Test Drive

[uploadedmods]

TEST DRIVE 001


-TDM threads can be considered game canon if players involved agree & if it suits any roles you may decide to choose for the current plot.
-Any reserving player that does not submit an app by Saturday morning will be subject to challenging applicants.
-Participation in the Test Drive is worth a flat 10 points per month rather than per thread, and you must have a minimum of 5 comments in that month to qualify for it.
-This TDM is good for the duration of the Mist setting. A new TDM will go up before the next setting.

The NETWORK for this setting is a voice-only walkie talkie system that can be used to communicate between all locations. The default channel will be open to all walkie talkies, but characters can change to an unused channel for private conversation.
of note: There seems to be something strange about these walkie talkies, in that there is no static. The quality is disturbingly crystal clear, like the person you're speaking to is right next to you instead of miles away.

CONTENT WARNING: Some prompts contain gore, character death, and substance abuse.

Reserves will open on Saturday, September 8 until Saturday, September 15
Applications will open Saturday, September 15 until Saturday, September 22

General Prompts


The lights above you are a blindingly, pristine white. The walls around you curve up into the ceiling like the inside of an MRI machine. Your hands, feet, and midsection are strapped to a clinical table, and minutes seem to tick by, with no clear course for escape presenting itself to you.

The curved white space above you flickers with color, and a perfect square like a television screen expands before your eyes. It pans over what appears to be a town, something small and simply populated.

“Hello, and welcome to your first setting,” a neutrally cadenced feminine sounding voice begins, riding the line between human and machine. As she speaks, captions of the text type themselves in neat and perfect Arial font. “The location is loosely based off Bridgton, Maine, United States of America, Earth. The year is 2007. You have been selected to participate. Obedience ensures an enjoyable and immersive experience for our audience. If you have been granted a role, instructions will follow. Do not talk about the role. Do not attempt disobedience. If you have not been granted a role, your objective for this round is simple: survive.”

After that, the shackles may release promptly and allow your character to roam free. Or perhaps not — perhaps they've been given a role to play, and if so, further instructions will play out upon the screen. Once suitably briefed, characters will be released to their own devices. Beware the mist.

CHECK OUT THE CURRENT SETTING PAGE FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE LOCATION.

learn from the mistakes of others

A pair of unperturbed mall inhabitants decide to chance the mist. They're the first of a handful to trickle out the front doors, and they seem to get by just fine. About a minute ticks by, and they disappear completely into the dense fog that presses in from every direction. It's so anticlimactic that for a moment it almost seems stupid to feel uncomfortable by the sight of it.

Until precisely one half of a body is hurled abruptly and with great force from an indeterminate point in the obscurity. It's not a top half or a bottom half; no, it's a cleanly sliced left half, head to toe as though a neat line were cut down the middle. It slams into the transparent glass doors and crumples before them, still and obviously unmoving, slowly leaking.

After a few seconds, a dark tendril of something reaches out, curls around the jutting left ankle, and drags it with painstaking slowness back into the fog.

At least the rest of them probably made it, right?

Right?

Hopefully you weren't one of the others to follow their lead. If you were, that dark shape seems to be closing in awfully quick.

eff this, let's bounce

A pair of car keys can be found discarded or perhaps dropped in their owners' haste. Braving the mist when it's at its lightest and pressing the key fob will cause a car to beep politely, flashing lights to indicate its location in the fog. Take anyone willing to go with you and pile in. Try to get the hell out of dodge!

An excellent idea....

Within five miles of the car's journey the battery will die and the engine will stall. Consider yourselves effectively stranded and with no one but yourselves to blame. Perhaps help will come if you wait long enough? Hours, surely no more than a few days... Maybe you should consider braving the fog to get back? Five miles can feel like a hundred in conditions like these.

Either way, it seems like you're trapped in the car for about as long as R. Kelly got trapped in the closet during that one unfortunate CD.

radio chatter

Characters in the library and the church will be able to communicate via walkie talkie radio chatter immediately! Characters in the mall will not have this ability until later in the month, so any network style threads with a mall character will take place during Week Two of the October plot or later, after most people have already been fully introduced to the setting and given time to adapt.

Roles

Employee of the Month (Multiple)

Some characters will be printed wearing a designated kiosk uniform, their name sloppily stickered in slightly crooked letters onto a Dippin' Dots badge, or whatever store they may happen to be assigned to. The cool voice that introduces them to the mist will carry on to tell them that they'll be playing employee # _____ in this month's immersive experience. Their motivations and objectives are simple: go to work.

Except the role seems to be bugged, because they can never not go to work. If they leave the five or six foot radius of their designated post they'll begin to experience consequences, which worsen in severity based on distance and duration. The role doesn't end at mall closing, it doesn't end on Saturdays, it simply doesn't end. Hopefully next month's code push will have a bug fix; we apologize for the inconvenience.

(If choosing to keep these threads as game canon, the role will wear off within the first in-game week)

Aggravated Assault

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing the role of a CONVICTED FELON having recently been released on parole. Your motivation for this month's immersive experience is frustration. Having undergone hard time, you'll find that we have increased your aggression and temper characteristics, and lowered your inhibitions. Your objective is to find and begin an altercation with Snuff the Rooster, who will be playing the role of the person who turned you in, NARK. Your altercation must take place in a public space with witnesses, and may not stop until Snuff the Rooster is unconscious, evicted from the mall, or someone intervenes.

Thank you for your participation!

Consequences for not completing the objective in this role can be moderate to severe.

Snuff the Rooster

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing the role of NARK. Formerly a close friend and ally of CONVICTED FELON from Aggravated Assault, you were quick to roll on them during police questioning in exchange for your freedom. Your motivation is to turn over a new leaf, and get your shit together. Your objective is to survive the altercation.

Thank you for your participation!

The Lovers (Duo Role)

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing one half of a partnership role! Please seek out (character 2). Your motivation this round is love, and the need to protect your partner from threats both inside and outside of the mall. Your objectives is to greet your lover with a kiss and place them above all others. Do not act like strangers.
Consequences for not completing the objective in this role or failing to present a convincing couple can be mild to moderate.

Pathological

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing a background character in our current setting. Your motivation is to tell lies; at least one third of what you say must be unarguably untrue. Your objective is to keep these lies from being discovered as false.
Consequences for not complying with this role can vary from mild to severe, with the compulsion to tell larger and larger lies growing as time goes on.

Scared Speechless

Congratulations, participant! You will be playing a background character in our current setting. You may choose one person, stranger or otherwise. This is the only person you may communicate with, either verbally or through writing.
Consequences for not complying with this role are severe.

Glitches

potency error

Someone seems to have miscalculated the relative strength of intoxicants; all inhibition-altering substances seem to have been cranked up to eleven. One shot has the strength of three, though the taste seems to stay exactly the same. One or two drinks will quickly creep up on you. One of the joints found discarded in the bathroom trashcans will easily green you out. God forbid you've got anything stronger.

greatest movie of all time

Settling in to the relatively nice theater found at the far end of the mall is a decent way to make the time go by. The projectors are automated, and there are six different theaters that show flicks at scheduled times.

Except that every single one of them is showing Spider-Man 3. Every single one, every single showing, no matter what is advertised, becomes Spider-Man 3. That's how you know this is a horror game. Hope you didn't wander in by mistake because the doors will shut behind you and leave you to watch the entire showing. Please keep your feet off of the seats.

please replace toner cartridge

It seems there was an error in printing someone this first time around; everything came through but the visuals somehow. Your character is flesh and blood, fully formed, wearing tangible clothes even, but are completely invisible. Donning additional clothing causes it to clip out and then promptly disappear. Taking clothes off will cause them to reappear. Hopefully this gets fixed in the next lite patch.

(If choosing to keep these threads as game canon, the glitch will wear off within the first in-game week)

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[codominant]

[luckily for her (or perhaps unluckily), ya boy seems to oblivious and immune to awkwardness, and only glances at her heated face for a moment, not in the least suspecting a genre switch so much as he wonders if exposure to the mist is somehow fever-inducing; he squirreled away an nsaid with his belongings earlier in the day, maybe he should — ]

[oh]

Is it? [he just sees it as pragmatism, and he drops the clothing to leave her hand tucked into the fabric, his own pressing against the glass in preparation to exit]

Then I'll protect you. [obviously.]

[officerzeppelin]

Dean was mid-nod, halfway through agreeing that a sword would be handy, when he caught himself.

“Your sword?” Starving and peril and Spider-Man aside, Dean was intrigued. “You have much use for one usually?” If Diana was some kind of warrior or something, he was in luck. Sure it was great fun to save the girl, but he had just been wishing for Lara Croft to come to his rescue. Maybe his wish had been granted.

[unshielding]

He wants to argue, but they're wasting time. There could be people out there who need their help, so instead, he opens the door and holds it for her once they get to it.

"After you."

The worst part of them both being invisible is that he won't be able to keep an eye on her. Maybe she's just as capable as he is, but he still wants to have her back. They don't know what's out there, but he can't imagine that it's human or easy to deal with.

[flowerclip]

Eep! [Petunia flinches and falls back onto her butt. The guy gesturing to her seems to be in much the same position as her, and after a moment she crawls over on hands and knees to him and his sign.

The NPCs meander around, completely ignoring this weird display going on right in front of them.]

You're not one of them? [She's whispering too, even though they're like right next to each other now] What's going on? Where are we? Is this really America? It can't be 2007 though, right!? [SHE'S GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS]

[codominant]

[the mature speech and dress don't register as strange to him when he's been so disconnected from his peers in the first place — he himself seems to act beyond his berth, though not with as good a reasoning as the doctor]

[still, quirks in his world make all kinds of people behave in all kinds of ways, and he'd rather take the assistance at face value]

A more appropriate word is "tether". [pointedly... he's not a dog]

Do you have a belt on? If we link two, we can probably hook the end around that pole there. [a gesture to a thin column that stands in support at the entrance, and he looks to him expectantly]

a

[gotyourselfapilot]

[ Poe had been watching and observing in the back of the group. Something felt off when that dark shape came in. Maybe Amilyn Holdo hadn't seen it. He's not afraid to speak his mind when times call for it. However, trouble seemed to find them first or the group that had gone out before them.

After a few more moments of watching the fog, he finally steps forward towards her. He's looking slightly downward at first while rolling his jaw a little to get what he really wants to say to her. Poe pulls his full attention on Amilyn as he speaks. ]

I don't think going out there will be a great idea. It may end up becoming a suicide mission. [ On Crait it certainly would have been. Poe though wouldn't let her go alone if she were determined enough to go out into the fog. ]

There's something out there. Do we really risk going now not knowing what we could be dealing with?

[unshielding]

Steve closes his eyes and pictures it with all his will. His breaths are slow and focused as he puts all of his energy into the effort, but moments later he's still just as invisible.

"I don't suppose you saw me flicker or anything, did you?" It's probably too much to expect it. Normally, he'd be a little more optimistic about the whole thing, but he's just been through the wringer before waking up here. He's not giving up, but there might be bigger problems to focus on right now.

Questions like where are they? What brought them here? How can they get back to where they were? Is any of it even real?

[freightcars]

He can only shake his head at I don't know, because he hadn't really expected Steve to have the answers. It was too bizarre, too nightmarish and- frankly, if Steve knew what they were up against he'd probably have some kind of batshit plan they'd be headed for instead of lazily rolling through town streets.

By contrast, though, Steve's question earns him a look until Bucky remembers he... doesn't actually have any point of reference to look at, so his eyes drop and his head ducks a little. He swallows. This whole thing would be a hell of a lot easier if he could read Steve's expression.

"Everything," He mutters darkly. He's always been the perceptive sort, always keep to silently watch and make observations on things, fill in blanks, draw conclusions. Steve is a gaping absence like he's never been before, and it leaves Barnes feeling unsettled. Anchorless and adrift.

Speaking of adrift. The car's interior lights flicker, the headlights flicker, and then in a sort of clunking noise it dies, rolling to a stop in the middle of the street.

What... the hell?

[flowerclip]

I mean. What if I fall and just bring your pants down with me? [This is a legitimate fear okay it could happen.

Oh. That's...a bold statement. She blinks, feeling equal parts pleased and skeptical.] You don't even have a weapon with you.

[unshielding]

A good ghost, I hope.

[ If his heart isn't in the joke, he says it anyway. He's momentarily distracted from his own relentless search for tools when he sees the man's collecting first aid supplies, though. It's a smart move and it says a lot about his character. Steve smiles, even if it can't be seen. ]

My name is Steve Rogers. I'm usually visible.

[unshielding]

Hilarious.

[ He crosses his own invisible arms and he hopes that she can picture it. ]

Do you think anyone else is here?

[ They'd been in Wakanda. Bucky had just--He cuts off the thought. Not now. He can't deal with that now. He has to push through it. Later, he can deal with it. ]

Who else is still alive?

[outwear]

Sam wanted to tell Dean for the umpteenth time that he didn't have a problem with meat, but he knew that it was never a good enough answer for his brother; the only suitable option for the younger Winchester's food woes, according to the older Winchester, was more meat. Which is exactly why Sam received the largest steak in the house.

Holding the hefty package in his hand, Sam scrunched his eyebrows at his brother. "And I should just start a fire in the hall to cook this, or what?" he asked. He could imagine Dean confiscating a grill from Sears, but all Sam could think about was how crappy it would be if things, as they were apt to do, went awry, and the mall burned down around them. No escaping the mist then.

"Anyway, I don't have—" He read the side. "—forty-two fifty to pay for this thing and the sign on the door says they don't accept plastic, so..." But he was getting the tea, so he placed the packed meat back on the counter and waved an apology at the clerk.

[middlechilde]

"Not on a day-to-day basis," Diana admitted, running her palms along the door to see if there was any kind of hidden catch. It wasn't exactly breaking the Masquerade to talk about carrying a sword. Just common decency. But to be perfectly honest, she wasn't sure the Masquerade or common decency had much place in this situation.

She lacked any kind of schema for it whatsoever.

The door was useless.

Diana turned to face Dean again, giving him a grim little shake of her head. "Took up fencing when I was younger." She must have been in her eighties at that point. Maybe even her seventies. "Really useful for scaring off the skeezoids at the club."

And she tried to make that sound like a joke.

at the mall having fun is what it's all about

[agereversal]

[The sporting goods store is stocked with anything anyone could want. Including a blue-haired teenage boy with black nail polish and too many ear piercings and a lab coat, holding a hunting rifle like he's not sure which end to point where as he studies it.

His gaze flicks over to the other man, studying him.]

The tents are that way. [Love offers, pointing the muzzle of the gun casually in the general direction of tents.]

[mightyboy]

[Ugh, so much for not causing a panic...Think, Izuku!]

Uh, but how is the church? Do you have supplies over there?

[relieable]

S-supplies? [ah, his voice cracked. he clears his throat] Ahem, I mean. I think we're okay so far? But what kind of supplies?

C

[outwear]

[ Sam has somehow found his way to a walkie talkie, and while he misses more modern tech, there is a certain nostalgic element that he can't seem to shake about it.

He listens to the message and then presses the button on the side to reply. ]

Hey, Diana. I'm Sam. Winchester. As in... [ ... ] Winchester.

Listen, I don't know exactly what's happening, but it seems like there are pockets of us around and none of us have seen Alan Funt or his camera crew. Over.

Valerie Valentine § OC

[verbo]

learn from the mistakes of others

Really?

[ Hands on her hips, Val seems more annoyed than startled by the display of gore. Of course, those were mooks, so to speak. Disposable ones to teach the others a lesson. Or to make them despair, maybe. She won't claim to be an expert but she's seen enough weird stuff to have an idea. Whatever the case, the fog wasn't giving her any good vibes before and it certainly isn't doing a better job at it now. ]

All that's lacking is a siren alarm and some red lights to really set the atmosphere, but I guess that would be too much on the nose?

[ While she's not talking to anyone in particular, she looks around. She's still kinda speaking to her reflection and that's maybe kinda weird. ]

Still gotta find a way out, I guess.

the lovers

[ Val stares at the name of the person she's supposed to be paired with for the millionth time. ]

Either somebody's a voyeur or there really needs to be a talk about interpersonal interactions.

[ She walks aimlessly, not in a hurry at all to find her designated soulmate. If anything, she's apparently fulfilling that part of her role, so nothing negative seems to fall upon her. Yet. It's enough for Val to hope she doesn't run into her "partner", but she's not that lucky. Still, she does take the time to inquire with whoever she finds if they are the ones she's supposed to be with. ]

Is this your name on the paper? I'd rather you say no regardless but I guess we don't really have that much freedom.

greatest movie

It's amazing how despite the fact we're facing a very real chance of horrible, gruesome dismemberment by unknown misty horror, the fact I accidentally got stuck here twice it's starting to make me consider choke on my popcorn.

[ Dammit Raimi, how did he get away with this? ]

At least there is popcorn, so hope is not lost.

wildcard

[ heyoooo Val is a regular teen tasked to "hold" some pretty strong divine power because circumstances, but she has no intention to do anything out of the ordinary. She comes from a world plagued with weird stuff so she's fairly genre savvy, so to speak. Do feel free to find her anywhere, probably being snarky and mildly exasperated. ]

[mightyboy]

No! You're not listening to me! [How was this woman so strong?! She had such a petite frame, but he nearly stumbled forward when she pulled at his arm. Izuku digs his heels in, but he feels like if she really tried, even that wouldn't be enough to stop his movement. If only he could use One For All...!]

You're panicking, but you have to listen! [Says the boy three seconds from having his bones possibly shatter] Please! Listen to me! There is no one hurting me, no one is coming for me, but if you make me leave this booth, then I will get hurt!

[He reaches out--arm screaming in protest--and grabs one of the poles from the hair display. Hopefully that would be enough to stall for time if his feet failed.]

The only way to stop it from happening again is if I stay within fifteen steps of this kiosk, or the simulation-- [Another crack--and suddenly Izuku's ring finger is the same color purple as his pinky, a gust of wind the only indication that anything had happened. It hurts, like it had when he was unable to control One For All--but his grip remains firm on the pole.]

--just! Trust me, okay! [He speaks through gritted teeth, wincing.]

[middlechilde]

[Someone who knows Alan Funt? Attention must be paid.]

Too bad, I always wanted to be on TV.

[If the amusement sounds forced, well, it kinda is. But Diana can't let the full depression of their situation sink in. She won't let herself, or anyone she can help.

So she rallies herself.]

Nice to meet you Sam Winchester.

Over.

[protagonized]

[Simon doesn’t know where to look, so he winds up addressing a spot about five feet from Cap’s head. Sorry, Cap.]

Simon O’Neill.

[This is so bizarre.]

Is there a reason why you’re, uh, not visible?

[shikomizue]

[Weight against his chest draws into focus how unsteady Takasugi's breaths have remained. He's no longer heaving silently for air, but his jaw is tense. Inhaling in what he can through taut lips.

His shoulders roll, spine arching in defiance of her position.

Not to mention her method of staking claim.

Blood supplanted by saliva, Takasugi keens his head away from the girl's lavish indulgence. Not far enough to dislodge her, simply enough to make his displeasure known.]

Like what you taste? [It's uncomfortable, but he's yet to meet a monster quite so intimately here.

His hand hasn't drifted to his knife. Yet.]

[shikomizue]

[The parameters of the "game" they've been thrust into are the whims of their enemies. Haughty creatures - human or alien, it doesn't matter - who don't realize the danger of what they're devising.

All stories have villains - a role Takasugi had chosen for himself long before any disembodied master had tried to thrust one upon him.

He's not equipped enough to destroy the system, but there are still ways to rebel.

Takasugi approaches the stalwart child, coming nearly shoulder to shoulder with him to peer around his blockade. There's nothing out there but mist...]

Are you going to be able to stop me every time? [A question they both know the answer to. A taunt.]

no ragrets

[agereversal]

[Taklamakan Strange Love doesn't have a name or face that's easily forgotten, and thankfully, neither does "Hawks", his newly assigned boyfriend.

Actually though, Love almost misses the guy. Humans all smell basically the same to him, and even after decades on Earth he forgets to just use his eyes when he's distracted. It's the wings that he notices, the little flutter of feathers off the stranger's back. Then the hair, and the appearance in general.

Great.

Love sighs, and then slides down onto the bench next to Hawks. He usually can't be bothered to act, even after centuries on the run, but he also doesn't like the idea of vague consequences.]

There you are. [He says, watching the other man with more curiosity than affection. If he's going to get punched for being too familiar, it's probably going to happen now, as he tangles his fingers with his "lover's".

Hopefully Hawks doesn't mind a middle school kid with too many earrings and a lab coat getting into his personal space.]

[mightyboy]

Well, we've been through a lot together so far. [And really, Izuku was grateful for them. There weren't many people who were lucky enough to say they had someone to trust their life with, let alone several. They had gone through training together, danger together--nearly died together a few times. Those things had only made their bond stronger--and their wits wiser.

Strange situation or not, they could make it work if they could depend on each other.]

I'm lucky to have them looking out for me. [Especially with him being unable to do much besides sit and think--but Todoroki and Kacchan would keep their eyes out in his stead.

And it wasn't like he was alone in his thoughts.] But we're looking out for you too, Shinsou. We're all students of UA, right? [General studies or not, they had all gone to the same school with similar dreams, right? And Shinsou...his dreams resonated with Izuku, even if he couldn't tell the other why.] We'll get through it together!