TDM #3

[beautifuldreamermods]

TDM #3

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. That said, don't feel as though you have to stick entirely to the TDM prompts – you can use them as a springboard or some up with something totally new so long as it fits into the world of Beautiful Dreamer!

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

As if apologizing for the miserable weather the month prior, June comes through sunny and bright! It might still be blustery and damp out with some scattered showers but the skies are blue and clear and that summer heat is starting to creep in.May comes rolling in full of blustery winds and heavy rain, blowing away the sleepy spring atmosphere with aplomb! While the second half of the month perks up a little and there's more sunshine to be seen, the first half of May is decidedly dreary and wet. Hopefully nobody's plans fall through on account of all this miserable weather...


⧖ It's Yumemigaoka Rainbow Pride Weekend! Yumemigaoka's Pride event falls in June and lasts over a whole weekend with a fun and lively festival held over at Yotsuba Park. There's live music, tasty foods and a whole mountain of cool things to buy from vendors and small businesses. Unsurprisingly, there's a whole lot of Dreamers milling around the event and overall the whole thing just seems like a good, fun time. Just don't get too overheated rocking out at the soundstage or shopping til you drop!

⧖ You're stranded! Thanks to last month's horrible weather, a number of train stations around the city have closed for repairs up and down the city leaving huge holes in the usually reliable train schedule. Of course, this happens to be just as you need to get somewhere important... there's still buses and taxis on the roads so maybe you need to fight a fellow passenger to get on one of those, or maybe you're just accepting your fate and vibing at the station until a good replacement train comes along...

⧖ Matsuba World Market is extending their Golden Week sale to clear out the last of their spring merchandise which means their already low prices are absolutely rock bottom and it's caused a bit of a frenzy over at the market! With this many bargains afoot, are you really going to be able to pick up that cheap spice rack without throwing a few hands first?!

THE DREAM SPHERE

In contrast to the Waking World, the weather over in the Dream Sphere is absolutely miserable once again, bucketing rain all over the Dream Sphere no matter where you are. At least you know your clothes and hair are going to be warm and dry once you pop back over to the other side, but that doesn't make the time you're spending here any less of a horrible endurance test! Fight on, Dreamers!!!

As usual, the emotions stirring over in the Waking World have begun funnelling 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...


⧖ At Fury Peak, things are NOT cool and chill!!! You'd hope that the downpour from above might have cooled things down just a little but instead, we appear to be dealing with a sauna situation. Every time raindrops strike the superheated rock of the mountains and volcano, they turn into a thick steam that has coalesced into fog and turned navigating the place into a real task, even for a fully prepared Dreamer. To make matters worse, a group of particularly aggressive Torments made out of volcano glass and black rock are gathering and ganging up on any Dreamer they see. Torments at Fury Peak are even more foul tempered than usual and they're hitting especially hard today so you better act fast and deal with them ASAP!

⧖ In the Vale of Sorrow, all this rain is having a bizarre effect on the scenery around you. It's always damp and dismal here but with the new torrents of rain refusing to let up, it looks like the place is at serious risk of flooding! While the water seems like it might remain ankle deep, if you stay too long then you run the risk of an out-of-nowhere tidal wave crashing over you and knocking your feet out from under you... and the nasty Torments lurking and swimming under the waves just might take the opportunity to jump you while you're down...

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Comments

[reluctants]

No way, I know you, you'd never get a big head! [ Filed right under: things one could say that would give someone else a big head...

But Illya can't help it. It's not even that she's trying to butter up Lisa or anything. She's just saying all of this since it flies out of her mouth instinctively - since she truly believes in all of it. It's not even like Lisa is her best friend - she's a little too old for that - or even her big sister - they're not that close - but Illya still can't help but think of the other as an older person to admire. ]

Besides, you already know all of this about yourself, right?

[ Surely someone couldn't be suffering from low confidence here, right.

Right. ]

[traceofeffort]

[Another metaphorical arrow lands straight in Lisa's heart with a comedic twang! This one joins "dependable", "responsible", and "mature", and Lisa lets out a soft, childish groan.]

Hey, I know I'm supposed to be a magical girl over here, but that's way more virtue than I have space for! I can do, like, two of those things, on a good day. [She coughs.] I think your image of me is... a little too rosy, Illya-chan.

[She's handing in all of her would-be Cool Older Friend points to make this admission.]

[reluctants]

.. but you're a Dreamer, right?

[ Just like Lisa herself is pointing out - even though Illya seems to be saying it a tad more cautiously here. Not even in a bad sort of way, more just because she doesn't dare to make these sorts of points that strongly when Lisa herself seems to be denying it.

But she thinks so much of Lisa - read: her view is definitely way too rosy - that she can't help but want to at least try to let the compliments stand all the same. ]

They're supposed to be amazing. Everyone thinks so.

[traceofeffort]

Everyone thinks so, huh... [It's coming from a wholesome place, but boy, Lisa does not feel like she deserves any of this. Not after the month she's had.]

Being Dreamer Rhodonite doesn't make me any different on this side, though. I still make the same mistakes and I still have the same insecurities. I just get beat up in my sleep sometimes. [She looks down at Illya with a pained smile.] Being a Dreamer isn't... something that's worth respect all by itself, is it?

[reluctants]

[ It's a little confusing. Hearing Lisa say those words, as if Lisa isn't obviously some great person - even without her entire Dreamer side, honestly, though the Dreamer thing only makes her more awesome in Illya's eyes.

But also that last question. ]

It.. isn't..?

[ She sounds so confused as she parrots that back to Lisa. It's clear that Illya seems to never have considered it that way. ]

Do you think it isn't?

[traceofeffort]

Oh, Illya-chan... [She is trying very hard not to vent her worries. Yes, Illya is honestly asking, and there's probably a good reason for that. But not only has Illya not really done anything to deserve Lisa opening the floodgates, it's also... she just would feel bad. Illya looks up to her and that would destroy her, or if nothing else her image of Lisa. She... doesn't want that.

Does that make her a bad person? It kind of does, doesn't it? That twinge of shame joins the arrows as a pan falling on her head. So... maybe just a little bit of an answer to the question, as she also laments that her resolution to be nicer to herself lasted five minutes.]

I'm... not sure. There are a lot of Dreamers I respect! I would trust any of them to have my back. But I... don't know if I'm in that group for anyone. I'm not very good, and I don't really feel like I'm getting better. I don't know if I've earned that respect, you know? Is it enough to be something, even if you can't do it very well?

[...It's an oversimplification, but it's close enough that it hurts her heart to say aloud.]

[reluctants]

[ Lisa ends on a pretty deep question, huh. But even before that, Illya already looks a little troubled to hear all of this, in a way that has nothing to do with the fact they're having a rather long walk home and in an absolute downpour of rain on top of it..

No, Illya's thoughts are turned entirely towards what the other is saying, rather than their present situation. She turns the words around in her head, really trying to consider them, especially with how much they catch her off guard. She never expected Lisa to say this. ]

Then.. Have you ever asked any other Dreamers if they think of you that way?

[ As someone who can be respected, or someone who would have someone else's back.

Illya would love to say that Lisa is both, but then again, it probably wouldn't be very believable, she figures.. Since it's not like she's ever seen Lisa in action that way. ]

.. Though I guess it's a little embarrassing to just ask something like that, huh.. [ Even Illya can see that with her lack of official Dreamer experience. Easily getting embarrassed in social situations just gives you that knowledge. ]

[traceofeffort]

Really, really embarrassing. [Which is a no.] And besides, if you walked up and asked someone "hey, do you trust me?" there's no way they'd tell you no. Then they're being rude.

[The rain matches her melancholy that feels like it's reaching from the tips of her hair all the way to her toes. Which are starting to get a little cold, now that she thinks about it, but. It'll be fine. The walk isn't that long, for all she said that to Illya earlier.]

Sorry, I know it's kind of heavy, but... I've been kinda weird for a little bit, and I thought you deserved a proper explanation instead of me just playing it off.

[reluctants]

[ The girl shakes her head - not too quickly, but still quick enough that it seems more instinctive than anything else. ]

No, it's fine.. [ Even if she is a little perplexed. She really didn't expect to hear this from Lisa of all people. Not when pretty much everyone who isn't her own age seems amazing to Illya. Don't adults always come across like they've got everything together? ]

Um, I mean.. I'm not sure if I really understand all of it. [ Not when it's so at odds with how amazing Illya thinks Lisa is. She's just a little too honest to not admit this much, even if she sounds flustered. (She's a little worried about hurting Lisa, or maybe even just about seeming dumb for having a hard time wrapping her head around this.)

It makes her stare at the wet sidewalk in front of them they're walking down, but then she glances sideways at the other again. ]

.. But.. I'm glad if you feel comfortable enough around me to tell me all of this.

[ Especially since Illya does want to do something for Lisa! The other helps her out so much - isn't it only proper if she can do something in return for once?

Even if it's just listening to her. ]

[traceofeffort]

[Lisa takes a lot of exception to the idea that she has everything together. But still, she knows how to be gracious.] It's okay. I know I'm being a little... maybe philosophical is the word? Introspective? And if it's a lot for me to wrap my head around, it's probably pretty tough for anyone else. [Her smile returns, if a little more tentative.] So I'm just glad you're willing to listen to me, especially when you don't even have to worry about any of this stuff. Don't give yourself a headache for my sake!

[It would be... hard, for Illya to actually offend Lisa, but if she knew she'd understand the sentiment for sure.]

Still... I think there are at least a couple Dreamers that wouldn't mind me. [There's a certain tenderness to her smile now; either they're people she really cares about, or she appreciates the fact they're willing to put up with her a lot. Possibly both.] So it's not all gloom and doom. I'm just a worrywart.

[reluctants]

[ Too late, Lisa. Illya is definitely already giving herself a headache for your sake - though it helps that she doesn't understand the sheer depth of Lisa's worries, or Illya would be much more worried than she already is..

So it's a slight headache. Just a little bit.

She pauses, trying to think of something more reassuring to tell Lisa, though that doesn't take too much thought before she's already saying: ]

And I really like you!

[ Said shamelessly. For how shy Illya can be, she's very honest about the compliments for the people she likes. ]

I.. I know I'm not like them, though.. [ Not an official Dreamer. Heck, Illya has been reluctant to even talk about her recent Awakening. ] And that it probably doesn't count since that makes things way different.. B-But it's still true!

[traceofeffort]

[The force behind that statement shocks Lisa for a moment, and she comes to a sudden stop, stepping into a shallow puddle - yes, she knows generally how Illya feels, but. Hearing it aloud like this is a balm for her heart after she's dragged it through the (literal and metaphorical!) mud for the last little bit, and her face lights up with warmth and appreciation. The earlier stuff, she could at least disagree with on principle. This last bit, it's just. A pure statement of emotion. And all she can do is take it at glorious face value.]

Even if you're not like them... sometimes I think I just need to feel like someone's in my corner, yeah? I can work my way up to my, um, coworkers. I just need... [A silly but honest grin at Illya, as Lisa's cheeks burn just a little.] Just a little bit of reassurance sometimes. Thank you, Illya-chan. [A beat, and a twitch of her arms.] I was going to offer you a hug, but. We're both soaking wet, so I don't know how that would work. Raincheck? [She snorts as the word leaves her mouth. Ha, rain.]

[reluctants]

[ If Illya was a little more confident, and a little more bold, she would have suggested that they can just hug right now anyway, despite being so soaked to the bone.

.. alas, Illya definitely hasn't reached those levels of confidence yet, leaving her to just follow other people's lead. If Lisa thinks it's better to not hug right now, it clearly is..! So Illya gives the other a shy little nod, jut appreciating the thought that Lisa would like to give her a hug at all.. ]

Sure. Let's do it next time we see each other.

[ A slight pause, and then she adds, with the faintest hint of a laugh: ]

I mean, hopefully it'll be raining less that time.. [ Surely this can't be some sort of month-long downpour, right. ]

[traceofeffort]

[And, of course, if Lisa were a little less self-conscious, she'd have done it anyway. Eh. They'll figure it out sooner or later. Probably.]

Yeah, let's hope! Give me dry, sunny weather any day. Rain sucks.

[Let alone thunder and lightning... she's had enough of that here lately to last her a couple years.]

Then again, it feels like I keep meeting people in the rain... eh. I'm not taking it back. Sunny days for me, please! Then we can do fun stuff instead of having to hike through a downpour, yeah?