Fourth TDM: Winter's breath

[upcyclingmod]

Welcome to the Test Drive Meme.
| Premise | FAQ | Full Navigation | Rules | Reserves |

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!

Comments

Tsubakiko Harumiya | Iwaihime

[kikochan]

[ ooc: Tsubakiko comes from Iwaihime, which is a recently-translated horror novel that contains a lot of triggering content, so I'd recommend checking Tsubakiko's content warnings in case there's anything you want to opt-out of. I'll be trying to avoid spoilers when I can, and I'll always warn for them & for triggering content, but please tread carefully if there's anything you want to avoid! ]

ARRIVAL

[ This… isn’t her bed. ]

Huh??

[ As Tsubakiko realises that she doesn’t recognize where she is… she slowly begins to panic.

This isn’t another one of her weird daydreams, is it? It’s hard to say. Just like how a dream always feels real when you’re in it, it’s possible that despite how real all this feels, she’ll wake up in a few minutes to find it was nothing but a dream…

Yeah, it has to be a dream, doesn’t it? One second, she’d been lying down in her bed, and now she’s on a couch, in a room she doesn’t know at all. There’s no other explanation for how she’d be here! Unless she’s been… kidnapped…

Tsubakiko tries to swallow down her growing fear and looks around. At least she’s not tied down, and the room itself looks pretty harmless… It’s fine! Everything’s fine!!

But as she spots you standing there, she practically jumps out of her skin in surprise. ]

W-w-w-who are you!?

START OF WINTER

[ Tsubakiko sighs as she shovels another heap of snow over her shoulder.

It’s funny, the fact that she’s doing community service, even here. Seems like the saying is true… the more things change, the more they stay the same. But there’s a stark contrast between the work she’s doing here and the work she did back home – that being that this time, she’s alone. None of her friends are here, and Suzumu is gone… It’s only natural that she’d feel lonely, isn’t it? Especially since she doesn’t know if she’ll ever get to see them again…

…No, she mustn’t think like that! A depressed attitude won’t help anyone, and it certainly won’t bring her back home. If she wants to see Suzumu again, she’s just going to have to find a way back to him herself! She won’t give up! ]

Yeah!! [ And with a loud cheer, Tsubakiko starts to shovel with renewed energy… only to lose her footing and slip right back onto the snow. ]

Waaaaaah!!

[ Ouch. That really, really hurts… It takes her a moment to recover, but when she does, she spots someone looking down on her from above, and blushes. So someone had seen her making a fool of herself… ]

Ahh… I'm sorry you had to see that.

CONFESSION NETWORK

I love snowball fights! But really, doesn’t everyone? There’s no beating the fun you can have on a cold winter day with a few friends!

But it’s nice to curl up inside by the fireplace with your beloved, too… not that I’ve ever gotten to do that, but! I can dream, right?

1

[keichan]

[ It's been a few months since Keiichi first showed up in this very house himself, and he's gotten kind of used to living there now. This place will never truly feel like home, but having his friends around definitely helps. So, he's started to get accustomed to it and even settled into a daily routine.

He thinks this will be a day just like any other, and he walks into his living room dressed in a simple, red t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, having just rolled out of bed not a few minutes earlier. He's still a little sleepy, which is probably why he doesn't think anything of the strange girl sitting on his couch at first, writing it off as either some sort of hallucination or his roommate.

Until she talks, startling him out of his trance. He jumps into a recoiled position, arms flailing blindly for the nearby light switch on the wall. ]

Gaaaaah! W-Where'd you come from?!?

[ He finally manages to hit the light. This is the first time someone else has shown up in his house that he's aware of, so he's taken a bit off guard. ]

[kikochan]

I-I don't know! I have no idea!

[ Keiichi's yelp only startles Tsubakiko in turn, causing her to yell right back at him at the top of her lungs. Her answer may be... unhelpful, but it's true, okay!? ]

I was just lying down on my bed, and then suddenly I was here! I have no idea what's going on!

[ There's a whine to her voice that makes it almost sound like she's going to break out in tears. But instead, she suddenly stills, taking a deep breath and sighing as she attempts to calm down. Once she's down, she speaks again. ]

I'm sorry...

[keichan]

[ Great, now he feels bad. Especially because he thinks he knows what might've happened. He frowns, rubbing the back of his head, and thinks to himself for a second. ]

You just showed up here all of a sudden? Then I think I know what happened.

[ He walks over to an armchair not far from the couch and sits down in it, resting his elbows on his knees and slumping forward with a sympathetic expression on his face. ]

We're all on an island called Lighthouse Isle, in a town called South Sister. None of us are from here originally, but we all showed up here suddenly, just like you did.

[kikochan]

Huh?

[ Lighthouse... Isle? South Sister? Neither name sounds familiar to Tsubakiko, but... ]

So you do know what's going on? ...How did I get here?

[ While she's still flustered, Tsubakiko seems a lot calmer than she was a moment ago. But she's staring at Keiichi intently, desperately hoping that he'll have all the answers she's looking for. Like how to get home, for one! ]

[keichan]

[ Sadly, he doesn't have many good answers. He deflates at her question, wishing he had something he could tell her that would help her, but sadly, he doesn't. ]

We all got taken here from different places. Some people even got taken from different times, or even different realities altogether. And none of us have figured out how to get home.

[ He looks down, his hands fidgeting with his lap. ]

I'm one of the lucky ones. When I got here, most of my friends were here, too. One of them is even living in this house with me.

[kikochan]

Wait, different times? Different realities? Is something like that even possible?

[ Tsubakiko's expression makes it clear just how shocked she is. Surely, that can't be right?? But... it's not like she knows how she got here to begin with...

After a moment, she sighs, exhausted, and puts her head in her hands. ]

This is all so much to take in...

[keichan]

I didn't want to believe it at first, but you'll know what I mean when you see some of the people who are here. And to make things even worse, this place can be pretty dangerous, too.

[ He's seen strange things, but so far, most of what he's seen has been unusual or unreal rather than outright dangerous. He also knows he's been one of the lucky ones, though. ]

So, it's probably a good idea not to go exploring unfamiliar places on your own. The town seems to be pretty safe, but... it's a little messed up, too.

[kikochan]

[ Well, that's... worrying. Tsubakiko gulps, and once more hopes that this place is just another nightmare. Maybe this one just has a subtler start than the rest... ]

Okay... [ She agrees, deciding that it's probably best to be careful. She's not invincible, after all.

She's silent for a moment before speaking again. ]

What do you mean by dangerous? ...What kind of things have happened here?

[keichan]

Well... I don't want to scare you too much. But for instance... there were mermaids. And not the kind who you'd see in a fairy tale, but actual monsters that were trying to drown people. That's just an example of some of the things that have shown up.

[ He gives her an earnest, sympathetic smile. He knows it's a lot to take in, but she's handling it as well as can be expected right now. ]

But if we stick together, then they have a harder time getting to us. So don't fall into despair, alright?

[kikochan]

M-mermaids?

[ That's... hard to take in. First it was traveling between different worlds and times, and now mermaids?

It's... well, to be honest, it's a little unbelievable. Should she really be believing this guy so easily? He seems nice enough, but isn't it far more likely that she really has just been kidnapped? ]

That's... hard to imagine... [ Tsubakiko manages to reply, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. She doesn't want to say that she doesn't believe him, but it's hard to know what to think. ]

1; also i'm good with spoilers + cws as necessary

[sononizaki]

[Mion herself winds up looking rather surprised when she sees someone else in the room that she doesn't recognize - she's still waking up which is why her hair is still down and a mess, although she's still in her school uniform.

...at least she isn't armed?]

I-I-I should be the one asking that question...!

awesome, ty! (* ^ ω ^)

[kikochan]

Huh? That's not an answer!

[ Tsubakiko yells back on impulse, before her brain has really caught up with her and registered that Mion seems just as confused as she is. Once it does, she calms down a little, though her heart is still hammering away in her chest at high speeds. Just what is going on here!? ]

I'm Harumiya Tsubakiko... [ her voice is a little softer, now - a little more hesitant. ] I don't know how I ended up here at all, though. Are you the one who brought me here?

Re: awesome, ty! (* ^ ω ^)

[sononizaki]

Oi, oi, oi... you can't say that when you suddenly pop into the house I'm staying at.

[Mion seems to relax a little bit even if she's still slightly caught off guard by the whole ordeal.]

I'm Sonozaki Mion, leader of the temporary games club! Anyway... I wasn't. And before you say anything else, nobody else staying here brought you here.

[kikochan]

This is your house?

[ Momentarily distracted, Tsubakiko is surprised to find that she actually feels a bit embarrassed about that. Which is ridiculous, because it's only natural that anyone would make a scene in these circumstances, right!?

She's also not sure why Mion is bringing up a games club, but that's not really what's important right now. Priorities, priorities!

Still freaking out a little, Tsubakiko replies- ]

Then how did I get here!? Ahhh....

[sononizaki]

...Well, it's more like - temporary living arrangements than my actual house.

[Just like how her club is temporary. Besides, she kind of brought up her role as a club leader in order to show that she has...some sort of merit, somewhere. It's better than just giving a simple name, when you're trying to get to know someone.]

Sorry, this old man doesn't know how you got here, but we're kinda in the same boat. Eheh.

[kikochan]

[ "This old man?" That's certainly a strange way for a girl to refer to herself, Tsubakiko thinks, and the confusion probably shows on her face. She doesn't say anything about it, though.

Instead, she gives a long sigh, before looking up and meeting Mion's eyes again with a defeated expression. ]

So you don't know what's going on either, huh...

[sononizaki]

[It's definitely strange, but don't worry about it.]

...Unfortunately not right now, but I plan on learning more, of course.

[One of the others might know more than she does at the moment, given that she's been more focused on protecting herself and the others she cares about.

[kikochan]

I guess that's all we can do... But you've been here for longer than me, right?

[ Since she's staying in this house and all. ]

Surely you must know at least a little?

[sononizaki]

... Yeah, but not that much longer? It's just a few month difference. I do know that there have been weird things happening in town, like weird ghostly creatures and monsters around.

[kikochan]

A-a-a few months!?

[ Strange, how it's that part she focuses on and not, y'know, the monsters and ghosts. But even a few months is a long time to be essentially kidnapped away from your friends and family. Tsubakiko tries to imagine not seeing her parents for that long... not seeing Suzumu... and her eyes suddenly become wet with tears.

But then she registers the rest of what Mion's said. ]

Wait, monsters and ghostly creatures? You're... joking, right? You have to be. Ahaha, what a funny joke...

Start of Winter

[quietblueflame]

[ Sorry Tsubakiko but Rena sees all of that from a slight difference. She doesn't come over to help right away, though. Instead her cheeks turn a light red. ]

Haaauuuu she fell over onto her butt... how cute~!

[ Ah right... she shakes her head to snap out of it before she enters full "cute" mode to come over to help. It'd be rude to make a comment like that about a stranger and not come over to help them. She smiles as she approaches and holds out her hands to her. ]

Are you hurt?

[kikochan]

[ At Rena's comment, Tsubakiko blushes even more, and it's not long before she turns as red as a beet. Ahhhh, how embarrassing! ]

I-I'm totally fine! But thank you!

[ And taking Rena's hands, she pulls herself up off the ground. She does wince a little as she stands, feeling a spike of pain shoot through her body, but it doesn't seem to be anything serious. ]

Silly me, falling over like that... I need to be more careful!

[quietblueflame]

[ Rena helps her to her feet, and her head tilts a little when she sees Tsubakiko flinch. Must of been worse of a fall than she thought, but at least she seems okay now. ]

It's hard not to slip in weather like this!

[ Yet here she was thinking it was cute. ]

Did ya want some help with clearing some snow? Did ya?

[kikochan]

Ahaha...

[ Tsubakiko laughs, still a little embarrassed. But at least Rena understands! ]

Oh, sure! That would be very, very helpful. Thank you!