Test Drive Meme #2

[spoofer]

Test Drive #2

I saw a flower, furrow, and brook

New TDMers are free to RP here as if "new" or "established;"
"new" is likely easier to keep in continuity after apping.

When gameplay begins, the second wave will have
their own intro plot and crash log!

CREATURES IN THE DARK

Far away from the city, the wall of light that is F.A.T.E.S. seems calm, glowing peacefully. You’re on an evening walk through the city, or maybe on a camping trip in the woods, or maybe on a romantic date on the beach; whatever it is, you’re outdoors, enjoying the apparent peace and quiet, for once.

That is, until you hear a noise. It’s a rustle, or a step, a branch breaking underfoot, a heavier sound than a human would make. And that’s when you find yourself faced with one of the many Xistentia critters: the Green Backed Bison. She's massive, with small horns and a broad, mossy back, a small calf at her side. She does not appear to want to charge you^[1], but that might change, depending on what you decide to do! Either approach it, run away, or go into aggressive mode; how will you react to being introduced to the incredible fauna of Xistentia?

Glitch in the City

The city of Xistentia now boasts a population of over 200 sentient souls! Congratulations on surviving your apocalypse, now feel free to enjoy the city and outlying forest. Today, a number of local businesses are open, including the local tailor, our diner Pop's Chocklit Shop, and Sue's Salads. For now, the only bar and lounge is the atrium of the Citadel, the outpost overlooking the sea. It's a lovely day to be out and about.

But at midday, the rendering errors begin. New arrivals, those who came into Xistentia since the second crash find themselves subject to a bizarre phenomenon, where a holographic projection seems to be floating above their head! It contains data about the character's marital status, preferences for fun and dating activities, and pet peeves... and perhaps embarrassingly, it isn't necessarily accurate.

As your daemon will explain the glitch is easy enough to fix! You can either move 100 yards from the location where it began, or another character can remove it for you by touching the graphic.

RENDERING ERROR #285
Preferred Alias: F.A.T.E.S. McWeirdo
Marital Status: Hateboning Nemesis
Preferred Dating Activity: Creating new universes, maintaining the equilibrium of the multiverse, organizing temporal divergences/alternate universes, restoring damage inflicted by D.E.S.T.I.N.Y.
Other Enjoyable Activity: DJing music
Pet Peeves: Unfiltered tap water, gluten-fee pasta, unscheduled apocalypses

Optional Code
<br /><center><div style="background: url('http://i.imgur.com/YZTsdyA.gif') no-repeat; background-size: 100% auto; width: 680px; margin: auto"><br /><div style="background: url('http://i.imgur.com/m5GzmXX.png'); width: 80%; padding: 15px 15px 15px 15px; margin: auto; border: 1px dotted #d10045; text-align: left; font-size: 11px"><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace; vertical-align: middle"><center><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 3px; font-weight: normal; text-transform: uppercase; color: #D10045"><b>Rendering Error #285</b></span></center> <b">Preferred Alias:</b> ** ALIAS ** <b>Marital Status:</b> Married/Single/Taken/Available/It's Complicated/Random GIF <b>Preferred Dating Activity:</b> ** List of activities ** <b>Other Enjoyable Activity:</b> ** List of activities ** <b>Pet Peeves:</b> ** List of pet peeves **</div><br /></div></center>

GAME NIGHT

At 6 p.m., your Daemon starts making noise - a software update is being installed. It lasts for a few minutes, your Daemon mainly unresponsive if you attempt to make it do anything else than upload the data F.A.T.E.S. is sending it. Afterwards, it resumes acting as normal as it did before the update, but if you ask it, your Daemon will tell you:

Upgrade was installed for entertainment and integration purposes; Hangman.exe was installed.

Launch the application, and you will be given a match against one of your fellow citizens who also decided to join the game. On your holoscreen is a rudimentary, simple game of Hangman, as well as a chat window to taunt your opponent if you so choose. However, it becomes clear that F.A.T.E.S. has no idea what she's doing... the first word is 16 letters long, and she has pre-filled in the letters Z, C, and Q.

It's a good day to complain about technology, or start a new game afresh.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

hells yeah

Footnotes

1. Note any violence or injury in your subject headers, thank you.

Comments

[helical]

I get that one. I know the song.

[ well, a little. he's aware of it's existence and has heard it once or twice.

he peers at magnus' box again, nose slightly crinkled in thought as he reads it over again. the body swap thing was one of those that went over alec's head, but apparently there's no answer for it, so there's no need to ask questions. ]

Beats me, but I'm surprised the Jace one didn't make it onto mine.

[ he rubs the back of his neck and looks aside, sheepish. ] But I think it mostly just ran out of space.

[lacquers]

[ Alec, you are getting the absolute most endeared look right now. Whatever the max is, double that. ]

You have a clearly defined area of comfort, Alexander. [ Magnus sketches a little square in the air in front of them with his forefingers. ] I wouldn't say it's a bad thing.

[ In fact, he'd be remiss if he didn't say, ] I think some of your answers are very cute. Highly so, if I'm being perfectly honest! [ And he always is that. ]

Have we not seen The Princess Bride together, Alec? [ He sounds absolutely affronted. ]

[helical]

A lot of things are annoying. [ delivered matter of factly. this is simply a truth of life he learned at the tender age of childhood, probably.

it's ingrained saltiness.

which melts right away around magnus, unsurprisingly. he smiles a bit, but less sheepish, this time. more pleased that magnus thinks his answers are overall endearing. ]

I wouldn't want just anyone reading them... [ unspoken, but clear: but i don't mind if it's you. obviously, since most of it involves magnus in the first place, at least the parts he'd be most flustered about anyone else reading. ]

I don't think we have. You might have mentioned it, though.

[lacquers]

And a lot of things aren't. [ Says Magnus, the world's most unlikely, and no doubt oldest, optimist. He says this kindly though, because he understands well where Alec's coming from and does not begrudge it in the slightest. He finds that list deeply charming in some respects. Or rather, quite a few entries on it.

He also finds Alec's general lack of saltiness in the presence of certain people to be utterly charming.

Listen, he's deeply in love with the man. Some dreamy-eyed staring and the like are totally acceptable, right? ]

I'm not entirely sure how we get rid of them, but if you'd like me to make it so others can't read what it says, I'd be happy to. [ He raises a hand, ready to magic away.

He then pauses, pointing with the same hand while he says this next part, though it then adopts its ready-to-magic position of moments before when he's done speaking. ] We have to make a note to see it as soon as possible, my love. It's a classic.

[helical]

[ alec shakes his head, even as he peers up at the box again. it's sweet of magnus to offer. the alec of a few months ago would surely have agreed, but the alec of today... he's bothered, but not bothered enough to require that.

he loves magnus, and he's not as harsh as he comes off sometimes. surely people who know him a little can assume half of what's in the hologram above his head, right? of course he loves his family, and it's not a stretch he'd like physical affection or anything physical to do with his husband. ]

No, it's — Save your magic for more important stuff.

[ he may have overreacted at first due to it happening out of the blue, but taking two seconds to think about it, it's not that big of a deal. at least that's how it feels, with magnus there with him. ]

Maybe we can get our hands on it here?

[lacquers]

[ Magnus' expression relaxes into a smile and he nods, lowering his hand. ] All right. I'll conserve my magic, [ he says with a wink and a smile. ]

But you are always the most important stuff in my life, Alec. [ As a reminder, because he never tires of saying so, and because he might be hoping to tease out a smile. Smooth operator, this one.

And maybe he'd like to take Alec's mind off the words. What they say might not be totally true for all affected, but it's still invasive, having your thoughts and feelings on display. Magnus isn't super fond of it, but the comic tone his has taken makes it a little difficult to get all that fussed.

They'll put it out of their minds, shall they?

Magnus has something else important that needs addressing! ] I'm going to make it my primary goal, suami! It's a very important film and I'm shocked at myself for not having shared it sooner. We watched The Rescuers, but not The Princess Bride?

[ He shakes his head, as if aghast with himself. ]

[helical]

[ it works! alec smiles, and catches magnus' hand to hold it. it's a bit silly to be so pleased, but he is. even if he stands by the fact that there are more important things for magnus to use his magic on around here than things like this.

but he's good with putting it out of their minds, so instead of commenting anything else, he tugs magnus along so they can start walking. ]

You're right. How could you do something like that? [ he's not extremely good at the fake dramatics, here, because he's really not trying too hard. ] Unconscionable.

[lacquers]

[ Bah, more important. Magnus can do more than one important thing with his time, can't he? He's not one to look at a task and say, 'well, that doesn't seem doable.' He'll be happy to prioritize Alec and assist in their surroundings.

He intends to. There'll be time, as well, he's sure. Given how many familiar faces they've already seen, it seems certain there'll be a lot to occupy their attention, beyond simply finding themselves in a new world, plus... the rest.

Another time.

He begins walking, looking his arm with Alec's. ] You joke, but it really is! Not that I have anything against animated mice. [ No one go telling Rafa he doesn't like the animated mice! He loves them.

But. ] It's just that The Princess Bride is a classic, my darling! It has action, romance, humor. Handsome protagonists. Everything you could want, really.

[helical]

[ alec grins a little at that description. sounds like the exact combination of things magnus likes. ]

I'm not surprised you like it.

[ happily walking arm in arm!! headed... he's not sure where. just walking, taking in the fresh air. it has a different quality than the air of new york, than the air of eudio. ]

We'll figure out a way to get our hands on it, and I'll probably like it too. [ unless the humour is completely over his head, but he's been getting better at that. ] You know I've watched more movies since I met you than I have in all my life? Especially cartoons.

[lacquers]

[ It was the "handsome protagonists" that sealed the deal, wasn't it?

No, that's not really fair. Magnus may have a general appreciation for beautiful people, but he only has eyes for one beautiful person now. One and only. ] I have a feeling you'll like it, too. [ While they walk, he considers this. ]

Yes, I think you will. [ Maybe not absolutely every last detail, but if Alec watches it and doesn't laugh once, Magnus would be shocked. ] I'll make a note to keep an eye out for it. [ And that will get more of his attention later. For now, it's squarely on Alec. ]

I'm glad to have introduced you to the wonderful world of animation! [ He touches his shoulder to Alec's. ] And the joys of behaving like teenagers while a movie is on. [ Making out like a couple of kids. ]

[helical]

[ and romance and humour! which alec also enjoys, though his idea of both tends to stray from the norm. but that's okay, because magnus does too, doesn't he? in all the best of ways.

he nudges back against magnus' shoulder, a lopsided grin on his face. ]

My favorite part of that learning experience. [ not gonna lie about it!!!! but he's gonna tease. ] You're a terrible influence.

[ in giving alec the opportunity to do a lot of things he missed out on. ]

[lacquers]

[ Magnus likes both the romance and the humor, in much the same ways as Alec, it would seem. So perhaps that's a positive sign regarding the movie he's referencing now?

It's certainly positive overall. Sharing things with Alec is one of the grandest things he can thing of. Watching Alec grin, Magnus smiles broadly. Delightedly. He leans over to offer another nudge. ] Oh really? Your favorite part, hm?

I'm happily your terrible influence.

[ He huffs softly, in a faux-fussy sort of way. ] And I'm providing a valuable cinematic education, you know! Besides, I did promise to stop singing along to the music so loudly, didn't I?