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riverview: december test drive meme

Welcome to Riverview's test drive meme! Feel free to dip your toes in on the test drive meme to try out your character in the setting, play out a mission, and get samples for your application at the same time!
● There are currently 13 Character Slots available.
● Reserves are Open. Applications will be open from January 1st until January 7th.
● Providing all parties are amenable, threads on the test drive meme can count as game canon, as the plot in the prompts presented is game canon.
● TDM threads do not count for Activity Check, but they do count for Activity Bonus Points, so long as all characters involved are accepted into the game.
● Threading on the TDM is intended for prospective new characters, so top-levels should only be posted by players of these characters. Since the events in the TDM are considered game canon, characters currently in the game are free to use the TDM prompts for logs and posts on the regular communities.
Feel free to use the prompts below or create your own scenario. The setting is built to be flexible, so feel free to make things up as you go.
information resources
premise ● arrival ● setting ● ask a question ● calendar ● navigation

Going into the last week of December, the city experiences an abrupt and unexpected dump of snow - several feet of it, in fact. Usually, it wouldn't be a big deal, since most people and most exploration teams could just hole up and ride out the storm and snowdrifts. And that's what most of the city is doing.
Unfortunately, this is the week that some of the Perimeter Guard Cadets have decided to go on their Winter Expedition - a sort of camping trip slash exploration expedition into the Abandoned City just outside the walls of the Inner City. While the goal wasn't to get too far away from the walls, with the snow starting up in force, the groups of Cadets have gotten turned around in the inclement weather and are stuck outside the walls, unable to return to the safety of the Inner City.
A general call has gone out to anyone willing to brave the snow and storm to rescue groups of Cadets between the ages of 12 and 17 who are trapped outside the walls in their camps.
During the last half of December, residents might start noticing the appearance of cute, trilling little birds with soulful eyes (very mild spoilers for the most recent Star Wars movie in the link) throughout the Quarantine. Perched on tree branches or the corners of awnings and eaves, they will keep multiplying in number until December 20th, when a positive swarm of them will come through the portal.
Welcome to the Quarantine, Porgs!
These little lovable birds (spoiler-free image) will be settling in to roost just about anywhere you can think of. Outside your window, inside your kitchen on top of your fridge, under your bed, or anywhere else. Whether residents consider them a nuisance or a potential new pet, they're bound to cause a stir. The Porgs will be out and about in the city until the end of December, when most of them will find their way back through the portal to whichever world they came from, though a little colony of them will remain in the City from now on. Porgs will be added along with domestic foxes and Pokémon as creatures that can be found or caught in the city as pets without the use of AP!
Some residents may remember that back in September, a love-drunk and confusion-spell-addled newlywed mage from Gramarye Magic Research let loose some pretty little fairy lights that trapped people in the city in little invisible bubbles until they kissed (and any kind of kiss would do). Well, the same slightly-less-newlywed but no less romantically-inclined mage happens to really, really enjoy the winter season, and thinks it's totally romantic. That particular sentiment is pretty common in the Quarantine - while Hygge is the celebration of familial love, the residents of the Quarantine all agree that that family often includes partners and lovers. Besides that, the folklore of mistletoe as being representative of love and friendship is something that the Quarantine has in common with the universes many residents inhabit.
So, as the last week and a half of December rolls around, residents around the Quarantine will see the result of the resident romantic trying to share a bit of Hygge love - small, glowing sprigs of mistletoe will be floating around the Quarantine, ready to trap people up and make them share a bit of affection. But how does it work?
Two or more characters walking under one of these glowing, floating sprigs will get stuck for one hour, trapped inside an invisible enclosure with an approximate three foot radius. The only options are to either wait out the hour, or to kiss! Characters will know they're meant to kiss, because part of the magic spell is the sudden and intense knowledge that they should kiss in order to break free. There is no compulsion to kiss, just the knowledge that that's how to get free. This time, instead of any kind of kiss working, there will be different types of kisses that will work to release the trapped residents depending on the color of mistleglow:
GREEN: FOREHEAD ● BLUE: HAND ● VIOLET: BUTTERFLY
Trapped residents will not know what kind of kiss will work for each color and may have to experiment before finding the right one.
Remember those Hygge Cabins that the City set up all along the banks of the river? Little cabins with enough space for a small kitchen, a table to eat at, and a lounge area in front of a fireplace, meant to be shared in celebration of familial love and found family during Hygge? Well, the sudden onslaught of snow that trapped the Cadets outside the city are also serving to isolate people who are in and around the cabins.
With the river nearby, the heightened humidity in the area of the beaches where the cabins are set up, the snowfall is even heavier than it is throughout the rest of the city. Anyone who's down by the water will find themselves quickly driven out of the open and into one of these cabins, whether it's inhabited or not! Whether these weather refugees are sharing a cabin by choice, after having a lovely dinner together, or unwillingly, in the form of an intruder on someone else's holiday or by being driven into the same cabin with a stranger, they're going to be snowed in for a while!
Whether your character is posting up a silly word game, trying to get hold of a friend, or putting out feelers for people to go out into the fray with, the network is going strong.
Alternately, an offer for a free app is popping up on new arrivals' devices - Friendr is a friend-finder and/or dating app. If characters choose to install it, they will fill out a short bio and parameters for what they're looking for, upload a snap of themselves, and then proceed to browse for matches. This is a typical swipe-left-or-right type app.
Friendr base code is by photosynthesis.
The code in the textbox is for the default color scheme, but the Friendr app has a wide variety of themes, so feel free to customize with colors and patterns as you see fit, but do not remove the credit line out of respect for the creator of the code.
Use the wildcard prompt to choose your own adventure and do whatever else you like in the setting!
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How did you know how to kiss the first time you did? [He mumbled against Athelstan's lips without pulling away as well. He moved both their hands down to Athelstan's straining cock and wrapped his hand around it, starting a slow, firm motion.]
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He scarcely took in the question. All the same he attempted to answer, although the other's movements, his hand guided with Ragnar's. He inhaled sharply as Ragnar's firm hand took hold of him, an unbidden sound -- a whimper, a moan? What it was scarcely matters. ]
I didn't know. [ But it hadn't meant as much as this did either but he doesn't know how to express that -- or if he should. ] But it wasn't with you.
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You just did what felt right, what felt good. [Fumbling and figuring each other out was all part of it, though Athelstan didn't seem to quite realize that.
He tilted his head to press another light kiss to Athelstan's jaw before dragging his teeth over the same spot. Ragnar was too distracted and wrapped up in the moment to stop and try to decipher what Athelstan was trying to say. Using his free hand, he wrapped an arm around Athelstan's waist to pull him closer, pressing their hips together, which afforded him a bit of friction as well. He fought a small shudder that traveled up his spine and buried his face into the crook of Athelstan's neck, breathing heavily against his skin.]
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He moans again as their hips press together, feeling Ragnar's desire. The breath on his neck, the scratch of Ragnar's beard is like another hand on him, adding to the pleasure he's feeling, the building need for release.
He rocks against him, and there's not really a shred of control in it. He's lost in this moment, in the pleasure and in Ragnar. ]
Ragnar... [ It's too late when he realizes it's happening, that he's going to come far too soon, to the attentions of their hips, Ragnar's hand roughened by farm work and his axe, far more erotic than Judith's soft hands had been. And Athelstan, never pleasuring himself really so this emotionally charged lust had been probably unavoidable to this. When he comes, there's a quiet, stifled moan, his face buried against the other's strong shoulder and almost immediately the embarrassment would follow. ]
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It isn't until Athelstan's body goes tense and he feels him come across their stomachs that he actually realizes. Athelstan's face is buried in his neck, so he completely misses the self-satisfied, lazy smile he bites back as he slows his movement, holding his cock a little firmer for the last few strokes and idly toying the pad of his thumb through lightly over the sensitive tip, through any cum left there.
He turned his head, pressing and then nuzzling his cheek into Athelstan's hair.]
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He doesn't lift his head from the other's shoulder, so he can't see his expression, though he can feel the gentle nuzzle. It's comforting but he still felt guilty somehow. ]
I didn't mean to... I'm sorry, Ragnar. [ There's embarrassment clear in his voice even if he hasn't lifted his head. He knows well enough about sex now to know that that had been far too fast for either of them to fully enjoy. ]
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Why are you apologizing? Silly priest. [Although he spoke the question softly, he dropped down into barely a whisper, nothing more than exhaled words, at the teasing.
He shifted, jostling Athelstan unapologetically as he grabbed the blanket they were laying on and flung it over the both of them while still on it, so the blanket was wrapped completely around them. It was easier than getting up. He also moved so he wasn't completely under Athelstan anymore, moving so that the monk could comfortably lay mostly beside him and maybe use his shoulder like a pillow if he wanted, apparently content with what they'd done.]
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Don't you want to... [ His words trailed off, a flustered sigh following them and his hand waves down toward Ragnar's groin. ]
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If you want. [He nudged his nose against his hair.] But I will be fine if you do not.
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His hand slips over Ragnar's stomach and then down lower, fingers wrapping around his cock and stroking him slowly. He wouldn't leave it alone, it'd be unfair he thinks. He's still thinking of the years he knew that he had made Ragnar wait, knowing he wanted him. ]
How can you be satisfied with so little?
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I am satisfied with you. Just you. Being with you. [But he certainly wasn't telling Athelstan to stop. He sounded a little breathless.]
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How is that enough?
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It is. [He half shrugged, hips starting to fall into a rhythm with Athelstan's stroke, small, slight movements to give him just that little bit more. He mumbled something else into Athelstan's hair, something mostly unintelligible that might have been something like 'you'll learn'.]
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In so many things, he had wanted Ragnar's approval. When he was learning to fight he would be striving to see that look Ragnar would have when he mastered something. It's more or less the same with this. ]
It feels good to touch you.
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I need-[He decided it would just be easier to demonstrate. He had been content to just go to sleep before and ignore his body, but now he was worked up, but not nearly enough.
He shifted to wrap his hand over Athelstan's, squeezing a little more firmly than he'd been, and started to move their hand fast, with more intent. Immediately, his heavy breaths turned into soft, shallow pants for air as he curled closer to Athelstan like he subconsciously was trying to make as much contact with him as possible. His hips still moved in time with the pace he set, movements getting jerkier as he continued.]
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He could still feel the edges of embarrassment that came from not knowing things that he felt he should know. He ignores them, pressing kisses and soft bites to Ragnar's shoulder and chest as he continues to let him guide his hand.
He's almost afraid for Ragnar to let go, that if he does Athelstan wouldn't be able to be enough. ]
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Gently pulling on Athelstan's hair until he tipped his head back, he pressed an equally slow, content kiss to his lips, breath already starting to even out.]
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He lifts his head, the pull easy to decipher it's intent. He kissed him back, the kiss not as hungry as some of the other ones had been. It's almost lazy in it's indulgence, Athelstan fully enjoying the taste of Ragnar.
There's really no going back from this. ]
You know that I will never leave your side again. [ Athelstan murmurs against his lips. ]
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He made a quiet, sighed noise in the back of his throat, brow furrowing and eyes screwing shut a little tighter like he was trying to block it out.
Rolling onto his back slowly, he snaked his arm around Athelstan and pulled him closer, encouraging him to lay across his chest or use his shoulder as a pillow.]
You should do whatever you wish. [He spoke the words evenly, with his eyes still closed, almost as if he were talking in his sleep.]
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You have not lived it yet but I chose you over my own people, over a wealth of hidden knowledge that very few have had access to. I have done as I wish to some extent for a long time, Ragnar.
[ Athelstan will be content to leave it there if Ragnar does. If he did not wish to be by Ragnar's side he wouldn't have chosen to leave Wessex. Regardless of what had just happened, what he said would have been true before. ]
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Why? Did I ask you to do such a thing? [There was so much pain and loss and abandonment that Ragnar hadn't suffered through yet. He couldn't understand the man he became, the one who had desperately clung to Athelstan's leg and begged him to come back with him, the man who couldn't bear the thought of losing his friend or being apart from him any longer.]
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The choice was there whether you said the words or not, Ragnar. There is so much... [ His hand drops away and he lowers his head again. ] England had long before stopped being home. When I was there, so many nights I could think of nothing but Kattegat and you... the children. It was my choice, you and King Ecbert were kind enough to let me make it. I chose my home and my people and you.
[ He'd never before said that the Pagans were his people but in leaving Wessex for them, that is a truth that is hard to deny. ]
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He offered an uncertain, soft smile in return.]
You think of Kattegat as your home? [He looked so hopeful and happy. It was strange, but the monk had easily become a beloved part of his family. It was nice to know that he had come to think of his home as their home.]
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Yes. Because you gave me a home and a family. [ Words whispered soft against his mouth. ]