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

[spidermenaces]

(good thing that this suit records EVERYTHING, in case later on this becomes a point of argument.

peter will miss the tall buildings, the freedom, but it's not like he's completely out of his element. there's enough, just enough, for this to be viable with the sense of freedom that it brings. unbounded, unbothered. just him and the weight of his body with the wind. he'll miss doing something absolutely mundane somewhere he definitely shouldn't be, like eating lunch atop an antenna of a skyscraper, but, you know.

he'll live. the smile makes him smile too, the eyes of the mask showing it as they make a shape to show it before it retreats to display the actual thing.)

You think so?! The landing could definitely be better, but I've never swung anyone, so I think it was a good first trial! Don't worry though, you were super safe the whole time!

(wait what where they doing here again)

[laserguy]

[Isn't a mask supposed to hide your feelings? Not in Peter's case, because it really goes out of its way to express how he feels. Still, Scott's not complaining, seeing how his words have affected the other teen, the smiling eyes making his own grin widen just a little bit more.]

Hell yeah. [Oh wow, was he really Peter's guinea pig for swinging someone around with him? Well, Scott can't be annoyed by it, because it turned out super cool and everything. His hands slide to his hips, placing them there as his grin turns into a small smirk.]

Don't worry man, I wasn't concerned at all about you dropping me or anything. [He's so encouraging!! Although, speaking of Peter just being able to carry him without issue...] Dude, you're pretty strong, being able to carry me and swing around with your... spider webs. That's fucking sick.

[spidermenaces]

(nope, it's so that people don't find out you're a teenager vigilante called peter parker, who goes to midtown school of science and technology, living with your aunt may!!!

but it's retreated anyway, he's there, hi, they're talking, and peter finds a little spot to sit on so they can talk.)

Yeah, I couldn't have, uh, you were kinda stuck with me for a second there, don't think about it too much.

(did he make himself sticky to double on the security? yep.)

And, yeah, that's part of the deal. You asked the deal right? So, the deal... I was bit by a radioactive spider, and now I pretty much do most of what they can do, minus-- poison, webbing because I make it myself, and other stuff that you might be thinking of and stuff. Your turn.

(ned traumatized him a little with the questions.)

[laserguy]

[Once Peter finds a spot for them, Scott easily plops next to him, legs splayed out as he continues to talk to the other teen with an ease that usually takes at least a couple of hours or so for him to open up. But look, swinging around the city is like the fast track to getting on his good side.]

No, I get it, I was stuck to you. Like a spider web or something. Except instead of feeling trapped, you gave me a wicked ride.

[Should he be weirded out by that? Nah, look, the rule of cool surpasses anything weird about Peter's powers. He's a spider guy that is strong and can swing around places with his webs, easy to get. The only slightly disappointing thing is that Peter isn't a mutant like him, but it's cool. Being bit by a radioactive spider is pretty weird and out of the blue and that makes it fun in Scott's book.] Can you grow extra arms? You know, have eight limbs.

[He promises that he'll start talking about himself soon, but look, his powers are pretty simple in comparison. Scott tries to emphasize what he's saying by waving his arms around. Sorry Peter that he's like this.]

[spidermenaces]

... Yeah, pretty much.

(he's not even mentioning how he could literally be 90 degrees from a building, or standing on the ceiling, but he probably got the idea, right? but well, at least, that is better than ned's 'do you lay eggs', he'll take it.

...but, no, the answer is no. he does have to put the mask on to do a little gesture here, another there, and the pincers come out of the suit before he loses the mask again.)

Best I can do, bud.

[laserguy]

[Scott almost jolts when those extra arms materialize out of his suit, his mouth parting in surprise. Look, when he asked about the extra arms, he was half joking, but guess he should never ask a superhero something like this without expecting something bizarre. It's not long, however, that Scott's surprise morphs into a familiar bright grin, something that Peter is seeing more and more from him.]

That's... so cool.

[He inches just a little closer-- look at that tech!! Geez, this Mr. Stark person really must be a genius to design something like this.] And you have complete control over each arm, huh? Man, you really are the spider-guy.

[spidermenaces]

(okay, it's cool, because this kid is like, just as excited as he is about the tech he had almost no time to play around with. it's intuitive as hell, and the extra arms move around to make a heart on top of peter, just for the fun before they retreat.)

Spiderman, and, yeah, it's-- Yeah, I can control them kinda like a limb, it feels, but it kinda also guesses what it has to do, it's got a whole artificial intelligence that-- Well, it isn't working here, because it's not connected to the network it has got to connect to work, but-- hey, weren't you going to tell me your thing?

[laserguy]

[Peter you're such a nerd for making a heart above you... Scott snorts, elbowing the other teen lightly because geez. He's a lot. Still, hearing that he can control them like another limb... that they're usually powered by artificial intelligence is pretty crazy. Just how far in the future is Peter? It's kind of weird to think about, but also neat. Like something to really look forward to.

At least he knows Peter is from the same world as him. Well, at least a version of it and that counts for something. ...All cool, except the whole thing about people turning into dust--]

Okay okay, I did promise. [Scott raises both hands, as if to say 'hold on,' before he lifts one to the shades that's always covering his eyes. It's not like he's nervous or anything and he's accepted his powers for the most part, just he needs a moment sometimes. Okay, Summers, you got this. Suck in a breath, be a little more serious, and--]

So, I'm what's known as a mutant. There's a mutation in my DNA-- something known as the X-Gene that gives me my powers. Mutants have different powers, so you won't be seeing every one of us shooting optic blasts into the sky.

[spidermenaces]

... Oh, so are there a lot of you guys around? How does that work?

(2018, scott, 2018 is the last year peter has breathed in, but since scott didn't ask, that goes in the To Be Continued box. he's at least more interested in the whole DNA thing than anything else, before his brain reviews what was just said and--)

OPTIC BLASTS? Dude, that's awesome.

[laserguy]

Back home, yeah. I mean, kind of? We're sort of a minority. Over here, I'm the only mutant around, so consider yourself lucky that it's someone with really cool powers.

[Now he's just exaggerating, but he has to put up a front, just a little. Reminds him of the time he did that in front of Mikey and the other teen said that he didn't have to pretend, but his friend isn't here to smack him or whatever. Besides, he... really is the only one left and guess it's been making him feel all of sorts of ways, more than he originally thought. It was him and Quentin for months and he misses him, even though the other mutant pissed him off a lot.

At least Peter really is enthusiastic about his powers. It makes Scott smile. Yeah, guess they can be awesome.]

Want a little demonstration?

[Only fair since Peter swung him around the city.]

[spidermenaces]

I mean, the Avengers are most of the super people... Or like, highly-skilled people... Mr. Stark is a genius, Black Widow is a super spy, Hawkeye is also a super spy, Thor is a God, Captain America is a super soldier, I'm-- me, the Hulk is a scientist who gets mad and turns into a super angry green monster, and the list goes on, I guess, but there aren't many of us walking around the Earth or anything like that, that I know of.

(it's not like he has been an avenger for long, he doesn't have the complete roster of who is who! but, hey, he is impressed as hell, and when he's excited, he blabs. to have people to relate to at home would be wonderful, actually - someone his age, he can talk to about how difficult and awesome this is, but he doesn't. all the avengers are at least twice his age, and his friend ned, although terrific, can't fully comprehend it.

to say he's happy he found a teen like that is an understatement. his world is about to open wide.)

Dude, yes?? Just, is this a safe place to do it?

[laserguy]

[That. Sure is a team. But cool hearing about an actual superhero team from a superhero.

Although...

Avengers...? That name feels kind of familiar? Didn't Quentin mention that he was part of the Avengers-- part of the 'second best superhero team' or whatever. He assumed that he was full shit. But. Peter's talking about them now and Peter isn't full of shit, he trusts him that much. Of course Quentin didn't really give him that many details (mostly Scott just tuned him out as well).]

And you're part of the Avengers? That's really cool man. Like dude, who else can say they work side by side with the god of thunder? [He smiles, deciding to go with that for now. He can bring up his disappeared roommate at some point. Like after he shows off his powers.]

Yeah, totally safe. Just don't stand in front of me. [He scoots just a little from Peter and looks up at the sky, so he can prepare himself.] Okay wait, tell me, if I show you my powers, you have to be honest. Would it qualify me to be an Avenger?

[Somewhere, 616 Scott is screaming.

Nonetheless, after asking that question, Scott takes off his shades and opens his eyes-- immediately letting out those bright red optic blasts shoot through the sky with a loud hum. After a few seconds of that, he closes his eyes and puts his glasses back on.]

[spidermenaces]

(nevermind the fact he has never seen thor, but like, hey, he was an avenger for like, 24h tops. it is still awesome, especially for kids their age. impressionable - and for peter, it mattered very little the dangers that he could face. someone had to do it.

peter doesn't have much time to say anything, before the COOLEST THING EVER happens right in front of his eyes. he has a million damn questions - does it hurt, how does scott see, how the glasses work -- but out of reflex, he jumps to a tree to keep himself out of the blast zone.

and once scott opens his eyes, he gets spiderman upside down on a web in a slow clap.)

DUDE, that was. The coolest thing. Ever. I mean, yeah, totally Avengers potential, but that's like, not my department, but for sure you'd be super needed in my Earth.

[laserguy]

[As he looks over to Peter, seeing his new friend hanging out at the tree, he really can't stop that earlier confidence, along with some warmth, bloom in his chest because a dude that can swing across the city, someone that is an Avenger, a superhero, thinks his powers are cool. He can almost feel an embarrassed little flush creep on his cheeks, something that the mutant tries to shove down, but there's no hiding the way Scott smiles as he adjusts his glasses once more.

He'd actually be needed, huh?

Along with that warmth, however, there's something resembling anxiety that grows in his chest. It's nice being needed, using his powers for good, but is he heading towards the Scott in Quentin's universe? He's different, for sure, but. Hard not to think about. But he shoves that feeling aside, letting himself just soak in the praise for now.]

We aren't back on Earth, but we can work together here in Aldrip.

[spidermenaces]

Yeah, for sure! Can you tell me what is going on here? -- Like, are we needed? I mean, gotta be needed, right? There's like, crime anywhere. Space thing was not routine, I usually deal with neighborhood crimes and stuff.

(which is considerably more noble, but much less cool as 'fighting a universal genocide in a planet no one knows about' - which, well, listen. he will go where he is needed, and that's kind of what he can do, and it's what he will keep doing.

it doesn't matter where he is. his values won't change. if you can do what they can, if you let things slide, it's on your hands, he'd think.)

[laserguy]

[Scott almost wants to roll his eyes. Yeah, go figure that the first thing Peter wants to do is help around Aldrip, stop crime and stuff. Truly a hero, huh? Guess with the city getting bigger and crime being more common, he came at a good time.]

You're pretty much the first superhero that I've met.

[Maybe there's a couple around, but Scott hasn't met them not counting Quentin apparently. He leans back on his hands, glancing at Peter with a little smirk.]

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of people here that's willing to fight and shit, protect others. But you're kind of like the only one in a costume that has a codename.