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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.
no subject
Thankfully, the pain was slowly subsiding.
Federico explains his relationship to that woman, to that lost soul Sunday had seen. The memories seemed to trouble Federico greatly. Sunday can only imagine how much the other must have mulled over these events-- He knows he would have, if it were his memories. They didn't need to be his own, for him to wonder, to think.
What brings someone to desire death? Release, comes a quiet reply, a snare over his heart.
Federico questions his dark thoughts, and Sunday's wings fall, slightly. A quiet fear hammered away in his chest: If he put these words to thought, would that not give them ground to stand on? Would that not be like putting the gun in his own hands?
"Her... Music? No, no. I'm okay. These are not thoughts tied to her, specifically. They..."
Sunday's arms cross over his chest, in a sort of self-hug, gripping tightly at his sleeves as if for dear life. He doesn't want to speak it into existence. But he understands that the other feels it is his duty to know, to be sure, to clean up after her, he can feel the concern ebbing through their connection, as flawed and strange as it was. And Sunday can respect that, as an older brother who has left far too big of a mess for his little sister to begin to fix on her own.
"I was in your shoes. I was you. And instead of your Arturia... I could imagine it being my sister, standing there. And now I am intimately aware of how it feels to raise a gun towards her--- I cannot help but worry that what if I already have, in some way."
Each word feels like he is hammering nails into her coffin. His hands shake, he can feel it. Thankfully, gripping at his sleeves doesn't make his trembling too obvious.
"I am alright. I will be, soon."
It's a lie, meant to draw distance between them. Sunday's weaknesses and fears were his own, proof that he was still fallible, painfully human.
The tears spill easily, when Federico confirms that she seemed safe, that he wasn't imagining the memory being more recent than it was. The offered napkin, red, pristine. It was the cleanest thing here by far, but he takes it graciously. There's a pang of guilt, at the idea of soiling it with his tears, but it is. Preferable to the filth of his gloves.
"I'm. Not sure, if I am painfully honest. I did not even rememebr that, until you relayed it to me. We fell from a great height, within a dream. But... "
Could the injury have translated to his body, in his own Dreampool? Or was there more to this? Perhaps the veil had been thin for him and him alone, that final line separating dreams from reality.
"As long as she is safe."
no subject
He is relieved that Sunday had not heard her music in the memory. It may not have been as powerful of an influence, as the remembered music is...through his unskilled perception. And the song was not for Sunday. But it was still good to make sure...
And then the halovian seems to shrink in on himself. His words grow pained, as he relates the thoughts of firing upon his sister. His own sister. The young woman, injured in the hospital bed...?
He thinks of how she smiled, despite seeming to be in great pain. The bandages around her neck....
Federico's gaze lowers in an attempt to meet Sunday's. "Sunday. I assure you, that it was not your hands that held the gun." ...The man looks like he's never held a gun in his life. Uncommon for sankta, but not unheard of. And this man was not a sankta. "My orders are given by The Law, and I follow them. Arturia is a dangerous fugitive. Your sister is...precious to you, and innocent according to the few memories I've seen. You would have no reason to harm her. You have not." His voice is firm, if halting in some places. He is...unused to giving words of comfort.
...."Arturia was not even harmed. She'd wanted an..."interesting reaction" from me. I am not...sure if I'd met her expectations." How his heart thudded painfully as he pulled the trigger, how he was so sure it was the end, and he'd never see her again, how he...felt about that--he shakes his head. "Even if you are unable to be convinced you did not hold the gun, please understand that Arturia was not harmed. Therefore, you could not have possibly harmed her, or your soro- sister." For all the unknowns of the event, he knows that much.
He....hopes it helps. Sunday insists he is fine, but the faint waves of...grief? Guilt? Still hum their warbling song over their strange connection.
The handkerchief is taken, and Sunday's tears flow freely. The event he speaks of must have been very emotionally taxing upon him.
"Within a dream?" he asks, finally registering that. The ship tilts...Federico places his hand on the wall, his ankle stinging with the change. "Even with her safety assured, yours should be as well. This environment is not...optimal for a thorough search for injuries. We should relocate to somewhere less..." his eyes sweep over their overgrown surroundings, "dangerous."
no subject
Arturia had not been harmed. He'd missed. Sunday flexes his hands as if trying to dispel the feeling of the gun in them, casting his eyes back over to the Executor. It helps, if only for now.
"I... I understand. I did not wish to claim your memories as my own. You have your own struggles. I can... imagine it was difficult for you."
The handkerchief helps.
"Yes, within a dream. Our world, Penacony, is... divided, between Dreams and reality. I have spent much of my life walking our Dreamscape, while my sister... She visited other worlds. Numerous places. Spreading her songs, and her light. That was... how she was shot."
The ship tilts, and Sunday agrees, they need to get out of here. Somewhere more solid, less likely to trip either of them up. A slight feeling of pain seeps over their link, and Sunday was unsure if it was his own, or Federico's.
"I've seen outside the windows, that there are other floors, here. Above us. We should look for a staircase." Or an elevator, but Sunday was.... unsure if one would work. Though, looking down, and seeing how the other man seemed to be favouring a leg, confirming the earlier feedback, perhaps an elevator was their best option. "An elevator, then. Is your leg alright? Do you need to rest?"
Sunday could look for a means to escape alone, and help the other reach it. He was more than willing to.
"You stay here. I'll find some means to ascend."
no subject
As for the handkerchief…the thing is, Federico will not ask for that handkerchief back. It’s up to Sunday if he’s keeping it or not; the Sankta does not seem to mind either way.
“A world of dreams…I have not heard of such a concept.” There is a very faint memory of a report about…some scientist facility about…data, extended sleep, a shared consciousness…he cannot remember the details. It is odd that it’s coming to mind now. It must not be relevant; his memory is better for retaining relevant information. His brow furrows at the last part. “Why would your soror be shot for singing and giving light? Those are actions I assume are generally enjoyed by most people.” And it seems Sunday’s soror does not have the power Arturia does, so there would be no need to stop her…
“An elevator will suffice. I-“ he blinks, when Sunday’s attention turns to his leg. He looks down. “The injury is minimal. I had fallen earlier and seem to have sprained my ankle in the process,” he explains flatly, as if delivering an incident report about someone else. He goes to follow the halovian as he steps away, unwilling to leave him alone in this place. “I assure you that I am still fully operationa—hh—“ There’s a sudden hiss of air through the sankta’s teeth when he puts more weight on the injury the pain flaring more than before. It must have swollen as they’d conversed…
Federico’s hand flies out to balance against the wall, and he eases off of the injured ankle, his normally stoic expression bearing the echo of a grimace. “Perhaps…I do need some time to reassess. Your proposal is acceptable.”
no subject
"She... was shot on an active battlefield. She was on the front lines of a war, doing so. Wishing to assist the injured, and lead any refugees to safety." Sunday says, closing his eyes, as if that would stop the tremor in his voice. "Our shared desire has always been to help those in need. She found her calling, travelling to many worlds and offering her voice and aid. And I..."
Stayed within a dream.
"I assisted people upon our home planet. I would absolve them of their sins, hear their confessions."
The hiss makes Sunday turn and wince. Ripples of pain thrum over their connection. He gives the other a look of sympathy. It was okay to need help.
"I promise to you, I will be back soon. Stay here, don't move any further. I will help you, if you allow me."
With that said, Sunday would duck out, and begin to search for an elevator, preferably one that was working. It takes him some time to find one, as he greatly dislikes walking around and feeling every leaf and fern brush up against his clothing, but he feels that he has a duty to Federico, now, to get him somewhere comfortable and safe. Sunday does eventually find an elevator, one that opened its doors upon him pressing the call button, giving the halovian some confidence that... something could be normal here.
It isn't overly long before he returns to Federico, his expression hopeful. He would step close, hand reaching for Federico's arm on his bad side, pausing just inches before touching him.
"I think I found one. Let me help support you. You may lean on me, if you need to."