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test drive meme
Hello, and welcome to Vella's TDM! As a reminder, this game is invite-only and open to anyone on the mods' timelines: Cocoamplitude , Avery
- A Mysterious Gift
Good morning! Today’s shaping up to be a bright, sunny day on the island. The weather is balmy but not too hot, and there’s a gentle, cool breeze. It’s as idyllic and perfect as you could want… but there seems to be something being carried by the wind. It won’t take you long to notice because it’s so out of place - it’s bright and colorful and definitely not something normal. It’s a balloon floating towards the island at a leisurely pace, and hanging from the balloon is what looks to be a… wrapped present? It’s a white box with a red ribbon, and it doesn’t seem to be weighing down the balloon at all. How odd...
If you happen to be armed with a slingshot, you can use it to pop the balloon. When the balloon is popped, the present will fall to the ground - but be careful where you’re shooting! There’s a river running through the island, and your gift could easily end up swept away if it falls just above the water… And if you don’t have a slingshot, feel free to get creative! Or you can make one and be ready for the next mysterious package - because there will be one just a few minutes later, drifting along.
Should you choose to unwrap the present, one of two things will happen: Maybe you'll get something small in size but no less valuable: a shiny, pristine crown that looks like it might cost a fortune. Whether or not you take care of it is up to you, but hey, you run this island now! (Not really.) Alternatively, you might get a very large red double sofa; when you unwrap the present, it suddenly springs out and lands with a loud thunk onto the ground. Pray that it doesn't smash your toes! How something so big squeezed inside a box so small is a mystery, but hey...congrats?
Gotta Catch 'em All (cw: Scorpions)
The island has tons of natural resources. There are the apple fruit trees dotted around the island and plenty of flowers that you can see up on the cliffs, but beyond that are the rivers threading through the island and the beaches themselves. They seem to be filled to bursting with fish - you can see their dark shadows in the water clear as day, and the fish seem to come in a variety of sizes. Make yourself a fishing pole and go for it! The fish are not only good for cooking and eating, but you can also sell them off for bells. Or keep them as pets, that’s fine too.
But if you’re not a fan of fishing, there’s still plenty to catch. The island is also completely filled with… Well. Bugs. The island is filled with bugs. Butterflies flutter around, and you can get some bells for selling them off...and don't count out the dragonflies, grasshoppers, and mantises, either! You'll need a bug net to nab these critters, but once they're yours, you're free to do what you'd like with them.
When it gets dark, though, be careful! That’s when scorpions come out, and they’re known for their sting. They're far and few between, but when you find them, try not to panic. If you don't have your net out, they'll leave you alone and stay at the edges of your general vicinity. If you bring your net out, though, they'll raise their legs and shake their tails defensively at you. Get too close too fast, and they'll chase after you. They're fast.
Henry's Quest
Henry the frog has been living on the island with you, and today he has a request! He wants to make some hedges to put around his house (or maybe he just wants to tidy up the island), and for that he needs weeds. Twenty of them, in fact. More is fine, but less is just unacceptable. If you choose to accept the task, he’ll give you a reward for helping him: ten iron nuggets! It’s all he has though, so whether you choose to do this solo or with some friends, you’re only getting ten iron nuggets total. Still, while it’s not exactly a rare resource, it’s certainly a limited one, so you may find the reward enticing. Or perhaps you just want to help him out of sheer kindness. Whatever the reason may be, it’s time to get to work.
The island has plenty of weeds, so it shouldn’t be too hard to pick the ones you need. If someone happens to be plucking in the same spot as you, maybe you can work together! After all, more hands means more weeding, which means you can all make Henry happy even faster.
For those who are less teamwork-oriented, you’re free to do this solo, but where’s the fun in that? … Ah, you’re thinking of hogging all of the nuggets for yourself, aren’t you? Well in that case, maybe you should consider sabotaging the competition...though do you really want to draw the ire of the people you’ll be spending at least the next few weeks with?
(OOC Note: We will not be NPCing Henry on this TDM.)
Winding Down
Another day at the island has come and gone. The night sky is clear and the stars are out -- the perfect way to wind down after a day’s worth of hard work. Someone - maybe you! - has built a campfire on the beach, and it’s as good a time as any to get to know the people you’re living with. You’re stuck here, after all.
Sit around, chat, maybe tell some spooky (or not so spooky) stories. Enjoy yourself! You’ve got many more days ahead of you, but for tonight you can just rest and enjoy the peace of the island you now get to call home.
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[Like. This feels like something she shouldn't even be touching, it's that expensive. Even so, Deirdre comes back to Rin's point easily, seeming both delighted and determined by the idea.]
Yes...perhaps we should find some of these 'balloons'. If we find something...or perhaps learn to make something wonderful, we could give gifts to the others. We could spread happiness throughout the island.
[...But for now, Deirdre's gaze briefly goes a little contemplative as she stares at Rin...
Before there's a brief spark in her eyes as an idea forms.]
...Dear. Would you lower your head for a moment?
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[She seems a little bewildered at the request, but not enough so to keep her from doing as she's told; she bows forward, lowering her head a bit and bracing her hands against her thighs for balance as she does so.]
Like that?
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There.]
...That's perfect. [Deirdre's expression settles into something pleased and assured, smiling evenly.] I thought that it would look better on you, than it would on me. I am glad to see that I was right.
Consider that a gift from me.
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Her voice seems to have gone far quieter when she speaks again; that same wide-eyed look is still there.]
A-Are you sure? It's so nice...
[It seems expensive, is what she's aiming for but isn't sure how to word.]
It's... It's nice, and you're so pretty - are you sure?
[It seems like a bit of a non sequitur, but it's true and it seems important - there's no way it looks better on her.]
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...What does Deirdre being pretty have to do with it?]
Ah...
[The. The ??? is very clear in Deirdre's tone.]
I am quite sure. I simply think it would look much better on you. And I believe that it does. It makes you look pretty, too.
[Deirdre tilts her head a little.]
...Is everything all right?
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give her a moment, she's kind of turning red but after a moment she smiles, at least- ]
O-Oh, yes, it's just... I'm not very cute, that's all...
[After a moment, though, she bows very deeply, moving to keep the crown on her head and not falling off as she does so.]
I-It's nice of you! To say that. Thank you.
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Deirdre--well, okay, Deirdre is even more confused, but her face starts to smile again even if her brows knit in some mix of confusion and worry. Though Rin's bow--and the fact that she works to keep that crown on her head, despite something about not...being cute being involved here, it gets Deirdre's smile to be bright.]
It is of no trouble. I would not say something that I do not mean. It...would be cruel of me to do so, would it not?
[Deirdre...well, she's actually gonna start wringing her hair out a bit, off to the side here.]
...I must confess, I do not understand why one would need to be...pretty, or cute simply to wear something like this. Or why you do not believe you are so? I do not believe that we are seeing the same people, in front of us.
[She's so confused but also; no??? She doesn't agree with Rin's assessment of herself at all.]
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[That one comes a little more easily; goodness, you have very long hair, don't you, wow. She kind of reaches up to touch her own, fingertips brushing against the short locks for a moment.]
And it's okay! I just don't look good in a lot of pretty things, so I'm not used to it, that's all. It would be pretty mean for you to say something you didn't mean, though...
[...]
A-Anyway, I don't think I know your name yet! It's good to meet you, though.
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[That actually startles a bit of laughter from Deirdre--the contact more than the words themselves, but Deirdre absolutely doesn't mind and lets Rin's fingertips brush against her hair a bit. If anything, she sounds kind of delighted?]
You are very kind to say as such...thank you. [But Deirdre nods her head at Rin's explanation--that honestly makes more sense.] I understand now. Thank you. I had been a touch confused.
[Deirdre doesn't go further with that, though, because--oh wow, she's right.]
We have not. It's a pleasure to meet you; my name is Deirdre. What is your name?
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[...Rin doubts she will recognize anything about where she's from.]
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[That much comes easily, but the questions about Deirdre's home...well, they see that smile damper a bit. Deirdre distracts herself a little by wringing out her sleeves a bit.]
I am from the Spirit Forest. This place...it is quite like it, though the trees are far more plentiful there. It is far more isolated than a place like this.
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I'm from a big city, actually, it's nothing like this. So this place is kind of an adventure for me, nya! I'm still getting used to how everything is done here...
[Everything happens so much.]
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Is it? If you need any help at all, please come find me. I will do all I can to assist you.
[But onto the important stuff--]
What is it like, in this...big city? Is it a village within a castle's territory?
[...Oh Deirdre, honey.]
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No, it's-
[...]
Kinda? The Emperor lives there, but it's not...like that.
[Hm...]
There's a lot of buildings all close together, all connected by roads. A lot of the buildings are very tall, built up into the sky, which is really cool now that I'm thinking about it... Fourteen million people live there, so there's a lot of us! So we built upwards to give everyone a place to live and work and stuff. I don't work yet, though, I'm still going to school.
It's super-busy all the time, though! Always people coming and going, always something happening. It's exciting, nya! I like it there.
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You know, Deirdre is just. Trying to spend a hot minute imagining all of this. The books she's read never actually prepared her for the freight train of knowledge that has been presented to her. Deirdre's eyes go wide as she listens to Rin, seeming shocked by the idea of all of this. Buildings that reach the sky, when villages or even castles never came close to the clouds? Fourteen million people living in one place, in one town--it's almost overwhelming, to think that so many people could coexist all at once.
Deirdre comes back into herself in a moment, shaking her head vigorously (...and might be...splashing Rin a bit, she'll apologize in a bit okay--) before speaking up.]
That is...incredible, in a word. To think that so many people could coexist together, in harmony, in buildings that reach the sky...under the rule of a single emperor? I could never imagine such a thing, but to hear that it is your reality...
You come from an amazing place, Rin. I could never imagine living in a place so busy, and I can see why you like it. There always must be something new and exciting for you to do.
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There is! I mostly spend a lot of time with my friends, but there are always new places to explore, and new things to do to help out around the city. It's a lot different here, but that doesn't mean my plans have to change too much. Being in a new place can be scary, and I'm sure it's hard for a lot of people... So I want to do what I can to make them happy here too!