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TDM: May
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aefenglom's test drive! All threads can be considered game canon, should you choose to do so; regardless of if you pick specific threads to remain canon to the game, the prompts and test drive itself will be. This will be touched on later in-game, so it's fairly important to note! Aside from that, here are some quick reminders:• Reserves Open Today! If you're interested in securing a spot, put one in! We accept applications without reserves too, of course. Reserves will expire three days before the end of the application period, on the 28th.With that taken care of...
• Applications Open The 24th! These will last until the end of the month, the 31st, with the intro log going on up June 1st. The application page can be found here.
• If you have any questions about the game or the world, please refer to the FAQ page; if you still have questions, feel free to ask them! For questions specific to the test drive, please ask them on the appropriate thread.
• For the purposes of the test drive, your character will have access to all magics taught by the Coven if they're a Witch, and as much of their shifted form as you'd like if they're a Monster. Feel free to play around and experiment with each!
• While current players won't be allowed to post top levels on the test drive itself, feel free to reference or play with the dreams in-game.
• Test drive threads can be used as samples for your applications!
You feel like you're floating. Around you, colors and sounds and smells swirl as if trapped in a whirlpool, vibrancy and hue ever shifting. The more you watch them, the less solid they are; they only become clear out of the corner of your eye. The area around you begins to feel more solid as well, until your feet are on the ground, the wind brushes playfully against your face -
and you know one thing, and one thing alone: this is a dream, and an incredibly realistic one at that.
The Eternal Fall
The smell of autumn leaves surrounds you, a myriad of colors sparkling into existence at the same time. Despite the warmth and light, the air feels heavy and stiff, as if on razor's edge. The forest is eerily silent - not a bird, bug, or rodent dares to stir - and when you do hear something, it's the high-pitched crying, whining, weeping, sobbing, howling sounds of something far off. The tunnel of bent branches invites you further with an unpleasant compulsion; though fighting it and turning around finds you in front of a chilly, damp cave alight with the faint, cool glow of bubbling fountains and streams.
 The Compulsion Unable to sway yourself from the call of the forest - or maybe you're simply curious as to where it leads - your feet pull you further and further into the autumnal tunnel. The cry from before grows more distant, but in return, the air weighs even heavier on your shoulders than before. The branches hang lower and lower as well, as if pushed by gravity, until their leaves smack your face, twigs offering small cuts from the thorns protruding from their bark. But you can't stop. Not now. The end of the tunnel seems so close; but it's seemed that way for a while now, you suppose, and you've already come this far - you might as well stay the course, wherever it might lead. The further you go, the brighter everything becomes, and you realize it's the leaves surrounding you; they've begun to glow, encouraged by the sunlight streaming in from above, and the wind begins to whisper in your ear. At first, it's only encouraging things, or silly facts - harmless words, but as the foliage begins to shimmer and reflect your image, the wind's words turn colder. Within those reflections on the autumn tunnel, you begin to see your worst moments - morally, ethically, emotionally. The things you don't want anyone else to know, that you'd feel ashamed or struck for anyone - especially those close to you - to see. The wind becomes louder as the scenes play out one right after another, boldly declaring your true feelings as they were in that moment, good or bad. Worst of all - you still can't bring yourself to turn back, even as your mind begins to free itself from the tunnel's compulsion. Maybe someone else can help out, if they're not too taken by their own memories, or maybe the shock of sharing such private secrets will jolt you and anyone else back to reality. Either way, it's that, or staying stuck watching your worst memories play on repeat for what feels like the rest of your life. |
 The Cry While not compelled by any means, you still feel a curious draw down the path in front of you; as you follow the leaf tunnel, with others or alone, you find another, less-traveled path. Following it reveals a large pond colored orange and gold by the reflection of the area it's in, sunlight and shadows playing on its surface. At a glance, it seems to be rather shallow, but that's hardly the truth. You realize, after a moment, that the crying has continued, evidently coming from the water. Looking closer, the culprit is an infected Merrow, who - upon begin seen - shrieks and dives for whoever's looking at it with the clear intent to drag them down beneath the water. Its claws are extra sharp, its teeth similar to a shark in number and shape, and its scales have turned a pale black; an oil-like substance flows from beneath them and from its gums as well, shimmering the same way gasoline does in the light, and its eyes are the tell-tale white of a Shade. It isn't impossible to fight it to get away, especially as some of you have new abilities at hand, and some of you have a few neat changes to help that along. Once distance is successfully put between you and the infected Merrow, it howls in a wet, warbly voice, visibly frustrated. Unlike ordinary Merrows, who can walk on land and have legs as long as they stay dry, this Merrow can't seem leave its pond at all, and electricity sparks from it like little static shocks in its irritation. It does dive back under once it realizes it can't reach you, resurfacing as your character's most important person in an attempt to lure them back. The expressions are far too real, too genuine; even those aware it's a Merrow might be fooled. While its voice isn't a perfect mimicry, the song it begins to sing has with it notes of yearning and beckoning to join it, join your beloved person, in the water. |
 The Cave Pulling yourself from curiosity or compulsion, the cave behind you - in front of you, if you've turned around - gives off an oddly pure feeling. Like an oasis in a desert, it feels refreshing and calm; incredibly safe, compared to the eerie call of the forest it's in. Within the cave are pools of water that glow and glimmer from the magic runes found around them. The runes shift similar to a mirage whenever you try to focus on them; and try as you might, you can't glimpse what they say exactly. It isn't so hard to figure out though, as the pools of water surrounded by them have a pleasingly cold temperature, while those without them are near scalding. A few of the latter have runes around them, but they're not glowing like the rest - feeding a little magic into them changes this immediately, and steam rises in a sudden blast as the water cools rapidly. The opposite can be done for the colder pools too - taking their magic somehow or ruining the runes will make them bubble and boil as they surge in temperature. But that isn't all the cave has to offer. Moving further inward, you get the feeling you're going down - beneath the ground and the enchanting forest. Eventually, the cave widens out to a massive underground lake, multiple waterfalls pouring into it; despite their number and size, the room is completely silent. All tunnels seem to lead to this one room, with a few of them looking more man-made than natural. Traversing other tunnels leads you into a maze that only ever brings you to the lake, or to the cave's entrance, no matter how many different paths you take. Something different happens eventually though; signs of life begin to appear, or at least signs that life once lived there. Leather pouches rotted by the dampness of the cave hang on sharp nails beaten into the cave walls, with boots in similar condition strewn here and there. Torn, soaking clothing lays in piles in the tunnels, and candles burnt down to their wick's end stand in shelves carved from the navy blue and black stone. There's broken toys and books too waterlogged to read, instruments with snapped strings or clogged holes, and - most peculiarly - smooth, round devices that heavily resemble large pocketwatches or hand mirrors. They refuse to turn on though, either due to age or due to the wetness of the air. |
cave, for balance
... Maybe he should have tried it after all. Being bumped into is no fun. (No, that's definitely not his fault as much as the other person's, what are you even talking about?!)]
You can't look and think at the same time?
poor wet cat
Though she doesn't know it's a dream-to her, this is quite real-she beams at him.]
I can kitten!
[Why does she sound so impossibly cheerful? She's in the throes of searching for something new. Much better then all the nonsense of before.]
Most assuredly I can. But sometimes, fingers can have better vision then eyes, if that makes any sense.
Have you had more success then? Seeing something I haven't?
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/55/45/88/5545889af2b0f051f71a01bd4add4313.jpg
[You don't say that kind of thing! Especially so cheerfully!! He's a mature adult (sorta kinda), dammit!]
What is there to see? The lakes are boiling; the magic of the runes cools them down.
That's all.
He's not THAT wet
[Is she flirting? She's flirting. Though his assertions made her quirk her eyebrows.]
And yet, there's no one around to enjoy the hot or cold water. Doesn't that seem strange to you? At all?
basically how he feels though
[What is flirting and can he eat it? Apart from that, though, she has a point, of course.]
... There were some boots a while back. Someone definitely used to come here.
[How long ago, it's hard to say. He's anything but a magical expert, or maybe he'd know if the magic in the runes could "run out" and require renewal with time. As it is: her guesses are as good as his.]
He is a cat, everything is dramatic suffering
[She's enjoying tease-flirting with him so much. Maybe it doesn't help that his ears flick, and oh...do they look so soft.]
Right? And I saw too that there were old network devices. They don't work anymore-could be a lot of things that caused it but-they're certainly a generation outdated.
Add to that that someone had to write the runes, and they still respond to magic...
I'd rather be thrilled over a mystery then get frustrated over it.
so very true
[Gosh, he's used to people treating him as a Monster for his cat features, but this is even more awkward?!?!
His ears are very soft indeed. And he will absolutely claw her to pieces if she tries to touch them right now. He refuses to admit defeat by, oh say, walking away, though - and, for what it's worth, he would like to solve the mystery, too.]
... That's the thing. Those network devices aren't actually that common.
he is not cat, he is yowl
[Sorry Konoe, you're too easy. But she won't raise to the bait of touching those ears or tail! That'd be rude after all.
And thankfully, she gets a little more serious when she hears that choice tidbit.]
So you're saying...you're not saying that only outerworlders are provided with these, correct? I don't want to jump to conclusions.
when you want to be basement cat but you become bathtub cat instead
[Okay, that sounds... at least three times more insulting than he meant it, but... at least it's pretty solid reasoning for a change?]
Not only outerworlders... [the word comes out a bit slowly as he makes sure not to mess it up] ... but they're a lot more common for them than for the natives.
Instead of ceiling cat, you're cleaning cat
But...also...
[She leaned in then. All the amusement drained for a moment as she stared him in the eye.]
Be careful in choosing your battles. Some may hurt you or those you care for for less.
just sadly mopping the floor with your tail
["Us" as in "him and his group". Supposedly they'd been the first, and everyone had sure seemed surprised enough for that to be possible.]
But if it wasn't outerworlders, they were definitely rich.
[Which meant... absolutely nothing, he supposed. It was weird that people would leave such expensive items behind, though, even if they were rich.
... Wow, was she seriously threatening him now?! His tail bristled. He was never looking for a fight, but if anyone wanted to start something, be it her or anyone else, there was no way he'd back down.]
I'd like to see them try.
and your beans
[As she's seen for herself. But well, if that's what they say...why did the hall of mirrors exist in the first place? It seems she's getting more questions then answers. How exciting-and frustrating. It was hard to be certain.
Well, she was certain that he was getting all huffy, from the bushy tail. Cute. She laughed quietly, and drew back a bit.]
You really are young. Poor kitten.
ah yes, the beans that really ARE good for your heart
But that really does feel like giving up...]
I'm not that young! Maybe you are just old.
[Yeah, that... sure makes him sound mature... Good job.]
They're also good for melting hearts
Even if the kitten beside her really is...a kitten. And thus easy to tease.]
Oh yes, I am old, very old. Older then any grandmother you've met.
[Is she teasing? It sounds like she is.]
You excel at making friends, don't you? Insult people to get them to like you. I've seen that before.
or just kneading them into submission
I don't need people to like me. And anyone who likes me after I insult them isn't right in the head.
[That doesn't keep him from teasing his friends, but shhh. He does what he wants.]
Purrs and kneads, way to make tem submit
[She dismisses his argument with a roll of her wrist.]
And if you think about it, we're not right. We're monsters to the natives. I don't mean that in as an affectionate term, but as...freaks.
So you might not want it, but you need people to think your insults are funny and cute.
So, maybe you don't growl at someone calling you out for acting like a kitten.
Kitten.
putting the m in tem
[You're not his mom!! Seriously though, Konoe will take the chance of pissing off over the need to win people over any day of the week. He'd rather stand tall
or as tall as he getsand get into a fight, than suck up to people and fake everything. It's not worth it.]And I'll growl at anyone I want.
[He's. Not actually growling.
He is kind of flashing his fangs, but that's not even deliberate.]
and that was a typo on my part, now here I lie, killed by typo
[She smiles at him. This is fun, in a perverse way. Sorry Konoe, she's weird and awful, even as she takes note of his fangs. She leans around him briefly to see if his tail is a little puffy or thumping.]
Whatever I may say, it is your choice. But things might go badly in the future.
That's all.