test drive meme

[chims]

the test drive meme

It's a new day in The World, and a special quest is abound. But wait, the players cry! The game isn't open yet! Shush you, the GMs warned. This is only a test drive meme. The game is simple. You've woken up in a lush field of grass, soft to the touch and a little damp with dew. Spring has reached The World, and there's a randomized checklist in your hand. Your goal is to catch five of the Lucky Animals bounding about, and it's perfectly fine to work together. In fact, we encourage it! Collect them all and deposit them in a pen where the GMs await. There's plenty for everyone, but they will be watching closely for cheaters. Any items won in this pre-game minigame will carry over once holyrelic opens, so get your limited edition item set today! Magnificent prizes await you, so go forth! Just beware; some of the Lucky Animals aren't really so lucky and have their own side effects. (All participants who apply will receive a mochi hat of the player's choosing. They can be either small (think mini tophats) or large (like a harvest cleric's hat) and any of the three colors, with any variety of accessories. All participants who finish the quest will earn a spring-themed beginner item set! It will include one weapon and a bonus item set with five restoratives, five randomized buff spells, and five randomized food items.)

Comments

2/2

[iseedollpeople]

[A pause as she takes in his outfit, obviously comparing it to her own.]

Is it yours?

[leggierissimo]

[... dizzying. Really. But he sees you checking out his outfit, there.]

Hm? The animal? Or these clothes?

[iseedollpeople]

The animal.

[She's not going very fast -- it is rather more like a slow motion chase scene. Imagine the yakety-sax.]

[leggierissimo]

[Still dizzying!]

It doesn't seem to be on my list, no.

[iseedollpeople]

[Only if you're turning to follow, silly.]

Then you don't want it?

[leggierissimo]

[He may have, a time or two.]

Not particularly. Though it's rather silly to keep running from it, isn't it? You'll get tired eventually.

[iseedollpeople]

It's fine. It's just following me.

[For someone who's been leading it around in circles, she doesn't seem particularly concerned.]

There isn't anywhere to run, anyway.

[leggierissimo]

It won't stop following you?

[... this is the strangest dream he's had in a while.]

[iseedollpeople]

Since I arrived.

[She's had stranger dreams. This is actually a nice change of pace in general, even if she doesn't understand a thing.

--On her next turn her hat slips unceremoniously off her head and plops right down on the Goat, which pulls up with a squeal. Mei just stares.

Look out, because the disoriented Animal may or may not now be heading in your direction with all the speed of a frightened stats-eater.]

[leggierissimo]

[... oh. Oh dear.

Dodging Noise was nothing, but dodging an obviously frightened little goat-like creature? Not... quite as easy in this dream world, apparently.

He'd be jumping out of the way right now if it didn't knock him in the shin as it passes. And now he's trying to - gracefully - regain his balance.]

[iseedollpeople]

[And, though Mei does start forward a step when the Goat knocks into him, in the end she ends up just watching the debacle. Right down to Joshua's (graceful) attempts not to fall on his face.

They make a bit of a comically frozen tableau for a moment, since she isn't moving and Joshua is on the verge of going either up or down.

This is clearly the best moment for an actual Lucky Animal to come dashing through like a rocket, leaving nothing but a trail of dust behind.]

[leggierissimo]

[... and, surprisingly, Joshua manages to keep his footing. Hooray for small victories! He lets out a small sigh of relief, readjusting his hat a little.

And speaking of hats, had that goat creature ran off? And just what was that that had zoomed by?]

... well, then.

[iseedollpeople]

[Since her companion hasn't, in fact, fallen on his face, Mei's interest has moved elsewhere. She's looking after the Dark Goat with a mildly perturbed expression.]

... My hat.

[leggierissimo]

Hm. It ran off with it.

>[He peers off in the direction the thing had ran off in... no sign of the hat.]

Maybe you can find another one.

[iseedollpeople]

[She gives a small sigh, but otherwise doesn't comment. Instead, she turns her head the other way.]

There was another Animal. You probably didn't see it.

[leggierissimo]

I saw something. Maybe that's what we're supposed to catch?

[He brings one hand to his mouth, contemplative.]

Awfully fast little things, aren't they?

[iseedollpeople]

They stop sometimes.

[Without further comment, she starts moving in the direction the new Animal was going.]

[leggierissimo]

[... hm. Well. If she's going... he might as well follow along. It wouldn't hurt to try to win whatever this is, after all. So, don't mind as he follows behind you.]

I don't think I caught your name.

[iseedollpeople]

[She pauses and looks over her shoulder when he speaks up; doesn't reply until after she's gotten going again. Got to keep her eye peeled, after all.]

Misaki Mei.

[leggierissimo]

[Oh, don't worry. He's keeping his eye out, too. Two sets of eyes are better than one!]

Joshua. Nice to meet you, Mei-chan.

[iseedollpeople]

[One and a half sets bro check your sight privilege.

There's a pause where a pleasantry would normally be before she answers.]

How many have you found?

[leggierissimo]

[Figure of speech, dear. Figure of speech~

But, hm. This one isn't too talkative. Fairly serious, too.]

Oh, I haven't found any yet.

[iseedollpeople]

[So you think.

She still isn't moving terribly fast -- turning her head this way and that to peer into tufts of grass, but not exactly rummaging around. Those Animals are awfully small...]

I think the other one was scaring them off.

[Meaning she hasn't found any either.]

[leggierissimo]

[Well. She seems to be doing such a great job at this. He'll just leave her to do anything more than just scanning the area~]

The goat one? It wouldn't surprise me.

[iseedollpeople]

A goat isn't a predator, so why...

[It's half to herself and all rhetorical; it's not like any of the animals here are entirely recognizable. In fact, they look more like caricatures than anything--

She slows down even more, now that they've made an entire circuit of the meadow.]

You don't know these animals, Joshua-kun?