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

[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.]

[The hesitation says a lot by itself. She digs her chin into his shoulder a little, wordlessly trying to tell him that she's here for however long he needs, and to take his time. Behind his back, she does finally let go with one hand, but it's only so she can rub at her own eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears.]

I'm sorry I wasn't there to see it. [She swallows hard, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath through her mouth to fight back another fresh round of tears. She still hasn't told Shinji about any of that, so having someone who knows what happened is a lot to take in.] I really would have liked to...

[She did what she had to do, she knows that, and she refuses to let herself regret it too much, but it's hard. It's too hard, sometimes.]

I wanna hear all about it when you want to tell me, okay?

[Ah, yes, there was the feeling of guilt. He knew he should be honest with her, not when she was giving him a look of disapproval and telling him to say something.

Almost by instinct, he shook his head.]

There's nothing to apologize for, you did what you had to do! I would never blame you for anything. [Was this his way of apologizing that he couldn't say much? He didn't know. Mumbling to himself once more, he looked downward before giving a sigh.]

It's not that I don't want to tell you. I just don't want you to worry about us when you should be focusing on yourself here. [She was allowed to be selfish. He can take care of himself.]

[He really has grown up so much, hasn't he...? Not just physically, but emotionally, too. She remembered how hard things had been for him without his mom, and while she's not narcissistic enough to think she occupies anything like that kind of space, it's still reassuring to hear that he doesn't blame her. She tilts her head to rest it against the side of his, inhaling another shuddering breath.]

I'm... I was the leader, right? I can do both.

[Referring to herself in the past tense sucks, but, well, SEES itself is in the past tense, isn't it? So maybe it's right.]

I know you're strong enough to do it yourself, but... I want to help. If I can.

[He just made it worse. As he felt her head on his shoulder, it felt like the weight returned. He didn't intend to upset her, he just wanted to let her relax. Instinctively, he started to panic as he was trying to figure out what to say.]

I-I know but I want to let you know you don't have to worry about me!

[Was that even the right thing to say? He didn't know as he continues to panic even further.]

You are still my leader even if it was in the past. I just...want you to be okay.

[Ah, he is still the same kid deep down, huh? She manages another laugh and wipes her eyes with her sleeve before finally pulling back to look at him again.

She can't help it. She reaches up and ruffles his hair gently before pulling back to dig in her pockets for a tissue. Ugh, gross... want a tissue, Ken? She's offering.]

I am okay. [Mostly. She's mostly okay. Better in this moment than she has been in a long time, at least.] Really. I've been thinking about all of you for so long, so getting to see you again is... it really means a lot to me.

[He'll take up her offer. It was still embarrassing to wipe away everything and recollect himself but it was worth it. Chuckling to himself, he had to agree.]

Kotone-san, you make sound like you weren't thinking about us. That's kind of unfair when you helped all of us!

[Although, there was some relief in knowing that there was a part of her that was being selfish in thinking about them. Even if he didn't want to, it was still something.]

[She laughs a little herself, blowing her own nose with a unladylike snort and wiping it as best she can. Ugh... speaking of first impressions, she has to wonder if she's ruining how he remembers her.

...No. Don't think about that. That's a thought that squeezes her heart tight into a bitter vise. Instead, she wipes at her eyes again and closes them against a fresh wave of tears, mustering up a smile.]

I just did what I could do! All of you put in a lot of hard work, too. [And they had to keep living after all of it. She -- well, she wasn't supposed to.] I'm always thinking about all of you. Believe me.

[She takes a breath and nudges his shoulder. Alright.] C'mon, we can talk while you fish! [You can fish, buddy. She'll sit and watch.]

[There was a lot of things he wanted to say but it seems that he'll have to wait for another time. Right now, he wanted to spend time with her. Chuckling to himself, he wiped whatever remaining snot and tears off of his face before giving a nod.]

Sure, we can do that!

[...Of course, the sudden confidence in his voice went away. Looking at the fishing equipment and then back to her, he started to shift his weight toward the side.]

...Uh, Kotone-san, you know how to fish right?

Nope!

[Brightly. She absolutely does not, and it's a welcome distraction from the heaviness of the topics lurking just around the corners. If there's anything she's learned from spending time with, well, a lot of people, it's that hard conversations are best to have when there's something to distract them away from the heaviest subjects.

Learning how to fish seems like a good way to at least give them something to pretend to focus on while thinking about the hard stuff, right? She stands on tip-toe to look at the others along the riverbank, humming thoughtfully as she wipes again at her eyes for a clearer look.]

Looks like everybody just has the hook on the end and just... [She mimes casting a line toward the river. Seems easy enough?]

[Well! If she didn't know, he wasn't sure what to think! Was this going to go well or not? He didn't know but he always trusted her. She was always someone who managed to be good at everything she did. Still, it didn't stop him from raising an eyebrow or two as she looked at the others.

At first, he wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure if he should. The last thing he wanted to was to upset her once more. But this was something he just had to know!]

You did put a bait for the fish to get, right?

[...She did, didn't she?]

[She might be good at things with less effort than some, but that does require her to put in effort at all. At his question, she opens her mouth to answer, then purses her lips.]

Yeah, we'll need that! [As if he'd made a great suggestion and now the onus is on him to deal with the worms.] Can you show me how?

[-And, maybe, she can make Ken feel better by having him show her how to do it. Like, no matter what she may have done for him in the past, they're still friends, and she's not better than he is in any way.]

[It was odd. When he was younger, he always looked up to her as the big sister who could do just about anything. Perhaps his memory might be foggy at best but to see her encouraging him to do something that he wasn't too sure about myself? He just wasn't use to it.

That was why he pointed to himself with confusion.]

Me? Uh, I can try? But don't expect anything that great...

[As he looked at the can of worms, he picked up another rod before trying to place it around the hook.] I think that's what you're supposed to do? That's what I've seen from shows that do these kind of things.

Do your best! I'll try it, too.

[She tilts her head with a grin and grabs her own rod. Reaching into the thing of worms should be gross, but... eh. There's been worse, and she's not squeamish; she makes sure to follow what Ken's doing as well. They can work together to figure it out, and it's okay if it doesn't go well. That's probably important to teach him, too.]

So then we just-!

[She sights where she wants to try casting her line and hurls it with as much force as she can, jsut to see what happens. The line unspools with a whir, and the hook sinks beneath the surface with a strangely satisfying plop!]

[Ken wasn't weirded out by the worms. After all the fighting he's been through, this was the least of his worries. That said, he raised an eyebrow at Kotone before looking back at the rod. Everything seemed to be good so far.

As soon as he was done, he followed Kotone's lead and casted his line. While his go as far as she did, all he had to do now was wait.]

Kotone-san, you're really strong! I don't think mine went that far...

Nice!

[She offers her free hand for a high-five before plopping to sit down by the river. This really does feel like the activity of a bunch of old men, huh...? But maybe once they catch some fish, they can present them to Shinji for cooking.

...Ah. Shinji. It's only through practice with Dazai that she manages to keep her brows from furrowing in consternation and keep her expression neutral at the thought. Yeah, maybe the right thing to do would be to mention it, but... maybe it's best to tell Shinjiro first? Or let them find each other. Surely he'll show up sooner rather than later.]

So... how are the others? [Now that there's something they can feasibly be distracted with, back to the important conversation.]

TEST DRIVE MEME #2

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