songerein | { test drive #01

Entry tags:

-tdm

{ test drive #01 - august 2021 }

✵ TEST DRIVE MEME ✵
Reminder that our Test Drive Memes double as an Intro Log and threads can be carried over in-game. They are also required for samples. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any TDM related questions here. Reserves open on August 25th and Applications open on September 1st. Our application cycles are bi-monthly so the next cycle won't be until November.

I. WELCOME TO SONGEREIN

Upon "arriving" into Songerein, everyone is understandably confused. The first thought would be they must be in a dream, which makes sense since the last thing they might remember doing is falling asleep or losing some form of consciousness or awareness before opening their eyes and finding themselves in the Plaza of some strange town they've never seen before. But there are a lot of other people around, some that may look familiar but others so strange that it would be impossible for their own imagination to dream up. And they're all just as confused. Fortunately, a red tapir-like creature appears and introduces itself as Solei, one of the "keepers" of this place. It offers some explanation before letting everyone explore their new "home." [Reminder: Other people aside from the characters will also appear to act as filler NPCs so keep in mind that the initial group is at least double the size. Players are also free to be creative and come up with any kind of creature or animal their characters might encounter. The only limitations are they must be small to medium in size and not be overly aggressive as the creatures within the town are mostly passive, just wary of the new arrivals.]

A. Magic Journals. Everyone will find a journal stylized just for them on their person somewhere and it's the primary means of communication with everyone. The only limitation is that it's text only, but images can be magically imprinted on the page from the writer's mind. Might as well give it a whirl and see who all is out there.

B. Dreamotion Abilities. Although everyone maintains most of their original abilities while in Songerein, they are also capable of using special abilities based on dreamotion energy. From having their emotions affecting the environment to utilizing new abilities entirely, it's probably something that they should start familiarizing fairly quickly. Especially since all the emotional surprise and confusion may already be affecting things, such as random glass shattering or cracks forming at one's feet.

C. Exploring Town. The town of Reverein is small but still sizable, so walking around and to see what all there is might be a good idea. The town is empty of any other people and it's relatively safe aside from most of the buildings looking like they're about to collapse in on itself, but there are a few small fae and small wild critters who have made a few nests so just watch your step—or head. Some could venture out to the farmlands and beyond...but anyone who gets too close to the Wildlands will encounter a tapir who will tell them to go back for now. Be warned if anyone tries to ignore and push past them.

D. Dreambucks Cafe. As a way to welcome their new inhabitants as well as give them a nice, cool refreshment after all the work they will be doing, the tapirs will call everyone's attention to a certain cafe back at the Plaza. Called Dreambucks, it's a quaint little cafe staffed by friendly tea fairies and primarily serves tea and small cakes. Their teas and foods are quite special as the flavor will influence one's emotions and dreams—but in a good way! There are no harmful side effects and they are usually positive. Bolstering one's spirit; calming or relaxing nerves. The tea fairies want everyone to enjoy their time. Anyone can pick whichever table they want to take a break and meet some people. Or take a peek at what someone might be dreaming thanks to the teas.

There are three different types of teas available:

Rainy Morning. After drinking this tea, one might feel a little melancholic or nostalgic for something from their past. They might even have a short little daydream of a distant memory.

Summer Afternoon. This tea will make anyone feel more vigorous and joyful. So much so they might start shining like the summer sun itself! Any dreams influenced by the tea will be one of a happy occasion or a hopeful dream.

Autumn Evening. Brewed with special strong, herbal spices, this tea has a bit more of a kick to it, but it's also warm and is great for calming nerves while giving just enough of a confidence boost to get through whatever difficulties lie ahead. The dreams influenced by this tea will reflect when the drinker has been their bravest.

Although it doesn't always happen, sometimes the tea will be a strong enough influence that it will make the drinker daydream for a bit. Anyone nearby may notice their dream crystal lantern flicker and catch a brief glimpse of the daydream on it. Or perhaps those who want to try out their dream crystal lanterns are deliberately trying to see if their dreams are captured. Only daydreams influenced by the tea can be caught and even then it's just a brief glimpse, but it's still an interesting way to see how the dream crystal lanterns work.

Note: There is no currency in the world and everything served is free at this time. However it might not be immediately obvious and the fairies won't mind if customers repay in some way, be it helping out via cleaning and serving, giving gifts such as flowers or fruits, or something else.

II. HOME IMPROVEMENTS

The entire town is in need of a massive fixer upper, but one of the first areas everyone will likely want to start is the residential area to figure out their new homes. Instead of houses, most of the homes are in the trees. Be it a treehouse or carved into the tree itself, various dwellings can be found. Unfortunately, there are some unwanted guests making a mess of things, so they will need to be cleared out.

A. Pest Control. One of the worst offenders are giant bugs of varying size of type with the biggest about the size of a large dog. Some are actually quite friendly and can be shooed or coaxed away to the forests just outside of town. Or who knows, someone might befriend them and make them into a new pet or house helper. The giant beetles could make for some interesting guard...bugs. Some, however, are more hostile as they find the fruits, leaves, flowers, and wood of the trees delicious. The biggest threats are the giant termites so they must definitely be eradicated or removed.

B. A Little Pruning. The trees themselves are a little...testy in large part of the bugs that have been chowing down on them. After the bugs are cleared they will calm down and become more passive, but until then everyone will also have to beware of wild swinging branches, rotten fruit falling, and roots suddenly springing up from the ground. Another way to appease the trees is cutting out some of the old, rotten wood and giving the trees some pruning, especially any vines that are choking some to death. Positive dreamotion energy will also help revitalize the area.

C. Tidying Up. Once the area is clear, the new residents can start cleaning up and repairing the different houses there. From repairing walkways connecting the trees, to the stairs and ladders that lead up to the treehouses, to decluttering and repairing the buildings, there's a plethora of work that needs to be done.

III. DREAMSCAPE TUTORIAL

To help everyone understand their dreamwalking abilities, the tapirs will ask anyone who is willing to gather around the Dream Swings in the Central Plaza. There anyone is invited to sit in the chairs or hammocks and focus on their dream crystal lanterns to enter a special dreamscape made just for them. Those watching might find the sight of everyone suddenly turning into a colorful ball of light and disappearing alarming, but that's just the normal process of entering a dream. When someone leaves the dream, they will briefly reappear as that light before returning to their original form. The theme for this dreamscape is Spooky Forest and it first starts in a pumpkin patch before moving to a dark, fog filled forest.

A. Suddenly Pumpkins. The moment anyone enters the dream they will find themselves in a fenced in pumpkin patch and turned into a pumpkin. Since anything can happen while dreamwalking, the first exercise is to try and change back to their original form or have fun and just roll around as pumpkins. They can even try to change the pumpkin form, such as changing the size, the shape, color. Just watch out for the mice. They are feeling very artistic and will try to scribble whatever on any pumpkin around, but otherwise are harmless and easily scared off. The marker will remain even when turned to the normal, but should be easy enough to remove, right? The only way to leave the patch is to turn back to normal.

B. Festive Candy Hunt. At some point the tapirs come in and ask the dreamwalkers to try and change the spooky forest into something a little more festive. They are given free rein to change the environment in how they see fit. Of course, this means the dreamwalkers need to figure out how to focus their energy and imagination to make those changes. Perhaps starting small by adding decorations or changing the colors of the leaves is a good starting place. But there may be some difficulty as some rogue candy is messing things up and getting in the way. Capable of movement, they will dash, roll, and even fly to evade capture. They will also try and defend themselves using special "attacks" based on what they are. Chocolate will make melted chocolate puddles, taffy will make sticky traps, bubble gum will try and encase people in a sticky bubble—might want to avoid the giant jawbreaker as it's more of a bodybreaker. Fortunately once caught, the candy will change to its more normal form. Maybe altering the environment could work to their advantage. If successful in either decorating or catching the candy, there will be some kind of reward later.

C. A Little Frightening. While traversing through the forests, any small, minor kind of fear will manifest and chase them around. For example if one is afraid of spiders, a small group or one large spider will suddenly appear. If one hates cleaning, a bunch of brooms and brushes will start harassing them. It's not enough to induce full blown nightmares, and no one can actually be harmed, but it's enough to give anyone a fright and need help getting rid of them. Thinking of more pleasant ideas that counter the fears, like fluffy clouds or cute plushies, can help disperse them. If the fears worsen instead, a small noctaere will form. The tapirs warn that they are creaturn born from nightmare energy, and if too many appear and grow bigger the dreamscape could turn into a nightmare. So what a great opportunity for the dreamwalkers to test out their new dreamotion abilities! Especially since their original abilities aren't even useful while dreaming. The noctaere are quite weak, so a few hits can easily disperse them, but there might be a few that will take a bit more teamwork. This is especially so since everyone's abilities will be weak as well.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Roxas can feel that stifling air around him, and it makes him frown. No offence, but he doesn't exactly believe this guy is as fine as he insists.]

Are you sure? If you need, maybe I could help?

You could help by not being a distraction. [Doesn't matter what he does. He can move on or sit with him. Long as he's not pulling him from this thoughts.]

[Roxas frowns at the man. Stubborn... yet something about the idea of leaving him be really doesn't sit well with Roxas. Maybe it's his own desire to help, or some lingering Turnskin instincts still affecting him. In either case, after a moment, he will move to the opposite wall that this guy is sitting against, brushing aside some rubble before taking a seat on the ground before him. He won't talk, but he'll keep an eye on the man.]

[Were he not being difficult, he'd thank Roxas for leaving him be for the most part. Bits of rock and debris shift and float about around him. Hyde had kept control for so long, it a bit disorientating to suddenly be yourself again. Something this place clearly picked up, and he's not about to be a small walking disaster.

All the chaos Hyde had caused...distant and yet vivid memories at the same time, even as he no longer has a voice here. These swirl of memories both his own and Hyde's needed a bit of organizing, however the harm he's caused weighs heavily on his mind. And what about his final words...?

He takes a deep breath after a few minutes have passed, eyes opening to see someone across from him.]

...So you're here too?

[Roxas can see the guy clearly has a lot on his mind, if he’s spending so long just thinking. But Roxas is willing to wait until the guy is better, or at least until he’s told to get lost. Whichever happens first.]

[Maybe it is some Turnskin instincts still lingering around. He remembers that during his time in Aefenglom, he’s grown a lot more protective of those he considered important to him. Part of a “pack instinct”, he’d been told. It wasn’t the worst of his transformation changes, but it was definitely something different for him. Sure he valued his friends a lot, but he’d definitely gotten a little more “guard dog” than usual. Maybe those instincts are still there, buried deep in his heart.]

[Lost in his own thoughts, Roxas blinks and looks up in surprise when the man finally addresses him. Huh… that’s an odd way to put it.]

Um… Yeah, I guess so. This isn’t my first time waking up in a new world, but… I wasn’t really expecting it.

Edited 2021-08-20 00:25 (UTC)

... [Well of course it's not their first time. What an odd way to say that.]

I said I was fine. I was simply...meditating, I suppose.

[Roxas gives the guy a curious look. Huh…]

What were you meditating about?

...

What happened before you arrived in this world? [Deflecting his question with another question.]

Huh?

[What an odd question... but maybe this guy's also from a different world? Roxas hums, thinking it over.]

Well, I... I was in another world other than this one. Not my own world, but... well, another world that has brought people from other worlds to it. A weird world where half of us were witches and half were monsters. I was actually transformed into a monster, sorta. Something called a Turnskin.

[He chuckles a bit, reaching up to rub his hand through his hair.]

Would you believe I used to have ears and a tail? Just like a dog's. I actually feel weird without them, I had them for so long. At least a year, almost two?

Edited 2021-08-20 05:58 (UTC)

...I can, because I've seen you with a mermaid tail. [He frowns. His explanation did not match their time in the Index at all. What was up with that?]

Fairy tales and restoring stories probably doesn't sound familiar to you, does it?

Huh? Mermaid tail?

[Roxas blinks in confusion. Mermaid tail? Restoring stories?]

No, it doesn't... That doesn't sound familiar at all...

[Now he sounds a little perturbed by that. There's confusion, but also worry as well.]

Are... Are you saying you know me?

We did, Roxas. [Hm.] It seems you have forgotten as well. [Maybe that's a good thing he did. Their familiarity was shaky at best, no thanks to Hyde.]

[Roxas visibly tenses in surprise when he says his name. He knew this guy... but why couldn't he remember? He glances down, wracking his mind to try and think.]

Forgotten..?

[It doesn't sit well with him. He'd gone through bouts of memory loss before, knows what it's like to have gaping holes that his heart aches over but his mind can't recall. It's unpleasant, uncomfortable, unsettling. A hand reaches up and he grips at his shirt, over his heart. Then, he looks up at the man before him, a serious expression on his face.]

What world did you come from? How did you know me? Please... can you tell me?

[In all honestly, he doesn't feel up to explaining, but the kid didn't bother him while he was gathering his thoughts so...]

You're not from my original world for starters. We met in another one, similar to this world in a sense that it was a world that needed help. It was a world full of stories that needed to be restored.

A world of stories..?

[Roxas frowns, thinking that over. He... honestly doesn't remember that. He remembers being pulled into Aefenglom, and helping out that world, and then as far as he knows he then came here. He doesn't remember the world that Kazuma is describing... And that makes him a little sad. His face falls and he looks down, shaking his head.]

I'm... sorry. I don't remember.

[But it's clear he's very upset that he doesn't remember.]

...were we friends? In that other world?

...It's fine. [He moves to stand.] It depended on the day if we be friends or not. [He's not wrong, but also what the heck?? Looking at the kid for a moment, he frowns when he sees how upset he was.]

...We became acquainted through our shared memory problems actually.

[Memory loss has kind of become a thing for him. Considering how he'd lost his memories of Xion, and how he'd lost his memories of the time he spent in the Organization when he was trapped in the virtual Twilight Town? Yeah, he's not a fan of knowing his memories are tampered with.]

We did?

[Roxas blinks, standing up with him. It sounded like their relationship was complicated... but this guy also had memory problems as well? Huh...]

I see... but, how come you remember these things, and I don't..?

Don't know. You're not the first person I ran into who couldn't remember. Maybe that strange creature with the long nose might know the answer. It's name was Solei?

Those little creatures?

[What were they called? Tapirs? Hmm... maybe they would be worth asking...]

[But it's weird. It sounds like there were a lot of people that Kazuma knew, but don't seem to remember him either. And honestly, Roxas isn't sure what's worse; not remembering a friend and having memories missing, or having all the memories and no one else who shares them.]

[He frowns, biting his lip, before shaking his head and looking up at him.]

I'm sorry I don't remember you, or the world you're talking about. Even if we weren't the best of friends, I would have liked to remember you.

But... if we're both going to be here in this world, I wouldn't mind getting to know you again. And get some more memories.

[Would that be okay for Kazuma? Starting over, in a sense?]

...It's Kazuma. Kazuma Asogi. [He's hesitant about rebuilding bonds. Because of what happened, he isn't certain if things will be "better" here just yet. There may be no Hyde, but who knows if it's permanent. It doesn't mean the demon inside him is gone either.]

Kazuma?

[Roxas tests out the name. Hmm... it doesn't ring any bells. But he nods slowly, before offering his hand to the man.]

I'm Roxas. It's nice to meet you... again.

[He's willing to start over if Kazuma is.]

... [He extends his hand to shake his.]

A pleasure.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ test drive #01 - august 2021 }

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject