Perhaps some manipulation, too. Well, it wasn't just the kid's eyes that reminded him of Erwin, after all. ]
Yeah.
[ He hadn't really had the chance nor the time to get acquaintanced with marleyan medicine, but while advanced compared to Paradis, it seems to have still had a lot of limits. According to Gabi, he seemed to spend most of his time in a wheelchair after that -- or with a cane and in extreme pain, something the kids didn't want to tolerate for prolonged periods of time. Wouldn't be the first time one of them told him to sit the fuck down, he supposes. ]
[ He's not really interested in hearing apologies, anyway. A child soldier prostrating herself on the altar of guilt isn't going to bring any of the dead back. She had her mission and she would have killed any of them to protect her people -- just like Levi would have cut her down then if given the chance, just like how he'd dragged Bertolt across that roof because if he hadn't, they would have just killed the rest of them instead like they already had so many. Doesn't mean he enjoyed it. It does mean he knows what it's like to only have shit choices. ]
[ And, of course, unlike with Zeke, he's seen plenty of proof for her remorse, which is all he really needs to give someone a chance. Reiner's, too, with whatever limited time they'd spend together trying to catch up to the apocalypse. The only reason he'd distrusted him in Ellipsa at the start was because he still seemed ready to transform in the middle of a street full of local civillians. ]
[ So far, Annie seems to be doing the opposite. He notes the way her posture changes, forces his own body to relax more to match. He's not interested in fighting, either, not unless he has to. ]
Two years.
no subject
( It's that silver tongue that sells what he comes up with, because if it's paired with charm or not seems to be situation dependent. She's not sure it's charming to come marching forward calling yourself Eren Jaeger's killer, but it sure was captivating for the right audiences at that moment.
Idly, she wonders if this place could do anything for her father... or if he'd care if it could, were he here. It's irrelevant since he isn't, and she feels that unfair ache of separation, but it's tempered by the equally fierce gladness in her heart that he survived. Her one goal, come home to him alive, a success despite the heartbreak that made it seem impossible when she learned Liberio had been obliterated.
Levi's two years earns a blink out of her, and she breathes in slow, exhaling just as slow. Unlike with Reiner, two years from the end of things with the barely averted apocalypse hits different. )
... Just how many people from our world showed up two years ago?
no subject
[ He doesn't usually think of the two as separate, but she's right; some people do have one and not the other. Perhaps what it truly comes down to is charisma. ]
[ It probably could. It can even grow back lost limbs -- a fact Levi will freely share if it comes up, or if she questions the glove on his right hand that suspiciously appears to have all fingers filled out. But it's not exactly something he thinks to mention out of the blue like this. ]
[ He stares at her a moment, as if affronted by the question, but his tone remains mellow. ]
Depends how generously you round it up. It's not like everyone popped up at once. There were three at first. Then five. Then seven. Then eight. People came and went.
no subject
Not that I'd know without asking. So people do end up gone, without a word?
( What she really means to ask is the visibility that it's "home" rather than "someone's murder watching out in the flower field or abducting people to undiscovered regions of anywhere here at all." It's not intuitive to her to believe this place doesn't have those dangers simply as part of it, based on personal greed versus the larger greed that caused the issues for this world in the first place.
She shifts her attention to the wall he'd been working on. )
Were you using magic on the wall.
( For a world where people can turn into Titans, the concept of magic is still strange. No one's making anyone ingest any spinal fluid, but they all can do what? Magic, if they learn, and something about animals? )
no subject
[ Levi's expression remains carefully blank, but there's a shadow of something briefly running over it. Pain, perhaps. ]
Yeah. [ A little pause. ] Here's hoping they end up in another world like this.
[ Rather than dead. He'd like to have that confirmation, but it seems hope is all he's allowed to have. ]
[ The change of topic is honestly welcome. ]
I was. It's one of Winter's abilities.
[ It took him quite a long time to wrap his head around, too, though he found himself able to use it before he actually did that. Something about his fighting instincts extending to these new powers given to him, perhaps, just sensing how to call forward the element. ]
[ Not so much luck with animal transformations, though. He's managed one, on accident -- getting stuck for a while until figuring out how it works with some outside help -- and it stopped there. ]
no subject
... Here's hoping.
( It's easy to say. Harder to believe, but then again, she's barely believing in this present reality. Who's to say it won't be true? )
Winter rebuilds walls?
( Cue the eyebrow raising, but she's only had the briefest overview of seasonal powers, and more read into for summer, since it's what she's contending with. Granted, it appears she's being consigned to lighting things on fire, or trying not to let things burn, but it wasn't like she was consulted before arriving. )
no subject
Mm.
[ Levi is hardly an optimist either, but after witnessing this place and hearing of Jean's continuous world-hopping adventures? Well, why not. ]
Not just walls. You can fix most broken objects. That includes buildings once you've practiced enough.
[ It's technically a different ability, but Levi just figured out it took some working up to the building thing. It's basically the same, right? ]
[ He pats the top part of his leg brace. ]
Comes in hand when this thing breaks mid-expedition.
[ Did anyone expect him to call them "quests"? That's cute. ]
no subject
I... see. Convenient.
( She also just looks puzzled, because what the hell. Magic keeps taking on new weird dimensions as she hears different explanations. Though this does remind her... )
Are the lot of Survey Corps still running expeditions over the river?
( Walls, polluted rivers. Six of one, half dozen of another. )
no subject
[ Levi makes a vague sound of confirmation, because yes, it is indeed convenient. One of his early missions nearly went sideways because the damn thing shattered on him. When he knows he'll be forced to endure without it, he can shift his weight to his good leg and manage, if slower and less reactive than he used to be, but when it just happened mid-air it naturally sent him careening off course along with the guy he was carrying. ]
It's not just us. [ An important correction, and difference from being considered lunatics within the walls: here it's basically just an errand to get paid for. ] Other people do it too. But yes, most of the scouts are taking an active part.
no subject
She lifts an eyebrow, not having a run-down to give her better context, really. )
More from the other worlds, you mean. Makes sense. This is less of a death-defiance for survival compared to what Paradis lived under. ( She studies the wall, expression carefully blank. ) They at least seem to be allowed to remember why things broke in the first place.
no subject
[ Except that time a bunch of them got stuck in a cursed temple and needed to be rescued... maybe that's what started the safety measures, actually. Levi is fairly sure that he started seeing the simpler missions on the job boards sometime after that. ]
[ Annie studies the wall, and Levi studies her face. ]
Yeah. That wall is further out in this world.
[ Not that it's even possible to venture outside the barrier without dying or something worse happening, at the moment. But it's similar in the way that it keeps the people penned in, unaware of what's beyond. ]
no subject
( She'd heard that, without context. Not that the locals can die or can't, just that the otherworlders can die and be... re...created? Something about flowers. Annie doesn't know how any of that makes sense, but they're here, so sense has already gone out the window. )
Mmm. Yeah, I've heard about that. They're theorizing only the obvious infiltrations of the monsters making a mess of things have happened?
( When she can call herself and Reiner and Bertholdt out for being the infiltration that Paradis was made blind to by their own royalty. )
no subject
...yes, though I don't recommend testing it. [ Even if -- IF -- they end up actually coming back again, dying still sucks. He's seen way too much of it. He's seen the way Jean went through it here -- will probably never be free of it entirely. He can't wrap his head around why Hijikata treats it so flippantly. ] We also have the seasonal magic. Only four of them do.
[ And those would be the guild leaders who don't run out for small gathering errands every time some shop needs something. ]
There's little to suggest otherwise at the moment. [ But the way he's phrased it suggests he's probably wondering the same thing -- or at least has heard someone else do so. ] But some things stand out. Have you heard of Nightshade?
no subject
Life shouldn't be taken lightly. It has an inherent value and worth. Sure, she's only agreed to that being true the last nine years, but even she'd eventually gotten there.
The limitations with seasonal magic is... strange, but that's why they were needed in the first place. What's genuinely surprising to her is that not all those who end up here are put to work on the one thing the locals can't handle, when it comes to the forays out into the Segments. Huh.
As for the rest, she nods to there being little suggestion otherwise. For the last... )
Not where it sounds like the name of something.
no subject
[ He thinks it makes sense that not everyone who arrives here gets funnelled into expeditions, too. After all, the ellipsans had admitted they had no control over who came in -- for now, at least. There's civilians and little kids getting pulled in, after all, and it makes perfect sense to give them the safer jobs. ]
It's a group of people who want the Darkness to take over. Locals, supposedly, but who knows. Their leader is even more suspicious.
[ This Doctor guy sounds like something that crawled out of the barrier, whether or not the same applies to his followers. What kind of people would want to essentially be destroyed, unless they knew something the rest didn't? ]
no subject
The fact there is also a group of people who want the end of the world is, you know. Not surprising. )
Are these idiots being tracked and observed? If they can be. You'd think anyone wanting the Darkness to take over would have some kind of trail to follow.
( People are horrible anywhere you go. And some people genuinely want the world to burn. Is it one of those cases, or are they banking on some other stupid set of ideas? )
no subject
[
For clarification, this player has no idea what the official Nightwake position towards Nightshade is, hence a vague answer.]You'd think so. Otherwise I'm not sure what the police here even does.
[ Who knows, but Levi is not interested in finding out. He may have cut some of them down during the blackouts. To think he would ever work to help the cops... but they were objectively the better side in this situation. ]
no subject
It is the mystery of all things... since hey who really needs to know?)Be slightly more effective than the MPs were?
( She offers as a sort of hopeful answer to what they do... while also being the one person who'd joined the MPs out of the top ten cadets.
The upside of not being an infiltrator here: hell, she never has to join another organized force expected to police anyone or anything. Time to run wild and, well, not do those things.
She gives a small shake of her head. No, more important is to get herself the fake feeling moon coins that live on her phone to start building up anything beyond her current outfit and a slowly dwindling pie stash. )
I should get back to hacking trees apart.
wrap?
[ No argument here! He doesn't like NCPD but he likes Military Police even less! ]
[ Levi relates. He's been here over two years and the magical money in the communication brick still feel fake to him. It's managed to buy him a house, though, so he does his best to believe them. ]
Sure. [ He hesitates for a moment. For the scouts, or for kids like Gabi and Falco, he'd offer a place to stay, or any help whatsoever. It's a bit more awkward with Marleyans. He's not unwilling to offer aid, but it might not be appreciated anyway. Reiner's probably got this, right? He's been ready for the arrival of his people before any of them actually showed up here. He's proven extremely reliable. It's taken care of. He doesn't need to think about it. ]
[ ...But Reiner is... well. He hasn't been to the end of the world, not yet. It's not something anyone wants to talk about, sure, but sometimes one may need to. And Levi is probably the closest to it out of anyone. He sighs. ] ...If you ever need to reach out, feel free.
[ He settles on, awkwardly, hoping it relays the intended message. He's not angry. Not hostile. Not enthusiastic, perhaps, but there's no need to let anyone's suffering fester if he may be able to do anything about it. ]
[ And with that, he'll head back to his own tasks as well. ]
ties the bow on this
There's enough to work through in her own head with just this place, but sooner or later, she'll be looking back at the end, and what it implies for moving forward there. Back home. In that place so many of her peers desperately wish to never return to, and she just wants to see again. )