expiationlogs | TEST DRIVE MEME #8

Test Drive Meme #8

Welcome to Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and some subtle horror.

TDM top-levels are 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! You can also put your top-level in the TDM DIRECTORY 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.

April's TDM is forward-dated to the end of Gogol, Dara, and Seimei's player plot on April 20th.

You can view our CALENDAR to keep important dates in mind. RESERVES open on April 20 and APPLICATIONS will open on April 23 After this, applications will next open in June 2024.

NEW FOR APRIL 2024: there is now a top level for everyone to post their TDM top levels into! This is for new characters only. Thank you!

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Arrival

You remember a room of blinding white light—so bright that you couldn't make out any details. You heard voices, speaking in muffled tones. It sounded an awful lot like they were talking about you. You were just on the verge of figuring out what they’re saying, you were so close...but what happened after that?

Ah–that's right. You fell into blackness.

New characters are most likely to wake in one of the following locations:

THE DOCKS
You wake to the gentle sound of waves, your body rocking with the movement of the water. Wait—water? Since when was there water beneath you?

Since now, apparently. You appear to be in the lower rooms of a boat…and you might not be alone. There are several of these crafts in the harbor, ranging from larger cruising vessels to small sailboats. The one thing they all have in common is this: they are all half-built, as if someone realized very recently that there is a whole ocean to explore. Wonder where they might be going? Either way, you’d better get out of here, before the construction crew finds you and brands you as a stowaway.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
When you come to, the first thing you hear is the commotion of distant voices and running feet. You feel a warm light on your face…it’s too bright to look at directly, so when you open your eyes, you have to look away. It’s probably for the best. Those stage lights can’t be good for your eyes.

… Stage lights?

That’s right, you seem to be just offstage in an entertainment venue. Someone is fussing with you, powdering your face with some last-minute touch-up makeup, vaguely coaching you on. “You’ll be great! Just get out there and have fun!”

With little room to argue or ask questions, you are immediately shoved out on stage, and find yourself in front of a sold-out crowd. What you find on the stage to help you perform is up to you: a microphone, musical instruments, magician’s tools, a full-blown play, the sky’s the limit.

Break a leg…?

CITY CENTER
“These new statues are so lifelike!” Click.
“I wonder which artist installed all of this? It’s almost eerie, isn’t it?”
“I feel like they could move at any second!” Click click.

You wake in a garden. Not just in a garden—amongst the flowers, almost as if you’re an installed piece of artwork. Are you alone, or posed with someone else? Up to you. You may even find yourself entwined with vines, half-buried in the ground, or subtly hidden beneath a large bush. A few hapless locals stand in front of you, taking pictures. Do they really believe you’re a statue? They’re in for a rude awakening whenever you finally move…

Well. Better dig yourself out of here and figure out what’s going on.

However you awaken, the next time you’re able to stand still and take in your surroundings, you’re approached by a small mechanical creature, which reveals a handheld tablet with a rolled-up parchment within it. Booting up the tablet for the first time brings you the following message:
WELCOME, CHOSEN.
WE ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE.

So…now what?

These new familiar streets

The unexpected expansion of Aldrip means that there's suddenly a vast uptick in things to do. The locals don't seem to find any of this unusual or surprising at all, but the Chosen seem to remember that Aldrip wasn't always like this...how unusual! Well, whatever the case, the city is abuzz with activity…and wildlife, apparently. Thanks to some recent events, there seems to be a surplus of poisonous snakes slithering haplessly through the city, as well as, perhaps, a few lingering pockets of miasma. Best to watch your step…

i. This smells like a sidequest
Businesses and individuals all over town will be giving out quests ranging in size, scope, and request. Any of these will net you a prize from the right requestor. These prizes are mostly just silly little knick knacks, and they don’t seem to have any value, but the locals are adamant that they are quite important! At the same time, some locals may offer more useful rewards, such as money, clothing, food, or even a month’s rent at the local inn, especially for newcomers. Either way, you might have to team up to complete some of these challenges. Grab a partner!

Quests and requests can include, but are not limited to, ideas such as:
A local art collector looking for striking photographs of local flora and fauna
The neighborhood food cart owner on the hunt for new and interesting ingredients and recipes
Your neighbor’s search for their missing cat
Requests to clear monsters out of certain areas
Scavenger hunts to find local landmarks, such as murals on the side of buildings, a specific statue, or a hole-in-the-wall business

You're free to use your imagination, the setting, and local NPCs to come up with whatever ideas your heart desires.

ii. Should’ve waited for the patch
This sudden change is going fairly well, but it could be better. Some areas of town will be subject to something that seems like glitches. These effects could range from things going missing or suddenly changing (your favorite lipstick just changed from red to blue?? how odd!) to streets and doorways going into places they logically shouldn’t go to. Your front door isn’t supposed to be at the end of the dock, is it? Better watch your step, because strange things seem to be afoot.

Day and night life

While it’s not an official festival by any means, the beginning of spring is the cherished start of the planting season for the farmers outside of Aldrip, and the entire city comes together to promote it! Chosen are encouraged to take part in the planting process if they desire, but there’s plenty more to do, for those who don’t have a green thumb. Flyers can be found all over town for various competitions, shows, businesses, and events. Just be careful—the city has grown rapidly in a short period of time, and that means crime rates have grown as well. It’s unwise to linger alone after dark. Who knows what someone may find down a dark alleyway…or who knows, maybe they should be more afraid of you.

iii. Iron Chef: Aldrip
Fire up those pots and pans! The highlight of the town center is a huge cooking competition, where locals and Chosen alike are encouraged to bring their finest culinary skills to the table and create a spectacular dish. Those who would rather cheer from the sidelines, or even act as judges for the competition, are encouraged to do so as well. Anyone may enter—and we do mean anyone, so judge at your own risk.

iv. This is not Aldrip’s Best Friends Race
Many local businesses in the Commercial and Entertainment Districts are putting on all sorts of shows and competitions: talent contests, arm-wrestling competitions, fashion shows, dance exhibitions, the sky's the limit. Local business owners will tempt the Chosen into participating by offering rewards: free items, the option to keep costumes they put you in, trophies, all manner of comforts that could entice wary newcomers into volunteering.

Chosen who own or work at local businesses are also encouraged to participate by starting their own shows or contests. They’ll be rewarded with an uptick in business and free advertisement.

The Events Center will be hosting a lavish and well-advertised drag show and competition, and some locals will encourage participation from Chosen of all genders. Most of them will lay off if the Chosen are really not interested (they’re not putting their lives at risk for this!) but some of the more determined and charismatic ones might not take “no” for an answer.

Wildcard Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it can’t happen. We encourage you to look at our new setting page for Aldrip, as well as the world map. Anything that looks interesting there is fair game, so have fun with it!

♡

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ this totally beats the hospital moshipit, come on shinji.

sha-ming was on a joint water and liquor break, gotta keep hydrated. he's got a cocktail in hand just for shinji -- it's his night, after all. ]

He'll be fine, trust me. Little bro's had worse. You guys literally jumped someone last week?

[ just saying. he raises a glass, ceremoniously. ]

And you won, so let's celebrate that! [ in a much louder pitch, for all of the club to hear: ] Here's to my bros that jumped someone and won! We're alive, yay! Let's all keep jumping people and living, guys!

[ the club applauds. ]

[ They won, technically. Not that it felt like they won at all. Between the physical pain and their curse issues, Minato felt more like a loser.

He should have said no. He should have said no, it's okay, please leave me and go to the club. So in truth, Minato has no one to blame other than himself for landing in this situation.

Shinjiro is right to question whether he's awake or not. In fact, Minato's eyes are shut and he's doing his best not to move. He puts on his best sleeping person impression. Maybe if they all think he's passed out, they'll leave him alone and out of their shenanigans. ]

[ 'Jumped a guy and won' is honestly the worst and yet most accurate way Sha-Ming could say that, and Shinjiro just rolls his eyes with a low groan. Especially with the clapping and cheering from the randos in the crowd.

He takes that cocktail and sets it down where the last one had laid abandoned, still full.]

That ain't exactly something to celebrate, dumbass...

[He can't deny jumping Gogol, though. They sure had showed up to a fight in progress and picked a side.]

Besides, you're acting like you even had a part in this whole thing.

[ sha-ming knocks on the back of minato's head as if it were a coconut, ripe for the taking. ]

Wake up, sleepyhead! I didn't bring ya here to sleep.

[ shinji is clearly not touching his drink -- so sha-ming reaches out for it, takes a noteworthy sip, and then puts it back in place. okay. ]

Sure it is. Guy probably had it coming, let's be real.

[ he doesn't know the full details, but he knows enough! ]

I was there in spirit. Okay, no I wasn't, but like if I was there... yeah, I definitely would've run away. But hey, now I'm here to make all the bad feelings go away! [ he slams his hands down against the handles of minato's wheelchair. ] I'm with the boys, and we're all alive, and that's worth celebratin', ain't it?

Say it with me everyone: here's to me and my boys being alive!

[ the crowd, once again, erupts into cheer. ]

[ Yeah. That was definitely a shoot first ask questions later sort of encounter. ]

Ow.

[ Minato reaches up to rub the back of his head. Cover blown, alas, not that he'd truly thought he could get away with it. Even someone like him would have difficulty with truly falling asleep in a place this loud. ]

...yeah. Running would have been the best idea for you.

[ It's spoken a little too seriously for that comment to be a dig at Sha-Ming. Sha-Ming doesn't seem the sort to have any fighting experience, meaning he would have been flattened like a pancake.

The wheelchair shakes as Sha-Ming slams his hands down on its handles. The crowd cheers yet again.

Minato glances up at Sha-Ming with a small frown. ]

...can we go back now?

[ He looks to Shinjiro. Help. Please. ]

Running probably would have been the smart thing, yeah. Especially when he threw the boat at us.

[And did the other... weird teleporty stuff. Wrought iron fence posts?? An entire Boulder? Rolo and sea water??? What a stupider fight than it ever needed to be.

As though it might dull the annoyance of Sha-Ming being around he finally does try a sip of that cocktail-- and immediately pulls a face at how godawful sweet it is. Before putting it right back down. Nope. He's still good.

At least he's being nice and not correcting Sha-Ming's 'alive' statement. Though they are some kind of alive here? Man, whatever.

He gestures at Minato, staring up at him helplessly from his place with his head on the table, though he doesn't look away from Sha-Ming.]

Leader wants to go back. Though be honest: were you hoping him in the chair would score you some pity fucks?

[....Does Sha-Ming even know Minato is leader?? Well whatever he does now.]

He what? [ maybe it's the alcohol but -- sha-ming blinks pronouncedly, eyes squinting, in some attempt to process the absurdity of the situation. ] This is the hot clown guy we're talkin' about, right? He can throw boats?

[ sha-ming pats minato's head gently, smoothing down his hair; very normal interaction, totally not the vestiges of big brotherhood lingering from whatever the hell happened last month. ]

C'monnnnn, don't be a downer. I know bein' emo's like, your whole thing, but it couldn't kill you to have some fun for a change!

[ and then he turns back to shinjiro and -- a cant of the head. ]

...Whaddya mean by leader? Is he the leader of like...some club? [ he is... not aware of their history, whatsoever. ] And uh, no. People want me naturally, I'm good in the sack, thanks. I know you're grumpy about yer girlfriend not bein' here but lighten up a little!

[ famous last words. ]

[ Leader really wants to go home. Instead, he's stuck with Sha-Ming patting him on the head, a little too gently for it to be an entirely arbitrary action. ]

This is your idea of fun, Sha-Ming.

[ In fact, Minato's surprised Shinjiro's stuck around. There's nothing stopping him from up and leaving. It's not like they're still a part of SEES and have to stick together, but the fact that Shinjiro calls him "Leader" must mean it's challenging to shake off time spent fighting shoulder to shoulder.

Minato shrugs nonchalantly. ]

...I guess it was a club. Extracurricular.

[ Is the club really the best setting for Sha-Ming to learn that Minato and Shinjiro were child soldiers before landing in Aldrip? ]

TEST DRIVE MEME #8

jin will be here trust

Indeed I am here

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I hate this thread

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why are you a hater @ jin

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