expiationmeme | TEST DRIVE MEME #2

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TEST DRIVE MEME #2

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.

info | world

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ooh! Looks delish! A man of many talents.

[this is better, this is nice, he can at least think and fall into the strange rhythm he has with Ed that feels both very new and very old. He shifts the flowers to his other hand and scoops up an oyster]

I can't even cook an egg... [he pauses as he realizes he doesn't even have an oyster fork to eat it with. Oh but then-he does remember seeing some of the other lads eat them slightly different]

Erm... How do I...? [he gestures with the shell]

[ Ed accepts the compliment with a slow nod and a flourish, only barely remembering to keep some part of his mind on his surroundings with how distracting Stede is, just living the way he does. Since when did a day apart from him start feeling like an eternity? There's something to worry about. ]

Eggs are tricky. Easy to overcook.

[ Ed reassures vapidly, distracted by his own thoughts running in a million directions at once: where are they, how were they brought here, who gave Stede those flowers he's decided are important enough to keep carrying, and whe— Ed's thoughts drop dead entirely, though, at the question. ]

Hm? Oh. See? No cooking at all with these. Just down the hatch.

[ With his free hand, he picks another oyster up (because of course he does, like he's going to say no to another yummy little morsel?), leans in to knock the shell against Stede's with a cheers, then demonstrates: teeth dragged where a fork might go, one slurp and the shell's left empty. Ed hums after, savoring the flavor. ]

Mm... They're really better fresh like this.

[ As opposed to, you know, the shit you buy at the docks from god only knows when and where. ]

[he grins at the clink, as if the shells are flutes filled with the classiest wine. It makes him feel rugged. Manly.]

Bottoms up! [and he slurps it down just like a pro... well aside from getting juice down his front and clicking the bottom of his teeth against the shell and accidentally inhaling some which leaves him coughing and leaves oyster juice stinging in his sinuses and he nearly spits the oyster part on the ground but manages to keep the slimy thing between his teeth and cheek while wheezing]

Delicious.

[in a second he'll attempt to swallow it]

[ Ah, went well until it didn't. Making a mess of yourself is part of the whole rugged and manly thing; no worries there. But when Stede starts coughing, Ed lays a hand on his back, brow creased with concern that Stede might start turning blue at any minute, until he doesn't. Once Stede's seems to have recovered himself, the hand on his back turns into a consolatory pat. ]

Y'okay? Think that one might've still been wriggling. Slippery little buggers.

[ ...Hang on, isn't this just what happened with the last guy? The coughing and everything? And Ed responded completely differently then. Hm. Well, probably no one else will notice. ]

Wr..wriggling? [the pat is nice until those words hits him and he swallows the slimy thing convulsively.] My God, do you mean it was still alive?

[had he just inadvertently killed it? Well he hopes it's dead now but the thought makes him feel just a little queasy]

[ Oops, did he make it worse? Ed looks caught in a lie for all of half a second. "Well, it's dead now," he just barely manages not to say. Instead his expression relaxes again, and he gives Stede a reassuringly firm squeeze to the shoulder before letting go of him. ]

Pft, nah. Lot of things keep wriggling after they're dead.

[ Hm. Maybe that's not any better? Time for a change of subject. He leans forward was they walk to look pointedly at Stede's far hand and the bouquet there. ]

Nice flowers you got.

Really? Is that right? [it must be. He hasn't seen much in the way of freshly dead things... Except for Nigel who...who certainly hadn't moved. And a spider once that Mary had clobbered with a shoe until it had curled up, legs twitching.

Maybe he's done with oysters for the moment. He carefully sets the shell back on the plate and is trying to figure out how to get out his handkerchief without soiling his admittedly careworn pockets when Ed brings up the flowers and he flushes.

He doesn't even know what do with them. It's just that he's gone back to his old bad habits of flower picking- well, that and it's the only way he's able to earn money which is still a terrifyingly new concept and he's not a fan. But he doesn't want to tell Ed this. What kind of gentleman needs money? And what kind of pirate picks flowers]

Oh they're nothing. Just... er... a gift. [because gifts are fine, right?] Thought I'd spruce up the old rooms. [though that's another thing. His rooms are... not exactly anything to show off. Except for the electric powered lights and the box that keeps food cold and the oven which is magic, it feels like]

[ The lift to Ed's eyebrows suggests that he's seen more than one thing go on wriggling after its death, but luckily for Stede, he doesn't offer any details. The conversation doesn't seem to've put off Ed's appetite at all, though, as he keeps pecking at the plate (hasn't eaten all day before this and he's fucking starving, now that he's relaxed enough to feel it) between glances at Stede through his explanation of the flowers.

Gift, hm. Gift from whom? The people around here are so weirdly generous. Probably nobody that matters. Stupid to feel jealous. And anyway, Ed's full attention is caught by that last bit, fleshy little slice of tentacle paused in his hand on the way to his mouth as he stares, suddenly wide-eyed, at Stede. ]

Rooms? You've got a ship?

Oh no... [he wrinkles his nose] More like an inn room really. Sort of. Except not. I don't know how anyone is expected to live there. There's barely any room for the help!

[there are some things he'll never understand. But on a whim he is just going to- steal that little bit of tentacle and pop it in his own mouth. Chewy but not bad!]

Best thing I've had all day. [and he's a bit hungry too now]

[ Well, damn. Finding a ship to lay about in so soon was a far reach, but... Any port in a storm.

Ed comes to a halt looking shocked!!! and betrayed!!! by the theft of his snack!!! Right from under his own nose, even!!! ...Only to chuckle and smile greedily when the food is complimented instead of choked on this time. Stede can get away with anything, can't he? Fucking pirate. Ed huffs. ]

'Course it is. Said I cooked it myself, didn't I?

[ A thought occurs, and he plucks a chunk of white meat from the plate, because the octopus is good, sure, but the redfish— He holds it up, grubby-fingered, in Stede's direction. ]

Here, try this one.

You did. [and it feels like an honor, sort of. No, something more than that. There's something strangely, well, intimate about eating something Ed had prepared for him. Even more so than the snake]

I suppose the Snakery-Snackery is still in the air? Might be a sound investment.

[he plucks the proffered fish from Ed's fingers and pops it in his mouth]

Hmm... [he closes his eyes. Maybe it's because Ed really is that good or that he hasn't had proper food in ages, but it's even tastier than the tentacle]

You really will be popular. I might not even get in on a Monday with food this good.

[ Oh, that idea. Ed had forgotten all about that little flight of fancy, though he's happy to be reminded, more of Stede's memory of that meal together as much as an idea Ed had pitched entirely as a joke. He picks up the thread just as easily now, though. There's just something about Stede that makes it easy to... dream. Play. Live, for a change. ]

Probably not. Gonna be booked full. ...That busy, though, 'might need you working in the kitchen with me instead. Or the gift shop.

[ Admittedly, these fish fineries were cooked for himself and whoever might wander by rather than for Stede. But in the future... Well, that pleased expression on Stede's face is one Ed wouldn't mind seeing again and again. ]

Ohh I'll take the gift shop. [if only because he's sure that seeing Ed working in a hot sweaty kitchen would be...distracting] Maybe I could model the clothes. Or... Listen, hey? I've seen something here...that's... like a paper weight. There's a base and glass over it and water inside it and a scene of a snowy day with a snowman in it. And you give it a shake and actual snow falls inside it! Pretty ingenious. We could sell some of those but instead of snow it would be... mm little fish?

[would that work? He steals another bit of fish while contemplating] Or short sleeved shirts with clever sayings like: Come Shake Your Snake at Blackbeard's Bar & Grill.

[ There are going to be clothes in the gift shop? Ed hadn't even thought of that, but he's thinking about it now that Stede's planning to model them. ]

Hm.

[ Talk about distracting. Though he listens as he's told, "Yeah,"ing and "okay"ing as Stede describes... whatever the fuck it is he's describing. Some... painting inside a glass? With snow, but the snow'd be fish. Ed huffs, fascinated by what something like that might look like, and all the creative and weird ways he and Stede could tinker with it. ]

Shake your—

[ Ed cuts himself off, spending half a second to try to figure whether Stede intended that to be what it sounds like before deciding... Doesn't matter. Fun to be had either way. He plays along. ]

Wasn't planning for that kind of bar, but if we're getting our fish wet in the gift shop, s'ppose shaking our snakes isn't a stretch.

Well beating your snake sounds a bit violent, doesn't it? Though I suppose we'll beat the snakes for them.

Let us beat your snake? [he contemplates] Let us shake it? Oh, here we are.

[and they've arrived at a smallish tavern that's just on the fringes of town. It's then Stede remembers, well, he's not got much to treat anyone.]

We uh...might have to share a drink if that's alright?

[ There is so much going through Ed's brain right now that Ed's wide-eyed blinking is almost dazed. The imagery Stede conjures. And then so many questions about whether or not he means to be conjuring it, but oh, it's there now, yep. There in Ed's brain and not about to leave any time soon, all those pictures, and— Sharing a drink?

The place in front of them looks a little nice by Ed's standards. Probably not close to nice enough for what Stede was used to back home. But seems they're all equally penniless here, eh? Ed doesn't seem particularly bothered by the idea. The plate of seafood he's brought is mostly empty shells by now, so with a glance, he tosses it aside to the dirt to be somebody else's problem. ]

Y'mean they aren't just giving drinks out for free? Lots of that going around elsewhere, feels like.

Yes, well, drinks are not, unfortunately. [he takes a breath and adds, with a bit of a wince] And I- well- I don't exactly have funds. So, I'm not much of a gentleman at the moment, I'm afraid.

[which, honestly, he wouldn't blame Ed for deciding to look elsewhere for friendship and suchlike. He'd like to think co-captains meant a little more than that, and he's still banking on that hope! But, he's also setting his expectations fairly low]

[ Stede's embarrassment at suddenly finding himself a brokeass bitch like all the rest of Ed's lot? That Edward can understand. It's a relatively new thing for Stede, after all. The man's used to being showered in fine things, his own things, even at sea. Obviously this place, and the ways of piracy in general, is a new and often disappointing thing or him.

But the idea that Stede's any less a gentleman for the lack of coin in his pockets is where Ed draws the line. He stops looking around at the scenery of this new place (yep, smells like a tavern, even from the outside) and instead looks directly at Stede, face scrunched up with reproach. ]

Mate, if all it took was riches to be a gentleman, I'd have been one myself ages ago. You're most gentlemanly pirate I've ever met. And the most gentlemanly gentleman. Because most gentleman I've met? Fucking dicks.

[ As Stede will surely recall, as it wasn't all that long ago that these two were torching a ship full of them. ]

[it's sweet, and he can't help but relax, something lifting from his heart that had been rusting it for a while.]

Well in that case, you are too. [he reaches out absently and straightens Ed's lapel, the familiar leather sliding underneath his fingers] All we're doing is bringing it out.

[and he has the wild impulse to kiss his cheek, but he won't.]

[ The idea of him, Blackbeard, being a gentle anything has Ed puffing out an embarrassed huff. Less to do with the compliment and everything to do with Stede being the incredible gentle-everything he is though, is the way Ed's cheeks go warm and his eyes go whirlpool-wide and dark. Feels almost like Stede's touch goes right through the soft old leather to the red silk pocketed beneath, out of sight. Maybe even deeper than that. And if Ed weren't so afraid of fucking up this unexpectedly nice thing with Stede, he might pursue it.

Instead, it's all Ed can do to lift his chin, force a huffy appreciative laugh and give Stede a rough clap on the arm before dragging him by his shoulder to Ed's side and guiding them both through the tavern's door. ]

C'mon, mate. Let me buy you a drink.

Oops!

[he's pulled to Ed's side and gosh, he likes it. It makes him feel rough. Tough. Capable. They certainly do make a cool pair as they enter the tavern, though the locals don't seem to notice it yet.]

I've even tried my hand at causing a little trouble. I'm still trying to get it off the ground because I'm still a little unpracticed at winning people to my side without proper compensation. [and he's still a little unsure about his oomph]

[ Very cool. Though surprisingly not much of a distraction as they barge in. This place has seen even stranger than the likes of them, apparently. Maybe a few heads turn to look, who knows. Ed's attention is still on Stede, even as he drags him to the bar. He grins, delighted by the idea of Stede's brand of trouble. ]

That so? And what trouble have you been up to this morning?

[ Because it's only been a day for Ed, and surely Stede's only experienced the same.

When Ed takes a seat for himself, it's with an empty one beside, and he automatically leans half off his own stool in that direction where he's anticipating Stede to be. He barely spares a glance at the bartender to order them two glasses of rum before his attention's back on Stede with all the anticipatory glow of a child ready for storytime. ]

Well...not much I'm afraid. [and gosh he hates to see that glow disappear]

It... well I had a lot of ambition at first but...things have been a bit hard on my own. [he absently picks at a bit on the table] I mean as you can see. [as he looks a mess]

I wanted to cause some trouble, you know, vandalism, jaywalking- that sort of thing. Be a nuisance.

Maybe together we can get something off of the ground.

[ A story of Stede's exploits would've been nice, but to hear there's no story yet to tell has Ed looking sympathetic rather than disappointed. He leans further off the chair to knock elbows with Stede. ]

Ah, don't be so hard on yourself, man. We already got caught. Whatever this place is they've brought us, better to lay low for now. Go with the flow, and see what happens. Work our way up to vandalism and jaywalking from there.

[ When the drinks arrive, he slides one in Stede's direction before taking up his own, though he doesn't sip from it, instead leaning on his elbow with the drink in hand, waiting for Stede to pick up his first. ]

Yes I wonder how that happened. Getting caught and all. [he takes the rum and says] Cheers! [before clinking his glass against Ed's]

I'm also surprised Jack didn't come with you. [well he's glad frankly that Jack hadn't but the man is Ed's friend. Unfortunately] Or...did he? [he could be here but not here here after all and Stede will put up with him a little for Ed's sake but only so far]

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