TEST DRIVE MEME #13

[expiationmods]

Test Drive Meme #13

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 the Courthouse (formerly City Hall) and told to perform a task related to their assigned crime. Their only contact at the Courthouse 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 September 2024, that AI needed to be reset as a consequence of some catastrophic systems failures. So far, there has been no downside to this reset–but the AI has also been strangely absent since then.

-In November 2024, a strange event overtook Aldrip and turned it into a week-long eternal night where technology ceased to work. During this time, the simulation that generates Expiation seemed to malfunction, causing a strange crack to appear in the surroundings. Through this crack, characters were able to see some sort of metal enclosure. They could reach a hand in, but little more than that. This crack has disappeared, for now, but what it means for Aldrip's future remains to be seen.

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. Current players may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs. Applications for February are closed to current players only, as we're at player cap. But we are still allowing for new players to hop on the TDM!

You can view our CALENDAR to keep important dates in mind. RESERVES open for current players on February 18th and APPLICATIONS will open on February 21st.. After this, applications will next open in April.

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THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE AIR TONIGHT

Aldrip's Day of Devotion celebration has become tradition among the locals. This year, to celebrate the occasion, the events center will open its doors to both locals and chosen for a special party. Strangely, not a lot of the locals seem to be attending...well, at least it's not crowded. The party takes place in-game on February 17.

The party is a little lackluster, if we're being honest. Corny cut-paper decorations, low-budget food, sappy music. The staff seem to be dedicated to making this event a roaring success, though! They'll be obsessively pairing up any single folks they see, even if that just means grabbing the closest random stranger. Altogether, the event coordinators are doing their very best to make sure every Chosen in attendance gets in on the fun, even going so far as to pull people off the street if they look like they might be trying not to attend! They’ll try to insist on characters playing their games, but they’re only human, after all–they might miss a few people.

Within the events center, Chosen will find a bar with some specialty themed cocktails, as well as a dance floor and a lounge area. They’ll also find some games and activities. Some of these are normal: cards, dice, even charades. Some…well, some seem to be taking the theme of devotion rather seriously.

A (SPEED) DATE WITH DESTINY

You find yourself seated at a table. On the table is a five-minute timer and a list of increasingly personal questions. Seated across from you: another Chosen. Maybe you signed up willingly. Maybe the event coordinator shoved you over here. Maybe some well-meaning friend has bullied you into it. Whatever the case, here you are, on a series of speed dates that the event coordinators are hoping will end in amour!

(But we all know it’s not that easy.)

The idea is simple: you each read a question for the other to answer until the five-minute timer is up. Then, either you and your new beloved leave the table together, or you change tables for a different match. Simple! Thing is, sometimes the timers don’t really work the way they should; you may find yourself feeling like this five minutes is a very long five minutes. And the questions are sometimes romantic in nature (what quality do you look for in a partner?), but sometimes they get a little…conceptual. (is humankind inherently good or evil? as an example.) Some of these questions may also assume a level of familiarity that some Chosen don’t have. Better just to roll with it.

We’ve included some sample questions here, but please do feel free to come up with your own!

CLICK HERE FOR QUESTIONS

Romantic:
-What do you admire most about me?
-What’s the hardest thing about being in love?
-Would you ever be the first to confess your feelings?
-What's really working for you in this relationship?
-What's the best kiss you've ever had?
-What makes a kiss enjoyable?
-What color underwear do you want me to wear?
-Do you prefer sexy or smart?
-When did you know you were in love with me?
-Which part of my body do you find attractive?
-If your body was a plant, how many times a day would I have to water it?

Less…romantic:
-How do we know we're doing the right thing?
-Why do you think we're here?
-Do you have a right to be happy or should you earn it?
-What is a person? Is it the mind or body?
-Is it more important to love or be loved?
-If you died today, would you be satisfied with the life you've lived?
-How do you know you're not dreaming right now?
-Do you feel happier in summer or winter?
-What color do you feel like best describes yourself?
-If you could be an animal, what would you be?
-What is your most secret wish?
-Describe your perfect day.
-What is a “soul?”

SECRET DELIVERY

It’s not an errand, it’s a scavenger hunt! …or so it’s billed by the event staff. They promise they’re not pawning their work off on you. Each Chosen is given a small box–about the size of their tablets, actually–at the door, and they’re tasked with finding the person this small box belongs to. There’s one for every event attendee, but none of them have names on them. That would be too easy! Instead, the tags have simple directions: Give this box to someone with brown hair or give this box to someone who looks sad. The descriptions vary from box to box, and can even include activities (for example, give this box to someone who was dancing!). As per the rules, if someone already has a box, they’re not allowed to accept another.

So. What’s inside?

Opening the box, Chosen will find a small trinket nestled delicately within layers of tissue paper. It’s a pin, or a hair clip, or a pendant on a chain–something Chosen will be inclined to wear. Strangely, even though the box wasn’t addressed to them by name, each Chosen will notice that the subject of the trinket somehow speaks to their experience or their past. Perhaps a butterfly means something personal to them, or a dagger, or a dog. All are asked to put on these trinkets in the spirit of the event; the event coordinators won’t punish anyone who refuses, but they will offer to help put them on, and they’ll gush over how beautiful they look.

These trinkets have a strange effect, though: they compel the wearer to speak their true feelings. These feelings can be romantic in nature, but need not be; they simply feel compelled to tell the truth about how they feel on any particular subject.

SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL!

The banner over this tunnel, inexplicably located on what you really thought was an exterior wall of the building, reads “Tunnel of Love and Treasure.” Doesn’t that sound nice! But entering this tunnel isn’t without complication: as the attendant will tell you, everyone who enters must be paired with another person–and it’s that attendant’s job to do the pairing! You might get paired with someone you know, with a partner or a friend…or you may be paired with a total stranger. It’s subject to the whims of this attendant, who is enthusiastic but seemingly a little clueless about whatever bonds might currently exist between people.

The second rule: explorers must hold hands the entire time they’re in the tunnel! There’s no better way to grow the feelings between you than touch, as everyone knows. Once Chosen enter the tunnel, they’ll find they actually can’t let go–their hands are stuck fast. Welp. This is fine. Right?

The tunnel is strangely…realistic inside, looking like a cave rather than the inside of an event hall. How odd. There are all sorts of nooks and crannies in which a treasure might be hidden, but examining them leaves no trace of anything that might be considered a treasure. But not to worry! There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, eventually–in quite a literal sense. It opens into a large cavern, where another event attendant sits, strumming a small guitar. Go ahead, ask him where the treasure is. He’ll tell you, “the treasure was the bond you made along the way!” Or maybe he’ll sing it to you, if you’re lucky. (Unlucky?) And…well, that may sound like a crock, but you’ll find your hands unstuck and your way back out of the tunnel clear and easy.

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

[melnik]

[ His hand squeezes hers a little tighter, reflexively, betraying an otherwise nonanimated response with that hint of surprise. ]

I was trying not to think about it.

[ Though let's be honest, she is making it incredibly hard not to even without directly pointing it out. The forced expedition in this tunnel is making it incredibly hard not to think about. Best not to dwell on something that he can't do. It's the same as the lofty desire to make coming and leaving this place a choice. One has to live without holding that thought too closely or they'll go insane.

Miller keeps walking, looking into the darkness in case they might spot something else. ]

[southernchere]

[his words and the squeeze are glaring opposites from rogue's prospective, and the cheery and slight kittenish mood thaws then shapes into something bitter. while he keeps his eyes forward, her emeralds are on him — narrowing for a moment and laxes her grip as much as she possibly when with it being jointed with his. rogue side-steps away from him as they stroll, giving the duo distance with her looking forward again.]

You're right. We oughta focus on gettin' out and then we carry on back to whatever we were doin' before this.

[her tone is sharp, hurt, but tough. like she is in the process of building a brick wall between them as they speak.]

If ya like, I could just pick ya up and make this over in a jiffy. — Wouldn't want to torture your mind.

[melnik]

[ Even for a man as inattentive to emotional matters as he is, he can see that he's offended her. It wasn't intentional, of course. Only the truth. Though the reason he had rejected the thought of even a small commitment to each other is exactly the same. It isn't just about her limitations with touch — it's also his own limitations. There is surely a point at which it stops being decent for him to keep stringing her along. Going into detail about how much he'd like to kiss her, too, seems like it's on the edge of that point.

Unfortunately, verbalizing this in a gentle way does not come to him naturally.

Miller stiffens as he meets her gaze, the forced handhold becoming a touch uncomfortable. He can't help the noticeably defensive inflection. ]

No need to be so dramatic. You didn't seem like you were in any hurry a moment ago. We'll get there soon, I'm sure, but I can pick up the pace if you're getting sick of me.

[southernchere]

[dramatic. it's like a guitar cord snapped unexpectedly during a concert in front of thousands. dramatic. like her mind had been so wrapped up on other chores, and she completely forgotten the kettle, and it's wailing for someone to take them off the stove before it combusts. dramatic. like two cars colliding into one big cluster when the drivers sworn they both had the right away.

rogue halts immediately and lets miller walk on until he feels a tug of his counterpart stopping dead set on her tracks. her eyes says it all, the burning anger bubbling ferociously within her — especially when she decides to take flight without warning.]

You lookin' kinda weary there, Sugah. Lemme give ya a hand.

[and showing no regret, she hoists the man from the ground — soaring forward (not too fast) and not giving him any bit of a chance to prepare himself for this sort of experience.]

[melnik]

[ How wrong he was to think they could argue this out the old fashioned way. While he fully expects an annoyed response, an impending spirited back and forth, he is oblivious enough to take a half step forward unknowing until the weight of her stopping pulls at his arm. ]

Rogue—

[ The suggestion to wait just a moment? So useless he didn't have time to say it. All the inflexibility in the world couldn't couldn't change her mind, and in this instance, he is powerless to fight it. Fully understanding the extent of her strength and being at the mercy of it are two entirely separate things. So for once, he's stunned to silence, until a few moments into the flight, he makes a halfhearted effort to weigh her down with a tug. ]

Okay, okay, I'm sorry, just put me down!

[southernchere]

[it's not fully in her bones to keep this façade going, maybe if he was a robber or someone actively doing crime, but not the innocent. so she comes into a halt in mid-air, then gently places the man (and herself) back on solid ground.

rogue won't tug him along after the landing, she is going to be kind enough to let him catch his breath and allow his mind to catch up with just transpire. although, doing that didn't make her feel any less bad because at the end of the day, miller said what he said, and... he would prefer to not think about their time during the christmas season. does he feel kissing her or doing... whatever they're doing a mistake now? a regret?]

Lemme know when you're ready to walk again.

[melnik]

[ He's not so innocent. Even when he thought he prepared her for how unsuitable he was to be the subject of her flirting, his actions really could have made that clearer. He still participated in it, so acting like it was a mistake now... well, if he's given that impression, his best intentions don't mean very much.

The trouble is that he isn't actually reflecting on this in the moment. He's just saying whatever he can to get her to bring him back to solid ground. Once it works, he kneels on the cave floor like the wind has been knocked out of him before slowly pressing his free palm to the wall, gently pulling at their conjoined hands as the counterweight of standing back up again. ]

Look...

[ He pauses for too long, like he still really has no idea what to say before he says it. ]

I just don't want to hurt you. What do you think is going to happen if we keep going on like this?

[southernchere]

... I dunno, I didn't think this.

[and by this, she means him being so different from remy, so different from erik. she is so used to her boys wanting to be with her, and doing their damnest every time they interacted to convince her that being in a relationship was possible, and they would be satisfied with her despite her limitations.

she is used to them being on one bended knee and pouring their heart out to her like in those million romance novels she would read late at night. rogue isn't familiar with a man who is... reserved like him, who is distant like him, who (on the surface) didn't seem to enjoy her flirtatious charm so much. should she just... start treating him like an acquaintance again? is that what he wants and prefers? it's not as if many "benefits" are happening between them anyway. things hadn't been horrible enough where she needed to rest her head on his shoulder or vice versa. so once rogue gets a sense he is ready to move on, she leads them forward — not fast, but not too slow either.]

[melnik]

[ Perhaps it is a defeatist way to think of things but he finds there is nothing he can do or say right now to comfort her. At least, not if he doesn't wish to dig himself further into a hole. Sure, he could try to reassure her that imagining being together — holding each other, gloves off, and forgetting all of this — is what he really wants. But even if it is, to an extent, true, the struggle to keep the emotional disconnect in place is completely obvious even now. The ending to letting that play out can't be good.

Wishing to avoid further argument, he falls silent. The stern expression on his face becomes despondent, focusing only on the path ahead. He follows her lead to keep moving, not rushing but keeping at a decent pace. Part of him feels relieved as they start to see light creeping in from the other side. ]

Looks like we've about made it.

[ Kind of suspicious, isn't it? He thought there was supposed to be some kind of treasure awaiting them. ]