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expiationmeme2023-05-29 10:59 am
TEST DRIVE MEME #3
Welcome to the TDM for Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with fantasy, science fiction, and some horror elements. We ask that top-level comments are reserved for new characters and players looking to experience a taste of the world and overarching storyline. Characters already in the game, however, are free to use TDM prompts in their own catch-alls and logs. Feel free to submit any TDM / prompt-related questions to the corresponding comment below.
New players / characters looking to app are free to use TDM threads as samples in their application. Preexisting players / characters may use TDM threads as part of their AC proofs (with the stated limitations).
You may find the below links helpful in getting to know themes of the world, locations, the people, and so on.
IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN...
BRAVE NEW WORLD (ARRIVALS)
After receiving the paper with your sentence, the whole world quickly becomes dark and you find yourself falling through what seems to be an infinite void. You lose track of time after a while, but as soon as your focus seems to waver, your vision clears and you find yourself resting rather unceremoniously in a pile of seeds used for chicken feed.
Once you make your way out of the grain silo (and we of the moderator team wish you good luck in finding a fun way out of it), you may find that several other people have been dropped into the world just like you have. Some are disoriented, others are panicked, and others yet are simply angry about being brought somewhere against their will. Amidst the chaos of new arrivals to the world of Expiation, the newcomers will find that there are some people in the crowd who seem a little more familiar with what’s going on.
These people will tell you that you find yourself in a strange new world, and that it’s best to make your way to a nearby town called Aldrip to get settled down there. It’s a few hours by foot away from this area, but it’s the only place in the nearby area that can accommodate newcomers like you.
WE LIKE TO PARTY (WE LIKE, WE LIKE TO PARTY)
Recently, many Chosen have emerged victorious from a hard-fought battle, taking out a gargantuan creature that threatened to suck the energy from the whole area surrounding Aldrip if it had not been stopped. Such efforts do not go unrecognised, and in the aftermath, the locals all decided to band together to celebrate their saviours’ heroics. Nothing less than a village-wide party and parade would be fitting for such an occasion.
This is an undertaking that will likely take a significant amount of effort. While the locals wanted to make this into a surprise, many of them lack skills to put the thing together properly. Chosen who want to get involved in the preparation process can put their organisation and culinary skills to the test to create fixtures and food for the event. Better yet, your efforts over the past months have improved supply routes into Aldrip, meaning that the food shortage has passed, and you’ll have just about anything your heart desires for the occasion.
Alternatively, you can choose to enjoy the spoils of your efforts! Once the day of the party arrives, Aldrip will erupt into a full-scale celebration, and all Chosen are encouraged to party as hard as possible. Good food, good drinks and good times will be in no short supply for the occasion. Additionally, those who took to the front lines in the previous event will be revered as heroes and likely spoiled rotten.
THIS IS HOW YOU GET ANTS
PLEASE PARTY RESPONSIBLY
It’s no understatement to say that some of the Chosen like to party hard- and that’s quite alright! A few days ago, the people of Aldrip had already set aside a few rooms in the inn to act as an infirmary for those who had been injured during the battle with the Branded. It took little effort for them to expand this project into a full medical wing for those who would undoubtedly be acting irresponsibly during the festivities.
It’s up to you to decide what circumstances brought you here. Perhaps you were injured in the previous battle, and have been stuck in bed as you recover from your wounds. Maybe you had just a little too much to drink, and you decided to come by while you collect yourself. Regardless of what your reason for being there may be, the people of Aldrip have guaranteed that you will receive the best of care.
With that said, the place is terminally understaffed. Aldrip’s locals will certainly appreciate any assistance they can get- even if your character might not have the best training or bedside manner. Medicine can’t be that hard- what’s the worst that can happen?
MR. MAGNIFI'S MAGNIFICENT MIXTURES
Once word of the upcoming celebration spread, several individuals from outside town came in to offer their services or goods in Aldrip. One such individual came into town riding on a rickety cart with the words “Miraculous Magnifi’s Medicine! Guaranteed to heal what ails ye!” emblazoned in gold on its side. The thing smells a bit off, with a strong chemical scent coming from the back, but the moustachioed man who emerges from the back assures you that all of his “mixes are made with meticulous ministrations!”
Those who buy and consume the potion might find themselves feeling strange over the next few days as symptoms emerge. Some people wake up to find that their hair has taken on a rainbow of colours during the night, that rats cuddle up to them for no reason, or that their irises have been replaced with strange spiral shapes. Feel free to come up with inventive but harmless side effects for the miracle elixir- it’s meant for some good fun.
They’re strange symptoms for sure, and certainly not the advertised cure-all. However, Magnifi is already gone by the next dawn, meaning that no one can get a refund. Thankfully, the symptoms will go away after a few days, but the chaos that ensues in the meanwhile will certainly make for some fun stories.
IT'S NOT OVER
♪♫ LET IT GROW ♫♪ ► (FUTURE EVENT TIE-IN)
The party celebrating the dread beast’s defeat can be heard from miles outside of Aldrip, but the situation is not quite yet resolved. Much of the once-lush forest outside of Aldrip had its life force absorbed from it, leaving little more than profaned ground and an overwhelming scent of rot. Worse yet, there are reports that some of the beast’s severed golden tendrils have taken on a life of their own, creating snake-monsters that threaten the local wildlife.
However, the monsters are not the only new arrivals in Pessiria Forest. Those who go to investigate the area will find that fairy-like creatures have gathered in the profaned land and are trying their best to help bring the area back to its former glory. At first, they seem to keep their distance or ignore you entirely, but after determining that you mean well, they inform you that they can temporarily bless the Chosen with the power to make full-sized plants burst forth from the seeds they plant into the ground.
It’s still going to be hard work. Even with the power to bring plants to life, planting seeds in the miles of dead forest will likely take a very long time. Still, these strange fairies could use the help, and tough jobs can be better if you bring a little help from your own friends. (Or enemies. No one’s going to judge you for who you bring.)
WHAT'S THAT MYSTERIOUS LAUGHING SOUND?
The process of regrowing the devastated part of Pessiria forest is well underway, but the process does not go entirely smoothly. Partway through the process, locals start to report that they can hear a strange girl laughing in the forest in the middle of the night, but no one seems able to track down its source. Curious Chosen can patrol around the forest at night to try and figure out the mystery.
Those who are particularly sharp-eyed might see a faint spectre of a little girl wearing a straw hat dancing about, but she never seems to stay in sight for more than a few seconds. One blink is all it takes for her to vanish.
You probably won’t be able to catch this strange spectre, but it’s become something of a game among the villagers to go looking for her anyways. Some say that seeing her is a sign of good luck, and wave to her before she disappears. Others say that if you see her while holding hands, it will bless you with a lifetime of good love. Almost all of these assertions are probably nonsense- but what will you do about it?
no subject
Ah. Y– yes.
[Although she continues responding, another *pop!* from above immediately pulls her eyes away.]
Please excuse me.
no subject
But of course, it's nothing like that. In fact... she really does just seem like she wants to watch the display. Shinichi's following the girl's gaze up to the fireworks, relaxing a little and allowing the polite smile to return to his face as he nods and stands there watching too.
For a few moments there's just silence — he's not one to talk up too much, a mix of shy and introverted, but there's the consistent thought that he's not the only one who's been brought here... and the girl looks to be around his age. It'd be good to check on her, wouldn't it? So he's speaking up again, voice raised just a little so he can be heard over the sound of the fireworks. )
Are you new here, too?
no subject
Correct. I am not yet accustomed to it, but this is familiar at least.
no subject
It does catch him off-guard for a moment to hear, but he recovers easily, smile sliding right back into place, and with it, something friendly in its curiosity. )
The fireworks? ( He's looking back up at them, watching an explosion of colour. ) We have these back home, too. Usually I don't like loud things too much... ( He gives a soft laugh. )
But it's nice to see them here. Makes this place feel a little less lonely.
no subject
Yes. I once saw them at a festival. It was..."fun". I have tried to view them whenever I am aware of them since then.
[That was only after she ended up in Trench and was free to do whatever she wanted, but still. She takes a moment to think over everything he said.]
I had not considered it, but perhaps you are right about the loneliness.
no subject
He can almost feel Migi watching her though, no doubt intrigued by the girl's manner of speaking, because it's not exactly typical of most humans. Maybe she's just incredibly calm and proper, or a little stoic, but either way, the alien would be curious about it, because the alien is perpetually curious by Human Behaviour. The boy shifts a little, nudges his hands into the pockets of his coat, deep. Hoping Migi doesn't let his curiosity draw him out to start poking and prodding at the poor girl. )
Yeah, this all still feels really... weird. Kind of like a bad dream I keep thinking I'll wake up from. ( He gives a soft, slightly sad smile. He hasn't really had a chance to process the reality of it, but it's been creeping in more and more. )
Where are you from...? I'm from Japan — ah, Tokyo. It's really different from here...
no subject
As his tone changes, Echo glances back in his direction. She's not sure if she ever heard "Tokyo" mentioned in Trench, "Japan" had probably come up but she'd never really pursued information about it.]
You miss being there.
[She's basically just stating the fact she just determined.]
It is very troubling to suddenly find yourself in an unfamiliar world, yes. I believe it becomes easier the more you learn, however.
I am...from Reveil. [If the kingdom had ever been given a name, she'd mention that too. That's not entirely true, but things are just super complicated for her. She doesn't miss the place so much as the people she'd cared about, and returning isn't possible unless going back to being dead counts, so she's never worried about it much.] It's not quite like this either. Different worlds are drastically different places, it seems.
[ooc: I just noticed you on the reserves page, haha, hi! Just noting I'm not done at Deer, just prioritizing things with deadlines while coming out of a bad couple of months for my mental health.]
no subject
Yeah.... I miss my.... home. ( He can't put it into more specific words, can't say things like friends or family. It's an ache he just can't let himself dip too far into, and even now he's trying to recover, glancing back up at the girl as another stream of fireworks cascades down. )
Has it... happened to you before? Finding yourself in a different world?
( It sure sounds like it might have, with the way she words things. )
( ooc ) Hello!! I couldn't resist throwing another nervous young person with something weird attached to them at your girl hahaha! I knew Migi would absolutely be So Curious by her.... And I'm in the same boat of not being done with at Deer, but running super-slow there as I tackle some other things! (I'm really sorry to hear that, argh. I hope things will ease up your way ♥)
no subject
I see. That...must be difficult. I sometimes feel lonely watching these, too.
[Echo turns back to the fireworks to catch the end of the latest group.]
Yes. Once. It was also very different both from my home and this place.
no subject
But then, this girl has apparently experienced such a thing before...? Where Shinichi's emotional heart feels even more for the girl when he hears that, Migi's logical curiosity continues to perk up, and he's nudging slowly up out of Shinichi's coat pocket unbeknownst to the boy, fingers creeping out of the side so he can listen better.... )
Really...? I'm sorry to hear that you've been through it before. I never thought something like this could happen.... ( Shinichi's frowning deeply as he turns to her. )
Did you get to... return to your home? Before you were brought here?
no subject
I don't believe so. It would not matter anyway as my time there was over.
[She pauses for a second, eyes fixed on the recent bursts in the sky.]
I was able to see several people from home in the other world, though. At least, they were there at first...
[And that has her mind wheeling back to that loneliness. Why do feelings have to be so complicated?]
no subject
He won't directly ask it — did she die? — but the thought stays with him. )
They.... left? ( The people from her home world, the ones who came to that new place with her, and then.... weren't there anymore? Just what kind of torment has this poor girl had to go through...? And why?
Through it all, Shinichi remains aware to the fact the girl's tone doesn't change from that odd leveled coolness, but his own features are a stark contrast — steadily looking more and more affected and saddened. )
That's... horrible. You've already had to go through that, and now you're in another new world....
Do you know why this might be happening to you....? Being forced into new worlds, being taken from people you know?
no subject
His comments bring those lonely feelings to the surface, and her lips pull taut as she frowns silently for a moment. It had been pretty hard every time someone went back to the sea. The circumstances around Oz's departure were especially troubling, and she was still trying to bury all the guilt it brought up. But there was no way she could ever see fireworks and not think of him, and of that day.
She remains quiet a while longer, seeming to fight that frown before it becomes something worse.]
Some left by choice, others...did not. They did not return to our original world though.
[Which gets her thinking about another major source of guilt: Noise. She'd left her alone in the sea that whole time and now who knew if there was any way for Echo to possibly reach her again.]
I...don't know, no.
[She grows quieter while giving that answer.]
no subject
It sounds.... so lonely, so strange and lonely. He's no stranger to that feeling, even if this whole involuntary world-hopping thing is new to him..... but he knows what it is to find one's life, one's reality, completely turned upside down in a moment. To face things that should be impossible. It's never made him feel stronger.
It's just really lonely. )
I'm really sorry. ( He says it just as quietly, but there's an immediate thought to follow it up, and he's slowly looking back up at the mysterious girl. )
Maybe there's answers here... I don't know why we're here, or how to get back, but... there has to be some kind of answers about all of this. I can help you find them....!
And maybe.... the people you know might show up here, too.