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Expiation Mods ([personal profile] expiationmods) wrote in [community profile] expiationlogs2024-06-10 07:58 am

TEST DRIVE MEME #9

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)!
howyouseit: (084)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-07-07 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[It had been hard growing up alone for the better half of a decade having to watch his best friend and closest confidant turn into the monster created by her newfound father figure, Silco warping Jinx’s perception of reality turning her against those she once held dear. Thankfully Benzo, Vander and the rest of the gang's deaths along with Vi’s disappearance did not have the same effect on him, hardening his resolve to create the Firelights in a bid to stop his newfound enemies from destroying their home but it was not without its tribulations.

When the arm wrapped about his neck tugging him closely the boy savior's eyes opened wide in shock before a hushed bit of laughter erupted from her response.]


Is that right? Here I thought all the guys and gals would be lining up to get a chance to “dance” with you.

[Clearly alluding to something else entirely which involved fists more than footwork, but he probably wasn't far off the mark there given how well she handled herself nowadays. Not to mention how jacked she'd gotten in there, probably able to crush his skull in with one good haymaker.

When she tries to change the subject to something a bit less traumatizing, Ekko cocks a brow curiously at the mention of trees and plant life having taken a liking to all things nature related as he grew older. Nodding promptly in response a sincere smile crossed his lips as he waited for her to lead the way.]


It’d be nice to see more than a single tree growing in one place for a change.
grappler: ([5])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-07-07 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, but it was a different kind of dancing.

[like the crony of Silco's that she'd beaten with a single tray, so hard that she'd broken his jaw. it's kind of funny in a way, because if she hadn't done that one thing... maybe it'd be all kind of different.

she's going to lead the way now, glad again to see him lighten up.]


Right? When I was dumped off here, I was in the middle of a field. People were looking at me like I was fucking crazy for looking at all the plants and smelling the fresh air.
howyouseit: (016)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-07-09 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
You always were a good teacher, maybe I could learn some new moves.

[It reminds him of simpler times when she would show him the ropes, practicing in the back alleys with Jinx as they tried to be tough like their big sister. If only things would have remained the way they were, Ekko could only imagine how different their current situations would be. Unfortunately times change and the people along with it but he wasn't going to dwell on that any longer than he already had.

He was just glad to see a familiar face here in Aldrip after thinking he was alone again, trapped in this strange new world without a clue. When she continues on about her arrival here, Ekko cannot help but blink wide in astonishment as he tries best to imagine such a spectacle himself.]


Honestly the water was calming but that sounds absolutely surreal. So what are we waiting for?

[An optimistic smirk growing wider over his features as the pair fall back into that familiar pattern between them just like old times.]
grappler: ([45])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-07-21 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
Waiting on you, loser.

[Vi starts to wave him on before she starts to walk off, putting her hands in her pockets. her step's actually pretty light right now, because for once? maybe she won't be constantly clashing or having weird feelings with someone from home. even when she'd met up with him back at his headquarters... it was so easy to slip into something simple again, even though so much had changed.]

It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but the air isn't poison, so it's a start. You just gotta keep your eyes peeled here, just like anywhere else.
howyouseit: (044)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-07-23 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[An exaggerated roll of his eyes is given in return at the 'loser' bit without saying anything as he follows hot on Vi's heels. With a stretch of his arms high above his head the fellow Zaunite steps up beside his counterpart, nodding in understanding as a somber sigh escapes his lips walking along side his sisterly figure. Despite being trapped in this newfound world at least he'd run into someone he held common ground with back home and wouldn't stuck to his own devices trying to figure everything out by himself. It would be far less cumbersome by comparison and was thankful for the companionship even if he was used to being alone it was never by choice.]

Guess that's a good start...Next you'll tell me it is run by people who actually give a damn about us.

[Now that was wishful thinking as Ekko knew that most things were often too good to be true when they came in such nice packaging. That being said however it was a lot better than constantly struggling for survival, pitted against your own people despite his desires to unite them as one without further need for bloodshed. A tall order to be sure but the boy was a dreamer and wouldn't give up easily, not here or back home in Runeterra.]
grappler: ([95])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-07-30 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, definitely not. We're all supposed to be under some sort of rehabilitation... but it's all a bunch of bullshit.

[she'll shove her hands in her pockets as she walks, her mood souring a bit.]

They want us to think it's like a fancy prison or something. But I think they're just ending up encouraging the assholes to be assholes.
howyouseit: (043)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-08-01 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Figured as much when I got this ridiculous piece of paper, maybe Silco put them up to this shit again.

[Pulling out the citation from his back pocket as they continue walking, the boy savior unravels the piece of parchment to reveal the sentence in full. "You have been charged with TERRORISM and in accordance with the doctrine of this world, you have ▬▬ until you will face your sentencing. Prepare your defense adequately or face the repercussions." Rolling his eyes as Ekko slaps the page with the page of his hand before crumbling it up in his hand without concern and shoving it away.]

Can you believe that load of crap? First home and now here they try to put these lies on me.
grappler: ([165])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-08-04 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[she shakes her head.]

Nah, Silco's got nothing to do with it. I was here way before him.

[both fortunately and unfortunately...]

I got accomplice to murder.

[it's something she prefers not to ever talk about... but it was Ekko. maybe he'd figure out the weight of that, and possibly understand.]
howyouseit: (090)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-08-13 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[He was mostly teasing the notion given how unlikely it would be the man in charge of this place, a waking nightmare if that would have been the case. Even if Silco wasn't the boy knew better than to think he was going to just play nice and simply sit back relaxing in his newfound life here within Aldrip reeking havoc wherever he might be. Ekko would be sure to keep tabs on the other just like he did back home to make sure he wasn't up to anything nefarious.

Upon hearing Vi's own sentencing he cannot help but cock a brow curiously stopping dead in his tracks, tilting his head a bit as he thinks on that for a moment. Given the topic of discussion it couldn't possibly mean she had actually killed the tyrant of Zaun could it? Curiosities got the best of him as a hand moves to grab her arm, a pensive look washed over his features now as he regards her.]


And what about yours...Is it actually true, Vi? Did you kill someone?
grappler: ([97])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-08-17 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Vi stops when Ekko does, looking down at the hand on her arm, pursing her lips, and looking back up at him.]

Not directly.

[she can see Vander. Mylo. Claggor. Benzo.]

But it's because of me some people are dead.

[this is the guilt that she can't just let go of.]
howyouseit: (107)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-08-18 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[He quickly realizes what Vi is referring to when she mentions people's deaths because of their actions, shaking his head as a solemn sigh escapes his parted lips now. She was still holding herself responsible for things long since passed and completely out of her own control, losing her adoptive siblings along with her father all in one go. A concerned expression crosses Ekko's face as he moves to gently rest a hand on his counterpart's shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze.]

That wasn't your fault, Vi. You and I both know by now it was Jinx's interference that caused the explosion. But the real culprit more than her is that bastard...Silco.

[Gritting his teeth thinking back to how the man's lackies killed all those Enforcers along with Benzo in cold blooded murder before dragging Vander off along with them.]

You were just doing what you thought was right and trying to save Vander...I just...Wish I could have done more if I was able to help maybe this all could have been avoided.

[They could have all been together still, even Powder with them as they lived out their lives happily without the threat of Silco's influence looming over their shoulder in the dark of the abyss.]
grappler: ([114])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-08-21 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)
You wouldn't have been able to do anything, either.

[there's a squeeze on her shoulder, and her eyes blur for a moment. but then she forces that down, and sighs quietly. even though Ekko and Cait keep telling her it's not her fault... it's still something she'll carry forever.]

I was responsible for all of you, though. You looked up to me, followed my lead. And...

[even though she was fighting back tears, there's a lump in her throat that makes her stop talking. she can still vividly see everything that she'd done, all the people that were murdered because of the choices she made. like a lightning fast unraveling from a thread she pulled.

Claggor. Mylo. Benzo.]


I failed all of you.
howyouseit: (117)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-08-26 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
[Ekko knows how hard Vi can be on herself and how much pressure was on her shoulders to lead by example but that didn't mean she had to go it alone anymore. He'd learnt a lot through his time alone after the whole ordeal and despite the pang of loss he felt knew there was nothing he could ultimately do now. They couldn't keep dwelling on the past and had to move forward, that was why he formed the Firelights to rise up against the scourge of the Undercity that plagued their home.]

We have to strive for what's ahead of us now and can't be burdened by our past, Vi.

[Usually it was her giving console to those who needed it most but here and now the boy savior could tell she was emotionally vulnerable with the threat of tears cascading down her cheeks. Stepping in closer to wrap his arms about her person, Ekko embraces his big sister in a tight hug, a hand resting at the back of her head to thread through her short pink locks in a comforting fashion.]

Listen...I don't hold you responsible for any of their deaths I could never do that. What we need to do now is not squander their sacrifice and put an end to the oppression back home so no one else has to suffer like we did. Together. Just like old times.
grappler: ([159])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-08-28 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[she wasn't expecting the embrace.

she's usually the one who has to be strong. she can't just break down, especially in front of Ekko. but the tears blur her vision anyway, and a few fall when she knows he can't see it. she hugs him back tightly for a moment, and then composes herself and rubs her face with the back of her hand.]


Man, you're not supposed to be the one consoling me.

[she pulls away though, a bit of her trademark smirk back on her face. but it just... helps, somehow, knowing that someone sane was here and actually understands. she still hasn't completely told Caitlyn about everything that's happened... and would it really even be the same? she wasn't a part of it, even if Ekko wasn't at that warehouse specifically.]

Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I always am. I just... wanted to say that. Because we didn't have enough time at home.
howyouseit: (072)

[personal profile] howyouseit 2024-08-31 03:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[A lot of things had changed over the coming years after the events which unfolded at the warehouse, Silco ripping everything the pair had ever known from their hands with the snap of his fingers. They both suffered in their own ways but Ekko and Vi both hardened their resolve, hatred stoking the fires which raged on inside them as they looked to get back at the self appointed tyrant who'd destroyed their lives. Unlike Jinx it made them each stronger in their own way, the pair growing up to despise the man for what he'd done to them and fighting against the corruption that was brought in his wake in their own way. Of course it would have been great if they were able to combine their efforts this whole time but at the very least they were reunited after such a long time apart, the boy savior giving her up for dead until the fateful day she re-emerged in the Lanes.

Although he was usually far more reserved nowadays he could at least show some compassion for his beloved older sister whom was the more supportive one in her time of crisis. When she pulls away from the embrace to wipe away a few stray tears which stained her face, Ekko simply nods solemnly followed in short by a hushed bit of breathy laughter.]


You always were the stronger one between us, I was the brains and you the brawn, remember?

[The master planner known as 'Little Man' who meticulously laid out their devious schemes enacted against the top siders while she carried them out to the letter. Well most of the time anyways.]

Guess we'll just have to make up for lost time then, huh?

[A bit of hopeful optimism ushered forth as a sincere smile slowly breaks over his lips.]
grappler: ([149])

[personal profile] grappler 2024-09-04 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[there's a bit of a smile of Vi's face.]

I'm the stubborn bitch. Either word works.

[she wipes at her face again and turns away, motioning for him to follow again as she starts to walk off.]

Sure will. Did I tell you Cait's here too?