June (Dianir) Test Drive Meme

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June (Dianir) Test Drive Meme
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Dianir, the month when Diacht's power begins to take hold, has begun and the effects of the previous month's rejuvenation have finally worn off. The city is fresh and new with flora and fauna, and the weather begins to turn ever hotter with each passing day as summer begins encroaching upon spring. The natives and new residents alike are adjusting to the first major changes to Havenwell's layout in centuries relatively well, all things considered, with natives slowly and cautiously beginning to expand businesses and homes into the newly opened areas. The temples are abuzz with activity as adherents flock to them, offering praise and words of thanks for the gods and the offworlders, without whom this major step forward would not have been possible.

❥ PROMPT I: Basic Instincts

Randomly and without warning, characters will find that, depending upon the strength of their deity, they may begin exhibiting some...odd qualities associated with their god. Those whose gods are the weakest will find the desire to give in to these qualities are the strongest, bordering on nigh impossible to ignore. Like an itch in the middle of your back that you can't reach, but you're going crazy trying to get it. The longer your character ignores the desire, the stronger it gets. Those whose gods are the strongest will find the urge there and definitely annoyingly loud, but not impossible to ignore for longer periods of time. And what qualities are we talking about? Well, from strongest to weakest, those qualities are...

♥ Ohma (strongest urge): While normally standoffish and languid, this feline god can also cling to things and people at times with an almost obsessive fervor. They need everyone to know that what is theirs belongs to them, and what better way to do that than to mark what is most important to them? People and things adherents of Ohma deem essential or necessary to their lives will find that their Ohma-driven friends are unusually clingy, wanting to hold hands or press up as close as possible to them. It might be hard to go about your day when an Ohma adherent has their arms around your waist, face pressed to your back or chest, unwilling to let go! Another unusual trait to pop up is their hunting instinct. This seems to come out most strongly around the followers of Ainea and Diacht, where Ohma's predatory instincts cause them to play-stalk and play-hunt their fellow offworlders. It's all in good fun though! Give them a tackle or a tag and the urge to 'chase' seems to go away.

♥ Ainea: The little mouse deity is renowned for her compassion and family devotion, but a little known trait of hers is the need to gather. Whether it be people or things, Aineans will find an overwhelming need to pack-rat and hoard as much stuff as possible. Oddly, things that aren't owned by other people already (such as items from stores or museums) hold very little value to them. But that scarf someone else is wearing? Yoink. That person who catches your eye as they walk down the street? Yup. You're going to be gathering everything you can and everything that catches your eye into a central location - be it your home or some other meaningful place to you - in an attempt to bring together a cozy, happy home. Once you've created your perfect little cozy pile, wouldn't it be nice to just dig in and snooze with all of your favoritest things and people? Of course it would! It just might be hard because people tend to want to go about your lives and you? You'd rather they stay right where they are with you.

♥ Diacht: This is the beginning of the avian god's cycle and when their power is beginning to grow incrementally, but that doesn't seem to be excluding them from the chaos. While known for their honesty and honor, Diacht isn't above their more basic instincts. One of which is an almost comical obsession with anything shiny. What's shiny to a Diacht adherent? Well, that depends on each person. It could literally be a bit of tinsel or metal that glints in the bright early summer sun, or it could be a person with whom you've begun to feel a special connection. Diachtians will feel an urge to rush in and snatch up what catches their eye the most, which could put them at odds with both Aineans and Rawnas trying to hold onto their belongings. Beware of the Ohmans who might be stalking you from the shadows, too. If you manage to successfully make off with your latest prize, where better to stash it (or them) than high up, right? You'll be wanting to take over a high perch in town, which might put you into direct confrontation with the Rawnans as you bicker over who really has the right to claim the town fountain, the research towers, or the newly discovered colosseum as their own.

♥ Rawna (weakest urge): Currently the strongest of the deities, adherents of the draconic god will find these urges the easiest to ignore for the longest possible time. The desire is still there, however, and seeing everyone else go buckwild around you might just trigger something deep within: a sense of territorialism. That's your stuff they're taking! And your people! And hey! That's your house! That's your garden and no one else is allowed inside! The urge to protect and keep what's yours for you and you alone is extremely high this month. Sharing is not caring, thank you very much. In fact, it might be easiest to keep an eye on all that you own if you're also the owner of the highest points in town - the town fountain, the research towers, and the newly discovered colosseum. Rawna adherents will find themselves fighting and bickering among themselves and with the Diacht followers to claim ownership of the highest points of land that they can find. Don't be too violent though! No one likes a sore loser. They'll also want to watch out for the Aineans who might just steal that which you hold dearest.

❥ PROMPT II: What'd You Say To Me?

With the gods so thoroughly distracted by their baser needs, it seems something fairly important to the off-worlders' lives has also gone on the fritz. Randomly throughout the month, characters may find that they suddenly can't understand each other. The universal translation magic that's been holding everything together will randomly cut in and out, like spotty WiFi at a public bus station. You could be in the midst of a conversation and suddenly everything that comes out of your partner's mouth turns to gibberish, or just into their native language which you, unfortunately, don't seem to understand. Speak every language fluently? Have a spell that makes you telepathic? Chances are, it won't work. Whether it's written, spoken, thought or gestured, the language barrier is nigh insurmountable whenever this malady passes over you. Thankfully, as with most things here, if you and your conversation friend decide to touch for awhile, the effects wane and pass on as if nothing had gone wrong at all. Let go and it might come back though, so you best be prepared!

❥ PROMPT III: Gotta Make Money to Spend Money

Clothes in Havenwell for more than just offworlders are starting to become a thing, although the availability of good clothing and custom clothing can still be quite expensive. With natives and non-natives alike trying to vye for the latest fashions and outdo one another for an upcoming competition, what little was available is pretty quickly gone from the shelves, leaving the few tailors in town charging premiums for any new products that are needed. Luckily, the wheels of capitalism don't stop, even in this faraway land, and paid jobs are currently plentiful. If you aren't looking to join in the festivities, don't despair! The dora you earn through these tasks can just as easily be spent on other goods and services as you like. A job board is posted in front of tailors and other shops, advertising the following things that people are willing to pay to get done:

• Research Towers: Attention, Offworlders! We hear your calls for innovative cuisine! Create a recipe using available ingredients in Havenwell (replicated or not) with a friend and describe it in detail for potential use in future replicator recipes. We only require that you and your friend taste test and be able to describe the taste, texture, and feeling this food gives you. Please deliver your completed recipes to Research Tower East. Edible and named recipes, regardless of whether they are utilized or not, will receive dora in exchange!
  
• City Council: Attention, Offworlders! We have heard that "homesickness" is a thing that many people might be experiencing and we have heard you! Please are paying for people to bring us examples of your home cultures - be it stories, plays, history or something else. Dramatic reenactments, video recordings, and physical recreations are preferred.
  
• Entertainment District: Attention, Artists! We are experimenting with new synthetic materials that may be useful for your artistic endeavors. Please visit your local museum to pick up a sample pack. Payment for acceptable artistic creations that utilize these new materials in a new and innovative way is being offered. Materials include: new colors of synthetic paints, a more malleable synthetic clay, and a synthetic marble for carving. Offworlder models preferred.
  
• Business District: Help Wanted! We are looking for delivery drones. Those interested should contact the delivery center. Requirements: be capable of moving quickly, carrying large loads of cargo, efficient, and safe! We need machinery, building supplies, personal packages and more shipped and delivered across all of Havenwell. Most packages currently awaiting delivery will require a minimum of two people to deliver. For those without transport, we are offering a crash course in piloting our newly minted three-wheeled delivery scooters.

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

This TDM is for the July 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 June 29, 2020 at 10:00PM EST and our applications will run from July 2, 2020 to July 9, 2020 from 10:00PM EST to 10:00PM EST.

♥ Taken Characters ♥ Reservations ♥ Applications ♥

Comments

[nyxly]

[ Nyx, browsing the jackets on display, hears the door to the store open and close. He lifts his eyes from the rack. Who does he see but the new, young king of Lucis, a face that he would recognize anywhere, for the reason his branch of military was formed had been to protect him specifically.

Shock briefly betrays his expression, then dissipates to something neutral. Perhaps he’s still acquainting himself to the overwhelming notion of being alive, which may supersede any surprise from seeing someone familiar. Perhaps he’s too numb. Or perhaps there’s only an ingrained instinct to curb such expressions that serve no purpose in favor of action. Perhaps all three. Noctis will see this: he straightens up, and it takes but two heavy bootfalls to step out from behind the rack and stand at attention, hands clasped behind his back. He would have dropped to his knee in deference, had they not been in such a public venue. ]

Your Majesty.

[ He is here. Troubling.

What of their own world, then? ]

[carbungle]

[If the uniform, tattered even as it was, hadn't given him away, the rigid posture of a soldier on duty would have done it. That's definitely a Kingsglaive, and one with a familiar face at that. He's certain he's seen the man before- around the Citadel, or in the papers, maybe? Gotta be. News of the front came often enough across his desk as the heir to the throne, though it was more names than faces.

The formality is immediately discomforting, however, and Noctis raises both hands, at first in a clumsy dismissal and then, remembering himself, pats his fist to his chest in a proper salute.]

Um- at ease, you don't have to- I'm not the king here.

[Certainly not one comfortable enough with the title to accept it gracefully. And not while his dad is here. This man... it's gonna bother him, how familiar he seems. To consider Noctis as king, that means two things: he's from after the city fell, and he knows Regis is dead. And to offer up such a formal posture means he could be still loyal to the Crown, and such Kingsglaive are rare from all he's heard.]

...I know you. I should know you.

[nyxly]

[ The clumsiness, the informal salute, and the following stumble over his words do not put him at ease, at least internally. This is the king who Lunafreya was to deliver the ring to.

Outwardly, he unclasps his hands from behind, allowing them to fall at his side, and answers only what is necessary. That Noctis doesn't recognize who he is... isn't surprising. Regis, too, hardly seemed to recognize him when he burst into the throne room the day of the treaty-signing. There are bigger things at work. ]

Nyx Ulric, sir.

[carbungle]

[Is "sir" better than "Majesty"? Kind of. Barely. But Noctis is far more interested in the name that precedes it, so he doesn't push back yet. Nyx Ulric. The familiarity makes immediate sense. Who amongst the Crown and their inner circle haven't heard of the man? The big hero of the Glaives, an expert at wielding the king's magic, whose heroics were celebrated as much as insubordination was punished. Even if he hadn't known through reports, he would have recognized it from Luna's retelling of Insomnia's fall.

He's momentarily stunned before he finds his voice again.]

Right- I remember. You saved Luna, helped get her out of the city. I owe you big time, for everything you did. [Clumsy he may be as a royal, but he's earnest in his words.] Thank you.

[nyxly]

[ The genuineness in his voice is undeniable, and hearing that Lunafreya had made it safely out of the city... that, at last, seems to cause a shift in his stance, something not unlike a sagging relief. He bows his head to show thanks to the gratitude Noctis delivers, then raises his gaze.

He must give credit to others. It hadn't just been him. It was never only him. ]

There were others who helped. Libertus. The Old Wall. [ At that critical turning point of donning the ring for himself, Nyx's goal of protecting the city had shifted priority to include something greater: ensuring her and the Ring's safe passage out. The Kings and Libertus played as much a role in that as he. ] They deserve just as much credit.

[ Nyx appears as if to about to ask something more. It would be safe to assume he has many questions in regards to what had happened afterwards: how is the state of the world, is the Crystal recovered, did Luna return the ring to him. But does it matter if he knows or not? He's dead, and the future is in his hands. This, he must continue to debate. ]

[carbungle]

Right. And if I ever get the chance to see them, I'll thank them, too.

[He'd been too angry about Drautos to pass his thanks on to Libertus through Cor, but maybe the chance will come before he faces Ardyn. If not, hopefully he'll forgiven for the lack of proper gratitude. As for the Old Wall... technically those souls are in the ring right now. He's thanked them enough already- and they've taken their pay in kind, with more to come on the throne. The less said about that, the better.

Nyx isn't the only one who has questions he's hesitant to ask; Noctis wants to know more about what happened, things Luna wasn't present for, or was too hurt to discuss in full. What the battle was like, how Drautos died, what his reason for the betrayal was. Why Nyx didn't join his comrades for the empire. Whether or not he made it out of the city, after whatever price he'd paid in exchange for the ring's power. But those answers are likely not pleasant ones, and it feels cold to demand the truth from a man so fresh from the sort of fight that went down in the city- and he looks like he did.

So instead, he circles back to the title, and a proper introduction.]

This isn't Insomnia, and I'm mostly incognito these days anyway. You can just call me Noctis if you want.

[He won't demand it, if titles and rank give this man comfort the way it does Cor. He doesn't know him well enough to make that decision, so it's an offer to let him choose.]

[nyxly]

[ Fresh from the peace of death where his end had been heavy with hope and the light of dawn, being thrust into a whole new world is much like having the carpet pulled up from beneath him. Admittedly, rank and titles are a comforting familiarity in comparison to this king's unfamiliar lack of formality. However...

>"I'm mostly incognito these days.
>You can just call me Noctis...
>...if you want."

It's obvious the correct answer is to call him Noctis. At least, publicly it would be wise to address him casually. He stands up straighter, looking off to the side in brief thought before regarding Noctis once more. ] No Insomnia... [ He parrots, quiet. ] And no Lucis here, is that it?

[carbungle]

...Yeah.

[There's an edge of regret in Noct's response. Insomnia is his home, and losing it had been as difficult for him as for any of the rest who grew up there or considered it their safe haven. In some ways it had been better to have missed the fight; in others he hates that he wasn't there, that he'd been off on harmless adventures with friends while people were struggling and dying in his city. His father had lied and sent him off to be protected, all for the prophecy, and while he understands the reason now, he wishes it weren't the truth. Could he have helped? Could he have awoken the Old Wall, spared Nyx and Luna and everyone who struggled even a little bit of suffering?

Or... maybe he'd just have died there, and it would've all been for nothing. He'd been so, so weak and naive back then.

He bows his head, quiet for a moment.]

This place pulls us in from strange times. If you see any familiar faces, don't do anything hasty, okay? Made that mistake, and it doesn't help anyone.

[nyxly]

[ It's a slap in the face, not that he shows it. He might as well have told Nyx to abandon a sense of pride for the nation. No more Insomnia. No more Lucis. Not on Eos, not in this world, either.

...But he's been through this before, after Galahad had been taken by the empire. He knows how to make a home, a new one. The process isn't easy, and of course it's just his luck he has to rebuild that concept twice, but it can be done.

Nyx's shoulders rise and fall with a breath, but the stiffness within them has returned. ] Strange times?

[carbungle]

Or... strange timelines, more like.

[Noctis makes a vague, uncertain gesture with a hand. How does one even begin to explain?]

For me, it's been months since the treaty was supposed to be signed. [Since the city fell, is the more honest version, but saying it still sucks.] The Marshal's here - Cor Leonis - and for him that was two years ago. And- my dad's here. Alive, and... [He hesitates, then pushes forward,] More than fifteen years younger than he should be.

[nyxly]

[ They're a mishmash of Eosians from all across the timeline, apparently. The Marshall and the king, Noctis, and now himself. He makes a note of this.

Nyx wonders at Noctis' hesitation. The king's death is fresh to him by months. Nyx had been there when he was cut down. So had Luna. He's not certain that Noctis wishes to hear this, and so he lowers his head...

Doing so causes him to spot the ring upon Noctis' finger. He looks up again. ] This means that time moves forward in our worlds, even if you are present here. [ As for Nyx, he supposes it doesn't matter if he's here or not, being dead. But if Regis had vanished off the face of the planet fifteen years ago, he's sure there would have been some sort of mention of it. ]

[carbungle]

Not exactly. At least, it didn't feel that way.

[Noctis exhales, reluctant and a little annoyed, though he keeps his gaze averted. It's not Nyx's fault that he doesn't like thinking about this, but his experience is all he has to go by.]

I showed up here more than half a year ago. Few months back I feel asleep for a while, and when I was out my... mind, I guess, went home. Lived out a bunch of new memories and woke up like I'd gone there and back. And while I was on Eos, I didn't know this town existed.

[He lifts his shoulders in a shrug.]

It's all kinda outside of my expertise, but I don't think being here changes anything for our world. More like everything stands still.

[nyxly]

[ It's as if they haven't left their world at all, even for every single one of them from the same one. This, too, is beyond Nyx's expertise. But he didn't question much of the royal's magic, and he shouldn't question this one, too. Leave that to the thinkers.

Noctis is the first to provide Nyx some reassurance, enough that he lets out a breath: ]

So. Lucis... Eos won't be doomed even if you and the ring are here.

[ Good to know. Very good. ]

[carbungle]

[Noctis pauses at that, looking like he might answer for a moment, instead halting and glancing down at his hand. So Nyx had noticed. Not that he'd been subtle with it- and not that there's anything subtle about the lingering burn marks Nyx bears on his skin. So similar to the ones he sees seared into his own flesh when he uses it, or the scarring around Ignis' eyes.

The ring's taken so much for so long. It's almost time for it to give back to the world, finally.]

...Yeah, [is what he goes with, finally, mustering the strength in his voice to not sound doubtful about it. As long as he goes back and doesn't fail spectacularly, the world will be fine. Eventually.] The future's safe, I promise.

[nyxly]

[ Nyx had gotten the impression that there was something bigger than themselves, something bigger than Insomnia, something bigger than the entirety of Lucis, that counted on getting this ring to Noctis. The world, Lunafreya had said. The future, the Kings had echoed.

It's far greater than Nyx, that's for sure.

Despite Noctis' solemnness, or rather because of it, he seems determined to help their world however that might come about. Nyx can rest a little easier knowing that the princess had delivered the ring to him, and now he wears it. Something went right after all, then. ]

Glad the princess got it to you.

[carbungle]

[And once again it's hard not to react at the mention of Luna; a stronger man might have been able to, but he's not that strong yet. She suffered so much all for his sake, including the fall of the city and whatever danger she and Nyx had experienced together to escape, then after, waking the Six and the toll required for doing so. And then Izunia...

With a shaky exhale, Noctis just... closes his eyes and nods, hands clenching into fists.]

Right... me too.

[He's not as resolute as he should be, he knows. He'd trade the ring for her life in a heartbeat, if he could. At least one of those, he could get back from the Empire after it was taken.]

[nyxly]

[ The tension Noctis exhibits doesn't go unnoticed. Although as to what it means, Nyx hasn't the faintest idea. Hesitation, maybe? Or by the Six he hopes the boy knows how to use the damn ring to get back the Crystal.

Nyx looks over him for a moment before responding. ] Sir?

[ It's said as if to inquire if something is asmiss. He catches himself late, however, and so corrects: ]

Noctis.

[carbungle]

[Noctis glances sidelong at Nyx at the first, though he cracks a tiny smile at the correction, trying very hard not to look as guilty as he feels.]

What's up?

[nyxly]

[ If Nyx hadn't caught Noctis' hands tightening into fists moments before, that smile would have been more believable. But now...

Better question, though: is Nyx allowed to inquire? Perhaps the smile is a casual cover. In which case, he has no business prodding further. He settles with this: ]

I am here to provide any assistance.

[carbungle]

[The formality combined with his name from before is a little jarring; he's used to hearing it from Ignis, that fine line toed between servitude and friendship. Not that Nyx is a friend - he barely knows the guy - but rather it makes him more difficult to decipher. Does he prefer the formality, the distance? Or is he putting up a front because it's expected of him?

This feels too much like the Citadel- after he'd moved out he experienced that jarring shift in how he was treated, going from ordinary citizen outside the gates to someone to respect and salute and bow to, to refer by titles and quiet deference. He hated it then and he hates it now, and he doesn't want it more than he already gets.

He considers the offer for a moment, then shakes his head and just offers a hand out.]

You can do that by treating me like anybody else. Want to bow to someone? Find my dad. I mean it- I'm nobody important around here. And you don't owe me anything.

[He's not trying to be snappish about it, and he hopes that doesn't come across, but it's blunt and to the point. Nyx already gave up a great deal for the throne. Between the implications made by Luna, Cor's report, and the scars on his arm, it's very likely he gave his life. Noct has no reason to ask more of him on an alien world so far from the throne he already lost.]

[nyxly]

[ Rule well, young king, he had spoken to the dawn. Briefly, his eyes narrow in thought. Noctis doesn’t seem to want that title or the formalities, to be “important”... Nyx hopes that only applies here in an alien world where there is no Lucis to rule. However, while the nation had fallen in Eos, her people and hope still survive. They still need him to rise. The world does, too, if the princess speaks truth.

Nyx observes the proffered hand. Right. There’s a new purpose. That doesn’t mean he’s entirely comfortable with the means. The difference in their statuses are too great, despite what Noctis says. Him insisting otherwise one time, just as Nyx arrives, isn’t going to change this view so easily.

“No one important.”

That makes two of us, he thinks. ]

Touch restores this world, huh.

[ Reaching over, he shakes his hand, and although forced, his tone adopts something more casual. ]

Talk about an easy solution.

[carbungle]

[Noctis quirks another small smile, his shoulders shifting a little, relieved to find Nyx willing even if not entirely comfortable. Not everyone is, and while it's not something he understands, he can't blame them for clinging to the norm. People like Cor, where it's too ingrained to change in a short span of time, if at all. Maybe it's just easier for the younger generation.]

Easy, maybe, but still time-consuming. It's been almost a year and I haven't seen much change yet, so get comfortable.

[He's not sure whether or not that's comforting to someone who might just be going back to die; his own feelings on it are complicated and something he's still deciphering. He can't expect anyone else to know (or share) immediately how they'd feel, either.]

[nyxly]

[ His hand falls back to his side, idle. This is the only place he has for himself. The hope he carries in his heart, however, is all for Eos.

Get comfortable. This is what he's trying to do. Find a townhouse for himself, because he'd prefer being by himself, and find new threads, which is why he's here in this shop.

Nyx glances to his side, looking towards the clothing rack. ] Are we all supposed to be living the domestic life here?

[ No danger? No wars? Fine, he'll take this afterlife. ]

[carbungle]

Yep. You could start a violent revolution if you wanted, but the locals are mostly friendly and are just as trapped as we are. Unless you figure out a way to fight god, just bide your time.

[Hell, even the "fight god" idea is a bad one without more info. They're powering the barrier, after all.]

[nyxly]

[ If that was a joke about fighting gods, he doesn't seem amused. He's not sure what magic or power brought him back; if it's the work of the gods here, he'd rather not. ]

I'll take my chances with holding hands instead.

[ Decision, done. Sounds peaceful, in a way. He's just woken up from a long battle. Besides, he doesn't have his--

Nyx, seemingly caught in a thought, pauses and looks at Noctis. ] You should know, I no longer wield your family's magic.