test drive 5.0
The world has shifted. Or maybe you’ve shifted? Either way, things have changed, and it’s going to be quite a while before you see them change back again. BASICSYou were going about your business as usual until the world went white around you, and when the fog cleared: Oska. You've arrived in a snag of reality between worlds, the full extent of which can be read about here. But in essence, you’ve arrived in a grand, magical, almost empty castle. Outside the castle is an empty, long-abandoned village, partially in ruin. Past that, the world simply fades out into white mist. Your best bet is probably to stick to the castle and its grounds.
Suits of armor patrol the quiet hallways, but good luck getting them to speak or answer any questions. There’s absolutely nothing inside them, they move under their own power. They don’t talk, but they also go out of their way not to hurt you. You can even attack one, it will just patiently wait for you to give up and leave. If, however, you ask one for directions, it will dutifully turn and lead the way to wherever you’ve requested.
Librarians lurk in the halls of the enormous, well-stocked library, in which you can find nearly any book from nearly any world. The librarians are tall, wide, and very muscular, but they’re also not out to hurt you. Provided you play nice, of course. The usual rules apply: be respectful of the books, keep your voice lowered, and never bring any source of flame into the library. That last one might make the librarians reconsider their nonviolent natures.
Outside, there's a greenhouse with every type of flora you can imagine (and more, since they're from all over the universe) — be careful, though, because not all of them are friendly. If you'd like to take a dip, you can check out the lake; just be friendly to the fish. You can catch sight of almost any animal you'd like in the stables, real-world or fantasy. Most of them have been tamed, and won't do any real harm. However, some of them can be a bit testy. Stay away from the unicorns unless you have perfect manners — they hate impoliteness.
Current characters in game can assume that the Timeline glitched and sent them temporarily back to Oska. You are welcome to take any threads that happen here as game canon, should both parties arrive in game. Threads done here by prospective players may be used as application samples, and threads done by current players may be used as Bonus AC.
PROMPTSONE ✗ THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is always stocked with food, freshly cooked and ready to be eaten — although there was no one to do the cooking, and it might just be you to do the eating. That doesn’t seem to discourage the kitchen in the slightest, which is constantly churning out new, fresh courses. Some of them are more innocent than others today.
That tart you just ate? It was harpfruit, native to Cendiares, and has a pesky side effect of making the eater blurt out everything that pops into their head. The completely average-looking salad actually has flakes of Raphian wildflowers, which cause a bit of dancing fever — it isn't contagious, but it does make the sufferer want to dance with everyone they can. The choices and effects are endless and up to you, and don't worry; ALASTAIR is working on getting the kitchen under control as we speak.
TWO ✗ THE TRAINING CENTER
Maybe you find your way into the Training Center. A lot of work went into setting this room up, and it can construct nearly any scenario that you can imagine. All it takes to activate this room, still and featureless until it comes to life, is the brush of a finger against one of the glowing pads on the wall. The magitek will take it from there.
Just envision the setting and any enemies you’d like to train against, and they’ll instantly materialize. Would you rather go sightseeing, without worrying about a fight? No problem! The room is eager to provide you with a sparring partner, but it can be convinced to hold off -- just don’t think of getting into any fights. The Training Center also offers any games you can think of: soccer, basketball, literal freeze tag, etc. Every supply you need will be simulated for you.
Additionally, the following scenarios are also preloaded into the system for user convenience, each coming with a small summary of mission objectives:
ANWICK: A ruined little village with a massive, dead dragon skewered in the center of it. The goal is to protect her young in a nearby cave. The terrain is treacherous, the wyrmlings are squirmy and unhelpful, and the townsfolk are furious. But for good reason -- it seems dragons have been plaguing them for decades. Even the simulation’s enemies are programmed to say as much, and will do their best to convince you to their side.
CHANTES: Chantes, Audentes' first mission, is a typical medieval town cloaked in darkness and surrounded by a winding forest. It comes in two default flavors and difficulty settings. Fairies are the easier enemy; the objective is to collect three jars of unpleasant, glowing sap from their nests without getting your eyes poked out. The fairy goop can also cause disturbances with magical powers, unwanted levitation, and unfortunate cosmetic effects.
Demons are the more difficult setting. The task is to clear ominous runes off of various town structures, but when approached, each one releases a red, misty spirit. It will fight tooth and nail to protect its ‘home,’ but is largely invulnerable short of destroying its rune. To prevent this, it may resort to spells, violence, and possessing someone else in the simulation -- consider this a lesson in PvP. (NOTE: You’re also welcome to use anything from the previous events from Chantes as well.)
OSKA TRAINING: The goal in this simulation is simple: outlast the timer. It’s exactly the same castle, but after it’s been pelted by a firestorm, architecture ruined to rubble and ash. Navigating the half-destroyed castle is hard enough, and the earthquakes and fireballs raining from the sky will continue until characters survive for a certain amount of time (from an hour to a day) or find a full bushel’s worth of food. And just to rub salt in the wound, all the dirt, grime, and mud in this simulation will last outside of it, so you might need a shower after.
NALAWI: An island nation populated by diminutive deer people. The first setting is a mini version of the Gilligan's Island event -- it's less action-packed and more focused on survival. Marooned on the drowned island of Dakal, it's up to you to figure out where to find food and shelter. You might also want to avoid the hungry sea creatures that have made their way up on the island, too.
The second setting involves lava monsters erupting out of Nalalona, the largest volcano on the Nalawi islands. Lava imps will do their best to hypnotize recruits into following them back into the volcano, and can be defeated the normal way or non-violently lured into the water. Next comes the fire golems, hulking but fast. Their weak spot is their glowing core, but it will require some cleverness to reach. (NOTE: You're welcome to use any scenarios based on other Nalawi events as well!)
ZETA-12: Oh boy, a whole planet to explore! The objective here is simple: protect your delicate goo baby at all costs. Luckily for you, the simulation has seen fit to skip over the frozen wastes! Your first challenge is crossing the deep forest: carnivorous plants try to get a bite out of you, but that isn't the worst part. Eventually, you come to a deep chasm, and have to choose between forcing your wailing, distressed squidge across, or soothing it for several hours until it's willing to go with you.
Scenario two is a thick bog inhabited by an aggressive plant monster. It spits a crippling neurotoxin, so anyone attempting to fight it should be wary. Outsmarting or avoiding it would be best for the squidges' well-being, but some people are too hot-blooded for that. What will you do?
Finally, there's the desert; it's picturesque, but only if you can ignore the dehydration and punishing heat. There's a cave network for you to seek shelter in, but make no mistake: pretty soon a freak meteor shower causes a cave-in and leaves you trapped inside with an increasingly aggressive squidge. Are you out there dodging meteors or navigating caverns? THREE ✗ HOT SPRINGS EPISODEOne of ALASTAIR's teams extracted an enormous, very hot core from a sentient and murderous AI. What better way to put it to use than to heat up the springs? It's a nice place to get some much needed R&R or just hang out. Some enterprising recruits have built wooden decks and stairs around and through the whole affair. It's a little bit of a hike to get there from the castle, but anyone who has visited can agree: it's worth it. FOUR ✗ THE NETWORKThere is some good news, along with all these bizarre and fantastical new sights: you’ve arrived with a new piece of jewelry which, if examined, gives you access to anyone else that might be currently inhabiting Oska. You can speak into the jewelry and be heard, you can get it to project moving images of yourself and others, you can even think a message into it and have it arrive as written word to whoever you’re communicating with. It’s a useful little trinket, provided you can get it to work. FIVE ✗ CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTUREYou are free to use any of these settings, or anything from the Settings Page. You may use any virtually created setting you can think of in the Training Center, even scenes from your character’s world (although they’ll be devoid of people, unless they’re brought in as opponents). |
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futurologists) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
thirstology2016-09-24 10:21 pm
4!
So instead:]
Lots of different kinds of people, yes.
Though it's not uncommon to find a familiar face among them.
[hi.]
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[ Waaaaaaaait a second. Naruto might not be the sharpest kunai in the toolset but, like a dog, if he hears a voice often enough he'll start to implement the memory in his mind, and Sai's voice is one he's heard a large amount over the past few months. He's immediately so certain of Sai's identity that he sidesteps the impossibility of it all and barrel rolls headlong into a loud excited shout of Sai's name. ]
Sai! Hey, that's really you in there, huh? [ He's still shaking the crystal like Sai is actually in the thing, and has apparently not quite got a hold of the inner workings of technology here just yet. Baby steps. ] Are ya okay, y'know? I don't even remember the last time I saw ya, but I'm glad you were outside of the village before everything turned ugly!
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...What?
[But--hadn't ALISTAIR said something about returning back to the point where he'd fallen through the rift, when they had the energy? Had they been lying?
But no, that doesn't make sense, either. If he had been missing, Naruto wouldn't react like it was normal for him not to be in the village at that time. Something fishy is going on here.]
The last I saw of you, we were having lunch with Asuma-san and his team after returning from Tenchi Bridge. What has happened, since then?
[And why doesn't he remember it...]
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[ He pauses for a moment. Sai is pretty blunt at the best of times, but Naruto can't help but wonder if he'd mention Asuma so casually if he knew. Just hearing his name has both visibly and audibly sobered Naruto. ]
Um.. How long have you been here?
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[But obviously Naruto does; his response only confirms it, though he doesn't quite make the connection to what he said about Asuma.]
I first arrived in Oska two weeks prior, but it sounds as if it has been much longer for you. I could not say why, but...it might be related to the rifts in universes that lead us here. Akin to some manner of...time-space ninjutsu, perhaps?
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Maybe, I guess.. So you're not the Sai from the same time that I'm from.. but you are still Sai, just.. younger?
[ He's trying, bless him. ]
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[Don't go getting all metaphysical on him here, he's still wrapping his brain around having an identity in the first place.]
What did you mean, when you said "everything turned ugly"?
[How much trouble is Konoha in, how impatient should he be about getting tf outta here.]
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Uuuh, I dunno. [ It's impressive that he's holding back, honestly. He's typically the poster child for acting without thinking. ] Are ya sure it's a good idea me tellin' you everything that's happened? What if I tell you too much an' then you don't show up when I need ya, or something, y'know?
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I do not know. You could ask the ALISTAIR officials if such a thing could cause problems, I suppose. It just seemed practical to be prepared.
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Meh, I haven't seen anyone I wanna talk to about stuff like that. [ His distrust of authority aside, he hasn't actually seen many people around yet. ]
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I mean those like Lloyd. You would've heard his welcome message through the jewelry, and can contact him in the same way.
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Dunno if a stranger is gonna know much about home anyways. [ A pause. ]..... Do ya think he'll know if everyone's okay?
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[...]
Though if he will know what is currently transpiring there, I could not say.
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It's makin' my hands itch bein' here, y'know. Back at home there's-- There's so much goin' on, and people are gettin' hurt and I wanna be there to protect everyone, but I'm here and... [ He pushes another breath out of his nose. This is hard. Space-time shenanigans are hard and definitely cannot be explained using ice cream.
Suddenly, and seemingly spontaneously, he pushes all that aside and holds the crystal close, fixing it with an intense stare and an even more intense tone of purpose. ]
Where are you, can I see you? Are we close?
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Sai doesn't know what the situation is this time, of course, but he doubts Naruto will be any less impassioned about the matter. That's how Naruto is--a flame that burns so brightly it drowns out all the shadows nearby, drawing everything in toward it to share in its warmth and light.]
There is a function on the jewelry that can track our positions. My name is on it.
[He'll give Naruto five minutes before he goes to find him himself tbh.]
...From what I understand, we can be returned to the moment in the timeline in which we first fell through the rift. Konoha will be waiting for us when we are able to be returned.
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Then he's usefully distracted by Sai's words. His dignity lives to see another hour.]
We can? So once they sort whatever they're sortin' out, then we can go back to normal like nothing ever happened? [ He thinks back to what he'd been feeling before he'd found himself here, and has to bite back a wince. It wasn't exactly the most pleasant of times, after all.... ]
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I do not know if it will be "as if nothing ever happened." Personally, I would prefer to remember ALISTAIR's existence.
[Cause u kno, they deal in timelines and with planets and he wants to Know who they are if they're ever Involved with Konoha.]
But it does not seem as though we will miss anything in the time we are here, at least. That you did not know I was ever gone is evidence enough of that.
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I was talkin' about missin' stuff back home. I don't got the time to be sittin' here while fights are happenin' and I don't wanna miss out. [ He's also not sure how much he should share with Sai, or what Sai would want to know. Would he react positively or negatively to knowing Naruto managed to slide headfirst into bijuu monster town? Best not to think about that too much. ] If it was like that, then it'd just put more space between me and Sasuke, and people would be in danger.
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[He goes through it slowly, point by point, leading Naruto through his logic like leading a horse to water. Then looks expectantly at his teammate, waiting to see if the other boy has understood.]
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It's like racin' with someone and gettin' a break, but the other person gets frozen and has no idea I've even stopped! This means I can think about what I'm gonna do when I go back, and really think on it till it's all sorted out in my head, so nothin' can go wrong.
[ Sakura is always telling him to think before he acts, after all, so he's taking the opportunity to do so now. If he can figure out a way to restore Konoha while he's here, then... His relief turns toward determination. ]
I can stop anyone else from getting hurt. [ Then, like a flash, it's back again. ] And I can help people while I'm here, too!
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There's a bit of a pause before he can reply, though, because Naruto is doing That Shonen Thing that makes breathing a little strange for half a second. It's been so long, he'd nearly forgotten what it was like to hear Naruto say impossible, ridiculous things that were nonetheless somehow possible. He would prevent anyone from getting hurt in a combat situation that apparently encompassed the entire village? That's absurd.
And yet. There's a tiny part of Sai that almost believes it. Reality wins out in this instance, but something almost like faith grappled with it for a good long moment.]
...Yes. I have no doubt you will fit in quite well with the rest of Audentes.
[They're all soft bleeding hearts, exactly like you. It was aggravating when Naruto wasn't here, but Naruto's presence shifts his priorities right on their axis; the most efficient means of completing a mission is no longer important. Naruto will never take the most efficient route, because he'll try to help everyone, regardless of how impractical or illogical such a thing may be--which means it falls to Sai to stop him from getting hurt.]
But do not forget that the course of a battle can change in an instant, Naruto. It is impossible for even a shinobi to plan for every possible contingency.
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[ Like finding Sasuke, probably. He's willfully ignoring the situation he was in before he'd found himself here, and is definitely avoiding thinking about those he's already lost, and swiftly changes the subject. ]
So- what's it like here, huh? What're the people like, y'know? What's the food like?
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It is just...best to be prepared for the possibility of unforeseen events, is all. Even a Hokage cannot predict the future.
[pls don't do this to him, ur tearing him apart lisa]
...The food varies. In Oska, there is a magic kitchen that will provide you with anything you wish to eat. [Beat.] And yes, that does include ramen.
In the places we are sent, of course, you will only have whatever is available locally--along with any rations you might have packed in advance, of course. Currently, we are in a city by the name of Woodhurst, in a country by the name of "America." You will find little you recognize, unfortunately.
...As to the people. They--ah, are unorganized. The lack of a structured hierarchy within our ranks leads to many following their own intuitions as to the most suitable paths, in the absence of orders to follow. But they are generally not incompetent, except for the civilians.
[...]
Many are like you, in a way.
[Basing their decisions entirely on sentiment, he means. It's kind of a bad thing but also less of a bad thing now that you're here to make the comparison to??? It's complicated ok.]
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Ah, that's okay. It'd be kinda disappointin' to go somewhere totally different - a different world - and for it to have all the same stuff you have back home.. If it was like that, ya shoulda just stayed where you were.
[ A fair point, said in fair tone.. that is until Sai compares him to the locals and anger engulfs him. ]
Oi- what do ya mean by that? Are ya callin' me unorganized? [ Yes, Naruto, he is. Because you are. ] Didn't I just tell you I'm thinkin' up a plan to save everyone? Weren't you listening, stupid Sai?!
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And then there's the sudden yelling to deal with, of course. Sai just...gives him a Look which is like his typical expression but somehow even flatter. First of all that wasn't even what he was saying?? And second...bro. ur basically his fave person and all but there is a difference between "thinking of a making a foolproof plan" and actually...having a plan......]
It is very difficult not to listen to you, Naruto. [^_^ translation: ur loud]
(no subject)
onto action???
action it is!!
(no subject)