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expiationmeme2023-02-27 01:04 am
TEST DRIVE MEME #2
Welcome to the TDM for Expiation, a pan-fandom adventure game with fantasy, science fiction, and sometimes subtle 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.
BE OUR GUEST
You may possess any number of questioning thoughts as you traverse the blindingly white room and are dropped into a darkness beneath your feet, but perhaps those same thoughts will be replaced with an awe and curiosity as you come to. Expiation has you now and you have joined the ranks of the Chosen, a seemingly select number of individuals who have arrived with parchment either in-hand or near them, detailing physical and mental statistics in addition to a particular crime to which you have been accused.
How you choose to spend your time here is largely up to you...
IT'S A WINDMILL, NOT A GIANT
As you begin to acquaint yourself with the lay of the land about you, you'll find that not too far from where you've woken there's a rather grandiose tower windmill. Its blades rotate at a casual pace as it faces the ocean and its accompanying shoreline. It appears to be in relatively pristine condition, implying that it is cared for well and often, likely by the locals of the town of Aldrip, which can be easily spied from the elevated level of land upon which the windmill sits.
Outside of the main structure is a collection of wooden crates in various display. Some of these are closed. Some are open. If you observe for long enough, you'll eventually find that a few relatively muscular sorts arrive on the scene to retrieve some of these crates and take them back the distance toward the town that lingers at the base of the mountains. If you choose to inspect the crates, you'll find some of them filled with heavy canvas sacks that contain flour. If you choose to ask the town locals retrieving them about this, they will explain that the windmill companion you have woken near is just one of the many implements that the locals use to provide sustenance to dining tables, festivities, and more.
You have the option to help the locals carry crates back, potentially to curry some favour with them, or simply take some sacks of flour yourself. Crates require more than one person to carry due to the weight, but two able-bodied adults should be able to handle the job quite well. A sack of flour can generally be carried by one, but perhaps you'll find yourself needing some assistance anyway. Maybe ask one of the others who've woken up near you. It certainly seems you're not alone in this new endeavour.
WHERE ONLY THE BRAVE MAY GO
If windmills and manual labour aren't your thing, you may find yourself drawn to the seemingly mysterious cave at the foot of the mountains, not far from the windmill in question.
The locals refer to this cave as Lorentia. Jagged rocks poke out around the entrance and have been sculpted and shaped to resemble what appears to be the massive sharp-toothed mouth of a dragon. It is possible you may be momentarily stopped by one of said locals who will explain that the Lorentia Cave is a passage system that leads through the interior of the mountains, though due to some collapse of the inside, the passageway does not go in far and is currently blocked off for the safety of local citizenry. In other words, proceed with caution.
If you're still feeling brave and care to take a peek inside, by all means. No one's going to stop you.
The interior of Lorentia Cave consists of both narrow passageways and some larger, more cavernous like rooms. There are assorted mining implements scattered along the ground, propped up against the walls, and carts that are filled with various ores, rocks, crystals, and more. The locals of Aldrip use Lorentia Cave for largely mining purposes and many of the things that are retrieved can be used for the smithing forges, the crafting of weaponry, or fashioning into jewellery and other accessories that are sold locally and taken to other towns on the continent.
There are some crudely designed signs that note to take care and depict simple skull drawings, indicating that certain paths may be a little more dangerous to traverse than others. If you are especially lucky (or unlucky, as the case may be), you may even spot some skeletal remains from some less-than-fortunate souls who got caught in a dead-end path and simply never made it out again.
If you listen closely, sometimes you hear the flutter of wings and a distant roar. Maybe it's best not to linger...
NO SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
MAXWELL'S SILVER ROCK-HAMMER
The townsfolk are welcoming to newly-arrived, something that has largely been met with a fair amount of scepticism and wariness from prior arrivals. That said, they continue to be hospitable, eager to share stories and songs about their land, their people, and their traditions.
A jewelcrafter is displaying their work today, putting their various wares out for locals and members of the Chosen to admire, or perhaps to purchase. Part of their demonstration is opening geodes with rock-hammers and showing off the impressive inside of colour and masterful natural works of art gifted to them by the land's bounty. They may choose to speak a little on how they revere the land, the resources they've been given, and how all of this has been bestowed upon them by the very gracious Those Who Were There, a mysterious and seemingly celestial higher power.
For those who are interested, they have the opportunity to offer some assistance to the jewelcrafter by opening some geodes as well. There's plenty of rock-hammers to go around and the most recent retrieval from Lorentia Cave's mining appears to have been very successful. The jewelcrafter is so moved by the offer of help that he's more than happy to let those who aid him keep one opened geode for themselves at no cost.
Congratulations on your new piece of decor!
FORGING BONDS IN THE FIRES OF PASSION
If you were a brave soul who made visit to the Lorentia Cave and came back with some weapon or armour crafting materials (including skeletal remains), you'll find that the smithies of Aldrip are eager to do business and many of them enjoy their craft for the sake of being passionate about what they do.
They'll waste no time in starting the forge and should you have a specific piece in mind you are requesting, as long as they have the materials on hand, they'll even be willing to show you the general process from start to finish on a rough draft of the piece in question. If you're feeling especially keen to help, they may offer to let you work directly on your project, though they will express apprehension and a wary eye for those who fail to have prior experience with such gruelling tasks.
Once your piece is finished, you can either wear it immediately, learn the best way to maintain and keep your equipment, or put it out on public display to show the rest of Aldrip and its residents, new and old alike. If you choose to let the smithies keep your piece, they'll pay you the cost of the materials you've brought them, plus a small percentage markup depending on how much personal effort you put into the craftsmanship personally.
Better yet, you may have just come out of the situation with a permanent bond. The smithies have an appreciation for those who share similar interests and may be willing to provide future discounts to those who purchase their wares.
FEEDING THE MASSES
YOU'RE A REEL CATCH
Aldrip locals always have a need for food and with many Chosen having recently arrived, that need has increased exponentially, for now they have a larger number of mouths to keep fed and stomachs to keep happy. To help inspire this retrieval of food, Aldrip is hosting a fishing competition and anyone who's interested in participating may do so, provided that they follow the guidelines set in place.
All participants must use local fishing equipment and this will be provided by the various merchants in town free of charge, save for those who wish to keep their fishing tackle. All fish caught within the local rivers, ponds, and the nearby ocean are acceptable for submission. Citizens (local or Chosen) are forbidden from using magic or technology as a means to catch their quarry. Anyone found breaking these rules will be disqualified and will be fish'd (that is, they will have raw flopping fish thrown at them).
The winner of the competition is chosen by having caught the largest fish (determined by size and weight) and will be announced at the end of the competition. The applicable winner may keep their fishing tackle free of charge and have their winning fish cooked in the style of their choice by the locals, which can then be shared amongst the people if they so choose (a fantastic way to make friends). The winner will also have a mediocre fish sculpture awarded to them with their name chiselled into the details in honour of their glorious victory.
OOC Notes:
Both TDM participants and characters already in the game may participate in the fishing competition. Please use the designated comment if you wish to partake. On the 13th of March (after applications have closed for the cycle), the winner will be announced and drawn by RNG. We will announce who the winner is on this TDM post (in these notes), the moderator plurk, and the OOC community.
I'M A [X], NOT A FISHER
If you're not a fishing kind of individual yourself, there's still plenty for you to get involved with.
Aldrip has need of people who are capable of preparing meals, especially seafood. It is probable that many participants of the fishing competition will end up fishing up things that are not fish or eligible for submission, but still edible. These include crabs, lobsters, jellyfish, octopuses, clams, and other related sea life. If you have experience with cooking or simply want to help out, the Aldrip locals will welcome you with open arms and may even pay you for your assistance.
If cooking isn't your forte, you'll find that some of the Aldrip citizens enjoy a betting pool from time to time. If you have some coins or something else you don't mind putting up for gamble, you might just come out with the whole pot if you put your currency on the winning fisher. Anyone found to be attempting to rig the betting pool and competition, however, will be returned their bet. We don't take kindly to cheaters here.
At least not openly.
Fishing can be a sometimes dangerous pastime. You may find a fisher who has gotten themselves accidentally hooked on their line or perhaps when they were freeing a fish, the hook got lodged into their thumb. Aldrip welcomes those who have healing abilities to help assist those more unfortunate situations, so fishers can go back to casting out their lines to make the most of the competition. That said, there's nothing in it for potential healers, just the notion that you've done a good deed.
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You're Japanese too, then, Kurusu-kun? I was a second-year at Gekkoukan High, in Iwatodai. Have you ever been?
[Maybe she should ask if he needs help with the flour...? It's funnier this way, though.]
I like your knife. Did they just forge it for you?
[Please let him answer one question before bombarding him with another...]
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[He handles the questions well enough, though he does spin the dagger fluidly when it's mentioned, flipping it so the blade rests against his forearm so he can extend it for her to safely look at. A nod, and another affirmative hum. Seems this one isn't much of a talker.]
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She also doesn't tell him about starting her own third year because haha she doesn't get one of those. Instead, she just blinks at the easy offer of the knife, taking it in one hand and giving it an experimental twirl. It uses different muscles than twirling her naginata, so it's not nearly as smooth as his own motions had been, but she gives it a try!]
Nice! Did you design it? [She tries flipping it back and forth a few times, almost drops it, and sheepishly flips it around more carefully to offer it back.] I've never used a knife before. I prefer something with more reach.
[She's Short, hence -- the naginata.]
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[He tracks the movements of the dagger as she twirls it with just his eyes, and surprisingly doesn't fuss when she nearly drops it. He's a touch more worried about her hurting herself, all things considered. He seems to stall out a bit at the design question, because... Well, did he? It sort of came with his costume, which is his apparent Outfit of Rebellion, so does that make it the Dagger of Rebellion? His face remains mostly slack despite the way his ears may as well be steaming over how hard he's contemplating the idea of having designed the dagger. He shrugs, eventually.] Kind of? It's a long story.
[He claims it back, spinning it effortlessly between his fingers and then grasping the handle with the blade against his forearm again, turning his attention to her naginata.] Daggers are definitely not long-range, but I don't think I've ever used..., those, either. [He's actually not even entirely sure what it is, whoops.]
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I'd love to hear it sometime!
[Kotone Will Remember This. But for now, she lets him be, drawing her naginata off her back and twirling it with one hand. Unlike the dagger, this is clearly something she's practiced and comfortable with, and she lets it twirl twice before tapping the butt against the ground.]
It's a naginata. Think of it like a hockey stick! Want to try?
[A sharp one. She'd used hockey and lacrosse sticks when she'd been starting out, and honestly this one she'd asked to have forged isn't the greatest one she's ever wielded, but it is effective!]
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[He follows the bladed end of the naginata similarly to how he followed the dagger, before, and gives it a solid once-over once she's tamped it into the earth. Think of it like a hockey stick...]
Hockey is a sort of violent sport, yeah? Guess that tracks. [He knows very little about hockey.
That's Goro's special interest, not his.]no subject
But he didn't say he wanted to try it, so she just shrugs and returns it to her back with another smile.]
So how did you get covered in flour anyway? It makes a definite impression!
[She starts to reach up as if to muss up his hair, but pauses and decides that no, no, don't do that to strangers, that's Weird, and instead just clasps her hands behind her back to subdue the urge.]
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[He chuckles quietly, shaking his head and dusting flour onto his shoulders as he does. He jerks his thumb in the direction of the windmill.] Buncha guys with bags of flour. From there, it is a mystery. [He will never tell.]
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But she laughs at the steady rain of flour that keeps falling from his hair and reaches out to tug his sleeve instead.]
Alright, I won't tell anybody you tripped and fell into a box. [She doesn't know what happened, but it sounds both funny and embarrassing, so she'll go with that.] Do you want to stop by my room and wash yourself off, though? I don't mind.
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[His ears turn a little pink.]
...ah, that. Probably would be a good idea, if you don't mind.
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[She giggles a little at the formal language and just waits to see if he notices. Ah, good, it seems he's recognized the extent of his flour crimes.]
I wouldn't have offered if I minded! This way. Once you're a little more presentable, I'll go with you to talk to the innkeeper to get you your own room. Do you have any spare clothes with you?
[As she's talking, she moves past him, leading the way toward the inn without losing her smile.]
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It's not usual daily wear, but I've got a yukata...?
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Well, you can wear that if you want, but I can check in with someone I know and see if you can borrow his clothes instead. It's a little bit old-fashioned, but if I'm the one asking, I'm sure he won't mind!
[She honestly doesn't know if Shinji has multiple outfits, and Shinji's shoulders are So Broad that the idea of this guy wearing Shinji's clothes is kind of laughable. Dazai's will at least fit a little better.]
Where were you that you have a yukata in your bag? That's not usually something I'd carry around with me normally!
dazai's clothing might just fight better tho
We went on a trip and were in Yokohama for a fireworks show.
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[The SEES boys minus Shinji would love it, to be sure. She hums a little and nods, filing that information away in case it's useful later. Akira Kurusu, went to school in Tokyo, was visiting Yokohama before he was brought here.]
There are a few people from Japan here, though sometimes their idea of Japan seems a little... unique. If you run into Izuku Midoriya-kun, you should ask him about where he's from!
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Yeah? I'll have to mention that to a friend. [He's loosening up around her already, his posture getting more carefree. It's a good sign. He tilts his head at the mention of differing ideas of Japan, but files away the name Izuku Midoriya for future reference.] Oh? Will do. And what about you, what's your Japan like?
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[Technically true, considering they ended the Dark Hour (for real this time), so it's not like anyone can really use their Personas. Sort-of. It's complicated, but it should be normal now. She does know how to use a naginata, but that's also probably normal, maybe?
She clasps her hands behind her back and grins at him.]
What about yours? Other than covering yourself in flour every morning when you wake up, I mean.
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[Waving a hand, he huffs a slight laugh.] Not every morning, sometimes I switch it up with corn starch.
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[She skips a little ahead of him to open the door to the inn, gesturing him inside and pointing toward the stairs to get to the rooms. At least she giggles at his joke, so that's a point for him.]
Wake up, go to school, sleep in class, see my friends, go home, repeat. That's "normal" to me.
[And she had to work so very, very hard to make that their normal.]
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[But he's grinning, and not pressing. He's used to this sort of conversational acrobatics, and the giggle makes his grin crinkle the outer corners of his eyes.] Oh man, sleeping in class is the best. I only did it sometimes, just to keep the novelty.
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[She grins at him, oh, he's funny. He'd been a little awkward at first, but he is actually really funny under all that flour.]
I did it pretty often. I did just fine on the exams from studying at home. I did enough after school that it was better to save my energy for that. Anyway, this is my room.
[She pulls her key out of her pocket to unlock it and usher him in. It's modestly decorated with some blossoming flowers by the window (a gift from Astralin with the meaning of "family" should Akira care to look), a little frozen magic ice flower on the desk (another gift from Astralin), and some folded fabric that she'd picked up in town and hadn't managed to turn into anything yet. There's a photograph in a frame resting on the table near her bed, and while the room is small, it's kept fairly neat.]
There's some towels in the bathroom, you can use any of them. The soap and shampoo aren't anything special, so you can use them if you want, or if you just want to rinse off, we can go shopping for other stuff you might need.
[She points toward the bathroom and heads back toward the door without waiting for his answer.]
I'm gonna go borrow some clothes from Dazai-san! If you get flour anywhere, it's on you to clean it up.
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[He just has to find his footing, usually. It's hard to know how he's going to be received when he first meets someone, given 80% of his school still stuck with the "delinquent who might shank me at any moment" schtick even after his record was cleared. He offers a quiet little whistle when she claims the space they enter as her room, hands in his pockets.] Wow, bringing me to your room when you've just met me-- people might talk.
[He's very respectful of the space, particularly once she mentions cleaning up after himself, and is quick to step out of his sneakers and shift how he walks so he isn't dusting flour like a sieve as he moves. It makes his gait startlingly graceful, for an awkward gangly teenager who can't seem to take anything seriously.] Thanks, if you don't mind I'll use yours and replace it. [This is the guy who probably uses 3-in-1 shampoo-conditioner-bodywash on his face.]
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[A wink on her way out the door and another laugh. She genuinely does not care about things like that. Yukari or Mitsuru would probably raise a fuss, but neither of them are here to fuss, so it's totally fine.
Anyway, Akira has the room to himself for a couple minutes, at least as she heads down toward Dazai and Chuuya's room to fetch some clothing. It'll be Akira's job to return them after he's settled, and then she'll have to find out if Dazai behaved himself. The usual.
Within those few minutes, though, she's back and depositing the folded clothes on the floor outside the bathroom and knocking on it briefly.]
Clothes are outside!
[And maybe the ~correct~ thing to do would be to wait outside, but she decides to sit by the window by her flowers instead. She's not looking, she doesn't care that much.]
uses this icon because when the fuck will it be more apt
[He sheds his glutinous clothes carefully, mindful to stay on one particular mat in the bathroom with intent of picking up the whole thing to shake the flour our of later, and makes quick work of a shower. He dries himself off in a quick, cursory way before looping the towel around his hips and opening the door, and while he doesn't just brazenly open it entirely to claim the clothes because Kotone is a girl and he has some class, he also doesn't make any overly cautious attempts at hiding the fact that he's only wearing a towel.]
[It's born more of being oblivious than being crass, and he crouches down to claim the clothing and looks up at her, grins with a nod, and disappears back into the bathroom. Without his glasses, he looks a little older, a bit more rogueish. Or maybe it was the dripping curls in his face, hard to say.] Thanks! You'll have to tell me who to return these to when I've had a chance to wash mine.
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Osamu Dazai-san. I can introduce you if you don't find him first! He's a little taller than you, in his early twenties and kind of loud sometimes. He's not a bad person, though.
[Well, not these days, anyway, and the present is all she's really concerned about.]
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