TDM #1

[beautifuldreamermods]

TDM #1

Welcome one and all to the very first test drive meme for Beautiful Dreamer! 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 AU Planning meme to see what juicy ideas your fellow players are cooking up!

In order to not spoil the opening of the game for players, 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 abiliites 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

It's a busy day just like any other in a town as big and bustling as Yumemigaoka. With the last days of winter finally at everyone's backs, spring has begun blooming in earnest and the cheery seasonal energy is pretty infectious. A number of events are taking place around the city, so why not take the time to look around and have fun?



⧖ The Tsubaki Department Store is beginning to hype up their upcoming Golden Week extravaganza with a number of small sales and promotions. Maybe this year you'll finally be able to snag that air fryer you've been eyeing?!

⧖ It's cherry blossom viewing season! Hina Flower Gardens are holding a free event with a number of special seasonal goodies and some absolutely beautiful scenery to take in.

⧖ Moon Bunny Market are organising a stamp rally all around the neighborhood, with prizes on the line if you manage to collect them all. Just find the right stalls and speak to the right people and you could win a tasty prize!

Of course, life doesn't grind to a halt just because it's nice and sunny outside. Now the city is getting busier and more touristy, the folks who keep things running are starting to get some pressure put on them! And if you happen to be a student, end of term exams are starting to loom on the horizon, with particular pressure put on those just about to graduate their respective schools... Not to mention with spring coming around, allergies are running riot!

Let's just hope you're not feeling too stressed. After all, with all this energy running rampant and regular life starting to really push down on everyone, who knows what those negative feelings could spawn...?!

THE DREAM SPHERE

The Dream Sphere might be a very different kind of place to Yumemigaoka but that doesn't mean it's any less busy. Spring has sprung over on this side, too, with iridescent flowers and colorful trees growing right out of the streets and buildings all over the Slumbering City and the sky above turning a particularly pretty shade of pale pink to match.

That makes it especially bizarre that it appears to be snowing all over the Dream Sphere, no matter where you go but 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!

Pretty or not though, if you're on this side then you've got work to do! With the Waking World starting to gear back up after winter, some of the associated stress is starting to funnel into the Dream Sphere and cause no small manner of trouble. 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...


⧖ In the Vale of Sorrow, it's still raining and pouring despite the change of season and that combined with the dusting of petals across everything has turned navigating the place into a real task, even for a fully prepared Dreamer. The ground is even more of a wet and soggy mulch than before and to make matters worse, a group of particularly nasty Torments are gathering and seem to be made out of bristling vines and piercing brambles... they're unusually quick and vicious even for Torments so you better act fast and deal with them ASAP!

⧖ In the Reverie Necropolis, the season of spring hardly seems to have touched the place. If the sky has changed at all, it's hidden behind the bone white clouds that hang low and every single petal that touches the ground immediately shrivels and dies once it lands. Once you actually enter the labyrinth, frantic whispers can be heard and the scratching of disembodied pencils scribbling over papers can be heard echoing up and down all the halls. The vibes are absolutely rancid, is what I'm saying – made even worse by the fact that when you stumble into one of the open caverns, you come across a Nightmare just about to manifest?! Better hope you're not alone, because you'll need some good strong teamwork to keep things from escalating any further!

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Comments

Levania / Nier Re[in]carnation

[bakubug]

(threads with Levania are all in the Dreamsphere.)

1/ do you know how hard this is to do with giant claws instead of fingers

<sub>[ You might have heard of this particular oddity, or maybe seen him in passing before, somewhere out there in the depths of the Dreamsphere.

The fine details can sometimes differ, as these things tend to go in the realm of dreams, but--

A faceless body of black chitinous plates, somewhere between humanoid and insect. Two long, trailing antennae that wave behind him like banners. A broken chain trailing from one arm. And a pair of rainbow-gossamer wings, the only hit of color to his entire form.

He's not an enemy... but he's not a Dreamer, either. A Figment, of all things, yet a progoundly stable, well-actualized one. And today, he's..

Hunched in front of a doorway to a building in Dream-Yumemigaoki... s..truggling... to properly use the handle of a door...

At this point the door is responding to his frustration and not opening Harder. ]</sub>

2/ safehouse

<sub>[ everybody needs a lair.

as a big imposing noncombatant, Levania has boltholes picked out all over the Dreamsphere, for when things get dicey. It turns out that perfect, comfortable little shelter you found out in the danger zone, just when you needed it most... ]</sub>

This place is mine. Get off of my seat.

<sub>[ ...is the turf(?) of a bizarre, sort of conversational Figment that speaks in a deep, gruff, distorted voice.

He is waiting for you to get out of his favorite spot with as much impatience as his inhuman countenance can communicate. ]</sub>

3/ wildcard - need a big grumpy damsel in distress? Sweeping up cherry blossom petals only to find a weird bug laying underneath? The world is our oyster.

1

[darcangel]

...?

Could it be locked?

[ La Pucelle has heard tell of this Figment, yes! But more importantly, she is intrigued by his behavior. The Dream Sphere has its own logic, yes...? What has it deciding the door should not open....? ]

[bakubug]

Why?

_{[ rattle, rattle-- we are getting dangerously close to door punching today ]}

It was open before.

[darcangel]

Be at ease. If it opened before, it shall open again.

[ May she come up alongside you to examine the handle? ]

Perhaps it is jammed...

[bakubug]

<sub>[ she may, though a certain amount of space will "magically" be maintained between them like they're both +/+ magnets and he's the one with the weaker field.


It is a perfectly ordinary, perfectly round doorknob. Very shiny. Silver. Has a slot for a key, though Levania clearly hasn't been trying to use on it.

At the word 'jammed,' Levania takes to casing the doorframe-- hinges, top, bottom, sides... ]</sub>

[darcangel]

Do you see anything?

[ La Pucelle is trying to peer into the keyhole, taking hold of the knob and jiggling it..... ]

[bakubug]

...

<sub>[ reaches his clawsies in to scrape between the small space between door and frame...



the thing about exploring a whimsical dream world is, you have to be prepared for absolutely abominable amounts of whimsy.

Levania's claws come back with strawberry jam on them. ]</sub>

.... .... .... ....... ....

<sub>[ the door.

it's jammed. ]</sub>

I hate it here.

1/2

[darcangel]

[ The door...is.....

......

(lightbulb) ]

[darcangel]

Oh, in God's name!

[ RUDE, door!!!!! You should be ashamed of yourself!!!!!! ]

[bakubug]

_{[ how is he supposed to get this garbage off, all that's around are flower petals. deciding that's a problem for later Levania... he backs up a ways from the door, squaring his shoulders, adjusting his footing so he's ready for a charge. ]}

Delicate solutions have failed.

Stand aside.

1

[kninja]

...

[...]

Need a little help there, buddy?

[bakubug]

_{[ ABRUPTLY stops his door jangling. ]}

I am not your buddy.

_{[ the first part, though... Levania steps away from the door, leaving plenty of room to access it, and turns to face the Dreamer. ]}

It's stuck. It's not supposed to be.

[kninja]

[Dreamer Errant pads closer on his notably soundless feet.]

Huh. Well, let's see what the problem is.

[He pushes on it near the frame in a couple places, just to see if there's anything palpably stuck, and then jiggles the handle himself. Easier for him to do, you know, on account of the actual human hands.]

[bakubug]

<sub>[ Levania shuffles from tiny foot to foot as Errant investigates... if he just immediately gets it open with his petit little human-sized hands he's going to be so mad.

...



Dreamer Errant immediately gets the door open with his petit little human-sized hands. Levania's wings fold open and he bounces into a very "ready to fuckin' go" stance. ]</sub>

WHAT?

[kninja]

[Just as immediately, Errant jumps back, snapping his arms up so Levania can see his petite little human-sized hands are non-threateningly empty.

He doesn't look worried, though.]

Hey, hey, not my fault! I dunno why it did that! You can close it and try again if you want.

[bakubug]

...I'm not doing that. I'm not a child.

<sub>[ He does, however... slip past Errant to mess with the doorknob one last time, just to see if anything is suddenly different.

...

It turns, sort of. In a slippery sort of way. ]</sub>

...Ridiculous. Last week, this was a push bar.

[kninja]

That's the nature of things 'round here, isn't it? Changes like it's in a dream?

[Because it is in a dream, right? Something like that. Any nuances in the relationship between normal dreaming and the Dream Sphere are beyond him, at present.]

[bakubug]

It can pick a different change. This one is getting old.

<sub>[ with the way open, though... Levania stalks slowly inside, seemingly unbothered by the fact the room within is almost pitch black. He vanishes into the gloom, leaving behind only the sound of his dragging chain...

Until there's a loud, mechanical clank, clunk from within the darkness. ]</sub>

2

[noonecandestroythemetal]

Sorry! Sorry! Was just pausing here to catch my breath, I didn't realize this space was occupied!

[The elf clanks when she moves--likely that's the armor, but she's quick for all that. The upside is that the seat now comes pre-warmed?]

Honestly, I appreciate the fact that there was a safe spot, here. This is yours?

[A weird bug man is not the strangest thing Sam has dreamed of, so she's well prepared to ask questions. Even if she turns out to only be annoying...comes with the territory, to be honest.]

[bakubug]

<sub>[ Levania wastes no time claiming his spot, a springy bed of very cushy luminescing blue moss, once it's been rescued from the clutches of his surprise guest.

...

It's warm...

He forgot how warm people can be. ]</sub>

Yes. I use it to hide from Torments. How did you find the entrance?

[noonecandestroythemetal]

I, ah.

[This is embarrassing, but Sam has never been the type to lie, and she's not about to start. So despite her cheeks flushing red, she ducks her head and admits it.]

I, um. I literally fell into it. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, took a misstep, and here I was. So if I don't get a good look on my way out...I doubt I'll be able to remember where it is. If you're literally hiding out and all, you know.

[He's gruff and grumbly so far, not outright hostile. There's a lot of good will that she's willing to offer, then. Including keeping him safe.]

I was between fights and looking for a rest, so hopefully nothing was after me, either.

[bakubug]

...

I don't care if you remember how to get in or not. _{[ is... is that.. extremely standoffish permission to use this spot again if needed? ]} As long as nothing else did.

_{[ He's scrutinizing the entire little lair, now, peering in all the dark corners, suspiciously eyeing any plants that look particularly thorny. ]}

[noonecandestroythemetal]

[Sam's surprised and grateful--so maybe she will take a closer look when she exits his hidey-hole--but she's not going to be effusive about it. Normally she would, but she gets the drift that it might be extremely uncomfortable were she to cover him in her shmoop. So she doesn't.]

Pretty sure nothing did. This isn't my first proverbial rodeo.

[That said, she is definitely willing to help him scope out his demesne to make certain of its safety.]

This is your hidey-hole, anything I should be looking for that's out of place? I've only been here maybe a half-hour at most, so...I defer to you.

[bakubug]

_{[ Levania reaches out to something with spiky leaves he doesn't entirely like the looks of, then thinks better of it, pulling back. A rock. He needs a rock. He's learned his lesson with this already-- once, being careless with that chain trailing from his arm had very nearly gotten him strangled. ]}

...Thorns.

Anything with thorns. They slip in and wait to grow stronger. I've started to hate roses.

[noonecandestroythemetal]

[Who needs a rock when you have a freaking battleaxe? Then again, even as Sam hefts it, her brow furrows. Sure, it's easy to lay about in a frenzy, but this is one of this guy's boltholes. A busted-up bolthole is no good for anyone. Especially after she got permission to borrow it again, as needed.

Tacit trust.]

Got it. Allow me to err on the side of caution.

[It's still a battleaxe, but she settles for poking at a particularly thorny plant, instead of flat-out attempting a beheading. She should be used to this, especially by now, but there's always a little wince that Sam can't help.]