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pluviooc2024-03-18 02:45 pm
pluviosamods) wrote in pluviooc2024-03-18 02:45 pm
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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.
Waddles in here like a fat cat. Checks Aven's passive insight. U sure about that Knight Guy?
"Anyone would have for someone as polite as yourself sir knight~ it's no big deal," he adds, waving his hand and raising his fanned out cards in front of his face. He almost misses how clumsy Argenti's moves are getting....but not quite. He sees it. Pauses. Normally people's movements get smoother and faster as they play....Aventurine sighs, flicking one of his cards against the others. This is his trick deck (Topaz gave it to him, he always has it...) but the sick feeling only grows thinking of actually cheating with it here...
"Maybe closer to the Preservation, it was more impressive. As it is, however, my shields are lucky to stop a rolling cart, much less an attack..." he grumbles. Something in his chest twinges at the thought; not quite pain, but annoying all the same. He remembers to smile there though. "Your own armor may be the safer bet for you, ser knight..."
He has no idea how ironic that is, since the plate is slowly crushing the man before his very eyes..."Someone should put those bugs on ice, truly," the gambler hums as he listens, laying down a card of his own, analyzing what he has...it takes him a second to realize what Argenti just said. "It ate you? And the Nameless?? Well then...seems you have a fair amount of good luck yourself, if you're alive here to tell me the tale!" he chuckles, eyeing the odds lined up before him here...
And then Argenti folds. Aventurine starts a little, luminous yet lightless eyes snapping up to try and meet the emerald gaze of his opponent. .....Argenti seems to be looking somewhere far beyond the cards, the table, the floor...the gambler's brows furrow.
He doesn't have superhuman hearing, per se, and yet his senses are keyed in to listen for certain things. Tells, weaknesses, danger...and he's picking up all of that now. No one's breathing should be that loud, that irregular. At first Aventurine thought it was simply nerves, but now...he lays his hand over the discarded hand, pretending to consider them. His hand should be in Argenti's bleary line of sight.
"Wise move, ser knight. But I think this calls for winner's choice, now." He tilts his head, tapping his cheek as if considering. But he already knows what he wants, what he wants off this man. Now. You can't fake a state like this. Something is wrong.
"How about the breastplate? You talked your armor up so much, now I'm just dying to see the craftmanship on the inside, I must say. You wouldn't mind indulging a curious little soul like myself, now would you?" he asks, definitely laying it on a little thick to push down the dread creeping up his throat. It's fine. It's just a game. This will prove it.
If Argenti's false bravado could equal certainty, than yes! otherwise no.
Argenti's frown shifts to concern, subconsciously straightening a little and trying to focus his blurry eyes on Aventurine's form, looking for signs of injury or sickness, "Are you unwell Mr. Aventurine? Nobody could expect someone who is hurt themselves to be responsible for the salvation of others," And likewise to Aventurine, the irony of his own statement is lost on him.
"On that, I can agree wholeheartedly," he says solemnly, nodding his head, instantly regretting it because of how the room spun, but thankfully it wasn't enough to even make him flinch on reflex. "Ha! Well I wouldn't call it good luck so much as good company, the spirit of the Nameless prevails through all kinds of hardships, even without my aid I am certain they would've found a means to rescue themselves, as it was we helped each other."
Argenti's eyes are fogged over as he does what he can to pull himself together without showing sign of it to his opponent. He misses the fact that Aventurine was looking him over, giving Argenti his own look of concern without reservation.
Argenti freezes at the declaration. Winner's choice? Why the sudden change in rules? For a brief moment Aventurine sees Argenti's expression become one of surprise, colored with something that's.... not fear, but clearly Argenti has reservations over something, something he's not saying.
Just as quickly as it came, it goes, and he's smoothing his expression back into a smile, albiet its clearly exhausted, whatever is wrong with him stealing enough of his energy reserves that what little he has left is not enough to maintain the facade.
"C-certainly," he was here to make Mr. Aventurine comfortable after all. A change in rules was no trouble at all. It didn't matter the way his skin crawled and he felt... exposed, under the keen gaze of the IPC Executive. "I have no issues with this arrangement."
Subconsciously, Argenti places a hand on his breastplate. On any other occasion, he would be more than happy to take it off and show it to his new friend. He was proud of the craftsmanship and beauty of his armor, he delighted to share that with others. But right now, he hesitates. Previously overly warm blood now feeling cold. He doesn't feel as though Mr. Aventurine is trying to threaten him, or do anything underhanded... so why does he feel this way? Why does he want desperately to say no? He- he was here to help him... how could he want to shirk his duty..?
His smile falls as he gets lost in the circling of his own thoughts, labored breathing being the only noise filling the silence.
He- he needed to do this.
He licks his dry lips and nods again, slowly, "Yes- yes of course," the words are absentminded, more muttered to himself than spoken clearly to Aventurine. He raises a hand, and hesitates again... then raises both his hands slowly, frowning. He absentmindedly searches for the clasps with his fingers, he'd taken his armor on and off so many times he could practically do it in his sleep at this point.
And yet despite that his fingers fumble the buckles, bumping into the breastplate instead. With a strangled gasp he feels a surge of pain.
Then he's blinking his eyes open. What..?
His head is resting against. Something. He feels lightheaded and vaguely nauseous. Where was he..? What had he been doing? Had he woken up from a strange dream..?
Both bravado sides collapse! Did someone order armor removal service uh. a year ago. hi??
Something in his chest pulses at the thought. He shakes his head. "I'm not noble like you, ser. Believe me, I'm the first to cover my own ass-ets-" he coughs. It feels. Wrong to throw crass words around a knight of beauty. His smile fades. "Salvation is beyond someone like me. I know I can't provide that for others; unless salvation's open to taking bribes suddenly." There's a little bitterness to that, but he brushes it away like a pesky fly.
Speaking of bugs. Argenti's tale is a fascinating one, but Aventurine's growing a bit...distracted. The knight's movements are so strange...lethargic. Clumsier and distant...
It's not that strange, shod in armor as he is, but Aventurine knows the man carried himself with considerable grace about an hour earlier. No...it's an act. Or was the poise an act? Is this? What would he have to gain? For any part of this? He hums a little in agreement speaking about the Nameless. "It still seems like a fortuitous meeting, and your contributions surely tipped the scales more favorably~"
Unlike this game. He folded...there's sweat glistening on the man's- pale, drawn- face. You can't act that. You can't act that.
Something's wrong.
The cold pit in his stomach grows when Argenti seems to draw into his own mind, seeming to think things over. Aventurine...swallows down nausea at causing this...particular kind of discomfort.
He of all people should know the creeping horror of being exposed in front of a stranger. A possible enemy.
Are they enemies...?
The removal of the armor was supposed to reveal that. But before he'd even realized, Aventurine had started eyeing a different possible outcome...
The knight's breathing is far too loud to be normal. It reminds him far too much of the wet, desperate gasps for air as lungs filled with blood around the knife he'd buried-
He reaches forward to...he's not sure. Brush the other's hand? Take the cards? Aventurine's never been so unsure after winning a game like this.
Argenti's breath hitches. Something creaks, metal scraping metal. "Ar-"
The knight falls, a curtain of blood red hair swaying and following his descent. It'd be beautiful if it didn't make Aventurine's cold, stone heart leap into his throat, alarm flooding his senses. It's as if he blinks and he's on the other side of the table, one leg up on it, cards scattering. There's a loud thud, a clatter. A body hitting the couch.
Did he jump over the table?! What the hell. He's not sure. Not like it's enough. He couldn't stop the fool of a man's head from striking the side of the table on his way down. But he could press against his shoulder, keeping him from rolling off the cushions completely. He doesn't miss the wheeze that pressure triggers. "Ser Knight- Argenti, right? Ha. Haha. You know, I heard knights of beauty were so gorgeous they made other people faint, not the knight themselves, you know? I think you're doing it wrong, heh." He's babbling. He knows he is. But it's what keeps him from losing his composure completely as he reaches down to brush long, wavy red locks away from an alarmingly pale, sweaty face. There's...blood smeared on the couch. He can see it. It's not the hair. Dammit. Dammit.
Downright hypocritical of the man to preach about not trying to help people while hurt. And here he is! Hurt. Struggling to freaking breathe.
"Alright, Mr. Knight, I think that's quite enough, don't you think? Now, I didn't plan for it to be this kind of poker, but it seems you've forced my hand~" Yeah, more flirty when nervous, great. His tone is more grim than it should be. He's not quite managing the levity he wants, only getting bursts of hysterical laughter. His hands scarred and stiff, flutter to the straps on the side of the armor. If he focuses enough, he can create some imaginary light. He can see better, but he's...not a knight, in any sense of the word. He knows how this works in theory, but actually working the thing off...
But the man is hurt, and dying a slow, excruciating death. Is he drowning? In his own blood? The thought makes Aventurine claw faster, tugging hard at the straps to get this accursed thing off. "Hold still, alright? I'll get my prize, and you can have a nice breather, that sound good? It'll just be a sec. Hang in there, Argenti." Idiot. Why is this so complex? He's almost got it...probably. His hands need to stop shaking though.
By the triple goddess, he has no idea whast he's doing, does he? If Ratio were here...
But he's not. It's just a pitiful, helpless gambler here. Something...dark in the back of his mind whispers that he could just leave. This isn't his problem. It offers to sink this panic into inky nothingness; all his concerns and problems could just go away-
"No!!" Aventurine snarls, letting himself feel, really feel, a small thrill of victory getting one strap undone. Just...three more? He thinks he's got it. More hysterical laughter bubbles in his chest. "You're lucky I don't feel like gambling on how well you can take imaginary blades, friend. It'd be so much easier if I could cut these straps to shreds, no?" Alas. Old fashioned armor removal it is.