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

[grappler]

Uhhhh...

[she flounders for a minute.]

She's my sister. So... it's complicated.

[fieldtrip]

Oh.

[ Not this again... ]

Let me guess, you disagree about your dad and didn't see each other for years?

[grappler]

[there's a long silence.

but then she just... out with it.]

More like her "dad" [in air quotes] killed our dad and she doesn't understand why she needs to stay the fuck away from him.

Silco is not my father.

[fieldtrip]

Figures. It's always the dad issues.

[ Okay, mocking sarcasm aside, Toph frowns slightly. She really does like Vi and she takes her family issues seriously even if she needs to poke fun at them first. She's not going to ask for the soppy version of this story, she just accepts the summary as it is.

She's a quick judge of character, and she trusts Vi's judgment. ]

Alright, got it. I won't hurt your sis, Vi. I can dunk somebody in rock up to their neck real easy.

[grappler]

[she snorts.]

If people weren't so shitty, we wouldn't have this problem.

[but there's a little bit of relief when Toph speaks again, and her shoulders relax. she hadn't even really been aware she'd tensed up in the first place...]

Thanks. I'm working on her, but there's only so much I can do at a time.

[it's hard.]

[fieldtrip]

[ Toph of course catches the subtle indications of relief in Vi's body language, and it makes her a little more forthcoming than her previous half-sarcastic attitude. ]

I have a friend at home with a sister like that. I don't exactly get it, but I'm not going to tell you you're wrong about your own family.

[grappler]

[Zuko 🤝 Vi
crazy-ass lil sisters

at least she's not pushing the subject. even though she didn't think Toph really would because for someone so young... she's pretty reasonable.]

For me, it's because I know she used to not be like that. And there's still some part of me that hopes that innocent girl is in there somewhere.

[a beat.]

Even though I know she's not.

[fieldtrip]

[ There's a short pause as Toph sorts through how she wants to respond to this, but ultimately she's as blunt as ever, just tempered a bit out of deference for Vi being her friend. ]

Don't take this as me defending her, because she sounds like she seriously needs to be taken down, but you better get over this "I hope there's an innocent girl still in there somewhere" shtick fast.

Whoever she is, it's not up to you.

[grappler]

[logically, Vi knows Toph is right. she knows more keenly than she lets on that her sister has changed completely since they were kids. she's quiet for a long moment, exhaling through her nose as she slumps a little.]

... I know.

[it's probably the first time she's ever really admitted it to someone who Wasn't Caitlyn.]

Before my last father figure died, he told me to take care of her. I ended up leaving her. So in a way... I really did shape who she is now.

[fieldtrip]

What did I just say?

[ Toph lets out a breath of frustrated impatience. ]

Does she get any credit for her own decisions? No offense, Vi, but if someone tried to tell me they made me who I am, I'd be really pissed off.

[ It's not about guilt or ducking responsibility; it's that good or bad, accomplishment or mistake, everyone has to be accountable for their own actions. As staunchly self-determined as she is, Toph believes that absolutely. ]

[grappler]

[she looks back at Toph, now. she's incredibly wise, and it reminds her of Ekko. of how he'd grown into someone who had that kind of mindset too, and maybe had seen and dealt with stuff that she probably doesn't want to acknowledge.]

Hmph... she's almost kind of proud of it.

[she runs her hand through her hair, and rolls her shoulders.]

You're pretty smart for a kid. You always been that way?

[fieldtrip]

[ This happens to hit on an area Toph herself is extremely sensitive about, one she's thought through and turned over in her mind countless times. Why can't her parents just accept her for who she's chosen to be? She's proud of who that is and the work she's put in.

In the case of Vi's sister, maybe it's more like you don't get to escape the consequences of who you've chosen to be -- but the key word there is chosen. It takes agency.

Toph snorts. ] Probably. [ She quiets a little. ] Just... you know, my parents don't think anything I do could really be me, either. And it hurts.

So I guess I can see the other side.

[grappler]

[there's a long silence. that kind of struck home too, but it still hurts her. was Jinx... just this chaos incarnate? was that who she really was? was she always like this, on the inside? she knew she was a troubled child... but to grow up like this?

was she always predestined to be who she was now, with or without Vi?

well. she quirks her lips into a half smile to kind of deflect while she considers:]

Toph, you can't see anything.

[there's a long silence on her end after that.]

But I think I understand what you're trying to say. Jinx was just meant to be some sort of mad genius from the start, probably. She's been working on bombs since she was old enough to know what those were.

[fieldtrip]

[ She snorts, giving her a light smack on the arm. ]

Don't think the blind jokes will distract me, and stop making excuses. It's not about who she's meant to be [ her disdain for that concept is clear ] it's about who she chooses to be.

They can be really bad choices, but nobody's helpless.

[grappler]

[she can't help it. she grins a little bit at the smack, even though the smile fades a bit as as she keeps talking.]

I know. Maybe I just need to learn to accept that.

[she reaches out to pat Toph's back, though.]

Thanks for the advice, shorty.