expiationlogs | TEST DRIVE MEME #11

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TEST DRIVE MEME #11

Test Drive Meme #11

Welcome to Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and some subtle horror.

THE STORY SO FAR (click to expand!)

Characters have arrived in Expiation, a seemingly idyllic fantasy world where they have been told they will be judged and sentenced for crimes they were charged with upon arrival.

Every two months, several characters are chosen for sentencing, where they’re brought to City Hall and told to perform a task related to their assigned crime.

Their only contact at City Hall is a mysterious and long-suffering man called Jerry.

Over time, characters have begun to realize that not all is as it seems in Expiation: as it turns out, the entire world is a simulation that seems to be run by an artificial intelligence.
This AI claims that its purpose, and thus the purpose of Expiation, is rehabilitating the Chosen after their crimes.

In March 2024, after the destruction of City Hall, the city of Aldrip was forced into an upgrade status. While this upgrade was being implemented, characters were pulled into a false reality where they believed they were natives to the city of Aldrip.

Aldrip has been a bit of a glitchy place for many, many months. However, in Summer 2024, these glitches became difficult to ignore, and pointed at evidence of a catastrophic systems failure. For several months, characters experienced chaotic effects as elements from their worlds and many others were thrown into the setting without warning, even going so far as to import a Gnosia infection.

The AI in charge of Expiation believed that performing a system reset might be the only way to stop the glitches before they could impact the world as a whole.

In September 2024, characters complied with the AI’s request and performed a reset. Although this set the AI back to a default state where it felt more neutral–rather than affectionate–toward the Chosen, several people created a system backup that they hope will return some of the data that has made the AI more sympathetic toward the Chosen.

When Aldrip was reset, City Hall became a Courthouse, and this is the new building where Chosen are now sent for sentencing.

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.

October's TDM takes place on October 21st.

You can view our CALENDAR to keep important dates in mind. RESERVES open on October 21 and APPLICATIONS will open on October 24. After this, applications will next open in December 2024.

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Arrival

Spooky season has come to Aldrip in full force! City and outskirts gardens are full of pumpkins to harvest, trees begin turning red and orange, and there’s a chill in the air that’d have anyone reaching for a cozy sweater. The wind picks up occasionally, howling through the trees, especially near the forest… While the seasonal weather is welcoming, the locals are anything but: they send disapproving glances and keep a wide distance. Unfortunately, this may only be heightened by the new arrivals to the city…

Newcomers to Aldrip face a rude awakening this month. Strange iron cages have appeared on surfaces all over town, short and tall alike, and this is where new Chosen find themselves upon arrival. The cages themselves aren’t terribly hard to open, honestly; the latch is on the outside, and it’s a bit finicky, but it’s not locked or anything. That said, some of these cages are quite high up. They’re sometimes near ledges and windows, but not always, and some new Chosen might need a helping hand to get down.

Yeah. The optics aren’t great. No wonder the locals are a little nervous!

The fall carnival

On the morning of October 21st, a Fall carnival pops up, seemingly out of nowhere. It hasn’t been well-advertised–maybe a flyer or two around town–but luckily for the Chosen, those who work there don’t seem to have the same opinion of them as the locals do. Costumes are not required for the carnival, but they’re definitely encouraged! There is a large tent near the entrance with lots of costumes to choose from, and changing rooms as well, should the Chosen decide they’d like to give it a try. The tent workers will be so excited to help with this process–but they might find some very unexpected choices for the Chosen!

There are plenty of rides, games, and food stalls, so come on down! Some special attractions the Chosen may take note of include:

The Funhouse
Billed as a standard house of mirrors, the Chosen are encouraged to try to get through the maze as quickly as they can. Push your limits! Test yourself!

Inside the mirror maze, the Chosen will find more of a test than they might have expected, at first. As they go deeper into the maze, the mirror reflections seem to change. At first, it’s just little things: your reflection might look in a different direction, or move when you stand still. But deeper within the maze, these mirrors begin to show things about the Chosen that they might not be ready to admit just yet. Some reflections may try to confess to the character’s crime to anyone who may be in the funhouse, even going into detail about it. Some may even show the crime as it happened, or a warped version of that crime. Anyone present can see and hear these reflections.

The reflections will follow Chosen until they find their way out of the funhouse. Unfortunately, that could take quite a bit longer, since those reflections are so very vocal and distracting.

Pumpkin Pick-up
You know those duck games at a fair where you pick up a rubber duck and the bottom of the toy has a prize written on it? Well, we know better than to pick up a duck in a ~~dungeon~~ carnival here in Expiation, so for extra spooky flair, these are small pumpkins instead, with painted jack-o-lantern faces! Picking up a pumpkin should reveal a prize…but what’s this? It’s a challenge instead? Interesting.

Written on the underside of each pumpkin is a truth-or-dare style directive. Players are free to make up any challenge they want, here! If you’re looking for some ideas, we’ve provided some examples in the details cut below.

Click here for a list of example challenges!

Tell someone your biggest regret
Tell someone about the scariest moment you’ve ever had
Confess your deepest shame to a stranger
Take someone’s shoes
Attempt to pickpocket someone without them noticing
Find a stranger and show off a secret talent
Tell someone about the thing you hate most, deep down
Kiss or hug a stranger
Eat something that doesn’t look like food
Tell someone about the cruelest thing you have ever done
Start dancing in the middle of a crowd, but only if there’s no music playing
Tell a stranger about the worst lie you ever told
Ask a stranger out on a date
Set off a small firework without warning
Give away your shirt and do not replace it
Confess your greatest weakness
Put on an extra silly costume
Exchange clothes with a stranger

You get the idea! Feel free to use these as a jumping off point and make up your own–there are no limits to what the pumpkins might say. Once the task has been completed, Chosen may turn the pumpkins in at one of the prize booths for whatever prize they would like. There’s no visible indication on the pumpkin as to whether the task is done or not, so you’re welcome to try bluffing, if you don’t want to complete it…but somehow, the booth worker always seems to know.

Dueling Potions
One of the stalls is a game of chance: two identical potions sit before you on a table. The carnie claims that one is a luck potion, and that choosing that potion will give you excellent luck for the whole day…but how do you tell which is which? By drinking the potion, of course!

There’s a 50% chance of victory, here. One vial does indeed contain a good luck potion, and if you choose that vial, your luck will be incredible for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, the other bottle contains a bad luck potion, and that will have the opposite effect: for 24 hours, you’ll be plagued by disaster, bad happenstance, and maybe even some extra clumsiness. Does it seem a bit like you need to have good luck to get good luck, here? What, is this a commentary on something? Hmm.

Fortune Teller
Want some woo in your spooky season? A midnight-blue tent covered in stars seems to invite you in. You’ll find a bonafide fortune teller within, complete with crystal ball and heady incense. How fun! They’ll give you a cursory reading, either by palm or with strange-looking cards. You get the feeling that this reading is fairly accurate, but strangely…it’s hard to recite details later, if you try to tell someone else about what they told you. How odd. Maybe it was the incense.

It’s not just a hazy fortune and a nose full of frankincense that Chosen leave this booth with: they also feel a compulsion to speak their minds more than they might otherwise. Whether this is telling secrets usually kept close to the vest, expressing their opinions more readily, readily admitting to crimes they’ve been charged with or other wrongdoings, or some other manifestation of this effect is up to players!

There are plenty of other games, rides, and booths to explore, many of which have perfectly standard fare for events like these. Characters can use these booths to win tickets and get prizes: many booths offer cute stuffies and kitschy toys, of course, but Chosen can also find useful items like weapons, food, clothing, accessories, and things like that.

Witch hunt

Last year’s Witch Hunt was metaphorical in nature–this year, it’s much more literal. A limited number of witch hats are placed on a table in front of the carnival. As soon as the clock strikes noon, the Chosen may grab one and try to keep it out of the hands of fellow competitors. These hats are first-come, first-served, but it really doesn’t matter who starts out with one–it’s who ends the hunt with one that counts!

It seems to be like a city-wide game of tag. The Chosen’s job is simple: obtain and keep a witch hat on their head until the clock strikes midnight. If a “witch” is caught by another Chosen (by way of being tagged), they must hand over their hat, or they’ll be disqualified.

There’s no official sign-up for the hunt, so characters can join in whenever they’d like, or may decide not to join at all. So, what’s this all for? Anyone who manages to have a witch hat on by the time the clock strikes midnight is guaranteed a prize! OOCly, this prize is any small non-magical item from home, either personal or not; ICly, Chosen will not know what this prize is before entering. How do you obtain this prize? There’s an RNG for those who would like a chance to sign up to win an item. Sign-up is optional, and TDMers are welcome to join in! New items will be delivered at the start of November, so any new applicants who win the hunt will be able to obtain their items as well.

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)!

♡

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[They nod]

< I'm not convinced about that myself. It may take awhile, and it's definitely more complicated than anything I know about, but that doesn't make it impossible. >

[They don't know that for sure. But it's best to keep her hopes up, right? Especially since they want that to be the truth too.]

[ She likes you better already, Dante. It's definitely a more hopeful response than she's previously received. ]

I only know about simulations from things like movies—and... virtual reality stuff? Not that I ever owned a VR headset.

[ She's casually played some games at the local arcade at best. ]

So I think that's all out of my wheelhouse, too. But if you think there's really a way...

["Virtual reality..." That's a new term. Based on the name alone, they wonder how close it is to what they're living now.]

< I do. It's just a matter of finding the right approach. Besides, the system's looking for "rehabilitation," right? If that's the end goal, it wouldn't make sense to keep us in here forever. Otherwise it wouldn't be rehabilitation. >

[Though, once again, they have no idea how true that statement may or may not be.]

Right...

[ It makes sense—or would, but there's still one glaring issue that's been bugging her (to put it lightly) since she heard the news. ]

But I wish I knew what I'm supposed to be repenting for. I've never hurt anyone or stolen anything... So what do we do about that?

< That's... a good question. >

[They silently weigh their options and come to a decision, nodding to themselves.]

< You mind if I ask what they accused you of? Mine was "ignorance." Not the easiest thing to fix. >

[ A beat follows, then something of a soft, but exasperated, noise slips from her. Though she hadn't gone through its contents until later after coming to, she eventually did skim through a tablet found on her person, and one particular discovery within has left her feeling...

Well, even someone like her can feel weary over the sheer ridiculousness of something, and the answer to their question counts as today's "something". So, when she answers, the tone comes out a touch flat: ]

"Frequent shooting of unsuspecting civilians"...

< ...... >

< Okay, um. That's... not what I was expecting. But easier to work with. Maybe. >

[They shouldn't be surprised. Somehow, this seems to be the sort of person that's naturally drawn to them.]

[ Comparatively, next to something like "ignorance", maybe. Though she can't see a face, she can imagine what sort of expression they're taking on right now. ]

W— well, it's not exactly right. Though, maybe it's not entirely wrong, either... But it feels like something that's being taken out of context just to paint me in a bad light.

< And the context is...? >

[ There's a reluctant pause where she has to think about this. A part of her feels she really shouldn't be saying anything, but from everything between "waking up in a simulation" and all that entails to knowing everyone around can now see her anyway, she's bound to need to explain sooner or later.

It's... probably okay. ]

I'm—a cupid. They're known for shooting humans with arrows that make them fall in love, so it isn't lethal or anything.

< A "cupid?" >

[The word is completely foreign to them, nevermind the concept itself.]

< How does shooting someone make them fall in love? >

[The only thing they can think of is some sort of chemical or syringe. And the image that paints feels much more sinister than she seems to be implying.]

Edited 2024-10-20 21:41 (UTC)

[ They sound unfamiliar. That's... strange; humans should know about them, even if only as myth. ]

That's, erm. [ A good question goes left unsaid. Perhaps if her mentor were here she could better explain, but as things currently were, Koharu's still too much of a novice to really understand the logistics of 'nonlethal love inducing bullets'. ]

... Magic?

[ Yeah. ]

[Oh.

She doesn't know either.]

< Are you sure you're not just shooting them and they fell in love as a coincidence? >

[ Oooooh they're not buying this. Oh no. She was not prepared to explain her way out of this one. ]

No, no, it isn't a coincidence, promise! Our ammo is specifically designed to ignite the spark of love within a person! I just... don't know what they're made of... or why that works...

[Okay... They're still not convinced, but it's clear she doesn't know how they work either so it's not worth pushing her too hard about it. Otherwise they'll just start feeling bad.]

< Well, uh... As long as it's just a misunderstanding. I'd probably just stick with normal matchmaking without the bullets while you're here. >

... Yeah.

[ She doesn't want to imagine the consequences of pulling out a gun on someone when everyone can see her now, anyway. ]

I don't even know if it'll be needed here. It doesn't feel like the ideal conditions to be falling in love.

[Dante can't say anything one way or the other on that. They've never been in love before--at least, they don't think they have.]

< Maybe there's something else you could do? Is there anything you wanted to do back home but couldn't for some reason? >

[ What a question...

Koharu does take a moment to genuinely think about this, but given her lack of immediate response, it seems it isn't an easy one. Silence lingers, but it isn't for terribly long. ]

Is that something we can do here? It seems strange to be given that sort of free time.

[ Like okay, they're standing around on carnival grounds, but for all she knows this is some rare special occasion to give them a break from... whatever you're supposed to be doing during "rehabilitation". ]

< I think so. Or maybe it's just what we make of the free time we have? >

[It sounds more... poignant than they meant to be, but it still carries a ring of truth to it that they can't deny.]

What a strange place...

[ To put it lightly. So far, nothing really adds up. ]

I'll—think on that one. I've just been really focused on my job, so I haven't had room to think about other things lately. But I think I might have to know this city a little better, too.

< Yeah... >

[For a single "tick" of a word, there's a lot to be found in that "Yeah." She seems a bit young to be as married to whatever job she has as they are, but they don't know if that just means they'd be a hypocrite to tell her not to be.]

< Don't be afraid to make use of these things if you've already gotten one of your own. > [They pull their tablet out of their pocket and holding it up.] < People here are surprisingly helpful, so if you ask for help with something, I'm sure someone will come along to lend a hand. >

—Oh, yeah!

[ She does beam a little at that, at least. ]

I've had a lot of help already, even without it. I'm kind of surprised, to be honest, but it does put me a little more at ease.

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