♥ August Test Drive Meme

[hugtopiamods]

August Test Drive Meme
Premise ♥ Setting ♥ Rules ♥ FAQ ♥ Mod Contact
Click on the title of the prompt to read it.

As Achtom and Ohnir flow into each other, the skies are still gorgeously blue and dotted with high fluffy clouds that never seem to threaten rain - so long as the weather stays controlled. Businesses are picking back up, the natives starting to cater once again to flesh-bodied people with varied amounts of success. The VR cafes are featuring more helmets so even more people can play along with the ever expanding selection of games. Overall, it seems like Havenwell is quite the peaceful city.

But there are still some issues to be had...

---

❥ PROMPT I: Where's the Pied Piper?

All Achtom, the residents have been dealing with things in characters' houses seemingly moving of their own volition to other parts of the house and going temporarily missing, returning chewed upon by the mice that have overtaken Havenwell. By the time the new wave of arrivals come, the worst of it is over, but there are still some pesky little temple familiars running about the city!

The noises at night aren't as terrible as they once had been, but the squeaking and chattering in the walls and ceiling is still noticeable. It's still difficult to sleep at night for all the noise throughout the long night hours. Trying to find the source is a surefire way to drive yourself mad, but it seems that sleeping in the same bed with another person makes it a little easier to bear, especially if you hold hands or touch throughout the night.

Pink and purple rodents of various sizes from panda mouse tiny to chihuahua-sized rats are still popping up all over the city. It seems the only place they aren't is where they're supposed to be - Ainea's temple - and that's a big problem. While many have been returned thanks to the offworlders' efforts, Ainea's temple priests are still out in the city, begging residents both robotic and flesh to peacefully and carefully capture the creatures and return them home to the temple. They pass out soft woven reed baskets to any who agree and thank all participants heartily for their help.

❥ PROMPT II: We Didn't Start This Fire

Throughout the month, pockets of the city experience magnificent dry lightning storms. Before each onset of the storm, an immense clap of thunder booms across the entire city like a siren and the natives hold their figurative breaths until the first strike rains down. A peal of lightning, searing hot, strikes the ground or hits the spires of nearby buildings, cracking stone and leaving nasty burn marks behind. Each storm is only 4 to 5 minutes in length before they suddenly disappear again, but in those few minutes chaos reigns. For anyone unlucky enough to get caught amid one of these storms, take cover! Residents throw open doors and push people inside, even shielding the offworlders with their own bodies if necessary to keep them from getting harmed.

When the lightning and its sonorous booms pass, residents scurry out to repair the damage. They'll be asking nearby offworlders to help as well with patching the stonework or removing broken debris. Most importantly, they put out a call for help in putting out fires that spring up after each storm. Their metal bodies can't withstand the heat for long without melting and the water is dangerous to their circuitry. After the fires are put out and the damage repaired, on occasion, residents will ask for the somber help of pulling a native robot unlucky enough to take a direct hit from the lightning to a local repair shop. Strangely, the natives don't seem sad when their friends and family can't be repaired, and instead start gathering up objects from home to take with them to the temples along with the bodies. When asked, they say it's to pray for a rebirth and go on their way.

❥ PROMPT III: Let's Play the Friend Connection

With all the craziness going on, some people might just want a distraction. A lot of Havenwell's natives certainly seem to think so. Despite everything, the Entertainment District is as bustling as ever and this month the offering is to participate with a friend or group of friends to play a game called: Friend Connection. Rather than the usual plug in and sit configuration, this time the VR cafes have been reorganized into 3 meter by 3 meter square pads with no chairs or furniture available. Players plug in or put their helmets on and they're instantly transported to a garish neon-lighted stage with multicolored spotlights that show a floating, legless robot with a rainbow bowtie and a magnificent mustache. The robot's LED face lights up into the approximation of the :D emote and then a disembodied voice comes from speakers overhead:

"Hail, well met, and welcome to the hottest game show around: Friend Connection! As the studio audience already knows, this game is simple! You and your new friends compete to complete more challenges than the other hidden team. The more fabulously you and your team completes each task, the more points you'll be awarded. At the end of the game, the team with the most tasks cleared and the highest point value will be declared the winners and take home some fabulous prizes. On today's team is..."

And the robotic host waves an arm to a scoreboard behind it, showing your names. The heading "Other Team" has ???? underneath it and a list of challenges is revealed along with a burst of applause. The list reads:

1. Play Twister until someone falls! The longer you go, the more points you win!
   
2. Help each other do a handstand! The Wheelbarrow is acceptable too.
   
3. Recreate your favorite scene from a romantic movie. Take, for example, That Scene from the hit movie, Skytanic! Or hum along to this song as you and your friend make some pottery together.
   
4. Create a complicated Best Friend Handshake consisting of more than 5 moves and do it together 3 times without messing up!
   
5. Answer trivia questions about each other and your worlds while holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. The more questions you can answer, the higher your points!
   
6. Do a trust fall into your friend's arms. The higher or further you fall, the more points you'll earn.
   
7. Play two truths and a lie with your friend. If you can guess correctly, you'll earn points for your team!

Are you ready, contestants? You have 20 minutes. Good luck!

At the end of the game, the characters are declared the winners by a slim and, naturally, exciting margin of just one point! And their fabulous prize......? The friendship they earned along the way! Congratulations, players! And don't worry, when the game ends, you'll be in the exact weird position you were last in as the helmets turn off. Hopefully you aren't still in those weird Twister positions because everyone can and has been able to see you. Yup, the entire time.

❥ PROMPT IV: Comic Logic

Although Achtom is waning and Ohnir beginning, Diacht's influence is still going strong. Throughout their day as they go about their daily routines, helping people out or trying to find their missing items, the natives stop looking at them and start looking above their heads. In fact, as characters meet one another, their attention may also be drawn vertically above their companion because floating above every offworlder's head is a faint white cloud. Whenever they move, the cloud moves too. Attempts to dispel it by magic or physical means does nothing and it seems like you can't touch it at all.

It's annoying isn't it? Or maybe you're feeling quite curious about this phenomenon? Or maybe it scares you? Whatever you're feeling or thinking, it shows up in that cloud clear as day. It's not every thought or feeling that shows and attempts to control what appears fails, but you're now broadcasting your innermost self to the world.

For a time at least. Smart characters might notice that after prolonged physical contact with another character, the cloud fades away and stays away for an undetermined amount of time. Sometimes it's an hour, sometimes it's a day, sometimes it's only 5 minutes, and then it begins to reform again. Whatever it is, it's here to stay, so good luck keeping your secret inner workings, well, secret.

❥ PROMPT V: Buddy System

With all the changes going on, it might be hard to be a new arrival to Havenwell. The natives understand! Sort of. When new arrivals begin to appear at the temples, receive the welcome speech, get their communicators and the simple map of the city, 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, "Here's your guide to Havenwell! It's dangerous to go alone, so be buddies!" 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!

---

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 September 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 August 30, 2019 at 10:00PM EST and our applications will run from September 2, 2019 to September 9, 2019 from 10:00PM EST to 10:00PM EST.

♥ Taken Characters ♥ Reservations ♥ Applications ♥

Comments

I love that they have matching "fed up with shit" icons

[flawed_immortality]

You'd be surprised.

Ardyn Lucis Caelum, Adagium, Accursed.... but 721... That's the same year you were removed from Angelgard. Gods above what do you even know about Eos right now?

immortals with headaches

[scourgingstars]

Ardyn, if you would. [He answered with his own name sharply--out of insistence, not anger. Like he was just stopping Cor from using names Ardyn didn't want to hear.]

I've the vaguest grasp as it stands. My brother's line holds the crown in Lucis and the Fleurets hailing from Tenebrae carry the blood of the Oracle. [Somehow. He didn't want to think about that too hard.] And then there's Niflheim and their ridiculous war on the rest of the world.

let them rest

[flawed_immortality]

[His furst instinct is to insist on the titles. He'd earned them after all. But then... Hadn't Cor also earned the title of Immortal? And how much did he despise that.

So fine, Ardyn it was.]

Niflheim's war is what brings the plague back to Eos and eventually causes the entire world to be overrun by daemons.

[With no small amount of assistance from the man in front of him but there's a very real chance that this man has no idea how that comes to pass. It's a true statement but one which he very carefully phrases to gauge the other man's reaction to it. ]

[scourgingstars]

That's impossible.

[Ardyn, for his part, seemed upset by the mere notion of such a thing. The world overcome by darkness? After all that he'd done, how much he'd suffered, all that he'd lost to be sure that never happened?]

You can't be serious. How could Niflheim possibly have set loose something like-...

[What, indeed, had Niflheim done to advance their war that was tantamount to unleashing a plague on the world?]

...Ah.

[flawed_immortality]

Trust me when I say I wish it could have gone another way.

[He... almost feels bad. That dawning realization is difficult to watch, even on a man that, last he'd seen, was more monster than man. ]

I don't know the exact details of your release, only that it happened and- [He bites his tongue, cursing himself for not discussing the trouble with time paradoxes before now.] Let's just say it was the beginning of the real escalations of the war.

[scourgingstars]

...I asked for none of this, I don't even care for Niflheim to begin with.

[Ardyn's hands curled into fists at his sides, frustration aimed inward rather than at Cor or anyone else.]

I've no desire to be their damnable weapon, and the last thing I wanted was for anyone else to be hurt simply because I was so unworthy for some reason.

[flawed_immortality]

It is unfair.

[He nods slowly, choosing his words carefully just in case this is a ruse.]

The gods see fit to use us mortals as tools, yourself chief among them. The Empire says they care nothing for the gods yet they are the ones who so desperately push their plans forward. From your release until... well...

Things go very badly in the end. It eases my worries about your presence here that you say you have no love for the Empire.

[Not enough to really let his guard down much but enough to not try to murder him on sight like he wants to do to Verstael.]

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn didn't answer, eyes downcast as though a particular point on the ground was suddenly going to reveal the mysteries of the universe.]

I'm just...tired. I want nothing do do with any of it.

[flawed_immortality]

We're all tired...

[A heavy sigh, fingers going to his brow as though there's any chance of clearing this headache away.]

If only it were so easy to wash our hands of this nonsense.

[scourgingstars]

I didn't exactly ask to be let out, so I'd prefer it were the blame not placed upon me for things I've not even done yet. Monster I may just be, but I have no desire to be what you people choose to call me.

[flawed_immortality]

I hardly meant any of that to be blame placed upon you.

[Astrals, don't be so defensive Ardyn. He does not have time or sympathy for your shit, sir.]

So far, since you have expressed your preferences, I have chosen only to call you Ardyn. If you'd like me to change that, please, continue snapping.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn frowned, looking not unlike a bristling coeurl in need of a long nap. But if nothing else, he seemed to back off at that.]

...I didn't get your name.

[flawed_immortality]

[Bristle all you want you can't be worse than being in a car with Cid and Clarus. And look at that, no accusations means he goes back to his politely neutral court tone.]

Cor Leonis, Marshal of the Crownsguard.

Though I would only be ten at your time.

[scourgingstars]

So you weren't one of the ones stationed on the island--no, that wouldn't have added up anyway.

[excuse him, he has no concept of time]

It's...perhaps 'pleasure to meet you' would be a bit presumptuous on my part.

[flawed_immortality]

No... but you weren't the only legend they dug up at that time. In 719 there was something else they found. The only reason My King and I were aware of the attack on Angelgard was because we were looking into records of what happened in Cleigne.

[First a dragon, then a scourge, then a blademaster... it's all tied together.]

Well it is a pleasure to meet you. Without... whatever atrocities Niflheim committed affecting you.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn shifted a little uncomfortably, not looking at Cor as he spoke.]

Of...what happened? What else was there?

[flawed_immortality]

At first? A dragon... and a foolish boy determined to make sure the King knew about it.

[He shakes his head slightly, disapproving even after all these years.]

Once that boy proved himself and convinced the King to go back and look? The Tempering Grounds, The Blademaster, spirit still trapped there after untold years. The first Shield of the King.

[scourgingstars]

...

[Ardyn swallowed hard, turning slightly pale and tense.]

We've met.

[flawed_immortality]

He's very...

[Ardyn isn't the only one tense, something dark and haunted in that steely gaze. A flicker of some deep hurt that is almost immediately shuttered away.]

Unforgiving.

[scourgingstars]

...that's one word for it.

[If Cor looked haunted, Ardyn looked...deeply, unspeakably scarred by something terrible that he was struggling not to linger on.]

But how is he still-...he can't possibly still be alive, no matter what anyone thought surely he was only mortal.

[flawed_immortality]

I cannot say for certain what he is.

[Cor frowns, perhaps it would have been best not to bring up what they'd found in Taelpar.]

Mostly spirit... yet man enough to be relieved of his arm.

[scourgingstars]

I'd not have thought such a thing possible, mortal or otherwise.

[flawed_immortality]

I cannot speak to the mechanics of such a thing but I assure you that, even thirty years later, his right arm is no longer able to physically manifest.

[So yeah, he's kinda the one who removed said arm. That definitely happened, Ardyn.]

Gladiolus did mention something about spirits, some spectral form, however.