![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
expiationmeme2023-08-06 09:08 am
TEST DRIVE MEME #4
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.
You may find the below link helpful in getting to know themes of the world, locations, the people, and so on.
AS OF AUGUST 2023: We have decided to reduce the waiting period for new updates / canons to two months. So if your canon is two months old, your character is appable as of now.
The last thing you recall is waking in a room of blinding white light. You hear voices around you, speaking in muffled tones; you get the distinct impression that they’re talking about you. And you’re on the verge of figuring out what they’re saying, you’re so close...but then the floor drops out from under you. You’re falling into blackness.
You come to after falling through this dark void, and when your vision clears, you find yourself on a…beach? Many wake up covered in sand, but some wake in the shallows of the ocean, too. Surf’s up!
IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN...
SAND AND SALT (ARRIVALS)
After dusting off the sand (or drying off with a towel, if they had a really rude awakening), newcomers to the area find themselves greeted by the locals and directed to the city of Aldrip, where they can find food, shelter, and dry clothing, should they need it. There's mention of an inn, though some mutter that it's getting a little crowded, so maybe characters should find a roommate or make nice with the locals so they can crash on their floor—at least temporarily. Once they're in town, they'll notice that there is plenty of construction going on: building materials everywhere, half-finished structures waiting to be finished. Maybe you won't be sleeping on the floor for too long, after all.
Those who choose to remain on the beach will find the locals setting up for something that looks like a festival. Colorful tents are anchored in the sand, filling with strange-looking goods, delicious-smelling food, games, and other activities. Locals call this the "Festival of the Sun," a celebration of the hottest days of the summer, where crops begin to swell bountifully and the seas become warm and refreshing. The festival has not yet begun, of course, and there is plenty of opportunity to help out. Chosen who wish to lend a hand will find themselves enlisted to help set up or decorate tents—or even to run some of them, if they're so inclined. Grab the balloons and streamers! (Or…colored scarves and flowers, maybe.)
FESTIVAL OF THE SUN
The festival kicks into gear in the afternoon, and there are plenty of activities to draw attention. There are boat racing competitions and a sandcastle contest, as well as a grand seashell hunt taking place on the beach. All of these are free to enter, and the contests offer prizes both for participation and for winning. Participation prizes are small tokens of memorabilia: seashells, shark teeth, dried flowers, things like that. Contest winners will find themselves gifted a refreshing treat or a free meal.
Other tents boast all sorts of different games, food, and trinkets for purchase. Merchants will accept coins or other goods in exchange, but if you find your pockets empty, they may also have to help work the booths if they need a well-earned break. Better get to work, and don't forget to give your most winning smile!
Later in the evening, the locals light a bonfire and host traditional songs and dances as the sun begins to set. All clean-up work will be left until the morning; according to Those Who Were There—the locals' patron deities, apparently, though they offer little information about them—it's bad luck to work this evening after the sun sets.
THIS IS ECOLOGY
MAKE A FRIEND
It seems there have been new additions to Aldrip and the surrounding areas. Even the locals are surprised to see large, flightless warking birds now charging around the meadowlands in packs, not to mention the cute piglets with bunny ears and other strange animals that seem to have appeared. There’s even something that looks like it’s made of rock roaming around–its bark is worse than its bite, though. You may even find that if you befriend them, you can ride on them.
Most are harmless, but Chosen may find a few more monsters than usual roaming the area, too. It seems best to be careful—especially after dark and in the forest, when some of these creatures feel emboldened to roam a little closer to civilization.
[[WILDCARD: Players can use anything from this post to interact with! It doesn’t even have to be the ones we mentioned in the prompts.]]
STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS
It's not just animals that have begun to appear in the area, either. Strange new flowers and plants seem to be cropping up everywhere, as if this is a normal habitat for them. Most of them don't seem harmful, although some of the vines can be a little…aggressive. However, getting too close to some of the flowers and mushrooms could give someone a nasty surprise. This is particularly unfortunate because the locals seem quite interested in the new additions to their town, encouraging the Chosen to investigate and acquire samples.
The pollen from these new flowers isn't normal, so Chosen won't find themselves sneezing too much. Unfortunately, they may find it has some other effect on them, such as sleeping, confusion, temporary loss of sense (sight, touch, taste, etc), powerlessness, forgetfulness, or inability to speak. While these are all examples of effects the pollen might have, this is certainly not a limitation. Just about anything you can come up with—within reason—is fair game.
STRANGE MACHINATIONS
A PILE OF JUNK
Ask the locals, and they'll tell you all about the recent trip to the desert, including how several of them were rescued and owe the Chosen a debt of gratitude. While they're repaying this debt mostly by way of helping with building projects, they've also brought back piles and piles of…broken technology. Mostly tablets: dirty, sandy, scratched up, and missing critical components like batteries and chargers. They've very kindly piled all of these things in the eating hall at the inn, and anyone who wants to check them out is welcome to do so. It's possible that cleaning them up and matching them up with their missing components will activate them, but you may have to sift through a whole pile to do so.
But activation does not necessarily mean they're in perfect working order. They may randomly beep, as if pinging off of certain locations, or make strange static sounds if they're turned on for too long. Some of them seem to ping off of each other, too, beeping more quickly as they're brought nearer to the other tablet they seem to be paired with. When connected to the pair, they seem to stabilize a bit more. Not enough to find anything of value in the system itself, but characters might find that they can now text each other, play one of the games, or send pictures on a local network.. After about ten feet of distance, they fail again and aren’t able to be used on the local network.
GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Whatever happened to the locals at the beginning of the month seems to have passed—mostly. Every so often, Chosen might notice the locals acting a little strangely, stopping what they're doing for a second as if they've forgotten something, repeating something they've already said, or even flickering in and out of existence.
These experiences are minor, but Chosen might notice some other oddities popping up occasionally. Some animals seem very…odd, at a glance, like a fox that has two tails or a deer with three eyes. Look again, and you might think your eyes were playing tricks on you, because they appear normal. Fish with transparent scales, plants that change color—these are examples of the occasional oddities Chosen might encounter.
They might also sometimes hear strange noises, particularly at night. Beeping or static like the sounds coming from the tablets could easily wake a person in the night—as can the sound of a voice, perhaps even a familiar one, luring Chosen out of their beds and away from the town. The source of these voices is a mystery, and they always seem to stop before characters get too far, but you'd do well to be careful after dark.
You know the drill–this is the wildcard one. Just because it’s not listed in the prompts above does not mean it’s unavailable as an option. We encourage you to do whatever you’d like to utilize the setting to its full potential. If you have any questions about what is and is not possible, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Click to view:
| CANON | CHARACTER/TOP LEVEL |
| Arcane | Ekko |
| Arcane | Silco |
| Critical Role | Mollymauk Tealeaf |
| Digimon | Mimi Tachikawa |
| Final Fantasy X-2 | Paine |
| Fullmetal Alchemist: Broherhood | Pride |
| Honkai: Star Rail | Dan Heng |
| Land of the Lustrous | Phosphophyllite |
| Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story | Mitama Yakumo |
| Marvel 616 | Quentin Quire |
| Omnicient Reader's Viewpoint | Han Sooyoung |
| Persona 1 | Naoya Toudou |
| Persona 2: Eternal Punishment | Kei Nanjo |
| Persona 4 | Yu Narukami |
| Persona 4 | Yosuke Hanamura |
last updated: 8/16/23, 10:55PM
no subject
he suggests the alcohol and she silently nods to that, making her way back to him again and the kit. jinx carefully applies the alcohol to a rag, then shifts in her seat to face her father. a brief pause for her pinks to lock with his mismatched eyes: )
It's gonna sting pretty bad. ... You ready?
no subject
He watched Jinx steadily, meeting her eyes without flinching. He knew what was coming; this wasn't his first foray into ill-advised self-treatment.]
I've endured worse, I assure you. Go on.
no subject
I'm joinin' this club called, "Teenagers With Abilities and Talents". I dunno what we're gonna do in it though. I guess show off our skills or somethin'.
( once that cloth/cotton ball is overfilled with blood, jinx reaches for a fresh one -- applies it with alcohol again, then returns back to the next bullet wound. )
I met a guy who has laser beam eyes. It was so cool seein' him just ka-plow stuff just by looking!
no subject
He tilted his head, grimacing in pain before leaning forward toward her.]
His eyes were actual laser beams?
no subject
( when he leans forward to her, jinx places a gentle hand on his left cheek -- patting softly to give him encouragement. not like he needs it or anything, she knows silco is a pretty strong guy for his age. but he is also an old man (by her standards) and they need to be reassured or congratulated sometimes. )
— He has to wear sunglasses or else he'll burn people alive. I made a new pair for him a few weeks ago.
no subject
[He leaned even further forward until his elbows rested on his knees so she could have access to the twin exit wounds on his back. He cared little for reassurances, only focusing on the information that she was giving him. He needed to adapt quickly, especially since he was going to need to heal. At least a wounded old man disarmed most people.]
How much tickering have you been able to accomplish? You mentioned supplies are not particularly prolific here.
no subject
( oh right, the back! it's a good thing he leaned over when he did, otherwise she would had forgotten all about it. jinx gets a new set of cloth/cotton ball and begins to clean up the exit wounds. )
Mmmm... — Almost zip. You gotta have coins around here or have somethin' good to trade off. ( which is normal. if there's one thing that this place and zaun have in common is their trading system. )
But I ain't got much and no one here has a good ol' fashion welding kit. They do it by... smelting and with a furnace —
( there's some frustration and confusion in her tone when she describes the method to him. jinx even rolls her eyes as she continues to dab the blood off his back. )
— It's so... so old doin' it that way!! Y'know how long it'll take to make a grenade like that? Or a single bullet?! 'Less you are just THAT good with it.
no subject
[There were so many different sentient species in their world that it wasn't odd to consider that someone could have laser eyes. It would also be very useful, and he liked to entertain the idea of such a surprise. He would judge later how useful it would be.]
Is it a specific kind of currency or more the metal make-up of the coins that are valuable? [Trade was typical. Silco had coins, as one never knew when they might have to bribe someone.] I have coins, whether or not they will be worth anything remains to be seen.
[His shoulders twitched in pain as she cleaned out his back wounds. It had to be done; Zaunites were a hardy lot.]
You know that's how some industrial lesser houses of Piltover operate too, yes? Think of it as an opportunity to learn a new skill. Perhaps you can find an apprenticeship...?
[He had ever confidence that she had the smarts and the experience to pick up new skills in this place. It might only be temporary, but it would also provide valuable information on who was forging what sort of items.]
I'm certain gun powder may be your more limiting factor. You have Fishbones here, do you?
no subject
( which would be a shame really. not that jinx ever cared for money in the first place, but other zaunites would kill to have a sack of coins like silco in their grubby hands. literally. and at the suggestion or even the mention of becoming someone's apprentice, jinx scowls darkly at his direction. it's a frown she wears pretty often whenever he announces sevika is tagging along or is in charge of something. is silco really proposing she should work under someone else?
it's bad enough she has to work at all just to get by in this backwards village. can't she just get whatever she wanted by hand outs or by scavenging around like she use to? but if this what silco feels is best for her to do (or orders her to do), she'll do it. while he is her father, he is also her boss -- and that hadn't changed regardless if they are in runeterra or not. but that doesn't mean she will be taking on this job with a smile. in fact, she won't even comment to his suggestion just to show her distaste for it. )
Yeeeaaaah, I got him here. ( she grumbles a little. ) They're all here with me. They're all still loaded except for Fishbones.
He's pretty useless and all he does is yammer on about stuff without a rocket to keep his trap shut.
no subject
[He expected some of the metals that made up the coins that he had could be used as conductors for Jinx if she was unable to locate certain supplies for her tinkering. It wasn't as if he was particularly exposed yet to the technology beyond her necklace and what he had seen laying around as far as structure went.
He noted the scowl that she threw in his direction, and he nodded his head slightly - almost absently - to acknowledge that she wasn't going to be heading for any apprenticeships any time soon. She was too into her own thing, and he too expected someone else would annoy or slow her down in her lively explorations. He trusted her to do what needed to be done.
For now, he would need to heal and have some time to settle before he would launch his enterprise again. He'd need her to be his eyes and ears for that time, something she was good at. She managed to slip into all the places no one expected to listen in.]
Then we will conserve resources for now until we understand more of what we are dealing with. [He was also used to talking to or about the voices that haunted her. It didn't bother him, and he didn't find it particularly odd.] We'll get him a rocket soon enough.
[He twitched his shoulders and looked back at Jinx.]
We should get things bandaged up. I don't want to linger too long with the attention we've drawn.
no subject
( with all that cleaning done now, she reaches over the bandages, unwinding it. her pinks gazes over his chest one more time -- inspecting how exactly she wants to bandage him up without it being awkward for him to move around in. )
— And I gotta get somethin' in me before I fall on my face.
( because man, she is starving yet again and it's been a hassle to get a decent meal when she is running low in her own funds. but desperate times means desperate measures, they say. she can always threaten and rob a food joint to give her free meals or money. )
no subject
[But boy did he know that he would pay for it if he didn't. What he wouldn't give for a recliner chair with good padding, but that was not possible here, so at this point, he'd be willing to take deep grass out of direct sunlight close to a fire so the smoke could blow in his face and stifle the constant clean air.]
Mmmm, that's a common side effect. We will have to source a good amount of protein or sugar for you.
[He wasn't confident on the sugar aspect, but from what he had seen, there had to be protein in this place. Hunting and killing wasn't above him, though it wouldn't be him right now. He wasn't certain he could move fast enough or stay upright enough long enough to even consider it.]
no subject
( or not. it's not like she is a doctor or anything. finally deciding on how to wrap him, she scoots a little further to her father and begins to carefully curl the bandage around his frame. )
There's a seafood shack here I've been diggin' into. Food's sorta lame, though. No seasoning or anything. But it's something. And I ate some bakery goods once, but they're really expensive.
no subject
[However, he had slept in worse places in his youth. That was a few decades ago, and he wasn't any better for it. No matter, if his coat was dried out by then, it would be a blanket that he would even consider sharing with Jinx if she felt like sleeping.]
We may have to consider finding our own food than relying on others to do it for us.
[He sat up more and lifted his arms so that he could accommodate her bandaging him.]
But I am open to suggestions. You have been here longer than I have.
no subject
Huh? But why? ( she somewhat understands his reasoning, but when it comes to people like usagi or shinchi who helped her along thus far... )
Some people have been kind enough to help me. If they know good places to eat or whatever, why not take their advice?
( jinx returns back to wrapping him up, only a few more layers and that should be enough, she thinks. hopefully the kit comes with little clips to keep it all in place. )
no subject
[He had eaten a lot of vermin as a boy. His family was very poor, and he was just another mouth to feed after a fourteen-hour shift in the fissures. He had to learn to contribute or go hungry quickly. It's why he never, ever forgot where he came from, and it's where he learned the gift of trading up.]
But the use of freely given information should never be discounted. We should be cautious though. Everyone here is a criminal, no?
[Criminality had very little weight in the undercity. It was a free city that traded in all manner of goods that others would consider illegal or elicit. There were rules, but loyalty had once bound them together. In the end, it was about survival and profiting even at the cost of the weak.]
I don't want you to go hungry.
dont mind me, just goofing around with the narrative by throwing in some german (:
but even if the enforcer believes she is innocent, she is in straight denial. her crime is waltzing into her life and brainwashing her sister to be on her side. so is it wrong to have a little faith on people like usagi, shinichi, scott, and ragna for instance? with the clamps ready, jinx slants forward to put them all in place. and ta-da, es ist vollbracht, gut gut. with all of that finished, she scoots up the rest of the materials and shove them all back into the kit. maybe it's better for her to keep this on hand (even though it doesn't belong to her) in case for another future emergency. )
I won't, I promise.
( except she kinda is already. )
no subject
It wasn't that he was against any kind of allies; he knew he was going to need his fair share and that meant offering something else in return of value. It would take him time to determine if someone was worth his loyalty, and that would take time. He wasn't exactly one to trust that easily, especially in a foreign place where he knew there would be a least a small handful of people looking to kill him from the get-go.]
Good. We'll find you something to eat now that we're done here.
[The moment that the bandages were secured he was already pulling his clothing back on. It would need a good wash, but for now, he wasn't going to waste time on that. No, he wanted to be away from the inn and finding a safe spot to rest while Jinx likely sought food.]
no subject
the teen does a quick inspection over the gemstone -- no cracks to be seen or any indication of foul-play. just it's usual smooth and cool surface that she finds oddly satisfying whenever her fingertips touches it. although she had laid her eyes on this stone so many times, it's still so mesmerize to look at. maybe it's also enchanted with a spell to have anyone gaze upon its mystic aura. )
no subject
And there it was. The hextech gemstone. It reminded him of his brief negotiation with the Talis boy. He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. That's where all of his carefully laid plans had gone all wrong. He had underestimated the boy.]
Are you bringing that with you, or are you finding a new hiding spot in the inn here?
no subject
I'm bringin' it. Dunno who else can bounce around or fly here.
( because surely someone in this world can and she wouldn't want to take any chances of someone stumbling upon it. especially when she had already put it on display for everyone to see when she arrived here on the network. on her feet now with both the bag and kit in her possession, jinx takes a step to stand beside him -- waiting for him to lead the way. )
no subject
[He watched her for a long moment then simply nodded his head. He propelled himself into motion with some effort, making for the back door rather the front. Leave it locked for now and people could find their way back in long after he and Jinx had slipped away to find a safe place to hide out.
Yet, he stopped once they had entered into a kitchen on the other side of the bar and looked to Jinx.]
Grab something to eat before we leave.
no subject
she didn't take note they were in the kitchen straight away, but when she does, her face lights up like she just received the most biggest present she could ever asked for. tittering, the teen scurries off to see what this kitchen had to offer -- opening fridges, cabinets, or essentially anything with a door. his daughter manages to score a few things in her little hunt. a few bread rolls (with one already in her mouth), baked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, pastries, and some sort of pottage (in which she poured into a bowl). the owner of this inn is fairly lucky jinx had limited hands and the bag she used to store everything (besides the pottage bowl) -- along with a jug of fruit juice is becoming a slight nuisance to carry. otherwise, there really wouldn't be anything left behind besides crumps for the rats. )
( fighting to keep everything in her hands and balanced, she waddles her way back to her father with an enormous grin on her face. she simply can't wait for them to find a place to rest while she guzzles this down like a wildebeest. the teen isn't sure if her findings will be enough to subdue her hunger, but this has to do something for her. it's way better than how she had been eating anyway. )
no subject
He watched her gather all manner of food items in an awkward balance, coughing into the back of his hand as she approached.]
Shall we?
no subject
( translation: yes, they shall. it's hard to say anything with a bread roll jammed in her mouth. if only she could chow down on it now, but that would mean it will fall to the ground! maybe she can lead them to some abandon homes that she stumbled upon a week or so ago when she wanted scott to demonstrate his ability. but will an abandon cottage have furniture inside? one can only hope or at least a couch for him to lie on. and whenever they do head outside, look at that — it looks like the sun is on its way to set. )
(no subject)
TIMESKIP A LITTLE BIT —; i'm not done rping with you!
<3 <3
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
cw: issues.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)