( TDM | #5 )

[spellbindmods]

IMPORTANT: This TDM is something a little different -- it's a mix of 4th Wall shenanigans and test driving. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come and make this spooky experience even more creeptacular, and all threads are canon. Any weird happenings, magic shortages or flip-flopping for new characters will just be considered part of the strangeness of the night.

TDMs can be used for anyone interested in the game and/or testing out a new muse.

Test Drive samples are encouraged to be used for your application sample, though they are NOT a requirement.

Feel free to use one prompt, multiple prompts or make up your own!

These threads can be considered game canon upon game opening if you so choose.

Telepathy and magic can be used at any point in time on the TDM, from Prompt A to your wildcard prompt. A specific prompt exists, however, that makes sure all characters have an equal chance to use this mechanic within the TDM. You're encouraged to have characters use telepathy and their magic accidentally or even purposefully on any TDM prompt.

If you aren't set on your character's power yet or want to try out a few, you're still able to use the test drive. Maybe your character is a late bloomer and hasn't fully unlocked their intuitive drive yet. In the case of multiple powers, only prompts that contain the power you choose for your application will count as potential game canon threads.

While only one character can be apped or reserved during a cycle, feel free to post with more than one character if you like! This is for those who are uncertain of their first choice or who would like to try out different characters within the setting.

IMPORTANT: This world is low-frequency. No canon powers or abilities are allowed! Also check out the setting information for more info about what the hub island looks like and what can be found there.

The foreign moon has come as close to the hub island as it possibly can, and the nocturnal deer aren't the only things acting up at this point. Those with intact spiritual intuition or with the power of emotional understanding will have felt the heaviness in the air, and as the days have dragged on that thickness has only intensified. Tonight that thickness might be explained by the heavy fog that's settled in on the island. However, that doesn't mean it's all that's making the night unsettling. All across the island, spirits are taking shape. They're humanoid in nature and completely devoid of sound -- like holographic projections with the audio broken. They flashstep around at times, and other instances they'll walk around like a normal person. Their mouths move and yet no sound escapes. They tangibility is as erratic as their movements. In one moment they have control over their solid mass, despite being translucent, but other times they can walk through walls or pass right through flesh. Their clothes are indicative of a somewhat modern time period, and sometimes they're indistinguishable from other coven members outside of their blue, sepia-toned hue. Another inconsistency is that their demeanor and actions are as varied as any modern society's. Some of these spirits are confused and angry. Some are trying to go about life as best they can. One might be able to pick up a sword and swing it, while another might want to braid your hair. Ages, strengths, dispositions...they match the state of the person as they once were. But where do new, potential coven members come into this equation. A ▢ Some "new coven members" will come to the island as they are. That's your choice. Others, however, are also affected by the bizarreness of the moonlight. Unlike other spirits, characters affected by the moon will be able to talk, but everything else will match their new spirit friends -- from translucence to physical inconsistency. B ▢ No matter whether your character is spirit-y or 100% as they were, the spirits in question are still going to interact with them. For this prompt, they've run into a kind spirit. Whether this is a child spirit tying to round them up into a game of tag or an adult spirit who is trying to communicate with them in some way, this spirit will be neutral or welcoming to their presence, as well as to the presence of other coven members. C ▢ Other spirits may not be so friendly. While their demeanor will mirror the type of person they were when they were alive, the spirits run on very simple and exaggerated emotions. A person with a gruff demeanor in their life will exist as an aggravated spirit. A person with violent tendencies when alive will exhibit as a malevolent ghost. This is the type of spirit you happen to have encountered. How will this interaction turn out?

Brie's been pretty busy trying to fix the wild boar problem that the island has been having, which the results? It's hard to tell if they're paying off, yet. She's somehow smuggled out some Elto bones and tried to use them as something of an electric fence system around the boar-dense areas. The boars who are alive seem to be reacting well! Others, however, are not. D ▢ Dead boars are now waking up around the island, somehow affected by a combination of magic and the moon's spiritual awakening. Some are a little more like their alive cousins -- undead flesh still pretty much in place. Others are totally skeletal, roaming around and thrusting their tusks anywhere they please. E ▢ These boars and spirits happen to be attracted to several shrines located on the island. While the religious affiliations of these shrines are unknown and vastly differ from one another, the spirits seem to be drawn towards them. If your character happens to be exploring the island and finds one of these unique locations...good luck with that hoard of spirits and/or boar zombies. F ▢ Boar zombie tusks should be avoided at all costs, but there's also another threat they pose: their bite. Instead of turning characters into the undead, their bites or their saliva results in something of an instant poisoning. Characters touched by their mouths will die temporarily, just without the whole gaudy spectacle of death. Everything will stay exactly as normal, except they too will be turned spirited. This counts for new characters and old characters -- so if you don't want your character to go ghost, you should avoid their gnashing teeth at all costs.

Despite the creepy air the island holds right now, let's say you want to do something...normal. No boars, no spirits. Just some good ol' fashioned test driving. You have a few options, though they still may be tinged with the spirit of...spirits. G ▢ Despite the moon causing a lot of craziness on the island, there's a lot of beauty in how close it is. You can't reach out and touch it -- everyone would be dead and frozen to death, let's be honest -- but it does cast a lovely cool glow on the entirety of the island. The moonflowers are in full bloom, with the nocturnal deer dancing around through the foliage. There's a lot to see on the island that isn't necessarily overrun by spooky spirits. H ▢ There's also the issue of NPCs preparing for new characters -- which they did! There's the beginning of a welcome party set up, though it's obviously abandoned. With all the craziness going on, the base camp is thrown into chaos. If your character makes it here from wherever they spawned (or if they spawned here in the first place), they may be confused by the chaos. Asking questions might be good, especially since there's still so many to ask outside of dead people suddenly coming back from the grave. I ▢ Wildcard prompt. Go nuts and utilize your own creativity within the setting. This can mean striking out on your own or utilizing a certain location in a different way. The world is your oyster!

GAME NAVIGATION

Comments

[antigenre]

[THAT CHAD SHINJI SETTING THE HIGH BAR FOR DICKS.

He'll just casually put his hand in his pocket. She wasn't exactly embarrassed as he predicted, but a slightly annoyed response is good too. Even his closest friends don't know how to put up with him sometimes.]

Too bad we can't eat it. The meat would probably give you a nasty stomachache. [That said, Shirou figured that he could ask her a question or two to pass the time. Boredom was his poison and his endless curiosity for things was the cure.] So is this shadow your doing? H.P Lovecraft would have a field day in here.

[He's not sure if she's read those books, but hey... The joke made sense to him. It's more surprising that a crappy delinquent like him actually reads.]

[springful]

It's not the kind of skill that I'm used to, but it's handy, isn't it? [Much handier than any magecraft she does know frankly. She's trying, but she's still woefully behind the kind of training a proper magus should have. As suspicious as it is to receive magecraft from the entity that kidnapped her, well, she can't complain about it too much right now.] Making Lovecraft happy with my ability wouldn't have been my first choice though.

[She knows of him at least, even if she hasn't actually read his work. Given that she's still trying to convince herself she isn't really a monster though, this power is...... Not ideal to her.]

What about you? You received some kind of ability too, right? [That's what the letter made it sound like for everyone here at least.]

[antigenre]

I think it suits you. You remind me of that Sadoko chick from the ring movie.

[Shirou didn't mean spite from that comment, but that was just his honest analysis considering he was good at reading people. A dark and gloomy person gets dark powers in return. It confirmed his theory that abilities here might have been based on personality traits or a skill.]

Me? Weeeell... [He'll be reaching into his coat pocket to pull out a cigarette and lift up the head. It takes a few seconds for the tip of the cigarette to light up and Shirou puts it in his mouth.]

I can control fire in short bursts. Good news is that I won't need a lighter anymore! [OPTIMISM!!!]

[springful]

That's— [YEAH SHE'S NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE COMPARISON, but it's. Not like he's wrong in that assessment either?? She knows she comes off pretty gloomy, especially around people she doesn't know. Like this guy. So she just sighs, looking to the side.] Nevermind.

[Changing habits that've been around for about ten years won't happen overnight, right..... She watches him light the cigarette with interest though.]

And now we won't have to sit here in the complete dark either! [OPTIMISM INDEED!!!] This has really worked out.

[antigenre]

Hmm? If ya got a problem, you might as well say it.

[Really, he's not trying to be confrontational or anything. Shirou always had a knack for pushing people to take the initiative or he's the one who does it himself. Little did he know was that it was what he was born to do. Especially for his best friend for life.]

So do you smoke? I've got another one if you wanna take a drag.

[Common sense would say not to offer a smoke to a cute girl. But Shirou's head was wired much differently from most people. She looked interested in it, so he had to assume that... Or he'll be more than happy to think smoking makes him look cool. In Shirou's head, he's always cool because he's the protagonist of his story.

Unfortunately, he's more like the sidekick and not the main protagonist of the actual story. ]

[springful]

It's nothing.

[Logically, she knows that he's right. It's something she's been trying to work on anyways, actually speaking up about a problem and not just letting it fester. But again, old habits are hard to break, especially in a situation as uncomfortable as this. She already has a hard time around strangers, and this guy is just weird.

REALLY WEIRD, ACTUALLY. She's interested in the magic, not the cigarette!!]

No, I don't. [after a beat:] I guess I should thank you for the offer though.

[antigenre]

Then ya don't mind if I call ya Sadako-chan? It's got a ring to it.

[It was really telling that Shirou did not look very stressed out at what was going on. In fact, it looked like he was enjoying himself. All of this chaos was something that bought some exciting unpredictability to his boring everyday life. Or he'd be the one causing all of the chaos for kicks.

He'll shrug before he blows out more smoke from his cig. If it weren't about smoking, then he'll draw out another conclusion.]

If it 'bout the magic I'm using, I don't fully get how it works. I just think "BOOM!" and shit starts happenin'. Kinda like casting a spell in an RPG game and you skip over the long ass incantations.

[springful]

[NOW HE'S DONE IT.]

My name is Sakura, and you can call me by that, thank you.

[UGH SHE REALLY DOESN'T LIKE THIS GUY, but just a bit longer... She doesn't want to take them out of here only for that zombie boar to still be roaming around nearby. But she listens to his explanation about his magic with more interest and slightly more calm, nodding to herself.]

I'm not familiar with games like that, [or any games really, what is technology, what is having fun, etc] but this was pretty easy for me too. It's much simpler than what I would've expected. [Probably anyways, thanks Nasu for the clear explanations on Sakura's magecraft (not).]

[antigenre]

Oh? That's it, huh?

[Mmmmrreow. Show him more of that backbone, girl. His smirk curls up more obnoxiously as if he's accomplished something. Was it pushing her to be more assertive or just annoying her? It was hard to say.]

Shirou Yusa at your service. My profession ranges from hogtying criminals to runnin' house parties. [One of these is a lie. And COME ON SAKURA get a life outside of sword senpai...]

Sounds like someone needs to take a trip over to the arcade. [Hell, he'd drag her to one (not literally) if it meant getting a good laugh out of it.] Since we're inexperienced here, I'm guessin' we're running on easy mode. Probably gets tougher as you grow better at usin' it.

[Shirou notices that zombie boar was sniffing around for them is starting to leave.] Looks like our little pal finally got bored.

[springful]

[(What if sword senpai life is all she wants!! Except no for real she really does need a life outside of him oops.....)

S h i r o u.

It's not like Sakura actually uses Shirou's name (thanks for nothing Nasu), but something about this still feels like the world is going out of its way to mess with her. Why does a jerk like this share a name with Senpai!! TERRIBLE TBH. As if she wasn't annoyed enough already.]

It's nice to meet you, Yusa-san. [Not really, but her politeness is easier to hide behind.] That would make sense, but I suppose only time will tell if you're right.

[She looks up though, and after a moment, the darkness opens up to show the night sky.]

Let's leave then.