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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.
be our guest! shinji can be my guest anytime!
When Shinjiro addresses her, she suddenly starts. Maybe it'd be a good idea to not make a habit out of doing that.]
Hm? Oh. Oh!
[Yes, of course. She should help him. She beams as bright as a clear sunny sky on a picture perfect day (which is to say, Aerith's smiles might be a little too radiant for the circumstances).]
I can definitely do that! I'm not very strong, but I'm a great navigator.
[As she takes the other end, it's not missed on her that Shinjiro is probably carrying the brunt of it. She's going to do her very best!]
dhfb he will do his best...!
But alright. Okay. Her smile is a little like being hit by a truck— he's reminded so strongly of the people he's left behind (well, a few of them, anyway) that he just looks at her for a moment, before coming back to himself and stooping to grab his end of the crate. He can carry 80% of this crate, sure.
Can she even see over the top of this thing...?]
Can you even see over the top of this thing?
[no shinji, you're not supposed to say the quiet part out loud]
....You're too excited for this. Just tell me when to go.
no subject
Can't see over the top very well. Enough that she actually can see, but if something were to go horribly amiss, Aerith would probably not be much help setting things right again. Things will probably be fine, though. Most likely. It's just escorting a bag of flour. What could possibly go wrong?]
Don't worry about it! We've got this under control.
[All it requires is some cooperation. Team work makes the dream work! For a moment, she's tempted to lift an arm to cheer him onward, but when she realises that she kind of needs to be using both of those hands, she's quick to catch herself. There's no need to make things even more complicated for him.]
I think we're good to go!
no subject
Not that he has friends. Those guys are just people he's around sometimes. Jeez.
But association or not: the bubbly optimism stacked up against his overall dourness is a dynamic he's familiar with, so here's to hoping they just don't fall down a hill or something in the meantime. He hmmns over his end of the crate as he begins to move backwards, none too subtly glancing down at his own feet for a little navigating of his own. And to remember that she is Tiny, and he is Not, and he should take Smaller Steps than usual. It's definitely some kind of teamwork.]
......
[Trundling along... Conversation topics, Shinji, up and at 'em--]
You know your way around here, huh? Been here a while?
no subject
it's not like he likes them or anythingAerith really does actually try to give it her all, which is just the kind of person she is. Even when the odds are stacked against her, which they certainly have been more than once and she's fully prepared to face even more of that, she understands that things are never really over unless she gives up.
She is not the surrendering kind of person.
As such, she's pretty pleased when she's able to marginally navigate them and occasionally speak up when she doesn't want him to accidentally hit something as they head on down to the town. There's going to be some local down there that wants something to do with this flour.
Maybe the locals will bake bread. Or cookies!]
Hummmm. A while? I don't know how long, actually. Not sure what kind of calendar they use. Like they have days and times and stuff, but it's not what I'm used to. I guess it's been... a month? Or something like that. I haven't seen you before, though, not that I've seen everyone, of course. Did you just arrive?
no subject
he's never had friends, ew, grossAt least they make it through the walk without incident. Shinjiro has no real qualms about doing 90% of the actual lifting here, that's fine, he's just glad not to be wiping out from doing it backwards. "Glad," of course, in the way that he gives her a noncommittal grunt and still looks like his usual baseline of vaguely grumpy, for the walk and the conversation both.
So it's going well, all things considered.]
You haven't learned...? [This new calendar, apparently? He feels like that's something he would make an effort to memorize, himself, but then, everyone who's ever brushed vaguely against SEES has some myopia about the calendar. Keeping track of another neurosis is only natural.
He makes a mental note to, like, buy a calendar, or something.]
I... [woke up? materialized? the way most of his chest feels like it was shattered and hastily rearranged (and how hard he's ignoring it) makes him a little uncertain of, uh, how he got here, so:] Yeah. This morning. But don't get hung up on showing me around, or anything. There're other people.
[Gruff, because of course, but with the lightest unspoken implication that he is probably not worth the effort of the grand tour. And also assuming she's the grand tour type, given how bubbly and helpful she is.]
no subject
[Is there a time period in which one should learn how calendars in other worlds work? She's kind of new to all of this. It's not like she just gets plopped into a new world every so often and knows all of the inner-workings. But to be fair, her priorities have definitely been elsewhere. Trying to keep people from doing regrettable things, largely.
That's going great.]
Hm...? Oh—
[Her eyebrows raise. He rejects any offer before it's even made. Maybe she is just really predictable, though it's not like he even knows her. Or maybe he's just accustomed to people normally doing that? (What a nice place to be from if that's the kind of thing one gets used to, honestly.)
Laughing a little, though not nearly enough to dislodge or otherwise interrupt their very successful flour escort, Aerith sighs softly.]
I didn't even say anything. You're sharp. Well, you're right that there's other people, too, and believe me, they'll be getting the same treatment. You could also just explore on your own, too, but it's more fun with a friend.
no subject
......He'll let it go.]
It's got nothing to do with being sharp. [huff puff don't compliment him about his grumbling!!] You're just... You remind me of someone. She'd be wasting her time dragging me around, too.
[And the implication has graduated to being plainly stated, now, but bonus: the traitorous edge of fond memories that sneaks into his tone while he's trying to be a grouchy loner. He really doesn't think it's worth the time to go exploring with him, of all people, but he's also definitely getting the impression he's not getting out of this one, already...
Why is it always tiny girls who want to be friends! This whole genre of person has him beat, every time!! He makes a face.]
......Fun's a pretty bold claim.
no subject
[Aerith raises her eyebrows, still sporting that smile, as if Shinji's words roll right over her. Certainly not the first time she's heard something like that, either.]
You can't really decide how people see that kind of thing. You think it's a waste of their time, but you're not them, right? You don't know what they're really thinking or feeling. Take me, for instance. You don't even know the first thing about me. How would you really know if it was a waste of my time?
[Another laugh and her smile grows, baring teeth in a gentler grin.]
It's not, by the way, just in case you were wondering. Nothing I do is a waste of my time. If I'm doing it, then it's because I want to. It's just that simple. It's gonna be fun, because I'm gonna make it fun. At least, I'll try to. There's all kinds of neat stuff here.
[If one removes the parchment from the equation, it's actually pretty okay. Kind of. Not being in one's homeworld aside, of course.]
no subject
Still. He doesn't feel all that compelled by "neat stuff."]
You don't know the first thing about me, either. See? Telling me I'm wrong doesn't make you right.
[So there, etc. He doesn't sound all that fussed about it, not really - it's practically habit to sullenly step back from sentimentality and other people. And fun, too, he supposes.]
Well. ....I guess it doesn't matter. You already decided, didn't you?
no subject
[From almost anyone else that might sound like it's an incredibly arrogant statement to be made. Heck, even from Aerith it still may sound that way, but she seems to be rather confident in her assessment. Whether that's intuition or simply a really good guess on her part, Aerith does as Aerith wills herself to do—barrel on forward without a moment's hesitation.]
Besides, you've got it in one. I've already decided. I won't make you explore for too long with me. I was just thinking of showing you around to the important places. Food. Drink. Where to sleep. What you can buy. The flowerbed!
[Clearly the flowers are the most important.]
no subject
.....The flowerbed, though.]
The flowerbed? .....Sheesh. Alright, alright. I said what I had to say. You win.
[She won, like, several minutes ago before she said anything, but never mind that now. He'll see the flowers, apparently. It's fine.]
Hey. ...What's your name, anyway?
no subject
[If she wasn't preoccupied with steering them (to the very best of her non-professional ability) on this flour excursion, she would probably be cheering and altogether way too over the top, which she sometimes can be. Such is the life of a seemingly sheltered woman with a heart that yearns for adventure. In short, Aerith is, for most people, an excitable handful.
He makes mention of her name and she pauses for just a moment in the midst of her inner celebration because yes, of course, she's gotten her way again, in the same way she normally does, which is by wearing someone else down.]
Oh, right. [As if names are entirely important. In this place, they probably are. And Shinjiro looks like a pretty... good guy.] I'm Aerith! It's nice to meet you.
no subject
He settles that brief extra-grouchy interlude with a short sigh, shifting his grip on the crate as an afterthought. This crate is pinning him to her mercy, but honestly? So it goes.]
Uh. You, too. I'm Shinjiro.
[That's it, that's his best introduction. At least now he doesn't have to think of her as "tiny girl" anymore.]
How much further until we can put this thing down?
no subject
At his question, she takes a moment to peer as best as she can around the crate. And Shinjiro, too. He's a bit tall, isn't he? Some people are probably quite intimidated of his presence just based on how he carries himself. Unsurprisingly, Aerith seems to be utterly unfazed. Maybe it's because she's usually the smallest one in the group anyway. There's perks to that, though. Nothing wrong with being a big personality in a small package.]
It's not too much further. Just be careful on the incline. Once we get to the bottom of that, we're basically at the town. Not sure where they want us to put this stuff, but I can think of a few people who would benefit from having it.