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expiationmeme2023-10-08 10:33 am
TEST DRIVE MEME #5
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 in a... forest?
NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS
ARRIVALS
New Chosen will find themselves in Pessiria Forest. There's a chill in the air and a strange rustling in the leaves. There's some sort of wailing noises that seem to echo through the trees, and occasionally, Chosen—new and old alike—can hear the sound of familiar voices. Maybe even impossible voices.
Was that a sound? The wind? Something else, maybe watching and waiting in the shadows?…
… Nah. That's probably all in their head.
Probably.
Making their way out of the forest, newcomers will find that Aldrip's local residents are a little wary of them. Maybe even a little cagey about welcoming them, especially since some locals are still missing. Luckily, there are plenty of others like them, other Chosen, who have been here long enough to know the ropes.
ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES
Aldrip has had a bountiful harvest this year. As a result of the surplus, lumpy and misshapen vegetables are being tossed out, thrown into compost, or given to animals as food.
They don't seem to like this.
Over the past few days and weeks, these poor things have been left to rot, watching their brethren become animal food as they waste away, their potential being ground into the dirt. But no more! Through sheer determination and the power of a good old-fashioned grudge, they begin to mutate, sprouting arms and legs and—uh oh, are those teeth? This could be bad.
Late into the night on October 9, the mutated vegetables begin to rise from their graves. Scorned squashes, contemptuous carrots, abused apples, and other cantankerous crops decide that enough is enough! The tables have turned, and now they would like to eat you! Be warned that their bite is definitely worse than their bark, and they have a taste for human blood. Take cover, or you might just find yourself becoming dinner. But they're not immortal! They can be burned, bludgeoned, or sliced to stop their assault.
Upon investigation, there may be a link to the water source and the mutated plants. Shut off that water source and find a new one, and maybe there will be less of the cranky creatures.
A few days after this onslaught of veggies, the locals decide to prepare a big vegetable feast. Are those still good to eat, do you think…?
(Note: while the bulk of these creatures won't last long, you will still be able to find occasional stragglers throughout the rest of the month.)
THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU
CW: ANIMAL MISTREATMENT
Given tablets equipped with a camera feature, Chosen new and old are asked by some scientifically-minded locals to catalog creatures and animals of Aldrip and the surrounding areas. It seems new creatures are appearing almost daily, and as these local requestors say, it's important to know your neighbors! They'll offer a variety of rewards: money, goods, services. Doing favors for them might boost their opinion of the Chosen, as well.
Those who accept this task will find any manner of animals, new and old. They'll also find some…………weird things. Animals that seem to have been spliced together: Chocobos with elephant trunks, wolves with feathers, snakes with crab legs…the possibilities for these chimeras seem to have no limit.
Brave adventurers will find that following some of these animals for a while will lead them to a camouflaged bunker deep in the woods. Surrounded by an electric fence and automatic turrets, it seems that someone doesn't want you getting in there.
This may be as close as you can get, for now, but if you keep a low profile, you might be able to observe for a while.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Some strange new plants seem to be gaining sentience, to the point where they are taking requests. Some of them may be benign or even silly: water lilies asking Chosen to take a swim with them, thirsty ferns asking for water, venus fly traps who need help catching flies. Some ask for items, human food, or just a chance to chat. Still others would like to be entertained with song, dance, or jokes…weird.
Entertaining most of these requests just results in the plants not annoying you about them anymore. But some plants are asking for blood, too, either human or animal. When fed, these particular plants go wild wanting more, more, more! Eventually, they will only be satiated by eating people. More killer creatures?! Uh oh.
Maybe finding the source of where all this started will help…
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 |
| Bungo Stray Dogs | Jouno Saigiku |
| Bungo Stray Dogs | Tetchou Suehiro |
| Dissidia NT | Lightnig Farron |
| Fear & Hunger 2: Termina | Levi |
| Final Fantasy XIV | Noise Deathmouse |
| Horizon Forbidden West | Beta |
| League of Legends | Xayah |
| One Piece | Tony Tony Chopper |
| Persona 3 | Tohru Adachi |
| Persona 4 | Shinjiro Aragaki |
| Persona 5 | Yusuke Kitagawa |
| Reiwa no Dara | Dara |
| Tokyo Revengers | Mikey |
| Tokyo Revengers | Takemichi Hanagaki |
| Urusei Yatsura | Benten |
no subject
There's a kid who has laser beams for eyes who's pretty cool, even though he shot me with them once.
[a beat, before she rethinks this statement.]
But I was kind of being an asshole, so it makes sense.
no subject
Laser eyes? Maybe I do want to meet him if he's getting back at people for being assholes.
[ Congrats, Vi has taught this children's show teen her first swear. ]
no subject
[at least she seems amused. but it is kind of amusing, if she thinks about it too hard.]
There's probably some other weirdos here, but since I'm I'm normal [lol] it doesn't come up too much with me.
no subject
[ Toph sounds slyly teasing, her way of expressing skepticism at this claim of normality. ]
They better not have brought any boring low-level pickpockets here, or I think I'll be insulted.
no subject
Even without this place telling you you're one, who hasn't broken the law?
[a beat.]
Maybe a few goody two-shoes hanging around, but there's some straight up dangerous people here too.
no subject
[ She can. Toph shows a glimmer of serious consideration, though her overall impression is still utterly casual. ]
Anyone I should look out for?
no subject
Might wanna keep your eyes peeled for a bastard name Silco. Fucked up eye, always talks pretentiously about life and struggles or whatever. You won't be able to miss him.
no subject
What does his voice sound like?
no subject
[she didn't notice.]
Well... [she's going to keep on going, then.] Raspy. Low. He speaks slow and like I said, he's always ranting about something.
[she doesn't really have much experience in talking about what people's voices sound like.]
If you hear a "back in my day" or a "girl, you don't know the meaning of struggles" coming from him, you know you've found your guy.
no subject
Like an annoying grandpa. Got it.
If anyone calls me girl I'm throwing a rock at their face. A big one. Especially if they're trying to tell me how to live my life.
no subject
Yeah, basically.
[she grins at her, and Toph can probably tell it from the sound of her voice.]
Good. See, I think we'll get along just fine. [it's about now that they're starting to get to the market area...] Let me know what smell hits you the most.
no subject
So she stretches her arms up and folds them behind her head carelessly as they walk into a busier section. ] You didn't ask me how I could be blind [ her voice drops into a mocking exaggeration ] so you're already my favorite person here.
[ As requested, she starts paying attention to her food options around her, curious. She turns her head to listen rather than to look, ear facing a direction of interest. Toph isn't a picky eater and she's doesn't care what's in it as long as it's good. Picking by smell seems like the perfect idea. ]
no subject
Not any of my business. You seem like you do well enough, so I don't think I gotta worry too much about you.
[disabilities and things weren't completely unusual in the Lanes anyway, so... at least there's that. she considers Toph, thinking about what's around.]
There's hamburgers, pizza... some stuff that I think is supposed to be like Asian? Whatever that means. It's usually noodles and rice and stuff.
no subject
[ Not having to prove that, getting to skip the part where Toph convinces someone she's a badass who doesn't need their protection, puts her at ease. She doesn't relax exactly -- she's confident enough that she's not walking around with any more than a normal wariness of someone who's been part of a war -- but she turns subtly more casual at the continued signals of acceptance. ]
I don't know what any of that is except the noodles and rice. [ Including 'Asian'. What is Asian? ]
How about we go with whatever you usually get? Though if it's bad you might lose favorite person status.
no subject
[she considers now, thinking about food entirely rather than the fact that she needs to worry about Toph.
she's not exactly sure what "Asian" is either, she just knows what she's heard other people call it. they're both confused.]
Let's go with a burger. I think you'll like it.
[she taps Toph on the shoulder just to make sure she knows she's turning, though somehow she gets around just fine without a cane or anything. there's got to be some sort of secret... but she's definitely not going to ask. again, none of her business.]
no subject
Okay, let's go. And I don't need any help getting around. If it's touching the ground, I can tell where it is with earthbending.
[ It's actually not even remotely a secret. Toph is proud of her abilities and her disability, and she has no reason to keep it to herself. ]
no subject
[so she's going to duck into the burger restaurant now, letting the girl be. a person who can tell where she is with her contact to the ground... strange, but definitely cool.]
Let's get you fed, then.
no subject
[ Correction made and accepted, Toph immediately moves on to growing excitement over getting actual food. It also helps return a small sense of normalcy against the lurking discomfort that she's really somewhere completely different, and her idiot friends might need her help and she won't be able to be there.
If she can make new friends here, if it can feel something like normal life, Toph won't have to feel quite as frustrated about her inability to go home. It's not like she'd been totally happy with her lot -- she's eager to try new things, meet new people, experience new places. But not being able to be there if her friends need her grates something terrible. ]
no subject
[it doesn't take too long for them to get sat.]
Usually a kind of sauce on there... sometimes mayo, or mustard, or ketchup... or all of the above. Never heard of the stuff before coming here, though.
no subject
[ Spoken like a true not-Asian. ]
We usually put greens in our pork buns. Sounds like a pork bun. Which are great.
no subject
[she shrugs, and orders a basic hamburger and a soda for the two of them when the waiter comes around.]
Might have to try a pork bun, then. We can broaden each other's horizons.