riverview: june test drive meme

[riverviewmod]

riverview 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!

● Reserves are currently OPEN.
● Applications open on July 1st.
● 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

prompt i: don't wake the deity

Whether you've just arrived in the city or you've been here a while, and you have a sensitivity to the spiritual, magical, multidimensional, or anything else outside the realm of everyday normal, you've probably noticed a distinct uptick in weird feelings, strange nightmares, or daymares - hallucinations of scary things that are lurking just behind you.

You're not the only one who's noticed it.

There are rumors going around that the psychological and spiritual disturbances are due to the emergence or re-emergence of a deity. Some people say that it's something new that's come through the portal with the sharp increase in new arrivals recently, and others say it's simply an ancient spiritual presence or some ancient incorporeal monster that's been somehow awakened. Gramarye, the top-tier magic research center in Riverview Quarantine, has been studying anyone who's felt this presence, and have recently confirmed that whatever it is, it's being fed by all the extra energies and prayers and thoughts as the city's population increases. The one thing everyone agrees on is that, if the expanding community is feeding the entity, then the entity has got to go! Teams are being assembled across the city to travel into the Abandoned City or the forests outside the walls and look for anything like an abandoned temple that can be destroyed or that contains a relic that can be broken or pacified by a ritual. You're looking for something that will solve the problem, or for other evidence of a way to solve it. The mission might be dangerous, though - there are the usual dangers of venturing out into the wilds, but this time, characters may also face booby traps, spectral or physical guardians, and if the entity itself gets awoken? Someone will have to kill it.

The mission is open to multiple teams, multiple deities can be named (both made up or from characters' various canons), and there can be multiple outcomes. If you complete the mission in a TDM thread, and all characters involved are apped and accepted, you can submit the completed mission thread to the exploration page once you are in the game!

prompt ii: monster miscalculation

The problems the city is having this month are not just ethereal - there's something a little more scientific stirring up trouble. Recently, a large research company in the Quarantine has been trying to develop a monster repellent to provide to explorers who are traveling outside the walls, in hopes of protecting them from attacks. Unfortunately, the containment unit used to store the repellent - which is still in its experimental stages, not even yet tested on animals, let alone people - completely failed, leaking the experimental repellent into the environment around the facility. This facility is close enough to the wall that the repellent has permeated the groundwater and soil in the area and leeched underneath the fences.

Even more unfortunately, the repellent seems to currently have an almost opposite effect on monsters than its intended purpose. It's attracted the attention of a large colony of carnivorous plants that has thrived just outside the wall for decades, living by attacking fellow monsters that are dumb enough to try the fence in that area. Now, instead of going for other monsters, the plants are drawn to the failed repellent and are climbing the walls in search of the source, craving more of it. Residents have been asked to both help clean up the tainted soil by the wall and to fight the carnivorous plants in that area.

The carnivorous plants are in the form of vines ranging from the thickness of a pinkie finger to nearly half a foot thick, that grow incredibly fast, writhing together to form thicker tendrils. The leaves are about a foot wide at their largest and have stingers around the edge that cause a painful rash, and the flowers are large and red or orange, capable of spitting thick globs of acid that can cause burns ranging from very serious (red) to moderate or mild (orange or yellow-orange). They can be defeated especially well with fire, extremely strong pesticides, and edged weapons - vines do not grow back once they've been cut.

prompt iii: wark games

The carnivorous plants aren't the only ones feeling the effects of the spilled experimental repellent. Recently, an intrepid team went on a mission after hearing rumors of a type of monster outside the walls that might be able to be tamed and used as valiant steeds. The team was successful and the possible steeds, which turned out to be Chocobos!

So far, the Chocobos have been comfortably in training, learning how to wear saddles and carry people, but once they get a whiff of the repellent in the air, or gotten a taste of it in their water, they kind of go a little off the wall. Or, over the fence, as the case may be. Highly energized and unwilling to listen, Chocobos who have been exposed to the repellent will get free of their pens and start stampeding around the city. Citizens, it's time to team up to tame the wild Chocobos! Let the wark games begin!

prompt iv: attraction repellent

The local wildlife aren't the only ones affected by the experimental repellent spill. While at first they didn't think it had any effect on sentients, they're having to start reevaluating that particular theory, because residents are definitely feeling it. Whether they're inhaling it in a gust of wind that smells disturbingly of ozone, or sipping a glass filled from a tap in the area of the spill and tasting something like chlorine, it's getting into residents' systems.

Once ingested or inhaled, the repellent can have two effects on an affected character: an overaffectionate mood, or an anti-social mood. The effects can vary in type, swinging from affectionate to cranky and back again at the drop of a hat, and they can also vary in intensity and manifestation - it all depends on body chemistry, both within an affected character, and in the interactions between two characters. So whether or not your characters liked or disliked each other beforehand, maybe their chemistries are very compatible or not compatible at all, and feelings might be a little...out of the ordinary.

Affectionate moods can range anywhere from a casual 'I love you man' to romantic or even carnal ideation; anti-social ones can range from being nervous around crowds or other people to being outright aggressive with other people. The repellent does not remove inhibitions and characters are able to control themselves. Emotions might be heightened, but these effects should not be used to facilitate things that would normally be completely out of character. Please put content warnings in subject lines.

prompt v: friendr/network

Whether your character is posting up a silly word game to distract people from the dangerous mission going on, 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.

Code to post your character's bio is in the textbox below. An example of how it looks can be found here.

<br><center><table style="width:300px;"><tr style="border-bottom:1px dashed #528887;"><td></td> <td style="padding:20px; padding-bottom:0; width:300px; font:38px Helvetica, Tahoma, sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; color:#c4c4c4; text-align:center; letter-spacing:2px; background-color:#2a2a2a; border-top-right-radius:50px; border-top-left-radius:50px;"><b>Friendr</b></td> <td></td></tr> <tr><td style="font-size:70px; vertical-align:middle; text-align:right; padding:0; color:#528887;">«</td> <td style="background-color:#2a2a2a; padding:20px; padding-top:10px; padding-bottom:0; width:308px;"><img src="IMAGE URL - 300px WIDE OR LESS" style="border-radius:20px;"><br> </td> <td style="font-size:70px; vertical-align:middle; padding:0; color:#528887;">»</td></tr> <tr><td></td> <td style="background-color:#2a2a2a; font:12px arial; text-align:left; padding:10px;"><span style="color:#c4c4c4;"><b>» Age:</b> your character's age</span> <span style="color:#c4c4c4;"><b>» Seeking:</b> friendship/romantic/anything</span> <span style="color:#c4c4c4;"><b>» Preferences:</b> sexual preference or n/a</span> <span style="color:#c4c4c4;"><b>» Interests:</b> three interests</span> <span style="color:#c4c4c4;"><b>» Bio:</b> 30 words or less</span> </td></tr> <tr><td></td> <td style="text-align:right; font-size:10px; background-color:#2a2a2a;"><font color="#528887">base code by</font> <a href="http://photosynthesis.dreamwidth.org/" style="color:#528887;">photosynthesis</td></tr> <raw-code><tr style="border-bottom:1px dashed #528887;"><td></td> <td style="background-color:#2a2a2a;font:20px Helvetica, Tahoma, sans-serif; color:#c4c4c4; text-align:center;">Character Name</td> <td><td></tr><tr><td></td> <td style="border-bottom-right-radius:50px; border-bottom-left-radius:50px; background-color:#2a2a2a; text-align:center;"><table style="width:100%; font:30px Verdana;"><tr><td style="text-align:left;"> <span style="text-decoration:none; color:#528887;">« ✘</span></td> <td style="text-align:right;"><span style="text-decoration:none; color:#528887;">✔ »</span></td></tr> </table></td> <td></td></table></raw-code></center>
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.

prompt vi: wildcard

Choose your own adventure and do something else in the setting!

navigation
[jungle palace image is signed and was found on artstation.com]

Comments

Lup Taaco | The Adventure Zone

[umbrastaff]

II

Setting things on fire was Lup's deal, honestly. If it wasn't guns or magic missiles or whatever, fireball was a favorite. Setting plants on fire? Yeah, she could definitely do that, pointing towards a climbing vine and setting whole thing ablaze.

It might be wasting spell slots, but hey. What better way to suss out what people could do in this place? However fighting here also means that she's not fully looking what's around her, used to have Taako there to back her up - so when one of the yellow-orange flowers spit at her, Lup's swearing loudly and trying to hop out of her robe sleeve at the same time.

"Fuck! Shit, own, what the hell? Get off!" Frowning, she throws her half-off robe sleeve in a nearby person's direction. "Pull it!"

V @lightemup

[Oh look, it's Taako on the network again. Or...is it? Their hair is a little shorter (messier)and they're not wearing the telltale hat, instead wearing a set of red robes. Leaning over a bridge railing, Lup is trying to figure out how to use the network.]

This is pretty rad, honestly. So can people hear me now? Because damn I have a fucking treat for you guys.

[Okay, not Taako. Her voice a tiny less Taakoish.]

The weird people here kinda gave me a chance to chill for a while but if there's ever a light in the sky falling down you better believe shit's about to go down.

[She wiggles her fingers dramatically.]

So I only have two questions. Is my brother here (look at this face and multiply by one) and is there a human guy wearing jeans. Like, really blue fucking denim and a nerd look in general.

Tell 'em Lup's calling.

	Friendr
«		»
	» Age: Who the fuck knows » Seeking: Whatever » Preferences: Nerds » Interests: Exploding shit, magic, music » Bio: I'm the hotter twin. Greg Grimmaldis if you're here you still owe me 15 dollars!!
	base code by photosynthesis
	Lup Taaco
	« ✘ ✔ »

VI

Wildcard me babes!

[ooc: Icons are placeholders for now.]

v; @angela

[hevenly]

[ This is the second person to mention an important light. Curious. ]

There are many humans in jeans here. [ Says the looks-human-but-isn't wearing bright silver armor that looks very, very sharp. ]

[umbrastaff]

[It's hard to surprise someone that has been in so many different realities by now, but the pointy armor is damn cool.]

Sure. But how many of them are nerds?

[hevenly]

[ Have a blank look. ]

I don't know what that means.

[umbrastaff]

That's a side effect of being a nerd.

[hevenly]

[ Somehow Angela feels she ought to be offended. ]

What is a nerd?

u kno its a wildcard

[spellslots]

[Sometimes he thinks about Lup arriving her and feels like he'd just know, the moment she set foot on this moon, as if the air would change and he'd realize that he wasn't alone anymore. But it doesn't work like that, they're twins, not psychics, so when Taako turns a car we to see her, it catches him completely by surprise. She's just there, looking into the window of a nearby stall as Taako crosses the road without thinking, his legs working on instinct while his mind is reeling.

He wants to run, to slam into her and hold on and never let go, but there's a part of him that's scared she's not real, and if that's the case, he wants to hold onto this feeling for a tiny bit longer. All he can do is call her name, when he gets close enough to be heard.]

Lulu?

[Two syllables and he can't even keep his voice from shaking around them.]

♥♥♥♥

[umbrastaff]

[She looks away from the window at once when she hears his voice, grinning widely and waving at him. It was such a relief to see him here, because fuck, how could she even exist without her brother there?

The few couple of times they hadn't died together, it was torture to be without him.]

Hey doofus! [She calls out with a smirk as she starts walking towards him - however, the look on his face mellows her at once. Taako was upset. The closer she gets, the more concerned Lup looks, and she reaches out to touch her brother.]

Hey Koko, are you okay? Did... something happen?

im already upset

[spellslots]

[The touch breaks whatever spell was keeping him from closing the last distance between them, and as soon as she's real filters through his thoughts, Taako drop his (her) umbra staff and throws his arms around Lup's shoulders, pulling her into a crushing hug.

He should say something, logically he knows that she must be from an earlier cycle, that she doesn't know what's coning and that he shouldn't tell her, for risk of making it all worse, but he can't trust his voice. And even if he could, he's not sure he could lie to her. Right now, all he can do is hold onto the sister he hasn't seen for a decade that felt like a lifetime, and try not to cry.]

sob

[umbrastaff]

[Shit. Something really, really upset Taako and all she can do is hug him back, holding him close and letting him do whatever he needs to do. (Just like when they were small.) The last time he behaved like this, she's pretty sure she died and that was a fucked up thought in general.

Lup doesn't really say anything, letting him cling to her as much as he wants while she rubs his back and hums softly. It's not until she notices how hard he tries to not cry, that she decides to speak up - and gently tugs on one of his ears.]

Hey Taako, you're going to explode if you hold all that shit in. I'm the only one going to see it since you got all of you attached to me.

[spellslots]

[He hates crying, barring circumstances where he's doing it just to be an asshole, or to get himself out of something; but genuinely crying makes him feel like shit, all it results in is red eyes and a headache, without actually solving any problems.

But sometimes there's not much he can do to stop it, although Lup's words remind him that they're in public, and even if he's hidden against her, the last thing he's going to do is have this reunion where other people can see it.]

Hold on.

[Taako casts teleport, taking himself, Lup, and the dropped umbra staff back to his place, to the bedroom that's so obviously his, the chaos and contents of it couldn't belong to anyone but him.

He wants to keep hugging her, but he also wants to look at her, so she compromises by pulling back just enough to hold her face in his hands, looking at her like he hasn't seen her in years (he hasn't). The disguise self spell he uses to keep himself pretty is dropped, suddenly, because he doesn't know if he can put into words what's happened, since she's left, but the time that's passed is so much more obvious now.

And he looks so much less like her, something that hurts in ways he can't describe.]

[ video | un: jkent ]

[supersweet]

[ Oh. Jon shuffles, not sure what to do or say before hesitantly answering. ]

Uhm. Taako is here. And there are guys with jeans. I can . . . show you where he lives?

[umbrastaff]

[Oh look a kid.]

Oh I definitely found him kiddo, don't worry about it. Tell me about the dudes in jeans instead.

[supersweet]

All of them?

[umbrastaff]

The nerdiest one you can think of.

[supersweet]

My dad's pretty nerdy but he doesn't wear jeans.

friendr

[tutee]

[ Bill's friendr ]

are you the sky or the tree? maybe one of the clouds?

[umbrastaff]

I mean, I'd say I'm the sky if I had to pick.

Still learning about this thing.

[tutee]

the phone, you mean? or the concept of a dating app in general?

[umbrastaff]

Both? I mean, it's pretty complicated.

[tutee]

alright, well... do you need help figuring it out? I'm pretty good at this sort of thing.

swan dives in here; wildcard!

[scholiast]

(One of Lucretia's favourite things to do on quieter days is sit plaza-side and people watch, knees propped up, notebook in her lap. It's a nice day outside and there's plenty to see; she's taking careful note of the little things as she relaxes into her bench. She's doodling away when she spots her in the crowd and abruptly draws a line through her work in her haste to stand.

Lup? Is that Lup?

Lucretia is striding towards her before she realises she's moved at all, notebook and pen clutched in her hands, mind racing. Lup has her back to her, walking slowly away, head turning in different directions. Exploring, perhaps? What is she doing here?)

Lup– (she calls, cupping her hands around her mouth as she walks toward her, smile wide.)

♥♥♥♥

[umbrastaff]

[Lup was going to look at some clothes through a window, wondering if she should get something else than the red robes when a familiar voice called her name. Turning around, she beams at the sight of Lucretia and throws her arms up in a wave.]

Luce!

[She hurries over to the other woman, grinning.]

Taako said you were here!

:-)!! ♡

[scholiast]

Hey! (She beams as Lup comes bounding over, both astounded and absurdly happy to see her. Taako must be similarly pleased.)

Oh, I'm so glad you found him– when did you get here?

\o/

[umbrastaff]

Uh, like a day ago or something? I wasn't paying attention.

[Read: She was talking to Taako for hours, napped and talked again - and has no idea how long that took.]

How long have you been here? Are you doing okay?