Special Edition TDM

[sixthiteration]

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Special Edition Test Drive!

In April, Sixth Iteration will be making the transition from simulation to real life on a new, uninhabited planet. While the Observers have gone to great lengths to choose a suitable planet and terraform the area our intrepid characters live in, there will be a great deal of unpredictability and increased risk.

This TDM focuses on the NEW, POST-SIMULATOR environment, and is open to EVERYONE, whether your character is in the game or not — It's a chance for everybody to try out some of the new scenarios coming our way in April. (Yes, that means characters in the game can make top-levels!) Use one of the prompts below, or make one of your own.

There's ONLY ONE RULE, but it's important:

Your threads here should NOT be about your character's arrival on the planet. We want to save that for the actual event!

Environment Prompts

The Observers have terraformed the area approximately represented within the boundaries on this map, but outside of the sim, there are no canyon walls keeping characters inside... or native plants and animals outside. Perhaps you have adventured past the edges of the map, excited to have somewhere new to explore. Or maybe you've just gotten unlucky within the safer boundaries of the created habitat. Either way, you've come into contact with a native plant or animal, and your body's reaction isn't exactly normal:

1. Brown, skunk-like mammal, brown with cream-colored stripes and extremely bushy tail - Spray smells sweet but makes the target drowsy; Adult humans doze off for apx. 2 minutes, and wake up with libido increased 200% for apx. 5 hours.


2. Small, glassy green ant-like insect - A bite leaves a red welt about the size of a quarter and the sudden ability to lift 10x your body weight. The welt and strength gradually fade over 12 hours, leaving you loose limbed. People typically feel weak after, but that may simply be psychological.


3. Purplish seeds about the size of a walnut - They are protected by hard seed pods that are either bright green or brown depending on age. Opening the pods can be very difficult, but one of the native birds has a specialized hook beak to pop them open, so the seeds can sometimes be found already shucked. Eating one seed provides a sudden burst of energy for about 20 minutes that allows (among other things) running at speeds up to 60 MPH. The after effects can be brutal, though, particularly if your body isn't used to it, and can include vomiting, dizziness and exhaustion.

Texting Prompt

All characters will bit fitted with a smart watch-like device on their left wrist. They cannot remove the device no matter what they do to it. It looks similar in design to this. (The functions shown in that picture are not necessarily included.) Functions include automatic distress signal when danger is perceived as well manual SOS that send your location to all watch wearers, digital clock, and text messaging to all or select watch wearers.

- Texts may only be 140 characters long
- No video or voice, text only
- No usernames, everyone is listed by their name

Please list your CHARACTER NAME, CANON & PROMPT in your SUBJECT LINE, even if your character is already in the game.

Comments

the greatest tbh

[warriorborn]

[ Benedict doesn't point out that he doesn't quite know what a typewriter is. He assumes it's something related to a printing press, which seems cumbersome for quick, person-to-person messages. ]

I confess I much prefer actually speaking to one another.

it's true

[fishingfortrouble]

[It's not entirely dissimilar to a printing press. or at least, it's developed out of the same sort of tradition. And admittedly it still wouldn't be terribly convenient for the sort of communication that's currently ongoing, but that's not anything that Phryne mentions.]

I'm sure that could be arranged. Although I'd need to know who I was looking for. And perhaps where.

[warriorborn]

I find most people can usually be found in the same place day after day. For example, I am almost always in the Inn or behind it with the bees.

[fishingfortrouble]

So they can. But I'm afraid I haven't had enough time to be accustomed to everyone's habits, yet. And I'll see what the bees have to say.

[And indeed, a moment or so later she does turn up near the beehives. She might still not have any particular idea of who she happens to be looking for - a name is hardly very much to go on - but she's certainly worked with less.]

[warriorborn]

They aren't very good conversationalists, but they are excellent listeners.

[ She beats him to the beehives by only a few steps. It's hard for Benedict to type on the silly little bracelet he's woken up with — God in Heaven, does he miss his gauntlet more than ever right now — and he certainly couldn't have done much typing whilst holding the shallow bowl of sugar water he's carefully carrying out of the kitchens for the bees.

Even if she doesn't know him by sight, it's probably obvious Benedict is who she's looking for: tall and broad-shouldered, he doesn't look like he's been adversely affected by the eighteen months spent in stasis beyond the fact that he is quite pale and his hair is much darker than he is used to seeing on himself. Apart from that, he looks the same as any other able-bodied young man might, healthy and strong and quietly coaxing the bees that come buzzing out of the lopsided hives to crawl up his arms for their treat. ]

You must be Miss Fisher, [ he says, inclining his head towards her with a crooked smile as he carefully keeps the bowl for the bees perfectly still. ] Forgive my bad manners, but I cannot take your hand.

[fishingfortrouble]

[In that much, at least Phryne can't blame him - it's only sheer stubbornness that has her anywhere near being proficient with the thing, and even then she can't really say that she approves of the idea to any great degree. Even if it does offer a certain ease of communication.

Still, it is fairly obvious that Benedict is absolutely who she's looking for. Mostly because it would be awfully coincidental if someone else had happened by the beehives. He's taller than she'd been initially imagining too, and for a brief moment she takes a moment to simply take in the sight of him, bees and all.]

Please, call me Phryne.

[There's a pause there, her smile not wavering a jot as her eyes flick down to the bowl, and the bees that are crawling towards it.]

And I think I can forgive that, under the circumstances.

[She doesn't have any complaint with bees as a whole, but all things being equal she'd much rather not get stung simply for the sake of manners.]

[warriorborn]

[ He has long ago ceased being surprised by the lack of formality between members of this habble, even the new arrivals. Why, there are quite a few of his compatriots whose surnames are a mystery to him, for all that they've been more or less living together for over a year. (Have they, though?) When she tells him to use her given name to address her, he nods a little. ] I am Benedict, [ he replies, the "obviously" quite clear in his tone.

He follows her gaze to the sleepy little bees crawling over his hands and sipping from the bowl, their little abdomens bouncing happily as they discover their treat. Soon, he will be covered with bees, as those who have drunk their fill return to the hives to tell the others the good news, but he's used to that, and is expecting it. ] There's no need to be frightened, [ he says in that quiet, absent sort of tone one might use when observing a beloved pet doing something peaceful like napping in a sunbeam. ] They're still waking up from their hibernation, they won't bother you. It's been a long winter for them. I thought a little treat might help them get their feet beneath them.

[fishingfortrouble]

I figured you might be.

[Given that she certainly isn't aware of there being any other beekeepers around. Assuming the bees actually are his, and he's not simply taking care of them out of the kindness of his own heart.]

And it'll take more than a few bees to frighten me.

[She seems to mean that too, for all that she doesn't come any closer than she already has.]

It's only that I'd rather neither of us got stung for our troubles.

[warriorborn]

[ He just hums in response. Once Miss Fisher spends any real time in the habble, she will learn that Benedict is more or less the only person that deals with the bees. Mr Watney will occasionally trouble himself with checking on them, but Benedict has taken that task well in hand, and the scientist has more than enough on his plate without worrying about their apiaries. Technically, Benedict does as well, but the bees are peaceful and remind him of his time at the monastery, so he carves out time every day to check on them and make sure every bee is as healthy as he can make them. ]

They do find dark hair more attractive than other shades, [ he agrees, not even flinching when a bee lands on his cheek and buzzes for a moment before taking off again, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his own hair is rather dark as well — it's hard for him to reconcile with the blond he'd developed over the habble's harsh summer, and the deep, dark tan that had colored his skin to go with it. That's all gone, apparently.

This place is very strange. ]

They're really quite docile, though. All it takes is knowing how to handle them.

[fishingfortrouble]

I'm afraid that's a skill I've never been given opportunity to acquire.

[There's an elegant half-shrug to go with the words, as if to say 'but what can you do'. And to be fair, she does have an awful lot on her plate most of the time. Some of which is her own doing, but it's hardly like the mysteries are going to solve themselves. Even if Jack is good at what he does.]

Although I have to wonder why that is. Their apparent preference, I mean.