TDM: MARCH

[faileas]

Test Drive: March

Welcome to 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 character, put one in! This time around, reserves will expire after the first 48 hours of applications being opened. Those first 48 hours will be open to those who have reserves only, so we recommend placing one. It will not guarantee you a spot, but it will guarantee you can post your app immediately when they open.
• Applications Open The 24th! There will be a cap of 30 applications accepted this round, and apps will close whenever we've reached that cap. If there are slots left after the reserves-only period, apps will open to those without reserves. 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!
• Test drive threads can be used as samples for your applications!



With that taken care of...

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 Underground

Take a moment. Let your eyes adjust to the dark, your ears to echoing silence, but for the steady drip of condensation down the stone walls that surround you. The tunnels down here are wide, the ceilings high, but they are dim, devoid of sunlight and breeze. The only light, in fact, comes from the shards of softly-glowing shards of quartz lining the ground and the bio-luminescent algae that smears the stone in long, blue veins, pulsing gently, pushing breathable air into the otherwise-stale passageways. The air is damp, but the temperature is moderate - almost comfortable. The tunnels fork off and meander from where you are, some narrowing and some widening, but none seem to lead you to the surface, no matter how long you wander. Is it a trick of the light, that the algae glows a little brighter, pulses a little quicker, when you head in a particular direction? It's hard to sort your senses so deep underground, far from the world above where things make sense. Hopefully you've found a friend by now.

The Crystal Cavern Many of the tunnels, both wide and narrow, lead to the same place: a massive chamber hewn out of the stone by time, and the drip-drip of water from the ceiling into the central lake. Perhaps you came out toward the bottom, and the ceiling is a thousand feet above you, or maybe you came out toward the top, and the lake is a thousand feet below. There are a hundred or more holes in the sloping stone walls that lead to more tunnels, and something like natural steps down from most of them. In a way, it resembles a beehive, this room acting as a central hub of sorts. This is also the first place you find signs of life. Short, tough little tufts of grass growing from the thin soil, bone white in color, having long abandoned photosynthesis and chlorophyll. More of the glowing algae. Small, skittering insects - beetles, grubs and worms. The occasional albino rat, much larger and louder than rats have any right to be. Ruffled and capped fungi growing on the wet rock like parasites, some as large as a grown man. Blind, slimy cave fish wriggling around in the still waters of the lake. And milling around the great stone cavern, slurping up the glowing algae that covers the rocks and grows in lacy sheets across the water, are dozens of great beasts, bigger than horses. Shaped like worms, but with dozens and dozens of stubby, fleshy legs, these creatures are huge, with velvety, multi-colored hides, and though their antennae wave in curiosity when approached, they don't seem aggressive. At least, as long as you avoid the big silk-wrapped bundles stuck to the walls and ground all over the cavern. These are their egg sacs, and if their young are threatened, they'll quickly shoot jets of viscous slime, a quick drying adhesive, that can slow and trap even the strongest adult. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, you better hope someone can wrench you loose - the worms seem content to eat algae, until they've caught prey. Each worm has a long, hooked, chitinous blade concealed within its fleshy jaws to tear and shred, and a nightmarish round mouth full of multiple rows of teeth. Navigate carefully. There at the bottom of the lake, where it feeds into an underground stream that leads down another wide tunnel, there are a few small rowboats, some missing oars, certainly not enough for everyone. You'll have to share if you want to get out of here. Or you can keep hanging out with the giant wormipedes.

The Procession As you proceed down the stream by boat, the lighting grows just a little brighter, seeming a little more purposeful in how the glowing algae is planted, how the softly glowing crystals are placed. You start seeing a new type of moss, greyish-green and growing in ragged sheets from the ceiling of the tunnel. Watch your head - it's near impossible to cut through this stuff should you get tangled. For a while, you only hear the soft splashing of the gentle stream, but then... there is a flash of torch light, up ahead. The boat ahead is longer than the one you use, better kept, and full of people - three Monsters, all whose forms are based on creatures that thrive underground, in pieces of armor, holding spears, and one very elderly Witch woman, seated in the middle, wrinkled hands folded primly in her lap. Her milky gaze stares straight ahead, with something soft and proud in the set of her face. One of the Monsters holds the torch, the other rows the boat, and the third settles down next to her; they speak in hushed voices, with little smiles. After a while, the rowing Monster slows the boat, before they can bump into a thick, heavy, impenetrable curtain of grayish-green moss that stretches across the whole tunnel, blocking the way, like a gate. The other two help the woman to her feet, and guide her toward the front of the boat - and the curtain of moss. She reaches out for it blindly, and they help her step onto the edge. There is something almost ritual or reverent about the movements, the way they regard the Witch as she touches the curtain of moss... and is wrapped into it quickly, swallowed up, absorbed. After twenty minutes of gentle pulsing, the lump that used to be the Witch is no more, and the whole of the moss pulses with light and magic. The Monsters watch this whole process vigilantly, and once the lights die down, they continue on. The moss parts to allow the boat through, brushing against the Monsters but not swallowing them. The procession happens a few more times, in separate boats, with separate victims - but all are very, very elderly, and seem proud, even happy to meet their fates. Trying to follow them further after the ritual will have the same thing happen for your boat - the moss will part, and brush over those in the boat without causing harm. If you happen to be infected with the Cwyld, however... you might meet the same fate as the old woman, with the moss reaching and grabbing for you. The procession can be stopped, but drawing attention will draw the ire of the Monster guards, and, strangely, the victims themselves, who will fly into a distressed rage at the interruption.

The Marketplace Beyond the veil of moss lies... civilization? The cavern is enormous, big enough to contain a city at least as big as Aefenglom, if not larger, though the population at a glance seems to be much smaller. Twenty thousand people, perhaps, give or take. Buildings have been carved out of huge stone spires, or formed by draping cloth around and between the natural stalactites and stalagmites. Monsters tend to be quite tall or bulky, possessing obvious physical strength, while Witches and humans tend to be shorter than in Aefenglom. They all mingle on the streets together, with no immediately obvious class difference. Since there is no weather to dress for, some don't bother to dress at all, though humans at least tend to wear flowy silks or simple clothes made from wormipede hides. The streets are wide and the buildings far-spaced, and many get around on the backs of those worm creatures, having made them saddles and reins. The stream ends in a lake right next to a marketplace, with many small boats docked on its pebbled shores. The stalls sell all kinds of goods: clothing made from fine silk and worm hide or rat fur, skewered meat (It's bug.), weapons, armor, jewelry made from chunks of beautiful stone. Your arrival is bound to cause a stir though, so keep your head down, and maybe it's time to snatch a disguise from one of the clothing stalls. Monster guards, occasionally flanked by Witches, patrol the streets and keep the peace, and stopping to talk to anyone will make one thing clear: they are not at all used to outsiders. They won't believe a word you say about being from above ground, and they've never heard of your world or Aefenglom. You're nomads from the tunnels, right? Of course, don't be ridiculous, you can't fool them with tall tales! At least they're usually willing to talk - briefly, of course, everyone is very busy down here, it's morning and many will be heading to tend to the herd soon. Those who are subtle and pointed in their questions can learn a lot about the vast but also small civilization below the surface of the world. Strength is valued here - the stronger the Monster or more powerful the Witch, the higher their rank in society, and the closer they live to the center, largest spires of stone. Monster-Witch Bonded pairs are the be-all-end-all, and often wear matching wrist-guards or pendants proudly. Pretending to be Bonded to another will put many of the natives at ease, though Monster-Monster pairs get snide comments about how you have to team up to find a good Witch, and Witch-Witch pairs will get odd looks and assume you both have a very strong Monster partner somewhere. It must be quite rare for Witches to go un-bonded here, and any who pass through without an obvious partner may be propositioned by young Monsters showing off their various talents. Unbonded Monsters may be nudged in the direction of any strange, unbonded Witches - usually fellow Mirrorbound - in a poor attempt at matchmaking. Those poor unbonded Witches need protection, right? Or so the locals think. It's too bad trying to go any farther than the Marketplace will get you stopped by guards and turned back, however. They don't allow nomads into the inner city.

Comments

Sae Kurosawa | Fatal Frame II | Witch

[shinkunochou]

[A. Crystal Cavern]

[Sae is rather used to damp dark underground tunnels, but this is at least much prettier than the usual ones she travels. She’s quite the sight herself, honestly— the snow-white kimono splattered heavily with blood over the front and frayed a little near the bottom. Her feet bare, a vicious-looking red mark encircling her throat. Her skin pale, like she hadn’t seen sunlight in years.

She walks slowly down the paths, looking like she’s barely paying attention even as she gazes at everything, looking much like a ghostly apparition haunting the cave. Everything’s fine until she starts tying to examine the egg sacs and soon finds herself flat out on the ground, the slime trapped her leg to the ground. No amount of struggling seems to be working her free and she stares, incredulous. Was she going to die? ...Again? Could she even die a second time?

She holds her hand up as if to summon something, but nothing comes. There’s a fluttery feeling of panic and she looks confused before she just begins to scream, having no other defense to think to call on.]

[B. Procession.]

[Sae has no interest in interfering with this ritual. She sits in her bloodstained kimono and watches with interest and polite reverence.]

Oh... How wonderful for them... [She murmurs, nodding a little in complete acceptance of this happening. Sae clearly doesn’t see anything wrong with it and she relaxes back in her seat.]

This must be a great honor. We’re really lucky to witness such things.

[C. Marketplace]

[Okay look. She’s from like, the 1800s Japan. This whole ‘barely wearing anything or not at all’ thing? Not handling that well.

Sae makes a strangled squawking noise of alarm the first time she takes a look at a woman walking up to her when Sae realizes the woman’s not wearing a damn thing. The woman doesn’t seem disturbed by it, though she’s certainly giving Sae’s kimono odd looks.]

N-no, I don’t have a— a— bonded— Thing? [Sae stammers a few times, tripping over her own tongue in her fluster, before she abruptly turns away and likely right into whoever’s walking by. Her hands clutch at their arm, her eyes wide with panic.]

I-I need to get out of here...!

[weiward]

[wei wuxian also has a history with caves, but lan wangji is normally in one with him. this time is different, and for more reasons than just that. the puca in him gives him a new appreciation for underground spaces. he feels oddly comfortable here, even at home.

there's even fish! pale and blind and nothing like the fish off of lotus pier, but fish nonetheless. he's wondering if he could convince his bonded to move to a place like this...

and that's when he hears the screaming, and something about it brings back memories of a place that wei wuxian never entirely made it out of. it crept into his bones and his mind and other spaces that had been left cold and empty after his golden core. but he still runs towards the sound of it, splashing to a halt when he sees her.

he's cut off from everything here, demonic cultivation included. but where her appearance might be terrifying to some people, to him she just looks...familiar. like someone who's already been through what's waiting for him.]

Are you alright?

[he looks down at the blood on her before reaching the slime that has her stuck. he holds a finger to his lips as he looks around, hoping that they haven't attracted any mama worms.]

[shinkunochou]

[Luckily, Sae wasn’t prone to screaming hysterics normally. (Laughing ones? Sure. Screaming? Not so much). She screams once and then falls quiet, trying to tug her foot away as tears fill her eyes and she begins to shake under the realization that she was probably going to die here, once again without her sister.

Thankfully it seems Sae had managed to outrun the creatures before she’d gotten stuck, so there aren’t any immediately around, though they’re certainly still looking. Sae stares wide-eyed at Wei Wuxian, seeming to not know what to do with someone talking to her.

It’s been a long time since her ind’s been left unclouded by pain and grief and rage, the miasma of the Repentance fogging her senses. Her mouth opens and closes a few times and she makes a confused, soft croaking noise that sounds a bit like ‘ah?’ Before she closes her mouth and swallows hard. After a moment she nods, shrinking back in a mix of shyness and uncertainty, watching him carefully.]

You... Who are... you...? [Her throat burns with the effort to speak normally. How many years had it been since she properly did that with her own voice, and not through the people she’d possessed?]

[weiward]

[he sighs in relief when he doesn't see any of the crawly creatures coming for them. (still better than dogs, another point in a cave's favor.) he hops over a stalagmite, crouching down near her foot for a closer look.]

Wei Wuxian. [he smiles up at her, even if the name means nothing here.] You and I are having a dream. Probably.

['probably' because this has only happened to him once before, and he's not sure that the dangers are any less dangerous for it.]

Don't worry, I'll get you out. But you have to be very still for me, okay - ah - what's your name?

[shinkunochou]

A...dream? [She echoes him, confused, and flinches away again when he draws nearer. Not that she can go anywhere, but she looks utterly at a loss for what to do here. The village she’d grown up in had been remote, after all. Rare were there ever visitors and outsiders, and while she’d gotten used to people stumbling in over the years now, she’d hardly been in the right from of mind to regard them.]

I don’t sleep. I don’t think. [Did she sleep? There were moments of ‘oblivion’, but the passage of time was so strange for her now. Sae places a hand to her head and shakes it slowly, trying to just— remember. Basic things were lost on her. Her body felt so heavy. Was being alive always such a burden?

Oh. Names. Right. She lowers her hand and blinks slowly.] ...Sorry. I’m not— I’m not usually this— [Disoriented? Slow?? Rude??? She can’t bow very well here, but she still places her hands on the ground in front of her and turns as much as she can to bow low against the floor]

Kurosawa Sae.

[bolstafir]

[There aren't a lot of blessings to count in a weird lucid dream in a cave full of creepy crawlies and carnivorous moss, but the one he will take is the fact that he's in said dream with Harbinger. Two shotgun shells get fired at the giant worm that sprayed the slime, letting it crumple to the ground before he switches back to the blade and cuts her free. He reaches down a hand to help her up.]

You alright?

[shinkunochou]

[Sae has never encountered a gun in her entire life. The sound of it alone has her yelping in alarm and covering her head with her arms.

It’s only when she’s suddenly freed that she raises her head again, eyes wide with alarmed bafflement.] Wh-what was— What happened? [She looks at his hand warily, curling her own against her chest, the other on the ground for balance. She eyes his hand with caution, reluctant to accept it.]

Who are you?

[bolstafir]

[...Ah. He's not particularly used to people being scared of guns, because those are just kind of a constant in a world full of Grimm that need to be dealt with, but she's clearly spooked.

He's not exactly a soft touch himself, either, but at the least he lets Harbinger return to its inactive form as a sword and returns it to its place at his back. The hand drops for now.]

Name's Qrow.

[yes, like the bird. he Knows.]

And what happened was that you didn't become worm food, because I put a bullet in its head. Would help to know if you're otherwise hurt, though, so I know if I need to be looking for a Witch right now.

[It's not particularly biting as far as sarcasm goes, but this is kind of his default state, whoops.]

[shinkunochou]

[She knows what a gun is—she’s heard of them, but it was some foreign weapon to her. She looks at the dead worm and then o him, slowly shaking her head.]

I... don’t think so? [Her throat hurts, but it always does. A constant ache thanks in part to the vicious rope-burn looking mark around it.] My ankle is a little sore...

[She doesn’t think it’s actually injured so much as just sore from where she’d wrenched it trying to keep running—the slime had hit her mid run and brought her down. Aside from those scratches and bruises, though, she figured she was fine.

She stares a moment down at her scratched palms, bewildered.] I can... feel pain now...?

C.

[petcromancer]

[Hector had obvious enough faun's horns and hooves to satisfy meddling locals that this witch is accompanied by a monster. He lets the young woman take his arm, and they walk out of earshot of the naked woman that had her so upset.

The blood-spattered outfit doesn't phase him. You spent enough time around vampires, you get used to that sort of thing.]

Don't worry. It isn't usually like this.

[shinkunochou]

[She’s never been around many people before, especially not strangers, and especially not foreign men. Her father would be losing his mind—even more so—if he saw what amounted to rather shameless behavior with how Sae clung to this man’s arm in fear.]

This place... Isn’t very fun anymore.

[It had been interesting and sort of fun before, when she’d been wide-eyed and new (not that she was any less so now), but it was quickly losing its glamour.]

[petcromancer]

Keep walking. They won't bother you if they think we're bonded.

[Hector can understand the struggle of not conforming to the crowds, and he won't begrudge the girl his arm to shirk off their notice.]

Were the tunnels fun? We can go back out there. We seem to be able to pass in and out of this city easily enough.

[shinkunochou]

We can...just leave? Go as we please? [She doesn’t stop moving, but she does look nervously behind her shoulder like she’s expecting someone to run at them and yell at them for just talking about it.]

People can just do that? [Her village had been very, very strict about who they could interact with.] ...I feel dizzy...

[She doesn’t actually stumble or anything but she does lean against him a little more, shaking her head.] Not even my dreams would be this strange.

Marketplace

[arturiarex]

[ Saber isn't much used to the casual nudity, either, but she's been studiously focusing on other things. At least until there's a frantic young woman clinging to her arm. She pauses and glances at her, startled. ]

Are you hurt?

[ She's already starting to move, though, trying to steer Sae out of the main thoroughfare. ]

[shinkunochou]

N-no? [You know, aside form the rope burn marks on her neck and the blood on her clothes and the scrapes and bruises she got while coming here. But she’s walking and coherent and she’s not batshit crazy anymore, so... yeah, she’s fine??]

It’s just— So much... That woman wasn’t— [Wasn’t wearing anything?? Sae shakes her head quickly, her face burning red] What sort of place is this?

[arturiarex]

[ Wow, this girl has been through the wars, hasn't she? Saber's eyes widen a little as she takes in the blood and the rope burn marks and... everything else. She grips her arm a little tighter and hastens her step. ]

An underground city of sorts. I've never been here, so I cannot say.

[ She examines Sae for a long moment. ]

It's a little like the city I'm currently residing in, in some respects. But also very different.

marketplace

[zewu_jun]

[Lan Xichen is approaching when Sae turns around, seeing her distress and moving toward her to intervene in whatever is happening. He ends up walking forward as she retreats, ending up grabbed as she panics. Frowning, he turns and raises his free arm to shield her as he starts to lead her away from the people.]

Breathe slowly. You don't have to run, young miss. I won't let anyone touch you.

[shinkunochou]

[Her first thought is that she’s made a mistake the second she hears a male voice. It’s improper, her father would have her head if he hadn’t already claimed it long before this. But he’s helping her and she’s desperate for that help, his sleeves concealing more of the outside world from her view.

She shivers as she walks, bare feet scuffing slightly against the ground]

I-I’ve...I’ve never seen so many people in my life... [This place was far, far bigger than her humble little mountain village.]

[zewu_jun]

[He continues to act as her shield as they make their retreat, Lan Xichen guiding Sae around the rougher areas of the road so she doesn't trip or hurt herself as they go. Getting a better look at her now, she looks like she just came from some kind of confinement. It's a far cry from his experience of being brought into the dream from a safe place.]

They're peaceful. Rest assured, they mean you no harm. We're merely visiting a city. There will be quite a few strangers, I'm afraid.

[When he finds a quieter spot to let her rest, Lan Xichen stops, still staying between Sae and the general bustle, although hovering less so she can observe the movement herself from a safe distance.]

You require shoes, young miss. If I purchase some, will you wait here?

[After her panic, he doesn't want to leave her alone and unguarded.]

B, which might be an odd choice for playing a 12 year old but here we go

[foundfamilies]

[By the point that the witch was enveloped by the moss, Leslie has scrambled to the bow of the boat to look more closely and out of a feeling like there should be something she can do to stop it. Her boat companion's words are about the only thing that could have made Leslie stop staring at what she just witnessed. It's possible her face is managing to look even more horrified at Sae.]

Wonderful? An honour? They're killing people!

It’s all good, what’s a childhood w/o a lil trauma right

[shinkunochou]

[She blinks at the girl and instantly thinks ‘oh she’s so small.’ Leslie reminds her a bit of Chitose for that alone, but she’s not at all perturbed by the declaration.]

They’re not. They’re choosing to be sacrifices. [She doesn’t quite understand the point of the sacrifices—calming these moss...things? Or something?? It doesn’t really matter. She looks away to watch another passing boat]

Maybe they were chosen, or maybe they volunteered...Either way, they’re facing it with dignity and honor.

Not a Leslie childhood! She's a fellow would-be sacrifice, but she got rescued by ghosts.

[foundfamilies]

[Leslie is initially too stunned to respond. She's heard people speak positively of sacrifices before, but they were either self-directed (Saber) or out of malice for a sacrifice directly benefiting them. But she doesn't feel any evil intent behind the woman's words. It just seems to be something she believes in, for both herself and others.

Leslie thinks she'd been very foolish when she was young, but even at her lowest point, most desperate for love, she doesn't think she ever thought that it was a good thing...had she? The possibility makes her a little sick.]

No. There's no honour in being sacrificed for someone else. Anyone who would want someone else to be sacrificed for them isn't worth dying for.

[She turns back to look at the next boat.]

I'm going to stop them.

[There's a slight tremor in her voice. She might have magic in the dream, but even with her old, stronger magic from home, she's never really fought anyone who had any chance of defending themselves. She can't just watch it happen, though.]

C.

[abandonware]

[Just as disoriented, as shell-shocked, A2 is not fast enough to yank away from the girl who grips onto her so tightly. A2 is an oddity herself: pale hair and pale blue eyes, immodest by any standards. Though, upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that she is less missing clothing and moreso missing skin in places, the exposed pieces like dark metal, the joints of her body neatly lined and segmented, like that of a doll. There are swords floating behind her back: one a shimmering white katana, the other a heavy broadsword. Both weapons look too heavy for one who seems so small.

She frowns down at the young woman, her eyes glowing dim silver in the gloom, then regards the nude and mostly nude revelers with only a clinical sort of interest. This woman who clings to her is covered in blood, oddly dressed, a bruise like a rope burn around her neck. It would be wise to leave her here with the other strange things, and find somewhere quiet, try to regroup.

Instead, a sigh.] Hold on, and follow me. Don't look at anyone.

[shinkunochou]

[The woman’s body is strange, but oddly Sae doesn’t feel as afraid as maybe she should be. She’d seen the dollmaker’s stunningly lifelike dolls. She’s seen the ones that came to life and moved through the rooms of his house. Ball-joint dolls moving around weren’t as shocking as it could have been.

But...The metal was definitely new. The missing pieces of skin a bit curious and confusing. Hesitantly she glances up at A2’s face, not sure what she’d see there.

Oh. ‘She’s pretty,’ Sae thinks, and then her eyes drift to the weapons and though the katana and the shape of swords is familiar, the fact that they’re just floating around is a shock and has Sae gaping]

Ah— Ah? [A2 speaks and Sae tears her gaze away, before hastily nodding. She grabs onto A2’s arm again and goes as far as squeezing her eyes shut to avoid even accidentally looking.] Thank you...

[abandonware]

Yeah.

[It's not a "you're welcome," but it seems to be all she's going to offer. A2 begins to walk once being sure Sae has enough of a grip on her, and regards her closed eyes with some dulled sort of amusement. She had not expected to be taken so seriously.

She walks in silence, navigating the crowds as quickly as she can manage, and almost gets them to somewhere mostly secluded, before they are stopped by a couple of monsters, one snakelike and leering, the other small, flitting and obnoxious. Without thinking much about it, A2 shifts to bring Sae behind her.]

Move, [She says, but they do not move. Are they Bonded? the small flying thing asks Sae. If not, the Witch should bond with one of them. Or both! Better to follow them than this broken thing she's clinging to.]