❈ TEST DRIVE MEME

[fairy_of]

Welcome to Gildenhirst, friends!
It's a TEST DRIVE MEME!!
Premise, Location and more information on the Main Menu.

Our test drive meme is open to everyone, so please stop by for a little fun and see if you’d enjoy playing with us. The TDM primarily takes place in Gildenhirst, the main hub city for Bravely Borrows. The surrounding area of Caldisla is free game though! Please explore the setting as you desire.

  LET'S PLAY DRESS UP

A big part of Bravely Borrows is getting your very own job class! While all characters start the game as a Freelancer and receive a random job asterisk later on, for the sake of testing you may choose from the following job classes to mess around with:

Red Mage ★ Monk ★ Knight ★ Performer ★ Ranger ★ and Freelancer of course
If you desire these threads to be canon, an asterisk was simply loaned to them.
Please return it at your earliest convenience.

  NEED A QUEST?

If you need some direction on how to begin, why not gaze upon some sample quests? Go on a journey. Fuck around and find out. They are completely optional– write whatever prompts you want!

Eggs Aplenty
Oh no. Oh dear. There has been a horrible series of mistakes surrounding ChantiLilly’s egg delivery. For one thing, it was delivered to the Central Market on the Ground Floor! For another thing, there are far too many eggs here. Dozens upon dozens upon dozens of eggs. The bakery’s Patissiere would be grateful if you could help bring these eggs up to his bakery in Rooftop Gardens. You’ll get some gold and some fresh eggs for your troubles.

This Bunny’s Buggin Me
A farmer from Norende is going batty over the swarm of bunnies that have been getting into his fields. Help a fella out, won’t ya? They are swarming en masse and ruining the spring start ups! Don’t expect to be able to herd them out without a fight though– these rabbies really pack a punch! They’re also carnivorous so…. Watch out?

A Rock and a Hard Place
An avid collector is searching for some new specimens. They’ve heard there are some expansive cave systems in the Norende Heights that just might be the perfect spot to collect some geodes. The only problem is that they’re an eensy teensy bit full of kobolds. You’ll be compensated for your troubles if you’d go collect some rocks, and every actual geode will get an extra reward. Please don’t fall off the cliffs…! The paths are narrow and harrowing at times. Good luck!

Have an excellent time, friends!
Thanks for stopping by ♥

QUICK SELECT// MAIN MENU ☆ OOC ☆ JOURNALS ☆ LOGS

Comments

nah ur still fresh and tasty

[daikonrose]

As reassuring as it would have been to see a semi-familiar face, it was only right that their savior from yesterday should get to rest now. Hello new person, Kyoko was quickly advancing upon you to begin the questioning.

Though what came out weren't really questions so much as desperate declarations. "Hello!! We are in need of fish and other food! And a map! And to learn our purpose here and where the exit is!" Just a few things.

Luckily this morning's receptionist was as unruffled as last night's, and waited patiently for the deluge to end before pulling a folded-up paper map out from under the desk and passing it over with a smooth smile. You might start in the Central Plaza, right here on the Ground Floor.

delicious, right in my mouth it goes

[hedgehogsdilemma]

So cool, so calm! Have you been dealing with a lot of people like them, morning attendant? What a saint, truly. It's encouraging to hear such a levelheaded reply, no fretting or worries that they're asking for more than anyone is prepared to answer for, they should be able to get answers for everything they need to know, right?

Phew.

Shinji has nothing to add - Kyoko truly took care of the most pressing matters upfront, but he does take a glance at the map as he slides up to the counter, depositing their down payment on to the desk. "For tonight," he clarifies softly. Let's get all of these important tasks checked off one at a time.

[whenyouneedme]

The attendant offered Shinji a smile as he took the coinage. Thank you. I will make a note of the extension. Will you need your room cleaned?

"No," Kai piped up. Do not discover their fruits and penguins, please. "It's fine right now, thanks." Slightly more pressing was the attendant's gentle dodging of purposes and exits. This arrival was a lot less forthcoming than Havenwell's had been, even if people had been kind and helpful so far. Perhaps that meant there wasn't a crisis here? Wherever here was. Let's try an easier question. "You said the Central Plaza was... here on the ground floor?"

The attendant gave a little shake of his head as Kai looked over at the lobby. No, no, not the hotel ground floor. The Ground Floor is the lower level of Guildenhirst. The upper levels are the Roof Gardens. I'd encourage you to visit, the views are quite lovely.

[daikonrose]

"Ah... I think I already went there," Kyoko said weakly. She had perhaps not been in the best state to admire the view, but. Anyway. More importantly. "Is... there something in particular newcomers to this place should do right away?" she tried again, more delicate now that she'd blown through that burst of urgent energy and her nerves were creeping back up. Perhaps this would be a more fruitful line of questioning. "We got here yesterday, but I'm not sure we followed all the proper steps."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Really, none of them did follow whatever instructions they may have been given, huh? Good job, team. Sightseeing isn't exactly on anyone's to-do list right now, but perhaps expecting that the attendant would have all the answers is a little silly. But... if he's familiar with the situation the three of them are in, is it truly too silly? Hm. Hm.

"R-right," sorry sir, they are messes, but hopefully they can get their feet under them a little better today, "do you know... who might help us with that?"

[whenyouneedme]

The attendant made a thoughtful touch to his chin. Particular proper steps, was it. I am not sure there are any specific steps to an adventure, he said, as there are many paths that people take. But if you'd welcome a suggestion, you may be interested in visiting one of the adventuring guilds. They're an excellent resource for new travelers.

Kai considered this quietly, just a touch of a frown on his face. That.. was and was not helpful. Still, it was a place to start. "So... nobody needs our help or anything?"

Oh, someone might! You can find a quest board in the Central Plaza. If someone needs something, you can find out there.

[daikonrose]

Adventures, guilds, quests... Travelers, he called them. So many perplexing words to apply to their situation. Kyoko chewed her lip. She wasn't sure how much more useful information they could expect to get to get out of him, but she tried one more time, tentative.

"And if... if a traveler happens to be lost, what should they do?"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

So they've gone from Offworlders to Travelers, huh? Okay, well... That kind of implies that they're 'just passing through', right? Because that wouldn't be terrible, that would mean there's a way to continue on their journey to Kyoko's home, one way or another.

Hm...

Let him just... take that map and give it a more serious look-over, in case there's some sort of obvious secret to leaving Gildenhirst waiting to be discovered on it.

[whenyouneedme]

The map would helpfully point out that there were several easy exits from town. That way went towards a place called Norende, see. And over that was was Caldisa. Perhaps they wanted to go to the Norende Heights, or the river! So many places they could go. Unfortunately, there weren't any spots clearly labeled 'How to Leave the World.'

Kai watched the attendant make his attempts to not be completely off guard with this question. 'Ask questions' was the solution, and they were already doing that. Scratching the back of his head, Kai let out a soft huff through his nose. Before he could second guess if this was a bad move, he went all in to clarify. "This world wasn't the one we were trying to get to."

Ah, I see! This city was founded by world travelers such as yourselves.

[daikonrose]

"So then... there are more people like us around? Right now?" They didn't all leave after founding the city or something, right? Kyoko pulled in a lip. Even in Havenwell she'd met people who were already familiar with jumping between worlds, so why not here too? With a nod, she looked between Shinji and Kaito. "So then, maybe we can find some super advanced worldhoppers who do it just for fun, and they'll tell us what to do!"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Ohhh, so there might be other Travelers around who they can ask, possibly? That is... hm. Would there be any way to tell, Shinji wonders? Would they have to figure out who was or wasn't one by asking around? That sounds... less appealing than getting information out of the attendant, but if that's where things end up going...

At least Kyoko sounds enthusiastic about the potential.

"We might," he murmurs quietly from over the map. It can't just be them, after all, and if this is expected as a wholly normal phenomena, whose to say that some of the citizens aren't just here for fun?

[whenyouneedme]

That seemed like it was a pretty safe bet. Even from just the few morning folks that were mingling in the lobby behind them, the vibe didn't feel like a place that harbored a whole ton of distress. If people were distressed about being in a new world, it wasn't anyone in the room right now besides them.

"S'true," Kai affirmed as he set a palm warm against Shinji's back. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the prospects of getting up in peoples' business either, but if it helped! At least they could back up Kyoko's energy here. Kai sent her a small grin. "We can keep an eye out for 'em and get all their secrets."

[daikonrose]

Luckily for Shinji and Kaito, they had a master of aggressively approaching strangers here with them. Kyoko gave the receptionist a firm nod. "Thank you very much for the assistance! We shall venture forth on our quest for answers now!"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Thank you for being such an unstoppable force, Kyoko. Your boys will back you up as best as they can.

That's that, then. "Thank you," Shinji echoes to the receptionist, stepping back a little bit to make room for the group of them to exit the inn. Let's go explore more meaningfully today than any of them did yesterday, gang.

[whenyouneedme]

The receptionist gave them a small wave, and Kai gave him a nod as he followed his people out of the inn. Thank you for the help, they'd be back later.

Let's go! Out into the street! The morning sun was there to greet them, feeling even brighter with all the sunny leaves swaying over the rooftops. Now that the grip of panic was gone, it was much more apparent that this main street was pretty charming. Residents were starting to put their shop signs out on the street to welcome in the day, others were starting to get their own days going.

First up for them: breakfast. Kai peered this way and that down the street before gesturing towards the left. "I think that Central Plaza was... that way?"

[daikonrose]

It certainly was easier to appreciate the aesthetics of this place today, with fresher eyes. Kyoko was almost surprised at herself for not having been completely charmed yesterday--but that just spoke to how deep in despair she'd been.

Her eyes were going round now as they made their way through the sleepy morning streets. "There were definitely a lot of people around her yesterday. This must really be the place to be."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

It's easier to get a feel for the town when there aren't as many people milling around, too. It feels less crowded for now, which Shinji can definitely appreciate, though hopefully without the same fear and worry eating at him today, it won't be too overwhelming even when everyone comes out for the day. We will see, we will see.

Consulting the map against Kai's intuition, it looks like 'that way' is correct, which nets a little, "Yeah," from Shinji. Perhaps even just following their noses would get them to somewhere that breakfast could be found, if they didn't want to pay too close attention to the map and instead admire the charm of their surroundings.

"It's really different from Havenwell, isn't it?"

[whenyouneedme]

"Yeah. It's way more... Everything, kinda." Vibrant. Thriving. Havenwell certainly had a lot of spirit, and by the end its heart was growing brighter again, but it had never been quite like this. "Kinda reminds me of showing up in Shoremere."

It seemed like the most difficult navigation decision they had to make might have been that initial first turn. The road seemed like a fairly straight shot. Surely a plaza would be pretty obvious, so maybe they didn't need to employ a map so much in this scenario. Ideal for indeed admiring the sights of so much life blossoming in front of their eyes, but also for taking the hand of one girl and slipping an arm around the waist of one boy holding said map.

[daikonrose]

Kyoko settled her hand gratefully into Kaito's, still quietly hungry for the assurance of his closeness. "I didn't really think about it yesterday, but it's a little strange to see so many--" no, not people, the robots had been people too-- "humans around again. I guess I got a little bit used to us being a minority. But it's encouraging, right? Not being a novelty here."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

The arm at his waist is first met with a tiny, nervous glance in Kyoko's direction. Of course, it's not like this would be anywhere close to the most overt display of affection done in her presence in the past 24 hours, but with more of his nerves settled, it's easier to put a touch of worry back into something so clearly as important as her comfort.

Of course, when no extra attention is being called to it, nobody's going to be flustered right now. All attention can be put back to their breakfast quest with the comfort of close company.

"Even in Shoremere, offworlders were a novelty." Fleshy as the inhabitants (largely) were, they still treated the visitors like curiosities. Not being novel is... a nice change of pace. Let them blend in to the background for a while, it can be another way of easing them into Tokyo life when they get there, probably. "I'm sure this won't be hard to get used to."

[whenyouneedme]

Being a background character sounded really nice, honestly. Being able to simply exist with those that mattered most was what he wanted most. Let them get along peacefully, free to thread his fingers with his girlfriend's and hook his fingers in his boyfriend's shirt without worry about who was looking. What bliss.

(He was grateful neither of them were making a fuss because he still deeply craved that assurance that they were all right there.)

"Mmmhm. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out what we're doin' if everyone else has been doin' the same thing. It'll be nice not being the guinea pigs."

[daikonrose]

In all fairness, if the arm had been around her waist Kyoko would have surely been a bit more hesitant. But handholding was a little more subtle, and Shinji deserved that special attention, so everything was right and good here!

Kyoko nodded, already starting to feel a little more upbeat about this whole situation, even with all the lingering questions. "And it didn't sound at all like we're expected to save the whole world this time, right?" Way less pressure, thank you Gildenhirst. "So we can focus on our own goals wholeheartedly, without worrying!"

Goal number one, breakfast, was already looking pretty achievable as the telltale scents of fresh bread and coffee wafted through the morning air.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Their goals of gettin' the heck out of here will definitely be less stressful without the fate of the whole planet laying on their shoulders, it's very true.

That aroma finally hitting Shinji's nostrils is enough to break through his nervous diligence, eliciting an audible growl from his stomach. Ah... ah. He did no realize how hungry he was. Ah. Here, let him try and cover that up with a sheepish mumble, "Shouldn't be too far now."

[whenyouneedme]

Finally the weight of all that Time since their last meal was making itself known. Kai couldn't help the little chuckle that followed the growl of Shinji's stomach. The even louder gurgle that echoed from Kai's own turned that chuckle into a bark of a laugh, and Kai gave them each a squeeze. "We can take our time soon enough then."

Swiftly then! Towards those tantalizing scents on the horizon.

It wasn't that much longer before the road opened up before them into a grander space. A fountain was bubbling away at its center, and all around it were more shops and market stalls. It was more awake there, with merchants setting up their stalls to greet the day and the early risers trying to beat their neighbors to sweet deals. There was a lot to look and and take in, but Kai's feet were already leading them in one direction in particular. The bread stall that had been luring them in was beckoning them ever closer with its full bounties ready and waiting for them.

Behold the Breads. Rolls! Loaves! Sweet things and sandwiches! "Ohhh...!"

[daikonrose]

Thank goodness, Kyoko's stomach wasn't the only one making its wishes known. Thank goodness, too, for the sound of Kaito's laugh, a true balm for her weary soul.

And thank goodness! For bread! Readily available nourishment right there waiting for them after their all their hardship. "It's so beautiful..." There were tears in her eyes already as they approached the stand. "I could float away into the heavens with that scent to carry me..."