Test Drive Meme - Autumn 2018

[thelostmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

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I. Dragon Catch

You step out of your house, letter in hand to find what Zephyr laid out neatly in written word for you. Dragons, saddles and a brief explanation Zephyr was interested in a cool new book about people befriending dragons! The little godling had set up a corral, some stables and encouraged everyone to try befriending a dragon to ride. Snippets of the book are included for aid. All in all it seems like a lot of fun!

Well, until you look over the Meadous village proper.

Dragons of varying shapes, colors and sizes are meandering about the meadous, clearly having escaped the corral they had been kept in. One dragon has perched itself atop your neighbor’s home taking a nice nap in the sunshine. A gaggle of cat sized dragons have taken up digging up another neighbors garden. A few dragons hang from the beer tree, more than a bit… blasted.

One or two people you recognize are attempting to catch up to the dragons with mixed results. One person is at least hanging off of a saddle looking rather perturbed.

Do you help or merely let the dragon based chaos ensue by going back inside where you’re less likely to get involved?

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II. Be Careful What You Wish For

Well, that... that wasn't quite to plan. You stare down at the crayon drawing from Zephyr showing you exactly what you wished for. Except you hadn't meant it literally. Or you hadn't meant it quite like that, even if your wording had been vague. Now you're stuck with something you didn't want. Or perhaps you made a big mistake and now you're a different species. Or have extra appendages you can't get rid of. Not without making the walk of shame back to the Wishing Pond to wish away the changes. Why this? Why? If only you had been more clear or if only Zephyr understood subtly a bit more clearly.

Hopefully, no one will catch you as you steal forth to undo your mistake. Now that would be quite embarrassing if they saw you like this!

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III. Pumpkin Maze Frights

Fall has settled over the landscape nicely, with that comes a rather customary pumpkin patch maze. A tradition long standing that comes as the seasons shift with the Meadous.

Even long time residents seem surprised at the new heights the maze has taken on, not to mention a new sign warning its extra scary this year! The sign also advises there will be a cool prize to anyone brave enough to venture forth!

A few residents are gathered at the opening, talking amongst themselves over the newly scary-ified pumpkin maze. The maze walls are composed of pumpkins of varying shapes, sizes, colors and carvings. One or two snatch a pumpkin to turn into a pie.

Everything is fairly whimsical all in all until one steps into the maze itself to follow the dirt pathway within.

The dirt path under foot is easy to follow, but offers some minor startles at the occasional loose leaf crunching underfoot.The mixed in carved pumpkins that make up the maze walls provide some shallow lighting along with floating string lights in a light bulb shape hang over head. It is oddly darker in the maze than it ever has been before. It’s almost a little scary. The unnatural quiet of the maze doesn’t help matters any. Walking deeper into the maze only leads to less lights here and there.

Zephyr has maybe gone a bit over zealous with this scary thing.

A wind whips up, making the candle light within the pumpkins flicker and lanterns bobble overhead. A few candles flicker out completely for a long moment before sputtering back to life.

Is that a shadow on a maze wall ahead of you? Will you call out or duck behind a TDM convenient hay bale stacks?

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IV. Bulletin Board

Each month, Zephyr clears away most of the notes from their Bulletin Board and adjusts the decorations, leaving it fresh and open for anyone who might wish to post something new. The Meadous is a fairly rural place with minimal technology. Those used to a network may find the Bulletin Board is the closest they can come to something like that again. Who wants to actually talk to the neighbors when you can post a passive aggressive note about someone making a racket at 2 AM, instead? There's also some measure of anonymity afforded. Just be sure to only post up your notes when no one else is around and can catch you at it.

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V. Choose Your Own Adventure

Whether it's just waking up in the Meadous or exploring some other part of the Setting, you're striking out with your own prompts to get some action started.

Comments

[poisoninmypocket]

"Ms. Quinn. Lord Montague D'Ysquith Navarro, Ninth Earl of Highhurst. But please call me Monty." Because her tone and her antics say she's going to call him by some sort of nickname and he'd rather get out in front of that. "I should be delighted to show you the way out." He finishes settling himself and takes a few steps toward her, offering his arm for her to hold onto. Even under difficult circumstances, a gentleman ought to be gallant.

"Have you been lost in here for very long? It's been some twenty minutes I've been trying to find the center."

[clowngirl]

She knew she should have introduced herself as Doctor Harleen Frances Quinzel, First Lady of Mirth and Mayhem. Oh, well. Missed opportunities. She'll pepper it in next time. She appreciates his manners, even if her own are a little cruder. Harley takes his arm, perhaps a bit more jovially than he's used to, and gives him a little tug to get going.

"It feels like forever, Monty," she explains dramatically. It's been about ten minutes total. "I was just about to see if the walls were flammable."

[poisoninmypocket]

Renart and Cecil are both more... forward than Monty has ever been. They'd been excellent companions for breaking him of certain moors. Or at least building up his tolerance for certain behaviors, like young ladies grasping onto him with a little more familiarity than is warranted. Monty keeps up with her, heels clunking softly along in the grass.

"F-flammable?" That draws more concern. "Ms. Quinn, I could not advise lighting anything on fire when you're within the confines of a place and do not have an efficient means of egress. You could hurt yourself."

[clowngirl]

"I'll take other suggestions for mowin' down all these pumpkins," she says. It's not as if she's 100% attached to the idea. "Bet I could smash my way through with a big enough mallet... but I bet they're hard enough to come by here too."

[poisoninmypocket]

Monty can't help wanting to show off just a bit. They round the corner and there is a door there, but also an enormous wooden mallet that looks like it was made for a giant to play croquet with. "Something like that, perhaps?" He doesn't expect her to actually be able to lift the thing. "I think the door might be the most expedient means, though."

[clowngirl]

Harley whistles. "Ain't she just gorgeous!" she says, rushing forward to grab hold of the mallet. She immediately lifts it up and takes a few quick practice swings, narrowly missing Monty.

"Door, huh? Well, if you insist." And with that, she sticks her tongue out the side of her mouth and swings the mallet into the door with a massive SMASH.

Oh, that was probably unlocked, wasn't it?

Harley just erupts into a crazed gigglefit.