Test Drive Meme #15

[seasonshelpers]

Test Drive Meme #15
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION

Arrival

Part 1

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.


Part 2

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.

Fix-It Crew

Part 1

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!

Part 2
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"!

OBLIGATORY BEACH EPISODE

Part 1

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.


Part 2
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!

OOC TIPS

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.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[lyingheart]

( There's a sort of wryly amused smile that curves her lips up at the corners. )

Not fully all the time. But I always heard what people said around me.

( With closed eyes, she saw nothing, but hearing? It was the only sense she was left with. Her finger traces the rim of the empty cup, smile lingering on her lips. This time it's more... resigned. )

Armin ( she says ) turns out to be a very chatty person.

( She'd learned, and also, kind of had the tidbits that wouldn't identify where Historia was, but otherwise... random... updates. She snorts. )

What was with the 104th? Every Titan shifter on Paradis, the future head of the Scouts, the hidden royal, the group that'd survive to take on the end of a world?

[hometown]

[ At that question, Reiner drains the dregs of his drink, shivering a little as the alcohol finally makes itself known. Trust the strongest bit to be the last sip. ]

Either we were the luckiest class, or the most cursed. It's hard to say which.

[ Although he suspects he knows what other people would say: the most cursed, for sure.

He sets his glass to the side. ]

I mentioned Frieda Reiss earlier. She's related to Historia—her half-sister, I think. She's here. And she has the Founder.

[lyingheart]

Both. Definitely both.

( Is her less than upbeat belief. She nudges the glass away with her hand, then pauses as Reiner brings up Freida's name again. There hadn't been much to think about other than noting the family name before, but this has her lifting both eyebrows and looking at him.

Clearly, there's no issue having multiple of a titan shifter here. Eren definitely had the Founder too. Annie's hand comes back down to the table's surface, one finger tapping against it lightly. )

Has that been a problem?

( Meaning, has she been a problem. Non-violence pact aside, there's enough that can be done that never technically involves lifting a hand. Can the Founder even do anything to Annie at this point? It was one thing to wonder about that with Eren, but now there's a second, unknown variable with the same consideration? )

[hometown]

[ Immediately, Reiner shakes his head. ]

No, she's never done anything to me or Bertholdt. She likes us Warriors, actually, even knowing what we've done. She'll want to meet you.

[ And thank Annie, possibly. But Reiner isn't sure on that, nor can he say how Annie might react to it, so he doesn't bring it up.

(His own reaction had been … complicated. He'd wanted to be a good Eldian—and Frieda, the rightful Queen of their people, said he was.) ]

She's … an interesting person. Very trusting, very naïve. She wanted to make a deal with some magic guy to move all Eldians to a safe world. She didn't understand why none of us trusted that deal.

[ Just as one example. ]

[lyingheart]

( Liking the Warriors as a ... Foundation ... feels suspect to Annie, but there's a reason they'd been on the mission they were, and to say that it had ended in failure for reasons beyond them from go would be an understatement. Still. )

Question, but why does she like us?

( Trusting and naïve doesn't cut it. And removing all Eldians... hah. )

Glad to know that every misbegotten half-Marleyan or otherwise would have an ensured family separation if we didn't already.

( She says so, so very dryly. Raise your hand at the table if someone ditched your infant self because you weren't non-Eldian enough for them. )

[hometown]

[ Reiner's eyes widen, the alcohol loosening his tongue just enough to blurt out, ]

You know about that?

[ … If she hadn't guessed his parentage already due to a few slips of his tongue as a child, she certainly knows now.

A second later, another thing clicks: "we." ]

[lyingheart]

( Annie lifts her eyebrows, giving him a somewhat sardonic look. )

Was it supposed to be hard to figure out?

( Herself, sure, considering she talked so little about her father or her home situation. Reiner didn't have the problem of being largely silent and prickly and angry at what she felt powerless before.

She waits to see if the "we" registered to him, before glancing away. Admitting, nonchalantly: )

My father found me left out to die from exposure.

( This isn't unusual. What is, in the end, is that he picked up that child and brought her along when he'd been moved into the internment camp in Liberio. )

[hometown]

[ Reiner sits stunned for a moment, half because his secret isn't a secret to Annie, half because of what she tells him. Shit, at least his mom had kept him. (Not that she would've had much choice. It was either keep him, or essentially admit she'd had an affair with a Marleyan.)

He guesses that means Annie's father was the Eldian. Not unusual, no. But unusual that her adoptive father took her in in the first place. ]

I'm sorry.

[ Not pitying, just empathetic.

He considers signaling for another drink as he admits, ]

I met mine once, after I became a Warrior. I believed that being an Honorary Marleyan meant we could all live together. [ He grimaces. ] It didn't go well.

[lyingheart]

( Annie taps her heel against the ground with an audible thunk, relatively expressionless. She doesn't acknowledge the empathetic apology. It hasn't mattered. Biological parents were just the reason she'd been born. The reason she'd survived to be thrown into the military was because of her father, for all that upbringing had been anything but easy.

In all the things she's wondered in her life, one had never been, why did my birth parents leave me to die. She hadn't needed long to understand the reason in their world. So who cares? It's a common thing.

She hisses through her teeth at what Reiner says, however, her best empathetic response in turn. )

What an asshole.

( Sympathy from Annie: it just is like this sometimes. (Most times.) )

[hometown]

[ Reiner huffs out a half-laugh at that, appreciating her irritation on his behalf. It makes it easier, somehow, to admit: ]

You know, he really was.

[ To scream in a child's face like that… To call your own son such things, after all Reiner had done just to meet him… It's taken a long time for Reiner to realize what a cruel man his father was. (Is? Did he survive the attack on Liberio?) Annie's sympathy helps to solidify it.

He shakes his head. ]

The good news is that I don't look like him.

[ Not much. In build, yes. But in face, he's very much his mother's son. ]

[lyingheart]

( Understanding how terrible people are, especially when you wanted them to care about you, be proud of you, acknowledge anything you did... Annie knows that feeling, if it's a screwed up mix these days. It took until she was being sent off to a very probable death before her father finally had.

Maybe they both need another drink. Annie doesn't ask for one when the server rounds back by them, shaking her head and holding up her hand in a little abortive stopping gesture. Once they're gone, she says: )

Small blessings. At least you didn't want to punch yourself in the face because you look like an asshole.

( ... The smallest, tiniest of smiles. She may in fact be joking. )

[hometown]

[ Following Annie's lead, Reiner declines another drink, even if he's starting to want one with all this talk of parents. It's probably for the best if he doesn't drink more. He doesn't want to get all emotional and start drunk-texting people. (Again.)

He huffs a little laugh at that, meeting her smile with a broader one of his own. ]

Well, not like that asshole.

[ Acknowledging that yes, he's been quite the asshole at times. ]

I know you said you're staying at the starter apartments. But if they get too cramped or you're not comfortable there, I can help you get another place sooner.

[ Then, by way of explanation: ]

Most of the Scouts used to live there. I swear they had something against moving out… I had to leave as soon as I could.

[lyingheart]

( Yes, he's entirely punchable for other asshole reasons. Just not his father's face. It's good they've reached a mutual understanding of the situation, even as she leans back and stretches her arms over her head, eyes again scanning the bar. )

I'm not looking to stay there long-term, but I want to get a feel for the layout of different areas before I make a move.

( She doesn't say that it's a lot when she's never had that freedom before, and something in her wants to feel... feel out if she feels more right in any one place than the next. Maybe where-ever she ends up getting work will influence that too. Commutes are a bother if they're not simplified, but there are airships and the nodes, so it should be fine, right? )

I prefer open spaces right now. With light.

( Not cramped and deep in shadows, which the built up city center tends to be by nature of what it is. No thanks. She's had enough of that over the last four years, closed eyed and listening in her self-imposed darkness. )

The Season stuff doesn't affect anything about where we live, does it?

[hometown]

[ Wanting to get a feel for different areas makes sense to Reiner. It makes even more sense for Annie to feel that way, given all the recon she did when they were in Paradis. He nods, then answers, ]

No, it doesn't affect anything. I chose to live in Amberfall because I like the place. Plus it has a huge library that Gabi loved to visit.

[ Plus, it reminded Reiner the most of Liberio. Not a perfect match by a long shot, but that's fine. He didn't want to live inside more walls. ]

Open spaces… [ He thinks for a second, trying not to let himself consider all the reasons Annie might prefer that. ] You may wanna check out Coldreach, or maybe Stormreach. Frostreign is very open, too, but it's almost always covered in snow.

[lyingheart]

( At this point, it's habitual. The best way to get a sense for a new location is to put feet to the ground and move through it. Learning about the current feelings of the natives following the events that'd breached the center, things like that. Not that sentiment appears to be less than positive, but there's a difference in getting her finger on that pulse and trusting that things are as they seem.

Trust is hard for her, even if she's more willing to try these days. For the most part. Just like how she does not want to feel caged in anymore. No walls, no small buildings, so caves, no firelight only. Room to breathe. Natural sounds. Life. )

Snow's not the worst. Nothing I love, either.

( She lifts her shoulders in a small shrug, then lifts herself out of her seat to stand. )

I should be getting back to work for the time being. Pretty sure money factors into moving, one way or another.

[hometown]

[ Reiner hasn't been fond of cold in general ever since a magical freezing disease struck Nightwake shortly after his arrival. But if Annie does choose a colder district for her home, he resolves to go and visit regularly. He doesn't want to 'wait and see' as he did the last time she was here. They spent too little time together before; he wants to see her more now.

She rises, and he follows suit. There is a brief look of … not panic, precisely, but a bit of alarm on his face. A fear that if she walks away, he won't see her again. A fear of her vanishing. ]

Yeah, of course. [ He searches her face. ] … Stay in touch, all right?

[ And then, at the risk of running her off completely: ]

I've missed you.

[lyingheart]

( She looks up at him again when he's standing, her shoulders hiking a touch. There are still certain barriers between the people they are now and the person she knew most recently: not just the better fed, better slept look Reiner has, and not just being younger. It's all right, she thinks, but still strange. For all she has shared, it almost feels like... a peace offering she's not really sure she's navigating well, or how she wants to move forward.

The truth at her core is she doesn't want to be isolated anymore. She doesn't need to live in that pressure, confining herself to the easiest role for survival. A world of bullshit, fueled by more of the same, where everyone felt their cause was the most justifiable one for murder. )

Sure? ( What does staying in touch even mean? The phones make it easier, she guesses. Is it sending a note, "Still alive," every so often?

It's the oddity of hearing Reiner say he's missed her that gives her pause. No momentary panic, nothing like anger. Widened eyes, yes, but that's in part because she's not narrowing them in an effort to keep herself calm, steady, and seemingly unaffected.

She's always been affected. Annie just told herself to ignore it as much as she could. )

... Yeah, well. We can revisit that again in a month to see if you still feel that way.

( She'd seen him two days ago. She really can't claim the same sense of things, or explain what she does feel. The words slip away from her if she even tries to grab them.

They were the two survivors from the four who'd set out to Paradis. Somehow, through all of it, they'd made it back. They'd helped do the impossible. That means something too, if it's not quite the same as missing. )

Until later.

( She nods to him, then slips around the table and heads for the door, needing the break from everything overloading her head. Cutting through a few more trees would be wonderful for working through how she's feeling. )