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

[aeolianmode]

[ Things like fate, destiny: yes, perhaps it is so. And in turn, hopefully they will be reunited with their respective siblings. ]

My concerns are assuaged, however, in the sense that I... would prefer that she does not find herself in this curious land.

[ Maybe this is for the best. Penacony's Families weren't about to let Sunday off scott free. If he's here, at least it means she can't possibly be held accountable for any of his transgressions. Even if Robin had no involvement with them, this practically guarantees that no one could link anything he'd done with her.

He can't help but listen intently to the boy's story. ]

I hope that you are able to resolve whatever has come in between the two of you. Yet, have you perhaps considered that any ideological chasm separating you from your sister might be too vast to overcome...?

[startraveler]

[He nods.]

I understand. This place is quite strange and I'm still not sure what to think of it.

[He guesses this is the reason why Sunday would not want his sister to end up here.

As for the question, he blinks, then closes his eyes for a moment.]

If I never hear her side of the story, then I will never know if this is something we can overcome or not.

[He opens his eyes and presses a hand to his chest.]

No matter how much our ideals differ, we can still hear each other out. Even if I can't convince her to change her mind, I want to at least understand her. We're family, after all.

[They only have each other in the entire universe.]

[aeolianmode]

[ A fair answer. Sunday can agree with that assessment. It is better to hear a person's explanation and then determine whether a resolution can be reached. ]

I see. ...you speak as if she is all you have left of your family.

[ A set of orphans, then? Or a pair who've been separated from their family for eons? Sunday knows he can't assume everyone he comes across in this land will operate on the same halovian timeline as him. It's not that odd of a concept. He knows of the long-lived species who call the Luofu their home. ]

Then I hope you have that opportunity someday and are reunited with her in the future.

[ Maybe things will be different between Aether and Lumine. And despite it all, Sunday thinks that would be a wonderful thing. ]

[startraveler]

[Aether doesn't confirm or deny it, wondering if this is just a guess on Sunday's part or if it's yet another thing that they have in common. Perhaps he will know the answer one day, but for now it's better to leave this topic aside.]

Thank you.

[Again, his gratitude is genuine.]

I hope you will be reunited with your sister as well.

[He wishes that Sunday and Robin will be spared the hardships that he and Lumine are going through. Aether has seen his share of families broken by fate, separated or unable to ever reunite and it always breaks his heart.]

I should probably be going now... Unless you'd like to walk with me. We could search together.

[aeolianmode]

[ Like knows like, Aether. It's a guess, but it's one couched in the fact that Sunday understands that feeling. For the time being, he offers Aether a small nod to both acknowledge the boy's gratitude and his earnest wishes. ]

...and you have my thanks as well for extending such a kind offer. Yet at this juncture, I believe it may be best to cease my search for the day.

[ He'd told Aether the truth. It's why, ultimately, he's not entirely certain whether he intends to continue his search. It would be for the best if his path never crossed with Robin's. It is... for the best, that she remain in Penacony.

Perhaps this is where he belongs after all until this mysterious "Council" has determined he has paid for his crime. ]

[startraveler]

[Aether nods. He can understand. Or at least he thinks he does. He is unaware of anything that happened to Sunday and his sister.]

In that case, if you ever need any other help just let me know.

[He gives a friendly smile. Hopefully things will work out just fine in the end.]

And for now... I'll be on my way. See you around.

[He gives a small wave with his hand, before taking his leave.]