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

1. The flour of your youth

[Well. This wasn't exactly what Ken wanted after experiencing a near Earth shaking event once more. Although, he really shouldn't be surprised that anything could happen at this point. Even after traveling to a strange new world with strange new faces, he just found himself wondering how long he will have to be here.

That said, as he stared at the bag of flours? He just found himself being nervous. After all, he would much rather go on a long run than to do all this labor! Mumbling to himself, he attempts to lift one of the bags before giving a frustrated sigh.]

You think you can help me out? I'll try my best but I don't think I'm cut out for this.

[Nevermind that he's a 5'3 13 year old boy who looks really thin for his age.]

2. May the quartz be with you

[While Ken could appreciate the beauty of rocks, it was never something he was interested in. If anything, he always wondered why girls were so obsessed with them. They were pretty but why did they need to get so many? That was why he was looking at said rock before looking at the nearest person with a confused look. While he knows he has to open it to look inside, he didn't want it.]

I'm sorry, I don't think I have a need for this. Do you want this?

[Nevermind that jewelcrafter was starting to look slightly annoyed.]

3. Cod this be any punnier?

[Fishing wasn't something he minded but he had to admit. He didn't know a thing about it. All he could do was stare at the fishing equipment in awe before picking them up. Mumbling to himself, he knows the basics such as knowing what the rods are used for along with knowing how to use the bait. As for everything else? He didn't have any ideas.

Should anyone come look, there will be a poor boy just scratching the back of his head as he wonders what to do.]

4. Wildcard

[Surprise me!]

[Kotone doesn't usually find herself fishing. Like, it's fine? But it's kind of boring, really, so she doesn't make a habit of going out there unless it's because someone specifically asked her. When it comes to food, she'd much rather be in the kitchens baking than actually dealing with the raw (literal) ingredients.

But, it's still nice to walk by the river sometimes! Hands clasped behind her back, wearing a casual sweater-and-skirt outfit, she meanders her way along the riverbank, looking for friends to chat with. Could be anyone, really. But this time?]

Huh...?

[She stops short, her heart rising in her throat for a second, because she's never seen that boy here before. If she didn't know better, she might think... but that's impossible. He's taller and older, isn't he? But-]

Ken-kun?

[In that moment, Ken found himself freezing in place. He wanted to believe that it was his mind playing tricks on him but he couldn't. His heart suddenly dropped before he took a deep breath in. It couldn't be, he thought to himself, it just couldn't. And yet, he didn't want to disappoint himself as he didn't want to look up. Was it really her, he didn't know.

He kept looking down at the equipment before shaking his head. As he formed his hands into a fist, he mumbled to himself.]

Kotone-san.....?

[He still didn't want to look. He was already struggling to not cry after not hearing her voice for two years. It was impossible, she shouldn't be there.

And yet, he just wanted to believe that she was.]

Edited 2023-04-09 15:19 (UTC)

[It is him. Oh.

She... doesn't know what to do with that. He's older, it's obvious, which means he's from a world without her, isn't he? And that's hard to think about. Is this how Shinjiro had felt when he'd seen her? It's so strange to think about the world moving on without her. In her mind, everyone's frozen the way they were back in March, but now...]

Hey. [She hides her sudden swirl of emotions behind a smile and takes a few steps closer, coming to stand next to him.] You're almost as tall as me now, huh?

[Almost.]

[It was then that Ken finally looked up. From what he could see, Kotone hadn't change since the last time he saw her. It seemed as if she was frozen in time while everything changed around her. As the realization dawned on him, he couldn't help it.

Suddenly, he found himself in tears as he stared at her.]

Y-Yeah, I am. And I think I might get a little taller too.

[Wiping away his tears, there was a mumble or two coming from him.]

How embarrassing...

Oh yeah?

[Being practically eye-to-eye with him is really something, something that back in March she'd come to terms with realizing she never would. Now that she actually can, it's hard to keep it together with realizing how much he'd grown.

If she's not careful, her own eyes will start welling up, and that just wouldn't be leaderly at all now, would it? So she closes the distance between them and pulls him into a tight hug instead of just watching him cry.]

I'm glad to see you. Really. [And if her voice is a whisper so she doesn't cry herself, no it isn't.] I'm really happy I got to see you again.

[The moment she hugged him, he knew that he couldn't hold back. As he returned her hug, she found himself crying even harder as he cried against her shoulder. He felt frustrated knowing that he was feeling this way and there was nothing he could do to stop it. However, how could he after not seeing her for so long?

He didn't say anything at first, he kept on crying before letting out a sniffle or two]

You have no idea how much I missed you! Everyone has, we never forgot about you!

[How could he? After everything they been through, all he wanted to do was to make her proud of him.]

[Don't mind her little sniffles of her own as she keeps her arms wrapped tight around him. She isn't full-on crying, not yet; she's doing her best to keep it together for his sake.

But when he says they never forgot about her, she can't help it. She blinks rapidly a few times and tightens her grip around him with a soft noise, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears.]

I missed you, too. [Another whisper, this one a little choked in spite of herself as she presses the side of her head against his.] I'm... I'm really glad. I missed everyone so much...

[During that month when they had forgotten, it had been torture. And considering she'd woken up here before anyone had even come to the roof, she didn't know if anyone other than Aigis had remembered. It's a little wall of resistance against her own emotions that's crumbling down as she holds him, still trying not to audibly cry.]

[There wasn't any need for her to suppress her emotions around him. He was surprised that she managed to hold back for this long. That was fine by him, he'll keep on crying for her own sake too. Now that she was here, he wanted to make sure that she was safe here no matter what. She protected everyone, the least he could do was help her now.

As he kept on crying, he didn't let go of her. He wanted to hold onto her as long as he could. He didn't want her to disappear. However, he wondered how much of a mess he made on her shoulder. Lifting his head up, he let out a chuckle.]

Here, I always thought what would happen if you saw me now. I'm not making a very good first impression, am I?

[During that time, he wondered what she would say since he's much taller and older. He doesn't think he has changed that much but he just wanted to let her know that he'll be okay.]

[She can't help but laugh a little through her own tears, keeping her grip around his shoulders as if he might disappear if she let go. Even as she feels him lift his head, she keeps her own on his shoulder; she's supposed to be their leader, isn't she? She's supposed to be the strong one, for him and for everybody else. She doesn't want him to think she's unreliable after everything.

But she can't help it. Her fingernails press in against his back a little as she nods and laughs again.]

I think it's the perfect first impression. I'm... [She almost says she's happy to see him again, or that she's missed him again, but she just lets herself trail off and laugh, hoping he can understand.] You look great!

[And he does. He really, really does. He's here, alive, and he remembers her. There isn't anything more she could ask for, not really.]

[Suddenly, there was a huge weight that lifted his shoulders. He was happy to know that she was proud of him in some way. He made a lot of mistakes but he wanted to let her know that he definitely grew up a lot. All he could do was laugh despite tears still rolling down his face.]

For better and for worse. Would you believe that I have a lot of girls cheering for me?

[It was an odd thing to say but that was what he was supposed to do right? Live his life to the fullest. He had to be the star athlete, he had to be getting good academics, he just had to. It was all for the sake of the people who did everything for him.]

[She laughs again. Ken Amada, ladykiller? Good for him! He really did grow up a lot from the kid she dragged to eat dinner with her, huh?

It's still hard to think of him as having grown up when she wasn't there. But he has, hasn't he? And grown up well, it sounds like. She's smiling through her tears as she nods.]

I believe it. You've got to be the coolest guy in school, huh?

[Middle school, she's guessing. If he's in high school, she's made a huge mistake, but surely it can't have been that long, right...?]

You've been doing okay for yourself, right?

[There was a moment of hesitation. He knows he can't lie to her, but he also didn't want to worry her about what the future holds. While everything appears to be calmer, he knows there will always be danger lurking in the corner.

His face dropped and as his gaze went toward the side. He knows that she could tell whenever he was lying and that was the difficult part. With a sigh, he shook his head.]

Yeah, I think so. It took me a while but I think I've been doing okay.

[Which wasn't a complete lie but he didn't want to say anything else either.]

Ken Amada | Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

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