//TESTDRIVE12.EXE

[reparator]

//testdrive12.EXE

Out with the old, in with the new as they say, and this ViViD level is no different. Ever progressive and ever mindful, CERES has decided in their war against the evil carbon footprint to give citizens both new and old a lesson in healthy living. To show this, they've created a level all about... recycling, or as close to recycling as a company like CERES can get. (Which isn't very close at all, honestly.) This, of course, means that when you're dumped in to today's ViViD level, the first thing that will hit you is the stench. It's vile and rancid and the type of stench that makes a person want to give up smelling altogether, and when you finally open your eyes, you'll see why. There's trash everywhere. The buildings are decrepit and crumbling, the cars are broken down and rusted, and overall, it looks like the apocalypse rolled right on through. Which is weird because this is definitely not a post-apocalyptic game. Yet wandering around this pathetic excuse for a ViViD level will just reveal more of the same -- it's a total wasteland. And if you look up, you will see a billboard. RECYCLING AND YOU: HOW NOT TO BE A DIRTY WASTE OF SPACE You'll only have a moment to be offended by the sign before, amongst the piles of trash and rubble, there's another, smaller pile of trash and rubble. The only difference is this one can talk. Welcome to The Dumpster Dive, my cool cats and sweet kittens. A brand new ViViD level, created and innovated to you by CERES's very creative and innovative technicians. We're all here to help you learn to Reuse, Reduce and Recycle, givin' you kids some tools to help you lessen your impact on the planet. After all, we're all here together on this great planet of Tellus. Wouldn't want to ruin it, right? Ha ha! Happy Trash Day to Cerealians one and all!

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I [ 600 ] So, you're here. You're probably sitting in a pile of trash because, well, everywhere is a pile of trash. You're in a landscape of trashiness and there's no escape. Your only option is to give in to the sweet, sweet pull of the garbage. The buildings are crumbling, the sidewalks are a mess of bottles (but no bottle caps), rubble, and empty chip bags, and you're stuck in this... trash. This garbage. This hellhole. Wasn't recycling supposed to be clean? It probably takes a rat skittering over your foot to get you going but like any good game, the protagonist needs to move. If you're going to find out anything in this trash heap, you'll need to explore a bit. See if you can find someone else! Or something else. Maybe someone more experienced with ViViD can help you figure out how to log out. Even if logging out doesn't seem to be working right now. You should be careful too because one wrong step might cause the pile of trash you're standing on give way and send you into the sewers below. Which means there are rats, there are bugs, the ground is unsteady and... yep. It's starting to rain. Good luck. PHASE II [ 800 ] And then come the... trash drones. They zero in on any living thing in this ViViD level -- if you’re moving, if you’re breathing, if you have some sort of a pulse, they’ll be there. And they’ll grab you and take you away. No matter how many you shoot down, more and more and more will come, never stopping until you're swarmed completely by them. They have to get you! You're garbage, you're garbage, you're garbage! You're garbage! And so, you're snatched up. Don’t worry, though. After a short flight (wave hello to your fellow drone-napped neighbor!), you'll arrive at three huge trash chutes with three equally huge signs above them. GARBAGE, RECYCLING, and COMPOST hang above the chutes and the drones pause just momentarily before announcing one of these options in a robotic voice. You've been sorted and without any preamble, the drone will dump you in whichever one it decides. Hopefully you don’t end up in the compost. Gross. Of course, once you down there, there's plenty to poke around in (or not much if you're still not into the whole trash thing). It's piles and piles and piles of trash as far as the eye can see! Again! If you're especially clever, you may be able to use the trash to build a way out of the chute. The very, very long chute. Maybe there's someone around that can help you? And better do so quick, who knows what CERES has deemed to be "recycling" this time. PHASE III [ 1125 ] CERES's standards continue to shine on again, because after some time, those chutes will finally start working. So if you've been separated from a friend through any of this ordeal, don't worry about it. You're all gonna end up in the same place anyway. Which is the incinerator, of course! (Wait, that’s not how recycling works.) The ground beneath you shifts, enough to knock over whatever flimsy excuse for an escape plan you have, and suddenly all of the trash, compost or recycling will be dumped down into an underground furnace -- along with everyone stuck there, of course. Bit by bit, everything moves ever closer towards that red hot furnace and it’s clear that everything's going to be dumped straight into the fire and burned. Say your farewells. Make nice with your neighbor. Finalize your will because -- Oh. It stopped. Looks like it jammed. It doesn't remain jammed for long because CERES is, if anything, highly efficient. So it starts up again. But then stops again. And then starts again. And then stops again. This may be a glitch in the level, actually. So, you're still getting ever closer to fiery death, but... slowly. Very slowly. In fact, you could probably walk away from said fiery death faster than you're going towards it. It's like they can't even program a near death experience right! PHASE IV [ 1125 ] Maybe you avoided the incinerator. Maybe you ended up in a different part of the level altogether. Maybe you just got lost. Either way, now you’re stuck with the age-old hobby of enthusiasts and the exceptionally desperate alike. Dumpster diving. And CERES wouldn't send you down there without an incentive, you know. If you look, it seems like there might be something valuable, something incredibly important and just for you. A shiny item that you’ve always wanted right from home and it’s right there in your grasp, something precious that you could never get in Cerealia. How it came to be there, nestled between an empty carton of eggs and a half-eaten cheeseburger, no one knows, but you'll be filled with the inescapable, all-consuming urge to go get it. Just jump right into that dumpster and get it. The more you resist the urge, the more it'll hurt. (As in, physically hurt actually. The feeling will be comparable to your fingernails slowly being plucked out.) This is ViViD though and the moment you hit the trash, the spell breaks. You'll see that your most precious thing, whatever it was, was never actually there. Instead, you seem to have actually grabbed something else and whatever it is, you can't let go of it. Be it an empty bottle of bacon soda or a bicycle tire with a giant hole in it, it's attached to your hand now and no matter what you do, you can't get it off. Hopefully whatever you grabbed wasn't too big because it looks like you're not getting rid of it. Not till you beat the level. BONUS [ why o'clock ] The odd thing about being stuck in a trash wasteland is that you can go for ages without seeing another person. Ages. Of course, CERES doesn't like that very much since ViViD games should be co-operative! Player with player! Player against player! Players who shouldn't be playing at all. That's the type of play CERES supports. Which means the longer you go without seeing another person, the more you might feel an itch. It gets under your skin, making you feel dizzier and dizzier, and shorter and shorter of breath until -- you pass out. Vision going dark, breathing cutting out, and down you go into the trash and whatever this ViViD level has planned next. It won't take long. You'll wake up feeling slightly confined and there will be a moving body next to you. It seems as if you've finally, finally found someone -- and they're really, really close. In fact, maybe a little too close? When you open your eyes, you'll see that the two of you may be bound together in a way that might be familiar to some. But instead of a shirt, it's just a garbage bag. A really, really strong garbage bag that can't be broken out of no matter how strong you happen to be. No laser eyes, no super powers, nothing will separate you from this person other than, well, getting along. There really is only one question you have to ask yourself now. Just one. What the hell does this have to do with recycling? [ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to CEREALIA's twelfth Test Drive Meme. For your convenience, we have compiled a post detailing everyone's arrival experience and a FAQ that should explain everything in more detail. Please read them thoroughly before playing. Thank you!

Comments

[beaconed]

[ He suddenly wonders if he's maybe seeing parts of the person underneath the tough-girl persona. Something kind of feels somber about her responses, but it's understandable, given the circumstances. Still, he asks himself how to approach this subject of destroyed worlds while he's still on trial himself... ]

Even if I told you, it's kinda hard to believe. [ But he should try and cheer her up at least. ] But this place? I have a feeling we won't be stuck here too long.

[corona]

Yeah, why's that? [ Again, it's not disbelief, exactly, but yearning that drives her questions. If he can convince her that things will all turn out for the better then far be it from her to deny him an opportunity.

And yet! It bothers her. After all, who's looking out for his well-being if he's looking out for hers? ]

Aren't you... worried? You don't have to pretend. I know I haven't done the best job of showing it, but... I don't need to be protected. Hard head and all that?

[beaconed]

I used to worry about this. These days? It's... [ how did she say it before-- ] part of my regular daily schedule, heh, something like that. [ Well, the part about waking up confused in a virtual world. For all the things that do worry him, he's sort of used to it this by now. (Yes, this happens A LOT.) ]

It's not that I'm trying to protect you, it's just... how do you tell someone that this is like a dream, but at the same time it isn't? [ TDMs man, they're weird!!! ]

[corona]

I'm pretty sure you just did that too. [ Man, this guy tries way too hard at things he's good at.

So, okay. He's not underestimating her or overcompensating on her behalf, which means... common decency! Refreshing. That's one complex taken care of. EVEN IF NONE OF THIS MATTERS she feels much better in the present moment. ]

But if you're not worried about that, why are we still here? There was a moment. We agreed. We could be training! Or somewhere less smelly. For both our sakes.

[beaconed]

Whoa... [ She took that revelation surprisingly well! And here he was expecting her to doubt him. ]

I doubt we'll find a less smelly place in our current situation, but... if we see each other again after this, and you still remember me, then I'd like that.

[ It's always nice to hang out with people who don't treat him like a joke, even if he is one most of the time. ]

In the meantime....... do you wanna hold it?

[corona]

I'd like that too. I'd like both of those things. [ What choice does she have but to embrace the serviceable idea that this is merely twilight to daytime reality. ]

... On one condition. Let's at least act like it's real. Okay? Not playacting. Treating it like something real. It's... a weird condition, I know, but -- Let's make this count.

If this is some game or some - scary, totally arbitrary, not-quite illusion? Even if it's just some wild dream. [ SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER MEEEE ] Promise you'll make the most of it and that we won't listen to those ridiculous voices in our heads. I've had dreams before, but... nothing this vivid. I've never spoken with anyone like I'm speaking with you. [ and hey she is being weird here but this is important to her; new experience!! ]

I'll take your sword now, if that's okay.

[beaconed]

[ She wouldn't be the first awkward lunatic that he's befriended, and he knows he's quite socially inept himself. What she's saying isn't that weird to him in the first place, he's been treating is as a real thing from the start since... it sort of is! Still, her dramatic speech is endearing - it's something he would do, too. ]

Heh, is that all? [ There's a firm nod, and a smile. ] You got it. Not just 'cause you asked me, but... I feel the same way. No playacting, no silly voices, just us. Sooo, I promise, alright? And an Arc never goes back on his word! Yeah!

[ He draws his blade now, slowly passing it to her. It's fairly heavy, but at this point he wouldn't even be surprised if she has super strength. He comes from a world where people have ridiculous powers. ]

Just-- ah, w-watch your hair! Sheesh, you got a lot of it...

[corona]

[ How lovely that they're both the promise-bound sort. Hopefully she doesn't go too far with it at any point!! ]

[ But his cautioning of her is appreciated. She smiles softly and turns away to hide it. ] Hey. Didn't I say not to worry? I've handled knives. I know all about infections and gangrene. [ No penicillin in her era unfortunately. Still, Rapunzel, that is gross. You're lucky you have magic hair!! ] I'll... be careful....

[ Nope. OOMF. It is heavy. No super strength here. Just regular strength that demands her full attention and does away with banter. ] Ah. Yes. Especially with my hair. It's - so important. Oh my gosh.

[beaconed]

[ This is SO dangerous, but yolo. It's important she knows how heavy it is before he shows her what to do. He does make a face at the mention of diseases, augh... don't make him vomit...! ]

And? How does it feel, "knife handler"? Don't fall on it now! Heh, your legend will be over before it begins. [ This is so silly. He laughs at his own joke, until-- ]

But seriously, don't. [ IT WOULD BE AWFUL. ]

[corona]

[ She shoots him a fearful glance. ] What? Is - is that something that happens often?

[ It's only common sense that most weapons are, forgiving the pun, like double-edged swords when it comes to safety. But to think there's the risk of DEATH when you're trying to protect yourself from death??

... actually, yeah, makes sense. ]

Right. No problem. I'll just - lift it with two hands starting from now! H-Haha. [ this is forced laughter ]

[beaconed]

[ He would have handed it to her sheathed if the thing itself didn't weigh as much as a shield does. At least she's taking it more seriously! ]

Wh-- but... you asked me if it's dangerous earlier... don't look so surprised about it now! Uh... you wanna try it on something? Here--

[ He picks up an old boot out of the junk and sets it on top of a drum can that's in front of her... all while keeping his eyes on the sword in her hands!! You know, just in case she gets overexcited and swings it while he's preparing a target. PLEASE DON'T SWING IT YET. ]

[corona]

Heh. [ So she did. This is what she gets for not cataloguing things suspiciously!

Getting used to the unexpected weight is as 'simple' as distributing the extra mass throughout her body, like springing out of one position into another. Rapunzel spreads her legs and crouches lower to the ground, her fingers clenched solidly around the hilt. ]

Are... you sure that's - good? I-It looks a little, uh, small. Maybe. Heh. You're the expert!

[beaconed]

Yeah... expert...

[ He turns away from her to see if the boot is set correctly, frowning to himself for a moment. He's far from an expert, he barely even knows what he's doing right now.

Once that's set, he steps beside her to check her stance - wow, she's learning this faster than he did! He... gently tilts her hands a little up before stepping back now. Why? BECAUSE HE'S TRYING TO LOOK LIKE AN EXPERTLY EXPERT HERE. ]

Heh, don't worry. You'll... probably miss it on your first few tries. All part of learning!

[ She probably won't, but he's basing this on his own first experience. ]

[corona]

[ Isn't that precisely why the target ought to be larger? Isn't this precisely why she oughtn't be surprised that it's tough work learning self-defence? All these questions are really meant to do, of course, is distract her from the fact that he's touching her. Barely. But still, it's not forced!

And to his credit, it all comes across as terribly authentic. Impressive! Rapunzel narrows her eyes at the boot and settles into a stance that's not unlike that of a baseball player preparing to swing a bat. In the back of her mind, she wonders what it is she's about to be blindly flailing at. ]

[ Oh well! ] Here's to learning!

[ And just like that she lunges forward, at the same time bringing the sword crashing down at an angle to the boot, and fighting the whole time against the instinct to close her eyes. ]

[beaconed]

[ At least one of them is keeping their eyes open, as Jaune flinches the moment his weapon makes impact with the target. It's not the most perfect hit, but she still did a whole lot better than him, WHICH IS CRUSHING HIS EGO. ]

W-Whoa........ I-- that was a lucky get! Wow. G-Good job, hahah! You're-- well done! Really! I... I'll take my sword back now...!

[corona]

[ She herself is too stunned to do much other than comply, nod vacantly and repetitively, and slowly, slowly grin. As the weapon (she wonders if he's named it) leaves her hands, lightness and adrenaline flood through in its place. ]

Here's your sword. Thank you, Jaune... You really think I'm - that I did well? I did try to keep my promise.

[beaconed]

Yeah! If we got you a lighter sword thing, you could probably even do better. [ What the hell is he talking about? He's so not a weapons expert, but it seems too late to drop the facade now. She must never know what a loser he is!! Not when Rapunzel is so cool! ]

You mean the promise about making the most of this? Or was it the one when you said you wouldn't hit me again? Or was it... what was the other one-- man, I'm losing track here! [ Taking care of herself. He remembers. ]

[corona]

Heh. Lighter sword thing huh? [ Events have finally led her to question his authority on this subject, but she doesn't betray any suspicion except with a look.

Yes, this one.

Which in turn is caused by this (unaware that he has remembered on his own!): ] The one about - [ whispering again ] taking care of myself. Though it's nice to have a monster fighter around.

[beaconed]

Well, yeah, just 'cause you can take care of yourself-- which a lot of my friends can? [ Pretty much all of them except him! >:( ] It doesn't mean I'm okay with just not doing anything to help. It's... who I am, I guess, so...

[ He sheathes his blade, somehow more confidently than usual... probably because he's not thinking about it. ]

You'll just have to deal with this monster fighter whether you like it or not!

[corona]

[ laughing now for sure ]

All right. You win. [ And lookin pretty good with the sheathing action, even if she isn't about to say so. ] So... does that mean I definitely did a good job?

[beaconed]

You mean getting a boot with a sword? Yeah, you're a real pro! The way you hit it while it was just... sitting there, while you struck it using both arms? Hey, why not? Imagine the power if you had three arms! All the boots in the world don't stand a chance against you-- my shoes are shaking!

[ Is he teasing her? Absolutely. ]

[corona]

[ so withering ]

Yeah. Well. Let me tell you, I had a great teacher. In fact? He almost cut our faces off. I mean - I don't know if I'll ever be that good, but he...without a doubt set some incredibly high standards. [ aw no she's grinning again ] Yuuuup.

[beaconed]

[ WHAT AN INTENSE TEACHER ]

Whoa, seriously? How did you-- oh. Oh. That... you're talking about me and that-- yeah, okay. Got ya. Hilarious! [ That one almost flew over his head. Almost...! ]

[corona]

Ah. Well. Are you sure? I really am grateful to you for showing everything to me. We can take it slow again. If you want...

Just like, you know, that time we could barely stand up because yooou... kept bumping heads with me?

[ ok cool it with the slap-slap-kiss guys ]

[beaconed]

[ Ah, there's that choice of words that makes him open his mouth and close it again. HAAA... ]

...Hey, technically? You started that one.