phantasmemes | TEST DRIVE 004

Hello and welcome to the fourth test drive for Phantasmal Rift!

Test drive threads are assumed to be game canon for accepted characters unless otherwise noted, so don't feel like you'll have to introduce yourself a second time to everyone you meet! As an added bonus, participation in the test drive comes with the chance to earn up to two items of loot for your trouble! Characters who are accepted can earn one item for having a top level, and one for tagging out to someone else's top level! Your SWEET LOOT will be included with your acceptance notice.

Additionally, characters currently in game can earn themselves a piece of bonus loot for the dungeon by tagging people's top-levels on the test drive! Existing characters get their bonus loot along with the rest of their loot at the conclusion of the dungeon.

This test drive takes place in Keystone Reef, a water-influenced Fissure to the northeast of the station. It is home to numerous fish and coral species, as well as a very interesting magical effect...

OPTION ONE: FINNY FUN

Under the water is where you woke up, and under the water is where you might be stuck for a while. The magic is lodged in you and has changed your form -- maybe a little, maybe a lot. Perhaps you only have gills, but you may also have a full set of changes, fins and no feet to speak of. Don't panic, you'll surely be fine if you just keep swimming...

Aside from the strange changes, it's a pretty cool place to be. If you've ever dreamed about scuba diving on a coral reef, the place that you've found yourself is perfect for that (minus the needing to scuba part). Curious fish swim up and then dart away into rock crevices, coral growths, and even down to bury themselves in the layer of sand at the bottom. The water is also fairly shallow, allowing you to surface if you so desire.

Even the sharks are friendly and just want to have as much a look at you as you want to look at them. Don't harass the glowing eels tucked into cracks between the rocks, though, they bite and don't particularly let go.

OPTION TWO: WORLD'S SMALLEST JUNGLE

This must certainly be an oceanside jungle - in spite of the humidity, the smell of salt on the air is strong. Brilliant greens and the occasional bright flowers, accompanied by island birdsong... It could be a nice place to spend an afternoon. There's not even that many bugs that want to drink your blood (though bugs in general are, well, quite plentiful).

Eventually, though, however far you go, you'll reach the beach and be met with the expanse of the ocean - blue, uncaring, and real big. While one side of the little island thankfully has land visible in the distance, the outer side just overlooks a near-endless expanse of blue. If you're a very good swimmer, you could probably make your way to land past the rocks of the reef itself... Otherwise, though, you might be just a bit stuck on your jungle island paradise.

At least until someone brings a boat.

OPTION THREE: SHIPWRECK

Both above and below the waterline are the remains of ships crashed upon the rocks, just waiting to be explored. Even though it has clearly been an incredibly long time, the chunks of wood and metal are still in fairly good condition, and the chance of finding something nice tucked in with them among the rocks is surely tempting to anyone with an adventurous spirit.

The wrecks beneath the waves also grow coral and seaweed, and provide havens for larger fish, dragon eels, and sharks. Those along the rocks above the waterline, on the other hand, provide a home for seabirds of all varieties. Most notable is the hulking shell of a shipping craft in the distance, looking very much modern if ruined by some centuries of exposure...

For right now, though, you'd best contend with the flotsam a bit closer to you, and the wildlife that might not take too kindly to your exploring. Below the waterline, the dragon eels found in a few places don't take kindly to being disturbed; above, you might run afoul of some overprotective seabirds protecting their nests. Maybe even an invisible seagull (normal sized) - how ridiculous would that be?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. darling it's... not better

[This is all wrong. She should be back on Earth, specifically back in the mansion, planning their next move. Instead, she seems to be... elsewhere. And she doesn't know where. If it's even still the same world or not. And more distressingly, she's been changed.

Because the girl swimming here sure seems normal enough from the waist up, but the bottom half is... well, it's certainly a very pretty tail. But her movements are far clumsier than such a beautiful tail might suggest. The more she swims around, unsure exactly how to go where she wants, the more frustrated she begins to look.]

Stop it, no-- Ggh! [Setsuna just about hisses that complaint as her tail trashes around again instead of moving like she wants it to.] Why is this so difficult!

ii. calm waters

[Setsuna gets used to controlling this new form eventually, after some more practice. That doesn't mean she's any happier about this arrangement, but at least she's actually moving. On the outside, however, she looks perfectly pleasant, giving not a single bit of her foul mood away.

As she approaches you, she even smiles.]

Excuse me. I... fear that I'm very lost. And geography was never my strong suit, exactly. [Certainly not Earth's, anyway.] Do you have any idea where we are?

iii. fucking seagulls

[The shipwreck is, in all likelihood, unimportant. But it's the one thing that's really stood out so far, which makes it the only lead she has right now. Or that certainly seemed like an excellent idea, anyhow, until she runs into those eels.

Fine, she thinks as she retreats, she'll just try from higher up.

And, of course, as she tries to get closer to the shipwreck while keeping her head above the surface... the birds spot her. Thinking her an intruder, they descend.] Ah--! [Setsuna quickly puts her arms up defensively, but they're pretty relentless.

Someone help a girl out?]

[As Setsuna surfaced near the shore, she'd see a woman sitting, feet slightly in the water, but not nearly deep enough to set off the mermaid transformation. One dressed... very much like some sort of Evil Minion, but not one of Labyrinth's.

She glanced towards Setsuna, nodding.]

Another new person... And of course the weirdness of this place throws you on the deep end.

I'm going to start with either the biggest or the most obvious statement: You're not on your world. This place is... Kind of in between many dimensions. For reasons not yet clear, it draws people from different places together. We've got a safe area nearby, and we're working from there to try and stabilize the region so we can get home.

So, yeah, any Geography training you might have had... Probably isn't going to be a lot of help anyways.

Also, if you get completely submersed, you turn into a mermaid. I think we're working on that too? Not sure.

So... Yeah. That's the start. I'm Pidonus. You?

This is... a whole different world? Oh my... I didn't think that was even possible.

[That answers that, at least. Setsuna frowns as she considers this. So no easy method of leaving this place and getting back to where she should be, then. Damn it.]

Oh, of course, I should have introduced myself right away. My name is Setsuna. Setsuna Higashi.

I want to say it's nice to meet you, but the circumstances are a little... Well. I still appreciate the information, at least. Thank you.

Yeah, this place kinda... Sucks like that, to say the least. The logistics of such a planar instability are... Kind of insane.

Never mind the magics when you get here. Or the fact that different worlds have different technology levels and rules about how magic works, yet somehow everything works.

We're trying to make the best of it, though. Powered station, we have some stuff for entertainment... Still want to get a lute, though.

And, of course, we're working on fixing the situation enough to get home.

Ah... Magic? [So everyone is familiar with at least that much here. That's good to keep in mind.] Hmmm... It sounds like people are from all sorts of incredible worlds.

...But I'd still like to know if there's been any progress on finding a way home yet. I'm sure my friends are worried sick about me.

[More like Westar and Soular must be taking advantage of the situation and are showing her up as they speak. And that won't do.]

Not a lot, far as I know; you'll wanna chat with the station staff for updates, but I figure they're sensible enough to update people if they get really good info on that front.

Good choice, worrying about your friends, though. I don't know if we're 'pulled out' where we disappear, or it's some kind of timey-wimey thing.

[... It makes her wish she honestly had friends back home.]

... I know that if it's disappearance, my Queen is definitely worrying about me.

[... Probably only in annoyance, not that she can even think that.]

[There are many words that probably no one ever expected to apply to Arianna. One of them is "breach." That sure is what she's doing, though, revealing a very pretty tail as she launches herself right through the flock of seagulls, shielding Setsuna with her body. It's pretty awesome! It would be more awesome if she hadn't taken her armor off because it was interfering with her swimming. This occurs to her a split second after she breaks the surface, which is why on the way up she suddenly shouts "aaah!" as if she'd startled herself and covers her face.]

[And here she was, almost glad someone was here to help her. But it looks like she just managed to attract an idiot. That figures, doesn't it. She narrows her eyes a little in annoyance, but only briefly.

This is still a chance, at least. And it might be best that she makes a good impression, at least while she looks like this.

Ugh.]

H-Hold on!

[Quickly, Setsuna puts an arm around Arianna's waist and dives back down, pulling her "savior" back into the water with her. Honestly, that... was just ridiculous.]

[She's trying her best. Obviously her best didn't work out very well this time, but... she helped, right?

Well, no need to worry about that right now.]

Thank you.

[Setsuna can't quite keep herself from sighing, but she quickly turns her expression to a happier one, smiling pleasantly at Arianna.]

I should be saying that, shouldn't I? You helped me first.

[It's fine, even if underwater sighing is a little weird if you think about it.]

But you still helped me.

Of course I did. I couldn't just leave my knight in shining armor in a bind, could I?

TEST DRIVE 004

Setsuna Higashi / Eas | Fresh Precure

2: Near the surface, presumably.

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