TEST DRIVE MEME #9

[expiationmods]

Test Drive Meme #9

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.

June's's TDM is forward-dated to June 20th.

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

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?

Summer Solstice (June 20th)

The summer solstice, also known as the longest day of the year. Aldrip may have received a big upgrade in size recently, but this special day still calls for celebration amongst the locals, who have a long tradition of celebrating various celestial phenomena. For this occasion, the entire city will be throwing a Midsummer celebration! The festival itself takes place from June 20-24, with the solstice happening the evening of June 20. There will be celebrations before, during, and after the festival as well!

On the shortest day of the year in December, the Chosen were told to stay indoors until sunrise. The opposite holds true for the summer solstice: all are encouraged to remain outside from dusk until dawn, and locals throw a festival to keep everyone entertained through the wee hours of the morning!

The streets of the commercial district are lined with sun-painted lanterns, lit as dusk starts to fall and kept glowing until sunrise the next day. Those lanterns illuminate a lively street bazaar featuring exotic food and drink, curious wares, and lawn/party games of all kinds. The Chosen are encouraged to either participate, or occasionally wager bets on other people who may be competing against one another. May the odds be ever in your favor?

As the sun begins to set, locals light large bonfires. There will be music and dancing—Chosen are encouraged to participate in whatever way they’d like, whether they want to perform or lead a line dance. If they’re not inclined to join in, the fires and music still provide a perfect backdrop for a little relaxing conversation and meeting new friends.

After dark, a large fireworks show begins. All in attendance are encouraged to bring (or find!) blankets to lay out so they can watch the show. Clinking glasses with good friends at the height of the show is considered good luck, so it’s not uncommon to see some folks having a drink during this time. As Aldrip is so close to the ocean, some locals even offer discounted boat rides to get a different view of these fireworks.

At dawn, the locals finally tuck in for a few hours of rest. But don’t worry—the Midsummer festival continues even after the solstice is done!

Midsummer Festival (june 20-june 24)

Locals begin prepping for the festival days in advance, and while they won’t drag others in to help the same way they have in the past, they still won’t turn down an extra set of hands. You’ll even get paid for your troubles, either in money or in favors (free meal vouchers, rent at the inn, etc). There’s no shortage of work to be done, from dragging tables around to stringing lanterns or even collecting sticks for bonfires. Just be careful, locals tell of strange whispers coming from Pessiria Forest at odd times of day and night…

The festival itself has different activities and happenings depending on what area you visit. Most of these activities can be done on any day of the festival. Most of the games and contests outlined here are examples—you’re free to make up others if you feel so inclined!

BEACH EPISODE!!
The beach is a prime location in the month of June, and locals really go all out for this particular occasion, setting up a large beach party with food, drink, and brightly-colored umbrellas to provide some shade.

There are various sporting activities such as beach volleyball, windboarding, surfing, and a large, built-up dune for sand surfing. Most of these are just for fun, but if locals see some really good contenders, they might urge a competition between them.

For those less sporting, there are all sorts of activities and challenges. Kite flying, sandcastle building, and scavenger hunts are particularly popular with the locals. Maybe they’ll ask you to bring back a certain number of round seashells, or to make friends with someone sitting under a pink umbrella…the possibilities are endless, really. There will also be official competitions for kite flying and sandcastle building, so put your best foot (or shovel) forward!

Some enterprising locals have also set up boat tours to take locals and Chosen through the nearby waves. In some places, the light makes it seem almost like you can see something in the distance…but it’s not on the map, right? Maybe it’s just your imagination. Hmm.

HAVE A FIELD DAY
The rolling hills outside of the city make a perfect place for various races and games. Bring your competitive spirit, because there will be medals awarded for winning races! Some common games include: bag races, “wife” carrying (gender, spousehood, and pre-existing relationship not required, of course!), three-legged races, relays, baton passes, and foot races.

It’s not all sporty competitions, though! Some older locals will lead more relaxing activities, such as stretching, meditation, and recreational group dances. These are volunteer-led groups, of course, so if those volunteers have to sit down or step away for a bit…well, they’ll have to ask someone to take over for them.

Those with good animal handling stats are not forgotten either, of course! There will be animal races, as well, on horses or even chocobos. There may or may not even be a petting zoo, pony rides, or other fun, relaxing activities with animals. Sometimes you just need to sit in a pen full of bunnies, okay.

Please do be careful, though: increased activity could make some of the monsters roaming outside the city a little bit curious about what’s going on this close to town…

WHEN YOU’RE DOWNTOWN
The green spaces of Aldrip have been decked out in their very finest, and floral season is in full bloom. Some enterprising gardeners will be unveiling new garden designs in honor of the festival: hedge mazes, giant sculpted topiaries, and elaborate fountains.

While it doesn’t hold a candle to the Ketsoran diplomatic masquerade, the event center will also be hosting several nights of dining and dancing during the festival. It may be a little less lavish, but it’ll nonetheless be quite glamorous—and the food will probably be good, too.

The bazaar from the day of the solstice continues throughout the festival. Additionally, various shops and businesses may choose to provide specials, discounts, and other offers to entice new and current Chosen alike.

THE SPIRE
One of the taller buildings in town has installed a large spire near one of the garden squares. They claim that, as the sun rises to its midday point, light passing through the spire will create an incredible light show. They’re right, as a matter of fact: the light reflects and refracts, scattering rainbows across the square. It’s a dazzling display. When the sun passes its midday point, however, the beautiful color show suddenly turns into white light. Anyone looking at this light will find that they are no longer able to keep track of how long they’re watching it. Your mind may begin to go blank, almost as if it refuses to accept something, some deep truth that the world is trying to tell you…

…

No, that must be your imagination. The light vanishes shortly thereafter—or was it ever there to begin with? The unsettling feeling may remain, but it’ll be harder and harder to be certain of what caused it.

This is fine and also normal.

Wildcard

Make your own fun! Just because it’s not in the prompts doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Have at it! Go crazy! Try not to break anything (too much)!

♡

Comments

2.

[memori3s]

[ Who has two thumbs and is definitely not in his element? Definitely not shaking, grooving, or dancing? This guy.

Minato would have liked to stay home. Unfortunately, he's friends with one too many an extrovert who makes it a point to drag him outside. ]

...maybe? Do you want to be on the network?

[ Intentionally attracting attention to yourself? That's crazy.

Minato's been sitting near the bonfire the entire time, choosing to enjoy its warmth and observe everything unfolding around him instead of actively participating. And though the teen comes off as disinterested, the white Shiba Inu at his side wags his tail and offers Guinaifen a friendly bark. ]

[firekiss]

'course I would!

[This, however, gets her to set aside the dancing for a moment, and she decides...why not? And plops right down next to the guy. They're two people, by the bonfire.]

Doing numbers sometimes means the difference between being able to eat good and having nothing more than a bowl of rice for dinner. Sure, you won't starve, but what's the point of living if you can't enjoy yourself?

[memori3s]

[ ??? What kind of job would require something like that, thinks the guy from 2009-2010 before the rise of streaming. ]

Are you an actor...?

[ Minato hadn't expected her to plop down next to him, but he's not necessarily opposed to having company. He gazes at the bonfire while contemplating her words. ]

I guess that's true.

[ "Enjoying yourself" still remains somewhat of a novel concept to him. Perhaps it shows, based on how seriously he's considering what might be intended as a lighthearted comment. ]

[firekiss]

Well, at least that's how I try to look at it.

[She nudges Minato, a little playful, acting like they're two friends who've known each other for quite some time and not like they're two strangers who just met a few seconds ago. Mistakes might have been made. The fact he's taking it very seriously isn't entirely lost on her, but maybe he's just always the serious type? Hard to say.

Shouldn't read too much into it.]

You never know what fate brings, or what tomorrow might surprise you with, for better and for worse. Have you heard of the Xianzhou- oh, actually, I probably should start with the basics, huh? I'm Guinaifen. I'm a street performer, streamer, and I guess I act sometimes, but I wouldn't call myself an actor.

[memori3s]

...I don't really think about things like that. But maybe I should.

[ Everyone has their own way of life. Making a point to enjoy it all -- maybe that's just the beat of her particular drum. For Minato, thinking about tomorrows is still pretty new. Maybe he'll get used to it over time. Plus, people keep asking him what he wants to do with himself in the future? He really needs to start coming up with an actual answer.

Suddenly, his company's throwing a bunch of information at him. Xianzhou? The name doesn't ring a bell. It's why the corners of his mouth dip into a small frown as he shakes his head. ]

I haven't, sorry.

[ Now that he has her name, he'll offer his in return. ]

I'm Minato. This is Koromaru.

[ He gestures at the dog who barks at the sound of his name. Minato lifts a hand to scratch between his companion's ears before returning his attention to Guinaifen. He cants his head at her and blinks. ]

What's a "streamer"...?

[firekiss]

[Hey bestie, she's gonna scoot in and see if Koromaru wants a scratch behind the ears, don't mind her trying to pet the dog. That's not important. (It is, but it's besides the point.)

Here's the important part: what's a streamer? Now, having come from a bit of a...an "it's complicated" planet, Guinaifen's aware that not all places have equal amounts of technological expertise and opportunities. Some places have same day delivery, and others use paper and phonographs and aren't really aware of the outside universe.

But she side-eyes Minato for a moment, not in a bad way, just kind of an evaluating sort of way, a measuring way..]

A streamer is kind of a performer, but I guess I should start with asking if you know what a... [uh, what's a safe word for it] ...a network is...?

[memori3s]

[ Luckily for Guinaifen, Koromaru loves getting scritches. He leans in to tilt his head towards her, panting contentedly as she gets a great spot right behind his left ear.

Minato frowns, a thoughtful expression settling on his features. Guinaifen mentioned she's a street performer, so the fact that she's a different sort of performer too isn't that far off the mark. Right now though, he's not quite sure what being a performer has to do with a network. ]

Like... the internet?

[ He doesn't know whether she'll recognize that term, but it's the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe he should try to elaborage? ]

There's something like that in Aldrip. That's the network you mentioned earlier, I think.

[ Back when Guinaifen asked if he thought a photo or video of her might end up on Aldrip's network. ]

[firekiss]

Right! [Okay, frame of reference established. They can work with this. There's no way this can go wrong. They come from two completely and totally similar places, no way this can backfire.]

It's like that. So the way it works- where I'm from, it's called the Xianzhou. It's a bunch of giant ships, sailing aimlessly, and, well, because there's a bunch of ships, that means it's hard for performers like me to get from one ship to another.

So what we do is have these channels and chat groups. I'm on there as Lil Gui Guinevere, and sometimes I stream stuff like-

[Streamer voice:]

Hey! Can you hear me, fam? Little Gui here, with my guest Minato! Say hey to the chat, Minato!

[Normal voice again:]

And then you say hi and we see people reacting in real time on our screen - sending us superchats so we'll definitely see what they have to say, or maybe throwing some tips? And then after that we put on some kind of show. Sometimes it's things like catching bullets or breathing fire, a few times it's investigating ghost stories and tall tales, whatever gets people interested?

[memori3s]

[ He's imagining water ships, some absolute boat units. He's imagining them traversing the oceans, sailing aimlessly across the sea. It's why Minato nods as Guinaifen explains the difficulties of performers moving from ship to ship. ]

Oh. Like... a livestream.

[ Minato definitely recalls some people putting up streams of content and video in real time, but to hear that it became a major form of entertainment in some places? That's wild. ]

I think we had those where I'm from, but not like the kinds you're describing.

[ Guinaifen's ability to swap from streamer voice to normal voice is genuinely impressive. Definitely the stuff of a street performer. Even Koromaru seems a little dazzled, sitting up straighter as Guinaifen turns her streamer voice on.

Minato returns to staring at the bonfire. A life spent trying to stay on top people's interests? That sounds exhausting. In fact, he's a little weary just thinking about it. Instead of making a comment in that vein, he asks: ]

Is it fun for you?

[firekiss]

[There's a half-second hesitation, a moment's pause - not that much of a hesitation, just a little, a breath inserted there - before Guinaifen answers.]

Sure it is! [It's said easily enough, at least, as Guinaifen stares at the bonfire and not at Minato. Don't read too much into things.]

I get to go to different places, try new things, and hang out with my friends. As jobs go, it's not the worst way of passing time, you know? I've learned how to breathe fire, swallow swords, dance with umbrellas and smash a boulder with a hammer. That's not stuff I'd learn if I did what my family wanted and learned...I don't know, accounting.

[Accounting.] Or something respectable like that. [Respectable.] And sure, it's not for everyone. My friend, Huohuo, gets a little scared whenever we turn on the camera. I haven't thought about what I'll do if it ever ends up not being my thing, but that doesn't seem like it's gonna happen anytime soon, so why worry about it?

[memori3s]

[ That's a lot of stuff?? Guinaifen confirms it's a lot of fun, but all Minato hears is how exhausting it must get at times. Given the sidenote about Huohuo, it sounds like she's well aware it's not everyone's cup of tea. ]

Yeah. That's a good point.

[ No point in worrying about something that may or may not come to pass. ]

I don't... think "streamers" were that big where I'm from, but... maybe in the future that's something people will do.

[ Or at the very least, it seems like the natural progression of livestreaming.

Minato's gone back to staring at the bonfire again. He doesn't know much about his current company, but he does respect her decision to chase her own dreams. Reminds him of a person or two that he used to know. ]

Why isn't streaming "respectable"?

[ It sounds like a reasonable and harmless career to him. People have done worse things for money. ]

[firekiss]

[She makes a noise. It's the universal noise understood across cultures and civilizations, the universal fuck if I know confused noise that everyone makes. Because why wouldn't it be respectable. She knows why, but also...]

Uh...

[Regurgitating it just makes her sound...old, huh?]

...I guess it's just that it isn't steady work...? [Well, that's not it exactly.] Some people say I can't keep on doing this forever, which I guess is true? [Maybe. She doesn't sound like she believes it. Even if she can't do it forever, she'll do it as long as she can.] I don't plan on quitting doing what I love, so... [Shrug.] So!

[memori3s]

[ That's weird. Now that Guinaifen's specified the job is something she loves to do, it feels even clearer to Minato that she shouldn't pursue a different career path. Going one's own way to pursue something they enjoy, that's something respectable in Minato's books.

He's still staring at the bonfire as he speaks, pensive expression settling on his face. ]

Most people die before they figure out what they want to do in life.

[ A small, noncommittal shrug. ]

If you're doing what you love to do, I think that's a good thing.

[ And so, she should keep doing it if that's what she wants to do. ]

[firekiss]

-I knew I had a good feeling about you!

[Bestie! Buddy! Pal! Guinaifen scoots in close- not too close, not stranger invasion of space close, but close enough where she can, if but for a moment, give Minato a slight nudge, definitely playful.]

I know too many people with, if you ask me, way too much time and not enough to do with it. I'm not gonna let that be me. But now I gotta ask- what do you do for fun? [C'mon bestie, bestie, they could do whatever-it-is for fun, future logs hinge on this, bestie, the world is their oyster.]

[memori3s]

[ Not to worry, Guinaifen. Minato's quite used to getting his fair share of friendly nudges. However, he doesn't react to the physical contact because he's fallen too deep into thought. "What do you do for fun?" asks Guinaifen, and Minato's taking way too long to come up with a response. ]

I don't... really know.

[ Go king give us nothing!!

But it's true. He spends most of his time bouncing from one job to another, getting tugged into one person's shenanigans, and then another, and another. People have been asking him what he wants out of life though, so he supposes he really should have an answer to a question like Guinaifen's. ]

...I'm trying to figure that out. I guess it means I have to do all different kinds of things.

[firekiss]

[If she was with Sushang, or maybe the Trailblazer, or maybe Huohuo- maybe not Huohuo, but point being, if she was with someone she knew and trusted, this might be the point in which Guinaifen would lean against them and say something mildly despondent and vaguely tired. Not too tired? But something pointing out that, from her perspective, it looks like they'll have plenty of time in the future to figure whatever-they-want out.

But she doesn't know Minato like that. So she doesn't lean. She just hums to herself and leans back, looks up, looks back at him.]

At least you know what you should do. Not everyone can figure out that much. Or they look at something and they tell themselves that they shouldn't try it for whatever reason, but that reason might not actually be a good one. [Respectability, something like that.] But it doesn't sound like you'll let something like that stop you.

[She nudges his foot with her own. Nudge!]

[memori3s]

[ Trying to do something. That's always step one, isn't it? It's why Minato shakes his head. ]

No, I don't think that will be a problem...

[ That's how it's always been for Minato. Rarely can he think of reasons not to do things, and it's how he inevitably ends up getting pulled into others' shenanigans.

Guinaifen gives his foot a friendly nudge. It leaves Minato glancing down at their feet as he carefully returns the gesture, slowly poking her foot back with his own toe. ]

I'm not very good at thinking of reasons to not do things.

[ This, of course, may be extremely dangerous information to disclose to a complete stranger. ]

[firekiss]

You don't look like the adventurous type, but you're full of surprises.

[Extremely dangerous information! She will exploit this! And everyone will win, but also everyone will simultaneously lose in the process of exploiting this info...but they'll have fun (maybe) so it's not a bad thing, right?]

So...what's the wildest thing you've ever done? Me? [Oh hm.] I'd have to think about that, actually.