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

I. DREAMBUCKS CAFE

( those patronizing the impressively floral cafe this afternoon might notice a man dressed in red and black robes sitting alone at a small table along the aisle. he holds a mug between his palms, but at the moment it's tilted just enough for him to eye the liquid inside with bemused intrigue.

or perhaps they don't notice him at all, not until he notices them - his gaze lifts abruptly to zero in first on the nearest mug apart from his own, then lifts to the face of whomever holds it (or sits adjacent to it, as the case may be). ) You - yes, hello - which one did you get? Have you tried it? ( though the words may be fairly smalltalk-esque, his tone sounds more like scientific intrigue with a dash of simmering delight for good measure. )

II. HOME IMPROVEMENTS

( by and large, wei wuxian has elected not to leap to any judgments on such topics as what the hell is going on and how exactly he should feel about any of it. in fact, upon deciding that the place seems benign enough (and thus it isn't actually all that urgent to locate his other sibling or the assortment of lans), he's kind of making a leisurely day of it. giving himself an afternoon of fucking about before he buckles down and starts to ~~overthink~~ figure this new mess(?) out.

what he can't quite predict is how little any such decision might stop him from leaping to a spectacularly quick judgment regarding treehouses. namely: he desperately wants one. and they'll need to stay somewhere, won't they??

(he may or may not still be in high spirits from that cup of tea - but he's quite certain that even if he weren't, he would very much still be at least moderately excited to stay in a cabin built in a tree.)

anyway, he's happened upon quite literally the perfect treehouse in his thoroughly biased opinion, and he's even gone through the trouble to barricade the former tenants (three millipedes of alarming size) in the smaller bedroom. can't have them impeding (millimpeding??) the already formidable task of convincing his brother to live in a tree, after all.

speaking of, right about now is when anyone passing nearby will hear an excited bark of - ) Jiang Cheng! ( it seems to be coming from somewhere up, and a scan of the treehouses might spot wei wuxian abruptly and haphazardly leaning much of his upper half out one of the windowless panes, grinning a bit as he calls, ) You can stop looking, I've found us a place to-

( from behind him comes a crash, and he barely has time to steal a glance over his shoulder before something with a long body and far too many legs appears at one side of the window with every intention of leaping (or at least rapidly crawling) upon him.

wei wuxian spits out a curse and throws up an arm to backhand the insect by reflex - but though it recoils in hissing affront, the millipede's reflexes are quick, and it surges forward now to coil around his forearm.

both man and horrifying insect disappear then from view - but if the heavy thumping and crashing from inside the treehouse are any indication, he could probably use a hand. )

III. CANDY HUNT

( having spent quite a bit of time in an impressively festive hellhole between his homeland and this land of dreams, wei wuxian is quite confident in his ability to enact festivity of some sort in this particular batch of woods. granted, 'festive' seems to have some number of meanings, one of which this place already seems quite suited for (what was it called, the spooky holiday? 'all hallow's ween'?) - but it's fine. he'll improvise!

or so he thinks. of course, wei wuxian failed to factor in the arrival of cursed candy, and the incessant sort which seems to have nothing better to do than to make him (and everyone in sight, it seems) unbearably sticky.

it's only fair for him to return the favor.

everyone within a few-yard vicinity will find the ground below their feet is growing damp... and soon enough, two or three inches of water slowly rise up from the forest floor itself. but it's not just the ground underfoot - water now trickles down nearly all of the nearby trees, and in fact, pockets of water hang suspended in midair.

the colors along the surface of the nearest bits of candy begin to blur, melting together under the onslaught of moisture. and then they retreat altogether (at least from this immediate area), leaving wei wuxian with a mildly satisfying victory and what has incidentally become some sort of lesser swamp.

whoops.

he casts a sheepish grin at the nearest fellow dreamer, then surveys the watery mess at hand, one hand lifting to rub at the back of his neck. ) Right, ah... I can fix this, I think, just give me a minute.

X. WILD CARD

( if you want to wild card it, you can toss me a starter and i'll wing it, or you can hit me up at noita and we'll figure something out!

his crau is basically 'spent most of a year in a horror jamjar that actually turned out to be better than what his actual life had become (yikes)'. )

Edited 2021-08-21 14:19 (UTC)

[ Well. To be fair, there are worst things than being stuck in a candy swamp. Even if 'a few inches of water' comes up much higher on a little 7-year-old girl's legs than they do on his.

Nanako is staring down at the water - which still holds a faint rainbow-like sheen from whatever candy it has washed through along the way - with fascination, before giving a little giggle and jumping in it, sending splashes of hued water sparkling up around them. ]

Whoa! It's kinda pretty, though! How did you do that?

( though he's already got his mind half set to problem-solving, the giggle is enough to draw wei wuxian's attention back to the girl - only to be met with a vibrant splash as she jumps in place. and he lets out a playful 'aiya!' of protest, mouth open in faux-offense (though the curl at the corners betrays his grin), taking a soggy half-step back in a token attempt to dodge the splash.

what was he thinking, saying he'll fix it? kids love stuff like this. show him a puddle and he'll show you six kids playing in it 'til it's nothing but mud. and she has a point, really - it is kinda pretty. 'how did you do that?' )

Well, ( he says, punctuating it with a little hop of his own - nothing nearly as impressive as hers, of course, she's clearly the better splasher here - and, ) I just thought really hard about it, ( hop, splash! ) And there it was! Simple, huh?

( wei wuxian crouches down now, right there in the water - and he surveys it again, putting on a pseudo-thoughtful face. ) Hmm... Y'know, I don't think it's quite pretty enough yet. ( and then he looks up at the girl, head tilting a little. ) Think you could help a guy out? ( will his accomplishment for the day be 'convince little girl to psychically bedazzle his mess'? )

[ She has had sparkly training from the best, mister. You can count on her!

She's still giggling over the fact that he had joined her in jumping and splashing - not many adults would do that, so he already seemed pretty fun in her eyes. But his suggestion has her eyes widening for a moment before she leans over to peer at the watery swamp now surrounding them in thought. it's certainly not as big as the pond she'd had back at her temple but.... she can think of some ways to make this prettier, if that's what he wants. ]

I can try!

[ She does know a little bit about how to do magic like he just had, even if everything is still different and strange here, but she didn't think it was too different here. Only the magic wasn't coming from her, just being shaped by her. If she got the same results, she didn't really think she minded.

Which is why the little girl closes her eyes and scrunches up her face in concentration for a moment before a bright smile curves across her lips. A moment later, there is a glittering flicker of motion beneath the water as dozens of tiny, sparkly gummy fish suddenly start swimming around their ankles.

She immediately makes a quiet sound of delight as she turns in a circle, careful not to step on any of them. ]

There! Is that better?

Edited 2021-08-24 18:16 (UTC)

( ctd. )

[ What with his own happy drink having worn off, Jiang Cheng has been far less enamoured with this place's everything and looking for a sensible place to live. Such as, something that involves a house, not a tree.

Yet he follows the holler, getting there just in time to see Wei Wuxian go down in... something. ]

You have found what? [ he yells up to the treehouse as he rushes over to climb it and survey the damage. ] Your death?!

( bugs, a-cheng. he's gone down in bugs. giant bugs with far too many legs, no courtesy to speak of, and a complete and utter disregard for wei ying's hopes and dreams.

'you've found what?' he hears the question echo faintly from the ground below the tree. ah, hell, he's already here - wei wuxian opens his mouth to reply but the nearest millipede interrupts with a hiss, and it's not nearly a loud enough hiss for jiang cheng to hear (though one could be fooled by the call of 'your death?!' which follows), but it still has him holding his arm out before him to look the leggy little shit wrapped around it right in his beady little eye, jabbing a stern finger at the beast and hissing back a sharp - ) Do not blow this for me, ( before calling a bit louder over his shoulder, ) A place to stay! But - ah, just-, stay out there for a minute!

( when jiang cheng inevitably disregards that part completely, he'll see wei ying backing two millipedes into a bedroom using a third (wrapped around his arm entirely against his will, mind you) as a shield. or a sort of swinging weapon, he supposes - the ass end of it keeps hitting the others in the face when he swings it, they don't seem to like that. )

[ The last time Jiang Cheng was reunited with Wei Wuxian in a new world, he had been half mindless with grief and rage, coming fresh from devastating loss. This time, his feelings at being reunited with him had been relief and even joy.

Except he is reconsidering the rage right now, what with coming upon the sight of Wei Wuxian using a giant millipede's backside as a bludgeoning weapon against other millipedes. ]

Wei Wuxian! [ he yells helplessly, just because there are no words for this. He remains frozen in the doorway, all ruffled sect leader dignity. ] You expect me to sleep in a house with these beasts and you?!

( ctd. )

❰ it surprises her to suddenly hear her youngest brother's named called out so suddenly, but the voice behind the shout answers a niggling question she's had while exploring this suspiciously fanciful world. jiang yanli still isn't convinced that this is all pretense for horror, some hallucination given to her by the technicians to act as a setup for what's to come. so far, everything has been...uneventful. but she also has no idea how long the game might go on for.

she's too far away to immediately see wei wuxian as she shields her eyes to look through the upper foliage. ❱ A-Xi— ? ❰ but what sign of him was there has quickly been replaced by a shaking of leaves and the sound of scuffle. at least the motion lets her know which tree she should be looking for. the tricky part is climbing a ladder in modern dress while carrying a sheathed sword.

upon reaching the deck and opening the door, jiang yanli is thrown off by the sight before her — wei wuxian, wrestling on the floor with a bug constricting his arm. ❱ A-Xian! ❰ the technicians are letting a bit of horror seep in now, she thinks. low level, but enough to be a taste of the concern to come. if it stays on his arm much longer, who knows what may happen — some kind of acid secretion to melt his skin? a bite that will turn him insectoid in hours?

tossing the sword aside — it's much too close combat a situation for it to be useful in unskilled hands, jiang yanli practically throws herself to her brother's side, hands unafraid to grab around the nasty insect, who undulates with a surprising strength and disdain at the attempt to be wrenched of its target. ❱

( ctd. )

[ the first thing that he thinks is that whoever is talking to him sounds like ryogo kozuki, of all people, so gino's extremely surprised and also perhaps just the slightest bit disappointed that it's not kozuki, but rather, someone dressed in black and red robes who seems... very interested in the mug of tea that he's holding.

so gino lets the surprise melt away from his features, glances down at the blue cup that he's holding, still hot enough that there's small amounts of steam spiraling upwards from it. ]

... Rainy Morning, I think it was called.

[ now he just sounds bemused. it matches wei wuxian's tone, at least. ]

I haven't had the chance to try it yet.

[ since, you know. he was startled by the not-quite-familiar voice. ]

( ctd. )

((OOC: Like I told your bro up there, watched up to ep. 17 and DAMN why is everything pain in this show. It's bad when Wei Wuxian has to be the one holding the family braincell.))

[Okay, what is it with people looking like they stepped off some dusty ass branch of his family tree? Granted, he's assuming quite a bit, but this is the kind of weird shit he remembers reading about when he was younger.

But you know what? He's game.]

It? Tried a lot of things. If you're talking about the tea, no. Is it bad?

( ctd. )

[ A short young woman dressed as a young man in hakama and kimono, her hair up in a high ponytail, blinks as the handsome young man addresses her. She doesn’t recognize him, but his dress is fairly familiar. Perhaps he comes from a similar time period as her. At first, she smiles at him, happy to see something familiar in this strange beautiful realm, but the joy slips a bit when he asks about the drink.

Chizuru turns back to her own cup, running her finger around the rim. ]

Yes, and well, only a little to be polite. I was thirsty after the fluffy pastry. But… ( Her expressive eyes fill with tears. ) I don’t know what’s in it and that could be why I’m remembering things from the past I forgot.

[ Is it really a good thing to drink more? Is she still that naive girl that the Shinsengumi found a couple years ago?

The dream crystal by her swords, a kodachi and a full tang katana that seems too big for her, flickers with an image of two children running through a forest at night.

Chizuru gives her head a firm shake, her head lowering. ]

I'm sorry, sir, I'm rambling.

( ctd. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

{ test drive #01 - august 2021 }

wei wuxian | the untamed (vestige crau)

candy hunt!

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treehouse

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( ii )

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dreambucks; also i couldn't resist making a voice actor joke i'm sorry

feel free to ignore this if you'd rather drop it!

I. Dreambucks

rolls in here fashionably late, pardon the shorter tag

1.

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