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seasonsgreetings2023-10-13 12:35 am
seasonsmods) wrote in seasonsgreetings2023-10-13 12:35 am
Entry tags:
Test Drive Meme #5
Test Drive Meme #5
LOGS | NETWORK | OOC | MEMES | NAVIGATION
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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".
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.
- 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.
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Then Galliard stops, anger overtaking his expression. As Reiner halts in turn, he thinks, Well, that was quick. But then Galliard continues speaking, and Reiner realizes the source of that anger.
"I know!" he exclaims, glad that someone else finally realizes how fucking absurd that is. "It's ridiculous! They're giant, person-sized flowers." He makes a broad gesture—person-sized flowers!—and shakes his head incredulously.
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Nuance! Nuance and subtlety! Just what the conflicted mind needs!
The flowers, though... there's no nuance or subtlety to Galliard's opinions on that. He makes a face when Reiner indicates the sizes of the things.
"Stupid." Coming back in flowers. "Why do people here die, anyway? Seems pointless, especially if you just come back in a flower."
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"It's only us Otherworlders who come back. If you kill a civilian here, they'll stay dead." Not that Reiner would suggest doing so. He's just a bit blasé about the possibility. Blame the quarter of a million corpses at his feet.
"I never wondered why we die here," he admits. "I don't know what dying here would do to our Titans, either."
Nor does Reiner intend to find out. For all that he believes he should've died instead of Marcel—a belief made more potent as he looks at Porco, the familial resemblance dizzying—Reiner isn't actively looking to do so. He just happens to charge headfirst into danger, hurling his body between his loved ones and any threat. It's fine.
"This place is a walk in the park compared to our world," he continues, "but it does have its dangers, especially in the Segments. Things can go south rapidly out there. Some of the magic can even mess with our Titans." He glances to the side. "I ran into something this month that caused my Armor to start crumbling off me. If I'd been alone, it would've ended badly."
His eyes return to Galliard's. "So don't go out into a Segment alone, all right? Take someone with you. Even if it seems unnecessary."
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"It wasn't your fault, you know." If someone had told Galliard, even a few days ago, that he'd be forgiving Reiner for what happened to his brother, he would have laughed. It's incredible what difference a few days, and one memory share from the Founding Titan, can do to someone's perspective. "What happened to Marcel. It was an accident. He never blamed you for it."
Ugh, gross, feelings! That's enough of that, time to focus on the more pressing issues at hand. Much more of this and Galliard will be forced to acknowledge that he was an utter shit to Reiner for way too long. "What are the Segments?"
Yeah, Galliard has had enough of people messing with his titan, so he's going to take this advice seriously.
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Reiner freezes. His breath catches in his throat, eyes wide, so stunned that his expression slides straight past surprise and into blankness. He stands there staring at Galliard, waiting for the catch. Waiting for the insult. Waiting for the blame that he knows is his to carry. Waiting for even more guilt to drag him down into the earth.
Porco doesn't blame him, though. Instead, Porco tells him it was an accident. That Marcel never blamed him.
And Reiner just stands there, as frozen as he was on that day. As frozen as the moment Ymir's Titan rose from the earth, and Reiner was too fucking slow to move.
"I…"
That's all he can get out. Porco moves right on, asking about the Segments. Reiner takes a breath and tries to do the same. He's supposed to be filling Porc— Galliard in, right? That's what he's done this whole time, bringing Galliard up to speed as quickly as possible. Ignoring his own feelings to focus on the task at hand. Biting his tongue to avoid saying how happy he is to see Galliard, or how lonely he's been, or how much Porco resembles the long-lost Marcel.
Marcel, who never blamed Reiner.
Marcel, who was a true leader.
Marcel, who should have lived.
"The, ah. The Segments are outside of the city. Nightwake, it, um." Reiner's eyes dart to the side, his head following, turning so he isn't looking at Galliard. Trying to get his shit together. Trying to pretend there are no tears clinging to the corners of his eyes.
Breathe, dammit. Breathe.
"… Nightwake is the name of this city. It has different districts: Amberfall, Coldreach, Dayrise… The whole thing is surrounded by a magically polluted river with only a few bridges spanning it. The Segments are on the other side of those bridges. There's a Segment for each season. As long as you stay in Nightwake, you're mostly protected. A magical barrier acts like—"
Like a wall. Like Maria. Rose. Sheena.
Reiner made Bertholdt and Annie go forward. He made them push on, breaking down Maria and later attacking Rose. He stepped up to lead. He had to because Marcel was dead. Because Marcel was gone, dying in Reiner's place.
Annie's voice rings in his head: "You were supposed to die a minute ago, right?! If you're feeling bad about it, then die right now! TAKE THE BLAME AND DIE!!"
A traitorous tear trickles down Reiner's cheek. He wipes it with the heel of his hand, unaware that his posture has curled inward, adopting the trapped, guilt-ridden air that will haunt him later in life.
"Sorry," he mutters, hurriedly wiping away another tear.
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Reiner apparently hadn't been ready to hear the truth about Marcel. But, Galliard thinks, he also desperately needed to hear the truth. Reiner kept Marcel's secrets for a long time, even in the face of relentless abuse from Galliard, but this is a Marcel secret that needed to be shared.
"C'mon, you big goon." Galliard takes Reiner's wrist and leads him to a nearby bench. Once there, he'll try and push Reiner to sit down, then takes a sit himself. If he's going to be forced to feel things, he's going to be sitting down while he does it!
"You know how shifter memories work, right? How you can see the memories of the person who had the titan before you?" Most of the time, anyway. Galliard never thought to ask Reiner if he could. "I could see Marcel's. And Ymir's, the woman who had the Jaw in between us."
Not technically at the same time, but hey, Reiner lied about Marcel's motivations to Galliard for years, so he's going to lie about when precisely he was able to see Marcel's memories. Wheeee, keeping the 'lying about Marcel' train going strong! At least this time, though, Galliard is lying to spare someone's feelings, just like Reiner did for so long for him.
"So you know I'm telling you the truth when I say he didn't blame you." He elbows Reiner then, but gently. "Just like how you know that I was supposed to get the Armoured Titan until Marcel lied to protect me."
If nothing else, that should prove that Galliard is telling the truth.
"I have a theory, now, about our titans. The Jaw and the Armoured. Want to hear it?"
no subject
It feels good. Good in a way that goes beyond the touch energy that anchors Otherworlders to this place. It feels familiar. Right. Safe.
Reiner trails along, following where he's pulled, his free hand wiping more tears from his cheeks. Once started, he can't seem to stop them. How could he? Galliard is here in Ellipsa, a fellow Warrior finally joining him after months alone. Porco is here, claiming that Marcel never blamed Reiner for his death. How the hell is Reiner supposed to keep it together in the face of that…?
Galliard pushes him onto a bench. Reiner complies without resistance, his shoulders still curled in, chin dipped in an attempt to hide silent tears. Thanks to their newfound height difference, it's a futile effort as soon as Galliard settles down beside him.
He nods at Galliard's question: he knows about inheriting memories, having experienced it himself. Then he sits still, listening, occasionally brushing another tear from his cheek. It still doesn't make sense. Reiner is responsible for Marcel's death; he knows that. Yet it's impossible to refute Galliard's words, especially as he drops the truth of why Reiner—the weakest and worst of the bunch—was chosen to inherit the Armored. That's not a secret Reiner, Bertholdt, or Annie would have willingly shared. If Reiner had his way, he'd have taken it to his grave.
But Galliard already knows, and the elbow that nudges Reiner's side is gentle.
Reiner swipes a hand across his cheek before he looks over, finally meeting Galliard's eyes again. "Sure," he says, distantly pleased that his voice doesn't sound quite as shaken anymore. Certainly not as shaken as he still feels. "What's your theory?"
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Galliard waits until Reiner is sitting down and, if still leaking tears, at least not actively crying before he starts talking.
"You know how we always thought the Armoured was there to defend the Jaw?" It makes sense on the surface. The Jaw is powerful but easy to damage; Galliard knows he can only take a few hits before he goes down. He's not a veritable wall like the Armoured. "I think it goes both ways, now. I think the two titans are supposed to work together, because they're both strong where the other one is weak."
The Jaw is little and fast, but can't take hits; the Armoured is powerful and durable, but has difficulty with faster-moving targets. When the two are put together, they should, in theory, be unstoppable.
"And I think that applies to the people in the titans, too."
Galliard hopes he doesn't need to spell it out, but what he's trying to say is this: of course Marcel jumped in and shoved Reiner out of the way. He was the Jaw, Reiner was and is the Armoured, and that's just how things are supposed to work. The Jaw protects the Armoured, and the Armoured protects the Jaw. Both are good alone; both are better together.
"So what I'm saying is I'm not mad at you anymore. I get it now. And," and this is the hardest part to say, and Galliard has to stop and take a breath before he continues, "and I'm sorry I was such a shit when we were kids."
Especially since he always was the better man.