songerein | { test drive #01

✵ 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

[There's something to be said about the solace a familiar place brings, even in a world of unknowns. A café, a bar, a garden full of flowers—they could all be places she's never been and yet, they're oddly comforting in how they can induce certain, more familiar memories of friends, home, with even the simplest smell or sound. For Tifa, it's the low buzz of conversation that teems through the café that reminds her of late afternoon in Seventh Heaven, minutes after she's opened its doors and before the rush began.

This would mark her second time visiting Dreambucks since arriving, but she needs this comfort now more than ever. After learning that people she'd grown to care for—that she considered good friends—couldn't place her in their memories, she needed something that wouldn't judge her for feeling uneasy or heartbroken, and a warm cup of tea seemed like the perfect thing to satisfy that. Whether it really is... that much is still up for debate.

It's from a distant table on the other end of the room where Tifa finally spots the braids. She'd been too busy staring out the window or peering into her cup that she hadn't noticed Aerith come in, and the crowds of fellow "dreamwalkers" wouldn't have helped either, but now that she's managed half her cup and the bustle has slowed enough, it's a braid that really should have been impossible to miss from the get-go.

But Tifa knows better now than to run up and assume that Aerith knows everything that she does. That she would share memories of a flower shop and a cute little house in a quaint cul-de-sac is a lot to ask for and puts too much pressure on her, so she'll play it by ear and approach her like she would any other day.

She slides up from behind, careful to avoid Aerith's gaze until she's ready, and she leans in far enough that she can press a gloved hand flat on the table to announce her presence. This might not be an ideal circumstance for a sort-of reunion, but she's playful enough in tone.]

That seat taken?

( another twinkle of bells, by the door, and another customer that walks through and has no idea who she is, just as she has no idea who they are: another cloud in the foggy, distant memory of her own naïve self years and years ago, waiting for someone to show up who never would again. her tea will get cold if she stays this way; she knows she should drink the rest of it and see about exploring the rest of the town, but maybe it's the atmosphere of the café, or maybe it's just the weight of exhaustion on her shoulders, but it feels almost like she's weighted into her seat, like the familiar--and yet usually ignored--shadow of melancholy will bolt her to the wood. what could she do? maybe get another cup? but even that seems like a task too monumental for now.

it explains, at least, the dreamy, unfocused way her eyes go from her hands, clutched into her lap, to the edge of the table just above them, and then, further, to the gloved hand that's planted itself down onto the table's top. pretty, curved nails come with the hand, but they're cut short and carefully filed, almost as though the person they belong to uses their hands for combat--almost as if it could be--her heart, jumbled and heavy, leaps so fast into her throat that it takes the breath she's been holding up with it. spluttering, almost, her entire face lights up--her gaze moves up the length of that strong arm, to a delicate shoulder and long hair and then, finally-- )

Tifa!

( it's not as though it's been long since they've seen each other: since leaving midgar, really, and heading to kalm, but the way she says the other girl's name makes it sound as though it's been an eternity. some of the others in the cafe even look up at the commotion; aerith, as always, doesn't seem to care. she bolts up out of her seat, throws her arms around tifa's shoulders, and drags her into an awkward, over-the-table hug. )

...I was saving it for you, actually. ( the seat, she means, with a small smile as she draws back. planting herself back down into her chair, she reaches with one hand to pull at the back of the open one to allow tifa room to sit next to her. ) What's your poison~?

( okay, this isn't a bar, but she hopes tifa will be impressed by her 'hip lingo' anyway. )

[Impressed indeed, both by Aerith's ability to sling new lingo around like a natural, and the way she throws her arms around Tifa's shoulders. She returns the hug without missing a beat, the stares of customers nearby or the table sandwiched between their legs being no hindrance to their reunion. Come hell or high water, Aerith is getting this hug, and when the two of them pull away from it, Tifa's relieved sigh is inevitable.

It certainly hasn't been long for her, in a vastly different way than Aerith—or so she'll assume for now, until she's able to confirm otherwise—but it's the relief of having a trusted friend here, regardless of how much time has passed, that has her so overjoyed to see her that it might as well have been an eternity for her too.

Tifa slumps into the offered chair and slides her drink across the table so that it's back between her hands, warm and comfortable.]

Autumn Evening, [she answers, bringing it to her lips, but she only takes in its bittersweet aroma while it's still too hot to drink.] Had Rainy Morning earlier, but I don't think that one's for me.

[Only because it brought about a memory that she would rather it not have, and the conversation that followed it left plenty to be desired, so her hope is that another tea will do the trick in calming her nerves rather than set them further on edge. Not that she has much to worry about with Aerith here; she's always had a way of easing her worries, which is why it's so easy for her to laugh it off now.]

I see you've been practicing your lingo. I'd say you're almost ready to open up a bar yourself.

[Wouldn't that be something?]

{ test drive #01 - august 2021 }

aerith!! 🥰 dreambucks

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