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(semi-)permanent test drive meme
test drive meme
"On" Tutorial
It’s pitch black. Is the darkness an old friend or a source of anxiety for you? Who’s to say what you were doing before, but right now there’s only one thing before your eyes: an ominous word over a slowly generating bar.
All at once - you’re plunged into color.
> A1. TUTORIAL START
If you’re lucky, the first sights that greet you are lush greenery, dancing street performers, and a grand statue of an elephant with assorted birds nesting nearby. Welcome to Avisle’s Town Square. Depending on the current Duocaeli event, it may look a little different... Jumping straight into the thick of things is always an option. (OOCly, this means prospective players are welcome to read the latest month's event log and updates to try prompts from!)After a quick once-over, you’ll find that everything that you had on you before arriving is accounted for–so if you were barefoot and in your pajamas, you might not have much–with one notable addition: a glowing crystal in your pocket. The roughly cut gem fits in your palm and is already fastened on a chain for you.
Soon after finding it, the crystal will begin to project information in front of you that is remarkably legible, even if you’ve never seen these particular runes before. It reads: New Worldwalker’s Checklist. Below, a series of tick boxes await you. You may need to start asking around or exploring. Seems like you’ve got things to do!
If you’re less fortunate, it seems you’ve landed just a bit outside the maintained grounds of the city itself. Somehow you’ve spawned in the middle of a pack of wildlife! Or just... angry wolves. Huh! Well. You can see the city not too far from here, so maybe if you’re quick… Time to learn on your feet!
Whenever you do get to safety and complete the same inventory of your person, the crystal will respond to you just the same. Apparently you just decided to play on Hard Mode.
> A2. THE BUSTLING GUILD TOWN
☑️ Join a Guild
Avis Isle is a deeply uncharted place, welcoming explorers and curious adventurers. The Guilds do their best to provide structure for the city proper and for those getting a grasp of their magic; the Interguild Alliance (IGA) oversees the Guild Hub where quests are posted and dungeon crawls are organized. While there are all sorts of Guilds around, there are five main wings for each of the Grand 5.
Why not get to know them better? NPCs will call you over and try to encourage you to join them, some with challenging jeers and others with sincere, kind invitations–don’t you know that the very first guild that you join is free? Choose wisely! The guild’s mascot animal, some type of Avian, sits upon a very nice and color-coded throne in their respective wing awaiting your choice. Once you’ve made your selection, it will croon (or honk) at you, and your membership is complete. While you can’t actually hear the words, you have a feeling you’ve been told something like, “Now get to work, fresh meat!”
—Though if you're dallying, guilds aren't without mischief. A stray bird (though never The Throned Mascot Bird) may suddenly run by, webbed feet slapping on tile, and steal one of your items before ducking into the respective wing of their guild. The same goes for those that try to leave without joining a guild. Theft is a great marketing strategy, right?
> A3. BEGINNER’S QUEST: adventure!
For all new worldwalkers, there is one quest that you must complete upon joining the server. Some call it fun-datory, some call it hazing. Don’t worry about it! Your crystal will blink at you before providing the details of the quest:
Any of the permanent dungeons are open for business! Though should there come a moment that you find yourself low on energy, whether it be from simple exhaustion or magic use, your communication crystal will flash. A new understanding will come to you: it is possible to transfer mana to one another via gestures of affection, borrowing from your traveling partner’s own energy. Why don’t you go and try it now? Holding a hand might just make you feel better, and not just emotionally!
Additionally, the system will continuously suggest quests as characters pass their general vicinity. These bite-size adventures require a little less coordination, for those looking to dip their toes into their new home(s).
> A4. TUTORIAL END
And with that, you’ve wrapped up the Duocaeli tutorial! Congratulations!! That said, while it's understandable to get off-track—if you outright ignore the prompts from your to-do list, you’ll find yourself respawning in front of the goal you need to accomplish! Come on, work with us a little here. Or don’t? You can be trapped in a loop if you really want.
If you poke around the options on your Communication Crystal, or just spend long enough logged on confused, you will eventually find it prompting you through the steps of Logging Out. Seems like there’s more still that awaits you.
"OFF" Tutorial
> B1. HOME SWEET HOME
When you awaken in the OFF world, the pressure on the front of your face is a little more apparent. Taking off the digital visor is easy—and it can turn compact right in your hand! Getting it to snap back into your cell phone just right might be a pain, thank goodness it’s durable—oh right, did we mention you have a cell phone? Whether you’re familiar with the device or not, it’s right there in your palm, the same color as your Duocaeli crystal. A closer examination of your clothes will also reveal that while your threads are familiar, they’re not exactly what you had in Duocaeli. Ever heard of a department store? They’re a little more like what you’d find there! Finally, your phone will suddenly beep and provide you with a new checklist, starting with:☑️ Locate Domus Hosus Room
Seems like the first one is to find your room… But as you take a closer look around you, you might finally notice it—the way that the tiles on the floor seem to be shuddering in excitement at your awakening, the opening and closing of windows and cabinets to get your attention and say hi. Not only is the house alive, it seems to be happy to see you! Make your request—maybe a passing soul tells you that the house likes to be called Dodo, rather than the formal Domus Hosus—and see if it can be answered! Dodo so wants you to be comfortable here.
…and perhaps be a little mischievous? As you try to find your room, designated by your name on a plaque, you might be in for a surprise. Maybe the stairs suddenly turn into a slide, prompting you to tumble into another person. Perhaps the doors flicker and switch at the last second, prompting you to find an unfamiliar neighbor instead of your own lodgings. Is this what they call… a meet cute?
> B2. SURVIVE THE INTERNET
☑️ Post on DUONET
You have some questions, right? Don’t worry, whether for the inquisitive mind or the petty complaint, there’s always the internet! Through your cell phone, you’ll be prompted and guided through the steps of posting on DUONET, which is available to your fellow Worldwalkers. Don’t forget there’s also an Anonymous function, though it’s not without its own hiccups!
> b3. Okay get a job?
Sometime while you’re minding your business, you’ll be interrupted by a neat little beep beep! On the screen of your phone:
☑️ Go to Your Internship in Crane City
Tapping the prompt will bring up the Maps app and directions to what is apparently your internship! And it looks like it’s in the same format as other checklist quests–aka, it won’t stop beeping until you complete it. If you don’t want to go crazy from notifications, you'll simply have to go out and explore the big city. Maybe you have to go and work the concessions stand at the movie theater, which appears to be showing Shrek and Cats if you want to sneak into a showing, or you get the ever coveted position of cat cafe barista. Perhaps you’re suddenly a neurosurgeon! Wow! Don’t fuck it up, guy! While you do get compensated for your work, it seems like an amount gets automatically deducted for your Duocaeli subscription. Uhhh, is that legal? Apparently.
OOC Notes
Feel free to use locations for inspiration as well! TDM content can be used for in-game canon as players please. As we have an app queue, we won't be putting up new TDMs regularly; we may refresh content and posts as necessary, but please think of this as your semi-permanent test drive space!
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duocaeli duologs duolingosTaken / Applications / Hiatus & Drops
FULL NAVIGATION
elysium / arknights
b
He stands there for a moment, mouth agape and hands clutching the net he'd been handed at the beginning of this quest, as he stares at the unabashed shamelessness of the stranger in front of him. He might have been quicker to close his mouth had this been home, but with no one to monitor his every move, he feels like he should be allowed this one, very honest reaction. ]
E-excuse me...?
[ Is this a real question that he has to answer?? ]
no subject
no subject
Sorry, sorry, you're probably overwhelmed by my radiance right now, aren't you? [ Help him (Moondae). ] We can focus on the bees first.
[ That annoying smile is still on his face as he turns towards the bees, but at least he does seem to be more focused on the task at hand, a look of thought settling onto his face. ]
How good are you with the net again? Not that I mind getting stung by bees, but it'd be nice to keep my face free of any imperfections. It was voted Most Attractive Face in Rhodes Island, you know.
[ First of all, no it wasn't, and second of all, it looks like he's still not that serious. ]
no subject
Thank goodness the topic (mostly) shifts back over to the bees. ]
I've never used a net before, [ so rest in pieces. ] But I'll try my best to keep your face safe, Mister Elysium.
[ It's funny because there's zero willingness in the tone of Moondae's voice when he says this. ]
no subject
If the deadpan tone in Moondae's voice is anything to be worried about, Elysium certainly doesn't show it. Actually, he's pretty pleased he's got such a considerate and polite young (?) man on his side? Lucky him. ]
Just Elysium is fine. There's no need to be so formal. We're partners here, after all.
[ Partners in beesting crime. He looks pretty confident as he slowly inches towards the buzzing bees, in any case. ]
But it's alright, there's plenty of bees here. I'm sure both you and I will be become pro bee catchers in no time. [ 😊 ] For now, I'll start by pinning these flowers to my shirt. That way you'll have more surface area to work with.
[ And look, here the bees come, slowly drifting over as they're enticed by the sight of
Rhodes Island's Sexiest manthe blue flowers on his shirt. Better get ready, Moondae. ]no subject
But ah, it's go time. Moondae nods his head and follows after Elysium with careful steps, mindful not to agitate the surrounding bees. They're... supposed to be harmless as long as they're left alone, right? He thinks he read that somewhere, but moving toward them is a little nerve-wracking, which is probably why when a bee approaches Elysium, Moondae reacts without thinking.
He swings the net toward the bees but the arc is too wide! Instead, the rim of the net comes down on top of Elysium's head with a comedic bonk, very much like how an Animal Crossing player would smack an ugly villager's head in an attempt to piss them off and get them to move out of town.
The player is me.
Anyway, so much for not agitating the bees. The assault riles up the nearest bees and they start buzzing around them angrily. ]
I think we should run, [ Moondae says, already running. ]
no subject
villagersresidents get to stay and which are forced to pack their boxes and leave.Though it looks like they're both being forced to vacate the premises anyway if the swarm of angry bees is anything to go by. This isn't quite how Elysium imagined his afternoon going? Now he's got a bump on his head and a bunch of bees chasing after him. But, well, again, it could probably be worse. At least he's got a nice pair of long legs to help him skedaddle outta here faster. And it's not like he can blame Moondae for this turn of events. The guy did say he wasn't particularly good with handling a net. It's not his fault. It just means they need to come up with a better backup plan. ]
H-hey, hang on! We still need to figure out how to catch the bees!
[ Says Elysium, running at full speed right behind Moondae.
But it looks like the bees are catching up to them no problem, because he's pretty sure he can hear the buzzing behind him (right next to him??) growing even louder. RIP. But instead of worrying about himself, his concern naturally goes straight to his partner. ]
You're not allergic to beestings, are you?
B!
Fukawa had agreed to this quest because, well. Look at him. His dye job may be stupid but his face is oh so divine, and there are biceps and she just panicked when he'd asked, and well...now they're here. Gathering the flowers, the ones that specifically bloom when you get cozy with one another.
So when he'd remarked on the beauty of the blossoms, she had been twisting the hem of her blouse in her hands, biting her lip, working out what best to say to sneak in a little closer. Her heart skips a beat as he looks into her eyes. Her lips part. Tremble.
Then drop into utter dismay.]
What? [She bobs her head back, dumbstruck.] Wh-what...are you coercing me into complimenting you?
no subject
Not at all. If you really think I'm ugly, you should say so. I promise I'll only be a little hurt.
[ A man does have his ego after all, and Elysium's ego is (unfortunately) bigger than most. ]
But you're right, that was pretty rude of me. I should be complimenting you instead. It's not every day I get to be in the company of a charming young woman like yourself.
[ Someone take him and toss him into the garbage already. ]
no subject
[Except even worse than the insinuation that she should say anything about his looks is the comment he slings about hers.
charm
charming?
CHARMING?????
She takes three steps back in absolute horror.]
N...n-n-no...you're lying! [A shaking finger rises, but though it trembles the accusation stands.] Th-there's no way you really think that! What are you really after? You think I'm just another ch-cheap slut? A rag to use and throw away?!
[And to think she'd gotten so worked up over his pretty face...]
no subject
The bees and the flowers go forgotten, his easygoing smile fading in the face of her panicked accusations. Both hands go up, palms facing her, and he stays where is as to not alarm her further. ]
Sorry, I really didn't mean to imply I wanted something from you. Please don't call yourself any of those things.
[ Love yourself, girl!!!! ]
Everyone has their unique points. Sometimes it just harder to see in yourself than others. Maybe you don't think you're charming but that doesn't mean others don't.
no subject
Oh, th-that's rich! I already kn-know what everyone thinks of me! And you...men like you d-definitely won't lower yourself to my level unless you want something!
[There's a beat. She blinks. Then looks down.
They're making the flowers wither. Literally, they are dying. Because they aren't holding hands. Fukawa groans and tugs at her scalp, the humiliation compounding beyond measure.]
I hate this place, I hate it hate it hate it! [UGH. Stamping her little feet.] You do kn-know what these flowers really are, right?
no subject
[ He echoes her in confusion, one finger curling inwards to point at himself. What does that even mean, Fukawa???
But then she has to go and change the subject while he's racking his brains for a suitable answer - (does she mean handsome men, or kind and charitable men?) - and his attention is pulled away from his thoughts and towards the flowers that quickly dying around them.
Oh.
He laughs again, though this time it's awkward and sheepish. ]
Ah, I'm afraid I don't. [ He was more focused on the bees than the flowers. ] Would you mind enlightening me?
[ This seems like a dangerous question to ask when she already looks so furious but bluffing and making up an answer seems worse so............he'll just have to risk it. ]
val i do not deserve you, feel free to ignore this
It's — Oh c-come on. You seriously don't know?!
[How many times must she explain this particular field of fiendish flowers to some dithering dipshit? She yanks her hair yet again for strength.]
They only b-bloom when people touch each other. As if they're...interested.
kabby???? i would never ignore you 🥺 but if you're not feeling this feel free to drop it!!
"Interested?"
[ Loading...loading....loading.....ah! A little lightbulb goes off as his expression clears in understanding. ]
Ah! That shouldn't be too hard then, right? After all, I already said I found you interesting, right?
[ Before she can give him another earful (or a faceful with a well-timed slap) he quickly tacks on a half-explanation half-apology, hands raising once again automatically in self-defense. (It'll be harder to hit him if his hands are in the way, right....) ]
N-not like that! Just in a friendly way! That should still count as interest, right?