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seasonsgreetings2023-12-15 12:08 am
seasonsmods) wrote in seasonsgreetings2023-12-15 12:08 am
Entry tags:
Test Drive Meme #6
Test Drive Meme #6
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?
The whole city of Nightwake has completely gotten into holiday season. Christmas exists in Ellipsa, but it's just a celebration of winter spirits and a chance to exchange presents with your loved ones. Things like Santa Claus do exist, but they're not as important in Ellipsa traditions. The most important thing about Christmas, for Ellipsa natives, is being together with someone you truly care about and watching the Christmas lights.
Due to the holiday spirit, some of the cleaning related machines have started cleaning on their own, especially in the Starter Apartment Building. It's not weird to see a roomba entering an apartment through someone's dog door or a vacuum cleaner to knock on the door to enter. Natives will tell anyone wondering what's going on that this is perfectly normal and they should just let them do their job.
Some machines are, however, a little too eager and will try to clean even people, unless they've been to the shower that day.
Any items lost during the cleaning frenzy can be found from the Lost and Found of the Research Center - or they're potentially returned to the wrong apartment completely.
Along with holiday decorations different sized and shaped mistletoes have appeared all around the city. A good part of them are actually just normal mistletoes that you can just ignore and continue, but some of them are magical plants.
Mistletoes will use various methods to trap someone under them. Some grow vines to grab the person (magically infused, very difficult to break), some form a barrier around them that allows another to walk in but no one to walk out. There are even methods still unknown (make your own)! So it's definitely recommended that people use caution when passing a mistletoe.
The regular way of getting out of a mistletoe's hold is to kiss someone. Even platonic kisses count, so there's no need to force oneself to do mouth to mouth action. Another less known method - that the natives will tell people about - is to dance a little dance for the mistletoe; there's usually enough room inside a barrier, or the vines are loose enough, to let someone dance!
Another type of mistletoe is a roaming mistletoe that stubbornly follows someone who very much wants to kiss someone, but for some reason won't. The mistletoe will be waiting for them when they walk outside or appear out of nowhere when the person is talking to someone. It can only be chased away by actually kissing the person they want to, so even kissing a random person doesn't help this one.
CW/TW: Hanahaki Disease
Some of the mistletoes have a less pleasant effect (they're extremely rare). Those caught under one of them and who have something they need to confess to someone (may it be romantic or platonic) will be inflicted with the Hanahaki disease. They will be coughing up flowers that have started to grow inside them due to the secrets they're hiding. It's a painfully slow process.
Best way to cure the disease is to confess whatever it is they have on their heart. After that the flowers will start to disappear and everything can return to normal.
Other methods are getting a spring power holder to lift the disease off them, make a potion out of the hanahaki flowers and flaming ginger roots (found from the Summer Segment, near the Temple of Life) or surgically removing the source. All of these methods, however, will make the person lose all of their emotions for the next 24 hours.
During the winter holidays there's plenty to do in the city. Various workshops have been set up in every district. The goal of these workshops is to make all districts look as close to Christmas as possible, even the ones that are in the middle of summer. They're looking for creative ways to celebrate the festival and are always looking for help to make their wishes come true.
All the districts also have an ice rink built to them. They're magical, so even the heat of Solarpeak won't melt them. Skating in one of these ice rinks will make different colors appear around the skater. All the colors are somehow related to the skater and make beautiful art in the air (e.g. rainbows, whirlpools, flowers, animals). These colors don't have any other magical properties and will fade away after a while.
Those who skate together will find their colors mixing together. The more balanced the color mix is, the better relationship they have. This works even if there are more than two skaters having fun together. Those who are in love with each other will find their colors intertwining together into different kind of lines and ribbons.
It's a common rumor that if the colors turn into gold, silver or platinum instead of just mixing together, the couple skating is destined to be together.
If a relationship is rocky or either one of them has doubts about the other, the colors may completely disappear when they're close together in the rink. The colors will return again once some distance has been taken.
Christmas is largely a holiday for families and couples. That's why all the natives are excited to hear that there will be a Wedding for two otherworlders soon. That's why a lot of shops are doing promotions for any couples that enter them (even sometimes mistaken two friends as a couple). They're also excitedly making different wedding themed charms that will make the person dream about their dream wedding when it's put under a pillow (or if they don't have a dream wedding, they will dream otherwise pleasant dreams).
It's a great tradition to kiss under a Christmas tree. Those who do this will find a present appearing next to them. This present will have a pair of lockets that have pictures of each other in them. The locket will vibrate and the pictures will change its expression any time the person has an emotional crisis.
Those who are loners, or just don't have anyone to call their own, will be able to enjoy the holidays in their own special cabins filled with familiar scents and colors, located on any districts. They are, of course, welcome to invite friends over to enjoy it as well - and if one thing leads to another, that's a very good bonus.
Another important day to celebrate is the start of the New year. These celebrations, as well as the winter holiday ones, tend to continue far into January, as the natives find the atmosphere soothing and a great way to start an entirely new year.
Most important new year tradition is the Fireworks show. Booths have been set up for people to create their own fireworks. These fireworks will explode in the skies with the chosen colors and shapes (a picture, some text, anything really). All the person has to do is create the design they want and choose their colors. These fireworks will be sent to the skies on midnight when the year changes.
Those who create fireworks will receive a blessing for the new year that will let them regain one item from home/a previous world (works like a normal, non-magical regain would). Those who don't know what they want will be able to receive a random item that has been in their possession at any point. This item will appear near wherever they happen to be when the fireworks are set off, so after midnight in the new year.
Of course, there's plenty of food and drinks to go around everywhere, and most of them are even free. Some may even find their favorite dish among the various dishes available.
- Mistletoes (at least a good chunk of them) and all the Ice Rinks will be available until the end of January. Mistletoes are hard to control so not all of them can be taken down easily - and the ice rinks are just fun to have around. Some other traditions can also be still done during January, even if they might not be as powerful after New Year.
- Sawyer, the Autumn Guild Leader, is still missing, so the atmosphere around the Autumn Guild is a less cheerful one, unfortunately.
- 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.
no subject
I would be happy to accompany you if you wish to explore it. I know my way around magic as well as threats you might find in the water. Even if it's not truly an ocean, you should have the opportunity for a similar experience.
To be honest, I was considering venturing there myself anyway- and it appears as though there's an outpoint right on the coast.
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You can work magic?
[As far as she's concerned, magic only exists in stories. (Sure, Olwen mentioned that all newcomers to Ellipsa have attained "seasonal powers", but he didn't detail what that entails, and Frieda needed to prioritise other things first - how to use her phone, how to orient herself in this huge city, and so forth.)]
no subject
[He takes a step back and offers her a little display by summoning a sphere of water, then with the same ease with which he summoned it, he froze it and held it out for her to poke at as she wished.]
But I know enough to fend off threats, and I am a rather dab hand at potions if I do say so myself.
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You made this out of thin air..! Incredible!
[This world and some of its visibly inhuman inhabitants were already beyond her wildest dreams, but for even magic to exist here - or, rather, in Jade's world?]
You are a remarkable person! Is everybody adept at magecraft where you're from?
no subject
[He shakes his head at her question.]
Sadly, not everyone can use magic where I’m from. Either you’re born with it, or you’re not.
[Thought, remembering some of what they’d been told earlier, his skills wouldn’t be much of a peculiarity, would they?]
Though if I understand our situation correctly, it would seem as though that’s not the case here. You could probably learn a bit of magic yourself with some practice.
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You mean those seasonal powers? I must say, I have no idea how to even get started on that. I'll seek out some more information first and foremost.
[She remembers Olwen's words: " 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."]
What kind of landscape were you summoned to, before we were all brought together?
no subject
[He presumed that meant his skills would center around ice and snow- something he was already capable of manipulating. An added challenge, especially if the magic worked similarly.
Though that would be rather poor luck for him, he might at least be able to offer some advice to her.]
If it helps, when my brother and I first came into our magic, our first uses were completely accidental. The trick is to vividly imagine something to make it a reality.
In my case, my brother was being something of a pest that day, so I vividly imagine him frozen to a door.
no subject
I'll take that to heart! It's a pity that we seem to be assigned to different seasons. I arrived in a spring landscape.
[Right now, she hasn't even figured out that her new abilities include elemental magic, but she definitely will investigate!]
Surely, there'll be theoretical research we'll need to do before we can actually control any of our supposed new powers, so would you by any chance like to study together with me?
[And, since she realises only now that she hasn't introduced herself--]
My name is Frieda.
no subject
A pity indeed, I'm curious as to how such things are sorted. Perhaps it's because I am accustomed to colder climates, perhaps it is simply random. Still, studying together would be worthwhile I believe.
[She may be able to access her new magic before he accessed his, and while he could offer insight on control, she may be able to guide him through some of the nuances between his normal magic. Yes, that would be quite effective.]
Oh, goodness me, where are my manners? I am Jade Leech. A pleasure to meet you.
[And he bows very politely in greeting.]
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It's a pleasure, Jade. Let's exchange network usernames so we can easily stay in contact! Mine is 'frieda'.
[She'll spell that out for him, too. Given that she's an 18-year-old from a world with no internet whatsoever, she's extremely excited to explore the game-changing opportunities this technology provides. Back home, she'd have to send a letter or, under urgent circumstances, a messenger on horseback to invite Jade anywhere!]
no subject
And good thing too because this girl needs to learn emoji stat.]
Here let me show you a trick. If you push this button here…
[He stands next to her to show her as he did it on his phone, then tapped the phones together and- ding! A friend request from “Thatsamoray”. In hindsight, not exactly subtle in terms of remaining an incognito fish, but the pun was too good to pass up.]
And there, that’s me.
no subject
Wow! That's amazing!
[She accepts his friend request and sends one in return. If nothing else, she's fast on the uptake!]
"That's a moray"... why did you make that your username?
no subject
[Mmm, now how to tell this story while leaving a very key piece of information out.]
Moray eels are animals you find in the sea, and there's a historical figure that was said to have kept a pair of twin eels by her side. My brother and I, being twins ourselves, latched onto the tale fairly young. I'm sure you can imagine the rest.
[He's absolutely sure she won't- but he's still going to attempt to distract her from trying by sending her a little eel emoji. Come on grandma, take the bait.]
There, they look something like that.
no subject
I've seen this kind of eel before, but not a moray eel! Still, this is so nice. I only have younger siblings, but having a twin sounds wonderful.
...
That lady, why did she keep the eels? What was her position?
[Sorry, Jade, she didn't get totally distracted! She's imagining a queen with a big saltwater aquarium curving around her throne right now.]
no subject
[Please have many grandma friends that you can assault with this information. Even if he never sees the result, he'll be happy knowing there's a bunch of tech illiterate youths texting like obnoxious children.
But ah, right. The logistics of a woman on land keeping eels would probably spark curiosity, wouldn't it?]
She was a Sea Witch, said to granted the wishes of anyone that visited her. Her power and skills in magic were far ahead of her time, and she's a highly respected figure.
[You know, while he wasn't keen on being outed himself, a long-dead historical figure should be fine, right?]
She was a mermaid, so she lived in the sea. The eels were her companions, or perhaps familiars, it's not quite clear which. It was some time ago.
no subject
A sea witch... it sounds like a fairy tale. Now I wonder if all the fairy tales of my world are real, and those beings only live in different worlds.
[It's a comforting thought that helps her contextualise her optimistic feelings about her experiences here so far... it's a solace, somehow, that her miserable world isn't the only one, that there are better and brighter and more magical worlds out there.]
To imagine people living in the ocean..! Do you know what the mermaid looked like?
[Little does she know that Ellipsa's Great Ocean Lake features its very own marine societies!]
no subject
[Hoo boy he sure is cutting it very close to being a filthy liar here. Not that he minds, but lies are harder to keep track of than half-truths. And
whenif things do get out, no doubt she'll be rather cross with him over it.]You know, it 's possible you may have them in your world was well. Unless the depths of your oceans have been explored, there's no way to know. Merfolk tend to be reclusive, and during the Sea Witch's era it was against the law to interact with humans.
no subject
You know, you have a point. We have no means of exploring the ocean beneath the surface.
[Her people can't even explore the land outside the walls - not without running a serious risk of being eaten, at least. What if there are other types of people out there besides the rest of humanity who hate and fear her kind? But immediately, she grows solemn. As the Eldians are rightly resented for the suffering they caused with their titans, surely magic-wielding merfolk would likewise be met with feelings of wariness and apprehension. Maybe the problem are we humans. Then again, it works out in Jade's world, doesn't it?]
Do you humans have good relations with the merfolk, now?
no subject
[Some things may have been lost to history of course, but even he's not aware of that. To be honest he probably wouldn't care much either. He can appreciate a good hustle.]
There are even programs that merfolk can apply to if they're interested in exploring life on land. The potion the sea witch made, while it's been refined through technological means, is still in use today.
[And incidentally it's what he's got in a nice little prescription bag after hassling the staff earlier. What a coincidence. It's a good thing he's a great liar or he might get awkward about that.]
no subject
I can hardly imagine a world in which rulers are moved by one couple's love, to the point of changing laws and starting relations where there were none before. Their union must have held unexpected prospects for both sides.
[Way to rain on his parade, Frieda! But it's really hard for her to believe that the prejudices that must have existed between the two races were so easily surmounted. Perhaps, the course of events was simplified and ameliorated as it was recorded and passed down. She knows all too well how that happens. People don't want to remember the ugly parts of their history. As for that potion...]
Can humans temporarily become merpeople, too?
no subject
It is rather easy to be a poor neighbor when you are unaware that your neighbors exist, after all. After the marriage, I suspect humans would have been more considerate, and the sea king would have been forced to intact more with his land-dwelling in laws.
[Such was his understanding on the situation at any rate. There were numerous other historical theories, but to him that felt the most logical- though perhaps it was some emotional tie between the king and his daughter- though that sounded rather foolish to him.]
There are indeed potions that can do the reverse, but they're admittedly not quite as effective as the sea witch's potion. Underwater breathing potions and spells are a more common alternative, since humans can maneuver better in water than merfolk can on land, thus the reverse potions gets somewhat less attention.
Not to mention, transformation potions are quite painful when first taken, then one must grow accustomed to maneuvering a new unfamiliar body.
CW: Cannibalism (just AoT things!)
A new unfamiliar body. She remembers how her hands shook around the syringe holding the liquid that would turn her into a pure titan. That's the last thing she remembers, though. She must have injected herself, turned, and eaten her uncle - her kind uncle, who had always been a there for her and her siblings. There was no helping it; he was dying, and someone needed to inherit the Founding Titan. Didn't he smile at her from where he was chained up (because even if people are determined to die, it's human instinct to run from a monster)? But still... she misses him, even though she inherited his memories.]
...
I can imagine.
no subject
Well, he was certain the answer would come with time, and he was content to fein ignorance for now. So he leaned down so that his head was more on level with hers, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.]
Frieda? Is everything alright? Perhaps we should step outside for some fresh air.
no subject
At his gentle inquiry, she pulls herself out of her memories and smiles sincerely, giving his hand on her shoulder an assuring squeeze.]
I'm sorry. I think I'm just tired because I haven't had anything to eat in a while. Are you hungry too? Perhaps we can look for a place to have a meal at.
no subject
[She wasn’t fooling anyone with that paltry excuse, but no reason for him to push matters- especially since food was the next topic. Merman or no, he was still a teenage boy, and he was rather notorious for his excessive appetite.
So he stands back up after her assurances and politely offers her his arm to escort her out the building.]
Well in that case, let’s see what this city has had to offer, and if nothing is to our liking, I will happily offer to cook something for us myself. I help a friend run a small restaurant back at school.
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