hugme_mes | ♥ October 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

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♥ October 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

animated gif of a group of cars playing soccer

October (Lasohm) Test Drive Meme
Premise ♥ Setting ♥ Rules ♥ FAQ ♥ Mod Contact

Havenwell is normally a beautiful city - all tall spires and pure white stone glistening with gold against a blue sky. Now, it's still quite lovely, but it's marred. The wall that surrounds the city has a large glimmering hole broken through the stone and the buildings are missing bits and pieces here and there. The city is still reeling from the aftermath of its siege when a new set of souls are drawn to its shore. Good luck, new arrivals; and please excuse all the dust.

two fingers together with smiling faces drawn on

❥ PROMPT I: Buddy System

With all the changes and the fear of a secondary attack lingering, the natives are a lot more protective of their newest arrivals. When new characters begin to appear at the temples, they receive the welcome speech, get their communicators and the simple map of the city, and a warning to stay away from the walls. Then they get taken to the front of the temple by a helpful robotic priest. Rather than turn the newcomers loose right away, they pull someone seemingly at random off the street and push the two people together with a cheerful, "It's dangerous to go alone, so please show our newest resident around. Please be buddies!" They wait until they're certain the pair is going to be moving off together before going back inside.

They try to place a new arrival with one of those who previously arrived, but who can keep track of all that, right? Characters may find themselves thrown together with an actual veteran or with another new arrival who only came here a day or even just an hour before them! Good luck helping each other out, offworlders, and don't lose your buddy!

❥ PROMPT II: The Havenwell Archives

Lasohm is another month that belongs to Ohma and after such a vicious attack, a small group of citizens decide that it might be great for the offworlders to help with something important to the feline god. These citizens are marked with a sash with the sign of a quill on it, a decidedly antique symbol considering how technologically advanced the people are. They hand out fliers to any who will take them, offering a small amount of Dora in compensation to any who will help the Havenwell Archives repair, catalogue, and restore any books damaged by the attack.

The Archives is a large building in the south and its doors, which have been sealed shut until now, are slightly ajar, allowing people entry. Head to the Archives and you'll be greeted by one of a handful of robotic citizens, all wearing that quill-emblazoned sash, and directed to a small room where you and other offworlders are put to the task of reassembling history texts that have fallen into disrepair or reviewing work that earlier offworlders completed, fixing any glitches that might occur in the text. Most of the writing is illegible, but it seems that these books are important to the Archives for more than just the information contained within. As you work, you might notice that talking and sharing information about yourself or engaging in physical contact near these books with the other people in your room makes the text on your pages a little more legible, a little easier to read and understand, and easier to fix.

❥ PROMPT III: Virtual Research

a virtual first-person view of hands reeling in a fishing rod

After the attack, every part of the city is on repair duty and the means the Entertainment District as well. As new arrivals wander the city, they might be called into one of the numerous Virtual Reality cafes. These cafes vary in layout, but most have areas for the natives to plug directly into the machines and other areas which have older looking virtual reality helmets that allow flesh bodied people experience the games. For those who need assistance with their sensory inputs, basic options like audio descriptions of visual scenes, enhanced audio and descriptive speech, closed captions, and crude mobility chairs are available. A handful of cafes have other options like direct visual or audio cortex stimulation to simulate vision or hearing, or suspension tanks to allow simulated movement, but these are currently unavailable due to damage.

All of these facilities are, unfortunately, under repair. The direct plug-in systems are easier for the robot natives to fix because they can do the most important part of it - testing - by themselves. But for the helmets and other interface systems, they need your help. Naturally, they'll pay you for the work, but they need the offworlders to play the available games and record any areas where they find glitches. Playing with a partner increases your chances of finding and fixing any issues, so feel free to log in for free for once and test any of the following games:

Big Bass Fishing

A (un)Familiar Experience

Robot Crossing

Pick and harvest as many Aellyn vegetables and fruits as you can before the timer runs out! The more you pick, the better your score. Work together with your partner to clear the field in any way you can. Strangely, once you finish clearing a tree or a field row of their bounty, they seem to magically refill when you turn your back. Strangely, when the timer runs out? It flashes 00:00 and the game...doesn't? Stop? In fact, the fruits and vegetables just keep multiplying and multiplying and if you don't hurry up you might just get buried in them all!
With a partner, use the giant slingshot to launch comically large fruits into a garden patch of other colored fruits. Match a line of 3 or more similarly shaped fruits to clear it from the field. The more fruits you can clear, the higher your score - aka welcome to Fruit Crush. Stack lines of 6 or more to get shining clear diamond fruits that clear the entire row and snag yourself some bonus points. Or they should, but whenever you clear away a matching set, the fruits explode, sending fruit bits and juice everywhere - most notably on you and your partner. Still, the game is going on and it looks like it won't stop until you finish, so good thing it's all a computer game, right? Sure feels real though - reeeeeeally sticky.
You and your partner(s) are given a magical golden pumpkin and it's your job to grow it into the largest pumpkin possible. Why? There's a county fair of course and the largest pumpkin wins! But how do you grow this pumpkin? Well, for whatever reason? This pumpkin is already the size of a grizzly bear and it just won't stop growing! You and your partner better find a way to stop it from growing out of control or you might get (virtually) crushed! You could do a song and dance routine together to touch the pumpkin's soul to teach it moderation or calm its insane vegetable puberty. You could hold hands and share stories and entertain the pumpkin until it feels satisfied that it's grown enough. You could just hack and slash at it in an attempt to reduce its unwieldy bulk. The possibilities are endless and so is the pumpkin's growth, so you better hurry!

Have fun however you like with the setting! Make a network post, make up other prompts based on the general setting, go wild. Havenwell is your oyster.

This TDM is for the November application round. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to the FAQ or to the Mod Question thread below. The reservation round begins on October 30, 2019 at 10:00PM EST and our applications will run from November 2, 2019 to November 9, 2019 from 10:00PM EST to 10:00PM EST.

♥ Taken Characters ♥ Reservations ♥ Applications ♥

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She inclines her head, still looking at him. From there, she takes more weight from his hands, as if lifting him up.

As if holding something quite precious. ]

First...

What is your name?

[ Such is the depth of her love for all life. ]

Somnus.

Somnus.... [ She murmurs respectfully, committing the name to memory.

Then, repeating it once more to address him: ]

Somnus, what do you find beautiful?

[ A few beats pass. He's not thought of such a thing in years. ]

The world.

[ During his delay, she continues to keep her hands tied with his. The answer he gives couldn't be more perfect. It's a single, simple answer, with no explanation given; but he doesn't need elaborate upon anything else. She understands. She agrees. ]

Ah-- you think so too? [ She sounds excited, happy; perhaps she's found a kindred spirit. The world her father made is indeed lovely and unique, even though it is dying. This world, too, may be upon its last legs, if the powers-that-be have become desperate enough a situation to siphon souls from other realms. Despite this, it remains beautiful.

She closes her eyes. ] The earth. The sky, the stars above. The mountains, the rivers.... and all of the people that live within it.

[ And with this, she answers his wordless question from before. A quiet laugh bubbles merrily out of her. ] I can't think of a more beautiful thing than creation itself.

[ ...Of course her own purpose is for destruction. ]

[ The duality that drives humanity forward, the light to illuminate the future, and the assuredly warm embrace of repose—for Somnus, it is the intangible that he cherishes.

Truly, there's nothing more magnificent—and terrible—than all creation. That Pyra was the one to say it gives the statement even greater weight, for she herself is a higher being while he is nothing. (The perfect softness of her hands, devoid of callouses and other signs of labor in spite of her awesome power, is but one proof of her sanctity.) ]

Perhaps that is why the gods saw fit to summon you here.

[ Daring to presume why the gods do anything is a dangerous game of speculation. But being in the dark as she is, she can’t help but play.

She clues in on one choice word of his: “to summon you here.” ] ....Me?

[ Pausing for a moment, she cants her head the opposite way. Her grip slackens slightly. ]

[ Then she leans in. ] You too, you know. You too.

[ She chuckles softly, as if she finds some sort of humor in him excluding himself for the very same supposed reason of being summoned. He thinks the world is beautiful, just as she does. Now her hands give his a squeeze, and there’s a glint in her crimson eyes. ]

I certainly can’t hold my own hand all by myself.

[ That’s the greatest guilt she has: she can not help this world by herself. As dangerous as she is, as much as she does not deserve any of this... she must interact with others. ]

[ No, certainly not for what the gods have in mind. Much as a bond could not be fostered by one person alone.

Just as she leans in, he pulls back by an inch. It won't do to be too familiar, even though his hands remain within her grasp. ]

If it will suit this world, my hand is yours to take.

[ Now and in the days to follow, she can reach for his hand. She needn't ask or look for permission. He's given it to her at this moment. ]

[ Near as she is, she notices how he pulls back just slightly, yet his hands continue to be linked with hers. It gives him away, she thinks: he's not used to being close, or perhaps he is uncomfortable.

But his heart is indisputably in the right place, as he is willing to sacrifice his own preferences and whatever he might feel about it-- all to help. Hence, he continues to hold her hand for the sake of the world. ]

...Ah.

You're quite selfless, aren't you. [ It's spoken not as a question, but as an observation. ]

[ Selfless isn't the word he'd use. ]

We have been summoned to fulfill a specific purpose. To do otherwise is detrimental to all those involved.

[ Including himself. So long as this world remains in jeopardy, so will his. He has no power to defy the gods that brought him here. The word she should be using is self-serving. Although she continues to look for the best in the people she so dearly loves, sometimes that best does not exist. ]

[ ...That still seems like a mark or selflessness to her— what with him considering that not engaging would be a detriment to all— but his expression, intense as it is, seems to conflict with the righteousness of his words.

Touch, she imagines, must be (more or less) welcome between humans: welcome, nice, and good. He looks as if he’s been called to war, and that he is regarding his new duty of his just as seriously. This might be her first time, but she’s fairly certain that holding hands shouldn’t be a battle. ]

...When was the last time you’ve held hands with someone?

[ She continues to observe him in the same manner as before. ]

[ When, indeed. His gaze drifts to their joined hands. Now, if he wants to be technical, though they shouldn't be doing this. ]

That matters not.

[ Touch is touch. Whatever significance she might ascribe to the answer, he was never so sentimental as to count the days for something like that. Her first, his nth—it doesn't matter. ]

The gods desire touch. They will have it.

[ That matters not-- words of someone who is duty-bound, placing a directive far above what they feel and, also, quite easily a deflection. She understands, being what she is. However, she thinks, he shouldn't have to suffer for it; perhaps she can make this hand-holding experience as idly pleasant as possible for him. ]

Then... walk with me, Somnus.

[ She releases one of his hand to be by her side, while the other still keeps his in hers. Pyra steps away, distancing themselves, but through their joined hands tugs him along.

She continues, a joking tone light on her tongue: ] How to hold hands... we'll learn how to perfect this by the end of the day.

[ The city is new to him yet. Walking while they remain in contact will afford him the advantage of committing their surroundings to memory. Voicing no complaint, he allows himself to be tugged along, ever just a step behind her. ]

Have you seen the city?

Hardly any of it, save for the wall. [ Can one explore an entire city in one day? ] The first order of business would be to find where any of us might be stay...ing...

[ A beat.

She glances at him.

He sure is walking a step behind her. ]

[ She giggles again. If they continue like this, they'll look not unlike a mother trailing a child along! How silly would that be? ]

[ Thus, stopping once more, she turns to look at him and gives him one more encouraging tug. ]

I did say.... walk with me.

[ She doesn't bite, promise! Or does she smell... is that why he's distant...

But, hey, this is hand-holding 101 while walking: walk together, not dragging the other along! ]

[ She smells great. Divine, in fact.

How silly he looks is the least of his worries, and such a concern is beneath a being like Pyra, who nevertheless wishes to walk as equals. At that last tug, he finally steps forth. ]

The city centers. [ He cranes his neck in the rough direction of said center. ] That is where we must go.

[ Satisfied that he's finally walking beside her LIKE A NORMAL PERSON, she sets forth. ] "The Marshes"... that's what someone [ ~~rando NPC~~ ] had mentioned to me for housing. They're townhouses, mostly...

[ Down the steps they go. ] There is no one else here from my world, as far as I know. [ Which is something she'd prefer, as she's fairly certain most that she knows of her world are either dead or want her dead. Or to use her. Her safest bet as of this moment is to remain as unassuming as possible. ] So an entire townhouse would be, ah, so large just for one person! There's bound to be smaller options.

[ She smiles. ] Maybe you'll be luckier. [ Finding someone from his own world, she means-- and she says as much because she assumes most would want to have someone from their world here. ]

[ If he's lucky, it'll only be his brother and they'll never cross paths for as long as they're both here. ]

Those are but accommodations for sleeping and eating. I will share the space with any.

[ No longer is he a spirit manifested as he once appeared. Now that he'll require sleep and sustenance again, his time to serve will be drastically reduced. That doesn't mean he'll be spending all day indoors.

Pyra shared a living space with another well enough in Chroma, assigned or no. (As far as he knows, he never met anyone from her world that time.) Given the choice, he wonders, will she hesitate to do the same here? ]

Oh, in that case, would you like to board together?

[ Ab s o fucki n g l u t l e y she would want to room with someone!!! Holy hell, she's been sealed for five hundred years with no one but herself (technically speaking, but also not technically, but also technically^{it's complicated}. So, she asks the question before she can even stop herself to consider things...

Like.

That he is a total stranger.

That she knows nothing about him.

But look how excited and hopeful she looks at him to say yes! ]

[ And that, even in the modern era, there's still something known as propriety. Somnus was never known for his etiquette, though. Neither is he in the position nor have a reason to refuse Pyra.

Already knowing his answer, he gives her a cursory glance. ]

Very well. I have no preference as to the place.

[ She can choose the house. All he needs is a single room for himself. ]

[ Don't think she didn't notice how he brushed the idea of rooming with others from his world, whether or not they're here...

...But for the moment, her excitement has gotten the better of her. With a little more enthusiasm to her step, she continues with him towards the city center. ] Oh-- oh, let's find one with a working kitchen!

[ Even since awakening five hundred years ago, for that one year she had walked upon the earth it had been nothing but inns after inns at which to stay, followed by camping out in the wildness upon the Titan's backs or within their bellies. Addam's manor had never been a home for the brief nights she had stayed there, what with the war. The ship in which she had been sank-- the casket in which she had been sealed-- the tomb... had been far more a home to her than anything else.

And if the place has a kitchen, it will be the first time she's ever cooked, the knowledge of how-to inherently granted to her upon being constructed. ] Maybe with an oven and gas stoves, and... [ He can stop her any time. ]

[ Who is he to stop her?

If she knows how to use those things, all the more power to her. He doesn't—not anything with electricity involved, anyway. His knowledge of modern technology is limited to the basics, most of which were acquired from distant observation. ]

I do not imagine there will be significant disparities between the houses.

[ They're being handed out to newcomers for free. The furnishing is bound to be the same, if not identical, across the lot. ]

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