❈ 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

[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..."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Food! Right there and ready for them to purchase with no work from them! Anything, at this point, would probably be as delicious as a meal from Affurgato. Bread... bread! Thank you so much for appearing in their time of need, bread.

The map is safely tucked away so that Shinji can give his full attention to the selection sitting so tantalizingly in front of them. "It all looks really good," thank goodness his appetite didn't suffer too badly through all of the past day's tribulations. "Maybe one of the sandwiches would be a good idea..."

[whenyouneedme]

Kai nodded along eagerly. "Mm, that shouldn't be too much, right?" Monetarily or for their stomachs. Time to carefully extract his hands so he could get at that new pouch.

At some point all of their tears and awestruck gazes had caught the eye of the vendor. She was already leaning towards them when Kai had dug out some coins, grinning at them. What can I get for you?

Kai looked between them and nodded his head towards the display. "Go ahead and pick the ones you want."

[daikonrose]

"Huh? You don't have to pay," Kyoko couldn't help protesting, as if she had not been the one to say they should pool their money like an hour ago. "Anyway, as long as it meets the basic food groups, it's acceptable."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Shinji, for his part, will make no protests over who pays - surely a quick meal for three won't be any worse than the fare for the inn. Even if money hasn't officially been pooled yet, it feels like a fair enough trade-off.

"Um, I'd like one of these please," he says, pointing out one of the sandwiches. A nice, filling and nutritious choice for a tired boy. Hopefully it can give him some energy that he was unable to recover last night.

[whenyouneedme]

Thank you for your decision making, Shinji. The baker nodded and looked expectantly over at Kai, who pointed at two of the other ones. "And those two, too, please." Being ravenous meant he was even less picky than usual, which was probably true for all of them. Some of the sweets looked awfully tempting as well, but that was something to contemplate later when they were more ready to carry things around. For now, paying the nice lady so they could get their handheld meals.

"You can get the fish," Kai suggested as he put the other coins away. Taking turns to make purchases until they actually pooled their lots together seemed reasonable. "We'll probably wanna grab a few other things to take back at some point too."

[daikonrose]

Shinji, being the best at having a preference for once. Good job buddy. Proud of you.

And perhaps what Kyoko had really needed was the assurance that she too could pay for something soon. Soothed, she gave a sheepish little nod and accepted her sandwich. "Thank you. I guess we'll have to adjust to some new eating habits, since we don't have a kitchen for now. Getting all our meals out is going to be expensive."

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Decision making is easy when it's low stakes! Plus he doesn't want to hold everyone up for something as inconsequential as breakfast!

Sandwich secured, he takes a step back with a soft, "Thank you." Let's get out of the way now, and maybe even find a place to sit down so they can come up with their attack plan for the day over the meal.

[whenyouneedme]

With a wave of thanks to the vendor, Kai shuffled after the other two. The fountain seemed like it'd make a good place to sit and scope out some more of what was around them, so Kai made a move of herding them in that direction.

"Yeah... Bread's a good start, at least. I'm sure there's some fruit or veg around here somewhere." Probably some dried meats too? Kai pondered this as he moved to plop down on the edge of the fountain.

[daikonrose]

"This place definitely has a European feel, even more than Havenwell had a fairyland theme park aesthetic." Kyoko paused to unwrap her sandwich after she'd perched on the edge of the fountain. "So we'll just have to eat rustic European-style for a little while." Itadakimaaas, let's take a hearty bite.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

What a charming spot to eat, let's just take a seat here, leaving room for Kai to sit between them.

"Mm," Shinji makes a small noise of agreement - European cuisine isn't too bad of a prospect, but, "hopefully not for too long." You are a lovely little town, Guildenhirst, but so very clearly not where they want to be. "We'd have to find some way of making money eventually, even if we don't just eat out for every meal."

But first, we worry about this meal. Thoughts spoken, it is now time for him to take a bite. itadakimasu

[whenyouneedme]

Sitting in his designated spot, Kai nodded along as he took a bite of his sandwich. Thanks for the food. Eating rustic felt like going back to the early days of Havenwell where they were all roughing it. The wonderful flavors in his mouth were enough assurance that 'rustic' was a whole lot tastier here than the early days of blue apples and neon green coffee. Sure they were absolutely spoiled by the end but Kai was confident now that they were going to be just fine.

"S'goooood," was his only contribution at the moment as he happily nommed his sandwich with squirrely cheeks. The bread was so fresh! The mystery ingredients inside were tasty, even if Kai hadn't paid attention to what they were! Being together was the perfect extra seasoning to compliment his hungry tummy. Chomp chomp.

[daikonrose]

Truly, the bar for deliciousness was very low when they were this hungry, but these sandwiches were also just very good, which meant Kyoko was pretty sure this was the best thing she had ever tasted! Wholesome nourishment consumed with her two most precious people, out in the sunshine in a quaint, welcoming town! What could be better!

A lot of things could be better, but let her ride the euphoria for a moment with a happy hum. A few more bites, and she would be ready to rejoin the conversation. "Even in Havenwell it was possible to find work if you really wanted to, so surely it won't be too hard here, right? There are people with material needs around us right now!"

[hedgehogsdilemma]

Delicious... There's probably very little that would taste bad at this point, but even simply a competently made meal shared with good company is absolutely perfect for hitting the spot right now.

"I just hope it doesn't take so long that it comes to that," he says after finishing another bite, a sigh riding on the sentiment's heels. "It doesn't seem like such a bad place, but we have somewhere else to be."

[whenyouneedme]

Kai thoughtfully chewed on his bit of sandwich, watching as the market slowly started wakening up more and more. Kyoko was right, finding jobs probably wouldn't be hard. The inn keep had mentioned something similar, too. Ah, if only he could still be rich just because he liked holding their hands. Gosh they really had been spoiled.

"We do," he said after a moment, "and we'll get there." Kai offered them both a smile, turning it between the two. "It's a surprise pit stop, but a pit stop s'not so bad with us all here. Gotta make sure we take the right way, and odd jobs'll probably help us talk to more folks that might know what that is."