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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.
no subject
Though, when Faris asks about the forest itself--well, Deirdre's look goes back up to him all too easily, something bright in her gaze as she starts to speak up again with confidence.]
Yes. Yes, there are a great many of them--I have seen a great many of them throughout my life. Whether it's the birds that come to greet me every morning, or the squirrels who go about their days near my house...oh, there's even deer that sometimes come by. They're incredibly skittish, however, and most typically run at the first sign of trouble. But they're very lovely creatures.
And plant-life...there are many different kinds of plants in the forest. Some are quite helpful, like mushrooms and berries, but there are some that can be quite poisonous. You have to be careful, and know just what you are dealing with before handling them...but the ones that can be handled are delicious, like blackberries and raspberries.
I could truly go on all day, about such things. [Deirdre laughs a little bit, though she seems more delighted than anything.] Is there anything you would like to know more about?
no subject
[Because the desert is hot and gross and it sucks, tbh.]
It all sounds incredible, truly. Do you prefer being out in the forest instead of being in your village?
no subject
[Deirdre would have figured that he'd know a little bit, but he moves on pretty quickly to the next question--Deirdre is happy to move on in kind, nodding her head all too easily.]
Sometimes I do. I find that the company of the animals, and the quiet of the forest...they speak to me far more. It is there that I feel most at home, and even at peace, but...
Not all the time. [Deirdre's smile goes soft, serene.] I find that being in the company of the right people...it brings me joy.
no subject
Tell me about them - the people who are very important to you.
no subject
I have a few friends in the village, as well as my adoptive grandmother. They are all so very kind to me. They tend to look out for me, and make sure that I do not get into too much trouble.
[...]
There is also a man who helped me, who is very dear to me. Lord Sigurd...he was able to stop a bandit who had been attempting to harass me. He was every bit as kind as the people of Marpha said he was.
He is very dear to me.
[let's just ignore the fact she's met him once and she's talking like she's know him her whole life, it's fiiiine]
no subject
Ah, Lord Sigurd does sound like quite the upstanding man! Is he a knight?
[He absolutely sounds like a knight, and you know what Faris is here for? Knights. They're so cool.......]
no subject
He is. He is one of the knights of Grannvale; they are dedicated to the people, fighting for their justice and freedom. Their fighters are said to be some of the strongest people in the land, and the most devoted as well...
[though it's mostly their access to horses. almost everyone gets a horse in genealogy of the holy war, and if you're names not lewyn, you suck because you don't have one]
no subject
How wonderful! While I doubt they have the same Knight's Pledge we do, they sound very similar to some of the greatest knights Erdrea has ever seen! My dream is to one day follow Sir Hendrik's guidance...
Lord Sigurd sounds like just as much of a noble hero! Is Grannvale the kingdom he serves?
no subject
It is, yes. Grannvale is a large kingdom that has heavy dominion over a sizable portion of Jugdral. Enough so that it has several duchies within it as well.
[Ah, but--]
Will you tell me about Sir Hendrik? He is one of the great knights of Erdrea, yes?
no subject
Of course! He is called "the Hero of Heliodor" and I can imagine no title more fitting! He is a knight of Heliodor - one of the other kingdoms - and it is his duty to guard the king. It is said that during the fall of Dundrasil over a decade ago, Sir Hendrik was able to get the king out of there safely! His heroics are known throughout Erdrea and many knight wishes they could be just like him! He is said to be stern and steadfast, embodying all the ideals of knighthood and everything the Pledge states.
no subject
What a guy, that Hendrik.]
He sounds like an incredible man. I can see why he is an inspiration to all. His heroics are incredible, and I'm certain that any knight from Jugdral would be just as inspired by his actions...what a brave, brave man.
no subject
[...he will actually get to meet hendrik! for like five minutes.]
Ah, but please, tell me more about Lord Sigurd! You said he saved you from a bandit?