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collectedmemes2020-06-12 05:51 pm
collectedmods) wrote in collectedmemes2020-06-12 05:51 pm
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE #1
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.II.
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!
A.III.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.
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
no subject
Eichi is right that he's not behind this—spooking people has it's merits, but he would like to think that he'd go about it a different way. Anyhow, he's a bit relieved to have Eichi back, not just to be saved by him but... it's just better that he's back. ]
...well, it's certainly fitting, wouldn't you say? [ It's a little bit of poetic irony, somehow. He's holding his hand out, palm up, so that he can pass it to him. There's an elf on his left foot, but he'll deal with it after he's free of this one. ] It'll work. Fufu, if you didn't sound preoccupied over there, I'd ask you to do the honours for me. Your Hibiki Wataru won't be a damsel in distress for much longer, though.
no subject
[There, he feels the candle connect with Wataru's palm. He's sure because a slight wiggle tells him that fingers have closed around it, and he lets go only when there's a small tug. Like a baton pass, without even looking!]
Still, I wish you would have told me that you discovered this a bit sooner. Were you attempting to keep me calm? If you're worried about my lack of medication, I'd like to reassure you that I'm feeling perfectly fine, even in conditions like these. It's a miracle.
[No problems ever, any time, he's great, 100%. And staring down an elf still, though he's growing incredibly nervous about the ones surrounding Wataru, and he steps backwards to try and get more of them into his view. He manages to catch one, even if the one centered on him moves a step or two closer to him in the process.]
There are more behind you, but you already know that, don't you?
no subject
...well, you were granting me my request even without being aware of the situation, so I felt like it wasn't necessary. [ "...to worry you," is what's being left out there. Time to hurry the conversation along. ] Not only are they behind me... well, I think we should expect them everywhere. But so far, only this "fan" has gotten a hold of me... more importantly, Eichi, how far do you think you can run?
[ It's... kind of a lie, but he's only considering how many have gotten a grip on part of his body. The one on his foot can be dealt with without touching it.
He's flicking the lighter on, quickly moving it along the stolen hair to find a place to burn it—it wouldn't do him any good to put the flame between himself and the elf, giving it another opening, so he has to reach out farther and burn closer to it. It catches fairly quickly and burns even faster.
Also it smells bad. ]
no subject
His heart is beating faster and faster, so he can't even properly scold Wataru for holding too much back.]
I don't believe it's worth considering how far I can when it seems to be the only option. I'd like to follow your lead, since you're the damsel in distress, so I'll move right behind you once you're ready.
That's enough, isn't it?
no subject
[ As the last bit of hair drops free, leaving the elf with two hands outstretched and holding over a foot of hair, he switches the lighter into his other hand and reaches out to the side, close to where he took the lighter from Eichi originally.
There's a sharp prick against the back of his leg, but it's still through his pants, so... it has to be fine, therefore it is fine. ]
You'll take my hand, won't you?
no subject
Always. [ His eyes had shifted for a split second to Wataru, then, and though he looks back immediately after, it’s enough that he can tell. And he regrets it, his mind filling in what he only half-saw. ]
I’d like to end somewhere that I can properly see you again, so could we hurry?
no subject
Well, it's more fitting for him, so maybe it'll be better. Eichi's right though, it's time to get out of there. He squeezes his fingers once, and then he's gone, pulling him sharply to the side away from the elves he can see and making a break for the same entrance they had arrived through.
There's pros and cons to this. The elf on his foot is flung off (sorry, elf), but the one that's stuck him in the leg is still clinging for dear life. He also can't exactly run full speed around a Christmas workshop, so he's not awkwardly dragging Eichi around behind him.
The last con is there are quite a few more of the still creatures between them and the exit, an alarming amount—come out of the woodwork, no doubt motivated by the escape attempt. The last pro is the exit is in view and isn't far, there's... just a gauntlet to go through first. ]
no subject
But there are elves everywhere, not being very jolly at all, and he knows he can't rely on Wataru alone. It would be unfair to, even if he does believe that he'd be able to pull out a solution in the end.
So. He thinks as quickly as he can. This means that the candle box that's still in his free hand gets flung outwards, and the pure adrenaline he uses to throw it knocks two elves straight in the face, toppling them over. Cardboard! At the very least, it opens a path.]
no subject
Eichi! I don't have the time to praise you for such a tactic right now!
[ But he has the time to yell that... anyhow, there they go past the fallen guard elves and as he spins around the corner of the door, the sharp pain in his leg grows considerably worse before... going away entirely, being replaced by a warm trickle. Bleeding, worse than he was before (when he refused to consider it, considering escape was more important at the time), but the elf causing it was flung off by his running, so there's that.
There's still some of the strange creatures littered about the area, like garden gnomes in on a lawn, but the large expanse of the mall is now within sight. It's fine it's fine just keep going a little further and hope the others aren't going to get a chance to avenge their fallen brethren— ]
no subject
Little elf legs might not be able to keep up with Wataru, even at a lesser pace, but with Eichi quite literally holding them back the more that they go, it's becoming more of a worry. It feels like even his vision is spotting in and out sometimes, and he wonders briefly if keeping his eyes open matters if he can't actually see through them reliably.
The Eichi-kun gauge that I've decided he has at least on this TDM beeps, next, and that's the sign Eichi needs to lessen his grip on Wataru's hand, like he wants him to let go. He's worried about holding him back, and he's not sure he can even afford the oxygen to wheeze out any of this, or any advice, either.
Meanwhile, the decorations are everywhere behind them, the elves don't hesitate, and Wataru's long hair seems like an equally great target for any of those left high enough, on shelves, on displays, stretching out whenever he's not looking. The rest of the mall is so close, though...]
no subject
Stopping to think about it will definitely let the fear sink in, but he has to—and there's nowhere safe but there is... a brief option. Even if he has to drag him behind, Wataru is pulling him towards the wall. There's a half covered standee—the kind you stand behind and put your face into the holes and take cute pictures with. Wataru's pressing his back to it, watching out across from them.
As expected, he can feel an unsettling emotion crawling inside of him, but... he has an idea. ]
Eichi. This is quite terrible, but I need your help again. [ He would let that sink in and extend the break he's trying to give him, but there's a scuttling noise behind them. Like several very small hands and feet are scaling the backside of the standee slowly. Okay! No pause here, sorry! ] They don't want to be seen, but even I can't really have eyes on the back of my head. I'm going to pick you up, and you're going to keep an eye out for them. Ah, even if you can't see all of them, it's better than how we've been proceeding.
[ Is it an excuse to just pick him up while trying to be considerate of his feelings and his health? Yes. Is it also a better idea, and could work much better? Also yes. ]
no subject
I should be able to manage that.
[There's no use telling him not to let him hold him back, as he would do this anyway, wouldn't he? He'd waste breath. At the very least, he can recognize that right now, turning to view where their backs had been pressed, the standees, and taking a couple of steps back to make it easier on Wataru to grab him and go. At least, he assumes it will be something like that.
His steps are incredibly unsteady.]
If I can at least have your back... [Then he'll be doing something. Of course he wants to try. There's a small little hand in one of the eye holes of the standees, and he swears he's seen a movie like this before.]
i'm running out of vaguely serious icons .....................
The noise only stops when they reach the peak of the standee—Eichi is facing them, so they're not going to pop over the top, but the ones that are visible definitely look like they were reaching for his hair again.
But, it is time to go. He doesn't grab him in the most elegant way, lifting him up against a shoulder and then tucking his other arm under his legs to hold them against his torso—it's the best way to let him see over his shoulder. ]
Time to say good-bye~♪
[ He can feel blood trickling into his socks now as he turns to run again, but none of it has splashed onto the floor yet. This time, with two different fields of vision, the area in which they can be attacked by elves is significantly smaller, though they still end up reaching from the sides; a couple of times he can feel strands of hair being caught and tugged out, but it's only a couple, hardly even noticed.
Around the last shelf, out into the last of the Christmas decorations, there's still the odd grasp from an elf that is, presumably, just throwing itself at them in some effort to... do whatever it is that terrible little elves like to do, but then they're both out into the normal hallway of the mall and he's turning around to make sure none of them have followed. Or... might otherwise be clinging on. ]
no subject
At least, it seems that way currently. Eichi doesn’t see or feel anymore, and Wataru looks fine from this angle, other than—]
You’re bleeding.
[Considerably, for some time now, if he has to judge the red he can peek on the back of his pant leg. Eichi covers a couple more coughs into Wataru’s shoulder, but taps him insistently to let him down.]
You’ve run far enough, so let me down and I can take a look.
no subject
For now, their use is different, and Wataru is finally placing Eichi down onto his feet next to them, so he can sit down. ]
Bleeding, you say? [ He's just going to... pretend he didn't really feel it, and takes his own seat. ] So I am. Quite amazing, how the human body works at times. I hardly noticed it at all.
also I totally didn’t mean to ignore your last subject omfg I ALSO RAN OUT
[Sternly, even as he falls into the seat he’s set beside. The chairs are too spaced, but he can at least turn his to face Wataru and look pointedly at his legs. Ignoring the fact that he himself is incredibly pale and still dealing with his heart...]
I wonder if it’s true that you hardly noticed it, but I’m aware that pressing you on it now would be essentially pointless. Is it still bleeding? Perhaps you should wrap it with something... Ah, I wasn’t able to continue for very long at all, so I ended up holding you back...
I apologize for that.
LMDKLSAMKL I FORGOT ABOUT IT ALREADY TBH
He lifts his foot, waving the toe end left and right, as if to show off that he's got movement in it still, so it's fine.
But, look! He's got the Sassy Elf child t-shirt that he'd nicked earlier. Don't ask where it came from, it's ~magic~. But it's also a good enough wrap, so he's pulling up his pants leg, making sure to face the injury away from Eichi as he wraps the poor shirt around his shin, tying it off with the arms. ]
There's no need to apologize for anything. [ Not like there's much more he can do about it right now, but in the same way that Eichi was pointedly looking at him, he's now looking at him in return. He supposes that... the best thing he can do for him now is just to be as relaxing as possible. Time to show Boss Elf that Grumpy Elf is perfectly fine. ] String is quite fragile when it's a single strand. That's why it's often woven together tightly; there's a considerable difference in strength when they are together, and when left alone... they are quite weak.
It's a good example to use right now, as I believe that I am much weaker when I'm alone... but at the same time, did you see how much of me that elf had a hold of? Fufu, if it was just a couple of strands, I could have pulled free with ease.
[ But it wasn't, and it would have taken quite awhile to get free. This much is true. ]
I needed you in the first place, so shouldn't I be the one to apologize?