expiationmeme | TEST DRIVE MEME #2

Entry tags:

!tdm

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

I was saying hello, if you must know. I was not raised in a shipping container. [ fyo, that's not how the saying goes.

his own body is not a temple but he has limits; defined ones in which his mind and body are not in sync. what he would not give to have dazai's seeming inability to die: he'd be reckless, hungry and much further along than he is now.

he finishes his glass of alcohol in one gulp. matching, before he returns to his soup, this time cupping the bowl in both hands as he sits up. truly, he looks like a sickly victorian child who has been left out in the cold rain. ]

I am no longer upset by the drowning attempt.

Well, you don't know what you missed. The acoustics are great, you know?

(one sip, one spoonful. that's the deal that they've made without exchanging words, and it works for dazai as it is. the soup's grown cold at this point, the consistency hardening, but he's eaten worse. having agreed to the cohabitation plan, fy'll learn exactly why no one eats what dazai makes in the kitchen.

he doesn't feel sorry for fyodor, even if his health doesn't help his case. he started it, did he not?)

Ah, then great. One less problem. He kind of is, though, go figure.

(HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHY.)

I imagine they're not too different from those of a church.[ he finishes his soup and set the bowl down. not that he's going to be drinking to much right now, the warm food settles nicely in his stomach and he looks marginally less likely to murder someone right now for looking at him wrong. ]

Ah, well, that's terrible for him, isn't it? Not exactly my problem. [ he doesn't intend to let chuuya have another swing at him. as much as he dislikes abilities, he will use it as a last resort.

fyodor does not like being touched, he does not like pain and he does not like being hit. ]

Depends on the size of the church.

(boring physics, the wavelengths of sound, the reflection of them on the walls, the material in which things are made, all things that could be said in this conversation, irrelevant all the same when both of them already know these things.)

Suppose it is mine, though! Just don't explode him, or not only will I call you Fyfy until I can say it to your grave, but also I'll hold your hand at every given possible moment, fufufufu...

(rest in piece, crime and punishment.)

I will not point out the fact that you've not used my proper name in the last hour or so. There have been no attempts to do so, in fact I do not believe it to be your intention to call me anything but that to annoy me until you die or we both die. [ he refuses to die without taking you with him, dazai.

the mere suggestion of touching him causes fyodor to draw back physically, an unspoken 'you're not allowed to disarm me'. he really wishes he had a gun. ]

Bluff. You would have to follow me everywhere to keep a hold on my hand, even you can't keep that up. FuFuFuFu~

See, so romantic! You want to indulge me!

(double suicide, no take-backsies, fyodor really out there to make dazai's dream come true. some of us don't want to move into the next chapter on our own.

either way, he sees that. his skin is a bomb, isn't he? so his index finger and his middle finger form a man's shape in steps towards fyodor.)

You don't really know how far I'm willing to go for spite, Fyfy!

I have never been accused of romanticism in my entire life, Dazai-kun.

[ oh what had he just-inadvertently-agreed to? he hates it right now. fyodor doesn't want to die but for the sake of his vision he will; dazai is still interesting enough to fyodor to want to keep him around for now.

his dark eyes turn to those creeping fingers and he brings the palm of his hand down, hard over that man-shape skittering towards him. ]

Very far, I imagine.

Accused? What a sad view.

(after all, it is not a crime, even if this world disagrees per his current crime sitting on that scroll.

for a second, the man accepts the crushing weight of that palm, only to hold it against his own. enjoy 'no longer human', fyodor. dazai's own set of irises stick to the man's expression, watching the reaction.)

You can't imagine how far, I'm afraid!

[ he realises his mistake far too late, eyes going wide and red, brightly lit by dazai's own ability. it is like being dunked back underwater, the sensation of utter nullification of his haunting crime and punishment; there is something so unceremonious about crime and punishment. it isn't a flashy ability like corruption, or atsushi's tiger. it is not something that requires an object like kunikida's notebook nor does its control rely on the goodwill of someone else: fukuzawa's own ability helping kyouka to control demon snow. there is something about crime and punishment that is boring in its absolute absolution and inescapability.

fyodor's expression twists, an animal that has just been snared and stripped of its last protection. he swears nothing at this moment because the mistake had been his, he'd touched first, and now he's trying to not touch. ]

Are you pleased with yourself right now, Zaia? Does Crime and Punishment feel like anything to you? Or are you devoid of feeling entirely?

(it's not about how pleased he is with himself - he was born like this, after all. 'no longer human' is a cold, lonely friend that can keep others away. it takes trust to allow dazai to come close, to touch, to allow his mere existence to be disarming. none of these come from fyodor.

instead, it's just the discomfort of watching fyodor being caged that entertains him. he might be better in so many ways, slight and big ones, but he knows the cruelty he's imposing on the man in front of him.

it's amusing. it makes him smile.)

I feel nothing.

(just a final nail on the coffin. it's so delicate how dazai sets his free hand on top of fyodor, almost trapping it as much as the other feels. fyodor has no physical strength to pull them if he tried.)

Do you.

[ nothing but a caged animal, nothing but a bag of flesh, bones and blood and soulless. dostoevsky is angry; he stays still for a moment and stares at dazai.

much like when chuuya decided to punch him, fyodor makes a decision then in regards to dazai. and just like chuuya, dazai will get this one and only time to touch him with the cruel intention of trapping him. ]

I do.

(one hand holds, firmly, but the other on top is ever so soft in its gestures, a little trail he's making across the skin, a trail of punishment in itself.)

What is it that you feel?

[ he is sitting up, straight spine and alert. cruelty that he can't repay is what he hates the most.

any trace of fondness is his expression before shrivels, then very calmly he lets his hand go limp. ]

I feel cold and wet.

Anti-climatic, and kind of your fault. You tried to drown me first, didn't you?

(enough is enough.

the last act of relentless savagery is to kiss the back of his hand, gentleman-y, before he lets go to drown his drink.)

No, in my time this was payback for your drowning attempt.

[ his hand twitches and he pulls it back getting to his feet. ]

You've exhausted any good will with this stunt. Enjoy your drink Dazai-kun.

You put your hand against mine, Fyodor.

(look, the name is back. he's behaving.)

We don't need to touch to cooperate in finding a way out of here, and that is the agreement you want, isn't?

[ he stays standing only kept there by the use of his name. ]

I can add a clause. I won't touch your skin without explicit consent.

(that should solve it.)

I do not believe that.

[ the irony being that had dazai not pulled that cruel stunt, fyodor would have accepted the clause. ]

But, it does not matter, we both want to go back. That's all there is.

Would you believe me if I got you something very sharp to cut me with if I attempted without retaliation?

(he gestures back to the chair.)

Please.

(it's the closest to an apology fyodor will get at this point.)

No. [ fyodor answers simply ] You chose a moment of cruelty over trust. Your godling chose a moment of retaliation over an alliance. I think that is quite clear.

[ but then, the fact fyodor is so offended over what dazai did is telling, too. he sits, but only because he knows it is an apology, or as close to one as possible. ]

Not my godling, I must say. He did it before I found him, since we were speculating whether you'd be here, too. I can definitely keep him in check. As for myself, if you want trust and honesty, then I will give you that and tell you I was trying to flirt. I suppose you're just not as into power play as I expected, that one is on me.

(well, there it is, isn't it?)

Edited 2023-03-08 02:13 (UTC)

[ he what ]

[ this seems like an awful joke again ]

[ what..... ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw suicide

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

cw honestly offering homicide as a means to make peace

no subject

no subject

1/??

2/??

3/??