{ test drive #01 - august 2021 }

[dreamposts]

✵ 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.

Comments

[shithogs]

[His expression shifts in a way she doesn't know how to process; her chest feels momentarily tight, uncomfortable as she flinches and averts her eyes to collect herself. Even that pained look is familiar in its way, and when he says his name, her gaze moves back to him immediately, sharp.

Nier.

She stares at him hard, studying his face, and she notes that the eyes are the same.]

You're—

[His story is brief and echoes the one she knows, but with some key differences— jarring enough that she doesn't know which to correct first, if any, but before she can say anything more, he holds his hands out to her with a Lunar Tear sitting atop them, and she goes perfectly still.

Then, after a brief moment, she lets out a mirthless chuckle and turns her head, just enough to show him the nearly identical Lunar Tear currently tucked into her hair.]

I do know a Nier. He gave me this— but he didn't look like you.

[She doesn't take the flower from him, but her gaze does move to linger on it, hesitant. He's even holding it the same way.]

[silentends]

[ Nier's not even entirely sure of what's going on. He can feel pain in his chest and it hurts so he clutches at it with his other hand. There's something in his eyes blurring his vision somewhat. He can't see the flower in Kainé's hair too well. His movements are unsteady. ]

I don't understand what you're saying, Kainé. It doesn't make sense to me at all.

[ Did Kainé meet an entirely different person with the same name as him? Or did he just look different or sound different? Nier's trying to grasp at his own identity but he can't seem to do it. Theres only one question on his mind now:

'Who's Nier?'

He's really starting to second guess himself as he spirals deeper into confusion and dissary. Nier looks more pale than usual.]

What did he look like?

[shithogs]

[The sudden paling of his complexion worries her; she might not recognize him as the Nier she knows, the one she's fought her way through hell and high water alongside, but the more her mind races and tries to force the ill-fitting pieces of the puzzle together, the more she feels with certainty that even if she doesn't remember— she does know him.

Shit.]

Hey, look, he—

[She cuts herself off and sighs heavily, trying to sort through a million thoughts that all seem to be at odds with one another. Shaking her head, she rests a hand over her eyes for a moment to collect herself before continuing.]

First things first, alright? You said... I helped you save Yonah.

[That's important to both Niers.]

We did it, then? She's safe? Your— sister.

[silentends]

Yonah's alive! My sister is safe and she's doing just fine. I really wanted to thank you properly, Kainé.

[ Nier should probably try to pull himself together. He feels like his thoughts are going all over this place and he's out of focus. The mention of Yonah's name snaps him back into reality. Nier didn't even realize he was crying up until a moment ago.]

We did it. The Shadowlord is gone too.

[ They managed to finish everything with some sacrifices made along the way. Nier remembers inviting Kainé back to the village but she mentioned having something to take care of. He thought it might be nice if she could come visit Yonah more too. ]

[shithogs]

[For now, Kainé tries to focus on the facts that are the same— Yonah had been in danger, and the Shadowlord had been their primary obstacle to overcome. Even as he confirms, a feeling of profound relief washes over her.

Whatever is happening here, they'll have to figure out one misshapen piece at a time, but that's something.]

Good. I'm... I'm glad to hear that. Whatever is wrong here— it seems like some things are the same.

[Though Yonah had distinctly been his daughter rather than sister, the way she remembered it.]

This place. It's supposed to be a kind of dream world, isn't it?

[silentends]

Is it a dream or a nightmare? I can't really tell the difference anymore.

[ Some things about this world are unnerving to him. At the same time, other aspects of it are almost peaceful and nice. Nier hasn't seen so many people crowding like this before. The Facade had a larger population, but that's because the entire kingdom was governed by thousands of rules. He figures that things are very different now. Nier shakes his head and stands firmly while offering his hand for Kainé to hold.]

Of course some things are the same. You'll always be Kainé!!!

[shithogs]

I'm not convinced there is much of a difference between the two.

[which... says a lot more about her personal dream experiences than it does this place. She presses her lips into a thin line, her arms folded in front of her as if closing in on herself a little will offer some kind of comfort. To be honest, it's not much.

His vehement declaration, at least, gets the very beginnings of a smile to flicker at one side of her mouth before it fades. Yeah, that sounds about right.]

Well, you may look a lot younger, but you sure as hell sound like Nier. He says shit like that all the time. And— you've got his eyes. They're the same.

[Maybe this place has done something to alter their memories? Change the way they see one another?]

[silentends]

I look younger to you, Kainé?

[ Nier can't hide the confusion and bewilderment in his voice. He thinks deeply on whatever that could possibly mean. ]

I'm twenty-one years old. When I met you for the first time I was only sixteen. Maybe I looked different back then but I really don't know.

[ This place is just a dream. He tells himself that. It's just a dream but everything about it feels very real. At the very least, it doesn't sound like Nier is lying to her. There's some warmth to his words because meeting Kainé was a very unforgettable experience as far as he's concerned. ]

[shithogs]

Hell of a lot younger.

[Twenty-one? That puts them pretty close to the same age, but...

She shakes her head, shifting her weight again.]

The Nier I know is a grown-ass man. [Well. So is this one?] Yonah's his daughter. But this place—

[It's a world within dreams, isn't it? A world where dreams and emotions are at the center of everything, with people being called from all sorts of different places.]

Maybe it changes the way we see people, or changes our stories. [If it's the latter, she's going to be pretty pissed about that— that's a hell of a liberty to take, changing someone's memories without their permission.] But even if you're a little different, you're—

[She cuts herself off with a mirthless little chuckle, shaking her head as she averts her gaze again. The tapir has been entirely forgotten at this point.]

You're definitely some version of Nier. Who the hell knows, maybe I'm different than you remember, too.

[silentends]

[ Kainé thinks he's much younger and that much has been confirmed. Nier's not sure if he perceives Kainé any differently than before. She still speaks with that recognizable tone of hers and it matches with what he remembers. Maybe the differences are more subtle? He can't be too certain of anything yet.]

You've met Yonah's father?

[ Nier can't recall anything about Yonah's dad. He remembers her mother while growing up but the memory of Yonah's father eludes him.]

Is he alive? This other Nier...tell me more about him! Please. I have to know for Yonah's sake.

[shithogs]

Yeah?

['Met' him and then some. He had been the first person to give a damn about her since the death of her grandmother.]

He's alive. Last I saw him, we were getting ready to head after that dumbshit Shadowlord.

[Or... it had been on the horizon, anyway. The last thing she remembers, in truth, had been the destruction of the Aerie.

She still can't believe that a small part of her had been sad to see it go.]

We've been fighting together for awhile now.

[silentends]

Then he's really alive. Yonah's father is alive!!

[ Nier falls to his knees and just starts sobbing again. Kainé has no reason to lie about something like that so Nier takes her words at face value. ]

She lost her mother when she was still young. I remember seeing her cry then. I think Yonah would have been very happy to have her father by her side.

[ The thought of Yonah's father being there to look after her is enough to make Nier feel a sense of relief too. He feels overwhelmed by everything and he's having a difficult time keeping himself together. ]

Thank you, Kainé.

[shithogs]

[Somehow, this raises even more questions for her— Nier had never mentioned another child, but he'd never talked about Yonah's mother, either. He kept a lot of things to himself— she couldn't blame him for that. She was the same way, keeping her business her own, even after she had finally tasted what friendship and forgiveness had to offer her.

She swallows hard, her jaw tightening as she watches him fall to his knees, feels an uncomfortable tightness in her chest as he cries openly. The Nier she knew had always been free with his own emotions, too, even if it hadn't sounded quite the same. It had made her uncomfortable then, too, through no fault of his own.

Exhaling, she holds a hand out to him to help him up.]

Hey. That's— enough of all that, okay? You don't gotta thank me.

[Had she even done anything worth being thanked for?]

I don't know why some parts of our stories match up, and others don't... but Yonah was real happy with her father. I know that much.

[silentends]

Yonah was happy with her father...I'm relieved.

[ Nier takes in a few deep breath and accepts Kainé's hand so he can stand on his own two feet.]

I don't remember anything about her dad. All I knew was that he was working in some faraway place.

[ Nier didn't even know if Yonah's father was still alive. That's why he looked so surprised. For some reason, Nier remembers Yonah's mother and not the father. Some things match up and other things don't. It could be a result of many things. ]

Do you think we're in some kind of Deathdream?

[shithogs]

[She helps him up, but is noticeably quick to release his hand once she's sure he's on his feet. Touchy-feely stuff is still kind of beyond her— and while this hardly even qualified, she's not sure of anything right now.]

Could be. I never saw that for myself, but he told me enough about it. I've had enough vivid dreams to get the picture.

[A dream that changed and shifted as one made their way through it, all in an effort to ensnare the dreamer for good.]

There's... another piece of the puzzle. I've been somewhere else like this before— kind of. A castle in a hedge of thorns. There was no Nier, no Emil. Just me, and other people who had been taken as servants.

[silentends]

[ Nier almost forgets to blink when he hears that. Kainé's been to some place like this before? That's the strangest thing he's heard all day. People being taken in as servants.... he feels excessive concern for Kainé's well being. ]

Were you alone for a long time? Are you hurt? What did they do to you there, Kainé?

[ All he has are questions for her. Nier's eyes widen at the mention of Emil's name. They're good friends and he'll never forget that. Something serious must have happened to Kainé so he'll stay quiet until she's ready to speak. ]

[shithogs]

( continued here! )