//TESTDRIVE5.0.EXE

[reparator]

//TESTDRIVE5.0.EXE Let it Go, Let it Fucking Go Already Let's keep pretending it's not technically October in the game while Yuletide thoughts continue to spread through CERES. Inspired by recent tragic events, your friendly neighborhood programmer, Elias (serritor) has constructed a wonderful new ice world to be accessed through ViViD, the popular virtual simulator. As expected, this is a world covered in ice all over with a chill that bores into one's bones as players wander through. In the midst of it all lies a beautiful reconstruction of a mall, complete with various stores to suit your online shopping needs. However, before you can indulge in any spending, you're tasked with a mission should you choose to accept. You will have to enter the frost-covered mall which hosts a large, elaborate labyrinth and complete all the objectives as they're given to you and your party. It seems that some horrible foe has arisen from the great beyond to kidnap Santa Bot (no relation to the futurama one). Unable to deliver toys and goods to the poor, needy adults of Cerealia, it's up to YOU to save him from a variety of enemies which include: a.) Nasty, foul-mouthed elves b.) A rabid flock of reindeer c.) An ice queen who will not stop singing d.) And a fucking minotaur. Why? Why not? "Ho ho ho! And seasons greetings, players! I am Julius Vincere, the CEO of CERES, and I must apologize for a few recent temperature modifications as of late. But we were able to fix that small glitch quickly. We were only hoping to cool things down by a few degrees after we received a few complaints about overheating equipment. It seems our robots went a bit overboard with our dome, which is a safety precaution we put in place in the event of an outside threat or invasion. There's no need to fear, and we hope you enjoyed warming up with one another in the meantime. Now, that that's behind us, let's have a little fun, shall we? I think some of you are familiar with the concept back in your home worlds. I observed enough to know that it's a pretty ostentatious holiday. That's why I asked my dear programmer, Elias, to build a simulation so we can experience a little bit of Christmas together. You can say it's a dress rehearsal for the real thing. Anyway, if you all would be so kind as to sample this world and tell me how it goes. I want to see what you all think and get you all in the festive mood. Consider this my deep apology for one mistake too many. We won't allow it to happen again."

//SCENARIOS.EXE PHASE I [ 0000 ] Let the games begin! You're dropped before a giant forest with snow-covered trees, and in your path to reach the mall, there appears your first threat. They look cute and sweet -innocent little elves that smile and blush in your direction. They barely reach up to your chest and look up at you with big, glassy eyes as they promise to help you along your way. Little hands will grab yours, tugging you along. That is, until you're far enough along that you're deep in the midst of the forest where they decide to chip at a lake of frozen ice and chuck you inside. They will then criticize your clothes, call you a piece of reindeer shit, tell you your ass is too fat then call your mother a whore. Because that's just how they roll. Here's your chance to fight back, get vengeance, and force the elves to tell you where Santa is. Those who manage to beat them into submission will be pointed in the right direction to the mall. Those who don't, have fun drowning in icy water! PHASE II [ 0000 ] Once you've escaped the elves, another trial appears. This time, it's in the form of twelve savage reindeer with blood dribbling from their lips. Their eyes are all an eerie shade of red, and they're staring at you deeply as though they can see into your soul. If you hope to get into that mall, you'll have to fight them down and avoid being caught in their antlers. There will be lots of bucking. Copious buckings. Kill the reindeer and remove their antlers for a special gift! (it's a coupon for a free McCERES burger.) PHASE III [ 0000 ] Once you reach the entrance of the mall, you'll be confronted with the icy labyrinth, guarded by a minotaur. He is large and in charge and will probably try to mow you down once he sees you. None of your weapons or magic will work, though. To pacify this beast, you will have to hug him. He requires a hug with feeling. He will tell you as much when you confront him. Give him a good squeeze then let him be. Love can cure many things! PHASE IV [ 0000 ] Are you done running around this maze of a mall? Tired of seeing the same Vidia's Secret store a dozen times? Alas, there is one last trial. It comes in the form of obnoxious carols being crooned in your direction by a beautiful ice queen. She's beckoning you to her with a siren song in the form of merry Christmas music, luring you in little by little and making you walk towards her while she tries to enchant you. She'll lean in close and whisper the rest of the song in your ear, and once you're in her trance, you'll turn on your own friends and party members to try and kill them. To avoid being drawn into her trance, you'll have to be knocked around a few times to regain your bearings. Then, it's either destroy her or be subjected to her ice magic. However, before she dies, she'll look deep into your eyes and beg you to save her and not to forget her. She needs you. Once you defeat her, Santa Bot will appear to dance a merry jig in your honor and shower you with credits. Hooray! BONUS [ whyo'clock ] You can't escape Christmas without a random sprig of mistletoe floating around your head and following you around. For those who try to escape, the mistletoe bot will only move all the quicker. Those caught under its insistent floating will be compelled to kiss a neighbor or two or ten. Or even kiss the minotaur. What we're saying is you should probably run. [ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with trigger-y or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the meme. ]

//RUN.EXE Welcome to CEREALIA's fifth 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

Elsa | Frozen

[shivered]

Phase II

[The wintery landscape Elsa could handle. The cold doesn't bother her, anyway. Actually, it's exactly what she just left, so it's nothing even remotely surprising. But the murderous reindeer, these are definitely new. So far as she knows, reindeer are fairly gentle. And they're certainly not bloodthirsty.

But she's quickly learned her lesson on that one. Things are different here. She freezes a couple where they stand, but since they have her outnumbered, well, running looks better and better. Fleeing through the snow, she'll pull up short if she encounters another person, suddenly not sure who is more dangerous, herself or the dozen reindeer bent on murder. Eventually she'll decide on the second and pick up into a run.] Be careful! They're coming... they're possessed, I think!

[If she's close enough, she'll take your arm to urge you along, though she flinches back and releases her grip near immediately, leaving a faint bloom of frost where her hands had been.] Please, we have to hurry!


Bonus
No... no, I think you definitely are looking for someone else. Please. [Trying to reason with a floating bit of mistletoe is not getting her very far at all. Elsa ducks and swats at it, trying to keep her powers to herself. There are people here. She can't just freeze it in place like she'd like to -- especially not after she saw how well that other ice queen was being received. But she does not need to be kissing anybody.

At all.] I just need to go... [So very far away. But as she spins and swats and ducks and weaves, she's probably likely to bump right into you.]

phase ii!

[contusive]

[ armin is feeling... not that great, thanks to several asshole elves, and nevermind that his cloak isn't thick enough to keep as warm as he would like. so he stares when elsa runs to him. isn't she cold? (worse, is this another trick?) perhaps not. was that... ice? he shakes his head. ]

Who's coming, ma'am?

[shivered]

[Elsa won't be able to help with his trouble keeping warm; she specializes in the opposite, unfortunately. But she can, hopefully, help keep him alive. Maybe. Unless she winds up being nearly as dangerous as the reindeer, given how high her emotions, and therefore her powers, are running just now.

She's out of breath and trying to catch it back to herself as she gestures behind her.]

Reindeer... so many of them! [That sounds entirely not frightening at all, Elsa. Try again.]

[contusive]

Reindeer? [ she must have agitated them, he thinks. well, first thing is to calm her down. ] How long have you been running?

[shivered]

Not normal reindeer!

[She tries to clarify, glancing back over her shoulder. They can't be far behind. A shake of her head.] I don't know. A while. I... don't know where I am.

[And now the sounds of the creatures approaching, coming into sight in all their blood-thirsty glory.]

[contusive]

[ is that, is that blood on their teeth? he hasn't heard of carnivorous reindeer unless in times of starvation, and even then... armin holds an arm, protective, before elsa. for the moment, the reindeer are holding their ground. ]

Were you with someone, ma'am?

[shivered]

[Oh. Oh he's protecting her. But he shouldn't be doing that. Not her. She's the dangerous one! Her and the reindeer that is.]

No. I'm alone. It's just me. [And it's better that way.]

[contusive]

[ so it could be animal's blood, right? that seems doubtful, though, because this place sucks a lot like that. and because it sucks, all these reindeer are in the same direction as the mall. — of course! they're guarding the path. (ugh.) ]

We have to find a way around them.

[shivered]

There's so many of them though.

[She could use her magic. She knows she could, but isn't that just as dangerous? And besides, she's even more hesitant to rely on that with someone else there to see it.]

How can we get by them? [If he has an idea, she'll happily go with it, she decides. Her magic will be a last resort. At least that's what she thinks just now.]

[contusive]

[ a quick glance of their surroundings offers... not much to help a break for it. not much to help the use of his gear, either. unless...! ]

We can scatter them. [ armin removes a small canister from his gear. it won't explode, but the decompression should frighten the reindeer. that gives them ample time to run. ] I'd have to get close, and we can't waste any time this would buy us.

[shivered]

[Elsa blinks at the canister, not sure what it is that she's looking at, but if he thinks that it'll help, she nods.] So... we'll have to run?

[Though, the idea of allowing him to get close, well... should she let him risk himself that way? Hesitating, looking as though speaking the words she says next is nearly as frightening as the reindeer staring them down.] Getting close is dangerous. I can help. I can get it where you need it. Tell me how it works.

[contusive]

[ that's brave of her, but armin doesn't feel he can allow a civilian to take his place. he shakes his head. ]

Decompression is dangerous. If you aren't careful, it can seriously injure you.

[shivered]

I won't be near it. Or them. Neither of us will be

[Elsa answers, hesitating again.] Just... I want to help. But I don't want to frighten you or... or hurt you.

[The fact that she's even considering tapping into her magic is a little terrifying, but the situation is pretty dire.]

phase ii... i think i have a problem... an addiction to tagging elsa's

[wuenschen]

[ well, the cold doesn't bother Rumplestiltskin, either. He'd rather have some warmth right now, after being in a a cage in a mine for so long, but they let him run around here, so he wasn't going to actually complain about the cold. ]

Scared of a few reindeer, dearie?

I approve of this addiction

[shivered]

They're not... normal.

[She gasps out, breathless from her run and wondering at the fact that he's not nearly so terrified if he knows what she's fleeing from. Not that she's one to talk about "normal" or anything. But that's not really the problem with them.] They're vicious!

[Maybe rabies or something she doesn't know.] They're going to catch up. [A hesitation before she reaches out again, this time trying to just snag the edge of his sleeve.] We should run.

[wuenschen]

Not normal, you say? Teeehee~ [ so calm, well... until he giggles... that was definitely a giggle, no way to deny it ]

And if we run they will catch up and devour us. I am sure they run faster then either of us.

[ he could just make out the first one coming towards them and snaps his fingers turning it into a fine mist of blood, bone, and fur. ]

[shivered]

[Okay the grown man giggling isn't that unsettling, right? No, she can handle that. How casually he seems to state the possibility of being devoured though, that's worrisome.

Elsa gasps, a sharp shocked sound as well, the reindeer bursts.]

That... was that... you?! [Did he do that? He must have, right?] Was that magic?

[wuenschen]

[ most people would agree that Rumplestiltskin was unsettling... if they didn't say he was down right creepy or worse ]

Why, yes, yes it was. [ and he sounds so innocent about it ] Shall I... do it again? [ he holds his hand up finger and thumb together as if to snap ]

[shivered]

[Elsa's mind is racing. He can do magic. He can do very violent magic. Is he a threat? But then, he isn't attacking her. He's stopping the reindeer, even if it's rather a gorey way of going out about. But if he can do magic, then does that mean he won't think she's a monster for her own powers?

All these thoughts tumble through her mind at once and as he holds up his hand, she steps forward instead, her own hands out, a rush of ice racing in a mini blizzard towards the next reindeer to come into view, freezing it up in a block of ice, jagged and sharp.

Even as the freezing stops, she peeks over at him as though to gauge his reaction to what she just did.]

[wuenschen]

[ her resemblance to Ingrid was astounding. And now she showed powers of ice, as well. Interesting. The grin on his face seems to split it in two. Anyone that knew him would have been running in the opposite direction. You caught the Dark One's attention, dearie, he wasn't going to let you go ]

So is it just ice or can you do more?

[ the next reindeer he took care of. This time, however, it seemed to run through an invisible barrier which peeled off it's skin in one go, leaving the muscle and bone to run for a moment on it's own before collapsing in on itself. ]

[shivered]

[She really ought to know better, but the fact that he's not screaming or running or accusing her of being a monster is reassuring. She shakes her head at the question.]

Mostly ice... snow. Cold things. [Though that's simplifying it, and she's well aware of that.

She's busy flinching at the next reindeer, somehow feeling bad for the creature even if it had set out to chase her down and kill her. Even so, she looks away, eyes shutting for a moment before she steels herself and turns her attention back to the oncoming reindeer, this time summoning up a large wall of ice, rising high up around the two of them, to hold them off for a few moments at least.]

[wuenschen]

[ he waves his hand and lifts one into the air and over the ice wall, freezing it in place without ice (just making it immobile) and placing it in front of Elsa ]

Why not try something different? You can do one magic, you shouldn't have problems casting others.

[shivered]

[Elsa shrinks back from it, frozen or not, and looks to him in confusion. She's quick to shake her head though, drawing her hands up to her chest.]

No, I can't. I'm not even supposed to use it like this. It's not safe!

[It hurts people. People she cares about. Her entire kingdom.]

[wuenschen]

[ oh dearie, you show too much emotion. If he was a better man, less corrupted by the dark powers of the dagger then he would feel bad for this, but as it is, he doesn't even feel a twinge like remorse as he puts on a concerned and sympathetic expression ]

Now who went and told you a thing like that?

[shivered]

[Oh too much emotion is her eternal problem really. Always has been, always will be. She looks from her hands back up to him, almost uncertainly now. The way he's asking, does that mean he doesn't think they're dangerous? Maybe his magic is different than hers.]

My parents. It'd... other people wouldn't understand. They'd be frightened by it. Or worse I could hurt someone. [Again. She nearly visibly flinches at the memory.] It's safer... better to just keep it inside.