TEST DRIVE 006

[phantasmods]

Hello and welcome to Phantasmal Rift's Test Drive Meme!

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 the Telovia Mines, an extremely abandoned magical crystal mine and the town and infrastructure that one supported it. The tunnels are in reasonably good condition and would be reasonably navigable... Except for one thing.

ONE MINOR THING

The magical effects of the Fissure cause those within it to lose something when they arrive - for most people, it's a sense such as touch or hearing, but it's also possible to lose a more esoteric sense (such as your sense of balance or temperature, but NOT things like "sense of morals" or "sense of style"), the ability to speak, or the ability to recognize faces. As a general guideline, whatever characters lose should be non-supernatural in nature, and something they would have taken for granted as a part of their ability to function.

ODDS AND ENDS

Just because the mines are empty of people doesn't mean that they've gone still. While for the most part, the carts full of crystals remain in one place, the huge amount of magic has left more than a few of the miners' abandoned tools still going through their motions. Rusted pickaxes swing at the walls, and dead lanterns swing from the ceiling. Crystals occasionally free themselves from shards of rock to pile into bins, which then empty into already-overflowing mine carts.

As long as you leave them to their jobs, everything will be fine. If you try to stop the tools (and it is the tools themselves, for anyone who might be looking for ghosts) from doing their jobs, they'll chase you down until you leave their general vicinity.

Of course, the eternally working tools don't care much about the structural integrity of the mine tunnels...

THEY ALL PILE UP

...And so, inevitably, there are cave-ins.

Most of them are fairly minor, and you can see them (well, if you can see) enough to just work around them. Some of them are big enough that you're going to have to dig through them first, if you can.

And then there's the handful that block passages entirely. But don't panic! The tunnels are designed around the possibility of this happening - rather than coming to an end, the majority of them loop back around to the main arteries of the mine.

E... ventually...

But you and whoever is stuck with you on this side of the cave-in might be wandering for quite a while before you get there. Hopefully one of you still has a sense of direction, assuming either of you ever had one in the first place.

Comments

Talcott Hester | FFXV (Camp Petoskey CRAU)

[seekingsunrise]

Not so minor
Everything is muted and distant, the weight of knives ar his waist, the tight cinch of his thigh holster. Heavy boots that he can see just fine but he can't really feel it. A vague imperssion of pressure but no real sensation. He's still in his tactical gear from the mission, black from head to toe, the Foundation logo stamped small and neat on one sleeve and embroidered on his hat.

He knows it can't be but it feels so familiar, like his body is a distant memory, not really attached to him anymore. Stumbling back to lean against the nearest wall turns into him cracking his head pretty firmly on it. There is pain there sharp and hot but he can't feel any sting, can't tell the wall is behind him until he can visually confirm he's not moving any more.

"Shit." Muttered sharply under his breath as he takes a breath and tries to figure out what the others must have let out for him to, so abruptly, be here in some sort of tunnel and unable to feel.

It can't be because of Sol. He knows that but the fear is still there, sick and heavy in his stomach.

Piling up
He's utterly fascinated by the crystals here but he's not foolish enough to touch a rock he doesn't know. Not any more. So he has one of his throwing knoves in hand, poking lightly at one of the stones. Because of that and the lack of sensation to feel the rumble of instability he ends up taken by surprise as a cloud of dirt and grit explodes out of the passage he'd just come from. The cloud of debris is nothing compared to the sound though.

Rough and loud, the grashing of stone on stone and Tal clamps his hands over his ears, even though that's never helped before. His breathing is fast and panicked and it takes a long moment for him to look up, turning around, lowering his hands as he realizes it is nothing but stone. Nothing but earth and rock and no words in the crashing of the Stone.

He never thought he'd miss the city.

not so minor

[le_mat]

It's while Tal is gathering his wits that he might hear the delicate steps of someone running nearby- someone moving fast, darting from place to place. The sound of coat tails whipping about just slightly.

Whoever it is though, they are trying very hard not to be seen... but haven't spotted Talcott himself yet, more focused on exploring.

[seekingsunrise]

He's compromised and so far as he knows this is all the side effect of some sort of SCP that they were ambushed by. So someone slinking around puts him immediately on guard.

The next dart has a knife he barely remembers drawing flicking from his fingers, a little clumsy as he can't properly feel the weight. He doesn't intend to hit the person, though. He aims for the outcropping of rock he's clearly heading for. The knife lands soundly but no matter how hard it's thrown it's not the kind of blade to embed itself in solid stone. So it clatters to the ground after bouncing off the stone directly in front of Akira.

Keep going or change direction in response to the knife thrown at you?

[le_mat]

He does neither- instead he skids to a stop with a snarl. The young man is familiar, the shaggy black hair is shorter. There's no stone fingers. He's taller and a little broader... but the eyes, those are the same.

That coat is pretty familiar too, even though he's dressed more... acceptable under it? Less like a costume and more like someone who just really liked an over the top leather coat. He turns to where the knife came from, and moves like he's going to pull a weapon- only he reaches one hand toward his other arm, like he has a sheath on his wrist normally, perhaps? Either way, there's nothing there and he groans.

"You're lucky I wasn't expecting a fight right now." He couldn't carry a gun back in Domino City, but Kaiba taught him plenty of tricks with a deck of cards that could cause a little damage. It's funny how he went for that instead of the small knife in his boot- his new home was a bad influence.

not so minor

[hairpincurves]

[If she's being entirely honest, she doesn't like this Fissure. Doesn't like these mines. It's less for having something taken away from her and more that she just... doesn't like this place.

But, well, she signed on, no backing out now. She's just making her way through the tunnels when she spots someone leaning against the wall. Nobody she recognizes... well, better make sure he's okay before launching into the newbie spiel.]

Hey... hey, are you alright?

[seekingsunrise]

[His head jerks up, bouncing against the wall again and he flinches, taking half a step away from the wall. One hand drops down to hover over a series of knives strapped to his thigh.

For a moment he hesitates, eyeing her uncertainly, appraising her outfit. Definitely not associated with the Foundation.]

Who are you?

[hairpincurves]

[Her hands fly up in what's hopefully a placating gesture, just about immediately. Whoa there, sir.]

My name's Akira Kurusu... I can give you a general rundown on what's going on?

[founderinglight]

Well, there is one bit of good news - there's light. Plenty of it.

In fact, maybe too much of it, in a shade of blue that is almost, but perhaps a hair darker than, the blue of Noctis' Armiger.

There's also a voice. "Who's there?!"

And the voice comes from a man, who is surrounded by three glowing orbs of blue light, which bob gently up and down as though they were floats on top of water. He's holding a rapier, and his face is -

Well, aside from being clean shaven, it's going to look very similar to certain newsreels from around the time of Insomnia's fall. The main difference is that the scarf around his neck is also blue, as are his (currently somewhat unfocused and cloudy) eyes. Presumably, this is the reason for the fact that under a black jacket, his shirt says "NOT ARDYN, WE'RE TWINS" in metallic blue lettering.

He's also holding an elegant, almost glowing rapier, though for right now, at least, it's pointed at the floor, away from being threatening.

[seekingsunrise]

Light is good. Light is very very very good. The blue cast to the lighting reminds him a little of the perpetual twilight of Sol's internal landscape but it was better than being plunged into darkness by far. There's a moment where Talcott's not sure how to respond. He can't very well just say he's an agent for a secret organization. Nor is it safe to give out his name to people that might recogni-

And then the words on that shirt register and he's suddenly a thousand times more confused.

"I'm not a threat." Okay that's a blatant lie but he doesn't intend to be a threat. Ardyn's twin. which means... is he... back home? Somehow?

Did he crash the van and kill them all!?

No no no that can't be right. And why would the Founder King himself be here if here was Eos?

"Your.... Majesty?" Oh it feels wrong to call anyone but Noctis that. But if anyone was deserving of the title....

[founderinglight]

Well, on the list of responses Izunia was expecting, that wasn't one, and for a moment he just blinks, unseeingly, speechless.

"...I'm retired," are the first, genius words he manages to get out, before awkwardly clearing his throat into his free hand. "That is - please, call me Izunia. You're, dare I say, a long way from home, and while I admit your voice is a touch familiar, I'm afraid I cannot place it."

[tinynightlight]

He... hates this, actually. It's been what feels like days, at this point, and Noctis isn't any closer to figuring out how to get back. The cave-in had definitely managed to do a number on his sense of direction, so... combining that with how difficult it is to figure out how long it's been, since he even got in here?

Well... that lump in his throat has only managed to grow a little more painful, as the pure frustration lurks. But, he's... not scared! He just has to keep going, is all. Ignore that sick feeling in his stomach as he painfully wishes that his dad and Ignis were here.

... Although, that sure is a person's voice! He's quickly looking in the direction he just heard it coming from. There's no hesitation to move closer, but there is hesitation to make himself visible. It's very slowly he peeks out from behind the cart. Are they... hurt?

Needless to say, that's the question that has him moving out, and then walking right up to the random adult, voice quiet but definitely filled with concern, "Are you okay?"

omg bb!Noct

[seekingsunrise]

Whatever Tal might have expected it was not a child. Younger than Boa and Mitsuru, even. Younger than Sol.

Talcott drops down to one knee to put himself closer to his level, not trusting himself to bend over and maintain his balance when he can't feel his feet. He offers a weak smile, looking just as worried as Noctis sounds.

"I'm fine, buddy. What about you?" How had he gotten here. And Astrals help them if he finds out the Foundation is responsible for this.

smol and concerned!!!

[tinynightlight]

He's stepping back as the guy bends down, giving him space. He's possibly looking more than ready to try reaching out to support the stranger's weight (because, yes, this would surely go over well), if needed. There's a tensing of his brow as he gives a pretty decisive nod in response to the question.

"I'm okay," he starts, squinting his eyes just the tiniest bit; it's not even a second later, he's following up with, "Are you sure you're okay? You didn't sound so fine, earlier."

piling up

[burninglight]

"...Well, that's a problem. Not hurt, are you?"

A potentially familiar man all in black and gray carrying a flame in his hand seemed...less than concerned about the cave-in and slightly more about Talcott, glancing from the latter to the former with a small frown. Much as he'd changed, he was still almost unmistakable as the Chancellor of Niflheim--except dressed halfway like a normal person and casually using elemental magic. As one did.

[seekingsunrise]

"It is." His voice is a little shaky, still trying to shake the ringing threat the sound of those stones had him expecting.

It's not Sol, it's not Sol, it's okay

"Fine... I'm fine. Just... startled that's all." It isn't until he's taken another couple of steadying breaths that he finally tears his gaze away from the rocks to actually look at Ardyn and then hazel eyes go wide and there's another of his throwing knives in hand before he's even realized he's drawn it. Backed into a corner with an unstable wall at his back is hardly the best situation.

Still he's not trying to be threatening just on guard now. "You!"

SLAMS INTO (not so minor!)

[promittere]

It's the sound that alerts him - another person who has arrived here and found themselves robbed of something they would not have expected to lose. There's so many of them, that Ignis has found himself venturing out, even though it's strange and disorienting.

Hopefully, at least, there's nothing he needs to be wary of because he can't smell it. He already can't see anything.

"Are you alright?" he asks as he steps towards the boy? man? The voice is...familiar but not in the slightest, and it unsettles him. He looks younger than Talcott will remember Ignis being - by about ten years, though the scarring is definitively present.

!!!

[seekingsunrise]

"Ignis!!!" The sheer enthusiasm in his name might make it easier to recognize the boy in the man in front of him. And the fact that, there isn't even a moment of shuffling to indicate steps taken. One moment he's a respectable distance away and literally the next breath Talcott is throwing his arms around Ignis.

And he can't really feel it.

It's so similar to the weeks he spent alone and so distantly attached to his own body that between seeing Ignis again for the first time in long long months and the nauseatingly numb feelings his body is conveying it's all he can do not to cry right then and there.

Registering that this is not the Ignis he remembers is so not even on his radar right now.

not minor

[plentyfriendly]

Phi is cautious but not especially hesitant. She can feel something different, too, but she isn't sure just what yet.

"Are you lost?"

[seekingsunrise]

Talcott looks over to her, hand hovering over his knives but she doesn't look particularly threatening... yet. Mitsuru didn't look threatening either but he could wreck most of them.

"Something like that." Because that's not a vague or suspicious answer. "Have you seen any one else dressed like me?"

If he's the only one that ended up here from whatever portal they went through... that's going to be incredibly inconvenient.

not so minor

[bloodyashes]

And in the time that Talcott has been distracted, someone has approached - footsteps the kind of loud that's intentionally choreographing location, a nonverbal I'm not trying to sneak up on you even before the other teen looks in is direction. He's dressed in dark clothes, though significantly less modern in style, except for the high modern boots he's wearing. The rest is an ensemble of tunic-over-tights from the neck down, in blacks and dark greys, making the boy's long, bright red hair stick out all the more. It's held back in a loose pun with some kind of thin sticks.

There's a sword strapped to his belt, too, but Asch is careful to keep his hands away from it and in sight. He knows those kinds of motions, was trained in those kinds of motions, can recognize when someone his age is more dangerous than they should be. "I don't mean any harm," he starts with, voice even. "Did you hit your head?"

[seekingsunrise]

There are so many small things in the way Asch approaches that Tal appreciates but doesn't even realize. Especially with how many times he's nearly killed or knocked out his friends because of reflexes he can't stop.

Even with the warning of his footsteps and the intentionally nonthreatening body language Talcott's hand still drops to the series of throwing knives strapped to his thigh, fingers on one hilt before he really registers what he's doing. It's so deeply ingrained, especially in these tunnels that are so like the places he's used to exploring with Ignis, and now in a vulnerable state because he can't feel what's under his fingers properly.

It takes a moment for the words to catch up with his brain and then he nods, testing to make sure his vision doesn't swim or his ears ring just as much as to acknowledge the question. "Not hard enough to do any damage, at least."

Not that he'd be able to feel it if he was bleeding or anything.

whispers i'm not sorry (not so minor!)

[thegoofball]

[There's a familiar face with Tal, at least - in a unfamiliar outfit. Lance stands taller than he would have, thanks to the heels he's wearing, but he's still undeniably Lance.

He also looks incredibly concerned, watching Talcott stumble.]

Hey.

[Don't mind him getting closer, Talcott.]

You alright?

how dare you murder him like this

[seekingsunrise]

[He registers the voice before the face, immediately relaxing when he hears Lance. Everything will be okay if Lance is here too, it always is. Except-]

Are you okay!? [Hurried and he finally opens his eyes, hand dropping away from where he'd been trying to rub that bump. Panicked and hurried, one hand moving to catch Lance's arm before he even registers the differences.

Because instead of fussing over the potential of a bullet embedded in his arm Talcott yanks his hand back as though he's been burned, face immediately flushing bright red and looking... almost scared?

So much so that he spins around to look at the wall instead. Definitely safer that way.]

LANCE!!

What the hell are you wearing!?

Piling Up, I did say I'd do this

[byanyother_name]

[He hates how unstable these tunnels are. Kurama has no doubt it's the fault of the tools running completely unsupervised for all this time, but that doesn't make it any less of a mess. He emerges from a different tunnel, hands over his own ears, in time to see the unfamiliar young man with the panic attack.

Damn it. What an introduction. He doesn't speak until after the noise has faded enough to be heard.]

I know the way out of the caves. I can lead you somewhere safer, if you want. Are you alright?

awesome~

[seekingsunrise]

[The noise dies down and that is clearly the part that is giving Talcott issues. It takes him a long moment to eve realized Kurama is there, seeming to be expecting the voice to have come from somewhere else, someone else. Having a physical source for the words eases some of the tension out of him.]

I'm... I'm okay. [Just scared, no big deal.]

You're familiar with-? [A vague gesture to the mine as a whole and he begins to move closer to the redhead, his uncertainty about other people taking a back seat for the moment if it means getting the hell out of here.]