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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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...]

[cookingasshole]

[Shinjiro... grunts.

He wishes he didn't have to explain. She is a friend former comrade, though, and he supposes he owes her a few words. It doesn't mean he has to tell her everything. Or most things. He looks at Nightmare, his eyes narrowing, and he holds up a hand in front of him.

Dark, crimson light flashes in front of it. Then, Castor slams his fist into the ground. A roiling shockwave, with a crackle of flame, explodes from the ground -- scorching the sand, boiling back the top layer of water, and then slams into the Nightmare just after D-Tune's lightning-enhanced guiar slams into it and she's gotten clear.]

Heat Wave!

[Note the lack of a yes or no to her statement.

The Nightmare then rears back, opens its mouth, and breaths out a powerful jet of high-pressured water. It slams into Castor, knocking him back across his island, before whirling around for D-Tune too.]

[noonecandestroythemetal]

[Castor had always had the most eloquent of grunts. Sam hadn't ever been sure she could translate every nuance, but she was pretty sure he was annoyed right now.

That was too damn bad. She wasn't entirely in the dark about everything that had gone on with him, but the fact that he had just disappeared? That pissed her right off!

But the Nightmare was going to bear the brunt of that. Probably a good thing for him, in the long run. She catches the water blast out of the corner of her eye, and as it swings its head, she takes a Misty Step--a teleport--so the blast misses her. Sam ends up on its head, very purposefully. That axe is still crackling with lightning, too...]

So good a score, it's time for a freakin' encore! Shocking Grasp!

[It's a very unceremonious axe-drop to the top of its head, the water crackling around its gaping maw and crossing its eyes with its force. It's not enough to put it out of commission, but that strike does give Castor some time to recover from its assault!

The Nightmare swings its head around with a pained roar, trying to buck D-Tune off, and it manages. She hits the ground hard; the tumble is far less controlled than her others have been, but Sam manages to hold on to her axe, despite being flat on her face and eating sand.]

[cookingasshole]

[Castor stands back up straight -- and sees that the Nightmare has been left reeling. Funny, how the old instincts come back to him. He grunts, then he slams his hands together. Deep red light crackles around him in an aura, before he bellows:]

God's Hand!

[And a spectral, gigantic fist forms in the air. Given such shape, it hovers as it acquires mass -- and then smashes down into the Nightmare. The sea serpent screams, body thrashing, and then it bursts apart into so much shadow and smoke.

It'll reform, later. Shinjiro knows that better than anyone.

He reaches his hand up, then wipes at his lip. It cleans the blood away from the corner of his mouth.]

[noonecandestroythemetal]

[For her part, Sam picks herself up from where she'd landed. At least the damned thing was gone, even if it would only come back. She doesn't really dust herself off--the sand doesn't really stick to her armor, because well. It's mostly metal.

D-Tune rubs her knuckles along her nose and spits, unladylike. Mostly because she's sporting her own nosebleed--but she's had worse. For as big as that Nightmare had been, it had gone down pretty nicely to a coordinated attack.

This turns into a tense moment; she stares at Shinjiro for a few heartbeats that seem drawn out. But she finally puts her sandglass axe back into its holster, before stalking over to him.]

Where the hell have you been? And if you say 'around', I'm going to deck you. The only mushrooms I ever liked came from your cooking!

[She doesn't know all the details, and the DU wouldn't tell her when she asked. She didn't need to know, they said. But being in the dark and fed only shit was another sure way to make Sam mad.]

[cookingasshole]

[He slides his sledgehammer back over his armored coat. Then, he turns to look at her, and he gives her a look for a second. He hesitates; it's written all over his face that he doesn't want to answer it. It's nothing she needs to know -- nothing she would want to know, he tells himself. (Shinjiro, you can't make those decisions for people.)

He turns, looking to the side for a second. He resists the urge to say 'Around.']

...I quit. It's better for everyone, especially the DU. [He says it gruffly.

But then he adds, with a light 'harrumph':] They gotta be sauteed right.

[noonecandestroythemetal]

How the hell is it better?! Do you really think it was better for me?

[Okay, yeah, maybe that's selfish, but. He probably didn't know it, but he'd been one of her first friends here. Sam didn't explain that much. She'd been a lot more guarded when she first came to Japan. Thanks, Mom and Dad!]

I doubt it was better for you, either. You fuckin' disappeared!

[For a moment, she stalks over to him, and looks down. And then stops.]

...okay, damn, it's weird to be looking down at you here, again. Years later and I'm still not used to it.

I'm still mad at you, though! I missed you, jerk!

[cookingasshole]

[He folds his arms and he looks annoyed. He doesn't raise his voice, but his expression gets harder. Shinjiro has trouble keeping his anger in check, but... this is Sam. He manages to not snap at her.]

It was better after what happened. I fucked up. There's no taking it back.

[Then -- he cracks a brief smile.]

Not my fault you're making up for being a shorty in the waking world.

[Yeah, he missed her too.]

[noonecandestroythemetal]

The hell it was. [That's grumbled beneath her breath, because Sam surely does not believe it, even if it's clear that Shinjiro does. But how could it be better? One less Dreamer? No lack of Nightmares? Disturbances, now?]

Okay. I won't say what happened wasn't fucked up. It absolutely was. I'm not naive enough to deny it. But it wasn't just you! It wasn't all your fault!

[Unspoken: even if you're acting like it is.

She has to snort at his next words. Maybe he's right. Yeah, probably. Not the first time Sam has heard it.]

Yeaaaahhh, I don't have a shrink yet, but even my therapist is having a field day with my Dreamer persona. Things have kind of tanked with my family.

[Probably not that much of a surprise, since there were probably some Stepford vibes when Sam had described them in the past.]

Don't ditch me again. Please?

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.

[cookingasshole]

[Little bit of Column A, little bit of Column B.

Shinjiro turns the lemon over in his hand, looking sideways at her. His eyebrows knit for a moment. It's a bit like dusting off an old book or stretching an unused muscle. It feels... creaky, but not bad, to talk cooking again.] You can tell by how soft they are. For zest...

[He holds it up and rolls it over.] Yeah. This'll do. You check these things for spots before you buy 'em, yeah?

[traceofeffort]

[Not a fluke, then. She nods; she's hit a bad lemon before, she's learned the hard way.]

Oh, for sure. Everyone looks at me like I'm weird, but it's important! You can't just grab the first thing you see, right? It could ruin your whole dish! [Lisa grins, laughing a little.] Even if I just need to grate a bit off the outside.

[cookingasshole]

Yeah. You do that, and you've got some store-bought crap. [He puts the lemon back into the basket, then glances at her. He doesn't recognize her... but he doesn't come out here too often.

Usually only when there's not many people around. Safer, that way.]

You a cook, then?

[traceofeffort]

And that's just no fun for anyone. Nope, professional pride is important! [Her grin turns wider.] I'm a baker, but that's close enough. I wanna draw up some lemon cookies for the equinox.

What about you? You kinda look like you're restocking.

[cookingasshole]

Damn straight. [That gets a small smile out of him.] Lemon cookies? Not a bad choice.

[The question gets some quiet out of him, though; his expression slips to a more neutral one. Yeah, he's not sharing that he doesn't really live anywhere.] I'm getting stuff that's easy to eat on the go, mostly. Don't do much cooking these days.

[traceofeffort]

I want to make some frosting and throw some zest in, I just need to make sure it doesn't end up too tart. It's a project. [A beat.] I need to get my sakura cookies made too, hanami's coming up!

[She notices the change in expression, and understands she hit a nerve, but she doesn't have a clue what to read from it. Too many possibilities.]

Ah, that makes sense. Cooking's great when you have the time for it, but sometimes you just need something you can have between your teeth while you lock the door behind you.

[cookingasshole]

Makes sense. Zest is good for that. If you're worried about it being too tart, try limes if you can get them.

[He looks at her -- considers for a second -- then nods. He's keeping his expression more carefully neutral now.]

Yeah. Or when you're eating on the go.

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. ]