expiationmeme | TEST DRIVE MEME #3

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TEST DRIVE MEME #3

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.

info | world

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?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I suppose since you've been punching them you'd know best. [ except his tone implies the opposite of that.

with one fluid motion he gets up from the log, eyebrow lifted when chuuya chokes on his water. had he said something that outrageous? either way, he's confident enough to approach now that he's sure chuuya won't physically harm him.

(though, in all honesty, he probably should). ] They are the marks of the god inside you, 'weird' is not the adequate term. If it were displeasing to look at them, I would not have done so.

[ then, clearly hoping to take advantage of chuuya's hand being busy with the canteen, and his surprise at seeing fyodor, he lifts his hand seeking to place index and middle finger at the base of his throat, where the mark of corruption is visible. there's other places it is too, but he likes the vulnerability of the throat. it's always so tempting. ]

[Fyodor approaches, and Chuuya works to catch his breath. He's not planning on hurting the man-- if he's here the alliance is probably in play, and Chuuya isn't planning to fuck it up. After all, they'd had no results in regard to figuring this world out, let alone a way home.

He wipes a lingering droplet of water from his lips, staring up at Fyodor in surprise.] You've got some very interesting taste, because when I first woke up with them I nearly had a heart attack. Pretty sure people in town find 'em unnerving, too.

[He's working on closing his canteen when Fyodor reaches over, the press of a fingertips against his bare skin, against his throat drawing Chuuya's breathing to a halt for a moment. When his next inhale comes it's a little unsteady, though not from fear, the ever present skin-warm leather of his collar only making the feel of Fyodor's fingers stand out more.

The marks themselves curl up against Chuuya's cheek, throat and jaw in violent whorls, and at one point they'd even dipped beneath his shirt, though they've begun to recede since then. He watches Fyodor carefully as the man examines them, waiting to see what he'll do.]

So Dazai is telling the truth, I was here before and you do know me. [ because the him before and the him now are still the same (and also not, they're so far apart, minutes and moments forgotten causing fyodor, this one, to be: sharper, colder, bitter but also beneath: vulnerable in an entirely different way than he'd been before.

what he knows is that chuuya would not let him do this unless he'd also had the certainty that fyodor would not do anything harmful.

the skin is warm, damp--he seldom touches anything living, his fingers skate upward, settling beneath chuuya's chin as he tilts his face to examine the marks. observing them close up is far more satisfying than on surveillance photos. ] People always find unnerving what they don't understand. They wouldn't recognise something divine even if it turned water into wine for them. [ he seems offended on chuuya's behalf. ]

So you don't remember, huh? Yeah, you were. [And they'd talked a fair bit about what Fyodor wanted, in terms of his 'use' of Chuuya. Enough that Chuuya was fairly sure between that and the alliance that Fyodor wasn't planning to blow him to bits right now. It would have no benefit to the man whatsoever.

But it did raise the question of why he was touching. There could be any number of reasons, really. Maybe it was his strange fascination with Chuuya, with his power. Maybe it was a desire to see how vulnerable he could make Chuuya. Either way-- the intimacy of the touch makes him swallow reflexively.] I don't turn water into wine, though that'd be a pretty damn useful ability.

[Gosh he'd love to meet a guy who could do that.]

I turn people into pulp. That's all the different people need, I think.

[ there's a shuttered expression at those words: no, he does not and that's troubling in itself. fyodor's mind is his strength and if parts are missing? that's--he hasn't given himself the luxury to allow those doubts to pass through until chuuya's blunt words chip at the mask. it's visible, this close.

and yet, he does not withdraw his touch. it's fascinating to be permitted to touch like this, chuuya is warm and so very alive. he laughs softly at those words. the touch right now has nothing to do with power or corruption, it's merely the permission given in such an unspoken manner. ] But are you different? You feel so very human under my fingers, [ he traces the whorl on chuuya's cheek, slips his index finger until it meets the juncture between ear and jawline and stops abruptly. ]

You're rather lovely in this moment. If anyone is unsettled they are idiots.

[Almost as if daring the man, Chuuya tilts his head just slightly, baring a little more of his throat with no fear in his eyes as he meets Fyodor's gaze. He knows there's no danger here, unless Fyodor decides to try just to make a point, but that isn't quite the man's style.

And he knows that the not knowing probably unsettles the man, but there isn't much Chuuya can do about that.] I'm a flesh and blood person, just like you. Just like pretty much anyone else, really.

[And that was the crux of it, wasn't it? The breath Fyodor can feel from his throat, the warmth of his skin. He wasn't something untouchable and 'divine'. He was just... Chuuya.

A huff of laugh escapes his lips at Fyodor's flowery words, though it's pretty easy to tell he's a tiny bit flustered by the unexpectedly bold-faced compliment, this close in proximity. He inhales deeply as Fyodor's index finger slides up closer to his jawline, his skin just a little more sensitive along that path, tendons and veins closer to the surface, too.] 'Lovely' probably isn't what people thought a week and a half ago when I was zeroing in on the village in a corruption fueled haze.

[ no sign of fear or hesitation from the other, that's interesting. maybe foolish? no, not that-chuuya must know something else is staying fyodor's hand. after all, the agreement had nothing to do with touching and proximity. chuuya could break his hand with ease. gentleness. softness. things that are gentle have not been given to him; he can give gentleness himself if he chooses to but to be permitted to give it is new.

had he been a different sort of person it would be easy to lean in and press even closer, run the tip of his tongue along the sweat and skin—]

Pity the village stands then.

[ he slides his hand until it settles on the nape, red strands between fingers, the damp warmth and he nudges a little to urge chuuya to draw closer. ] Why are you allowing this?

[No fear, no hesitation-- part of it is Chuuya being his usual stubborn self, the kind of man who walks into a gunfight with the full confidence he'll walk back out, but the larger part was certainly a matter of knowledge, as Fyodor has probably guessed by now.

And if permitting Fyodor to touch sets them on a level playing field? That's perfectly fine. Chuuya could even admit he enjoyed it, always a tactile person by nature, in every manner.]

Multiple reasons: You don't want to kill me. You told me as much once before, and while I'm sure it's possible that might change at some point, I don't think that's your intention, at least not right now. I'm useful, you said it yourself.

[it's said with ease as he allows Fyodor to urge him closer, his expression calm self-assurance.] Second of all, it wouldn't really do you any good here. It'd be pointless at best and petty at worst, and it'd just make your life harder here. That's counter-productive, and you're smarter than that. An alliance is our best chance of figuring out how to get home, and that's a goal we can all agree on.

I wonder what else I've told you that escapes my memory. [ a heavy admission of discomfort weighing in those words, he's not used to being on the other end of knowing. he knows always more by virtue of both network and intellect and inferring from actions. mind reading in a way.

he allows his hand to remain tucked at chuuya's nape. it's uncharacteristically gentle for a man who has so much blood on his hands, who can kill by touch but chuuya seems utterly unafraid of the possibility and he almost, almost wants to shatter that trust. it's force of habit, he's not a kind person. a punishment for allowing fyodor to stand so close.

however, he does not and presses his fingers lightly against his scalp. he wants control of this being, yes but without bram's ability it isn't possible here. ] Are you sure you want to go home?

Directly? Not a whole lot. [They'd talked about their feelings on various things, and certainly on what had happened, but it wasn't like he was the guy Fyodor debated with 24/7. That was Dazai. Chuuya can admit to himself that he isn't on their level, intellectually at least. He's smart, but not in the same manner as those two.

But indirectly?

Chuuya is a very perceptive man. He can read the meaning behind actions and words, and Fyodor's touch doesn't scare him. He doesn't pull away from the taller man, but instead leans a little closer. There's determination in his eyes, though it's tinged with a hint of grief.]

That ain't even a question. If I survive your little prison game, I'm heading straight back to Yokohama. My family needs me.

[The state of the mafia was unknown, beyond 'bad'. But even if it was the worst case scenario, even if there was only a handful of survivors... he had to find them.]

You'll survive it, I am not doing this to destroy families. [ fyodor hadn't intended to sacrifice a pawn like chuuya during the prison game; there were other things at play. though, if he remembered the last order fyodor had given him, he's certain this conversation would be a lot less civilized.

his fingers tighten, he draws the other closer. ] You really aren't even remotely afraid of me. [ he smiles, the grief in chuuya's eyes does not perturb him; it's fascinating how such a powerful being feels so deeply.

truly, fyodor has never considered how chuuya's understanding of dazai makes fyodor himself exposed too. it's a blind spot due to pure arrogance. ]

Oh I know that. I also know that there's no telling what the fuck will happen before everything back home is over. But even if there's only a handful of my people left, I gotta help them.

[Not with Fyodor and Dazai fighting each other tooth and nail, and Gogol was... a wildcard, suffice to say. His memories only lead up to the attempted drowning of Dazai and Sigma, but he knows that won't be the end of it all.

It would certainly be a bit less civilized if he knew, though.

Chuuya allows Fyodor to draw him closer, still unshaken by the proximity.] Nope, not at all. [Not when it comes to himself, anyway.] Like I said: You could kill me, sure, but you don't want to.

[ yeah, this would be a whole less civilized if chuuya knew. that's less daunting than the fact he seems to be enjoying fyodor's touch, or at least not recoiling away from it. that allows him to focus on the feel of skin and chuuya's hair and—

fyodor stops abruptly, as if his curious exploration has been cut like strings. ] And you won't kill me because we have an agreement in place. [ but chuuya would want to, honestly, if things were different fyodor would be seeking to eliminate dazai and muzzle chuuya. then he would turn his sights on gogol and deal with his dearest friend. ] What else are you going to let me do to you without protest?

[ all for keeping the peace. fyodor brings up his other hand to set on chuuya's shoulder, playfully tugging him back and forth. ]

That, and I don't think you'll give me a reason to.

[Not right now, anyway. Not here. Not until they get home. Not unless Fyodor decides to stab them in the back, but right now? Nah.

There's a question in Chuuya's eyes as Fyodor's touching stops, a quirk of the brow that asks 'Well?'. He's waiting for Fyodor to continue, and then... he's tugging him around playfully.

Chuuya lets out a snort, tolerating it.. for now.] You intending to find out?

Edited 2023-06-09 02:50 (UTC)

[ won't he? well, not right now at least. but fyodor stops trying to sway chuuya back and forth in provocation; instead, he withdraws his hand, unnerved at being allowed to touch so freely. or maybe he's a little miffed at not being of more concern, but in truth here as he is, is far less threatening compared to what he is at home. ]

I am tempted to, but my reasons for being here are not about you, Chuuya-san. Did you hear the rumours about a spirit in the forest?

[To be fair, if Fyodor had done something more embarrassing, Chuuya might have finally snapped and protested, reactive as he tends to be. But what Fyodor had done was simply touch, indulge in his fascination and the warmth of Chuuya's skin, and Chuuya almost misses the gentle caresses when he pulls away.

He quirks a brow at the following question, reaching for his canteen again. Frankly, he probably should have brought a change of clothes if he was going to be out here so long, but he can take a shower when they get back.]

Yha mean the faeries, or...? 'Cause they're trying to fix the forest, far as I know.

No, I already saw those. There is supposedly something else, a ghost if I understood the rumours correctly.

[ he gestures towards the forest, where the trees are stacked. his eyes sweep over chuuya, considering whether he should leave the other to the punching or coax him to follow.

what fyodor notes: the way the strands of red hair are damp, stuck to skin but still so very soft to the touch. the way his throat moves as he swallows water, how sweat has set on skin. the way his clothes cling to his frame: short, yes but strong. he could break fyodor in half with a fragment of his ability. the way his voice sounds here, without the ragged breathing of the vampiric curse that bends him to fyodor's command. ]

A ghost who is supposed to be good luck.

A good luck ghost? That sounds a little far fetched to me.

[He glances sidelong at Fyodor after taking another long drink from his canteen, watching the other man watch him with a clear, curious gaze that he definitely hadn't sported when he was under the effects of the vampiric curse.]

Have you seen it yet?

[ he sees no harm in his open observation; fyodor is clearly reassessing how to understand chuuya's rather...amicable approach towards him. yes, something he must have said or done. not just the agreement dazai put in place for cooperation, or else chuuya would've left fyodor here instead of tolerating that touch from before. ]

Really? A luck ghost is where we are drawing the line? [ a smirk hidden behind a hand. ] No, not yet, I was distracted.

[ by you. ]

[Is it terrible of him, that the more baffled Fyodor is, the more smug Chuuya feels about it? It's not like he knows anything all that significant, but he knows enough about the man in front of him to make things a little more level between the two of them.]

I'm just not sure why a ghost would bring luck.

[Of all things, luck? Really? Don't ghosts usually curse people?]

Distracted? By me?

[Oh that lilt in Chuuya's voice is very amused, alright.]

[ admittedly, it is something like karma at play here for the prior smugness of the other at being able to command chuuya back home. ]

Either way, it can't really hurt to look--it's not like ghosts are harmful. [ fragments of the dead can't frighten him so and if they do turn out harmful what could they possibly do? yeah, he's not being very wise about this.

no hesitation: ] Yes, distracted by you. Everything about you is sharp, dangerous, I really did pick a magnificent tool to help me achieve a goal.
[ ....sigh, this man ]

True enough. Still wonderin' if they might be related to the faeries though.

[When will Fyodor learn that Chuuya is not enthused about being called a 'tool' by anyone. It rubs him the wrong way, especially after recent events where he'd been used by some mind altering thing that preyed on his homesickness.] You have such a way with words, and then you say shit like that last bit and it makes me want to punch you.

[Said with a deadpan, but Chuuya makes no move to enact the threat.]

I found the faeries to be quite delightful. [ meaning, he hadn't maimed anything so far! he's been good. but he's not sharing more about their blessings and interactions because, of course, he will not. ]

Ah, my apologies, you have objections to being referred to as mine. [ ...no fyodor, it's the objectification part ] Have we spoken a lot before, you and me? I find that to be odd, given that—[ well he does look healthily wary despite the fact chuuya has made no move to punch him. ]

I took a lot from you, this is for the greater good but I suspect that is of little comfort, even to a god.

I object to being referred to as a tool. [The last word is growled, a sore spot. Is Fyodor trying to get under his skin right now?

And they were having such a decent conversation, too.]

We spoke some, yeah. And trust me, I was ready to maul you the first time around. But if we're going to get by here and get home, we need to not be at each other's throats 24/7. I'm not gonna forgive you for all the shit you pulled, but you're decent enough to talk to, when you're not saying stupid shit.

[He crosses his arms, scowling.] I should probably just give up on arguing the god thing at this point, huh?

[Sigh!!!]

So it's fine if someone refers to you as theirs as long as they don't mean as a tool. [ fyodor interjects with a sickly sweet tone. it's as if that was the answer he'd been looking for for whatever reason; he may be intentionally skating along those boundaries to see how far he can push and where to stop. after all, nothing in chuuya's behaviour during this conversation had been as predictable as he'd preferred it to be. ]

An ancient kami without a proper name who supposedly ruled over the domain of pants and iron— [ oops, did he just give away that he didn't really need chuuya's explanation before and just simply wanted to hear him talk? oh well. ] It's not as God is from the East Orthodox texts I grew up with, except for one detail: the wrath, the destruction. That seems to link most deities before mankind decided to rewrite history and instead paint them as beings to be curtailed for favours like power and wealth.

[ something in the conversation seems to strike a nerve, he drops the placid, calm facade for a moment: ] I neither want nor need your forgiveness. You trust Dazai's plans and follow his orders, I'm not arrogant enough to expect your trust but you will need to follow my orders.

As long as you do that, the rest is irrelevant. [ he steps back, clearly moving away and with intentions to continue his, perhaps fruitless, search for a laughing, good-luck ghost. ]

TEST DRIVE MEME #3

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