TEST DRIVE MEME (4)

[trainmasters]

test drive meme

Your character wakes up in a neat bedroom in their team carriage, in nondescript underwear. They might be missing their memories, or their special abilities, or they may just feel a little queasy. Next to them is what seems to be a smartphone, which they know how to use even if they never had before, even if they don't know if they have before. On the screen is a simple message:

Welcome aboard the Aurora!

You have been selected by the Star Prince as a potential hero, tasked with saving the universe from Malice. As a passenger I, your Construct and Conductor, will attempt to provide you with quality lodgings and safety. In return, we ask that you join your fellows in making bonds and doing your utmost to bring joy back to the Stars.

Due to the process of restoring your body, you may find some things are missing. We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to return them to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation.

★ One
Upon investigation, you'll find some basic clothes matching your team's theme in the storage provided in your room. Or, perhaps, you're wandering out of the room still undressed. Either way, downstairs you'll find someone has left a tray of cups of hot tea on the living room table. Drinking it may be simply pleasant, or it may cause you to feel a sudden need to warm up to the others in your carriage -- emotionally or physically. Welcome to the team, newbie!

☆ Two
Shortly after your arrival, you find yourself wrapped up in some monster NPC's Game. You're inside what appears to be a stone temple, with a massive golden scale on one wall. Suddenly, on one side, a heavy metal weight is dropped. As the scales tip out of balance, the floor begins to slowly disappear, brick by brick, ready to drop you -- and whoever is with you -- into an abyss. Your only hope comes in the form of an inscription on the altar:

How much do your secrets weigh?

Every secret you tell causes a weight to fall onto the other side of the scale. The bigger the secret, the bigger the weight. If you can collectively tip the scales, the floor will quit dropping bricks and a door will appear to allow you back to the train. If you can't, you'll fall, seemingly forever, til you pass out. When you wake up you'll find yourself unable to lie.

★ Three
You've been in aurora for awhile -- long enough to have recovered a memory/power or two, if you lost any. And it's lucky for you: today, the area around the train has been surrounded in a strange mist that makes you feel dizzy and overly warm. Left alone, your condition will slowly degrade, with increasing lethargy and shortness of breath until you lose consciousness. The cure is easy enough, though -- touch another person and they'll see one of your memories, experiencing it as if it's their own. The effect is mutual -- you now have a piece of eachother, and you're safe from the illness... at least until you take another big breath. Good thing there's no mist inside the train!

☆ Four
Wildcard. Make up your own prompt! Check out the setting and team pages for info on the train. If you have any questions, ask on the q&a page. Otherwise, apps open on February 8! In the meantime you're free to join us on Discord.

Comments

[desirestruth]

Of course it is. Such a beautiful world...has such beauty as to make all suffering bearable.

[Oh! She smiled!!! She can smile!

What absolute fucking idiots.]

I believe you will be able to find something quite wondrous, Sister. I could not possibly doubt that.

[monodeleteism]

[ WHAT ABSOLUTE FUCKING MORONS ]

Ah, such struggles must come with a noble goal. Yes, it hurt - it hurt to kill mother. It hurt to stop her, though it was necessary. Yes, I understand. Such pain must be endured for the sake of beauty, but in turn, beauty must be beauty so that the pain is worth it. Yes, I understand.

[ coming closer to her, slowly shaping to something a little more human - at least just in her hands ]

Come, Sister. Speaking of beauty, there is none to be found in this air. It is -

[ with an abrupt pause, trying to find the word ]

Yes, it makes this body lethargic. Tiresome. It is exhausting. Let us go inside.

[desirestruth]

[She doesn't like that her sister appears to be made of evil mud but you know, these things must be overcome for the sake of family. So she'll take Alter's hands to help her inside.]

...Yes, I feel it too. Let's hurry.

[INTO THE TRAIN BEFORE EITHER OF US FALL ASLEEP AGAIN OR YOU GET ANOTHER ONE OF MY MEMORIES??? IF YOU THINK MY FIANCE IS YOURS I'M GONNA HAVE TO SLAP A MUD.]

[monodeleteism]

[ handholding!!!! and hurrying inside, a blobby blob moving with the gait of a human person but you know it's still like. inhuman, uncanny valley of mimicking ]

I have much to consider, for my purpose. In the meantime however, Sister, it seems you are worldly and know of many things. I must ask you for your knowledge once more.

[desirestruth]

I will do all that I can to help.

[Things she may regret saying later: that.

Anyway the weird blob gait doesn't seem to bother her that much, but she'll lead Sisalter into Senna's train car so they can get comfortable! And maybe see if there's any food Vanillaine hasn't eaten yet!

Btw you did get a nice dose of 100 years courtly manners unskippable on the way in.]

[monodeleteism]

[ it's deeply unfortunate that all naeva gets back in return is abstract silence and the horror of isolation and being abandoned by everyone, everyone, everyone on the flip side the blob has instantaneously and immediately shaped to like, Courtly levels of walking, shape still vague and shadowy but much more refined now, even the color shaping into a different person entirely. by the time they get to their carriage, sisalter has refined herself to white hair, gold eyes, pale skin - she doesn't look quite like naeva: there's enough of a masculine shape that she ends up looking more androgynous than completely feminine, particularly because the torso is more vaguely curved than anything. vaguely shaped and naked! it's like, not sexy but it is still extremely uncanny just like the rest of this blob is! also forgive my icons i don't have the non-skintone bases ] Wonderful! As expected of you, Sister! Then, tell me - what are the adornments that drape along your body? Shall I decorate myself with the same? Mother had different colors on her, I know.

[desirestruth]

[It's fine. This is fine. She'll have screaming heebie jeebies when she's in private and maybe never stop!

She does. Pause at this question. Ah. Well.]

These are called clothes. They are worn to keep ourselves warm and also as an expression of our individual taste. I think there are some in here--

[Digging out all her spares! To offer Sisterblob a selection.]

[monodeleteism]

[ taking them, be kind im on phone i cant dig up my icons ]

My. So I see . . . For what reason do we keep ourselves warm?

[ finding the crop jacket to try putting it on. just this. ]

[desirestruth]

[Oh she is gonna have to start you on book 0 isn't she. Naeva pauses, startled by the question. And the crop jacket. Well, that's a...look.]

Biologically speaking, most creatures die when they become too cold. For beings such as us, without fur coats of our own, it is necessary to create artificial means to overcome this threat.

...Additionally, it is often more comfortable.

[monodeleteism]

Comfortable. . . [ starts pulling up the silk pyjamas, albeit upside down ] This. This, I enjoy. Yes - it is - Comfortable.

[desirestruth]

Ah, the wide hole there goes around your waist.

[SHE'S. HELPING.]

1/2

[monodeleteism]

Oh yes! Oh yes, I see now. How wonderful, that even these fur substitutes would know the shape of my body, that they will hold fast to my form. [ taking it off, putting it on properly but then it's like the straps obviously have to go through the arms but jacket >attempt to pull straps over jacket ]

[monodeleteism]

[ . . . . . . ] This is not comfortable. [ taking the straps off so she can take the jacket off ]

[desirestruth]

[Don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh--]

They are meant to be layered. The piece there is called a 'jacket', and usually is the outermost layer.

[monodeleteism]

I enjoy the feeling it provides on my arms. Yes, it is comfortable. I wonder, would I prefer fur there? [ fixing up the pjs and then putting on the jacket ] There. I have done it.

[desirestruth]

Very good.

[HAVE A HEADPAT.]

[monodeleteism]

[ !!?! !!!!! ! ] Sister! Your wisdom, please - what manner of touch is that!

[desirestruth]

That is a called a pat, or a pet. It is meant to be for praise. Or comforting, I suppose.

[HERE SHE WILL DO IT AGAIN. FOR SCIENCE.]