speirooc | TEST DRIVE.

TEST DRIVE.
	LOG #1: PLACEBO. Congratulations! You've passed your interview. After successfully walking through the rather fancy and posh Welcome Door from the Doorman's Hallway, you've now found yourself in a section of PLACEBO. When you step out into PLACEBO, the first thing you'll notice is that you're feeling very warm. Don't look up, though; the sun's a little too bright at the moment and needs an adjustment from the Architect, so it's highly recommended you grab an umbrella, hat, or a pair of sunglasses. The second thing you'll notice is that it's bustling with activity. The town centre has people dressed in various clothing and styles walking around who greet you with a quick wave and a friendly "Hi." These are the people of PLACEBO. Most of them are nice. Right now, they have no opinion of you. If you ask these people any questions, they'll be as helpful as they can be, but they don't have all the answers. Some of them will do their best to assist you while others… won't. Nevermind the cold shoulder. Did you see the hot dog stand offering free hotdogs? Grab some food (it's delicious), go explore, perhaps get a nice pair of shoes? If you put your hand in your pocket (don't have pockets? you do now!), you'll find a little business card in it that has your new address on it. This business card is made of thick plastic and is unbreakable and does not burn. If you lose it, a cat will bring it back to you. This is your temporary key card. This might also be a good time to test out your new power. Just be careful of the cats—there's plenty of them running around town, sitting in trees, on tables, and sleeping in chairs. You don't want to make a wrong first impression. LOG #2: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. cw mentions: drug use, dangerous animals. Welcome to Jumanji, better known as Earth-95. After Michael briefs everyone in on this mission, you walk through a door covered in vines with leaves poking through the thin gaps between door and hinge. You step foot into a beautiful jungle. Everyone starts in the same area—a thick canopy of trees, bushes and still vines—before wandering off in all directions. It's humid. The leaves around you are damp from a recent rain. The grass beneath your feet is ankle-high and thick and vines from trees slither out like long, unwieldy snakes at the pace of a sloth moving across the road. Remember how Michael said something about appropriate footwear? He was right about one thing: Van Pelt isn't here. It seems like the intrepid explorers of S.P.E.I.R. have been dropped off on Earth-95 before Van Pelt's time. Curious. You'll still need the weapons you brought in your backpacks—and if you didn't bring a backpack, you'll carry them in your hands or pockets. The jungle isn't safe for anyone. Watch out for the alligators in the water, the monkeys in the trees, and did we mention the snakes slithering through the grass? Try not to be bitten by any insects. Their bites have very intense hallucinogenic properties that can last from an hour to half a day if you're not careful. The jungle is also the home to many flourishing ripe fruits. Remember when Michael said not to come on an empty stomach? He really meant that. Eating the fruits of the jungle will lead to a few (and perhaps unwanted) side effects… Red berries: Roses are red, violets are blue, have you ever felt what someone else is feeling, too? After eating a red berry, you'll find yourself forming an empathetic bond with one or more people. You can feel their feelings. Gross. Purple berries: This is your NSFW option. It's getting hot in here, so get Nelly with it. Banana: Do you feel compelled to act on your urges and to say what you think? Bananas make characters more susceptible to being honest. How honest they are is up to you. Red apples: They're just deliciously sweet, beautiful big red apples. There's nothing wrong with them. Except for the fact you can suddenly hear what everyone's thinking. But don't let that distract you from the mission at hand. The fate of Jumanji (or Earth-95) is at stake here. Find the ruby red jewel and return it to the earth. Sounds simple, right? If you want your character to find the ruby red jewel, note that there are many of them out there. They look like a glass pomegranate and are the size of the Rock's palm and are found all throughout the jungle—in trees, ants nests, wasp nests, buried half in the dirt, in the mouths of giant hippos… All you have to do is bury it in some dirt. Super simple when you think about it… NETWORK #1: A/S/L. Did you check your other pocket? Or perhaps your bag? You'll find a very slim looking iPhone that instantly activates once you look at it. This phone will connect to you the wider S.P.E.I.R. network. It's fully encrypted, only requires a little charge every now and then, and has a few cat photos already in the album. You can't delete those. Why would you? The phone has a changeable username and a little profile picture of you. It's your best picture. No, you can't change this photo. How about you say hi on the network? Reach out to your fellow S.P.E.I.R. comrades? Pose an interesting, thought-provoking ice-breaker? Maybe you just want to show a picture of a cat (who doesn't—they're so cute!). @michael Did you know your universe is considered to be 104% perfect if Beyonce exists on it? Discuss. OOC. 'Sup. Welcome to SPEIR where cats rule and that's okay. This is serving as an interest check. SPEIR, as you guys know, is intended to be a chill gpsl. It's not meant to be hardcore like a game, but it is intended to be active—like when your cat awakens and chooses to play with you for 30 minutes and then promptly goes back to sleep. Hopefully the tdm has given you an idea of what the tone is going to be like for SPEIR whenever it opens. Please make sure you mark for any NSFW content. Most importantly, have fun!

NAVIGATION •

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm sorry, I'm still stuck on the whole you have a pet snow leopard.

[ give her a moment to pull her head out. ]

How did you get him?

Do people where you're from not have them as pets?

[ Not that it's super common back home, but people have other wild animals as pets/companions as well. Like bears or wolves. ]

I stumbled across him after he had been injured. Once I had nursed him back to health, he seemed insistent about staying by my side, much to the chagrin of my parents. I was never able to locate his mother and eventually accepted that he would be part of my life going forward.

Now, I wouldn't have it any other way.

No. No one I know has a snow leopard as a pet. My friends don't even have pets. I think they're a little irresponsible.

[ elena has a feeling informing her of the zoo may upset her. ]

How old is he?

Pets, or your friends?

[ As long as the animals are treated well, she probably wouldn't mind. Though free animals are definitely better. ]

My best guess would be around five to six years, based on his size when I found him and how long he's been with me. Thankfully this is as big as he should get.

My friends. They mean well but I think if one friend had a dog, the dog would be looking after them.

[ she's pretty sure if dogs could pack bags, the one damon gets would hightail leave him. it's deserving. ]

Did you teach him things? Like sit, heel, fetch?

[ she feels stupid having written that, but it's probably a fair question. how does one own a snow leopard? ]

Yes, among other things. It took some time but now that we have such a strong bond, he follows commands quite well, even for things we haven't practiced.

[ She's no ranger, of course, or druid who can speak to animals, but her and Kimba still communicate well. ]

If you'd like, I could have him do some tricks for you when we get froyo. He does enjoy showing off.

You'd really do that? He would?

[ this is the best day ever. ]

Should I bring him something?

We'd be more than happy to.

[ Fierce though he can be, Kimba's also a giant softie so long as Aida's not in danger. ]

Do you mean a toy, or treats?

[ Better to ask than just tell Elena to find a fish for him, just in case. ]

Either.

Does he like toys? Does he like treats?

[ who knows—a snow leopard might be different to a dog. maybe she needs to bring more than one of each. ]

He enjoys both, although treat-wise he has an affinity for freshly caught fish. I've yet to try any of the pet-specific treats PLACEBO has to offer and he tends to be rather harsh with his toys, but bring whatever you think he might like. He's not terribly picky, and he'll do tricks for you regardless..

[ casually writing this all down. ]

What kind of tricks can he do? Because I'll try and find as many treats as I can and deplete all the stores here for him.

[ elena's new bff is a snow leopard. ]

I can already tell he'll be quite fond of you.

As for his tricks, I've taught him many of the common ones you would teach a dog: sit, stay, fetch, shake. I've also taught him others such as track, hunt, protect. We were adventurers before coming here and so I sometimes needed his assistance as much as his company.

The more you say, the more amazing you sound.

What kind of adventures did you go on? Adventures like finding lost treasure?

[ she knows it's stupid, but hollywood did teach her that this is what explorers did. ]

You're too kind.

Occasionally, though that's far rare. Generally, I help rid areas of bothersome and sometimes dangerous monsters or creatures. It may not be quite as impressive as lost treasure, but I've only just begun recently.

Monsters? Like wereolves?

[ she's going on a limb here. they're found in woods in folklore, right? ]

I've yet to fight any of those, though that may have more to do with them not being terribly common where I've been most recently. Most recently I've had to deal with owlbears, bandits, ankhegs, and even a few bugbears.

[ Bandits are humans, of course, so they don't necessarily fit into the "monsters" category but they are a nuisance. ]

Do owlbears look how they sound? Part owl, part bear?

[ that sounds kind of cute. ]

Yes. Their bodies are bear-shaped, though they have a mix of feathers and fur, while their faces more closely resemble an owl.

Even though they're a monster… are they a cute monster?

[ her priorities. ]

Absolutely, especially the cubs. And they can be harmless, so long as you don't threaten them or their families, but occasionally they become a problem for the smaller hamlets.

[ she's trying to imagine this and is having some difficulty believing it. ]

Have you ever upset them?

Not intentionally. Or perhaps more accurately, not intentionally without cause. As I said, some become problems for farmers and villagers and as such need to be taken care of. It's rare that can be achieved without upsetting them.

We come from such different worlds. The biggest pest we have is probably cockroaches.

I'm hoping this place doesn't have any pests at all. It'd be nice to be away from them.

Oh, we have those as well. And spiders, termites, ticks... They're just slightly easier to deal with in comparison.

I hope the same, though. It would be nice to exist in such a place.

I hope I get to see you around really soon. PLACEBO doesn't feel so lonely anymore.

(no subject)

ailindor - 2020-10-18 18:07 (UTC) - Expand