doingtheuglycry | CAN CRY: TEST DRIVE 3

CAN CRY: THIRD TDM
Welcome back to Can Cry's third TDM! If you're unfamiliar with the game, then you can check out the interest check, FAQ, world & setting info page and the powers and abilities page to get up to speed! Due to the slightly wonky timeline, threads on the Can Cry TDM are overall not considered canon, but players may consider individual threads to be canon for their CR. Characters on the TDM will have access to all of their starter powers as outlined on the powers page as well as two unique abilities to play around with as you please. Some prompts and location details have been provided below for you to play around with but please feel free to go hog wild and have fun!
INVIDIA
The Envy layer of Purgatory, Invidia, is a bustling high-tech city that never sleeps. Constructed out of shining white metal and glass, the city practically gleams in light, made all the brighter by the ever-active screens and lights constantly blaring and flashing no matter the time. The city is split across multiple levels, with a frenzy of vehicles zooming back and forth, presumably carrying Spectres to and fro. Floating platforms, glass elevators, stairs and the like also provide methods of egress, if you can stand the crowds of Spectres also constantly running around and getting things done. Despite the bustle of the city, don't be fooled into thinking it's particularly functional. Like Limbo, Invidia is mostly artificial, a place created in the image of a bustling, futuristic city but not quite living up to the ideal. If you just observe the city for long enough, it becomes clear that the apparent hustle and bustle is happening on a consistent and unchanging loop, creating the illusion of life and energy where there is none. Invidia is simply a stage and the occupants are acting out a fantasy. Particularly of note in Invidia are the giant screens that are plastered across almost all of the buildings – no matter where you look, you'll have at least one or two of them taking up a whole bunch of visual real estate. They're all broadcasting a massive variety of shows, with no more than one or two screens typically displaying the same thing at once, though almost every single show broadcast on the screens star the same girl... All of these shows seem to be advertisements for all kinds of fancy products that can't actually be found anywhere in the city, or following this strange girl around, vlog style, as she lives out her enviably effortless and intensely glamorous life. While there's no real night and day distinction in Purgatory, Invidia is unusually distinctive in that its sky alternates regularly between light and dark, creating a semi-reliable pattern of "days" and "nights", each lasting between eight to twelve hours each. Because of this, Invidia operates on a more typical day/night cycle than other layers. While under a dark or mid "morning" sky, the white surfaces of the city fade to black and the buildings become drenched in psychedelic lights in all manner of patterns of colours. Similarly, during "nighttime", the images and shows being projected on all the screens around the city become brighter and more energetic as if to make up for a lack of skylight. Invidia is populated with its own number of Spectres, most of whom seem to happily buy into the fantasy of living out busy lives in this city and who will be constantly running to and fro, getting things done. While Spectres of Invidia are friendly enough, they are also knee-deep in the sin of Envy. They are desperately envious of anything that anyone else has that they don't also possess – including the Executors. Be prepared to be subjected to a lot of passive-aggressive sighing about how they just wiiiiiish they had ITEM X like you guys do! But aside from that, they're mostly harmless. Because of the possessive nature of Invidia's Spectres, a barter system is alive and well here. Sometimes you might be able to simply take things without paying, as is the case in Limbo, but for the most part, characters will be expected to provide something in return for any goods and services they acquire in Invidia. This doesn't always have to be an actual physical object but either way – best be prepared to pay up. Invidia is a big-ass location, so to get the full lowdown on all the deets, check out the location page!
QUESTS
Since it's up to Executors to maintain order in Purgatory, this also means they need to resolve any issues that crop up for the Spectres occupying it. You can come up with any sort of quest you like, but here are some ideas to get you started: ⚝ A tearful Specter stops you in your tracks and asks you for help in promoting his failing business. He has to stay at the store in case any customers come by, but he's got flyers, sandwich boards and signs galore for you to do with as you will. Help a guy out! Just... be aware that maybe there's a reason his business is failing. What the hell kind of place is "BBQ and Foot Massage-While-U-Wait"?! ⚝ Two Spectres are causing a ruckus in town with a screaming-in-each-other's-face tier argument. Calming them both down is going to be a task all on its own, but if you manage to, it turns out the first Spectre is missing a precious object and has accused the other of stealing it. The second Spectre insists the precious object never existed in the first place. Uh... good luck with this. ⚝ You hear rumors that an old building in the housing district is haunted by a... g-g-ghost! Putting aside how ridiculous this claim is, the rumors are persistent enough that obviously something really is hanging out there, but what? A Revenant, maybe? You'd better check it for yourself and see! ⚝ While you're out and about in town, a Spectre stops you in the middle of the street with an impromptu interview about yourself. Whatever your answer, the interview sees enough airtime on the screens of Invidia to make you a minor celebrity. You're being mobbed by fans wherever you go! Feel free to NPC Spectres as you need for this TDM!
THE UNDERSIDE OF LIMBO
While the Underside of Invidia has yet to open itself to the Executors, you are still free to travel upwards and try out your powers in the Underside of Limbo. Though it's the most peaceful level of Purgatory, Limbo is not without its dangers. Directly below Limbo is what's known as the Underside, a darkness cast by the city above where Revenants and malicious spirits linger. It appears as a dark, mirror-reversed version of Limbo, though the geography is much more twisted and confusing. If left unchecked, Revenents from the Underside would attack the town and consume any number of Spectres. It's up to the Executors to head down there and see to them! While Limbo itself is mostly functional if a bit odd, the Underside is... a lot. The geography of the place is twisted and doubles back on itself in places and seems to warp in your vision as you observe it. From your bird's eye view as you descend the stairs, you can see that the general shape of the place mirrors that of the town above, with many of the same general landmarks. For example; The movie theater is offering a "late night fright fest" on all of its screens. If you're ~~dumb~~ brave enough to go and watch such a thing, you'll find that the description is accurate at least – all of the screens just show the attending Executors subjected to situations that play into their worst fears and anxieties. The coffee bar serves the same drink, no matter your order – a pitch black sludge that makes you feel violently ill when consumed. The pastries are fine, though. The hotel is even more maze-like than it was previously. Your hotel key won't work here. The windows won't break. The doors won't open. Wasn't the exit around this corner? What about the next? How many floors have you climbed again? How long have you been in here, anyway? The conbini is now a perfectly normal and functional convenience store. Somehow this is even more upsetting than having it become more weird. This is a general prompt for combat-oriented testing, to allow characters to experiment with their new powers as Executors! Because of that, and because combat will function slightly differently in-game, this section is pretty loosey goosey. Like previous posts, you are free to invent locations and NPC Revenants to make things more fun and exciting! If you would like some ideas for what sort of Revenants to battle, you can check out this video to see what sort of enemies exist in the original game, but beware that it does contain spoilers for Crystar.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Invidia

[Sword is.

Well.

Sword is a jerk. He doesn't give a fuck about any of this, he doesn't understand why the hell he's still here if he's fucking dead, and he certainly doesn't care about this passive aggressive little shit of a Spectre who keeps making eyes at his sword. He eventually just glares at the Spectre, gesturing with the sword.]

If you want it so badly, then come try and take it from me.

[The Spectre leaves. Thought as much.]

Quests -- Two Arguing Spectres

[How did Sword end up here again? Oh, right, the yelling was giving him a headache and he wanted to know what was going on. He eventually shoves his way in between the two, shoving them apart and keeping them apart by...using the sword.

He has the damn thing, so he might as well use it.]

Whatever you lost obviously wasn't valuable enough to keep it somewhere safe. Go home. Both of you.

[T-10 until the yelling starts anew...]

Underside

[Otherwise....yeah, Sword knows one thing and that thing is Fighting. He'll be easy to track down as he cuts his way through Revenants in the Underside.]

[As the Spectre slinks away, Sword might feel someone watching him. If he looks up he may see a... person? A creature? A something standing atop a street light, chuckling at the scene with a distinctly feminine voice.]

[He notices, but he also doesn't care too much except to give the...whatever that is a Look.]

Can I help you?

Continue making that threat and eventually one will try it.

Tch, and they'd fail, and they all know it.

You have a lot of bluster for something so soft looking. Do you even know how to wield such a nail?

[She doesn't know why 'nail' comes to mind as the word for that weapon before 'sword', but it seems fitting]

[And Felix slides into position, easier than breathing. He has no idea why, but this feels so much more natural.]

You tell me.

[She chuckles again and with a flick of the wrist a long rapier-like blade appears in her hand. In fact, it almost looks like a massive sewing needle... especially considering it has thin silk-like thread trailing behind it]

Prepare yourself!

[And that needle is coming flying at his face]

[Quick as anything, he knocks it out of the way and sidesteps.]

Try harder!

[The weapon reels back on the silk, and she leaps down as it moves, catching it on the way so she can attempt to strike him from above]

Shaw!

[She's quick if nothing else]

[Quick is good. He can work with quick.

Sword dodges again, bringing his sword down to try and get this girl in the back. He's not aiming to hurt her, but...]

[ being one of the Executors who has been here since they all started out together, Mona feels some responsibility for those who have awakened more recently. she sticks around Invidia and keeps an eye out for any new Executors who might be in need of an assist —

or who Spectres might need assistance with, apparently. she can already picture the turn this situation is going to take, and her heels clicking on the pavement herald her arrival as she hurries over. ]

Oh, w-wait...! [ she takes hold of Sword's arm; gently, without jostling him, because she doesn't want anyone to get stabbed. ] Um! We'll look for it! So, if you can tell us more about what you lost...

[ SORRY SWORD YOU'RE BEING CONSCRIPTED ]

[Unfortunately for poor Mona, Sword does not like being touched so he just pulls away and gives her a Look that clearly says he thinks she's stupid.]

You can look for it. It's not my problem.

But— [ it kind of is his problem!! she's too polite to say that, so she tries to reason: ] It's our responsibility to help them. We have to keep the peace here.

[ she won't force him to do it, though. and there's no point in arguing or trying to browbeat him into it. after a moment, she shakes her head and she turns her back on him entirely to talk softly to the Spectres — saying clearly that if he doesn't want to help, she'll do it alone. ]

Is there anything you can tell us— me... that might help? I'm sure your friend didn't steal it...

[ she'll spend all day combing the city if she has to. ]

[The Spectre starts listing of completely useless information--about the thing's value, how important it is to them, stuff like that. Sword just scoffs.]

See why I told them to go home? They don't even know what they lost.

That's okay.

[ Mona's tone of voice can rarely ever be called sharp, but there is a clarity and a firmness to the way she says this. she's cutting off Sword's scorn, though she doesn't turn to look at him.

to the Spectres, her voice gentles once more: ] There are a lot of things I don't remember, too. But if you're upset, then it must have been very important to you. So just try to think really hard, okay?

[ they're Spectres, not Eidolons. she knows it's possible they might not remember, even if they try. that doesn't matter to her. she has to at least reach out to them this far. ]

[Something about that sharpness gets Sword to stop bitching, but he's still very clearly judging as the Spectre keeps rambling about this thing that they can't even describe.]

Seriously...

CAN CRY: TEST DRIVE 3

Felix Hugo Fraldarius | FE:3H

Invidia

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