TEST DRIVE MEME #11

[expiationmods]

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.

Full Navigation

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)!

♡

Comments

[cupidsammo]

[ Yeah man not everyone goes crashing through windows and lands gracefully after dropping twenty stories high. Ok. Come on.

That said, Koharu looks down at him, surprise flickering across her expression. ]

Huh?

[ It's not that she hadn't noticed him strolling by, of course; she did, but she at least could keep her dignity knowing he wouldn't be able to see her up here... until he did. So she goes further still, until she manages: ]

Ah, um... M- me? You could catch me?

[chemex]

[Listen, Metaverse Shenanigans made him a whole different creature, okay? He's in recovery. He probably would not go throwing himself out of stained glass windows here.]

[Probably.]

[He smiles gently.] Or at least cushion your fall.

[cupidsammo]

[ ...

That's. Hm. But there's already a lot to unpack here, most of it she doesn't know how to yet, including this; maybe... maybe she'll set this one aside for now. Besides, it would be silly to turn down the help, reckless as it may feel. ]

If... you're sure. I can jump down. If you're ready...?

[chemex]

[He adjusts how he stands so he's more grounded, feet about shoulder-width apart and arms still outstretched.]

Whenever you're ready.

[cupidsammo]

—Okay, here I come.

[ She responds as reluctant as it gets, but true to her word, she squeezes her eyes shut and slides off the edge. Please catch her, friend... but at least she's light, and does manages to keep all limbs close. ]

[chemex]

[The protag instincts are well in effect, and he catches her pretty easily-- she's like a fucking feather, no pun intended. Mindful of her wings, he catches her legs and then her back, leaving her slung across his chest bridal-style. He grins.]

Nice. [And then he sinks into a crouch to let her down, feet first and keeping a hand at her back in case she's unsteady.]

[cupidsammo]

[ And in one fell swoop, she's back on normal ground. That... was easy? And kind of fun, now that she thinks about it. She's never fallen from so high up before. ]

—Phew! Ha ha, what a relief... Th- that wasn't so bad after all... Thank you very much!

[chemex]

[His eyes crinkle about closed at the outer corners like a cat, and he pats her back gently.] How'd you get up there?

[cupidsammo]

Erm...

[ She trails off, thinking while brushing out the wrinkles in her clothes. At the very least, it seems like everything on her person is as it should be. ]

I have no idea. I suddenly came to, like I'd been asleep or something, and found myself all the way up there... but I don't remember falling asleep, either.

[chemex]

[He hums, nodding.] Happened to all of us-- uh. [He looks toward the town with a funny sort of half-grimace, chuckling.] Welcome to Aldrip, it's not... always cages.

[cupidsammo]

Aldrip...?

[ She echoes, confusion clear in her voice, as her eyes follow his to look outwards around the—city? ]

Where is this? It doesn't look anything like Tokyo...

[chemex]

[A quiet chuckle, and he shakes his head.]

Nnnnot even a little. Couldn't tell you exactly where it is, to be honest. But-- ah, you're Japanese, then?

[cupidsammo]

[ Uh—

A hesitant pause follows, like she isn't entirely sure how to go about answering, yet eventually settles with: ]

Yes? [ Uncertain. She falls silent again. ] Or... in a way, I think. Um. I know the city very well, that's all.

[chemex]

[He tilts his head, processing her hesitation, and nods.]

Close enough, I think. [He holds out a hand.] Akira.

[cupidsammo]

[ There's a moment where she has to process that he's going in for a handshake, and gingerly accepts his hand in hers; it's a little odd, as she typically doesn't do this during greetings. ]

I'm Koharu. It's nice to meet you... and thank you again for helping me.

[chemex]

[He curls his fingers over her hand and shakes them a moment, his grip gentle but overtly friendly. He could have bowed, but being crouched the way he is this was easier. Speaking of-- he releases her hand and stands up, dusting off his knees.]

Anytime, Koharu. [He resists the urge to pat her on the head.] So... wings? [He tilts his head toward town and then leans that way, wordlessly asking if she'd like to come along with him.]

[cupidsammo]

[ She'll come; Koharu has no idea where this is or what's going on within it, so she isn't feeling particularly inclined to explore it alone. So, she falls in a step next to him, whenever he begins walking. ]

Oh. [ Oh, right. He can see those... Hm. ] They're nothing special, really—you don't need to mind them.

[chemex]

[He just smiles at her, shrugging.]

Pretty neat, if you ask me, but-- I don't mind them. Can ignore 'em, if you'd rather.

[cupidsammo]

[ She considers this. ]

Well, you don't have to... I mean—I guess it's just a little strange to explain. You shouldn't be able to see me, so I've never had to before...

[chemex]

["You shouldn't be able to see me" has him chuckling, slipping his hands into his pockets as he walks.]

I see a lot of stuff people "shouldn't", I guess. [Like brain demons, he means.]

[cupidsammo]

[ How ominous sounding, ]

Like... good or bad stuff?

[chemex]

[He thinks about that one.]

Mostly good. [He thinks. Mara is definitely tipping the scales, here.]

[cupidsammo]

O- oh, good. The way you had put it was a little...

[ ... ]

Well, nevermind. Even if you say that, I should still be hidden away from human eyes.

[chemex]

[He scrunches his face funny and shrugs.]

We don't talk about the bad stuff. Out of sight, out of mind, or something.

[Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he wiggles his fingers at her.] What makes you so sure I'm human? [Akira.]

[cupidsammo]

Err...

[ She stares, looking him up and down. ]

You have to be, right...?