seasonsgreetings | Test Drive Meme #5

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Test Drive Meme #5

Test Drive Meme #5
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 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.

This world is composed of four Seasonal Segments. All of them represent one of the seasons. 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 used to have plenty of people here who could control the powers of the four Seasons. We called them Seasonal Power Holders. Unfortunately, due to a tragedy you can read about later, we lost almost all of them. Now only four of us remain and the world is in chaos. We have done our best to protect the world, but we need more power holders to do that.

That's where you come in.

All of you have been assigned to one of the seasons. Whatever space you were in just now is what season you represent. You will learn different skills based on the season and those skills are going to help you save this world.

These powers don't interfere with your own natural powers. They use a new energy that has formed inside of you. It's harmless to your health, but it's vital to your seasonal powers. Your own powers should still work, even if the dark energy outside the city might interfere with them.

Unfortunately bringing you here wasn't as simple as it sounds. We couldn't do anything about how to keep you anchored to this world other than making a simple spell that helps with it. That is, you need to touch someone else who is not from this world ideally at least once a day. It will help you stay in control of your powers and boost your magical energy. If you don't, the consequences aren't very good. But as long as you hold someone's hand or give someone a handshake, you should be fine.

That's all I have to say about the situation. The staff of the Research Center will give you more information about housing and other necessary things. I will, however, promise that you will be sent home once the situation becomes better. That's the least we can do.

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-sizes 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 or joining one.

Second type of stands 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 the stands is for The In Touch Support Group that is led by the Otherwordly Ambassador, Kamisato Ayato. The pamphlets have contact information for businesses looking to help Otherworlders. They also focus more on the lore of the World and what they have discovered so far, as well as a guide on what to think about when preparing to venture out to the Segments.

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 your own room if you ask them. But maybe having a roommate isn't all that bad?

Light a Candle For You

Part 1

All throughout the city, a festival is taking place. It's the festival to honor the dead. The areas are decorated with aesthetically appropriate lights and different flowers. Upon a closer look it becomes clear that all the flowers are bundles of flowers, based on the otherworlders' flower charms. Where a characters' flower is depends on their Season, but all of the appear in the Nightwake Center district.

The main part of the festivities is to light candles in various places. There are even floating lanterns, that can be either launched to the skies or put on surfaces of water. Those who have lost (= to death) someone at any point in their life will receive a message from them in their dreams and otherwise pleasant dreams about them if they light up a candle during the festivities.

Those who have died before (back in their world or on Ellipsa) will receive a protective light around them if they light up a candle. This light will also let the natives know to treat them with kindness and respect during the festivities. They will even receive special bonuses at some of the shops and restaurants, like discounts or extra items. The light itself will decrease any damage done to them for the rest of the month. The light will dim "when needed", but even as it's not easily noticeable, it will continue to protect.

Characters may receive both of these effects.

Part 2

The second part of the festivities involves making small ghosts made out of paper or cloth. These crafts are for the local ghosts to possess so they can be seen by everyone. Once the ghosts have possessed the crafts they will hover around the place, experiencing the festivities better than in their ethereal form. Only ghosts that wish to move on to the afterlife will possess the crafts.

Some of the ghosts gather at the Blossomcrown Park where magical crests have been set on various tables there. These ghosts are those who have been waiting for this moment to pass onto afterlife. Everyone visiting the bonfire will be given a special flower wreath. The goal is to wait for one of the ghosts to move and take hold of the wreath (literally holding onto it with their craft ghost forms) before placing it on the crests together with another person. This will help the ghosts to cross the border into afterlife. The wreath disappears after the ghost has passed on. This ritual can only be done at this time of the year, as the air is filled with a mysterious essence that helps with passing on. The scientists have yet to properly determine what the essence truly is, but it seems to concentrate on the park and at least it's not dangerous for the living.

The park also has some places to just sit down and enjoy the atmosphere at the park. There are also some food and drink stalls.

We All Become What We Pretend To Be

Part 1

The final part of the festivities is the multi-day Costume Party Masquerade happening in the largest airship of the city. The ship circles around the whole city of Nightwake, occasionally stopping at the dock and taking new passengers (or letting old ones out) before continuing on again. The airship is special, as it has a giant ballroom in the middle. There are also cabins, some more private and some more communal for those who just want a quick place to crash rather than a proper room.

Everyone who boards the airship must wear some sort of a mask, but they also have to be in a costume of some sort. Those who don't have either or both will be guided to a dressing room where the magic will pick them whatever they are missing at random (= of player's choosing) and dress them (their current clothes will be waiting for them at the airship station later). No one escapes the rule of a costume and a mask around here!

A magic is also applied to everyone's mask, making it harder for anyone to recognize the person wearing it (possibly even those who know them very well). This is said to add some level of mystery to the evening. Of course the spell will pause whenever someone takes off their mask and that may reveal a secret to someone. No one will just automatically forget if they saw someone take off their mask.

The music encourages people to dance and be brave in asking a stranger to dance with them. Thanks to the atmosphere of the masquerade, touch energy will feel even better than usual, even if you'd be "fully loaded".

Part 2

Another sort of magic sneaks into the party, as people's costumes start to take over their personalities. Someone dressed up as a king might start acting all regal, while a vampire look-a-like might try to bite someone in their neck. Some might even lose the sight of who they really are and completely take on their new roles for the time they're in the airship and in the costume.

Fairies will start trying to bomb people gone weird with water balloons, as a splash of water on their faces will wake them up from the trance (even if the said person is wearing a mask). They're even teleporting water balloons for others to toss - especially if it looks like someone is acting a bit too dangerously.

Another way is to strip them out of their clothes, but that might be something reserved for the privacy of a cabin, rather than the ballroom.

Even once someone has been freed from the spell they can unfortunately be spellbound again later on - but it's just less likely.

OOC TIPS

- 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.

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A festival for the departed is... not what someone with Hakkai's closet skeletons wants to attend. Regardless, he has to pass through the festivities to get to anywhere else. He apologizes to the locals who want to offer candles. No, no thank you, he's too busy at the moment.]

[Traveling with his head down to try and avoid the crowd, he doesn't see anyone familiar. Not yet. It's Jeep whose head perks up. Who darts off towards Goku - despite Hakkai calling after him.]

[And Jeep who lands on Goku's head, peeking down into his face.]

[That familiar little dragon head and the accompanying high-pitched chirp snaps Goku out of his thoughts. He looks right up at him, going a little cross-eyed in the process, eyes big in surprise.]

Jeep?

[And then he beams, big and bright and excited.]

Jeep!! I knew you had ta be here! Where's Hakkai an' Gojyo???

[Oh Goku it's been awful, he's been the only one here with Captain Self Loathing. Just the worst. Where have you been? But - of course, Jeep doesn't actually say that. He just chirps. And sits there on Goku's head.]

[Waiting... 3... 2... 1...]

- Jeep!

[There we go. Someone working their way through the people standing around. Someone familiar at last, Goku.]

[He takes the chirp as a good sign (it's not though, is it), reaching up to happily pet Jeep on the head with one hand. Goku's being very careful about this candle, after all. He doesn't want to drop it.

That familiar voice has his head whipping around, though. He looks even more excited to actually see Hakkai and actually starts waving at him.]

Heeeyyyy!! Hakkaaaaaiiii!!! Over here~!!

Goku?

[He's dreaming, surely. He couldn't be seeing - hearing - someone familiar. Not after he'd up and left them again. Not after ... It didn't matter, he picked up the pace. Following the shout.]

Goku! [Okay, there, he's there. Just a few steps away. And... sure enough. There's the familiar grin, familiar face.] You - how -

When did you get here?

[Goku is beaming up at him. He'd be going in for a hug, but-- Candle.]

Iunno, just today I guess? We were havin' breakfast an' then suddenly I was outside with a whole bunch of red an' orange trees!

[It's okay, Hakkai will clasp him on the shoulders. Both at once. That's as good as a hug, right? From him, at least.]

We... we were? But that doesn't make sense... [He couldn't possibly be this lucky. Not him.]

It's been months since I last saw any of you.

[Well. Now that beaming turns into just... owlish blinking.]

Uweh?

[He's so confused.]

Is this one o' those... whadjacallit. Time lobotomy thingies?

[So is he. It's impossible. He shouldn't be so lucky. He should be punished, not rewarded, or whatever this is. When is the other shoe going to drop? Where is it? Is this going to be like what they went through in Trench? Where suddenly, without warning, things would turn out to be some hideous illusion?]

[Fortunately, though, Goku decides to Be Goku, and Hakkai's brain has to focus on the fact "time lobotomy" is a phrase that was just uttered in his direction.]

Time... lobotomy...? [Please hold.]

[And then it clicks.]

Ah! Time anomaly! Hahaha - yes. It would appear to have happened once again.

How oddly fortunate for us.

[Goku starts to try to explain what he's talking about, but when he opens his mouth he realizes... that he's not sure how to explain it. Hakkai explained it to him so well before, but now he can't remember how he did it and he's just not smart enough or clever enough to think of a new one.

So the sigh of relief that comes out of him when Hakkai understands what he's talking about is deep.]

Yeah! Yeah, that!

[Anomaly. Anomaly. He'll remember that word someday.]

I feel different here, too. Does that mean I'm not a squid anymore?

I would think so. Considering I no longer glow in the moonlight, I would think the same would apply to you.

[And he doesn't bleed pale any longer. Though he's not about to elaborate on how he learned that bit of information. That would only worry Goku - who likely has enough to worry about right now. Like adjusting to a whole new world.]

[He gives Goku's shoulders a squeeze.]

Fortunately for us, that means calamari is back on the menu! [Of course that's what he uses for a bright side. Look who he's talking to.]

[Hakkai truly knows his audience. Because that's all it takes for Goku to fully brighten up, excited as always at the prospect of being able to eat more food. He's bouncing on his heels and everything.]

It's been so long since we had calamari!! Can we get some now?? Is there some nearby?! There's lotsa tasty food at this festival, too! Didja have some already?? We can get more!

We could go look for some - have you not eaten yet?

[That's kind of a surprise, all things considered. He'd have thought Goku would have decimated the food stalls already.]

I don't think there's any at the festival here, but we can certainly go looking. We can try the area around my apartment.

I did! But I'm still suuuper hungry an' people were startin' to give me funny looks.

[Not that he particularly cares, but still.]

Cool! Then we-- Oh.

[He looks back down at the lantern he's still holding.]

I should send this guy off first, huh?

Haha - well, that would be a bit of a novel sight to them, I'm afraid.

[Oh, right, the festival itself. He also looks down at it.]

Most likely. I'm not sure what you'd do with it otherwise. Open flames aren't advisable indoors.

[Not in his tiny ass shoebox apartment.]

[Goku nods hesitantly, even as his lips quirk to one side in confusion. He's still not sure what compelled him to light this one, but he's always been one to go with his gut... So after a second he nods and gives Hakkai a quick smile.]

'Kay! I'm gonna go do that real quick, an' then we can go eat calamari at your place!

[And off he goes, heading for the shoreline where he can place the lantern on the water. He looks... weirdly serious as he does it, too.]

We'll have to pick some up on the way. But - Goku? Is everything all right...?

[But then off goes Goku. Ah well, he'll ask once the task is done.]

[Part of him wonders if he should participate. If he should take one of the candles for the departed. Would that actually change anything? Or would it just make the thoughts stronger? Make the tangled feelings harsher?]

[Best... just to leave it alone. And wait patiently for Goku to come back.]

[If Hakkai is watching, he'll see how very carefully Goku is treating this lantern. He pauses again once it touches the water, just to try and remember who exactly he's doing this for with a little frown. But he does eventually send it floating on its way, and for a little while he just watches it go. Maybe he'll remember later. Maybe something about this will help jog his memory.

Eventually he gets up and goes back to rejoin Hakkai, back to being all smiles as usual.]

Alright, I'm ready! You said we can pick food up on the way, right??

[He is watching. It's not every day Goku looks so seriously at something. It's curious. And maybe he should ask... later. Not quite yet. Maybe once Goku is fed and settled. That would probably be a better idea.]

Yes, of course. I don't have much at the apartment right now, haha - it was just me and Jeep you see.

[And Hakkai doesn't really feed himself properly without other people to look after.] It's this way.

[Goku's eyes go big at that. Just me and Jeep. He knows Hakkai well enough now to know that isn't a good sign.]

Uweh?? But you said you've been here for months!

[He's going to follow his friend very closely now, that usual restless energy buzzing around him.]

Are you not makin' new friends here again??

Well yes, I have. But that doesn't mean I've collected roommates, haha.

[He even moved out of the starter apartment. He's doing... great. Ish. Sort of.]

Oh, no I've made a friend or two, not to worry.

[Sort of. Calm down, Goku.]

[Goku doesn't look entirely convinced, but... If Hakkai tells him not to worry, then he probably shouldn't worry. Right?]

Mmmm... 'kay! Can I meet 'em?? Do they live close to your place??

You're welcome to, though they don't live near me, unfortunately.

[Reiner was rambling about where he lived during the Drunk Adventure. But he'd neglected to ask for a location...]

[Time to head out! And stop to pick up food for Goku at one of the stalls, of course.]

Booooo. I guess we'll just hafta find 'em some other time.

[Even so, Goku is bouncing a little with every step, excitedly looking around at their new surroundings.]

This place sure feels different from th' last one, huh?? Way less... heavy, y'know?

CANDLES

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