starhuevalley | TEST DRIVE

TEST DRIVE;
premise | rules | taken | pick-up

Pick-ups are now open! You're free to take a character on that page. The musebox will start proper in one week!

Welcome to Starhue Valley!

Just as easily as you blinked out of reality to your last getaway from home, or your little jaunt at community of silly memes, you're on a bus that accommodates all shapes and sizes. A little letter has been placed on your lap, with your name on it. Carefully unfolding, you read the following message.

• Howdy!
You might notice you're not from these parts! That's because you've either been kidnapped across the multiverse before, have had strange encounters across the multiverse, or have a secret destiny hidden within you to find out what life is like in Starhue Valley!

Well, the secret destiny part might be an exaggeration, but you were picked up by my call for some reason or another... that means you must have a call inside you to reach out across time and space and meet and change the lives of other people.

I look forward to explaining everything!
- Marjorie

__________________________________________

Across the street from the bus stop, a celebration seems to be going on, for your arrival. Once you get the low-down from Margie herself, you have a plethora of things to do.

What do you go for?

A. Farm? What farm?

[ A map has been thrust onto your person as soon as you arrived, with a pathway clearly marked to a place in the forest where you have been told a farm has been cleared out for you or you and a significant other, a band of friends, your mortal enemy, whoever you have the fortune of joining. The pathways tonight are lit with tiny glass baubles filled with glowing stars. These paths lead throughout the woodsy side of town all over.

Your farm is a little decrepit, but apparently, all the tools are in that chest over there to make it perfect. The mayor left a letter for you detailing the whole thing-- the buses back home don't run until the end of Summer, so you'll have to make do with what you have. You don't HAVE to farm... but it'd be a nice way to make a few pieces of gold! You know, to live. Unless you just pull turnips out of the ground and eat them, weirdo.

Some seeds and so on are available to you-- even some things from home to make the job easier. What do you do? ]

B. Screw the farm, let's check out the celebration!

Ahh, careful! I ordered some of those pies from Baker Square but they came right from bakerstreet! I can't tell which is which, so just... be careful!

[ Naturally, you have no idea what Marjorie is talking about regarding Baker Street, unless she's making a very obscure Sherlock Holmes joke.

However, the bountiful plates of pies do look attractive... you're pretty sure no one would poison you right off the bat, right? But the flavors do have interesting effects.

• Lemon Meringue makes you want to play 'guess who!' with someone.
• Rhubarb has you looking at people while consciously thinking 'hot or not'. And if you're attracted to that type of person, maybe you'll make some moves...
• Chocolate Mousse has you yearning for some old friends, and if you happen to meet them or make some new ones, drape all over them. Schmooze. Show them some pictures on your jPad of your cute little sibling.
• Apple has you ambitious-- start rallying the people! Is it unfair you were brought here? Is Jojamart clearly a corporate scam? Do you have immediate plans to take over? You can't hold it in!
• Key lime has you sprouting a monster part! This is painless, and it can last for anywhere from a day to a month. Take care! ]

C. Family photos... or videos.

[ A projector is set up nearby, on a white screen on the barn. There's only one thing though... these videos seem familiar. Eventually, one of you might pop up! This could be a memory, a tacky AMV to Every Time We Touch, or darkly, a bit of your future yet to come that might encourage you to stay. Marjorie says it's set up to 'get everyone to know each other a little'.

Secrets don't make a community! ]

D. The Sun Goes Down, The Stars Come Out... and fall.

[ What is with this rocking meteor shower? Stars streak across the sky in a glitter of white and gold, unlike anything you've ever seen. Someone, one of the locals, hushes to the person next to them to make a wish. Suddenly, that urge starts to overcome you. Whether subconsciously or not, you mutter a wish to yourself-- and be careful what you wish for, because if it's something that can help you with your journey... it might end up right in your lap! A bunch of tokens from home or your previous game, all wishing you well on your new farming life.

This is starting to feel nostalgic.

Happy.

Simple. ]

D. WILDCARD

[ Do whatever you like! Explore the town, see new people, harass the NPCs! Magically transform your farm into a mansion! I don't know your powers, man, but use them to the best of your ability! Most of all, have fun!
code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tori can't help but snicker at Q'uila's words. "Haha, no kidding. Though I have to admit that if I weren't trying to avoid trouble on my first day that it would be just a little fun to tease them. You know, to help lighten those sticks in the mud up~"

Fortunately, the fact that she's just revealed her more impish side to this woman falls to wayside. Unfortunately, it's due to the rude as hell staring she had been doing, and that's enough to make her a tad sheepish again. At least Q'uila seems amused by it, right?

"Not in the slightest," she admits. "We have people who aren't human, but not in the same way. But hey, partially feline, huh? That's pretty cool."

Q'uila starts chuckling as well at that, tail curling happily, "A friend of mine back home would think much the shame, she delights in small pranks whenever we attend important dinners or meetings. It always serves to make them more bearable."

"I suppose it is rather nice to have the advantages I do, although I had no idea how odd people would consider me until I left my realm. Some reactions have been quite funny to witness. Others...less so."

"Oh man, that friend of yours definitely has my number," Tori grins widely. "Anything to survive stuffy shit like that, you know?" Being the daughter of a businessman, she's attended way too many stiff and boring events for her taste, and she can certainly appreciate anyone willing to spice them up and making them actually interesting.

"Oh jeez, have there really been people who were asses about it?" Her grin quickly drops upon hearing that. "That sucks!"

"The best part is, everyone knows it's her, but no-one can ever find any evidence of it."

Q'uila shrugs, "Some, although it is mostly a gut reaction of those from places without other Races. Most normally adjust quickly and those who don't..." She grins, fangs exposed, "Well, they soon learn that I do not take insults sitting down."

"Ha, that really is the best," Tori agrees. Even if she's never seen this friend of Q'uila's in action, she really can't deny how awesome that is.

"Good. You shouldn't just take the insults," she asserts. "Hopefully it really is just a gut reaction. Personally, I wouldn't hold my breath, but maybe that's just because of how things are back in my world." She crosses her arms, looking away. "Not saying it's overly bad where I'm from, but some people can be real assholes over differences that aren't even immediately apparent sometimes."

That's without going into her own personal experiences, but she isn't planning to do that anyway. She doesn't need to dump her problems on Q'uila, especially when they've just met and definitely not when Tori's trying so hard to use this place as an escape from everything.

Q'uila sighs, "We have issues back home based on Race, what with each of the Five Races being so different it can cause...issues, especially for mated pairs of different races."

She snorts, "In the end, anything people here can say will pale in comparison to some of the things I heard growing up. Language tends to be poor in a city made up of Pirates and sailors."

"We have a few issues with race too," Tori admits, still looking away. "Even if it's not the worst, it's still annoying as hell. I don't think we have too many problems with different races getting married, at least. And I think I'm done getting the worst of it I'll ever get, thank god."

Then again, her case is a unique one. No matter how shitty people can get about elementals, at least no one else will ever have to deal with what she's had to ever again -- something she's glad for, as she wouldn't wish it on anyone.

She returns Q'uila's snort with one of her own, the grin returning to her face as she finally looks back to her. "Pirates and sailors, huh? Sounds like a fun time."

"Idiots are abundant in every realm." Q'uila's smile is nostalgic and a little homesick. "It is, there's always some sort of revelry going on. It's always bustling and there are some many different people who come through. I struggle to imagine settling anywhere else."

Tori allows another snort to escape her. "Yeah, sounds about right."

Q'uila's nostalgic, homesick smile as well as her sentiments makes Tori feel a little guilty for not feeling the same way. Sure, she'll miss her loved ones back home, but settling here is far from something she'll struggle with. "Sounds like you really love it," she replies quietly.

"I really do," She confirms, still smiling, "I've never been anywhere else like it. And the sea becomes a part of you, its not the same living away from it."

"Does that mean you're in a rush to go home, or are you going to make the best of things here?" Tori asks, unable to keep the question to herself.

Q'uila is silent for a moment. "As nice as it is here...my work at home is vital for the continuing existence of my world. Having been dragged away from my world to another meeting of many from across the realms and then ending up here...I worry about my family and friends who still remain on Hydaelyn."

Tori frowns, looking to the ground for a few moments. Q'uila's words send another wave a guilt through her. The way she's describing it, it almost sounds like she's a guardian of her world -- the very position Tori could very well end up taking up herself back in her own world, but is hoping to avoid making a decision on for as long as possible.

"...I'm sure they'll be okay," she attempts to reassure Q'uila, finally. "But if that's the case, then I hope you're able to return as soon as you can."

TEST DRIVE

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