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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.
no subject
Granted, he might end up tapping out first anyway; he's had some rest, but after what he put himself through for the past month his body could use more than "some." Frankly it's a miracle his right arm hasn't starting aching or cramping up.]
It's the class track for going into a pro hero career. We learn rescue operations, disaster response, villain apprehension, and do physical and Quirk training along with all our gen ed classes.
[Said as if that is the most normal concept in the world.]
What about you? Specialist course or general?
no subject
Oh, wow! It sounds like you're really prepared for any kind of situation!
[It would have been nice if Mitsuru had given them any kind of training for SEES other than, "here's a cop you can buy weapons from, alright go fight and do your best." Obviously, there's no way she could do a whole course like what Deku's describing, but still, it has to be more useful than-]
Hm, me? [...] General, I guess? Stuff like English, Japanese, Literature, Science...
[In other words, Not Heroics.]
no subject
I wouldn't say any kind, just...whatever UA can think of.
[It's considered the school with the best heroics track in all of Japan for a reason, after all. The curriculum does not mess around. Neither does the school's budget, for that matter.
He nods at the list of subjects. Sounds the same as his gen ed classes, which makes sense. Which has him wondering...]
Is it okay if I ask what you want to do when you graduate? Y-you don't have to answer or anything, if you don't want! I just...I don't get to talk to gen ed students very much. [And the one he does know and talk to semi-regularly is actively trying to get transferred into the hero course....]
spoilers for persona 3 💦
[And she means it. They'd had to learn how to conduct rescue operations on the fly when someone wandered into Tartarus, villain apprehension would have... well, not solved all their problems, but at least made some of them more manageable. And disaster response, well...
Yeah. That would have helped a lot in that month leading up to New Year's Eve.]
After graduation...?
[She opens her mouth to respond, but the words get stuck in her throat and her smile slowly fades. The third years had taken the nationwide exams in the middle of everything and probably did really well. They'll both probably go to university, huh...? Maybe Yukari and Junpei will, too. Ken will be going into middle school soon, and she's...
Her foot catches on a stone and she stumbles with a yelp, dropping her side of the box to keep her balance.]
Ow! Sorry, are you okay?
no subject
I'm fine, but what about you? Is your ankle all right?
no subject
Whoa...!
[There's a beat where she just watches the green sparks drift toward the ground, and you know what? Alright, why not. Superpowers. Apparently "heroics" isn't just some kind of really advanced search-and-rescue thing.]
You weren't kidding about the heroics thing, huh? [Before she can think better of it, she reaches out to try to touch his arm, curious about the green sparks. And also not answering his question, but maybe she can be excused for being distracted.]
no subject
[He flinches a bit in surprise when she touches his arm - he'd assumed she'd been reaching out either for support or to push his hand away, given the circumstances - but even if she doesn't press for more than that initial touch Shiomi will notice the green energy arcing continuously arcing over him is quite harmless. There's no physical sensation to it at all, really, though it reacts to things other than Izuku and clearly isn't illusory. Other than that, just an ordinary muscular left arm, with some small scars here and there.]
Is...is something the matter...?
no subject
Huh? Oh, no! I was just surprised. [She finally withdraws her hand and takes a step back, wincing a little as she puts weight on her ankle.] I've never seen anything like it. That's really cool!
[It's not a Persona, that's for sure!]
Um... do you want to put that down, though?
[The crate, that is. Now she feels a little silly for acting like she was helping him when he clearly can handle it on his own.]
no subject
Someone calling a Quirk cool, though, is much more normal. It still makes him blush a bit anyway, the frown that had taken shape on his face when she stepped away getting cleared away by the embarrassment that drives him to duck his head. He's far more used to being the one calling a Quirk "cool" than having it happen to him.]
Oh, sure. Just a moment.
[He's very careful about setting the crate down, using both hands to make sure it stays balanced and stable until it's safely on the ground, at which point the green sparks dissipate. Blackwhip would have helped to do it one-handed, but he'd rather not throw any more surprises Shiomi's way.
And once it's down he turns right back to her, because--]
How badly does your ankle hurt?
[--he saw that wince.]
no subject
Startled out of her own musings, she blinks for a moment before it registers what he'd said.] Huh? Oh, no, I've had way worse! Let me just sit for a sec.
[Gingerly, to avoid putting too much weight on it, she takes a few steps to seat herself on the crate Deku had so politely set on the ground and gently prod at her ankle.] Just strained a little, I think.
[A smile and a thumbs-up. Nothing to worry about!]
no subject
Don't get him wrong, he's glad it's not too bad and that she's willing to rest. But if there's one form of recklessness that he has successfully been taught to avoid as much as possible, it's pushing injuries, and he'd rather see her stay off that ankle as long as possible. Unfortunately, there's the problem of the crate; he's not sure Blackwhip is up to the task of long-term use so while he could certainly carry her either to town or back to the mill he'd...]
...have to leave the crate behind. [Aaaaaaaaand he's off. Welcome to the Midoriya Mumblestorm, Shiomi, he just kinda does this. A lot.] Could get it to town fairly quickly with Float and Fa Jin, would let me move at speed without having to worry about the crate blocking the terrain and the road...but that would mean leaving Shiomi behind instead...
[He needs to get Shiomi and the crate to town at the same time.
...and he might just have an idea.]
This may be a strange question, but...how good are you at keeping your balance on something that's moving?
no subject
Hm?
[She glances up again when he makes it obvious he's talking to her again, filing her questions into a little box marked Later and blinking at him.]
Um, pretty good, I think... Are you gonna try carrying me on top of the crate?
[That sounds really heavy! But she's kind of curious to see if he can do it.]
no subject
[He's not going to do it if she's not comfortable with the idea. It's not like this is an emergency, after all. No need to insist on something that isn't 100% necessary when there's time and opportunity to compromise. Her not walking for as long as he can get is non-negotiable, though.
And he certainly seems confident he can carry that much weight! Navigating with a crate blocking his few of where he's putting his feet and a person in front of his line of sight, on the other hand...]
I might need your help watching the road, though. Is that alright?
no subject
[There's no way she'd turn that down because it really does sound fun. No ankle injury required! But first-]
But you have to tell me how you're able to do all that, okay? Promise?
[It doesn't have to be now! But she's so curious.]
no subject
[He loves talking about Quirks, so of course he's happy to field a Q&A about One For All - within reason, at least. Even if it's not exactly a big important secret anymore, he'd rather not give away too many specifics. It just feels like putting people like Shiomi in danger.
(Even in another world, it's hard to shake the fear that All For One could strike at any time. It's not like the man can't end up here too.)
But! There's more important things to worry about! Namely, picking up the crate without Shiomi falling off. He walks around until he's on the side "behind" her - if he's going to need her help navigating, he might as well make sure she has the best view - and crouches down, carefully checking exactly how far his arms can reach along the bottom. Hmm, might be a bit too rough with just base OFA, but with a little help from Blackwhip...yes, that should work.]
Sorry, you'll need to keep your legs away from the crate while I pick it up. Let me know when you're ready!
no subject
[She pulls her legs in, bending her knees to sit sideways with her heels tucked in close, and grips the top of the crate with a sparkle in her eye. Even if they both just end up tumbling right down the hill, at least it seems like it'll be fun!]
Ready! Explain to me what you're doing as you do it, okay?
no subject
I'm going to use part of my Quirk to help hold the crate while I pick it up, first. [And that's all the warning Shiomi gets before, with a look of intense focus on his face, thick tendrils of black energy emerge from around Izuku's shoulder blades and wrap themselves around the sides of the crate, pulling it flush against him. He rolls his shoulders a bit, testing to make sure Blackwhip's grip is snug, before planting his hands on the sides of the crate just below them.] Now I'm going to use another part to enhance my physical abilities.
[The green crackles of energy return, Izuku takes a deep breath, and he hefts the crate as though it's just a particularly heavy moving box; the muscles of his arms flex as he presses in with his hands to "grip" the crate on the way up. Once he's standing upright with it he releases that "grip" and moves his hands to hold it from the bottom edges instead, which is going to give Shiomi a bit of a jolt as the crate dips forward a bit and then suddenly gets jerked back to level.
Okay that didn't work quite as smoothly as he had hoped.]
Are you okay? [His voice is strained, but it'll be fine. He'll dial One For All in better once he's sure the crate and Shiomi are both unlikely to fall over when he releases Blackwhip.]
no subject
I'm okay! Are you okay? That's really impressive!
[She leans a little bit back to check on him, noting those same green sparks as earlier.]
So this is your power, huh? It's really cool! Also turn a little bit to the right 'cause there's a bunch of rocks ahead.
[Right, she also has a job to do. This isn't just a free ride!]
no subject
[He started on the low end of One For All percentage so he wouldn't risk breaking the crate when he, er, squeezed it up. Now that he's got a more normal, stable grip he can dial it up a bit more. It's not a noticeable process beyond him handling the weight better and slowly walking more fluidly. Navigating around the rocks is still a bit of a challenge, but once he can see them around the side of the crate he straightens out and picks up the pace just a tad.
He also stops using Blackwhip, and the writhing strands unravel and withdraw back into his body, with no trace they were ever there. The strength-enhancer alone should be able to take it from here, so no need to push his limits.]
It's a complicated Quirk...but I'm glad I have it.
[It will probably never not be strange to have 'that's such a cool Quirk!' directed at him, but it's easier the second time around - and he can hardly disagree with the sentiment. One For All is cool and impressive, and he's felt that since long before he even knew One For All existed or what all it entailed. Absolutely unrepentant All Might fanboy...]
no subject
["Quirks" are still such a totally new concept to her that the idea that there's something beyond "super strength" is kind of beyond her. The tendrils make sense if they help steady it, then she guesses they're inside his arms maybe...? Or they just appear when he needs them. Either way, it's clear he doesn't need an Evoker or anything like it; it's just something he can manifest at will, which is kind of exciting!
As they walk, she keeps gently rotating her ankle, making sure that it's just strained, not twisted or broken. She should be fine in a few hours, maybe a day.]