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pluviooc2024-03-18 02:45 pm
pluviosamods) wrote in pluviooc2024-03-18 02:45 pm
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE 02
TEST DRIVE
Hello, and welcome to the second Pluviosa Test Drive!
This Test Drive corresponds to Days 4-12 in the ship calendar, and will run until around the game's next major event. You can get a better idea what's going on in the most recent Game Update which covers Days 5-8. Currently, character IC housing is not in operation yet; it is expected to open on Day 9 (part of the way through the Test Drive period). Otherwise, the ship is largely in the state described on the Setting page and in other game information.
Test Drive threads involving characters who are accepted are considered canon to the events of the game unless otherwise agreed by players/mods. Pluviosa does not do welcome mingle logs nor does it have any kind of in-character welcome information, making your test drive threads your character's arrival to the game setting. That said, mod-run interactions such as formal exploration and/or interactions with the Ship as an NPC are not available on the Test Drive.
It is advised that potential players familiarize themselves with the Premise page, the Rules/Session Zero page, and at least the first few paragraphs of the Setting page. As Pluviosa is a horror game, we especially encourage players to be aware of the content warnings that will be major themes of the game. If you have any further questions, you can ask them on the QUESTIONS header in the comments!
If you're test driving a character, you're welcome to join the game Discord and hang out and meet your fellow players!
You wake up. You remember waking up, right? In another place, another time...
There's blood running down your fingers. Outside, the rain isn't pounding, yet, just a gentle patter...
Or is it?
As characters gain fuller awareness of their surroundings, they will realize that there is, in fact, no blood on their hands (save any that might have already been there). It feels as though they lost focus for a moment and hallucinated, but the hallucination ended with them somewhere else entirely.
There is not actually the sound of rain. If characters are near enough to a window, balcony, or even a hole in the ceiling, they will find that it is cloudless, beaming sunlight outside. The emptiness in the distance rolls on and on, completely absent any signs of life.
That being, of course, because the signs of life are all in here. Characters might wake up on any of the decks on the upper side of the ship - anywhere that isn't the cafeteria or lounge where previous arrivals spend most of their time is free game. This also means, of course, that they have the jungle of plants to contend with...
Most areas in the ship are dark when characters arrive. That doesn't mean that they stay dark. Occasionally, lights overhead flicker on and off for a few minutes at a time.
The problem with this isn't the lights themselves (cool white and kind of industrial). It's the reaction that the addition of the extra light causes the plants in the dark areas of the ship that's cause for alarm. To describe the growth as explosive isn't an understatement - vines, saplings, and even thicker branches surge with growth, pushing outwards towards the distant sunlight and upwards towards the flickering bulbs.
The growth is sudden enough to take all but the most aware characters by surprise, and if they're in the wrong corner of the room, it's very easy to get tangled up, wedged in by a tree trunk, or otherwise trapped against some corner or wall. If you're lucky and skilled, you might be able to cut yourself out from there (or break down the wall you're shoved up against), but otherwise, there's only one solution left.
Yell like your life depends on it, and hope somebody out there can hear you. And that whoever hears is someone who is inclined to help, rather than leaving you there. Or worse.
Oh, and the lights flicker back off after a few minutes, of course. Hopefully you're not waiting for rescue in the dark (with the smell of mold and the general faint dampness of the forest) for too long.
Occasionally, the whole ship tilts.
This is not simply the side to side motion of a ship on the water (or the equivalent motion brought on by the way this particular ship moves); it's an extremely forward or backward tilt that sends things sliding across the floor if they aren't secured by roots or something else. Unlike storm-tossed ships, the tilt is somewhat prolonged - rather than everything sliding back and forth a couple times a minute, the tilt lasts for five, ten, maybe as much as twenty minutes.
Although it's not enough to knock a well-balanced character off their feet, it's quite likely that new arrivals will not be particularly on-balance. And attempting to traverse the ship with the tilt is a tall order... especially when the ship's angle does unexpectedly change... to the exact opposite direction. All that goes up the mountain must go back down, and a glance out the windows reveals that that's exactly what's going on, as the ship progresses across a mountainous landscape without real regard for the concept of mountain passes.
And for characters who have managed to make their way to the "civilized" parts of the ship, namely the cafeteria and the lounge above it... None of the furniture in these areas is secured. The cafeteria carts under the direct control of the Ship don't seem as inclined to go anywhere, but the tables and chairs in the cafeteria and the couches and armchairs upstairs... Well, it's a good thing both spaces are surrounded by railings. Large chunks of tree trunk also still littler the lounge, sliding back and forth and occasionally rolling with great force across the floor.
Better hold on tight.
While wandering around the ship's interior, characters might occasionally hear a person whistling.
The sound always seems to be coming from just around the corner, but it sounds alive in a way that other sounds don't. Maybe more alive, even, than the rustle of leaves, the occasional drip of water, and the sounds of things sliding back and forth across the grimy, leaf-covered floors. The whistler, whoever they are, doesn't actively respond if called out to - but the whistling does pause, as though indicating that the call was heard, before starting up again.
If characters choose to follow the whistling, they're inevitably led to the same place - somewhere overlooking the great gap down the middle of the ship, whether an internal suite's balcony, one of the bridges crossing between the two halves, or one of the hallways that runs alongside it. Once they're there, there's no whistler in sight; however, characters will be filled with the overwhelming urge to look over the edge of the railing and down into the lower parts of the ship.
Exactly what they experience after looking down varies. Some will hallucinate that they've fallen over the side, feeling their balance go haywire and seeing the floor rushing up to them right up until the moment of "impact," at which everything returns to normal. Some will feel a stranger's hands on their shoulders, threatening to push them over with a great shove that goes through them with incorporeal fingers. Some will just hear unidentifiable laughter right up close to their ears, and experience the distinct sensation that there's someone laughing at them, in a haha-made-you-look kind of way.
But whatever happens, when they look up, there's no one there - or at least not anyone that physically close to them. The one good thing about being drawn to the middle section of the ship by whatever prankster this is is that it makes it a lot easier to run into people if you're all drawn to the same, highly visible place.
And at least the other person is flesh and blood, right? Probably.
This Test Drive corresponds to Days 4-12 in the ship calendar, and will run until around the game's next major event. You can get a better idea what's going on in the most recent Game Update which covers Days 5-8. Currently, character IC housing is not in operation yet; it is expected to open on Day 9 (part of the way through the Test Drive period). Otherwise, the ship is largely in the state described on the Setting page and in other game information.
Test Drive threads involving characters who are accepted are considered canon to the events of the game unless otherwise agreed by players/mods. Pluviosa does not do welcome mingle logs nor does it have any kind of in-character welcome information, making your test drive threads your character's arrival to the game setting. That said, mod-run interactions such as formal exploration and/or interactions with the Ship as an NPC are not available on the Test Drive.
It is advised that potential players familiarize themselves with the Premise page, the Rules/Session Zero page, and at least the first few paragraphs of the Setting page. As Pluviosa is a horror game, we especially encourage players to be aware of the content warnings that will be major themes of the game. If you have any further questions, you can ask them on the QUESTIONS header in the comments!
If you're test driving a character, you're welcome to join the game Discord and hang out and meet your fellow players!
ARRIVAL - LIKE THE RAIN
You wake up. You remember waking up, right? In another place, another time...
There's blood running down your fingers. Outside, the rain isn't pounding, yet, just a gentle patter...
Or is it?
As characters gain fuller awareness of their surroundings, they will realize that there is, in fact, no blood on their hands (save any that might have already been there). It feels as though they lost focus for a moment and hallucinated, but the hallucination ended with them somewhere else entirely.
There is not actually the sound of rain. If characters are near enough to a window, balcony, or even a hole in the ceiling, they will find that it is cloudless, beaming sunlight outside. The emptiness in the distance rolls on and on, completely absent any signs of life.
That being, of course, because the signs of life are all in here. Characters might wake up on any of the decks on the upper side of the ship - anywhere that isn't the cafeteria or lounge where previous arrivals spend most of their time is free game. This also means, of course, that they have the jungle of plants to contend with...
LIGHTS ON, SHOW START
Most areas in the ship are dark when characters arrive. That doesn't mean that they stay dark. Occasionally, lights overhead flicker on and off for a few minutes at a time.
The problem with this isn't the lights themselves (cool white and kind of industrial). It's the reaction that the addition of the extra light causes the plants in the dark areas of the ship that's cause for alarm. To describe the growth as explosive isn't an understatement - vines, saplings, and even thicker branches surge with growth, pushing outwards towards the distant sunlight and upwards towards the flickering bulbs.
The growth is sudden enough to take all but the most aware characters by surprise, and if they're in the wrong corner of the room, it's very easy to get tangled up, wedged in by a tree trunk, or otherwise trapped against some corner or wall. If you're lucky and skilled, you might be able to cut yourself out from there (or break down the wall you're shoved up against), but otherwise, there's only one solution left.
Yell like your life depends on it, and hope somebody out there can hear you. And that whoever hears is someone who is inclined to help, rather than leaving you there. Or worse.
Oh, and the lights flicker back off after a few minutes, of course. Hopefully you're not waiting for rescue in the dark (with the smell of mold and the general faint dampness of the forest) for too long.
TILT-A-WORLD
Occasionally, the whole ship tilts.
This is not simply the side to side motion of a ship on the water (or the equivalent motion brought on by the way this particular ship moves); it's an extremely forward or backward tilt that sends things sliding across the floor if they aren't secured by roots or something else. Unlike storm-tossed ships, the tilt is somewhat prolonged - rather than everything sliding back and forth a couple times a minute, the tilt lasts for five, ten, maybe as much as twenty minutes.
Although it's not enough to knock a well-balanced character off their feet, it's quite likely that new arrivals will not be particularly on-balance. And attempting to traverse the ship with the tilt is a tall order... especially when the ship's angle does unexpectedly change... to the exact opposite direction. All that goes up the mountain must go back down, and a glance out the windows reveals that that's exactly what's going on, as the ship progresses across a mountainous landscape without real regard for the concept of mountain passes.
And for characters who have managed to make their way to the "civilized" parts of the ship, namely the cafeteria and the lounge above it... None of the furniture in these areas is secured. The cafeteria carts under the direct control of the Ship don't seem as inclined to go anywhere, but the tables and chairs in the cafeteria and the couches and armchairs upstairs... Well, it's a good thing both spaces are surrounded by railings. Large chunks of tree trunk also still littler the lounge, sliding back and forth and occasionally rolling with great force across the floor.
Better hold on tight.
SOMETHING WHISTLING
While wandering around the ship's interior, characters might occasionally hear a person whistling.
The sound always seems to be coming from just around the corner, but it sounds alive in a way that other sounds don't. Maybe more alive, even, than the rustle of leaves, the occasional drip of water, and the sounds of things sliding back and forth across the grimy, leaf-covered floors. The whistler, whoever they are, doesn't actively respond if called out to - but the whistling does pause, as though indicating that the call was heard, before starting up again.
If characters choose to follow the whistling, they're inevitably led to the same place - somewhere overlooking the great gap down the middle of the ship, whether an internal suite's balcony, one of the bridges crossing between the two halves, or one of the hallways that runs alongside it. Once they're there, there's no whistler in sight; however, characters will be filled with the overwhelming urge to look over the edge of the railing and down into the lower parts of the ship.
Exactly what they experience after looking down varies. Some will hallucinate that they've fallen over the side, feeling their balance go haywire and seeing the floor rushing up to them right up until the moment of "impact," at which everything returns to normal. Some will feel a stranger's hands on their shoulders, threatening to push them over with a great shove that goes through them with incorporeal fingers. Some will just hear unidentifiable laughter right up close to their ears, and experience the distinct sensation that there's someone laughing at them, in a haha-made-you-look kind of way.
But whatever happens, when they look up, there's no one there - or at least not anyone that physically close to them. The one good thing about being drawn to the middle section of the ship by whatever prankster this is is that it makes it a lot easier to run into people if you're all drawn to the same, highly visible place.
And at least the other person is flesh and blood, right? Probably.
I was gonna just deal with the last part but Aven has to yap
Raised to control it, huh? Yeah, that doesn't raise any red flags, not at all. Well that explains how he knows about Aventurine's little...death experiments. "Really? Even the primordial dreamscape?"
The man's body language does sour for a bit there. He doesn't have time to dwell on it before the guy spreads his wings. Uh. He didn't mean- you know what, sure, he was wondering about those too. Sunday answered his actual question earlier, anyway, and the feathery appendages did interest him. "I...see. Probably help with balance, though, hm?" Aventurine says, not at all missing the uneven feathers. Is that an old injury? It's a bit too clean to be one...he files that information away for later. It'd be rude to ask about.
"I'm sure it is different knowing Robin as who she is, instead of who she is on the screens. She already seems lovely there." No past tense. A hopeful hint for him, perhaps. His smile softens. "She did look happy singing. I'm glad."
He pauses when Sunday says Aventurine would understand. Right. Right. The Family Head did his research too. It's just a bit disorienting to have that be used as a point of connection instead of a weapon. "I don't know about punishment, really," he hums. Sometimes he thinks being (one of) the last survivor is some cruel punishment. Why him instead of his sister, his Mama? They deserved to live just as much, even more than he did. He shakes himself from that familiar train of thought. Nothing to be done now.
"Being...alone is hard. It doesn't really get. Easier. And you do keep missing them...but that's...normal I think." He clears his throat. "But hey, it means you care about her. She cares about you. And if it's punishment or some crazy joke or whatever, well. We're the ones here. Alive. Might as well make the best of it."
Sheesh, too much heartfelt chatter. Is he really that tired? He's never really talked about it like this with anyone really. He hopes it helps, anyway; it would have helped him, when the grief was fresh.
Even so, it's almost a relief to be thrown off his balance on the other side of the outcropping by the stupid boat. Ugh. Broke the sappy moment at least.
He fumbles his way back upright, to where Sunday stands. He looks at his cards scattered everywhere, visibly pouting. "Aw...I liked that deck. Topaz gifted it..." he whines, going to reclaim a few. He hears fluttering feathers, and a quiet, strained comment. Aventurine eyes his happenstance companion, quirking an eyebrow. Is he...? "Alright, chucklehead. It was pretty funny. But!" And he points at the Halovian with a flourish, smirking. "If you have time to Not Laugh, you have time to help me get these cards back. You know what, I'll even count it as a game! 52 Card Pickup. Soon as we gather them up, I'll take you to the showers. How's that sound?"
no subject
"No. That... It was never shown to me. It seems even my own education had its limits."
Sunday's arms cross over his chest, more than a little uncomfortable with the implications of it. That even he had not been worthy of such information. He doesn't like the questions that bloom in his mind following it: What else had his Master been hiding? To what ends?
Aventurine was right, though. Being alone was hard. He was never quite as lonely as thwe other man had been, he thinks. He'd had the Family. His father, attendants. The Oak Family as a whole. And yet, it was not their absence that made him feel this raw and hollowed out, was it?
Making the best of it. Of... this? Sunday's not sure exactly where to begin. He's not sure his resourcefulness could really hold a candle to everything they were simply. thrusted into. But. He had to try.
"Perhaps you're right."
Aventurine quickly recovers from his slip, pointing at him after realizing he was trying Very Hard not to laugh. Making a game out of it? Fine by him. Sunday had little else to do. And the idea of being taken to the showers, where he could at least somewhat be free of this filth... Well. It was tempting.
"You make a fine deal. I'll help."
Sunday would walk forward, toward the scattered mess of cards, taking a rag out of his pocket to help pick up the cards and wipe them free of any filth. It doesn't take long before he has a sizeable bunch in one hand, and a filthy rag in the other, with him trying to ensure Aventurine's deck returned to him clean as they were previously.
Or well, close to it. Sunday knew he was a gambler, and that he liked to keep his cards close to his chest. As much as Sunday wasn't a man who took risks, he could respect the other man's dedication to an aesthetic, and his desire to have his belongings returned to his hand.
"I've picked up twenty-four, so far." He counts them silently. Sunday's eyes catch the back of one, that seemed to have a minor printing error that revealed its value to any who knew what to look for, and he holds it up, quirking a brow at the other man. A smile tugs at his lips as he teases Aventurine. "What a curious misprint. The odds truly do seem to lie in your favour, don't they?"
no subject
So Aventurine just shrugs nonchalantly. "Not much to see. I don't think you'd like it. The way I got in caused me alot of problems, to be honest. I'm not too keen on revisiting it," he says with a small laugh.
And now he's fallen over and collecting his poor cards from the surroundings. Frustrating, but Sunday's cooperation is a welcome surprise.
He knows what to look for, and the colors of his cards can pop out against all the vines and dirt, but it's not very well lit in here...hm. Still, he's found about 17...
Sunday calls to attention the...unique quirk of this deck. Aventurine steps over to retrieve his cards, grinning. "My my, Mr. Sunday. I didn't think you were type to notice silly little details like that. What a surprise!" He chuckles, taking them from the Halovian's hand. He even cleaned them...he didn't...have to do that. Why did he?
It's probably nothing complicated. Sunday just likes things clean and orderly. Still...
He focuses instead on how Sunday actually teased him about his marked deck. Aventurine, forever a little sibling, feels some sort of small victory being able to witness such behavior, wants to encourage it even. So he keeps smiling and pushes his luck like always.
"It was a gift, and I guess my subordinate knows my tastes well. It makes me curious, however. Do you, perhaps, have some experience with these kinds of...misprints?" He asks, eyebrow raised.
He wants to know if Sunday's cheated at cards. It'd be really funny if he had.
no subject
Sunday wonders for a moment if he means what he said, and finds that yes, he does. He buries himself in the task of picking up the cards, noticing Aventurine's grin as he calls him out on being a bit of a cheat. Then again, Sunday supposed he couldn't stand before him now if his luck didn't involve a a few contingency plans. He allows Aventurine to take the cards, anyways.
It was a secret that Sunday decides he is willing to keep.
"I notice, when I find multiple of the same card at once. I would hope that you didn't have any plans to try this little trick at any of our tables, Mr. Aventurine."
Sunday tuts about it, like he were admonishing a younger sibling for being just a little too cheeky. He finds he's almost... fond of the idea. Like it reminds him that Aventurine is still the same man he'd met those few times. That there was still a piece of... something here, with him. Not quite home, but. Someone he could expect certain behaviour from. A sort of familiarity.
"My own experience only arises from dealing with the most notorious of cheaters. I'm not usually one who gets involved when people are caught." Sunday says, a slight chuckle in his voice. Sometimes the Family even hired them as dealers, after ensuring their loyalty. "I was sure that I impressed upon you that I do not take risks, dear gambler. But... I suppose I can turn a blind eye."
They weren't on Penacony, after all.
How did I miss this one for 6 weeks OOPS (Alt. title: Wouldn't you like to know, feather boy)
He grins when asked about using his...card techniques in Penacony. "Sharp. And maybe I did, maybe I didn't." He winks, reclaiming the given cards to place them carefully in the box. "What happens in Penacony stays in Penacony~"
The back and forth is honestly calming to him in an oddly familiar way, and somehow makes Sunday seem less intimidating. Not enough for Aventurine to let his guard down completely around the halovian, but it's...weirdly nice?? He's lucky to even be alive and...himself enough for this. He can't say the same for Sunday, however. Aventurine's luck always covered himself, but not those around him, and the poor pretty bird is going to hate it on this old run-down boat.
Well he's nothing if not generous, right?
"Ah, but you were never called in for me. Meaning I was never caught, assuming I cheated," Aventurine hums, chuckling softly as he rescues the rest of his cards. It was rather fast with Sunday's help. He looks up at the other man. "My thanks, for your...discretion, and your help here. My end of the bargain is right this way; come along~!" With that, Aventurine spins on his heel and slips the card box in his pocket, going to exit with a bounce in his step as if he hadn't just toppled over with the tilting boat.
He's been tired lately, but the goal fuels him. And one should always take the opportunity to mend some broken bridges, no?
no subject
Maybe they could still... He lets the thought lie, as foolish as it was. He doesn't continue it, doesn't feed into it. Could he really be so wistful about it, after everything?
"I suppose so. If you'd been caught, this deck would have likely been confiscated. A real shame. Though I am sure you have more tricks up your sleeve beyond simple card games."
If anything, the discussion between them, lighthearted and a little silly, is helping settle his latent anxiety. At least Aventurine is responding well to the slight banter. Having helped rescue his cards too seemed to help matters. Aventurine even thanks him for keeping the truth hidden within the cards to himself. The level of familiarity between them, even if small... It was reassuring.
"Of course. I may not gamble myself, but far be it from me to influence your luck." He says, offering a smile, figuring Aventurine needed all the luck he could get. "Lead the way."
He follows after the other man, just glad that he'd run into someone who knew where they were going. Even if it was a man he'd marked for death.