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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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[let it never be said that the luminary knows how to dance. this is just kind of pathetic, i'm so sorry rin.]
no subject
today is clearly a blessed day]
Oh, that's so cute!
[She is absolutely sincere about this. Thumbs up for you!]
The dances I do back home with my friends are all things we had to learn, it's nothing we just do - if we're going to be here for a while maybe I could teach you, nya!
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I would like to learn, yes! It does look a bit complicated, but we do have plenty of time, it seems!
[Which he clearly doesn't mind at all; this is quite literally fine!]
Are you and your friends dancers, then?
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[She says, though at least she has the self-awareness to reali,e that this very fancy guy may not know what on earth that is.]
Ah, that's... We sing and dance, and put on shows. To make people happy!
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Ah! Performers! We do not have "school idols" but it sounds like it's very fun! Does everyone at your school participate in these performances?
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[She. She loves her friends.]
Ah... What do you do, where you're from?
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[That part is obviously mumbled to himself but then he straightens up and rests a hand on his chest before ducking slightly in a bow.]
I am Prince Faris of Gallopolis. Please forgive me for my failure to introduce myself! I keep forgetting that no one here is familiar with my homeland, so you have my apologies! I am the heir to the sultanate and also a knight of Gallopolis.
1/3
[...as opposed to a fake dead prince i guess rin please-
That said, she immediately drops into a bow, though she sounds more starstruck than truly alarmed.]
It's good to meet you, Your, uh...
2/3
Your...Majesty? Or is it Your Highness...? Imperial Majesty is the Emperor...
3/3
A-Anyway! I'm Rin Hoshizora, first-year student of Otonokizaka High School and member of µ's, and it's great to meet you, Your Faris!
[...PUNCTUATED BY HER STICKING HER HAND OUT ABRUPTLY FOR A HANDSHAKE, LIKE AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER.]
no subject
[Wow, he's never had this reaction before. She definitely recovers well enough, and it's kind of cute how quickly she bounces back to being this energetic.]
Your Highness. Though it isn't as though you need to use such titles! We aren't in Gallopolis. Or Erdrea at all, for that matter. So it's fine, you can call me whatever you wish.
[It's going to be kind of weird not to be addressed by title all the time, but maybe it's sort of nice too.]
It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Rin! [i'm so sorry, rin] I am sure we'll get to know each other quite well during our stay here!
[He'll shake her hand though, sure!]
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I hope so, Faris-kun! [OKAY, SO WE'VE MOVED ON TO THAT ALREADY, GOOD TO KNOW.] I've been meeting so many great people here, nya! We can be friends if you want, I don't mind.
[Most people have a problem with just walking up to someone and asking to be friends, having left that tendency behind in elementary school. Rin is not most people.]
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Hah, it isn't often I hear someone express such a sentiment so easily, but I would like that!
[listen it's okay sometimes you just decide someone is your friend and it's fine, he's absolutely okay with this.]
Tell me about where you're from. Is it anything like this island?
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Oh! It's nothing like this. I'm from Tokyo, it's a big city - it's always very busy, with a lot of people in it! Fourteen million, I think. There are a lot of tall buildings, and it's all a lot more modern than this. And the people are all humans - I'd like it if there were animal people around, they're so cute! But we don't have any...
It's kind of weird being somewhere so unlike home, and I want to go home someday... But for now, it's an adventure!
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Fourteen million people? I can scarcely imagine such a large number in one place...
[i don't know what the population of erdrea is but i refuse to believe that we are cramming that many people in any of the big cities.]
That is a very good way of looking at it; that this is an adventure! This place is so strange to me as well, but that is part of the fun, is it not?
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Yeah! I think so, anyway. You meet all sorts of new people, and make all sorts of friends that you normally wouldn't have made if you just stayed home. I love my friends, but that doesn't mean I won't like making new ones.
This sort of thing is probably hard for some people, though. Being away from home in an unfamiliar place... It's kind of scary, too. So I think I'd like to find a way to make the others happy. You know, while we're here.
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[So it's not close enough to remind him of home, but it's not so surreal that he just wants to head home. It definitely helps that things are way more chill here.]
You're absolutely right, though. This is an excellent opportunity to meet people and there's no reason to focus on the negative when there are so many positive things about this place and the people here!
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[She'll start doodling a little in the sand between them with her fingers - nothing too elaborate, just little hearts and stars and the like. Simple shapes that it's easy to make a lot of.]
So do you like it here so far?
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I do, yes. It is very different from what I'm used to. Everyone in Gallopolis knows who I am and I know many of them... We don't get very many travelers, since Gallopolis is in the heart of the desert. It certainly isn't bad! I love Gallopolis and my people, but there's something to be said for experiencing something entirely new.
[That does seem sincere, at least! There's more to it than that, but at least that much is honest.]
I think I would like to go travelling someday. I hadn't really considered it before I met my friends, but they have been on all sorts of adventures and I find myself wondering what it is like to see and experience so much.
[...]
Ah... My apologies, I got a bit distracted there! Are you fond of this place as well?
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[A couple more stars in the sand.]
I kind of miss being back home. This place is great, but it's not home, you know? It feels weird, and not always in a good way.
[Her tone doesn't seem to be any less pleasant, but some of the brightness has calmed itself down, and the cat ears aren't back or lying flat but they have lowered themselves a bit closer to her head.]
But it's nice, though. I've liked meeting everyone, and seeing all the people this place has in it. It's worth it even if it's weird sometimes.
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He's noticed the cat ears and considering that the palace is absolutely swarming with cats, he understands that it's not an inherently terrible thing, but definitely not something she's super pleased with.]
There isn't anything wrong with missing home, of course. This place does sound very different from Tokyo! It seems as though there's much less to do, and less people to interact with.
[Not that that seems to be a problem for Rin, since she's charming and cheerful and outgoing.]
It does make sense to find some things less appealing than others, and to compare this situation to the one back home. I am glad you're having fun with some of it, at least.
[...]
Tell me about your friends. What are they like?
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Oh - I could talk about all of them for days, if you wanted me to! The third years are all really great - Eli-chan is very tall and pretty, she's a really great dancer and good with keeping all of us in line, and Nozomi-chan is really fun, she likes fortune-telling and playing games with all of us, but also listening when we need her to. And Nico-chan! Sometimes she's grumpy but she's so cute, and she knows more about idols than the rest of us combined!
The second-years... Honoka-chan is the leader of µ's, she's the one who had the idea and brought us all together! She's a little much sometimes... But we wouldn't be where we are without her! And Umi-chan is so cool! She's really strong, and really brave, even if she's a little quiet sometimes. Kotori-chan is shy, but she's really good with her hands - she makes all our outfits, and likes doing new stuff with our hair.
And then there are my best friends, first-years like me - Maki-chan writes all of our music, and she likes to pretend she isn't close friends with people but we walk home from school together all the time, and she's really fun when she opens up, even if she doesn't think she is. And Kayochin is my best friend! I've known her since we were small. She's the reason I joined µ's at all; she really wanted to join, and I wanted to do track more, but it was important to me that Kayochin was happy! So we joined together, and even if I'm not really the best at being an idol or doing girly things like wearing dresses, it's easier if she's there. She's really kind, and she's just the best!
[...she could seriously talk about these people all day SHE'S NOT KIDDING but she's trying to keep it short, okay...]
What about you, Faris-kun? What are your friends like?
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It sounds as though they are all exceptional people! You sound very fond of them all.
[No wonder she misses them a ton... The question gets him to hesitate a bit, like he's not really sure how to answer it, before Faris smiles and laughs. It's awkward-sounding.]
Ah, yes! The friends I have made recently are travelers who came to Gallopolis in search of one of our royal treasures. They've been assisting me with some... things. Their leader is a boy around my age with the most impressively silky hair I have ever seen. He is quiet but surprisingly regal in how he carries himself, and he is never one to turn a blind eye to someone in need! His compassion is certainly his best trait.
The others with him are no less passionate about helping those around them, although the child they brought with them is a bit rude... Come to think of it, why did they bring a child with them?
[oh my god is now really the time.......]
Anyway, they are not the only friends I have, of course! The palace is home to a great many cats, and they are all incredibly cute and friendly!