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!

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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.

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

[endcaller]

That's right.

[He folds his arms, tucking his hands into his wide sleeves, and watches a Chocobo march past him. It eyes him warily and squawks a warning "wark" in his direction.]

Or else there is some form of convergent evolution at play, one that exists across stars.

[He glances at the green woman and quickly corrects himself.]

Excuse me. Planets.

Though I suppose if the powers that be are able to pluck me from my world there is no reason they couldn't bring Chocobos here as well. The question then, of course, would be why?

[unprimed]

I guess that would depend on exactly how similar they are to the ones in your world. Even if they started with the same form, they'd probably evolve in different ways across different planets...

[The Science Brain is in full gear, so she barely even registers the correction. But as interesting as that thought is, the later question he poses is even more of a puzzle. More important, for sure, and maybe even more interesting!]

Ooh, that's true! Maybe they just got-- picked up the same way we did. I guess there could be plenty of different reasons. Maybe whatever brought us here wanted some people to see something recognizable? Maybe it was an accident! I can't imagine this cute little guy has ever committed a single crime in his whole entire life-- [--that last part is cooed directly to the Chocobo that's still soaking up every second of attention that Tendi is giving him--] so it could be a weird proximity thing. It's hard to say for sure without knowing exactly how we all got here.

[endcaller]

It might well be guilty of something.

[Fandaniel leans forward and flashes a passing Chocobo a grin that shows too many teeth.]

Chocobos. Horrid creatures, really. Did you know their odor alone could clear out an entire town?

[The Chocobo backs away and he turns around again to lean against the fence. Finally, he looks Tendi over with a clinical gaze.]

Pray forgive me.

I will return to our conversation but I can avoid the topic no longer: Are you aware that you are green?

1/3

[unprimed]

[.........

Oh, wow. Wow, he really just asked that. Like that. That might be the wildest question she's been asked in...a while. Which begs the question of how to answer it without that answer being completely, totally awkward. Like. What do you even say to that?]

[... This, apparently:] I'm WHAT? Oh my gosh! Oh no! I must be dying!

2/3

[unprimed]

[She can only keep up the straight face for like three seconds before she breaks character with a little good-natured laugh.] Don't worry! I know! All of my people are green. It's an Orion thing.

3/3

[unprimed]

[... Oh, but she does add,] You might want to not say it like that to people, though. I mean, you wouldn't ask a Chocobo if it knows it's a bird, right?

[Kweh goes her friend.]

[endcaller]

[Fandaniel touches a glove to his lips.]

My apologies!

I am far too curious for my own good.

[He looks her over with renewed, focused interest.]

I have always been fascinated with other worlds, you see. I would look to the sky in my youth and wonder what people on distant stars lived for.

So...I mean no offense.

[With an elegant flourish, he bows forward slightly.]

I wish only to hear your words, share your feelings, and know your thoughts.

[Where did those words come from?

Someplace dark and long repressed. He pushes that thought aside for now.]

Tell me more about yourself. What is an Orion?

[unprimed]

[She waves a hand, not like a dismissal of the apology, but more to show that it's fine! Totally fine.] Thanks, but I'm...sort of used to it by now. It's okay! I guess it's true that I haven't exactly seen a ton of people around who don't look obviously human.

[But she bolsters a grin at the rest.] See-- me too, though! I always wanted to travel the stars! Explore strange, new worlds!

[And now she gets to do just that! It's amazing! ... Or, it was. Until she showed up here, and now she's landlocked. ... ... ... But! It won't last forever, she's sure! It can't!

(Right?)]

Orions are...well, we're from the planet Orion. [Ta-da! Makes sense, right?] To be honest, we're not that different from humans. Carbon-based lifeform, mammalian features, similar level of sentience, et cetera et cetera. Physiologically, there are some differences, but not really a lot. [A wistful sigh.] It's kind of amazing, isn't it? So many different races from so many different planets, and a whole lot of us are similar enough to communicate and even be friends!

[endcaller]

So many indeed. And yet most appear to be hyur.

Very peculiar that such a people would populate so many worlds when they are so...fragile.

Hmm...

[He touches a finger to his chin, lowers his eyes and considers this.]

...Mayhap this star, too, is a reflection of the Source? Strange, then, that the Paragons have never mentioned it...

[Surely if there were a world capable of pulling people through the rift, Emet-Selch or Elidibus would have said something. Could there be a reflection they didn't know about? He doubts it...

Maybe...

Oh, he was in the middle of a conversation!

Remembering himself, he looks back up at Tendi.]

A question for another time.

Allow me to tell you about myself. I am Fandaniel, Ascian. I am a formless being of shadow and spite.

[This he says with a coy smile as if he is joking. He clearly has a physical form, after all.

It's all true, of course. His body is only a vessel to his Ascian soul but he decides not to get into that just yet.]

[unprimed]

[Wow.] So, that's a lot of words I have practically zero reference for, which is both confusing and very exciting! Let me see if I can get this straight. Is a "hyur" a humanoid? Two arms, two legs, sentient, probably not green? Because I definitely noticed that, too. But-- what do you mean by a "Source?" I've never heard of anything like that.

[I mean, except for a power source, but could this be something different? Like a "source material" sort of deal? ...Is this getting into some weird metanarrative, or something supernatural? Omnipotent? Has she wandered into some weird Q test?

(No. No way. Q would be way more dramatic about this stuff.)

As for "formless being of shadow and spite," Tendi snorts a little laugh at that, because what a mood, right?? But he's got to be kidding, because he definitely does have a form. Like, she can see his form. And he doesn't look overly shadowy or spiteful, so it's definitely a joke.

For sure.]

You can call me Tendi. It's nice to meet you, Fandaniel! And your shadow and spite. [Finger guns. Because she is definitely in on the joke. 100%]

[endcaller]

A hyur is what most people in this world would call a "human", it seems. Forgive me for speaking again in my own world's terms. It will continue to happen. 'Tis a deeply ingrained habit, I'm afraid.

And the Source is... it's my world. Where I am from. More or less.

[There is a bit more to it but he's worried if he starts explaining the Sundering of Etheirys they'll be here all day.]

...I am remarking upon how strange it is that this ...planet... has both humans and chocobos. Much like my own.

'Tis a phenomenon worth exploring, would you not agree?

[unprimed]

No, no, it's fine! That's interesting though -- so they're exactly the same, but with different names? I wonder why that is? I guess you could argue that given enough space and time, language would evolve differently in different places, so maybe...

[Oh. She's rambling a bit. Anyway. She latches onto his next point eagerly, because--] I completely agree! I mean, with all of the different species and fauna in the galaxy, much less the multiverse, what's the likelihood of something you recognize showing up here? The odds are off the charts, right? Like, "find this single snowflake in the middle of a blizzard" improbable. I guess it's possible that there's something increasing those odds? Maybe it has to do with why this place picked us, specifically.