TEST DRIVE MEME #8

[expiationmods]

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!

♡

Comments

[marakunda]

Lemons are a good way to recover stamina, they should be in everything rind and all.

(This salad is going to most likely be a monstrosity when it's finished, if Akihiko has anything to do with it and he's already following Fuuka to the kitchen area. At least the student manages to grab a large frying pan on the way through.)

We should slice the lemon up into wedges and put them in with the leaves.

[yamagishi]

[Again, Fuuka knew nothing about nutrition when it comes to sports. For all she knew, he was at least somewhat knowledgeable about food. As she kept looking around, she also grabbed a nearby frying pan in hopes of looking like she knew something about cooking.]

O-Okay then! Um...after we are done, how are we supposed to add the lemons to the beef?

[marakunda]

We don't need to do anything with them, just throw them in there. People should eat all of it, not just the inside. It's good for you.

(The frying pans get a thoughtful look as Akihiko taps his chin. He's not the worst cook in the world, just basic and his brows draw together as he mulls over the next steps, unaware that Fuuka is not the best at cooking either.)

Let's slice some beef and simmer it. Onions will help it too. Then we can add that, and the lemon, to the salad.

[yamagishi]

[Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she had a feeling this probably wasn't the best way to go about cooking meat. But then again, she mostly focused on baking with her leader so who was she to say anything.]

Okay so let's see...

[She said before grabbing a piece of the beef and attempting to slice it. Now, she had heard that people liked it thin. The problem was just how thin. Not knowing what else to do, she'll just....cut it as thin as possible. Of course, will she succeed in that....??]

[marakunda]

(Lucky for them both Akihiko is confident in what he does, even if it's not the correct way to do it. Why waste the time worrying over doing when something can just be done? That ethos and motivation extends to butchering recipes it seems and Akihiko watches as Fuuka grabs a nearby knife.)

If it's thin it'll cook better, that's how it looks at the restaurant with the beef bowls. (Akihiko is already peeling an onion, grabbing a knife of his own to begin hacking away at it and pointedly ignoring how his eyes are starting to water.)

[yamagishi]

[Meanwhile, Fuuka had to wonder just how he was able to cook so decently. While she knew the reason why, it was still surprising. And especially with the way that Akihiko just knew what he was doing. All she could do was stare in awe.]

Um...you seem to know what you're doing, Akihiko-senpai. I'm impressed, it must have taken quite a lot of practice and diligence.

[marakunda]

I don't cook as often as I should, it's difficult to fit in between the team and after school activities.

( Akihiko may seems like he knows what he's doing, but there's a fine line between confidence and rash, stubborn decision making and the salad will soon be the victim of the latter. If Fuuka looks a bit closer she may notice how the onion isn't exactly diced, more massacred than anything. There's pieces of it all over the chopping board in an array of sizes and the student gives a sniff before waving a hand in front of his face. )

Onions like to retaliate. ( As if that explains anything.... ) Do you not get to cook often?

[yamagishi]

No, not really.

[She said as she continued to slice the meat even smaller. Was it a little too small? She didn't know, all she knew was that the thinner the meat? The better it would be! Especially when she just trusted the process and what Akihiko said!]

...My parents never really let me.

[marakunda]

Well, learning will help, cooking is something everyone needs. It'll keep you on your toes for the next battle.

(He says it like he's a pro, when in reality the onion he's just destroyed says otherwise. But Akihiko isn't going to let such things deter him when the team's nutrition and stamina is on the line! The meat slicing gets an approving nod; looks good to him, the boxer unaware of if meat shrinks when boiled or not.

The frying pan gets a look before Akihiko shrugs, placing it on the stove top and filing it with some water.)

Boiling will be better.

[yamagishi]

Battle? Um...I'm not quite sure that I could call cooking a bit of a battle...

[But then again, who was she to say anything about it? All she could do was just nod her head as she thinks the meat looked good enough. Just as she was about to say something, she raised an eyebrow or two.]

Boil the meat? But would that ruin the flavor of the meat with the salad?

[marakunda]

Think of it like controlling the tide of a fight. You have to make sure the conditions are right or it could turn against you.

( The question gets a pause as Akihiko considers the answer. Boiling wouldn't ruin the flavour would it? Surely the water would contain it? He's not sure and the young man taps his chin in thought. )

I don't think so. Frying it would make it unhealthier if we added it to a salad?

[yamagishi]

I suppose but it's still a strange thing to think about...

[Using the analogy of a fight when it comes to cooking. Of course he would say that. Fuuka wasn't surprised but it still made her sigh a bit.]

But you are right, frying it would make it worse. I think boiling might be our best option if healthy is what we want. [And yet, as she looked at her sliced meat, she can't deny that they do look a bit....interesting.]