Test Drive Meme

[nashiramods]

Info: Setting ⭐︎ Key Locations ⭐︎ Full Navigation ⭐︎ Monster Info
Prompts: Awakening ⭐︎ By Daylight ⭐︎ By Starlight

WELCOME TO CHALRA CITY!
You live in a bustling modern metropolis situated on the coast of the Everwave Sea. Lively and ever-changing, it’s been riding the wave of the recent techno-economic boom, and business has never been better! The city has thawed into spring, bringing with it the balmy breezes and blooms of April, although the mornings are still chilly and damp. Students and their teachers around the city are settling into the new school year a little under a month before its start, and with the weather turning warmer, the city seems even livelier in anticipation of one of the hottest music tours of the year.

awakening
You lead a more or less ordinary life in the bustling Chalra City — this is the world you live in, and it’s the only world you know. And then one day you feel something stir in you — perhaps it comes to you in a dream, or you receive a vivid waking vision upon walking into someone else — and in the back of your mind, you hear a voice that sounds very much like your own, uttering a wish with its dying breath.

You awaken to your destiny as a Nova Knight, a reincarnation of an alien from a dead planet who once fought against the Abyss. With your new transformation charm in hand, it's time to go supernova and, with the help of your comrades, save the world.



by daylight
Now you lead two lives: your everyday life as one of the many citizens of Chalra City, and your life as a reincarnated magical crime fighter. Will you manage to balance the demands of your double lives, or will you buckle under the pressure? Will you trust your fellow Nova Knights, or will you keep your identity a secret? And when your back is against the wall, who will you call for help?

PLAYING PLOT-MANDATED HOOKY
Real life means real obligations, and you're at one right now — whether it's work, school, or a family gathering, you're expected to be there, and you can't just leave without raising a few eyebrows (or questions).

Unfortunately, the ship's computer Nautis has been blowing up your phone with texts, urging you to ditch your responsibilities so you can take care of an urgent threat: innocent cityfolk are mysteriously disappearing under a famously haunted overpass, and it’s most certainly the work of the enemy. The person next to you is also a fellow Nova Knight, and they're getting the same messages. The question is, do you know each other as Nova Knights, or only as colleagues or classmates? And either way, how are you both going to manage to sneak out and take care of business — without being seen transforming in broad daylight?

SUSPICIOUS SCALPER
The entertainment industry in Chalra City is booming, as evidenced by the fact that most of their performance venues are booked year round. And one of the hottest new artists on the Atlace scene has arrived at the Chalra City stop of their nationwide tour! Indie sensation the beautiful unit., comprised of Jana The (vocals and acoustic guitar), Eliza Beautiful (upright bass), and Blair Unit (shakers), has made its mark on Chalra City's pop culture scene before they've even arrived. The tour has attracted enough attention from smaller nearby cities that every light rail car is packed, making an already busy commute even more hectic for the locals, and many a local shop is cashing in on the craze by selling unlicensed the beautiful unit. merch. There's even a new ticket reseller downtown selling tickets to the sold-out show at astonishingly low prices. It seems too good to be true, but some fans' loyalty outweighs their common sense, and on the day of the show, the line goes out the door and halfway around the block. It probably wouldn't hurt to investigate… Wait, with all the tickets they're reselling, does the math even add up?

by starlight
A CAPTIVATING AUDIENCE
When night falls, the curtain rises on the beautiful unit.'s highly anticipated show in the Four Clover Stadium. After a seventeen minute silent intro, the crowd breaks into a roar when Jana The plucks the first note on her acoustic guitar. But as the show goes on, some fans seem to be a little too amped up. Any the beautiful unit. fan who bought tickets from the suspicious new reseller will begin to turn into a blacklit monster, the light sticks clutched in their hands now transformed into fearsome weapons. Before long, dozens of fans have transformed into monsters, and more are following with every beat. The band keeps on playing as the monsters advance towards the stage — it looks like they're trying to kidnap the beautiful unit.!

You can fight off the monsters' advance with your powers, but they outnumber you and they're closing in fast. These monsters are still people, though, and those people are the beautiful unit. fans through and through, so maybe if you can get the band to play a track off their unreleased new album, they'll turn back to normal.

THE DEATH JITTERBUG
The the beautiful unit. craze is inescapable. From banners to badges, you can't turn a corner in Chalra City without seeing their logo (the beautiful unit. in an Arial variant designed as part of an artistic collaboration with the band). You don't even need to go to a show to hear their music — the shopping center at the train station is blasting all their best singles, such as "It's Time To Talk (About You (And Me))" and "Let's! (Family Restaurant)", a jingle originally written for a diner in their hometown that stayed on the Top 40 charts for a record-breaking nine weeks. Their music is popular for a reason, though, and plenty of shoppers are dancing along to the beat. The only problem is…they don't seem to be able to stop!

If you investigate, you'll discover that the small crystals attached to the shopping center's speakers are draining the energy of anyone under the hipster dance curse. If you destroy the crystals, the shoppers should go back to normal, but you never know which one of them is an appropriately themed monster in disguise. If you're not careful, you might find yourself in for a serious dance off.

⭐︎ ⭐︎ ⭐︎
MONSTER INFO
Here's some convenient info about various monsters for use in TDM threads. For the purposes of the TDM, there aren't hard and fast rules about how they work, so have fun and go wild!

tbu. GROUPIES: Those desperate fans who bought suspiciously scalped tickets will turn into monstrous versions of themselves upon reaching a certain hype level: some of them grow in size; others grow claws, fangs, or hand-crocheted beanies; any fan merch on their person becomes a grotesque weapon. Somehow, they always look like they're under a blacklight, and if you listen closely, their seemingly meaningless grunts comprise an infinite chorus of I was into them before they got big. They're still fans at heart and will probably turn back to normal if you can get their favorite band to play an unreleased single!

THE SOFT SHOE STINGER: Anywhere people seem to be compelled to dance, there's a human-disguised monster in the crowd, poised to attack if any Nova Knights show up. Once unveiled, it's clear from those brightly-colored antennae and compound eyes that this guy is allied with the enemy, and his dance moves truly out of this world. You can defeat this monster by winning in a dance-off, but if enough of you just pummel him with your powers he'll leave. Either way, it's a win.

GROOVE GHOSTS: Any time people are possessed by the spirit of dance, whether at a concert or under the influence of a monster's spell, these guys might show up to jeer at your pitiful moves and heckle you about being off-beat. They can be dispelled by Silver-level powers, but if enough of them gather, it might take a bit more coordination to beat them all.

Note: While the TDM has some specific prompts, you are not limited to these options for threading! Please feel free to use any elements of the setting you see in the info pages.

Comments

[theriflespiral]

"You are. Kind. Kinder than you think." She paused. "I... Am not used to tutors and mentors being kind."

And that's all she'll say about that. "My parents took me here in the hopes I would be able to... Do something. Something better than my future back home."

[fibrillate]

No need to say more. They don't have a ton of personal experience, but they understand. They keep their hands folded in their lap. "My parents put a lot of pressure on me, too. Even now, when I haven't seen them for... six or seven years. I'm sorry." They don't really know what to say, but something bubbles up from their heart anyway. "You should get to be the one in control of your own life."

[theriflespiral]

"... Yes. My mother, she says," and here, she fades to an impeccable imitation of a middle-aged Russian woman. "'Natashenka, you deserve better than this country. It is cold, and making you colder.' And... Well, that was the end of it. We escaped."

[fibrillate]

"Oh!" Well, that's their fault for assuming a bunch of stuff. A few more things to piece together from that, though. They hold their tongue from anything too indicting. "Do you think this place is better for you so far, then? Or are you still trying to figure out the catch behind why you'd even end up here in the first place?"

[theriflespiral]

"I am. What, I get to fight monsters with same skills eej and Danno taught? Something genuinely good to do with all this I have developed? No, there is... Something more here." She pauses. "Tell me, who was this 'me' who was not 'me'?"

[fibrillate]

"Incredible question," they say, and they sigh and tilt their head back and lean against the bench. They close their eyes, and Nova Pandora vanishes and is replaced by Hope Carassia. Back in the drab clothing that doesn't define their form, the sloppy and fading hair dye, the dull contact lenses when they do open their eyes again.

"I don't remember much yet, but I feel like it has to come back to me eventually." Hope's voice is weaker, less confident, has a little more fry in it than it did before the transformation. "I don't think the lives these people used to have ended well. I think it was a really... intense, dark death. For all of us, or them, or whatever you want to call it."

[theriflespiral]

"So you trust that it is reincarnation?" Natalia asks, point blank. She sighs. "... Though, if it isn't, I suppose I must next ask what the actual explanation is."

[fibrillate]

"I'm not sure what I trust about it. Honestly, I still get caught up on the idea of being able to turn into someone that feels like a different person entirely." They glance over. "Reincarnation feels easiest, but Nautis isn't talking. If there's anyone here who's been doing this longer than me, you might have better luck asking about specifics with them. I really just feel like I'm along for the ride."

[theriflespiral]

"True. I don't think I'd start pulling dramatic speeches out of nowhere most of the time." She pauses, and leans back on the bench, staring up at the sky. "... You really feel they're that different than you? Someone willing to go along with some random delinquent's whims because..."

She pauses. Does she really dare ask why Hope had decided to follow her around?

[fibrillate]

And that just wrenches a smile from Hope's lips. "I can get away with a lapse in judgment once or twice," they say, not certain if that's even true, "And you didn't know who I was. You were safe." Their expression is desperately clinging to its form. "But Pandora can help people without worrying about—all the stupid stuff Hope has to worry about," they finish pathetically. "They're better than I could ever be."

[theriflespiral]

"... Because we can't leave it alone," Natalia says, letting that hang in the air. "Or I can't, anyway. And I'm a dumb kid, you can't just let me do dumb things without watching, yes?"

The speed with which she constructs this story is astonishing.

[fibrillate]

"Hold on," they fire back, almost stunned at how quickly all of this is coming together to reach exactly the wrong conclusion. Maybe it's time to just lay it out. "I was back there trying to find a quiet place to transform so I could take out that crystal and stop the music. And you're not a dumb kid, but you are a kid, Natalia."

They're getting heated and they aren't proud of it. They turn their head down toward their lap and curl their hands into fists on their legs. "I couldn't just leave you there if I knew it might put you in danger. That's all."

[theriflespiral]

"And once I felt that thing's... Grip. On me. I. I imagined what it might be like for someone who wasn't in top condition. Who can't struggle." She paused, and patted her pocket. "Someone who would be stuck until they died, or worse, turned into more."

She fishes her charm out of her pocket. It's a single, gem-like sea green star, with a silver hoop, and a stylized golden 'v' in it, which turns to face you no matter where you look. "I... I couldn't. I couldn't stand back."

[fibrillate]

Mm. Natalia has a good head on her shoulders, they think. Considerate of others, even hypothetical others. Hope breathes out slowly. They look at the charm, not recognizing any of the imagery but at least thinking it looks very nice. Their own is a beaded fish, each line a different color of the rainbow, and they show it as they pull their flip phone from their pocket.

"That's a good instinct," they say, not able to make eye contact. "I wish I'd been more like you when I was your age. I could see everything wrong, but I never felt like I could do anything about it. At least you have enough will to try," they finish and glance over again, still unhappy with themself.

[theriflespiral]

"Well. This was a direct problem that I'd practiced for right in front of me. Of course I could address it. But..." She pauses. "... Even if that's how I'm using it, I'm not sure this is what it's for. Or..."

She shakes her head. No, there was no point in getting into that now. No. Stop thinking about it stop thinking about it stop thinking about it. "Well. I can't be in two places at once, you see."

[fibrillate]

"Not a lot of people can," they say, trying to remain casual, to cut through the gloom surrounding their own head. "What's that mean here, though? If you're worried about being Natalia and Neos, I think that's why there's more than one Nova Knight."

[theriflespiral]

"... If I was--" If she'd had this power sooner-- Even-- Even one day before--

No, stop thinking about it stop thinking about it stop THINKING ABOUT IT. "It's not about other Nova Knights. If it were that would be. Much simpler."

that's thinking about it!?

[fibrillate]

Hope reaches out again, this time less confident, more tentative. Like one of them will shatter into glass if they make contact. It's not hard to tell that something is going on here, but Hope doesn't want to pry for any more information than Natalia's willing to provide.

"Hey. You don't have to pour your heart out to me about it or anything. I'm no good as a guidance counselor. But do you want to keep talking about what's on your mind, or do you want a distraction right now?" More echoes of things they've had to teach themself in late-night scrolling sessions when nobody else had really been able to listen to them. Things they'd hoped one day they could use to help someone.

[theriflespiral]

"-- most often I-- try to practice harder or. Set myself to maths. but. that. Has worked less often of late." She pauses. "If. You have advice...?"

[fibrillate]

They drop their hand between the two of them, not quite touching, preserving what stability they know can be found. "I don't know if I have a lot of useful advice for you. But one thing that worked for me is that I found something that I can't afford to let all the stuff happening in my head distract me from."

Warfare against one's own brain is tricky, and their own circumstances are so different from anyone else's that it's hard to act like they're normal here. "I have fish now. And I can't let myself get so depressed or distracted that I don't pay attention to them, because then they'll die, and I'll have something else's life on my hands." It's a little embarrassing to say it out loud instead of just having typed it all those times before. "Dark, right? But it works for my brain."

[theriflespiral]

"Wouldn't be the first time I lay still and a cat would approach me," Natalia mused. "Though. I have not tried since then. As I said, father is a fisherman. We. Have much in an icebox."

Though perhaps she'd best clear this with her family.

[fibrillate]

"Right. Well, it doesn't have to be fish," they say, but they know Natalia already knows that. "And, you know, ideally you're not in as bad a state as I am, and you can get by with a motivator that's a little less strong than 'the grim specter of death'."

Their smile is way weaker than they want it to be. They aren't used to making jokes about this kind of thing; they probably aren't there yet. Time to move past it. "What kind of stuff do you like doing that isn't related to school?"

[theriflespiral]

"... Used to be, I loved martial arts and mathematics, like I said. I... I still want to get another gold medal. Among adults, this time. But..."

[fibrillate]

Mm. It's possible that Hope doesn't really understand what things are and aren't related to academics. Embarrassing, but why should it be a surprise to themself anymore. Instead of speculating more, they just offer a curious and accommodating: "But...?"

[theriflespiral]

"... But... Now, it all feels so..." Useless. Horrifying. How dare she have wasted her time on such frivolous things when she could have saved-- "Childish."