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upcyclingmod ([personal profile] upcyclingmod) wrote in [community profile] pedalbike2020-11-24 06:53 pm
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Fourth TDM: Winter's breath


Welcome to the Test Drive Meme.
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As a quick note: This will be the last TDM and Application Round of the year! Have fun everyone!

Arrival



Not all characters (known as Wickie, singular or Wickies, plural) arrive at the same time, surprisingly enough! That’s life for you. Some Wickies find their way to the island at a pivotal (or very mundane) point in their life, or even after or during their death.

Wickies who were standing or walking often find themselves entering the town South Sister, located on Lighthouse Isle, through an open doorway. Those that were laying down, or sleeping, tend to be found lying prone in beds, bathtubs, showers, couches, and similar places within the cottages on Cottage Row. There’s no rhyme or reason to it all! To Wickies familiar with the era, they will realize that everything looks as if it’s come from the ‘90s.

The house which a Wickie finds themselves within could already be occupied. This includes walking into a fellow Wicke, waking up in the same location, or accidentally scaring a room full of people with their sudden appearance.

Oops.

Start of Winter

Thankfully things have more or less dried out, for the seasons are already changing. Or at least, the weather is, and with it...comes snow.

The grass on the island is covered, various trees lose the last of their leaves, the sand becomes crunchy, and even a portion of the ocean water becomes frozen solid. (Take THAT, water!). And with it, Wickies wake up at their feet (or suddenly in their hands if they don’t sleep) warm clothing and various ways to keep warm- or at least keep the cold from messing with their joints!

And with it, there are snow shovels and boots that are set out neatly by the door. It seems more snowk is expected, and foot protection is more important than ever. While it is possible for some (those who are not infected by the Silence at least) to use the teleporter to get from town to their homes, there are pathways that need to be cleared for everyone.

It might be a good time to offer a helping hand! Especially with some Wickies who are snowed into their homes.

Or it could be a good time to use the shovels to gather snow for snow ball fights, snow forts, and similar winter activities. The nice thing about the winter shovels is that they’ll have them for a few months.

Too bad the ground is nearly frozen solid, and these particular shovels are not good for digging into the ground.


Frosty Protections

While there may be the snow and the quiet that’s coming in, there are other things that are coming into the island too. There are tables that linger day or night, which have tangyuan. Some in the shape of various animals, and some of them that are simply balls of colored dough. They are edible, and thankfully they don’t have a negative consequence to eating them (unlike the mooncakes from before) but there are written instructions, which also proclaim outloud to a Wickie if they linger for awhile:

“For the use of protective talismans! Stick it on your chair, your door, your window!”

Interestingly enough, they do seem to work. Wickies who are Silence infected are repelled by them, feeling uneasy and nauseous around them and touching the tangyuan even with covered hands will cause a burning sensation.

Infected Wickies who eat the treats...they’re in for a rough time. Really rough.

There are also little tables with various drinks, some being fruit juice, sparkling fruit juice, champagne and of similar ilk- but not ever with water. That’s just bad luck after everything.

The inscription for this table, which is again read out loud, “Toast to others health”

Picking up the cups, they will be unable to drop it, and the fluid will refill in the Wickie’s cup until they find someone to toast to- whether it’s in humor or in earnestness.

For the next twelve hours after the toast is made, even if the drink is not drunk after, the Wickie toasted will find they will have better luck in that subject, whether it is in health, love, or friendship, or just in general.

The same applies if Wickies toast together to a group of people as well.


Of hooves and horns

The strangest thing of all isn't the sweet rice balls, nor is it the smell of evergreens heavy in the air. Instead, it's the masks set to everyone, and the ruckus music that thrums through the air, deep into the night.

The masks are of a haggard old woman, well worn and aged, and that of a man with horns and facial hair similar to a goat.

There are different effects when it comes to the masks, both happening at night with the music starts.

Wickies wearing the devilish mask find themselves wearing a ragged fur suit, prancing in the streets, ready to whip other Wickies whose behavior has been suspect or bad as of late. Finding the wicked and punishing them is an impulse, neigh impossible to ignore. And, too, there is a sense of wicked glee when they do punish someone with their reeds and whips. Krampus masked Wickies thankfully can be pacified with rum or brandy. They'll need the help of another to pull of the mask. But once it's off, the costume vanishes, and the chagrin of what happened ( or the satisfaction) follows.

Wickies wearing the woman’s mask will find that they’re not trying to scare people, but instead, they find themselves loping in and out of the crowds, searching, scanning, for certain people, all the while wearing ragged clothing, and often a scarf on their now ratty, graying hair.

It’s with a sickening horror that Wickies will realize there is something in the mask that is watching through the mask itself, and is nodding to itself far away and writing their names on a list.

And it’s not Santa Claus.

The Wickie’s wearing the old woman’s mask can be distracted by scattering seeds or threads in front of them- one inducing a true distraction to count and pick up the seeds, and a rage that comes over that of wasted thread.

Seeds make it easier to pull off the mask, and thankfully popcorn counts as a seed! But thread...well, it is a distraction too, but one that can lead to violent consequences. It might mean some rounds of bait and switching until the mask is taken off.

And that’s when the Wickie who had been wearing the mask realizing the list is of ‘bad’ Wickies, But…

how bad could they be?

Confession network

Yet again, the phone goes off. Doesn’t look like it’s anybody in town, but it’s that weird, cheesy app called The Heart Game. And it’s persistent, too: it doesn’t want to be ignored, making a series of beeps and chirps, much like a pet that wants attention.

The message that pops up is as follows:

We’re back! It’s the time for everyone's favorite game- Confession! So beloved users, our question is:

What do you love about winter? Is it the nip on your nose? The hot drinks? Playing in the snow? Tell us!
kickchicken: (pic#12529233)

Winter

[personal profile] kickchicken 2020-11-25 02:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[Filo was rarely serious. She was too young for that. Too young and too used to being being unstoppable. Very little could slow down a creature that was overjoyed at seeing a dragon... Because she could eat it.

But this white stuff. That made big fucking bird lean and narrow her eyes at it. Sharp talons raking across as she mumbled about food. Poofy feathers too thick to feel most of the chill. Then after a few beakfuls of snow it happens. Something cold! And wet! On her butt!

She leaps, feathers on end as she flapped her small wings. ]


Fweeeee-!

[To find nothing? The wings lowered, until they were held in front of Filo. She box. Once she spots her attacker...

... Okay gonna start kicking up the piles a snow. They're hiding aren't they? She'll find them! And then... She'd kick? Or eat... She was pretty hungry. ]
Edited 2020-11-25 14:19 (UTC)
brushy: (pic#3803165)

[personal profile] brushy 2020-11-25 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ what a large bird. an emu? ahmi didn't know for sure, and mind she's seen plenty of exotic birds in her many lifetimes. the wolf watches on as she sits in the snow as a simple watcher (she makes it seem, her tail beginning to leisurely sway behind her enough to brush some powdery snow away.

she stands on all fours, brings her tail high, and puffs out a ruff. hello. is it me you are looking for?. i hope you read that in song, because ahmi thought it. ]
kickchicken: (pic#14481643)

1/2

[personal profile] kickchicken 2020-11-29 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[So big, like a horrible cross between a emu and an owl. So many long fluffy feathers. Enough that a whole teenage could hide in them and go sleep. The bird's big blue eyes looked down at the dog.

Logically to most people a dog wouldn't be able to throw a snow ball but...]</small
kickchicken: (pic#14481651)

[personal profile] kickchicken 2020-11-29 01:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[Filo was not people, she was a Filorial. And those pink and yellow tipped feathers fanned out, her head giving a bop at the strange dog. The funny marks earning no reactions from the 'holy bird', she'd fought too many strange monsters to think much of it.

Instead those bright blue eyes narrowed into an almost comical glare on that big fuzzy face.]


You-! How dare you!

[Very intimidating. The high pitched voice from a very large creature as she fluffed her feathers up to loom. Squaring up.]
brushy: (pic#7279417)

[personal profile] brushy 2020-11-30 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh, yes! yes, she's been such a naughty girl. would the bird care to bring her punishment? ahmi is ready. ready and acting like she isn't the one being sized up— the wolf even gives a yawn and looks elsewhere, to the side. up, maybe?

the bird's tail feathers will suddenly be covered in pitch black ink. ]
kickchicken: (pic#14481643)

[personal profile] kickchicken 2020-12-03 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
[The yawn only made that sharp beak loom closer as the bird took a little step closer. Trying to scare. As though that would make it clearer how much bigger she were. Then Birdy McBirdbrain's round head tipped, following the wolf's gaze. What you looking at huh? HUH?

Ammy... Ammy this may have been a bad idea. Because the bird, the bird with the already high pitched voice starts fucking screeching. So much squawking as she started to flap her wings. Head turning from side to side, body twisting and feet stamping as she tried to look at her butt. She felt goop again. Her feathers were sticking and not fanning out properly???]
brushy: (pic#7236743)

[personal profile] brushy 2020-12-04 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ayyyy it's a party! perfect. excellent. ahmi is ready to join in on the wrecking fun she's caused (???) and is by word ready to zoom by the bird in a ecstatic, playful lope through the snow and back. she'd shortstop eventually into a crouch that touched her belly to the ground, her bottom tipping up slightly, her maw closed and eyes wide—

until she dashed again. if you'd like to catch her, so be it! ]
kickchicken: (pic#14481649)

[personal profile] kickchicken 2020-12-04 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[For a moment, the large bird was busy trying to look at her tail. Then she sees movement by her feet and she's jumping a foot into the air wings flapping, kicking up a small breeze at the wolf.

Then she's charging, giving another little jump as she got closer and charging again. Squawking the whole way. Birds. She was quick though, there was a reason her kind were used instead of horses.]


Hey, get back here! [The big birb would just keep getting close then hopping. Showing the sharp talons on strong scaled legs.] What you doing? Are you being mean to Filo? [Ah yes, asking. As though she'd get an honest answer.]