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

"Hmmm. No doubt. I suppose this vessel would be more effective without this," He said. His hand reached up and pulled the mask off, revealing MK underneath.

"I think that's better. Don't you~?" Without giving Red Son a chance to report, MK kissed him.

Things Red Son was not expecting: sudden MK.

The shock is on his face and then second not expecting thing: Lady Bone MK kiss???

There are a few moments where he's just frozen before he's jerking back to get space between them.

"My my. What a reaction. Was the kiss not to your liking?" He said with such a condescending tone. A cruel one. He grinned through, glad to see something finally affecting Red Son. Getting a good reaction out of him. Well, good for him.

There is a few moments of fearful concern, the first thought sending panic to his heart.

Then to something more....resolute. "A status effects. MK wouldn't be taken by you so easily," he said.

"Are you so sure? What if he has fallen to me the same way your father did. And the Monkey King~" He responded with a wave of her hand.

"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps you are not. Just how sure are you~?"

"You worked over father for months and you only got a meat puppet out of Wukong. You wouldn't have MK this thoroughly this fast. He's stronger than that," Red Son said, fists clenched at his sides.

MK couldn't have fallen that fast. He refuses to believe it.

"Then either the protege is weaker than you give him credit for or this is a status affect. Either way, the question is what will you do? After all, helping those you care for is how to judge your worth. And if you are unable to help...well. We both know what that makes you."

He grits his teeth. MK would hate to hurt anyone, and the Lady Bone Demon doesn't need to make it a fight to cause a lot of damage.

He can't keep MK contained. This has to be a status effect. Time usually does the trick.

"What I'll do...is ask you to dance." He holds out his hand to him. Her.

"A dance? Very well," MK said as he took the offered hand.

"It would be rude for me to reject you. Given your recent success to win my vessel over," That was oddly kind of her. His hand gently squeezed Red Son's. Maybe a sign MK, while being taken over, was trying to fight the status affect. Even if it was subtlety.

Oh, he doubts its a kindness, but that was rather the point. Yet again, Red Son was putting himself in the line of fire so MK didn't have to deal with hurting someone else. Red Son wouldn't hold this against him.

Its fine. This was fine.

"You are a lady, after all. You should have at least one dance at these parties," he said, tone overly formal and polite.

He squeezes her hand and led her out to the dance floor. He doesn't know if the hand squeeze is MK or her trying to mess with him. It was hard to say.

Still, he led her to the dance floor, a hand going to her waist, the other still holding her hand to pull her into a dance. At the very least, he knew the steps fairly well.

MK smiled as they moved onto the dancefloor. He gently rested his hand on Red Son's shoulder and let the red head take the lead. She moved with him and leaned in closer.

"You are hoping dancing with me will keep my attention you. Brave. After all, you are sure you can take whatever I say to you. Sparing the others here from me. Too bad I've already had two other dances tonight~ And both my dance partners seemed...shaken after the music ended."

"There isn't a lot I can do about what's already happened," Red Son said. Though there is concern. He wasn't known for his great empathy. Was mentioning the others just for him to feel bad about MK, or are they the people who are on that short empathy list?

"But I think you want to get to me. You can pretend you were just focused on destiny, but let's be honest. You're petty. Getting to me means getting to two people who were a pretty big part of your downfall," he said. His own challenge. He knows what he's doing. He hopes it makes things a little easier on MK later.

The words hit her back and she scowls. MK continued to dance. Petty? He was not petty.

"There is nothing petty about my ambitions nor my grudge held against all of you. You stole my destiny," She said back as they kept dancing.

"If my grudges are petty, then so are yours, son of the Demon Bull King," MK shot back.

"Of course my grudges are petty," Red Son said as they danced. "I was an unrepentant petty and spiteful person. Any change in that is due to the Noodle Boy and Dragon Girl."

Then he pulls her into a dip, grinning sharp enough to show teeth. "I don't need to blame destiny for why I deserve to be upset."

This wasn't going the way MK, in this form, had wanted. He was just admitting it as they danced. He made a surprised noise as he was dipped and looked up at Red Son. A glare set over MK's face. Why was it so hard to get under his skin suddenly? Had Red Son changed so much so quickly?

"I blame not destiny but the meddling of agents of chaos. You and your friends. You ruined everything," MK said though it lacked the edge. He was racking his mind, searching for something he could strike at to try and get under Red Son's skin. It had been so easy before with the other two. Why was he having issues now?

...His heart was fluttering. His vessel's feelings for Red Son were making it hard to think. Perhaps that was the key.

"Tell me. Do you love the Monkie Kid, Red Son?"

It wasn't a change so much as who and how always mattered. Of course he broke under his father. It was his father and he had no reason to think it was another at the time. But the temple, he had been able to recover so much faster. Red Son was used to cruel words, of his pain being shoved in his face. It was why he stopped caring for the world, because if he didn't care, then their words Did Not Matter.

MK wasn't talking to him.

It was the Lady Bone Demon.

And he did not care for Her.

That was making it a lot easier to bite back the pain from the barbs. To keep himself focused. Do not show weakness. Do not break. Even if it means isolation and loneliness, it was better than breaking. He did it for centuries, and he can do it now. Use that double edged sword to keep provoking her attention to him.

"Destiny is as much about chaos as it is about order," Red Son said, straightening her up. "It does enjoy its cycles, after all."

The question was a dangerous one. With MK's body at her disposable, it could be dangerous. But if MK could remember anything, hear him, any lies were dangerous.

"I love MK," he said. "Apparently its immensely obvious to anyone who isn't us."

MK stood and kept the dance moving. Good, it was true. Of course Red Son would admit it. Best to try and reach her vessel with such admissions. It was one similar admission that had freed the Monkey King, it seemed. This was different. She had no split attention and could maintain hold over the Monkie Kid much more easily.

"It is so easy to hurt the ones you love, isn't it? Despite your best efforts, you hurt them. Like you hurt MK. Do you think that will change now that you'd admitted you love him? I wonder exactly what scars you'll leave on him, inside and out."

He gritted his teeth. Eyes closing briefly. His own fears. Sadly not deep buried fears. Ones that have run through his head far more than he would like to admit. The fears, the self doubts.

Breathe in.

Focus. Focus.

He breathes out. "To deny him love would hurt him for sure. Did hurt him for sure," he said, forcing his voice to be even. "So the better choice is the one where it isn't a guarantee. He chose me, and its not as if he wants to be hurt."

"Are you so sure? The boy is a spiral of doubts and fears. It was so easy for me to discover just what he feared most. Being not enough. Fearing those around him made the wrong choice. His mentor. His family. His lover? Perhaps a time will come when you decide he isn't worth it. Or he decides you aren't worth it. After all, perhaps the joy you bring pales in comparison to the hurt you bring to him. Perhaps you are bad for him, after all~" She said with a giggle. She tried to start leading the dance now.

Red Son actually growled at that, refusing to give up the lead in the dance. There are the self doubts. The fears. The very real concern he would be bad for MK.

But there is something that always takes precedent even over Red Son's terrible self esteem issues.

"MK is always going to be more than worth it."

And that was devotion to those he loved. The anger and offense clear on his face, the forced calm replaced with clear aggression, because how dare. How dare she suggest otherwise.

"Frankly, the very idea of me changing my mind is laughable. I actively tried to force myself to change my mind for months to no avail, when changing my mind was in my own self interest. I have made every argument there is to make that he isn't worth it, and attempted to hold a grudge over every injury or humiliation he caused me. Any attempt to not care for him was in vain because the moment he had wormed his way past my defenses, there was no denying him. It simply will not happen. It didn't happen when I wanted it too. It certainly won't happen now that I've decided to embrace him. I'm going to love him until the day he dies and beyond."

Edited 2023-11-05 06:16 (UTC)

The response was not what she expected. The extreme emotions and the way Red Son was so adamant. Such fury at the idea of the protege not being worth it, such conviction that those feelings would never fade, and the admission of the inevitable. She could use that.

"And then you will mourn and wait for his reincarnation? Perhaps extend your long life to ensure you can meet him again? And again? Though, the pain will be unbearable. You describe him as if he is your destiny. As if you loving him was always meant to be."

"Destiny can take a long walk off a short ridge," Red Son snarled. "I love MK because he's MK. It was love he earned by doing things his own way, the things that were present when he was a noodle delivery boy because he certainly wasn't taught by hero experience or Wukong to do things that way."

He pulls her close, pressing his body to her, barring his teeth, letting the fangs be more prominent. "And if you think I haven't used the argument of his mortality as a means to dissuade myself, then you really must learn how neurotic I actually am, Lady Bone Demon. If he must be the first love I lose in my long life, then I struggle to see a better candidate to make it worth it."

The Lady didn't stop smiling when Red Son pulled her close. She just watched him and his fangs. Her vessel shivered and there was a feeling of excitement. Still she held firm in her control. She moved the hand off his shoulder and cupped Red Son's cheek.

"Perhaps. Perhaps you will mourn him and your heart will mend. You, after all, have Saya. Well, Saya has you. You won't be alone, at least. You will mourn and she will help you move on. And she will be sad and glad for it."

Red Son's head jerked, nipping sharply at her palm. Not a playful bite, one meant to hurt and draw blood.

MK could take a small warning bite, and she doesn't get to touch him like that.

"I will have Saya and I will have my parents. And likely more friends with how insistent MK and Mei are about dragging me out to figure out how to be sociable. Are you trying to use the fact I'll have a support network as a reason to dread it more?" He caught the glad part.

He knows Saya will be in pain with him, having lost a friend who understood her. Whatever instinctive possessiveness that will be soothed with the lack of competition was nothing in the face of that mourning. He knew her better than that.

Her hand jerked away but not fast enough. Teeth found flesh and she was bleeding. He glared at Red Son and clenched her hurt hand into a fist. She watched him and this wasn't the reaction she wanted. Again, why could she not get under his skin. She couldn't find that vulnerability again. He was defensive and lashing out. Sure, it meant something but wasn't what she wanted. She didn't respond at first.

"This is a waste of time and so are you," She said finally. MK pulled away from Red Son and tried to simply walk away.

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