Test Drive Meme #1 (cw vehicular crash, moderate injury)

[spoofer]

Test Drive Meme #1

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.

You don't need an invite to test
but please remember we're currently invite-only

CRASH LANDING

Exit one dimension, enter the next. It was chaos: pressure against your ears, light bending in an impossible, unimaginable way. The very molecules of your body vibrating against one another. If you have windows, the view outside makes no sense. Even if not, your hands, your face, your feet seem like an uncertain thing. It's the feel of reality itself tearing apart, reshaping, reconnecting, thread by thread.

And suddenly, there's a beach— or ocean, whichever you land in. Smoke. Fire. Salt water churning up, fizzing around.

Maybe you crash, in a ship wrecking into sand. Maybe you merely stumble out of a portal, a ragged wormhole in space. Or maybe you fall off the back of an incredible steed, some creature that carried you into this place. Either way, there's pandemonium around you. Incredibly, severe injuries are far and few between— nobody's screaming about the dead. But you might have to help pull someone free of wreckage, or move quickly to salvage burning belongings from the landing craft. Maybe it's the crafts themselves, that you're trying to salvage.

Likely, you don't know them, these other strangers who arrived here^[1]. Maybe you don't trust them— you just came out of a dying world, after all. But you all have one thing in common: you're here now.

When you get a second to breathe, maybe you'll see it. The brilliant green forest across the sand. Beyond that, the glint of a faraway city.

INTO THE WOODS

Your first night at Xistentia does not feature five-star accommodations, but as the sun begins to set, the forest offers everything you need to survive. By now, you may even have met your daemon, who'll help guide you through this. There is fallen wood to make fires for warmth and cooking, any number of rabbits, deer, and fish if that's what you're into eating. Those very same animals also provide guidance as to what vegetation is edible, including a variety of vine mushrooms, fruits, and flowers. If you're the kind of creature that mostly eats other sentient creatures, well. Technically, there are a lot of those hanging out too^[2]! Now and then, you'll see tiny, winged humanoid creatures the height of a finger dart in and out of view.

A resourceful group, the multiversal refugees have determined ways to create shelters, using wreckage, supplies, and basic survival knowhow. There aren't enough blankets to go around, but the weather is mild and the fires seem to keep out any aggressive creatures.


Things get quiet. This could be a good time to meet the others under less fraught circumstances. Maybe you'll see some familiar faces and reunite with others who fled from your dying world; maybe you'll meet someone new.

Try not to seek out and fight any Rock Trolls. It's still early.

ENTER THE CITY

The city is beautiful, even with the vines covering everything, the streams running down half the streets, the massive white deer leaping off under the highway overpasses. The architecture of the skyscrapers is incredible to look at, modern and sweeping. It's clear that terraced gardens were part of the building design, and some of the greenery that lines the street had been part of the original city plan. This is a city of great potential.

And it knows you're here. As you walk by, beacons like streetlamps begin to emit a gentle glow, registering your presence. No doors are locked, though you might find yourself chasing out nests of silver-winged birds and bug-eyed rabbits.

Here, you can claim empty shops or the clothing and other sales items inside of them. Apartment complexes aren't difficult to find in a range of sizes; nor are standalone homes, brownstones, loft studios. Penthouses may not feel like penthouses when there's a thin layer of dust growing on everything and a flower growing out of the sink, but you know what? Maybe that little bud is gonna be your first roommate.

It's the strangest thing. After a few days, the lights begin to work and the water begins to run, fully operational within the unseen sewer system. At some point, the keys to your house or residence are going to turn up. Your daemon will help you find what you need. F.A.TE.S. welcomes you.

NETWORK

By now you've settled in. You have some time to explore the city, the woods, and your new kit.

Chances are pretty good that your daemon is not a phone or a computer or a wax-sealed piece of parchment or a Howler, nothing with a convenient camera or a keyboard; it probably isn't even a pocket sized. Likelier, it stares at you with eyes that contain the lenses-- or powers-- of a camera, and some part of its body projects a holographic keyboard into the air. For those of us who are not accustomed to manipulating intangible light prisms, it's about as intuitive to type on as shaping a cloud with your fingers.

But here's your network access. Accessible to all your fellow travelers in XISTENTIA.

Misfires, typos, and blurry video footage are likely. Time to feel like a Luddite!

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

hells yeah

Footnotes

1. Some of these can be nameless, plot-device NPCs to facilitate interactions! But even in this case, please avoid gore in describing their current state of being. Anyone dead or catastrophically injured will have disappeared by the time your characters make it to Xistentia. There are no corpses or dying here.
   
   
2. But like OOCly ask permission ofc.

Comments

Rafaello d'Este | OC (Eudio CRAU) | OTA

[mordacita]

A. WOODS

[ This is all wrong. As much as Rafa enjoys spending time in forests, this is not where he is meant to be. His world was under attack, he'd been told, and so he had meant to leave Eudio to get back to it. Instead he'd washed up here - literally washed up, since he'd landed in the sea and had to swim to the beach - and now he's trudging through the forest in wet clothes, carrying a waterlogged phone that will no longer turn on, and moving in the general direction of the city he can see in the background.

There are others here. Rafa doesn't feel too terribly social, given his current attire. His boots are squelching with every step. His hair is dripping, and though he's pulled it back into a tail, it still feels unpleasant. And his clothes, always closely fitting, are clinging to him. He has had better days. This D&G suit has certainly had better days.

And he is hungry. There's also that. One of the tiny little winged things keeps trying to land on his shoulder, and for the seventh time, he bats it away. ]

Fucking faeries. [ Is his personal opinion. This forest is full of them, and also full of other scents he doesn't really know. He's avoiding the large, mossy things that are congregating to the left of the group. He has no idea what those are, but he doesn't like the smell, and he'd rather not face them on an empty stomach. ] I need to eat something more than rabbits or I will go crazy here. Does anyone have a phone signal? [ He asks, raising his voice. His accent is very Italian, and his tone is very irritated. ] Or GPS, dare I hope. This is not what I had in mind.

B. CITY

[ The city is, comparatively, a better place. It seems abandoned, which irks Rafa all over again, but it's not long before he finds dry clothes that haven't been ruined by seawater. He quickly changes, and now moves around dressed in black jeans and a dark-coloured shirt. It's not ideal, but it's better than what he had before. Now ready to explore, he starts picking his way around the city. For a while he's outside, wearing sunglasses now that he's away from the safety of the trees. Every few hours, though, he has to duck inside to let them recharge, and this leads to him discovering quite a number of different buildings. He walks into several that are already occupied, and can only raise a hand in apology. ]

I have yet to find somewhere to stay. Do not worry. I shall not trouble you for long.

[ Only long enough for the glasses to regain some magic, and let him walk back out into the sun. And there is so much sun. His time in the forest had let him get used to the way time works here. Twenty hours of light, and ten of shadow. Twenty hours is a very long time, and the sun is very bad for this vampire.

The night time is much better. Rafa walks around more freely, with the glasses safely in his pocket, and magical streetlamps lighting his way. After a while, a unicorn foal finds him. He tries to chase it off at first, but when that doesn't work, it starts to talk to him instead, and then of course he wants to keep it. It starts to guide him, and his mood brightens. Find him while that's going on, and he might even smile at you. ]

I am searching for somewhere to stay. What are you seeking?

C. NETWORK POST

[ Here is Rafa, or at least a very blurry image that looks as though it might be Rafa. It goes in and out of focus several times, until it settles for a closeup of warm brown eyes. He pulls back, frowning. He could not look more frustrated. ]

How am I supposed to type? I cannot even feel the keys - why are you looking at me like that?! What are you -

[ He leans in closer, squinting right into the camera eyes. And then he sees them moving as though to refocus on him, and his eyes widen. ]

We are recording now?! Yes of course we are recording now, because why would we not be. How very slick.

[ Though still annoyed, Rafa at least makes an attempt at converting his frown to a smile. If they're recording, then he likely has an audience. ]

Forgive me. If you can hear me, then hello! My name is Rafa. I would like to meet the others who have found themselves here. This is not where I am meant to be, and...nothing is as it seems. Also, I am speaking to you through a unicorn which thinks is is an iPhone. Is anyone else having that problem? If so, I should be grateful for a manual of some kind. I do not think it likes me.

c

[thehunger]

[ He does have an audience, of a man in his early fifties. Well put together, well coiffed and sharply dressed. But just as frustrated and ignorant of their surroundings as he is. ]

Rafa, hello. I too am newly arrived, looking for answers. What do you know, so far? I assume you escaped here, same as I did, fleeing something great and terrible?

[mordacita]

In a sense, yes.

[ Rafa leans forward, eyes intent on the image his creature is projecting. This isn't a face he recognises, but it doesn't much matter. He needs to get a sense of both what, and who he's dealing with here. ]

The place I was in was under attack. It was not my world, but I was advised all worlds were in danger. I sought to return to my own, to defend it if need be - and now here I am, instead. My...daemon, tells me we are here to act against this danger. Is that what you have heard?

b -- will be a nsfw thread eventually, cw: sex, vamp biting, good stuff

[vexy]

[ Fucking faeries, indeed. Rafa ought to be careful about speaking of the devil, because they tend to appear. Although in this case Rafa just happened to walk into his house, where Vex was curiously, and angrily, polishing a dusty old fireplace. He halted the moment he heard that voice, eyes wide and body tense.

Was he hearing things?

A part of him didn't want to turn around to confirm that the voice wasn't attached to anything, as he both didn't want to get his hopes up or shatter his dreams. But he swallowed, forced back his anxiety and slowly turned to see... him.

That was step one, now it was just a matter of figuring out whether he was a mirage or the real deal. He opened his mouth, but words failed him. ]

[mordacita]

[ Vex doesn't speak, but he doesn't need to. As soon as Rafa's close enough, that scent comes to his nose. Sweet, so much sweeter than a human, and warm and delicious. And familiar. His head whips around, eyes settling immediately on Vex.

Vex, whom he'd thought he had left behind in Eudio, either waiting there to be rescued or sent back to his homeworld. Either way, he had been sure they were separated.

Rafa doesn't think. He should. It should occur to him that there's a chance Vex won't remember him, or never even knew him. That should be the immediate concern, but it isn't. Instead he just moves for him, actively runs towards him. He reaches for him, not to hug him but to grab his arm, and touch his face, and slide his hand back behind his neck. ]

Vex? You are here. [ He takes a steadying breath, which fills him with more of that scent. Reassurance personified. ] I thought I had lost you.

[ Now the hug comes - quick and tight, Rafa's arms circling his waist and clinging to him. If he doesn't remember, this will get embarrassing very quickly. ]

b

[pillz]

[kavinsky has been worrying. which is to say that kavinsky had been diligently, forcefully not-worrying, choosing instead to channel his nervous energy into slapping weird forest bugs, bitching about how green everything smells, and the necessity of using leaves to wipe ass, and bitchy frustration that aric and murphy were exponentially better at outdoorsmanship than he is.

now that he's in the city, his not-worrying has intensified. the number of available distractions has increased helpfully! he's been wandering through the creeper-ridden buildings, stealing what he likes, and irate that stealing doesn't feel so much, gratifyingly, like stealing when nobody technically owns this shit in the first place. yes, it's pointlessly neurotic and stupid to follow these trains of thought. but let's be honest. it's a lot more comfortable to dwell on these idiotic notions than to think about eudio collapsing in on itself and everybody he loved there.

he's in an abandoned apartment. he shoves the windows open and takes a deep breath of too-clean air. trying to picture himself living in this one, the third floor, unit 3f, when he looks down and]

Rafaello! [the baby unicorn jumps on its hooves.] Look out! Look up!

[there's a boy in the sky. kavinsky, all skinny bones and garish tattoos, crashing down toward the vampire, in full expectation that his mother will catch him.]

[mordacita]

[ Rafa turns to shoot an exasperated look at the unicorn. ]

I told you not to call me -

[ And then it tells him to look up, and Rafa does, just in time to see Kavinsky throwing himself at him. It's a good thing Rafa has excellent reflexes. He reaches up as Kavinsky clatters into him, which results in him carrying the taller boy princess-style in his arms. Rafa laughs and gives him a little squeeze. ]

Thank you. [ He says, belatedly, to the unicorn. It manages to look smug, even while snuffling around Kavinsky's ankles. Rafa hasn't bothered to set him down yet. ]

You are trying to terrify me. Where did you come from?

[ Rafa looks up, trying to spot where his fledgling-to-be was perched. ]

You are lucky I caught you. That could have been painful.

[ And he still hasn't put him down. ]

a.

[varou]

[ One second he's in Eudio the next....

It doesn't really hit him. He's sure it will eventually, but for now he doesn't try to think much of it. His first instinct is search for Rafa. Maybe find shelter, the sun won't be kind to him for long. But Rafa... Rafa.... Rafa....

He turns and turns seeking out Rafa's familiar scent or a sight of him. Instead it's his ears thatch catch that accent.

In a moment he's running. He keeps his focus on the sound of Rafa's voice until finally he finds him. ]

Rafa. [ He grabs him roughly, pulling him against his chest without hesitation.]

[mordacita]

Hunter.

[ Rafa turns to him, reaching for him at the same time as he's grabbed. He folds against Hunter's chest, arms wrapping tightly around him. They haven't even been apart for that long, but that doesn't matter. They're together again. ]

You made it here. When I landed alone, I thought...

[ He looks up, hand reaching up to touch Hunter's neck. His thumb runs along his jaw. ]

I thought you managed to return and I did not. But you are here. Where did you land?

[ Meanwhile, Rafa's unicorn daemon has come to snuffle around Hunter's ankles. ]

b.

[baeta]

( he bumps rafa. accidentally, of course, too distracted by a thorn pricking the underside of his foot, which is the apparent downside of not owning any shoes. unlike rafa, ari hadn't bothered to change the clothes he arrived in -- the scent of seasalt embedded into him, cooking him like popped popcorn. he probably doesn't smell great. or look great. )

Sorry, sorry, Sir. I was just. I'm sorry.

( or anything great. his foot is bleeding a little bit, but he still settles it back on the floor without cringing at all, rubbing the back of his head in apology. dirt is caked into his pores and the lines of sweat that track down his cheeks, like some actual born forest child, raised by wolves. he moves his hand so he can bite at a dirty thumb nail briefly, eyes glancing from side to side. why does he feel so anxious? )

I thought. I thought the city might mean I'd find someone I knew. I thought -- my pack.

( pack. hm. the scent of morbidity catches in his nostrils, blood and musk, and his eyes fall into slits as he looks at rafa, tilting his head.

he's a vampire, isn't he? )

Er. Family. I should say. My friends ...

( he looks around some more. he might hate vampires, but he isn't a very rude boy. )

[mordacita]

[ This boy's scent is powerful. Rafa, being used to werewolves, recognises it straight away despite the seawater. Also despite the blood, though it's possible that actually made things more clear. ]

Your pack. You are a werewolf?

[ Rafa takes a step closer, interest certainly piqued. He notices when Ari's eyes narrow, but doesn't make the link as to why. His own face has turned friendly, a smile curving his lips up. ]

So is my husband. He should be here...he was supposed to be here. We left together.

[ Glancing down, he points at Ari's injured foot. ]

You should rest that. Even for a wolf it must be painful.

c

[rekt]

You didn't really expect the utopia ran on cuddle magic thing to actually last, did you?

[ hi sup rafa, this terrible child also followed you here, with another terrible child. and a big ass deer, that is now also an iphone. ]

[mordacita]

[ Oh, you cannot be serious. ]

No. [ His tone has chilled by several degrees. ] I did not. I expected to be at home, as per my agreement. Are you going to tell me you saw this coming?

a.

[fiachdubh]

[Ronan spins on his heels when he hears a voice - heavily accented, albeit not the accent Ronan is used to - and for a moment, he plasters himself against the trunk of a tree, wishing he had some kind of weapon, some way to defend himself better than his fists. They don't feel quite enough, and they're bruised, blood drying on his knuckles from his earlier crash landing.

He doesn't really want to see anyone, talk to anyone, but he knows that logically, he cannot follow that primal fear feeling, even as it rumbles through him like thunder, making him grit his teeth. It won't help.

Ronan swallows hard, and pushes himself off of the tree. Chainsawd immediately swoops down to rest on his shoulder, croaking Kerah! into his ear, like a reassurance.

If she was the real deal, it might have worked.]

You found your daemon yet? It's your access to the network. It's like a robot, but it looks like... something personal, I guess. [He knows this guy's daemon probably won't look like a raven.]

[mordacita]

[ Rafa looks up. His eyes flick uncertainly towards the raven, and he steps closer to Ronan. He looks unnerved, and for a moment does not answer at all. Then he seems to realise how strange this is, and refocuses on the boy. ]

A daemon. So that is what this is? It looks...all too real.

[ But it's not real, that's the thing. It doesn't smell like a bird, even if it looks like one. And it certainly doesn't have a heartbeat he can detect. ]

I have seen nothing like this. You are saying it works like a phone? How?

( b. )

[aberth]

[ Adam has seen a lot of weird shit in his very short life. Ghosts, sentient forests, dream birds, dead kings. He knows the world around him doesn't always follow the rules when it comes to strangeness. And yet, when he sees the unicorn on the street he has to pause, lift a dirty hand to his eyes and rub them as though somehow they'll fix his eyesight and everything will be normal.

Or as close to normal as he can get.

Of course, the foal remains, and Adam continues staring, only realising someone is speaking when his own daemon nudges him in the back of the knee and he looks up. Unconsciously, Adam shifts a little, to put the man on his good side, curiousity winning over his fear. ]

Sorry, I missed that. What did you say?

[mordacita]

[ The foal, aware of Adam's interest, let's out a bubbling, uncertain little whinny, and scampers to hide behind Rafa's legs. It peeks its head out, regarding Adam with enormous, mournful dark eyes.

Rafa glances down at it, then sighs, before reaching down to pet idly at its mane. For a creature that's not even alive, it's certainly nervous. ]

I said, I am searching for a building to live in. This creature assures me I have a room.

They are not truly alive. They seem it, but they are technology. At least, that is how it seems.

a.

[ailindor]

[ Despite being white and black, a stark contrast to the dark greens and browns of the forest, Aida's snow leopard Kimba is still quite good at stealthily making his way through the underbrush. Although not currently stalking anyone or anything, he stays low to the ground, leading Aida through the trees and avoiding anything that may seem like a predator. Of course, so many of the creatures here are unfamiliar to the both of them that any of them could be a predator.

It's when Kimba hears Rafa that he stops, crouches lower, and lets out a low warning rumble. Aida's not too far behind him, although it's likely the leopard will catch Rafa's eye first. ]

[mordacita]

[ Rafa halts, the leopard in his sights. For a moment they are two predators facing each other, and if that went on for long enough, there'd certainly be a fight about it. Rafa meets its eyes, though, unafraid. He steps closer, letting his own fangs slide into place in case his approach alone was not enough to scare the big cat off.

But it's not afraid. And then behind it is walking a woman. peacefully, as if she has no idea what's ahead of her. Rafa's eyes shift to her instead, at least so long as the leopard isn't jumping for him. ]

Be careful here, he warns, letting his eyes slide back to the leopard. This one seems stubborn.

network;

[deathkid]

[ peeks. ]

Will and I are here, but I haven't seen anyone else so far. [ a pause as he glances around him. and then frowns. ]

Yours is a unicorn? Really? Mine is a talking skull. Not very subtle, if you ask me.

[mordacita]

[ Rafa's eyes widen, then warm with clear relief. ]

Nico. You as well. I am glad to see you, my friend.

Yes, it is a unicorn. I cannot imagine why. A skull makes sense for you, I think. You are overfond of conjuring those skeletons.

[ He makes a little finger-flicking gesture when he says 'conjuring'. ]

Where are you and Will?

c.

[discanted]

[ Hello from red velvet-land, where an embarrassment of buttons never went out of sad, hipster-approved style. Hello also by way of a wave, utterly unnecessary, but trying very hard. ]

It does not like you. Why should it? Behold, the pigeon of the brave new world: large and fattened in its leisure and loving of no one man.

[ Is that a smile? Oh, we're hilarious. ]

Behold the pigeon of the brave new world: the same as the pigeon of old. But give yours crumbs from the hand, its message still carried. It has done well.

c

[fratricidio]

Maybe it's an iPhone that thinks it's a unicorn.

[ Did you consider that, Rafa. More importantly: is Caleb joking? It's hard to tell by his tone an expression. ]

C

[healingdork]

You got a unicorn? I just got a cat. I thought I might get something more interesting, being a demigod and all, but... guess not.