seasonsgreetings | Test Drive Meme #5

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Test Drive Meme #5

Test Drive Meme #5
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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

"Hello, Jeep," Erwin greets the creature, obviously delighted. He offers an open palm to him for inspection, though not too close.

"He is quite charming. You have them in your world? I've only read about them in fairytale stories when I was a child, although I think in those they were meant to be much larger. Quite fearsome creatures."

Small dragons, however, are apparently extremely cute.

"Oh, my apologies - I am Erwin Smith. Might I ask your name?"

Jeep extends his neck further - he's mostly all neck and tail, really - to sniff the open hand. Then butt his head into it like a cat.

"We do, yes. He's something of a special case, however. Most of them are, indeed, much larger." And they don't turn into cars, but that's beside the point. Right now, anyway. "But they are rare, in general."

Aside from Jeep and Kougaiji's dragons, he's never actually seen a lot of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He inclines his head, not able to really do the whole bowing thing with a box under one arm and Jeep sitting there. "Cho Hakkai. Ah - I arrived some months ago."

A headbutting dragon? Adorable. Do dragons like scritches? Erwin will attempt to gently stroke under Jeep's chin, following the direction of the scales.

"A pleasure to meet you both." Ah, he is envious over having such a companion. "How lucky you are." At least from where Erwin is standing, knowing little of dragons themselves.

"Several months, you say? Is that all?"

Maybe not all dragons, but Jeep does. He's really, really like a cat. He stretches his neck out a little more, while Hakkai laughs gently.

"It's not every day he gets such affectionate treatment from others besides myself." Goku tries... but... he's like a small child around animals. "But yes, a pleasure to meet you. I'm very glad he's here as well."

A nod, somewhat regretfully. "And a little over a year in the last world I was drawn to."

"That's a shame," he says directly to Jeep, happily increasing the touch to extend a little further down the creature's neck. "You're such a delightful little one."

Surprise takes over at that, eyebrows raising. "The last world? Aside from the place you're originally from, you mean?"

The compliment earns another cheep. And Jeep happily complies with the continued affection. "Well - he's made a friend today, certainly."

It's kind of nice, actually. Most of the others didn't really acknowledge him beyond a transport. Or a toy.

"Yes, haha. It's hard to believe I'm sure. But this isn't the first world I've mysteriously awoken in. Though it is much brighter, to be sure."

"Absolutely." Is Erwin making plans to tempt your dragon away, Hakkai? Not explicitly, but sometimes these things happen--

He keeps petting Jeep so long as it isn't an inconvenience.

"That's- stunning, really. Before coming here, we had no notion of much beyond our walls, let alone another world...I admit I'm struggling to comprehend it all. It's been quite an eventful day already.

When you say brighter, do you mean the daylight is brighter? Was it always dark, there? How did you leave?"

Erwin tries to moderate the number of questions he throws out at once, but even he can get caught up in it, sometimes.

Sorry, Erwin, Jeep is firmly attached to Hakkai. Doesn't mean he'll stop enjoying those pets though. It's really no inconvenience to him.

"Ahah, well. I'm happy to answer your questions. But perhaps there's a better venue for discussions than the street?"

Because discussing Trench was going to be... a long talk. A lot of talk. There was so much explanation. Like the whole Squid Thing. That takes so much explanation.

Ah well, a man can dream. He'll have to enjoy this while he can.

Which seems as though it might come to an end already, sadly, but: "Ah- yes, of course. You have a point."

Erwin gives an apologetic look to Jeep, giving him a few more strokes under the chin before dropping his hand. "My apologies, Jeep. Another time."

It takes him a moment to remember where they had possibly been headed in the first place. "I believe you mentioned a tea shop?"

Hakkai pauses, thoughtfully. There's really no danger - if he feels threatened at all, Jeep could just fly away. Or, if he really felt afraid, transform. So, in that case: "Would you like to ride with him while we walk, Jeep?"

That earns an agreeable trill, and Hakkai extends his arm towards Erwin's shoulder. So Jeep can hop over if Erwin agrees.

"Yes, I believe I did. It isn't far to walk." He inclines his head in the appropriate direction. "Shall we?"

His eyes widen briefly, almost like a child they're going to get something they've always wanted and not quite believing it, gaze shifting between man and dragon, and it's difficult to keep the extent of his eagerness out of his voice.

"I'd be honored," Erwin says to the dragon, and gives a short, delighted laugh as Jeep hops over to alight on his shoulder. He gives the little one a few more strokes on his neck, and starts to follow Hakkai.

"Yes, thank you."

Truly, it's very nice to see someone else so taken with Jeep. And see Jeep so at ease around another person. Maybe he does need to get out more, if only to let the little one socialize.

He perches gingerly on Erwin's shoulder, like he's trying to keep his little claws from digging into the man's clothing.

"It's no trouble at all. Just a short walk this way."

Truly, who couldn't be enchanted by such a sweet thing that can ride so easily on your shoulder? Erwin only has his left arm, but Jeep continues to get companionable little attentions as he walks, following Hakkai. He's trying not to stop every ten feet to look at absolutely everything.

"This place is incredible. Is your home much like it?"

If he ever sees the others again, they'll have a truly difficult time living up to this new friend, as far as Jeep is concerned. Hakkai puts the thought aside. Purposefully. Almost forcefully. No - he will not think about the others' absence right now.

"It's far more advanced than the world I come from," he admits, instead. "I had quite the adjustment period on my arrival. I'm afraid I'm still not entirely used to all it has to offer."

"It does seem like it will take some getting used to," Erwin agrees. It's daylight now, but night will surely bring surprises, with bright lights everywhere. "We do not have anything like electricity in my home, I'm curious to find out how it all works."

Someone put this man into an engineering class before something goes disastrously wrong.

"No? Nothing? I must admit, that's a first for me." His world was behind the times he'd learned - thanks to his experiences in Trench - but they had electricity. Not always constant, depending on where you found yourself, though.

He motions them to turn slightly down a road. There's a sign hanging off one of the buildings - their cafe destination. "I'm no expert on the subject, myself, however. Only familiar with it existing, I suppose you'd say."

"Not at all. We use candles and oil lamps and fires for our light, and manpower or animals or the help of a river for heavier tasks. I admit I'm already quite fascinated, I'll have to find somewhere to learn more about it."

He follows Hakkai, long legs easily keeping pace, with Jeep still aloft on his shoulder.

"Was Jeep with you in the other place you visited as well?"

"Ah, well, if it's of any consolation, here it's rather easy to work. For example, you only need to flip a switch, and a room lights up!"

Admittedly, he's become overly fond of the futuristic kitchen appliances he's found - like a dishwasher! And a fridge that makes ice on command! But those are probably advanced classes, so to speak. Best not to overwhelm new friends.

"He was, yes. He's been with me in every world so far - my original one included." Hakkai pauses to open the cafe door. "He's the most constant companion one can ask for."

The kitchen appliances truly are a wonder - the fridge, the cleaning machines, the toaster (which he will dissect later). Fascinating.

"You're very lucky," Erwin says warmly, and then stops to take in the cafe. It's unlike anything he's ever seen, plants hanging everywhere inside. Already the atmosphere is very relaxing, cozy, even. There were humble little cafes in the wall cities, fancier ones in Mitras, but nothing quite like this.

"This is wonderful." He's genuinely very impressed. "Thank you for bringing me here. Is there anything you recommend?"

Oh the wonders of toast. There are even toasters that make noise when your toast is done so you don't forget it in there. It's amazing.

"Haha, yes, comparatively I suppose I am."

Hakkai is not lucky. He's lucky to be alive - or lucky in that electricity works where he was from. But in other respects? He's a cursed man. Though, his new friend here only means the mild sense, nothing deeper, so he won't argue.

"I found it rather recently, but their herbal tea blends are very nice. Especially the jasmine and green."

He absolutely needs a singing toaster.

Erwin indeed meant in the sense that Hakkai is fortunate to have such a charming companion, and pocket sized, too. Sometimes such bonds make all the difference, especially when their circumstances are difficult and dire.

"I'm curious about the green, I don't believe there is such a thing where I'm from." Surely there are teas that are made out of green things, but nothing quite called that. A fond smile comes over him, thinking of Levi...and Erwin has to wonder what he would make of it.

They order, and find a comfortable pair of seats at a table.

"So you were saying at an entirely different world than this one and even your own...this sort of..." he struggles for a word a moment, "...phenomenon has happened to you at least once before?"

"It's very mild and comforting, I find."

Iced or green - or this fantastic invention called a latte. But today, he doesn't make such an indulgence. That's not an extravagance he should be allowed. Just a simple plain green tea. It's calming, familiar.

"Yes. Once before, for a bit over a year, in fact." He leans his elbows on the table, resting his chin against folded hands. "A place called 'Trench' - where one washed ashore from a vast sea, ruled by creatures known as Pthumerians." He pauses, to let that settle. And to feed Jeep a bit of pastry.

"They were seen as gods to the local population, who referred to us as 'Sleepers'. People who had awoken from the dream of our own world to the reality of Trench." Hakkai shrugs. "I'm not sure how much of that I believed, though."

Watching the dragon eat is to terribly cute, really. Erwin can't help briefly imagining a world in which the Survey Corps rode dragons to defeat titans, ones that could change their size and conveniently shrink into little Jeeps that could easily ride on shoulders and be better cared for. He loved their horses, but as well trained and indominable as they could be, they could still be frighteningly easy to kill.

Ah, well.

Erwin sips his tea - it has a somewhat strange flavor, slightly bitter, but also...grassy, in a sense. He hasn't decided yet if it's to his taste.

The description of this other place is...troubling. His brow furrows gently, a frown turning down the corners of his lips.

"That sounds...quite frightening, really. Was it a dangerous place?"

"It was. Dangerous creatures appeared often, and the further you went from town, the more likely it was you would fall victim to them."

His hands curl around his own tea. It's familiar, to him. And strange at the same time. Trench had never had such a pure type. You were lucky to find it at all. Now it just feels like a luxury.

"Arrival - the 'waking' - had the affect of literally altering one's blood, as well. One of my companions became what was known as 'Vileblood', one whose blood was actually poison to all except himself."

"Altering the blood?" For some reason it takes him to the titan serum. There's much about it that they don't understand, but Erwin wonders if that somehow wasn't part of it.

"What did that mean? Would merely coming into contact with his blood have adverse effects?"

It might be inappropriate, but he can't help his curiosity.

Test Drive Meme #5

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