memesinthenight | TEST DRIVE MEME #8

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!tdm

TEST DRIVE MEME #8

Hello and welcome to the In the Night test drive meme for January! Thanks for your interest in our game! In an effort to streamline our application process and avoid future confusion between incoming and existing players, we will no longer have a reservation period. Applications open on January 22, and will be judged on a first-come, first-served basis.

While you're here...
Take a look at our rules and faq pages to familiarize yourself with the game.
Note that we have a (current) application cap of 16 apps this month for new players, as the game has a player cap of 70. An accurate count of current players will always be available on the taken page.
TDM threads can become game canon if both players wish. If the situation isn't something that could happen in-game, you're free to chalk it up to some strange hallucination, a shared dream, or other mysterious circumstance.
Note that this is not limited to new characters threading with characters already in-game. If current players wish to thread out the TDM prompts as canon events, they are welcome to do so. They are welcome to make posts in the main comms for TDM events as well. Please note, however, that actual plot clues or happenings will not occur in TDM prompts.
If you plan to apply, please keep in mind that we do require at least one sample thread on the application to be from our TDM (though it doesn't need to be the current TDM).
You're welcome to use the provided prompts or come up with something on your own, but we do ask that all threads take place in our game's setting.

Thank you again, and we hope you'll choose to join us!

log prompts

CAKE BY THE OCEAN

It's a brand new year, and with it, a brand new...you? Well, you are dead, but there's still plenty of ways that you can embrace the spirit of starting fresh, especially when it seems that the forest spirits have their own traditions that they're eager to share! If you've only just arrived, you may find yourself pelted with loaves of bread and accosted with noisemakers, or if you're a seasoned Beaconite, maybe you're wearily unsurprised to find strings of onions being placed around various doorways. Just another day in the afterlife. Best to go along with it, even if some of these practices seem to be somewhat chaotic. It's never a good idea to make the spirits mad, after all, and especially not when they're trying to show you...some sort of semblance of good will, you think. For the most miserable of souls, at least you can be comforted in the knowledge that it should all be over before the day is out.

This is a miniature version of the festivities present during this month's intro log!

I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE WHEN I'M WITH YOU

Winter has made its way to Beacon. It's fortunate that plenty of snow gear has been made available at the general store, so this is a great time for those with little-to-no experience with genuine snow to get out there and draw some angels or build forts for some playful snowball fights! At least...it is, at first. Linger too long and you'll find yourself caught in the middle of a raging blizzard that seems to have swept in out of nowhere. In an instant things seem to go from cold to freezing, and the need to get back inside where there's safety from the elements is pressing. Fortunately, you aren't alone. It might not be your usual residence, but more than one of you have tumbled into the same shelter, and will probably be stuck in there until the worst of the storm passes. No time to get to know each other like the present, right? Gotta break the ice somehow (haha).

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RUN BOY RUN

The changes in the weather isn't the only thing that residents old and new need to keep weary of. While a great many of the forest spirits remain generally friendly, traveling alone comes with its risks. There's always the possibility that you may encounter a creature that's less inclined to let you pass it by unscathed. And so it goes for you as you venture out into the trees with your lantern and torch in hand. Whatever reason you had for starting out alone, and whatever got you to this point, you've had to take shelter from a very, very displeased spirit. Maybe it has a body not meant for climbing, and you've scaled high up into a tree that it won't let you down from, or maybe you've taken shelter inside of a structure that it's too big to squeeze itself into. Whatever the case, it's clear that your pursuer isn't giving up the ghost (haha), and you'll need to contact someone for some form of help to get yourself out of this.

1000 FORMS OF FEAR

It's a normal day in Beacon...which means that something inconvenient at best and terrifying at worst must be just around the corner. Whether or not you're on edge about the relative calm, it doesn't seem that anything weird is happening...until you try and post to the network. No matter how many times you try, the message you intend to write erases itself. As if someone else has hacked into your tablet, a new message re-types itself in front of your eyes. One of your greatest fears or greatest regrets announces itself for all to see, and there's no getting rid of it. All attempts at getting rid of it are fruitless, and it doesn't seem that you can back out of the new post window now that you're here. Your only option now is to hit send. But, hey, your fellow residents are a pretty understanding lot. Maybe they won't hold whatever it is against you. Maybe you can explain it away. There's always lying, too, if you want to go that method of covering your tracks.

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I Can’t Feel My Face

[ Actually, Jack could feel his face. Very well, in fact. A blizzard, no matter how strong, wasn’t much for him. So it was a few hours into it that he finally returned to shelter. He had wanted to make sure there had been no stragglers out in this weather. No one needed to die (again) on his watch!

Bare feet stepped into the threshold, a fresh layer of frost covering him that he shook off himself. His hands brushed through his white hair as he regarded the person who was also inside. ]

Doesn’t look like anyone else is caught in this, hope you don’t mind some company. Being a loner only has its perks when there’s actually stuff to do.

[ He grinned, locking the door from the fierce wind (geez Wind, give the people here some kinda break!) and went to find something to perch on. ]

Don’t worry, I’m not the warmest person around but I won’t freeze anything in here. Promise!

1000 Forms of Fear

I let Baby Tooth be capture just for the sake of my missing memories, which lead to Bunny being not Believed in and the kids couldn’t see him anymore

[ Ugh, this was so lame. He already apologized for it! He and the Easter Bunny were cool now! ]

I already said sorry and stuff. So can I delete this now? COME ON.

Cake By The Ocean

[ Well, that was one way to get free food. It seemed dying really had no effect on this boy’s stomach as he was on his third loaf of bread. What? They didn’t look bad! He would have preferred a Wild Duck Burger but beggars can’t be choosers. He tore a piece off and popped it in his mouth as he glanced at the several strings of onions lining the doorways that he passed by.

He knew this wasn’t the afterlife (not that one he was expecting, anyway), but could he still say it sure was weird? Because it was, even coming from him. ]

-!!

[ A startled yelp left him, followed by coughing as he nearly choked on his bread and fell right on his ass when a spirit with a noisemaker decided to start making said noise behind him. It laughed and ran off gleefully, leaving Minato low key embarrassed and high key wanting to burn his bread now for nearly killing him (again). ]

...whatever.

1000 Forms of Fear

I regret not lasting longer than a month and not telling my friends that I was dying. They didn’t get to say goodbye.

[ Well. That was all kinds of messed up to whomever hacked this thing. It was another moment, and it looked like he had free reign again, that he added. ]

It wouldn’t have been fair to them and it’s a long story. Don’t worry about it, thanks.

Ding Dong You're Dead But Hey There's Cake?

_{[Out of everything Tataru's experienced in all twenty one summers of her life, death was, without a doubt, the most traumatic. Perhaps the wildest part of it all is that she can't really remember how she kicked the bucket either. Had a morbol made a tasty treat of her or had a dragon decided to turn her into a quick snack? Really, there are lots of ways for lalafell to meet their demise. She'd just assumed hers wouldn't have been so soon.

But, when you go on grand adventures, are shy of three feet tall, and deal with all sorts of creatures and people alike, it only makes sense that the risk of ending up dead would be amplified tenfold. This, however, is not what she expected dying to be like, Twelve have mercy. As far as she can tell this other world, this afterlife of sorts (after she'd had her share of tears and panicked screeching), is more alive than she could've imaged. Why, they're even throwing a party...even if it means she's getting loaves of bread tossed at her. Having taken a seat (and one of the loaves) Tataru settles herself down, her lantern carefully placed by her side. For the moment she's completely content with picking at the bread, breaking off pieces to nibble on. She's easy to overlook due to her size and even easier to trip over if you're not watching where you're going.

If you're not the clumsy type then it might be her who's running into your legs, hugging her lantern to her chest as she shrieks, chased by a bunch of mischievous forest spirits with noise makers and a penchant for tugging on her ears.]}

O-Oh leave me be, leave me alon-!

_{[What's that sound? That thud? It's the sound of her head making contact with your knees, depending on how tall you are, and the subsequent tumbling of Tataru onto her backside. Oops.]}

Ah-!

Can't Feel My Face

_{[Despite the time she'd spent in Ishgard, Tataru never found herself becoming fond of the chill. She is, however, aware of how quickly a storm can brew and despite her best attempts at hurrying back toward where she's been designated to stay and "live" (little lalafell legs can only go so fast) she finds herself caught amidst winds that threaten to blow her over and flakes of snow that blind and disorient. At the first door she can find that will open to her she's throwing herself through the entrance, slamming the barrier shut behind her with a full bodied heave. From the size of her and in the dim light she may be mistaken for a forest spirit, but as soon as she's turning around it's clear that her maskless face is one that belongs to just another unfortunate soul.

She'd be apologizing to barging in, tripping over her words and waving her hands about...but that'll come in a moment. She needs to catch her breath. So, y'know...give her a minute.]}

Can’t Feel My Face

[There is, apparently, a limit to how warm one can keep one’s self through sheer, unadulterated fury. The icy storm winds are whipping his coat and his hair around him, whisking away any body heat his shivering form is producing.

Needless to say, Ravus is pissed. He’s still lost in the forest, who knows how far from the town, and the trees are doing little to shield him from the wind and snow.

He draws his sword and starts slashing at the nearest tree. In theory, it’s for firewood, but the actual truth of it is that he needs to hit something.]

Run?

How do I kill a daemon of this world?

[Ravus isn’t going to ask for rescue ~~even if he is currently trapped up a tree, struggling to type with his one hand, while an angry spirit thrashes below.]~~

[He can relate to some small extent.]

Did you manage to spend your time with them?

Sometimes it is not about the words, but the things that we do

A daemon? Do you mean forest spirit? Did it attack you?

[ Ravus may be lost, but there is someone else wandering these woods, far more familiar with the layout than he is. She's been here long enough now, after all, and she's been out here exploring far more than she really should be these days, especially alone.

She can hear a commotion and she can see a few of the more shy forest spirits flying into hiding. It makes her frown, because she can't imagine what could be causing such a ruckus.

It's height that truly gives him away; the stance he holds, the hair. The annoyance. She'd recognize Ravus anywhere, from any distance, and it makes her heart nearly skip a beat and absolutely stop.

The last person she wanted to see here, other than Noctis, is her brother. He wasn't here when she arrived. She'd had such high hopes that he'd survive, go on to help save the world, have children and grandchildren. Anything but this.

Her temporary stupor over, Lunafreya steps out and into the clearing, dressed in a simple dress, overcoat, and scarf. The cold never bothered her anyway, or something like that. ]

Ravus!

Cake By The Ocean

[Dead is nothing new to Asterios. Neither is enveloping darkness. Bread fights are different?

There’s a hunk of a loaf skewered on one of Asterios’ horns, and more crumbs caught in his wild mane of hair. He picks out the pieces he can reach and cradles them in the crook of one massive arm— the tattered loincloth he wears doesn’t offer much by way of pockets— because he’s not going to just waste food. Snacks are good for making friends.

Speaking of...]

Do you...want some...?

[He offers a morsel to the person who approaches. The allure of free bread outweighs the fact that it is being offered by a hulking berserker that stands over 9 feet tall, right?]

1000 Forms of Fear

[Whatever username Asterios chose for himself, it is now displaying as ‘Minotaur’. If there’s an avatar, that too shows a bull’s head.]

Figh...t.... k i l l... EAT die Die DIE!

Edited 2020-01-15 23:59 (UTC)

Forgive me if I did not stop to ask for its name.

How do I kill the forest spirit.

[Look who's not commenting on the the attack that may or may not have happened and the similarly uncertain hasty retreat.]

Cake by the Ocean

[It's not everyday an apparent immortal dies, but he has. And now he's getting off a boat. Hmm. Guess that bit of stories was true.

Ardyn wasn't expecting the noisemakers, though. That's a little annoying, but he laughs anyway, even as loaves of bread are presented so aggressively he has to duck a loaf of pumpernickel.

It's still better than being a victim of the fates!]

I can't feel my face...

[Ardyn doesn't relish the cold, though he doesn't mind it. Even Shiva couldn't make him shiver. But he's not a fan of getting buried or losing visibility, so when the storm rolls in, he practically dances into the nearest building, tossing his hat onto a table with a flourish upon entry.]

[If Lunafreya did not know that her big brother would not be long in following her into death, he did a better job of hiding his intentions than he'd thought. He'd known from the moment his sister threw in her fate with that Lucian Prince that the Fleuret line was doomed.]

Sister?

[There is only one voice in this world or any that could sooth Ravus' rage, and he is quick to lower his sword and whip around at the sound of it, searching through the storm and darkness for her.]

No, this cannot be....

[He can accept this cold, dark hell as his fate, but Lunafreya, the Oracle of Tenebrae, his baby sister...what has she done to deserve this?

The sword drops from his hand, and his knees begin to buckle as he steps in her direction, all of his anger draining away and leaving him reeling.]

I ask because we are trying not to antagonize the forest spirits further

Green-eyed ones are the ones that cannot be reasoned with.

Are you experiencing any hallucinations?

[Look how much your snark and sarcasm affected him.]

[ Lunafreya had hoped and prayed that Ravus would take Tenebrae back as his own. Shape and mold it, walk hand in hand with Noctis to bring the dawn back. Of course, she knew Noctis's fate was one in the same as her own as well. But if anyone could defy fate, it was her former fiance and her stubborn brother.

The fact that Noctis has been here once, and has yet again disappeared like sand between her fingers indicates that she was very wrong, that his fate is doomed after all. That Ravus is here now only cements the pit that's in her stomach, twisting and digging deeper and harder than Ardyn's blade ever could.

When he turns to her, her shoulders drop and she trudges through the snow in her heels, immediately unwinding her scarf from her neck so that once she is close enough, she can wrap it around his instead. Something she does immediately, because first thing is first: it's cold, his cheeks are red from the wind, and he needs to warm up. Call it a healer's instinct.

But once that's done, she's leaning up on her toes so that she can throw her arms around him, face burying itself into his shoulder, eyes squeezing shut. He's warm, he's solid, and he's here. ]

I have missed you, brother, but you were never meant to be here...

Yes, I was experiencing a hallucination where I thought a Lucian could be helpful. I've been cured now.

It antagonized me. Whatever I do to it is self defense.

[He does snap a blurry picture of it through the darkness to send, though, and there's a faint green glint to the shape in the darkness.]

I am on my way. It dies the same way everything else dies. Spirits with thin, spindly hands are especially susceptible to brute force. Just be extremely wary of hallucinations. It is the only thing we don't have an effective way of fighting it.

Other spirits listen to green-eyed ones. Be careful.

Can you give me more precise whereabouts?

[ Today started out as an okay day. She's gone to visit some dear friends she's made here in this hellscape, made sure that Ignis and Prompto were doing well before she'd left the house, too. But something was off, something was different. Other than the cold, of course.

Lunafreya always knew there was a chance that Ardyn could show up, could and eventually would. She's also had a crazy theory that she's not shared with... really anyone, especially since Somnus's arrival.

So color her both somewhat relieved and disappointed when she sees a certain fedora wearing, murderous ~~fuck~~ former Chancellor wandering about in the open, clearly having just gotten off of the ferry.

Well. This is happening. ]

Chancellor Ardyn Izunia, how long has it been?

[ Yes, Ardyn. How long has it been? Look at how nice she is, even using that ridiculous farce of a title. ]

[Her arms wrap around him, and all he can think of the last time he held her, cold and still and soaked through with ocean spray.

He sinks to his knees, and as he always has, he drags Lunafreya down with him.]

You should be in the light. You should be at peace.

[Whatever fragile illusions of justice Ravus held are shattered. His shivering now has nothing to do with the cold.]

How did you come to be here?

Cake by the Ocean
[ Death. There was no point lingering upon it, such a fate was unavoidable. And she had always known her lifespan to be limited, thanks to her uncle's machination. Yet ultimately, it was neither him nor the goddess who had claimed her life.

She had won. Her victorious armies had been cheering in celebration. Enemy soldiers had surrendered, living to see another day. But not all had been so prompt to accept defeat... A lone, desperate enemy soldier had rushed at her. A soldier whom, in desperation upon seeing his side lose, had sought to claim revenge. A soldier whose sword had left a tear in the right side of her armor.

Death was unavoidable. But to die just as the world she had envisioned was about to come true? Just as her forces had claimed victory? Slain by a soldier fighting for a goddess who was no more, for a false ideal. It was too much to bear.

This was no time to party or celebrate. Or to eat. Thankfully, it appeared the forest spirits were of another mind. Indeed, four spirits were flanking Edelgard, happily using their noisemakers at maximum capacity. Right into her ears.

And that was when something happened. It was a slow and insidious process. At first, the woman had looked sorrowful and desperate. But the more the spirits kept up with their noisemakers, the less sorrowful she appeared to be. Indeed, another emotion was creeping up upon her features. Was it acceptance? Resignation? She tried dismissing the spirits with a wave of her hand, but to no avail.

Then a frown formed. Was it anger now? No, maybe not that far... She tried telling the spirits off. Nothing.

A sigh. So that was hell. ]

I must admit, this is not quite what I expected from the world beyond.

[ In spite of how annoyed she was, Edelgard managed to sound quite level-headed. Still— She was holding a blood-stained axe with her right hand, and judging by the nervous twitch, it was getting harder and harder not to use it on these spirits. ]

In the dark, up a tree.

[They don't have road signs out here, so it's not like Ravus has much direction to offer, even if he was inclined to be helpful.]

I left the fire from the south side.

Over a decade. Good morrow, Lady Oracle. You haven't aged a day.

[His face, as usual, betrays absolutely nothing as he sweeps a bow, doffing his hat. He's almost always the image, if not the substance, of a gentleman, as Luna well knows.]

[ Whatever dreams and hopes she'd held for Ravus's future, the bright wishes and prayers that he'd be able to make some sort of life for him sitting atop the throne of Tenebrae have come crashing violently down, and it's all she can do not to begin mourning over what can never be.

They may not have always seen eye to eye, they may have even been distanced from one another for a while, but they've always been all the other one ever had. Even when things were at their worst and roles had to be played, at the end of the day Luna had always been able to go back to Ravus to rant, or to cry, or to voice her frustrations and he'd always been there to act as her pillar of strength.

Even at the end, disagreeing with her decision but having to accept it, he'd been there, doing what he could to make sure that she finished what she began.

As they drop to the snow, she hardly feels the cold, because another sort of numb has started to frost over in her mind and heart. ]

Peace and light were never meant for me. I was meant to stay behind and watch over destiny as it unfolded, and you... you were meant to be able to walk in the aftermath of the light, free from the Empire and darkness. Not... this.

[ It's not right. He's not meant to be here. ]

I could ask you the same thing, dear brother... I have no idea why we have been summoned here. I have been here for months.

[ He was very tempted to send a "orly" type of thing, but- he resisted. ]

Understood. I have traversed these woods for a while now, I should be able to find you

If you think you are hallucinating, stay in the tree and don't move, no matter what

[Ignis is armed up to the throat as he leaves the safety of the bonfire and starts his search.]

Nor have you.

[ Ten years... honestly, she's got a lot of questions that she wants to ask him. But want though she may, she doesn't dare; she doesn't really have anything against Ardyn. Even after everything, in her heart of hearts she can't bring herself to hate this man, because in the big scheme of things? They're one in the same.

Just like her, his fate is tied into destiny, too. A long, drawn out destiny. ]

...How is it that you are here?

[ Noctis was meant to kill the Undying and usher in the dawn. But Noctis had just been here. And now Noctis is gone, presumed dead... deader than he already had been? No one really knows how that works. But it's the one thing she needs to know --

Ardyn is Adagium. The 'Usurper', the 'Undying'. Fate dictated that he should die by the hand of the King of Light, and yet he's here. ]

new year new beginning same story
[This isn't really what he was expecting. Not that Roxas had expectations, but well. He didn't think becoming one with Sora was ever really gonna end with seeing Xion again- or Namine or Axel. He didn't think he was gonna end up going to the beach with Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

But he didn't think some lumpy little shape in the woods was going to throw loaves of bread at him either!] Hey! [Roxas catches the first one, it's a clumsy fumble because he's caught off guard but he sticks the landing. And he even catches the second, then third. But before he gets a chance to stop juggling the fourth one slaps him in the face and he's definitely had enough.] What's going on?!

black and white and looking for shelter
[Summer vacation really is over. He has his coat but the winter wind still burns his ears and pinches the color out of his fingers. Roxas's shoulders ride up and his arms fold over his chest as he bears forward into the wind. He's pretty sure he saw a building up ahead and at this point he doesn't really care what it is as long as it's got a roof. Anything's better than this.

He shoulders past anyone he has to, making his way to the door with single-minded determination- and then he pushes his way inside. No one was living here anyway, right?]

who says you can't outrun your problems

These things can't climb right?

i can’t feel my face when i’m with you.

[ Clark isn’t used to the dark or the cold. It’s a jarring experience for someone who absorbs a considerable amount of energy from a yellow sun; he’s not scared, per se, but it’ll take some time to adjust. Though the lantern he takes with him provides an all right amount of light, it’s nothing compared to a star.

The light isn't the only thing he needs to get used to, though. It didn’t snow much in Smallville, and while Metropolis had its cold spots, Clark doesn't think he's ever experienced a blizzard before. He looks out the window, lantern held up close, and exhales softly at the sight of the flurries flying all about in the air. ]

I found blankets. [ He peers his head into the room his apparent companion here’s decided to hole up in. True enough, held in the arm opposite the one with his lantern are a few rolls of them. ]

I don’t suppose you saw a fireplace in here?

run boy run.

[ Apparently trying to make peace with the animal that looked spooked by him had been a bad idea. Clark clutches his side where the creature’s claws had slashed into him, slowing from his run and seeking shelter with his back against a tree. It’s not a good look; blood leaks between his fingers, even if he presses down firmly, and though the wound isn’t nearly as bad as it would have been for a regular human, for a man used to invincibility, it sure is something.

It occurs to him as he catches his breath that his surroundings are completely dark, and Clark takes a few moments to consider why this is something he should be concerned by when he’s already surmised this whole place is dark in general.

That’s when it hits him— ] My lantern. [ And he turns his head, looking the way he’d come, only to have the darkness greet him in turn.

That is, until he sees a light.

A light means another lantern, doesn’t it? And that must mean another person. Clark gets to his feet, still clutching his wound, and makes his way towards it. ]

Hello? [ Oh, goodness, if it’s another creature, he’s going to be toast. ] Hello, is someone out there?

1000 forms of fear. ( un: kent )

I couldn’t save them.

Strange how you can still feel so much guilt over something you thought you'd moved on from.

wildcard.

[ Hit me with whatever! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or would like me to write a starter, etc. ]

Edited 2020-01-16 01:09 (UTC)

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TEST DRIVE MEME #8

Jack Frost | Rise of the Guardians

Minato Arisato | Persona 3

Tataru Taru | FFXIV

Ravus Nox Fleuret | FFXV

1000 forms of fear

Run? 👀

can't feel my face, hello big brother

Asterios | Fate/GO

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Ardyn Izunia nee [REDACTED] | FFXV

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my heart has been ripped from my chest 10/10 let's ride the pain train together choo choo

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Cake by the Ocean

All aboard!

Edelgard von Hresvelg || Fire Emblem Three Houses

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one way ticket to heartache hotel booked and confirmed!!

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Roxas | Kingdom Hearts

clark kent / superman | dc live-action (superman anthology + dctv)