ioculus | //TESTDRIVE5.0.EXE

//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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[suddenly there is totsuka in the sidelines, eyes wide as he watches this young boy summon some kind of magical creature and look for all the world like a proper video game protagonist.]

Wow, that's really cool! [totsuka on the other hand looks too weirdly cheerful for a guy stuck in reindeers mauling everyone land, plus he's probably being a big dumb distraction... sorry shinji]

[His concentration's broken somewhat by the newcomer - a ~~proper anime protag sacrifice~~ young man, either the same age or older than him - watching his every movement with an alarming amount of enthusiasm and good cheer. And apparently no weapons on his body with which to fight the oncoming threat.

Great.]

Get out of here—

[—is all the warning he has time to yell before the reindeer are stampeding towards him. He snarls, runs forward, one hand darting out in a physical order to his Persona. It heeds his command this time, rushing forth to take on its own foe.

DON'T DIE IN THE BUSHES, TOTSUKA....]

[immediately dies in the bushes]

[NO instead totsuka's eyes go comically wide as both caster and the reindeer head in his general direction and then he throws himself to the side juST IN TIME TO SURVIVE BEING SHISHKABOBED.]

[pokes his head out of the bushes to keep on watching though]

That was close -- thanks for the warning!

[shinji you're such a good kid...]

[gdit totsuka you had one job—!]

[There's a clash as the two sides meet - Castor butting heads with his target dead on and Shinjiro dodging to the side to let his own opponent. The whoosh of the reindeer past him sends snow flurrying into his eyes, but even blinking furiously as he is, he's aware enough to take in the sight of Totsuka still half-buried in the bushes.

Idiot's still there.

It's with an annoyed huff that he starts running towards Totsuka. Alone he might have some chance of fending off the reindeer long enough to drag himself to safety. With the two of them, their best bet is to run and run fast.

One arm reaches out to grab Totsuka and drag him upright.]

C'mon!

[Unless you really do want to die by reindeer...]

Woah -- ! [but there's a limit to how idiotic Totsuka can be in a HIGH STRESS SITUATION LIKE THIS, so he immediately takes his cue from Shinji and runs on after.]

Wait, what about your friend?! [caster is shinji's friend i guess]

[It's a true testament to the goodness of Totsuka's heart that he can call Shinjiro's Persona a friend - Shinjiro can't for the life of him remember the last time he thought of his Persona in a positive light and it takes a good several seconds for the links to click into place. It'd be almost funny if they weren't currently running for their lives.]

He'll be fine.

[Even so, he takes a moment to stop, summon Castor back into the safer - but more dangerous for him - environment of his mind and psyche before picking up speed again.]

Think you can make it to that clearing up there?

//TESTDRIVE5.0.EXE

phase 2222222

yaywonnnnnn /barnacles to you

vaAAAAaaL /POCKETS

/frolics happily in pocket

pocket monster val

/puffs up and roars like a true pocket monster!