» TEST DRIVE #001

[reveriemod]

TEST DRIVE #001

( 0 0 1 ) » WAKE UP

Were you asleep or were you unconscious? It doesn't matter: when you come to, there's an odd taste in your mouth and there's a low-level mechanical hum in the air. Your head hurts and you feel nauseous. You aren't anywhere you know: everything around you is metal, from the floor you lie on all the way to the ceiling. You are dressed in a jumpsuit you definitely weren't wearing before.

"We tried to save the world. I think— I think we did the opposite."

The message repeats on a loop. If you look for its source, you find a comms device on the floor next to you. The logo on its wallpaper says REVERIE TERMINAL. Upon closer inspection, you find the same logo on your jumpsuit.

Welcome to your new home. What choice do you have but to explore your surroundings?

( 0 0 1 . 1 ) » WAKE UP WHERE?

When you wake up, you find that you're not alone. But more importantly, you find that you're in a closet. An empty closet, bar you and your new companion. It's small, cramped, and there is no door that you can see. The ceiling is low, there is barely any lights, only some coming from the tiny flashlight clipped to your suit's shoulder. You cannot be sure that there is any air coming in to the room.

Are these grooves in the wall supposed to mean something?

( 0 0 2 ) » OBSERVATION DECK

There were no windows in the corridor you woke up in and no windows in any of the crew quarters you might have checked for occupants — but there are plenty of windows on the uppermost level of the station, deck 1. In fact, there are windows from floor to ceiling all along the circumference of the station's circular deck, and it's possible to walk along it all. What it shows is a strange solar system you've never seen before and a planet that might resemble one you know, but certainly isn't the same.

You're in space. You don't know where you are. Neither does anyone else.

( 0 0 3 ) » BAR

On deck 3, you find the bar. Tucked away from the crew quarters, it's dimly lit, there are bar stools thrown down on the floor and what looks like some very old drink spills, crusty and dark against the bar top. But there is alcohol here, or at least, what you think is alcohol, in bottles with faded labels, most of them indecipherable. Take a drink, get drunk, start a fight, or start a party? You're stuck on this station, might as well make the most of it, right?

( 0 0 3 . 1 ) » VIRTUAL

But the alcohol isn't even the most interesting part of your discovery (depending on who you are, of course). No, what catches your interest is a second, smaller room off from the main bar room, which looks to be some kind of arcade. There are a few VR sets lined up against one of the walls, and surely, they can't be working, right? Nothing is on this rust bucket. And yet, if you put it on, the display comes to life.

It's a pretty simple HUD, and when you move around in reality, you move around in the virtual world you've just entered. It's a luxurious world, full of brightly, saturated colors, making it just a little obvious that it isn't real. Ahead, there is a jungle, a temple, and a city. You can play around, slay some monsters, have some fun, but you can feel yourself growing hot, like the VR helmet is burning your forehead.

And when you try to take it off, you find that you can't. The HUD glitches, the sound cuts off to a blaring alarm, and an error message appears, in glowing, blinking red letters: FINISH THE MISSION. Will you, despite not knowing what the mission even is, or will you fight to get the helmet off?

( 0 0 4 ) » MALFUNCTIONS

(cw: body horror, bodily functions, gore, blood, death)

The fabricators function well enough, until they don't. One day, one moment, everything's all right — the food doesn't generally taste amazing and sometimes downright awful, but it's nourishing and filling no matter what your dietary needs — and the next, things go a little haywire.

In short, the fabricators are malfunctioning.

Oh, they're still producing food that looks and tastes much the same as before, but now there are some unexpected side effects.

NB: Characters may experience any of the following side effects: nausea ranging from slight to debilitating, the sensation of being happily and affectionately — but not overwhelmingly — drunk, bone-deep exhaustion and weariness that makes it hard to move, or repeated hallucinations of loved ones screaming for help, reaching out to characters and leading them down abandoned corridors or being killed by unseen forces.

The extent to which characters are affected is up to players, as is whether you'd prefer to play this more lightheartedly or tackling more serious themes. If the latter, please provide warnings in subject lines where necessary.

( 0 0 5 ) » NETWORK

The comms device you found next to you when waking up connects to a station-wide network, REVERIE NET. You have the option to post video, voice or text messages.

What will you share?

( 0 0 5 . 1 ) » NETWORK USERNAME

When you first turn on your communication device, it requests for you to pick a username to identify you on the network. It can be anything you want. However, as you try to input a username in your wristband to access the network, you get the following message, along with a small, but irritating, warming sound:

this username is already in use.

What does this mean? Is there other people around? Were there other people around?

( 0 0 6 ) » WILDCARD

The station features a variety of locations, from sleeping quarters free for the claiming to a dirty swimming pool and a bar that still holds alcohol (though some of the bottles seem to have been opened a while ago).

Go wild, but don't wreck the place. It's your home for the foreseeable future, after all.

Comments

hibiki kuze (mc) | devil survivor 2 rb

[bunbiki]

002 | out of this world cool

[ it's funny - for how many space creatures and stars he's fought, for how many times he's been in some form of space, trapped between dimensions or something of the like, he's never been in a space station before. and he's certainly never had the chance to appreciate the planets before.

but this is odd. so odd. none of these match up with the dorky books he used to fuss over and pour himself into at a younger age. all of this looks wrong. there's a definite chill that overtakes him and the maybe it's just how uncomfortable the suit is, but he feels like something is extremely amiss - not just waking up with no recollection of getting here or where here is, but rather, about himself, too. it's hard to put into words. ]

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore ... [ even if no one is around (or so he thinks, granted his face is glued to the window), it can't hurt to infuse a little more humor into the situation. right? maybe. ]

003 | a bar walks into a kid

[ it's a day of firsts, clearly. or so called "firsts."

he's never been in a bar prior to this, never really even tasted alcohol before. he's had a sip at the holidays but that's the extent of it. he has no real desire to change that now, the opened bottles looking entirely suspicious and old and perhaps poisonous.

is everywhere on this goddamn station deserted? it's starting to feeling like it. ]

You know, it's probably alien blood in there. I wouldn't trust it. [ he ends up saying to whoever else dares to wander and then linger in this poor excuse of a bar. alien blood. sure. ]

time for some hibikiception

[secrowtary]

[ Oh, someone's definitely around. He's been watching from afar, not really sure what to think of the whole situation. Yet, this Hibiki doesn't seem to be panicking either. ]

I've never been to Kansas. Is this the name of your home... [ A pause. ] ...world?

[ Thanks for not getting and ultimately butchering the joke. ]'

You're going to leave smudges on the window, you know.

[ ... ]

my body has been preparing for this

[bunbiki]

[ huh! he hadn't even noticed this guy.

hibiki glances over, bright blue eyes coloring with instant amusement. ]

Oh. No. That'd be kind of interesting, though! I don't think Kansas by itself would be all that great of a world.

[ he cocks his head to the side and then glances back to the window he's supposedly leaving smudges on. hmph. you're not his mom...! ]

I'm sure they pay the cleaners handsomely.

[secrowtary]

[ Let him be confused about Kansas for the rest of his life. Why did this guy even mention it...what is Kansas anyway...Hibiki just blinks upon hearing his answer. ]

So where are you from in that case?

[ Will he ever realize that it was supposed to be a joke? Maybe. Who knows. ]

Even if that's true it doesn't mean that you can leave smudges and your fingerprints everywhere.

[ You're not his mom...!! ]

[bunbiki]

[ SAYS YOU. ]

Right. Sorry.

[ amused, hibiki turns back to the window and reaches for the hood of his hoodie and then falters. right. he doesn't have it anymore. he's wearing this weird uniform like thing.

the smile fades and he sighs, moving his arm up to clean away the smudges with his sleeve instead. ]

There we go. All better.

[secrowtary]

[ Truth be told, he didn't expect that kind of obedience. Still, it doesn't make Hibiki feel flustered about how bossy he is. ]

You might want to keep staring out the window or explore this place with me.

[ That sounded...almost friendly. ]

[bunbiki]

[ that seems like a difficult choice! hibiki tries not to snort in amusement. ]

Safety in numbers, right?

[ he nods and laces his hands behind his back, innocently rejoining his side. ]

You don't look like a crazy kidnapper, so I guess I can trust you!

[secrowtary]

Right.

[ Keeping it short and sweet because he knows no better. ]

What if you're wrong, though?

[ Looks aren't everything! ]

i'm so sorry i just couldn't pass up the chance

[couplings]

[ Well, for Kagura it's definitely a day of firsts as well. Sort of, at least. He usually knew what he was drinking but today proves to be different. Suspicious bottles? Hey, as long as they contain alcohol, count him in.

He's been enjoying himself trying to pick from one of the bottles when this boy approached. ]

I didn't know. Trust me, I didn't know. What else do you know?

[ Thanks for ruining his first day, Hibiki...hey, that hits close to home, actually. ]

i love you

[bunbiki]

[ hah! if only he knew his name. ]

I know a lot of things.

[ please don't? hibiki resists the urge to spin on the barstool, head tilting to the side almost playfully. ]

... Probably too much about aliens. But anyway! Are you going to keep drinking it?

[ ... or start drinking it. he won't judge. ]

[couplings]

You're messing with me, aren't you.

[ Squinting at the boy in front of him, he opens the bottle really slowly, adding to the suspense. ]

How come you know how alien blood looks like in the first place?

[bunbiki]

[ HOW SUSPENSEFUL. hibiki can't help but lean out of his seat to try and inspect it as kagura opens it. ]

Hmmmm, that's a secret.

[ a grin, ear to ear, and he shrugs. ]

Some of my best friends are aliens.

[ is that -- a joke? ]

[couplings]

A secret, huh.

[ He raises his eyebrow at that while pouring the alcohol into a glass he's grabbed sometime earlier. ]

Are you sure you aren't an alien, too?

[ This is some E.T. shit right here. ]

You're weird, kid.

[bunbiki]

[ kid! please! he's eighteen! it's fine. ]

I get that a lot.

[ he eyes the glass. it certainly looks like normal alcohol. ]

Gross. Why do people drink that?

[couplings]

[ Too late, he's a strange alien kid in his book now. ]

I wonder why.

[ Shamelessly eyeing the boy. He doesn't look weird, just says weird things. ]

If that's how your friends' blood look like...do you think you can introduce me to them? [ KAGURA, NO??? That's sick. ] Have they considered donating their blood? Just asking.

bar

[neuralnet]

[ Haruto freezes, putting the bottle he'd been holding back down on the bar. He'd worked in bars, busing tables and washing dishes, but he'd never been the drinking sort. Alcohol doesn't really have an effect on him, anyway. He was only in here to try to find something he might sterilize a needle with (he's bandaged the wound on his head for now, but he probably needs stiches). ]

Do you think so? Why would alien blood be in a bar?

[bunbiki]

Why wouldn't it be in a bar?

[ that's quite the question! the calm expression fades when hibiki finally notices the bandages near his head. ah, maybe right now isn't the time for jokes? humor is good for the soul - and is a wonderful distraction - but sometimes even that has its limits. ]

... Are you okay?

[neuralnet]

It's... blood. [ Haruto says, deadpan. ] Shouldn't it be in an alien instead?

[ Or some sort of alien hospital or something? Speaking of, ] Ah. Mm, yes, mostly. [ Cautious fingertips press the bandage on his forehead lightly. ] I may need stitches. I'm not sure, I'm not a doctor.

003

[bu773rfly]

[Erika doesn't seem too enthusiastic about the place either, all hunched-up and stone-faced when she cautiously enters and starts examining the shelves for anything of interest.

She stiffens a little at being addressed, but the flat, absurd humor exasperates her in a good way.]

Or an alien intoxicant. Something humans can't drink, like engine oil, or strong acid.

[...She mumbles back. That was supposed to be a joke; it might have come out too technical to sound like one.]

[bunbiki]

Engine oil. Maybe that's what it is.

[ it's always fun when someone reacts to a joke with something other than a chagrined sigh. this he'll take. still, he tilts his head to the side and continues to watch her. she seems determined and deadset on something. then again, he can't quite blame her. he wants to find answers and a way out just as badly. ]

What are you looking for?

[bu773rfly]

[She shrugs harshly, still rummaging, voice terse.]

Anything. Information. Just knowing what's here. [...] Not for alcohol.

[Like, obviously, says the sudden disdainful/uncomfortable hook of her tone. But maybe it needs clarification.]

[bunbiki]

[ obviously. of course. ]

Maybe there's a secret buried at the end of the bottle.

[ it's meant as a joke but hey - he wouldn't put it past this place. it's oh so very odd. ]

Have you found anything yet?

[bu773rfly]

[Pause. That's going to be a pattern, that hook of silence and lack of acknowledgement, just long enough to make you wonder if she heard.]

...No. Just alcohol.

[But, if the question extends beyond the shelves - she glances over her shoulder, and back.]

Something had to have knocked the stools over. There's no stray breezes in a space station. A while ago, because they're covered in dust.

002

[potentite]

[Oh. A movie reference. Jake can't help wanting to latch onto that, brightening up just a little from his otherwise gloomy mood.]

If we aren't, we just have to follow the yellow brick road to figure this all out, right?

[bunbiki]

[oh! finally someone who understands. that's refreshing. ]

Mmmmm, something like that! Unless you're secretly the man behind the curtain?

[how mysterious! he seems in a much better mood, now, too, though. ]