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pedalbike2020-11-24 06:53 pm
upcyclingmod) wrote in 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!
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!
no subject
Wow, guess I've been missing out.
[Even though Ezra's words aren't terribly reassuring, it still suffices to do something of the job in it's own way.]
Eventually. [He opts, because 'probably' leaves too much open. There's a slight pause when he's asked about who trained him, but he doesn't balk from talking about his master. In a way, he feels this too is a part of the test.]
My master was Jaro Tapal.
[He watches for recognition of some sort, anything really. In his own way he's trying not to 'freak out' about being able to touch base with a Jedi closer to his age. The one he traveled with had renounced the Force, and the other he'd come across had fallen hard in his lust for power.]
no subject
Cal's situation he assumes is more similar to his own. After all, he doesn't expect anyone to recognize his master's name.]
Mine was Kanan Jarrus. Although I guess your master probably knew him as Caleb Dume. He was a padawan when... you know.
no subject
He was a Lasat, really tall. Well, I guess everyone was pretty tall to me back then.
[The name of Kanan Jarrus certainly isn't a familiar one. Caleb Dume however does have him lift his head.]
Wait, Caleb? [He frowns a second as he tries to recall names.] Under Master Billaba, right? I didn't know him well, but we were about the same age, both padawans during...yeah.
[Though training new Jedi? Ouch. Caleb had been being a lot more useful as a Jedi than he has these past years.]
no subject
Right. [he answers, except then what Cal's saying starts to make no sense at all. He figured this Jaro guy had escaped too, but if Cal's the same age as Kanan then-]
Um. How long has it been since... since the Clone Wars ended?
no subject
It's...been five years.
[Shouldn't Ezra know this? Cal looks at him, head tilting slightly.]
no subject
[And he looks to be about that same age coincidentally.]
Kanan- I mean, Caleb, was in his thirties when he trained me. So... yeah.
no subject
[The padawan takes a step back as this sinks in, an impossible thing to believe, but Ezra has been telling the truth thus far as he can tell. Cal shakes his head slowly.]
So you're... You're from the future? But how..?
[He knows this place is strange, but to even transcend time aside from space?]
no subject
[He shrugs, though, somehow not as shaken by this revelation.]
A lot of things are possible through the Force. Think about it, people here are from all over, right? It makes sense they could be from different time periods too, but I hadn't really considered that til now.
no subject
[And really, why wouldn't it be possible through the Force? To a degree time could already be slowed, although it was more a matter of perception. This place and how it works is still something so beyond his understanding.]
It's not right, whatever this place is. It's some kind of interference. Maybe that's why the Force feels so strange here.
[He sighs, and then glances over at BD-1 who's been patiently sitting in the snow watching the two converse.]
Sorry buddy. Didn't forget about you. How's that foot?
no subject
[he says with a smile to BD-1, almost wishing Chopper was here too before realizing that no, that'd be very bad.]
Still... it's good to know that someone else is out there, in any time. I was starting to worry I might be the last Jedi.
no subject
Good thing exploration droids are built tough. Let's see then.
[Cal laughs as he kneels beside the droid to try picking at the frosty tangyuan. So far, so good. As he works he nods at Ezra. It's a relief knowing that, even when he had a feeling there had to be, just some solid proof...]
...me too. After the war, I was alone. I waited for word from the Council, thought maybe we'd regroup, storm Coruscant together, something.
...but I never heard anything from anyone. I just hid, because I knew if the Empire found me, that'd be it.
no subject
[At the very least, they looked cuter. Maybe his past efforts learning binary would actually be worth something.]
As far as I know, there's me... Master Yoda... and Master Kenobi. They're both still in hiding, though, and don't want anything to do with the war.
no subject
[BD-1 borbles happily, looking proud despite his current position.]
I don't know if I'd have gotten this far without him. He's been the first real friend I've made in...a long while.
[Cal releases the droid's foot finally, and after trying to inspect it himself, BD-1 rotates both his legs so that he's standing again. He shakes off snow and then bounces around Cal, then Ezra.
Cal grins and gets back up, dusting off his knees. His smile freezes at the names mentioned, fading into a thoughtful expression.]
Master Yoda's alive? I'm not surprised. He's always been amazing. I'm glad one of the council is at least still out there. And Master Kenobi...I saw his message- five years later.
[He's relieved to know there are still some Jedi yet alive. At the same time he feels... He's not sure. Disappointed? But then they had gone and done what he had, hidden themselves away. He can't really blame them for wanting no part with what's going on now, but at the same time, he wonders how they can ignore it.]