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!

Full Navigation

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

[orphne]

You don't have to hide.

[She sees the way his weird suit is starting to creep up like it might cover his face, and not only does she not really want to talk to a guy wearing a mask, it seems like there's no way that kind of thing can be comfortable? Also he can't eat popcorn like that probably.

Instead, she just rests a hand gently on his knee as if that might somehow help ground him.]

You can call me Kotone. Like I said, this town is Aldrip. It's a different world than the one you came from.

[She says it so matter-of-factly even though it's an insane concept. It's just important for him to understand that from the beginning.]

[spidermenaces]

No, no, I'm not hiding, I'm just analyzing the terrain, that's all I'm doing. Give it a moment, I'll be back to you.

(the eye shapes goggle at the idea that he's hiding, even though, yes, he definitely is. it gives him so space to process, at least, as he also processes everything else she is throwing at him.

of course, he can't feel the hand, but he can see it, know that she's trying her best to be comforting to a situation that can never be fully comforted.)

I'm... Spiderman.

(listen, he comes from a certain superhero culture, and he is not tony stark, or any of the others who get to be out there!!)

What you are saying is that this is an universe that pulls people from different universes into this one? Mathematically, checks out.

(NERD)

[orphne]

We're inside.

[What terrain are you analyzing, bud? The linoleum in the breakroom?]

Spider-Man, [she repeats, but you know what? She'll just take it. Okay. Sure. Spider-Man. This guy is going through it enough that she won't laugh, but she might tell Scott later there's a guy called Spider-Man because that's funny as hell.]

And... yeah, basically. That's a good way to put it!

[spidermenaces]

There are chemical compositions inside, too!

(yes??? that terrain??? exactly???? help.

still, not exactly soothing. the mask retreats back to where it was, since he has no life here, it might just be... fine. it's fine. is it fine? probably fine. it's not like she hasn't seen his face before.)

... Peter. Peter Parker.

[orphne]

[She snorts a little bit of a laugh at him, because yeah. Sure, buddy, tell her all about those chemical compositions.

But she still holds out her hand, offering it for a handshake.]

Nice to meet you, Peter. Want me to show you around town?

[spidermenaces]

Suit on or suit off? Do you have superheroes here or is this weird?

(but the handshake offered is taken, as he stands up.)

[orphne]

It's weird. [Instantly. No thought needed. Although that begs the important question --]

You're wearing clothes under that...?

[spidermenaces]

...

(actually. he knows this suit retracts. but. no. he isn't. he was wearing his older one when this happened, the whole high-tech thing that could withstand space.)

... I'mma have to commander some clothes.

[orphne]

[Okay, sorry for your traumatic experience of turning into dust, but she snorts another giggle as she glances over him again. Damn, no clothes? Seems like it would chafe--]

Gimme a sec to talk to my boss and get changed. I'll take you shopping!

[Just going to buy the newbie some clothes. Like, sure, she could definitely steal some of Scott's, but then what's she going to sleep in?]

Wait here. Have some popcorn.

[She takes his hands in both of hers and gives them another little shake, raising her eyebrows as if asking him for a promise that he'll stay put, then she's off.]

[spidermenaces]

(HE HAS BOXERS ON, M'AAM... THE SUIT IS LINED... STOP THINKING TOO MUCH ABOUT IT.)

... Okay, yeah, I can totally be quiet and wait and eat popcorn--

(he can't!!! the mask!!! he is going to wait for her to leave before he shoves a handful into his mouth, and the mask goes back on. he's kind of planning on following her up the roofs, so it's not an episode of Spiderman Has Random Girl Buy Him Clothes publicly. he cares!!!)

[orphne]

[Luckily for him, Kotone does actually have to take a few minutes to tell her boss something's come up and get changed into normal clothes. At least her clothes are cute! Just a simple ensemble of a light orange blouse and white skirt, appropriate for a more-modern Aldrip. One thing she doesn't miss is the older-fashioned clothing in all honesty.

When she comes back and sees he's put the mask back on, she puts her hand on her hip and puffs out her cheek into a pout.]

Y'know that's just gonna make you stand out more, right?

[spidermenaces]

Oh, I'm swinging behind you. Up the roofs, up the walls, you know? Spider?

(for exemplification, peter's just going to shoot a web to the floor. see? no one will see it?)

[orphne]

[She just stares at him, thoroughly unimpressed. Like, sure, cool tech she guesses, but also she had a real robot on her team and she just walked around with them like a normal girl most of the time.]

You're gonna clean that up before my next shift, right?

[The web on the floor...]

[spidermenaces]

Uh. It dissolves in two hours. So, yeah, sure.

(he hopes.... that's good enough...)

[orphne]

[She still doesn't look impressed. Tough crowd!]

I guess if you really wanna do that, but I think people are gonna stare at you way more when they see a guy swinging from building to building like some kind of manga character!

[Shrug! Not worth arguing about, honestly, so she just turns on her heel to head out the door. C'mon, Spider-Boy, let's go!]