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//TESTDRIVE5.0.EXE
//TESTDRIVE5.0.EXE
 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 ( ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small} 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?
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//SCENARIOS.EXE
PHASE I [ 00 PHASE II [ 00 PHASE III [ 00 PHASE IV [ 00 BONUS [ why[ 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. ] |
00 ]
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.
//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! |
Ada Vessalius | Pandora Hearts
[The moment she lifted her gaze, she knew that she had lost her way. The air was cold, making her draw her arms up against herself to keep in whatever warmth she could. They had taken her in with their innocent smiles and kind words. She hadn't hesitated to follow them.]
Ahhhh--!!
[So to be so betrayed - to watch the ice cracking and crumbling under her... Ada realized that she had made a mistake. It was scary, and the water was freezing cold, licking and her ankles and then all at once the whole area around her gave out, dunking her into the unforgiving lake. If she stayed here, she was going to freeze to death. But her arms were already shaking and the ice was so weak... Even so she let out a fierce cry and forced herself up, scratching and clawing her way out of the freezing hole. She refused to give up. Refused to die here. The strange elves seemed surprised and took off as she fought her way out.]
Wait--!
[Perhaps they thought she would seek vengeance... that she was stronger than she looks. Well, though the latter was true, she wouldn't want the prior.]
How will I find my way now...?
[She didn't have much strength to even pull herself off the ground after all the struggling she did earlier. And she was so cold... But again, she didn't accept being defeated here. Maybe she could find someone... maybe they heard her cries. She had to keep positive. One way or another, she'd find her way.]
Bonus;
[Unlike others, Ada was amused by the antics of the strange bot. Though she did try to get away, it was with the air of someone playing a game more than anything else; chuckling when it managed to catch up with her no matter what she tried.]
I just can't get away, can I?
oh hi...
No.
No, no, no. It can't be. What is she going here? This ruins everything!
Except his legs have begun to move without his permit. What begins as a numb stumble through snow soon has him running, weaving through trees, and when he finally sees her there, collapsed on the ground, he hesitates.
It's definitely her; it's Ada. Cheeks flushed and breath hot, he safely peers at her from behind the tree he's grabbed to
hide behindsteady himself.Ah, but she isn't moving much. She appears to be soaked, too... Is she hurt?
She probably hasn't seen him yet, he could just leave her here. Let her succumb to a freezing death. Someone like her, so fondly looked after and untried by the world's unkindness, she's probably never experienced a pain like it. Not anything close... ]
Perhaps I could assist you with that.
[ It pains him to cross that final distance between them, and yet, he can't seem to withhold; however, for what he shows her is a warmly sympathetic smile. Before he's reached her side, Vincent has unbuttoned his coat to drape over her. ]
why hello
[Amazing how that voice - so smooth, so calm, so seemingly warm and sympathetic - can completely transform the cold, defeated looking girl. With a strength it certainly didn't look like she had just a minute ago, she pushes herself to her feet. His coat on her shoulders is a weight but one that warms her heart.]
Thank you.
[How warm her face feels. She still manages to be flustered by the simple kindnesses he shows her. On her face is a bright, unwavering smile that says that she can bear anything thrown at her if only he would stay by her side.
Hands clasped together tightly at her chest she nods her head.]
Truly... I could ask for no better company.
wink
Vincent is visibly surprised by how she's able to rise on her own so quickly. How she's able to manage such strength and exuberance in the face of others, during times of weakness... He doesn't get it. It's annoying.
Following suit as Ada stands, he smile only briefly falters as he averts his eyes, his own cheeks maintaining their rosy color. Thankfully, he doesn't notice that much. ]
If only I'd found yours sooner. You're not injured, are you?
[ His hands find their way to the woman's shoulders, rubbing down her forearms through the fabric of his coat. ]
no subject
Not at all. I'm simply glad you're here now... It's nothing I cannot bear of course!
[How carefree. Of course she's pushing herself a little bit, but she's hardly aware of it. The only true injuries she's sustained are scrapes and bruises from earlier. Nothing worth fussing over. So in that regard, what she says is true.
The small rubbing motion of his hands creates friction enough to bring warmth back into her limbs, enough that her skin tingles pleasantly.]
no subject
Just to be certain, perhaps we should relocate you to somewhere safe, and you can tell me what happened on the way. Did someone push you?
[ With the suggestion, he tugs the coat forward a bit, to ensure it's snugly wrapped around her shoulders, before slipping an arm behind her back to guide her away from the clearing.
He doesn't know much about the elves, concerning the lake, as he never got that far. They'd lost their temper with him after he had declined their help, and he hadn't any patience with them to begin... So, there's a small group of those little guys scattered out in the snow somewhere with bullet holes in their heads. Whoops. ]
phase 1! slides in here playing air guitar...
Still, his little sister will be his little sister no matter what, and it's his duty as an older brother to bail her out of tough situations. She'll be able to hear the frosty branches snapping a few feet away soon enough, and then this nerd comes bowling out, snow sticking to his hair and cloak.]
Ada?! Ada—! [ZOOMIN ON OVER. He slips on some ice at the last second, making his landing a little less than graceful, but he pays it no mind as he reaches for her.]
/chinhands
[She gasps, watching him slip and all she can think about is his safety - how the last thing she wants is to see him hurt because of her. As much as she can, she battles the ice, scrabbling to grab a hold of his hand as tightly as she can.
Kicking and pushing and scraping and pulling, she manages to get herself out of immediate danger. But they're still on the ice-- it's too early to relax.
Even so...]
Are you alright?
[Because she couldn't be happy until she was sure they were both okay. What if he'd scraped himself on the ice or bruised himself or...!? It would be all her fault for making him come out here... As glad as she is to see him, she can't help but worry in this situation.]
no subject
I'm— Yes, I'm fine! Don't worry about me! [But since he's got a good grasp on her hand already, he'll gently turn it palm-up to see if she's cut herself badly fighting with the ice like that.]
What about you? What happened here—?
[Those rudeass elves SCATTERED TOO FAST... Or he'd sure be hunting them down and punting them into the lake too, good lord. Even as elfsicles, they can still repent for attempted murder.]
no subject
Eheheh... I let myself be tricked.
[How she can laugh about something like that at this point, well...]
There were these cut little elves, you see and--
[Guess who just remembered that they were all long gone by now?]
Ah... They're all gone... They were showing me the way... [Before they did a terrible 180 degree shift personality-wise...]
no subject
They showed you here? [So there are murderous cute little elves running around?? He's not sure if that's better or worse than really creepy oppressively handsy tutors that can shapeshift into people-eating bugs...]
—But they didn't do anything else, did they? [Like is hypothermia the only thing he's going to have to worry about here, or is POISON INVOLVED, or maybe some sort of bludgeon injury he's miraculously overlooked...!!]
no subject
[Thus her current predicament.]
Oh no! [Shaking her head, Ada consciously decided to leave out the part about the insults and the name-calling. There wasn't really any harm done there - she hadn't let it bother her. But Oz might be upset if she told him that. Definitely nothing serious.] That's all.
no subject
I won't let them near you again if they come back, all right?
[Though he's hoping that won't be an issue either way... PLEASE STAY AWAY, RUDE ELVES. With that said, he'll extend his other hand and rise until he's on his knees.]
We need to get off this ice before it cracks more than it already has. Can you scoot this way with me? [Because standing would be DISASTROUS.]
no subject
[All he needs to do is say it, and immediately she believes it. Her brother would protect her - he always had. She didn't have to think about it; Ada nodded and followed his lead.
Her legs were a little shaky at first, but she shows commendable strength, as she slowly inches towards him. Slowly at first, and with only a little progress made. But after a few experimental scoots, she becomes a little more comfortable; covering a little more ground. Even so, she keeps staring down more often than not, as if expecting another crack to form and the ice to give out under her again.
But even if that happened now - she wasn't alone. She wasn't nearly so afraid, thanks to Oz.]
no subject
To that end, he's doing his best to keep his weight evenly distributed across the surface of the ice. Minimizing cracks and splinters is the best that can be done, and every time he hears the ice groan beneath them, he freezes up and holds his breath. But he'll continue to keep his hands steady, one there to support Ada and one feeling its way across the ice. He takes his time (relatively speaking) in leaving the center of the lake and getting closer and closer to the side, until it wouldn't even matter much if the ice did break because the water isn't deep enough to drown in.
Though they aren't quite at the shore yet, that's about the point he loses some of his tension. Sighing and looking back toward Ada:]
Are you doing all right? Can you still feel your fingers and toes? [Half-joking, half vERY CONCERNED.]
no subject
What a relief.]
Mm-hmm.
[The ice feels thicker here. As long as the cracks didn't spread, they should be safe. Even so, she still moves with caution.]
They're cold, but everything works fine.
[Nice that they can joke about these things now.]
no subject
Ah— we made it! [EXCELLENT. He'll ease himself backwards until he's off of the ice and on solid land again, keeping hold of Ada's hand and helping her as much or as little as she needs the rest of the way.
While doing so:] We're going to have to find you something warmer to wear, though. You'll catch a cold otherwise, and the weather back in the city isn't any better than the weather here.
[Even though ViViD's chill is technically fake, Oz still wonders if it'd be enough to cause pneumonia or something...]
bonus! /does an impression of a wet noodle ....
... Ada Vessalius?!
[ Truly unreal. He stands there stricken mute for a second, eyes squinted and expression positively scandalized as the blasted droid stutters out of its inertia and zooms back to hovering at his side. Considering he loathed her general existence for just about his entire stay at Latowidge Academy, seeing her now is admittedly ... awkward.
Well. More like several degrees of uncomfortable, if he had to peg his feelings on one side of the emotional spectrum. ]
no subject
Elliot!
[Despite his consistent loathing, she's always liked Elliot. She's never once doubted her impression of him, even though he'd hardly ever shown her personally any reason to have such faith. But she knew that no matter how he acted towards her - Elliot was a good person.
So here they were again, their feelings once again very different - between his discomfort and her general happiness to see him.
Utterly ignoring for the moment the implications of the persistent bot.]
It really is you... it's good to see you.
no subject
No one could be that saintly. It was unnerving enough that she was endlessly kind despite the fact he'd done little more than insult her in turns, but considering her brother was a chip off the same block of weird, unnecessary philanthropy, he usually took everything they said with a grain of salt. ]
We're not friends. Don't call me that.
[ Elliot makes a point to maintain his distance (projecting his voice as stridently as ever), but he hasn't gone stalking off just yet, which is a marked improvement from dissing her at face-value and leaving the scene without pausing once. ]
I could be fake. How do you know I'm not just another illusion conjured up in this place? You shouldn't be so quick to believe the things you see.
no subject
Immediately following his suggestion, Ada shakes her head, closing her eyes and smiling softly. Not that he was entirely wrong - her faith could be quite misplaced at times. However, though she could be a bit airheaded at times, well... it wasn't like she didn't put thought into others.]
A fake would have no reason to point out that possibility. But also... you're Elliot. I know it.
[He might try to keep his distance, but she attempts to close the space a little - to a slightly more comfortable conversing distance.]
After all, it's not like Elliot is someone I wouldn't recognize.
[There was a lot about Elliot that was particular to him. His actions, the way he spoke. she didn't believe that those kinds of things could simply be imitated. Not and fool someone who really knew that person anyway.]
no subject
And while those traits — humility, compassion, an amiability near-magnetic in its sheer level of persuasion despite the odds — would've been worthy of lauded praise in another person, all he does is shift his stance from one foot to another, voice stilted toward peremptory exasperation. ]
To further deceive you. It wouldn't be the first time you were so easily duped. Really, someone like you shouldn't be here in the first place.
[ But if he ditches her now, he'll have that weight hung over his head, and he doesn't want to be the harbinger of frankly shitty news to Oz, who'd probably have an aneurysm on the spot if he found out Elliot left her stranded without any heed toward her safety or well-being. Elliot stubbornly sets his jaw in a clenching grimace. ]
Do you remember what you were doing before you arrived here? And more importantly — why are you here?
no subject
Even so... I don't want to use those kinds of excuses to doubt people. Is that such a bad thing?
[Being easily duped for the sake of wanting to believe in people... for her, that was something she was proud of - something she never wanted to change. Of course it meant that sometimes she would be fooled or manipulated... but it also meant that she would never deny someone the chance they deserved.]
Before this...? [She bites her lip and nods.] I remember. But I imagine I'm here for the same reason as everyone else...