seasonsgreetings | Test Drive Meme #5

Entry tags:

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

Yeah. I'm not good at that sort of thing, however, so I generally avoid it when I can. But... yeah, this one tends to be very specific. I've seen it in movies and stuff, but never done it in person.

If someone does it wrong, do you think that they get kicked out?

[Yuuto looks back at Inaba, curious.] And what did you come here for? Do you like watching people?

No, usually you'd end up stepping on your partner's foot and then they'd kick your ass.

[...]

Hmm? Yeah. Plus, in big events like this, you might find out more information.

Oh. [Now he’s more curious-

Yuuto smiles politely. He doesn’t want to say that’s part of why he came too.]

Have you learned anything of interest, then? Liiike… Are you here to learn how to dance by observation?

Not yet. And I'm not really interested in dancing. Are you..?

[Is he? Yuuto watches quietly for a second longer, trying to sort out what his feelings are. Then, almost hesitantly, he nods.]

I think so..?

But you’re right. You’d want to do it with someone you know well. And with these masks on, I’m not sure how I’ll find the people I know. I’d hate to mess up.

Well- asking for the other person's name would be a start. If they'd even give it to you.

[ She'll address that now but pocket his odd first statement for later. ]

Is such a thing permissible? Are the masks not meaningless then?

[Yuuto considers his own answer. His shoulders sink with a realization.]

If I asked someone’s name while suspecting that I knew them, only to discover that I was wrong… That I had nearly given my feelings for them to a stranger…

I’d hate myself.

Depends on the person. I don't really care about the masks anyway; they're just mere aesthetic to me.

[ She says as she takes her own mask off. ]

But others might have different feelings on the matter.

[When she takes off her mask, Yuuto’s eyes go wide. A million thoughts are surely roaring through his head and it’s deafening to him, yet one startled, strained noise makes it’s way through his lips:]

Inaba-san..? Inaba-san! [Should he have recognized her? They had only spoken once. But he doesn’t meet many people. He should have know her voice, right?] You’re… It’s really you, right? Are you cold? Are you okay?!

[ The way he reacts to her after she's removed her mask is both a bit of a surprise but also not one at all = she should have figured that the mask gave some sort of additional effect.

Although focus as she might, she can't entirely place who this is, even if she probably should recognize him.

She frowns a bit, scrunching her brow in frustration. Oh, does she hate this sort of thing. ]

Yes, it is me - although I can't recognize you with the mask you're wearing... But I'm fine, really.

[Yuuto doesn’t realize there’s magic at work here. He also isn’t surprised that she doesn’t recognize him. This is what he’d expected and it leaves him feeling gross inside.

But this isn’t about him. It’s about Inaba, who he had worried died.]

It doesn’t matter- [Who he is,] As long as… I-If you’re really okay. I was so worried. I thought you’d died because I didn’t try hard enough to save you. I-I’m so sorry..!

What the hell do you mean it doesn't matter-

[ But then everything slowly clicks. The mention of 'cold', followed with the worry and overconcern... even with the magic in place, that's enough for her to put two and two together. ]

I told you before, and I'll tell you again that you don't need to be so concerned and worried over me.

You said that before too. I get it… I was useless in the end. But I still… I still couldn’t stop worrying…

[He lowers his head, miserable and ashamed, before squaring up again.]

I wanted to worry about you. I want to care about you. You still deserved to be helped and cared for, but I… Ah- What I mean most is just… I’m glad you’re okay!

Yeah, I did.

[ Well, that cements that in her mind. Honestly, it's times like this that she's actually rather proud of her memory. Although now she frowns, placing a hand on her hip. ]

Anyway, raise your head. And like I said before, you really shouldn't say that sort of thing to someone you barely know.

I’m sorry. [He straightens, though frowns slightly when adding,] For my bad posture.

I cannot agree that caring about strangers is a bad thing. [He steps backwards to the wall again, as if to double down on being a wallflower.] Is the person who helped you here?

It can be dangerous though, depending on who you're speaking with. Not all strangers are good people, after all.

[ As for the second question-- ]

I don't know if they're attending this party, no.

I’d rather be hurt from caring than have someone get hurt because I didn’t… [Yuuto argues, but very meekly. He doesn’t want to actually have an argument at a party.]

… I see. I hope that you can find them then. Where are your other friends? You looked like you were alone.

Oh.

...I came alone. And I don't have friends in this world, remember? I don't think that's changed in the last-- however long it's been.

[In the time since she vanished, a lot has happened for Yuuto. He used to question if he was allowed to have friends too.

But it’s different now. He relates, but it’s his past self. In the present, Yuuto glances around before offering quietly:]

Then, um… I’m planning to watch from here from a while. If you want to watch together..?

Huh--

[ She sounds a bit surprised, but tries to shove that all down. ]

Why do you want to do that with me...?

We can’t become friends if we don’t spend time together..? I think… That’s how it works?

Well, yes, that is true, but...

[ ... ]

Fine. But don't complain if you wind up regretting it.

[Yuuto is quickly smiling; The tail on his costume is even wagging.]

Yes! I mean- No, I won’t complain. Thank you, Inaba-san!

[He turns his attention back to the crowd, but he’s clearly in good spirits now.]

It really is amazing to see everyone so dressed up. It feels like a fairytale.

That's... not something you should be thanking me for.

[ She rubs the nape of her neck with a free hand before putting back on the mask. ]

I guess? It reminds me a bit of Halloween.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject