fellmemes | Test Drive #3

Entry tags:

! test drive

Test Drive #3

Welcome to the November test drive! We're so excited to have you with us.

A few things of note:

✦ Test drive threads can be considered game-canon if you choose. They're essentially in a shared dreamscape and take place between your character leaving their world and arriving in the audience hall with their faction leader.
✦ Reserves will open at 12:01 AM UTC on December 1st, and continue to be until 11:59 PM UTC on December 7th. This is to reserve a character, not an application slot.
✦ Applications will open at 12:01 AM UTC on the 8th, and remain open until 11:59 PM UTC on the 15th, or until all application slots have been filled. Once Activity Check ends, we will have an application slot number available on the application page. The IC & OOC intro logs will be posted two days later.
✦ Questions? We have a FAQ that's chock full of good information! If they are test drive specific, we have a top level thread below that allows for OOC questions to be posted.
✦ The network is available to use! No matter where your character is, their compass arrived on their person. Please feel free to include a network post in your top-levels! Once opened, the compass will display instructions on use, such as using voice-commands to activate it. Usernames are your characters first name or their most common nickname.
✦ Below will be a header for OOC questions as well as a request for Fortuna if you risk having your fortune read in Kyst.
✦ Current players who participate in the test drive by tagging new players will be eligible for a secondary blessing in December.

All set? Perfect! Welcome to Fellden.

AS THE MOON RISES.♪
You’ll find yourself just outside the Temple doors, which will be locked if you try to open them. A little rude, keeping you out after bringing you all this way. The thing is, you can hear a lot of commotion in the distance, and smoke rising from the center of a district; you may want to check that out. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire!

Except the smoke is not at all something to be concerned over. Instead, people are gathered near a large bonfire in the decorated city square, drinking and carousing, singing songs of celebration; Moon saviors have arrived! War winners! The residents of the city laugh and sing and dance in pairs throughout the square that's dusted with snow, grateful for those who have come to aid them. Their merriment doesn’t dwindle as the sun begins to set on the horizon, twin moons rising in its place.

When you (and other new arrivals) are finally noticed by the revelers, do not expect to be left alone! Crowns and laurels of fir and juniper will be deposited upon your heads, seasonal fare of food and drink placed into your hands, while live musicians play loud enough for the dead to hear. You’ll be invited to dance, to drinking games, and offered food and flowers and other items of value. Some may cry when they look into your face, thanking you for becoming their champions during this long and exhaustive war.

Hopefully you’re here to enjoy the festivities. Sneaking off is just fine, too, but don’t expect to be let go of quietly; the people of the Moon Temple are so happy to see you! Enjoy the celebration while it lasts long into the night. If you do manage to leave, a helpful citizen of the Temple will inform you of the nearby transport mirrors that will take you anywhere on the map, one of which they will provide to you.

THE SETTING STARS.♪
You'll find upon your arrival that the castle is not accepting visitors as they decorate the interior in preparation of the festive season that quickly approaches. Guards at the door will instead direct you to the center of the city where further preparations are being made.

Venturing there, you'll be greeted either by those who are decorating for the evening's party that will enlist you to help, or perhaps you're a late arrival and the celebration has already begun! Festivities are in full swing in the Court of Stars. Starfolk have begun their celebrations of the new arrivals and the ushering in the season of the Winter Festival. Once hesitant, guarded, the Stars citizens now welcome new arrivals with open arms, celebrating their appearance with a deep gratitude.

Large circles of dancers will pull you into the fray or pull you to dance one-on-one. Others will place bundles of cedar and juniper in your arms for decorating or perhaps learning to weave your own wreath to wear: some will even take pity, create it for you, and set the laurel upon the top of your head. You'll be invited to dance, drink, eat, and participate in the festivities through a snow dusted square. Even the soldiers will join, knocking shoulders and welcoming you to the Court of Stars.

Whether you choose to remain for the festivities or wander off, one thing is certain: you are more than welcome in your new home. If you do manage to leave, a helpful citizen of the Court will inform you of the nearby transport mirrors that will take you anywhere on the map, one of which they will provide to you.

MARKETS OF THE COAST.♪
The coastal city of Kyst is abuzz for the holidays, some calm finally beginning to settle in after the rocky past few months. Newcomers will be welcomed with smiling faces from merchants as they look to try to sell their pricy but beautiful wares. Tavern owners and barkeeps will beckon with the promise of warm food and delightful drinks, a place by the fire, and stories of holidays of old. The air is rife with music and the smell of delicious baked goods. Perhaps you'll hear or smell something you recognize from your home; as Fellden is the beginning of all worlds, it wouldn't be an impossible likelihood!

Those looking to help out might be coaxed to assist in decorating homes with laurels, garlands, berries, and other bright green, red, silver, and gold colors. Those who seem very eager to help might be recruited by shopkeepers to stand outside and try to get customers in to see their wares, to have a drink, or to rent a room. Anyone willing to do so even for a day will receive free food and drink for the duration of their assistance.

And for the auspicious, some may notice a person who has set up a mild little stall in the back of town, sipping eggnog as she offers fortunes. "Fortunes for the new year, my friend," she tells any who approach her. She offers only a small smile. "A laurel for a card. Only one."

BEYOND THE CITIES.♪
In the distance from Kyst, a large forest looms, the Gods Wood imposing even from this distance. Should you travel there, everyone you encounter will urge you to be respectful while within the forest. There, people can be found visiting intricately decorated shrines, prepared for the upcoming holiday, while people leave seasonal offerings in the bowls and plates within the shrines. You're free to leave the crown you were given at your faction celebration, or perhaps something else that you've been granted since your arrival is better suited for your offering. Be mindful of your actions though; those that show disrespect will be forcibly removed from the Gods Wood by the trees. Best foot forward!

If the forest is too intimidating, there appears to be a gathering at the nearby Lake Theta where the Festival of Aeons is taking place. You'll be drawn into the fold readily where people will inform you that it is a celebration of souls, both living and passed beyond the veil. You'll be taught how to make paper lanterns to be set into the sky when twilight falls, with further revelry coming after. Be prepared for a long night of celebration ahead of you as the dancing, music, and festivities last long into the night.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

We should look into something reversible, then. Give you an extra option if black is too eye-catching in a given crowd. Maybe a hood, too...

[She nods to herself.]

Do those boots actually fit you, while we're on this?

[ He looks down at his sandals. SHOCKINGLY HIS FEET ARE COLD. ]

They're too big but they cinch.

[ So he was able to make them work well enough. ]

Okay, so we're adding new boots and extra socks to the list, too.

['Well enough' is no longer good enough, buddy.]

Gloves, a less eye-catching scarf... actually, if the scarf's reversible, then a plain black jacket is easy to disguise... Is a backpack or a messenger-style bag going to be more useful to you?

The satchel bag will get in the way, when I need my cane.

[ There was the casual stride when it didn't really matter, and then there was his struggling stride when he needed to bring the cane in closer to his hip for support. ]

How am I paying for all of this?

[ The list just keeps getting longer, of course it does though. If he expects to actual live here indefinitely. ]

Unless I misjudged what I glimpsed on your hand earlier, you're part of the Moon Temple, right?

[She pulls the glove off her left hand. There's a set of red sigils on the back of it that he can likely guess the significance of, but when she splays her fingers open there's a full moon clearly etched out on her palm.]

We've got our own tailor to kit us out with the basic necessities, there. I'll spot you on the bag and scarf from around here, though. It's always good to have a stock of supplies you can grab if you have to go somewhere on short notice. Consider it a 'welcome' gift.

[ Oh right, maybe he should get used to looking for those marks before he makes a mistake with the other side. He extends his hand back in kind, also his left palm. His moon is waning. Maybe he feels a spark of envy that hers shows all of her potential and his feels like he's still fading away. ]

Armies really march on their boots, you know.

[ Is that a joke, V?! Making it helps him not focus on how strange he feels about being gifted anything other than tragedy. ]

[The full moon feels like a maker’s mark, more often than not. Like a brand, like a reminder of what made her and nearly unmade her. A reminder that it will never truly be cut away from her, no matter how far she goes or how her body changes, now that it can.

In some ways, a waning moon feels more auspicious. She’s a little envious herself.

The joke jolts another laugh out of her.]

That’s true. We’d best get you marching-fit—food-wise and boot-wise. And I’m absolutely serious about the socks.

How many pairs of socks does one man need?

[ It's almost like a riddle. But also he's never worn or owned socks. What a tragic life he's lived. ]

At least ten. All that marching wears holes in the bottoms, sooner or later.

[A really weird aspect of living life in the physical world, but not one too difficult to account for.]

But seriously, you must be miserable, walking around like that. Let's get you warmed up.

[ She knows better than he does what he needs, it's time to submit himself to her mercies. ]

[She's got at least a few months of Real Life experiences on him, and she puts it to good use. She also happens to have explored Kyst extensively in her downtime, so she knows plenty of shortcuts to get to the mirror and back to the Temple proper. She'll come back for a bag and the rest when he... isn't in danger of frostbitten toes.

She gives him tips along the way, as they occur to her.]

There's a dining hall here for meals, and a kitchen you can go to for snacks outside of those times. Something tells me Griffon is going to want to know about it, so I'll show it to you later.

[ The route she takes to the mirror is much faster than the accidental and circuitous one he took on his way out to Kyst. It does certainly highlight how much he's going to need to practice getting around. The brisk walk is at least keeping him a little bit more warm. ]

Maybe I should draw a map.

I've got a couple I've been compiling, for different cities. I'd be happy to let you borrow them, if you don't mind that I made a bunch of annotations.

[Sweet shops, shortcuts, interesting book shops, areas she was warned to stay away from after dark...]

Oh! Have you seen the gardens, yet? It's a nice place to sit and read, when you have the time.

I don't mind, I imagine they might even be useful.

[ Can it only be to his benefit to have made a studious friend? ]

I haven't been anywhere yet, I was only trying to get out of the city so they would stop swinging me around and calling me moon-savior.

[ He emphatically does not see himself as any kind of savior, it bothers him quite a bit. ]

[Griffon wasn't entirely wrong with the nerd accusation.]

Oof. Yeah, I remember that. It was nicer than a hostile welcome, but... I really needed some time to sit quietly and sort of absorb the whole 'dimensional drafting' aspect. Okay, it's down this hall and the big doors on our left. You're still set on basic black?

[ Should he consider colors? Every time he tries he still just imagines himself in some version of the twins' outfits and he hates that. ]

Black, with sleeves, and boots.

[ He's had enough of this shirtless Spardaboy life!! He doesn't want to fight Vergil shirtless in the rain!! ]

How about necklines? Turtlenecks are warmer, but they can feel a little stifling if you're not used to them.

[Hakuno was essentially born in a turtleneck, thank you uniforms, but it bears asking.]

Maybe a full set of gloves, too?

[ He looks at the... one glove he's wearing on his right hand. The edgy punk he'd stolen this outfit and jewelry from had only been wearing the one. He mostly wore it on the hand he used to control his cane. Then he touches his throat lightly, there are a few lines of tattoos that go up his neck, he considers. ]

I don't need to hide all of it. Are the gloves here?

[ Or is that more from her pocket, because he'll object to that!! ]

They can be. They'll have nicer ones in the shops, if you want to take a look there.

[Don't worry, she's an alchemist; selling or trading entry-level stuff for quick cash is easy.]

Do you want me to go in with you? The tailor will probably have more questions than what I asked.

[But they're very accommodating!]

[ He looks at the shop. It shouldn't be that intimidating, aside from the fact that he mostly stole all of his personal possessions and he has no idea how this transaction is meant to go. But there's only so long you can have your hand held. ]

I'll be alright.

[ HOW HARD CAN IT BE?! ]

[That's the spirit! As the in-house tailor for the Temple, this tailor has seen all sorts of weird Otherworlder's and weird Otherworlder preferences. Surely he'll be alright.

Hakuno gives a tiny fist pump of encouragement.]

Okay. I'll be out here if you need me.

[ He goes in. He somewhat awkwardly explains that he is a new member of the Moon Temple who has no clothes. It's almost shocking how quickly that puts things into motion with barely a shrug of acknowledgement. He wasn't sure what he expected, really, and is a bit intrigued by the process. It doesn't all need to be sewn up for him, the items exist in approximate sizes and then the tailor pins them in to the shape and size of his narrow form. The stitching is so quick, V can't even imagine being half so deft. What's still too big is just belted in around him.

It doesn't even take as long as he expected it to. He's in an entirely different outfit and holding a package of other basics so quickly. It likely helped that he wasn't that picky and didn't have any opinion over a desire to be warm and to not look like a Sparda as much as he possibly could. Which is difficult when you look like Eva and your hair is their distinctive silver. Oh well, he's done what he can.

He steps back out onto the street, shifting in the fresh clothes, trying to balance the package in his arms and his cane. ]

Does it look alright?

[ Black long-sleeved tunic, black breeches, and black cowl with a hood. He certainly looks much warmer, although his white hair stands out even more now. ]

It does! It looks pretty cozy, actually.

[Maybe she should wear more black... A thought she files away for another day. She extends her arms, an open offer.]

Want me to hang onto a little of that while you get yourself situated? We get free boarding in the Temple, but I don't know if you've got alternate arrangements or not; some people end up getting houses or apartments in other cities, by some means or another.

[ He's hesitant to burden someone else with his things, but he is having trouble doing all the things he wants to be doing at once. Adjusting the new gloves, juggling the package, keeping hold of his cane, let alone also using it. So he relents despite his reluctance and gives it over. ]

Is it difficult to get an apartment?

[ That's what he had done while waiting to mount an attack on the Qliphoth tree, just thrown some money at a landlord... He doesn't have any spare money lying around though. ]

It takes money, service, or influence, I think. I've been thinking I should look into it more, the way things are going, but so far staying here has been safe.

[She has some clout with the Fae, now, but who knows how much that's worth in Moon or Neutral territory.]

Do you know which room is yours for now? We can drop this off, and I can swing by mine and dig out my maps.

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