TEST DRIVE #1

[collectedmods]

TEST DRIVE #1

Hi shoppers! Welcome to the first Test Drive Meme for COLLECTED. A few things before we get started:

» For the time being, our TDM’s are closed to those eligible to apply based on our invite system. This means that you must be on one of the mod’s plurklists, or invited as a +1 by someone on those lists. Thanks for understanding!

» TDM Threads will NOT be canon.

» Because of that, feel free to assume/handwave CR, and assume your character has been in the setting for a little bit.

» When the game opens, characters will be able to try their hand at going outside. But, during the TDM, all doors and windows to the outside will be locked, and characters will be unable to venture out there.

» These prompts are not exhaustive - feel free to make up your own within the setting of the mall! Anywhere on the Second Floor of the mall is free game. And if you have any questions about what you can and can’t do (or about anything else) reply to the QUESTIONS comment below, and we’ll get back to you soon.

Most importantly, have fun! And thank you so much for your interest in Collected; we’ve been so stoked over the turnout!! 🧡

PROMPTS

I.

There’s one big problem about getting around the Mall - and no, it’s not the bottom floor that’s flooded.

The other huge problem that the dilapidated infrastructure causes aside from making everything smell weird and leaving tons of crumbled debris around is that at some points in the mall, it’s impossible to get across large gaps in the flooring where it’s fallen through to the waters below. In fact, to access the side of the mall across from where you are right now, there are no paths that are safe for walking across. But there is one way.

One attraction of the mall has stayed (mildly) in tact - and that’s a Hi Wire Bicycle. The one way across to the other side of the Mall is this rusty, dusty bicycle attached to a thick wire, with signs around the attraction describing how much the fare used to be to ride across - if you were daring enough, that is! Obviously, no one’s ridden across this thing in years - much less for the overpriced payment required.

More than that, it seems a little… less than safe. The net that probably provided mall-goers with some degree of self-assurance has aged, sagging and unraveling at the junctures of some of the knots. If you were to fall onto it, would it still catch you…? The wire affixed to the bike doesn’t seem too steady, either, not to mention how hard you’ll have to push against the rusted pedals to get them to move. As it stands, though, it’s the only way across to get to the Second Floor’s other half of stores. Luckily (or maybe unluckily?) there’s a seat for you and a friend. So, at least you won’t go down alone.

To make it across, you’ll have to be brave, be creative, and most of all, be lucky!

II.

A.

Near the heart of the food court, decorations for what used to be Santa’s village are still laid about. How many Christmases ago were these left here? By the looks of things, a lot. A thick coating of dust has settled on the nooks and crannies of what is supposed to be the elves workshop, alongside the seat where Santa must have sat to take pictures with children.

In the Elves’ Workshop, you’ll find a massive amount of animatronic elves. They’re all positioned to be working on toys, putting up decorations, or singing from carol books - it looks like these little guys were put here to perform for kids, not unlike an interactive (and more Christmas-y) version of It’s a Small World. There’s even un-opened (and therefore okay-to-eat!) boxes of chocolate chip cookies that must have been for the Mall-goers around Christmastime stashed inside an open cabinet, which was most definitely only for employees to access.

The only problem is that once you enter and make your way inside the workshop… something strange happens. Is something grabbing onto your clothes? Your hair? Maybe a stray finger? It’s the little wooden hands of one of the elves. Your first thought is that you just brushed past it and got caught on it - but, on the second thought, it’s not letting go. In fact, it’s grip is getting tighter. Painful, even. All while it smiles blankly ahead, eerily still aside from it’s tiny hand squeezing you. Take your eyes off these cheery boys and girls for too long, and you’ll realize they’re not staying put like good little elves - they’re moving closer to you only when they’re out of sight.

If you’re unlucky enough for several to latch onto you, you’d better ho-ho-hope someone can break you free.

B.

Outside the Workshop, more towards where the line to meet Santa would be, there’s a big snow machine. Unluckily for you, the machine’s sensors, which would have known to start putting out snow whenever people walk by, seem to still be working despite the Mall’s run-down state. As soon as you get near the thing, it starts spewing out tons of fake snow. It’s completely unlike the delicate sprinkling you’d find in a shopping center: it’s plain blasting you with the stuff, more like a hose than anything else. Too bad that the part of the machine that broke was whatever controlled the volume and speed of the snow instead of the sensors, right?

The fake snow is sticky and old, and will stick to you and the floor the more you get caught in it - better hurry and stop that machine!

C.

There’s a huge, luxurious chair that was most certainly reserved for the Santa employee in the center of the village area - tall and wide enough for at least a few people to clamber onto. Even though the paint is chipping off parts of the throne, and the wood is decaying in places - it still doesn’t look too bad, all things considered. Even the camera is still sitting in front of the chair, balanced on a tripod as though there were kids coming to take pictures with Santa today.

You’ll find that walking into the frame of the camera with more than one person causes the camera to go off. The camera will even print your picture, and never seems to run out of film - no matter how many times it fires. Did it catch your bad side, the first time? Feel free to try again! Dress up, find props, take pictures with your newfound companions to your heart’s content!

The only thing to be wary of is that in every few photos, someone else is in the photo. It’s a smiling, bright-eyed child, despite their transparency compared to you and your companion in the image. Judging by the sitting pose, and the performative smile, the added kid is none other than a reflection of a child who had taken pictures here with Santa long, long ago.

III.

With the size of the mall, and the variety of the stores inside, it’s only natural to think to forage for items that might be of use - there’s got to be something left behind here that will help you, right? Or a portal home?

Not too far from the department store you’d wandered in from, there’s a clothing store with an… interesting problem, for lack of a better word. The store has been overrun with rats. Big ones, too, scurrying about the floors and what’s left of the shelves, gnawing on what remains of the carpet and the remnants of cardboard packaging. Anyone sane would steer clear of this mess!

But, there’s something off about this store. Not only do all the rats somehow stay mysteriously contained within the walls of the store, never scurrying out of it, and with no signs of other stores being infested at all, but there’s also something that’s very familiar to you in this store. It could be a weapon, an item of clothing, or something as simple as your most favorite phone charm - point of the matter is, the rats have a hoard akin to a dragon’s behind the cashier’s counter, full of trinkets and belongings to all who have come through this place. They’ll work to keep their paws on what they have, too.

If you want your special something back, you’ll have to brave the vermin.



NAVIGATION

Comments

[oomfies]

[ She definitely notices that deliberate pronunciation of his. And what does Lottie do?? Ignore it, like any sane person with a ridiculous amount of ego would. ]

Ghosts can't wear stuff, they're ghosts.

[ She says as a matter of fact, putting her brush back into her makeup bag - right after giving herself one final, dazzling, smile in the mirror. She snatches the Santa hat off the dresser (all green and red to match the theme), carefully arranging it on her head. ]

But I mean, if it makes you feel better or whatever, he probably wore those exact pair of ears when this stuff was still open?

[takeroot]

[Ghosts aren't born ghosts, Lottie, please. Constantin hums, very clearly skeptical of her ghost opinions, but tucks the picture with sweet little Bernardin into a pocket anyway. He's invested in this ghost child now, but he can pause to stand around looking, ah, elfy. Elfish?

The stiff conical hat that goes with the ears is also too small for him, or at least the elastic chin strap is, and so he resolves to balance it very carefully until this picture is taken, starting now.]

Sorry, are dead children supposed to make me feel better?

[Just curious! Also, the hat falls off his head. Dang it--]

I only think- [hat--] I only think if he turns up in another portrait, we ought to properly say hello.

[oomfies]

I mean, I guess?

[ She doesn't know whether explaining the long-winded tale of her meeting (and discussing Rihanna in depth with) a ghost is even worth it. That she's had her own crisis or two about there being an apparition that shouldn't really be there. But she's way more invested in taking some cute photos, so she makes her way to stand in front of the camera, adjusting her hair to frame her face picture perfect. ]

All I'm saying is if he wanted to come out, he already would've. That's how ghosts work.

[ And after she does, she'll reach out to try and arrange his hat to stay center on his head. Use some fingers to stretch that elastic out and under his chin - ]

But I guess we can say hi or something.. I wouldn't know how, but if it's only for one photo I don't care!

[takeroot]

[Ah, the indignity of having someone else put his hat on for him? And yet he allows it, flinching only a little when the elastic snaps sharply against his chin. Terrible party store garbage...]

Are you an expert? On ghosts?

[Don't look now, but he's going to be impressed... well, maybe.]

How can you know how ghosts work but not how to say hello to one? Would we not simply say, "Good day, little Bernardin, how is your"— [er. dead people stuff??] -"your... floating going?"

[oomfies]

[ Well...... He's indirectly asking her. And Lottie loves talking about herself - who is she to deny him?? She makes sure to look nonchalant as she tweaks his hat just a few more times before posing on one side of Santa's chair. ]

Ghosts only come and say hello when they want to. At least, that's how it went when Yolanda Sinclair..

[ Dramatic pause. ]

I went on a trip to where she was murdered and for some reason she chose to haunt me that weekend. I talked with her a few times so.. I'm probably the most qualified ghost expert here. [ A flip of her hair, carefully executed and entirely effortless. ] Also yes, they float.

[takeroot]

Oh.

[Hmm, a fascinating tale... Genuinely, it is, though he plucks at the hat's elastic a few times while he thinks about it. Hmmmmm—]

You are an expert on one ghost, then? Isn't that simply becoming friends?

[He shuffles over to stand on the other side of the chair. The chair itself is for the ghost, of course.]

[oomfies]

[ Lottie shoots him a look, entirely sour and peeved, that completely contrasts to the way she smiles at the camera. When the flash is finished, she blinks a couple times, being careful of her makeup when she rubs at her eyes. ]

Well, how many ghosts are you an expert on??

[ She gets up off the chair, dusting her legs off as the photo printed out flops down to the ground. ]

And don't say Bernard! He doesn't count.

[takeroot]

[He doesn't theatrically gasp at this terrible affront to their best friend Bernardin the ghost boy, but he does put a hand over his heart like oh no honey I'm so sorry she would say something like that.]

I cannot claim I have met many ghosts besides our little Bernardin, no! But who knows! Perhaps I have without even knowing it.

[Does that make him more or less an expert? Anyway, maybe his childhood home was haunted and he just assumed those people were all real! Who knows. This is a more interesting narrative than his actual childhood, he thinks.]

Befriending a single ghost is nothing to scoff at, besides.

[oomfies]

[ She's not sure where to begin - should she tell him that Bernardin is definitely not in any way their child or related to them? That he shouldn't use "our"? Maybe, "my"? Or that she definitely did not befriend a single ghost? ]

No, you'll like.. Know.

[ At least, that's how the afterlife worked in her world, she guesses. She walks over to him, forces him to make room for her so she can lean against his side of the chair. The photo is presented without much flair, with Bernardin sitting complacently in Santa's throne (quite frankly, her throne). There's even a little smile on his face! ]

She was all like, blue and glowy. [ And hot. But that is another story for another time. ] And I could see the blood from where she died!

[takeroot]

[Oh, precious little Bernardin is definitely his special ghost boy now, as he takes the latest picture and absolutely beams at the kid sitting in the chair. Look! Look at him!! Constantin glances down at the seat of the chair, either expecting a ghost boy to manifest or smiling at a seat cushion just in case there's a ghost boy already there.

Anyway, what? Blue? Died? Oh, yes--]

Why would a ghost need to be blue?

[What are the Ghost Laws? Bernardin isn't blue... Lottie please appreciate this picture with him.]

Look, he's having a lovely time.

[oomfies]

[ Ugh, she knows that look. Seen it enough times on her friends faces whenever a cute dog is nearby to know what to expect. She runs a hand down her face, embarrassed at Constantin's precious display of affection for his ghost boy. ]

I don't know, I don't make the rules?? She was just blue!

[ What are the Ghost Laws? Lottie will take some time to ponder this the next time someone questions her about her legitimacy as an expert, you know, after she deals with his fawning. She takes the photo away and holds it high up in the air - just out of reach. ]

Stop that. He's just a ghost. He's not even alive!

[takeroot]

[Ah, his beautiful spooky boy?? He blinks, frowning at her with a mix of irritation- give him his boy back?- and confusion about why she is so very, very bothered by this little dead boy in pictures.]

He's moved, which I would think counts for something.

[Ghosts have rights? He holds his hand out, expectantly. Hmph-]

And he's hardly stolen your spotlight, so if you would kindly give me the portrait back, we can talk about your dazzling smile or whatever you like instead.

[oomfies]

[ Is it that obvious? Lottie huffs, crossing her arms as a way to hand off the photo to him without directly admitting that, okay, she definitely was tired of making room for that kid when he isn't even alive. It's her photo time as Santa? Why should she share?! ]

That's not even what I was talking about..

[ She grumbles, looking elsewhere. ]

[takeroot]

[Thank you, that's going into his pocket with the other one. See, he can at least stop fawning over the ghost child. For now. But he will keep the pictures.]

Could I have misread the situation? [He didn't, we been knew, but it's fine.] For what it's worth, you do have a strong presence in front of the, ah...

[He gestures, having already totally forgotten the word 'camera'. In front of the thing!!]

[oomfies]

[ He definitely wasn't misreading the situation, but Lottie is equally as stubborn as she is bratty, so all she does in response to that is correct him - ]

How many times are you gonna forget what it's called? Seriously!

[ Someone who is equally forgetful?? Birds of a feather as they say.. But still, she chastises him like she didn't forget what a kiosk was called literally an hour ago. ]

It's a camera, like the ones on our phone. Just jankier and automated!