TDM #24

[beautifuldreamermods]

TDM

Welcome to Beautiful Dreamer's test drive meme! If you're unfamiliar with the game, then you can check out the navigation to get yourself up to speed on all the relevant info pages then check out the most recent AU Planning meme to see what juicy ideas your fellow players are cooking up!

As the prompts in the TDM are based on events from the prior in-game month, the overall TDM is not canon to Beautiful Dreamer though players are free to treat individual CR/threads on this post as canon to their characters if both players are happy to do so.

Dreamers on the TDM will have access to all of their starter powers as outlined on the powers page as well as two unique abilities to play around with as you please.

Some prompts and location details have been provided below for you to play around with but please feel free to go hog wild and have fun!

YUMEMIGAOKA

March in Yumemigaoka should be the month when winter grudgingly gives way to spring, and for a brief moment, it even feels like warmer days are on the horizon. Temperatures are finally inching up, hinting at the promise of cherry blossoms and lazy afternoons in the park. But don’t get too comfortable - scattered showers are set to make your hanami plans a soggy, slapstick affair. And just when you think things couldn’t get any wetter, the forecast drops a real doozy - a massive typhoon is predicted to make landfall on March 29th. What a soggy start to the season!


⧖ With cherry blossom season in full bloom (and rain showers threatening to ruin it), securing a prime hanami picnic spot has turned into an all-out battle. Some groups are camping out ridiculously early, while others are enlisting "spot holders" to stake their claim. Even Hina Flower Gardens has had to step in, setting official rules to keep things from getting too competitive. Will you be one of the lucky ones who secures a front-row seat to the petals... or will you end up picnicking in a parking lot?

⧖ Schools around the city are bidding farewell to their graduating students! Each school will hold its own graduation ceremony on different days, and Promised Morning Academy’s will be on March 17th. Meanwhile, Zekkyo!! Karaoke is offering discounts and free drink/snack tokens to freshly graduated high schoolers looking to celebrate their first steps into adulthood! The general vibe across the city is pretty celebratory so why not get involved?

⧖ Matsuba World Market are hosting a market-wide stamp rally all around the neighborhood, handing out stamps to customers to encourage them to visit as many shops as possible for the chance to win a grand prize - a whopping ¥10,000 gift voucher that you can spend around Matsuba Market! Of course, you have to spend money in the first place to get your stamps so it's possible this is a bit of a false economy at play...








THE DREAM SPHERE







Over in the Dream Sphere, the situation is just as unpredictable. Places like Facet Lagoon, the Abandoned Dojo and Reflection Glades are showing hints of spring’s colors, but the whole Sphere is being by intermittent drizzles. Even the quieter dreams seem a little restless, as if unsettled by the impending typhoon and sure enough on the day it makes landfall, just about everywhere in the Dream Sphere is dumping rain too...

As usual, the emotions stirring over in the Waking World have begun funneling into the Dream Sphere and causing all manner of problems here and there. Torments and Nightmares won't hunt themselves so be sure to properly scout out all the available locations of the Dream Sphere you can access just in case - maybe you'll find a new teammate to work with while you're out there!

In particular, it looks like trouble can be found...


⧖ No matter where you go in the Dream Sphere, it almost looks like it's... snowing?! Isn't it a little warm for that? ... on closer inspection, this snow is actually cherry blossom petals raining endlessly down from the sky. How pretty! Of course, for those of you with allergies, maybe it's just rubbing salt on the wound. Your nose isn't itching, is it? Achoo!

⧖ In keeping with the spring atmosphere, this season's Torments are unusually... cute. Little cartoony rabbit looking guys, almost fit to be a magical girl's mascot, that are smaller and fluffier than your typical Torment. Almost approachable, even. Of course, they are still Torments no matter how cute they look, so if you let your guard down you'll discover that these little critters are bloodthirsty and vicious to a fault! But you should still get a quick pet in while you're being mauled. They're nice and fluffy.

⧖ There's an uptick of Torment activity around Fury Peak, which has not started looking any nicer despite the spring atmosphere! For the most part, it's the usual rocky and firey critters but rumors abound of some rat-looking Torments that are stalking the place and catching Dreamers out when they least expect it. Of course, even in a dream, it's unlikely that rodents of such unusual size would exiAUGH

⧖ Facet Lagoon is usually a nice place to spend a sunny day but unfortunately for you, it's all business here! A huge sea monster Nightmare has been spotted in the waters in and around the lagoon and its size means teamwork will be necessary to take it down. Are you a bad enough guy to handle a giant sea monster?!

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Comments

Crow | Show By Rock!!

[crimsonballade]

1. hanami

[Considering it's his first spring in the big city, there's no way Crow's gonna settle for sitting in the parking lot - he's getting a picnic spot in the park, one way or another.

After a lengthy stake-out, a spot opens up where a family starts leaving, and Crow wastes no time running over to secure what he's long-awaited for -

- until he's just that moment too late.

Filled with an incandescent rage, he just starts yelling. Right in the middle of these beautiful cherry blossoms.]

Hey! Give it up, I saw it first!

2. facet lagoon

[As a newly awakened Dreamer, it's imperative that Crow explore the sights the Dream Sphere has to offer. And if one of them is a prime holiday destination with beautiful sun and calm waters, who's to complain?

Except, it seems the Dream Sphere has other plans. A huge monster, flailing in the water as its attacked by other Dreamers on the scene.

A situation like this - a newcomer needs to make a decent introduction.

From across the beach, he strikes a pose...and starts to sing.]

Sing, you cattle! Be dyed in crimson! Your eyes will change fate-!

[Cue the lights.]

Dreamer CrimsonZ!

hanami

[lonelyrollingstar]

[Right in front of my salad sakura?! Ouji had just been strolling by and taking in the sights when he saw an open spot. “Maybe it’d be nice to relax a little before returning home,” he thought. Unfortunately, relaxing wasn’t to be on the menu.]

S-sorry! I’m so sorry!

[The little teenager flinches before sputtering out a string of apologies in a soft and deeply regretful voice. It’s possible he hasn’t even fully registered what he’s being yelled at for - it’s just an instinctive reflex for him at this point. He starts to bow to try and diffuse some of the anger.]

I- I didn’t know!

[crimsonballade]

[…okay, so Crow’s a spiky and abrasive guy, but even then, he gets no pleasure from this kind of reaction.

The bowing is a little excessive, too.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he looks off to the side with a ‘tch’.]

Alright, I’ll let you off this time.

[And then, eyes flicking back, he raises an eyebrow.]

Hey, are you all on your own?

[lonelyrollingstar]

[Oh phew! Ouji straightens up and offers a relieved, timid smile.]

Thank you very much. Um. Yes, I am. I really wanted to see the blossoms while the weather still permitted, but Father and Mother were both busy, so… [He trails off.] Are you, as well?

[What if we viewed the flowers together, rowdy stranger?! Haha JK … unless???]

2

[flatcola]

...well I've seen weirder.

[ Mind is NOT in the thick of things. She's one of the less combat-capable Dreamers, perfectly happy to largely focus on support fire while keeping aggro off of herself.

It's a very useful role, but it keeps her in the vicinity of... CrimsonZ. ]

[crimsonballade]

Hey, who’re you calling weird, pipsqueak?!

[It’s so rare he gets to call someone else that…]

[flatcola]

You, now that you're slinging that back at me.

facet lagoon

[determinationtofist]

[ Oh man, do we have another Dreamer with music powers!? Man, Hibiki hopes she doesn't end up singing over him...

...Wait, she has bigger issues to worry about. For example, the sea monster currently about to blast her with— ]

GWAH!!

[ —blast her with a stream of high-pressure water. Hibiki is able to block it with her wings, but it still sends her flying across the beach until she crashes into the the sand next to the newcomer and... ]

Fwah...!! Peh...! I fink I gah sahn in mah mouf...!

[ She thinks she got sand in her mouth. At least she seems otherwise fine? ]

Ko Tenjin 🌟 Handead Anthem.

[exaltruistic]

01. ) AWAKE

//////////////////////////////// YUMEMIGAOKA ////

( At a local park during hanami is one Ko Tenjin, looking a little out of place in that he's not fighting for a spot with incredible focus, but rather looking like he needs help. Looking from person to person that passes by the picnic blanket he stands on all by his lonesome. What's he looking for?

Someone asked him to watch their spot about ten minutes ago so they could run and get their lost hanami date from the nearby station. Is that person going to return? He's unsure what to do ...

Later, closer to the time of the typhoon coming around, Ko is doing some shopping here and there. Laden with bags, he'll be asking someone about the stamp rally going on with a fair amount of interest. Maybe even a competitive gleam in his eye ... )

02. ) GONE UNDER

//////////////////////////////// DREAM SPHERE ////

( Around a more beginner-friendly area, Ko is nursing a small wound on his hand. It's smarting quite a bit, a little bloody. Looks to be a bite. If asked about him doing some (visibly shoddy) repair work on the wound, he'll look a little embarrassed for a split second and just tell you he let his guard down ... )

03. ) WILDCARD/NOTES

//////////////////////////////// UP TO YOU ////

( feel free to wildcard a bit; PM or contact on discord @ vandalisto to discuss whatever. ko's pretty active around yumemigaoka. :) his AU plotting is here as well. )

01. Stamp rally

[crimsonballade]

[Crow doesn’t have very much money. Which is exactly why he’s got his eye on the ¥10,000 prize! By carefully spending what little he’s got, he might actually get it…

He’s in the midst of thought about this when he’s interrupted by questions about the stamp rally.]

Why do you want to know?! [A little too defensively, a fair bit too hostile.] That prize is gonna be mine!

[exaltruistic]

( That reaction is so defensive and immediate that Ko is visibly taken aback. His brow furrows in his confusion, but softens a little when he tries an easy tone. )

It's alright, I'm just wondering. I like to participate in things like that from time to time with decent success ... Are you new to them?

[crimsonballade]

Think you can beat me just ‘cause I’m a novice, huh?

[His skull is so thick, it could be considered protective gear.]

I won’t be fooled so easily…but I’ll let you know that much. They didn’t really have this kind of thing in my hometown.

Awake.

[this_heart]

[ Running into this guy here is strange. Especially with him looking so lost. Atsuhide draws closer, cocking his head a little. ]

What's wrong? You look... [ desperate to be rescued ] like you need help.

[exaltruistic]

( Oh no. Not Atsuhide. Ko presses his lips in a thin line, looking down to his feet. )

Sort of. Someone asked me to watch their spot, but that was a bit ago. Longer than it should take to grab someone from the station, anyway.

( Ko glances over his shoulder, then back to Atsuhide. )

Luckily, I'm not busy.

[this_heart]

If you're not busy, come join me. I could use some company.

[ Atsuhide points to a store across the street from the park. ]

Shinjiro Aragaki | Persona 3

[cookingasshole]

A. Matsuba World Market

The hell am I supposed to do with this...

[Shinjiro turns the stamp card over in his hand, looking at it with a discerning eye. Or, maybe, an annoyed eye. They are about the same thing to him. He frowns down at it.

Then he's walking -- at his usual slouch, red peacoat and ever-present black beanie on -- through the stalls. Occasionally he stops to get something. It's mostly boring stuff: some plastic containers on the cheap, a new set of reusable utensils, a clothing repair kit...

But he does stop and give a very critical eye to the stalls selling fresh vegetables, meat, and spices. The spirit of the cook stirs.]

B. Facet Lagoon

[Ugh... he shouldn't be here.

Shinjiro just said he was going to check the Dream Sphere. Make sure everything was fine after another Disturbance. He didn't need to get involved beyond that. He shouldn't. The suppressants make it hard for him to stay in his Dreamer form.

But now, he's seeing that massive sea serpent rise up over a Dreamer. There's a flicker of hesitation.

Then, his sandglass sledgehammer is in his hand, and Dreamer Castor is sprinting forward, weapon swung back.]

GET DOWN!

B

[noonecandestroythemetal]

[Sam--or Dreamer DropD-Tune, really--ducks and tumbles, splashing through the waters of the lagoon as she does so. She's annoyed by the fact that she's now damp, but the Nightmare is making sure she's got a lot more on her mind than someone shouting behind her!

Because of course Sam had decided to keep the sea monster busy until help could arrive. Hey, Castor, you are suddenly help!]

Be careful, I think I pissed it off! And you might wanna make sure you end up on dry sand or rocks if you can, or you'll find yourself in a shocking arrangement!

[She has definitely been hanging out with a pun master in her spare time...oh no.]

[cookingasshole]

[It's DropD-Tune. Shit, shit. Castor wasn't ready for this; he wasn't ready to fight at all again. Except, of course, for the fact that he is always ready to fight. That's the entire problem. That's why he shouldn't fucking be here. But he is here.

And she is in danger.

So down Castor goes, hammer slamming into the sea serpent, and smashes it backward, while he also flies backward -- and then he slams down onto a sandbar, sending up a huge puff of sand.]

I know! [He brings his hammer back around, eyes on the Nightmare.] C'mon, punk. Eyes on me!

[noonecandestroythemetal]

What the fuck?!

[That half-remembered voice distracts her, and the Nightmare catches her with its tail even as Castor hits it. So he's not the only one who goes flying!

D-Tune just seems to have luck where Chaosbringer has none; she manages to twist like a cat and land against the rock with her stiletto heels instead of smacking into it and injuring herself. She has a dozen questions, at least, but she can't ask them now. It's not the time!]

Castor?! You've got a hell of a lot of explaining to do--AFTER this thing is down!

[He knows she's not going to give this up, either. But first things first--the current fanged and scaled dance partner. Sam grips her axe in reverse at first, gloved fingers strumming the strings of the guitar, before she flips it again to use it as a weapon, and charges at the thing, lightning crackling along the blade.]

Shocking Grasp!

[That's a yell as she launches herself back at the beast. Well, at least she's gotten less self-conscious about calling out her attacks...]

a;

[traceofeffort]

[Behold the curse of being a baker: you can tell the seasons by your crafts. Zucchini bread season is over. Lemon icing is so in, if a touch early, and a brunette is hovering over the citrus, with a sharp eye. She picks up one, turns it over... gives it a firm squeeze... and drops it back in the basket, shaking her head minutely. Grabs another, immediately drops with a grimace. A third... this one seems promising, and after a moment's survey, it gets chucked in the tote over her shoulder.

That motion is what lets the peacoat and beanie catch her eye, and Lisa smiles at the man looking over the produce at slightly more of a remove.]

It's an okay crop, nothing super special, but fresh is important, yeah?

[cookingasshole]

[Shinjiro's looking at it and remembering... different times. When he was in the Dreamer Union headquarters, cooking for the others. Now, he never really gets to do it; he mostly moves between cheap hotel rooms, staying with the occasional acquaintance for a weekend, and sometimes outright sleeping in an alley or park. There isn't a lot of time for cooking. There definitely isn't the equipment for it.

He looks up when Lisa speaks. Then, Shinjiro grunts. And for a second, it seems like that might be all he has to say. Then, finally, he finds his voice.]

Yeah. If it's not fresh, that shit won't cut it. [He walks over, picks up a lemon, and tosses it, then catches it. His old trick for telling ripeness.] Good enough for juice, still. Not sure I'd use it for anything you wanted the fruit for.

[traceofeffort]

[Hmm. Tough guy, huh. Or... maybe just a little distant. Eh, not her place, not right now. She does watch him assess the lemon with a toss, though, and one eyebrow delicately raises.]

Definitely not. I don't want to serve anything less than my best and I refuse to work with subpar ingredients. You've got a good eye for ripeness, though. Uh, good hand? [She shrugs.] I need it for the zest anyway.

B

[determinationtofist]

Eh!?

[ Dreamer Gungnir is quick to respond, immediately ducking and narrowly avoiding getting her head caught in the swing of Castor's hammer. She'd been flying around to fight this thing, but her wings only have so much time before she needs to touch down and let them recharge, meaning that Castor came at just the right time—as Hibiki was struggling with this thing on the ground. ]

Uwah...! Thanks for the assist...!

[ Her wings ought to be recharged enough soon... ]

[cookingasshole]

[He has a guess. Flyer who was grounded; Castor doesn't know the specifics of her power. Instead, he slams his hammer again into the Nightmare. It bellows, before swinging its tail at them. He parries it on the hammer, in both hands, with a loud grunt. It drives him back across the island he's on.

He grunts, looking at Gungnir.]

Just get back until you can get in the air.

[determinationtofist]

No, I can still fight...!

[ Gungnir grabs one of her gauntlets with her other hand and yanks the piston back as far as her shoulder before jumping at the Nightmare. In turn, the Nightmare roars and lunges at her with an open maw to snap down on Gungnir...

Or so it seems before she instead delivers a punch straight to the Nightmare's head that sends it reeling instead. Which Hibiki follows up on by... punching the air behind her with the gauntlet she'd just pulled back. The piston fires, propelling Hibiki towards the reeling sea monster... where she lands and grabs onto it's forehead. ]

HAH!!

[ This is, perhaps, the most reckless strategy ever conceived... but Hibiki has grabbed onto the Nightmare's head and is now delivering multiple punches in quick succession while it thrashes about, trying to get her off. ]