expiationlogs | TEST DRIVE MEME #6

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TEST DRIVE MEME #6

Welcome to Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and some subtle horror. As of December 2023, we’re making a couple of structural changes to the way our bimonthly test drive works.

TDM top-levels are now open to all, whether you are already in-game or not. New characters, please put TDM in your subject header so we’ll know you’re trying things out! There will be a directory of newbie top-levels at the bottom of the post. New folks are welcome and encouraged to use TDM threads as samples in their application. Current players may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs.

The December TDM is going to be forward-dated to December 18.

Our CALENDAR has also changed a bit. That means RESERVES will now be opening on December 19 and APPLICATIONS will open on December 22. After this, applications will next open in February 2024.

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You awaken in a room of blinding white light–so bright that you can’t make out any details. You hear voices around you, speaking in muffled tones. It sounds an awful lot like they’re talking about you. You’re on the verge of figuring out what they’re saying, you’re so close...but then the floor drops out from under you. You fall into blackness.

ARRIVALS

i. EVERY WHO DOWN IN WHOVILLE

The last thing new Chosen remember is that black void. And really, in retrospect, it was rather peaceful, wasn’t it? Quiet. Calm.

Quite unlike the chaos they find when they open their eyes. Whatever pulls new Chosen into the world of Expiation seems to be having a…moment, right now, and is summoning people into a variety of different places, all seemingly random, some compromising or even dangerous. Some people may find themselves appearing in the middle of the road, in front of a speeding horse and wagon. Still others, one step away from falling into a ditch or a lake. Some may arrive directly into someone’s kitchen, or shower, or the back room of a store. The point is, these locations are practically unlimited, and are entirely up to you, the player.

Better hope the person who owns this house wasn’t walking around naked at the time. Yikes!

THE WINTER SOLSTICE

The mood in Aldrip is a little less hostile, at least, after November’s harrowing turn. The locals have found slivers of sympathy and respect for the Chosen, not only because they lost people as well, but also because those who returned brought them peace and closure about their missing loved ones. So, in spite of some of the absurd places new Chosen show up, the locals do their best to be welcoming. Some remain a little wary, but many will try to show them a little warmth during this cold season.

At the moment, they seem to be gearing up for some sort of feast, putting out tables and chairs, bringing out warming stoves. But there’s no food cooking and no festivities to be had this particular day, and on 12/21, the Chosen find out why.

ii. THE DARKEST NIGHT

As it happens, Aldrip has a curious custom on the darkest night of the year. It's said that all should lock their doors and darken their lights, as gifts given on this night can be particularly wicked and play tricks on the receiver. True enough, most Chosen will find a mysterious box appearing on their doorstep (or, if they don't have a doorstep, mysteriously on or near their person). Some of these boxes may contain harmless treats or trinkets such as charming talismans to hang, clothing accessories like mittens and socks, or tins of cookies. Some others mysteriously contain nothing.

The next morning, when Chosen with empty boxes awake, they find prankster-like tricks have been played on them during the night. We leave the extent of these tricks in your hands: these effects can be anything you like, from the ability to float to their skin turning purple. Just bear in mind that these should be minor effects, additions, or inconveniences, rather than major powers. These effects will last for at least 24 hours, but could take a few days to wear off completely, at your discretion.

Unfortunately for those unlucky Chosen, the other part of the Solstice tradition is a giant feast the day after that long, dark winter night. The locals seem to go all out for this occasion, bringing out ovens and warmers to keep food piping hot, serving elaborate drinks and sides, and plenty of desserts. Festivities go well into the night. They encourage the Chosen to get involved by bringing their own dishes, but not all of the locals will partake in them–some still seem to feel a bit wary of their otherworldly neighbors. But it’s the Solstice, so they will share their meals, even if some do so begrudgingly.

If they want to try any of the food, the Chosen have to show their face around town…with all the spots, cat ears, or whatever other effects they’ve been afflicted with. No to-go plates here!

iii. ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS...

The morning after doors close for Solstice, strange plants begin to appear around town. Yep, you guessed it, there are different varieties of mistletoe sprouting all over Aldrip, in doorways, hanging from trees, and strung over the town’s streets in a variety of places. Those lucky (or unlucky) enough to chance by the sprigs will find that as soon as they come within range of the mistletoe, they find themselves pelted with small pieces of paper courtesy of tiny Missile Toads living within the sprigs. These papers are different depending on what color berries the mistletoe sports.

White berries: ”Now kiss!” The traditional variety of mistletoe, which demands a kiss. Whether a kiss on the cheek, hand, forehead, etc. will do the trick is up to you.

Red berries: ”Now fight!” One of the two (or more?) Chosen stuck here will have to throw at least one punch for the Missile Toads to be satisfied.

Purple berries: ”Now talk!” Time to open up. The festive amphibians will continue to bother the hapless Chosen stuck here until at least one of them tells a personal secret.

The extent of the Missile Toad interference is up to the players. Some of these little creatures can be easily evaded and will give up on their chase. Some others will simply follow the Chosen until they finally give in. A sub-breed of these pesky creatures will launch a sticky substance beneath the sprigs of mistletoe, trapping people until their conditions are fulfilled.

WALKIN' IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

The wagons that were previously offered to take the Chosen to Rumpitur seem to be stabled. Locals will discourage travel down that way, after everything the Rumpiturians did. While plans are still in the works to figure out what to do about them, as well as how to deal with the source of their recent misfortunes, things between the two towns seem to have fallen into a chilly armistice. For now.

iv. A CRYSTALLINE CALL

The chilly weather brings with it a phenomenon that the locals say happens every year around the Lorentia Caves. Along with an aurora borealis-like phenomenon in the sky above it, there seems to be some sounds like a mournful wailing, or like harsh wind blowing through the caves. Sometimes, though, the sound gets a little strange: mechanical, distorted, even a little tinny. Locals insist that it’s nothing unusual, but no one stops the Chosen from investigating. For now, they don’t find a whole lot: there are no wailing humans or sad robots hidden in the caves at this time, unfortunately!

What the Chosen can do is explore the caves, a strangely peaceful experience despite the rumor of a dragon hidden within their depths. The caves are a little warmer than the cool outside temperatures, and while there are some small nocturnal ratlike creatures that could easily give them some trouble, most of them are more than happy to steer clear of lanterns or light sources, should the Chosen not be in a monster-fighting mood. The caves are almost like a series of tunneled mazes, winding in different directions. When one progresses far enough, they begin to feel a heavy sensation and a sense of foreboding that demands they turn back. This feeling becomes harder to resist the longer they press on, and eventually, they must give in and turn around.

Within the caves, one will occasionally find old weapons in various states of disrepair: swords, shields, bows, things like that. They’re more than welcome to keep these. So, too, are they welcome to take the strange, palm-sized rocks that seem to glow when handled. They don’t seem to do much, for now, although they make a nice reading light. Occasionally they seem to vibrate a bit with energy, but…that’s fine, right? Normal? Maybe??

v. THE WOODS ARE LOVELY, DARK AND DEEP

The wailing sound in the woods has come and gone with the fall, and now the woods seem…quiet. Peaceful. Almost too peaceful, in places. Travel deep enough into the woods and the Chosen will find silent clearings that seem comfortable enough to sleep in. A deep, deep sleep, one they are not easily roused from, and one that they are in danger of not waking from at all, if they’re left alone for too long.

Passers-by will find that touch is what seems to wake the hapless sleepers, in the end: the warmth of body heat, the electric charge of ions that naturally transfers from one body to another. It’s hard to say exactly why this works, only that it does–which is good, because it’s getting cold outside–cold enough that most people won’t want to stay sleeping in the elements, especially if it begins to snow. Those that stumble upon their friends are also susceptible to these effects, of course. The sense of touch is what seems to keep this drowsiness at bay, and the effects wear off entirely once they leave the woods.

WILDCARD

You know the drill–this is the wildcard one. Just because it’s not listed in the prompts above does not mean it’s unavailable as an option. We encourage you to do whatever you’d like to utilize the setting to its full potential. If you have any questions about what is and is not possible, please don’t hesitate to ask!

TOP LEVEL DIRECTORY

Click to view:

CANON	CHARACTER/TOP LEVEL
Code Geass	Lelouch vi Britannia
Code Geass	Rolo Lamperouge
Final Fantasy VII Compilation	Sephiroth
Final Fantasy VII: R	Aerith Gainsborough
Final Fantasy VII: R	Cloud Strife
Jujutsu Kaisen	Satoru Gojo
LoZ: Breath of the Wild	Link (CRAU)
My Hero Academia	Bakugou Katsuki
Original	Marie
Original	Eve
Original	Avalon
Persona 3	Minato Arisato
Persona 5 Royal	Makoto Nijima
Persona 5 Royal	Haru Okumura
Project Sekai	Rui Kamishiro
Tiger and Bunny	Kotetsu T. Kaburagi
Tiger and Bunny	Barnaby Brooks Jr.
Trigun Stampede	Vash
Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting	Tooru Kirishima

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I. arrival.

[ She's already in sleep's whispery grasp when she's swallowed up by the starless night darkness of the Void. Unconscious as she is, Aerith is no witness to the way the void swallows her up, the universe splintering and severing itself in half for her to descend into nothingness. She isn't awake to experience how that splintering undoes itself, the world stitching itself back together just to dump her into the arms of—

a bed of flowers.

Aerith Gainsborough, who did bear witness to the universe using her beloved and equally abandoned church to save the lives of two different men, is rescued in much the same way. The flowers all come together to cushion her fall, shuddering until her measly weight. Her eye only start to flutter open when a petal touches the very tip of her nose, tickling it. It falls down to her chest, touching Aerith's collarbone, and it's the same color as the velvet dress wrapped around her tiny, thin form. Her willowy arms are splayed out on either side of her, chestnut hair flowing river-line and dotted with the bulbs of flowers, and she is encased in a fine, red velvet dress, bare shoulders exposed to the world, heartbeat on display on her neck.

The flower shop is staring at the slumbering new arrival, who lightly stirs. Head throbbing, Aerith is unwilling to move, but there is a familiarity surrounding her. The sweet, overwhelming smell of flowers... ]

II. the darkest night.

[ Despite being a fairly recent arrival, spat out into the world with all the grace of a unwanted cough, Aerith received a tin. Inside it was not a prank but a gentle blessing; a pair of long, elbow length gloves to cover her arms from the elbow down. They are made of a thick material, a little bit on the itchy side, but seem to be a match for the red shade of her long, agonizing dress. As such, the young woman who awoke in the cushion of a flower display at the local florist's is able to attend without the promise of going too cold. At least velvet is fitting for the winter weather.

It is this pair of gloves that enters your line of vision. It's holding a plate, full enough to near leak, and attached to Aerith. In her green stare is a curious, challenging little glimmer, and her lips are smiling, but the tone of voice betrays her worry. ]

What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? C'mon, it's a feast, so eat up. Don't be afraid, I already checked for posion.

[ Oh? But did she, truly? ]

III. all i want for christmas is...

[ Outside the tavern loiters Aerith, who hopefully has somehow wiggled an outfit out of another Chosen, or been given a coat of some kind. Otherwise, she's still donning that red dress, looking like a holiday appropriate doll. But she isn't a doll, of course, because when people approach, she's quick to call out, and post a strange question. ]

Hey, does it ever rain out here?

[ Is that really the open sky overhead? Speaking of overhead— she's picked a horrendous place to stay and play socialite. A mistletoe hangs over head. What color is it? Well, that's up to RNG, baby. ]

IV. a crystalline call.

So... what do we do if we find the dragon?

[ It's a simple question posited by a simple woman with her hair pulled back int a braid, her green eyes the only part of her that betrays the impossibility of her existence. By now, thankfully, Aerith has found something suitable for travel: A dress, a jacket, and some boots. She sits in the wagon en route to the caves with her knees tucked beneath her, hands on her lap, looking the part of a dainty young woman with grace and a curiosity etched into her expression.

It's spoken to anyone who might want to answer, might want to listen, but there's a surety to her voice, too, as if she full expects to find a dragon in the cave system. Slumbering away, or with an angry that burns hotter than an erupting volcano: she's ready to meet it. But are you? ]

V. wildcard.

[ if none of these are pinging you, don't worry! i'm happy to write you a personalized starter if you like. on the flip side, i adore wildcard options. please feel free to bring your own prompt if you like. you can contact me through pm to this account or on plurk @ hagclub if you want to hash something out. i'm super open to whatever sounds fun to you, so please don't hesitate! 💗 ]

[Marie stands adjacent to her, smoking a cigarette as she keeps a distance. Quietly noting Aerith, and how cute she looks in that dress of hers! Although, she doesn't say a word, until Aerith poses a rather strange question. Head tilted to the side for a moment, before chuckling at her.]

Honestly, I'm not sure. You'd think it'd rain since it's the winter time, but I guess I'll keep an eye out.

[That being said, she notes the mistletoe over her head, and she can't help but point it out with her cigarette.]

By the way, notice that little frog in the mistletoe?

[ Does smoking pollute the planet here, too? Aerith thinks she should ask, should maybe try to mock-yell at this woman with all her poised strength. She reminds Aerith in some ways of SOLDIERs, back straight and head tall but somehow unassuming despite it all, like she's had to be more than just a person in isolated pockets of her lifetime. Instead, the woman raises that cigarette holding hand to point out the frame of the door, where Aerith is leaning against as if she has no intention of ever going inside. A noise escapes her as she looks up, gaze training upon a sprig of— ]

Mistletoe! You know, they saw all disputes have to be put on pause under these little fellows. Kind of cute, aren't they? Although... I don't think I've ever seen that color before— Is it a different variety?

[ On cue, a little froggy head pops out of the leaves, the same purple shade as the berries peppering the plant that hangs over Aerith's head. Something blooms inside her suddenly, as she moves to inspect it a little closer— or rather, as well as she can. After all, she's barely tall enough to get on most roller coasters. ]

But then again, it's not like I come from somewhere a sky... like this... Maybe... [ Hm. Why is she offering this information? She wonders only for a moment before flicking her gaze over to the smoking woman, trying to judge her reaction. ]

[Aerith wouldn't be too far off with her observation, which would impress her, to be quite honest. Though, Marie presents herself quite openly, and given her stature and position, tries to ease off her usual militant stance. The woman taking one last drag of her cigarette, and ashing it out on the tray. The smell of smoke was a hit and miss toward people, never wanting to make any uncomfortable with the scent. Especially with these Aldrip cigarettes that she purchased.]

We have plenty of mistletoe around the school I work at around this time of year. Although... Yeah, like you said, I don't think I've seen that sort of color before... They're usually plain, to be completely honest with you.

[Honestly, the frog popping up was just the icing on the cake, and there's a soft laugh escapes from her lips. She wants to reach out for the frog, never having seen these creatures linger in mistletoes, but she figures it's just another odd thing about this place.]

You don't have an open sky where you live? Is it like one of those space colonies? Where the sky is just a dome?

[That was an interesting bit of information, but she makes casual conversation from it. Her eyes cast out at the sky, looking at the snowfall from the mountains.]

aerith gainsborough | final fantasy vii: r | tdm

aaaa so happy to see you around!! i remember you from jgk and loved your aerith. also III

hello again!!!!! i loved marie, im so happy we have another chance at cr! and thank you so much<333

heck yeah!! EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING AT EXPI...!!

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iii of fucking course

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cw body horror a lil gore ARRIVAL this tl is mine now

i tl'd 4 you :*

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:)

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