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

Petunia | Todd Allison & The Petunia Violet

[flowerclip]

A- Arrival

[Yeah, Petunia doesn't do the whole "blending in" thing very well at the beginning here. Once she's free she tears off through the mall, running at full-tilt all around trying to figure out where she is. America? Everyone has American accents, making her strong Australian one stick out like a sore thumb. Everything looks a little more advanced than she's used to.

Was it real? It can't be real. She brings her hand up and slaps her face as hard as she can, before doing the same to the other cheek.] Yeouch! [She claps her hands over her stinging face and crouches down in the middle of the mall, head tucked down low as she struggles to just breathe.]

That hurt, that actually hurt! How did I-- Where do I-- This can't be real! [She didn't want to accept it, her eyes full of tears as she sniffles and tries to get ahold of herself. Having a breakdown is embarrassing enough, but one in public? Perish the thought.]

B- Exploring the Mall

[Once she's calmed down, the mall is rather fascinating. She meanders in and out of stores, looking surprised and a little delighted by all the different things.]

This isn't so bad, I guess... [if they're stuck in a weird place like this, at least it's a nice place? If a bit weird, since no one seems keen to actually talk to her or acknowledge her at all.

But eventually she gets hungry and wanders to the food court, looking around at all the different food offerings. Her stomach growls loudly and she starts patting at her skirt, pulling out the pockets to find them.. Empty. Distressingly empty. The smile drops instantly from her face.]

How am I going to get money...? [She trails off, turning a depressingly longing look at the different stores]

C- Learn from the mistakes of others

[Standing near the glass was a mistake. She screams, one high, long note and flings herself backwards, tripping over herself and landing hard on the ground. She scrambles away, curling her knees to her chest and tries to focus on not hyperventilating. There's another strangled noise as the body is dragged away and she looks around, eyes wide and wild with alarm.]

What-- What was--!? What do we do!? We have to help-- [She cuts herself up abruptly, because even in her panicking she realizes there's nothing they could possibly do to help this situation.]

A-are we going to die here? A... A gun... We need w-weapons... [She can shoot a gun. She's killed before. But this was on a totally different level.]

A

[myorders]

[ Here's someone who doesn't have an American accent. She's quite concerned about Petunia as well. ]

Please, calm down. [ She tries to keep her tone light and reassuring. ] Are you hurt? Would you like me to take a look?

[ She isn't a doctor, but she can at least assess for any signs of injury. ]

[flowerclip]

Eep! [Petunia jumps up and back, her cheeks red from where she'd hit herself.]

I'm okay! I'm fine! [She speaks a little too loudly and a little too quickly to be convincing and very quickly after she looks defeated again. At least PEggy's accent is rather comforting--It makes her think of Todd Allison, though that in turn just makes her feel equally as crummy.

...Actually, now that she thinks about it, Petunia quickly looks around, brow furrowed] I'm just-- Lost. And I don't know where my friends are. Or- or if they're here at all? I don't understand anything that's happening.

[myorders]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. [ Peggy holds out a hand in what she hopes is a comforting gesture, not a frightening one. ]

If you're certain that you're fine, then that's good, at least. [ She's of the opinion that the more healthy and able-bodied people they have, the better. ] I believe we all are lost here. I don't know where my friends are either, but I do hope that for all of their sakes, they are not here.

As for what's happening, your guess is as good as mine. I do think, however, we should attempt to explore this place, both to see if there are others around and to see if there are any useful items.

[ Such as a gun. Peggy really doesn't like being unarmed in this situation. ]

[flowerclip]

[Petunia goes quiet to listen, at least, taking a few breaths to calm herself down.]

Y...Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea. [She tries to remember that things that little screen in the machine had said]

That, uh, thing said this was... America? And... 2007? But that can't be right. I was in Australia. And it was 1921. Is 1921.

[myorders]

That is very strange. For me, I was in New York, but the year was 1946, not 2007.

I don't understand how any of this is possible.

[flowerclip]

[Petunia stares at her feet for a long moment, trying to come up with some kind of theory that would make sense.

At length she offers weakly:] Kidnapped by aliens...?

b

[generalstudies]

[Hitoshi was getting pretty good at spotting the people who were like him. They actually seemed to look at things. They showed little twitches of emotion, whether it was some sort of wonder or some sort of distress. His job is to stay at the counter and serve people who come up.]

[Well, if he tells someone to come up, it's just advertising, right?]

Hey. [So, the cashier at Auntie Anne's waves her over.] Come here. I don't have a line right now.

[Not that it really mattered when he had a line. The coded people had started repeating orders at some point. If he was stuck here longer he'd probably start memorizing the orders and being able to do this in his sleep. God, that sounded nice. Sleep.]

[flowerclip]

Uh. [She sort of automatically moves to step up to his register, on autopilot when called out to like that.

Now that she is "in line" (can it really be called that when there's nobody else?), it doesn't seem like anyone else is too keen on approaching. She watches at the NPC-types just kind of wander around, giving them plenty of space.] So weird...

[Oh right. She turns a guilty look to Hitoshi, fidgeting a little with a sheepish smile] I, uh... I can't really... I'm kinda wasting your time, I'm not really that hungry-- [She says, just as her stomach growls loudly again.

She falls silent and then laughs, high and nervous. She's been poor enough to practically be dumpster-diving, but it doesn't make it easy to just flat-out admit she has no money to a stranger]

[generalstudies]

[It's not even like he tried to use his quirk, it hardly worked here anyways, but it's nice to have someone actually come up to him. And this was definitely just another person stuck here, like him.]

You can't be wasting my time when you're the only one in line. Let me do my r- [There's that stinging pain again, enforcing the idea to not talk about roles and not shatter the illusion] job.

Just tell me what you want, okay?

[If she'll reply to that he will activate his quirk- but since there's no actual sway it won't actually be anything near brainwashing. Instead, Petunia'll just get a feeling that she should definitely tell this teenager what she wants. Whether she trusts that gut feeling or not is up to her.]

[flowerclip]

I- I mean, I guess, but-- [The compulsion to order, though, is strong, and she doesn't have any means to really fight against it. She claps her hands together with a smile that's partly sheepish, partly hopeful]

But, I really want one of those pretzel dogs! It looks really good! [Immediately Petunia claps her hands over her mouth and winces at herself] But... I don't have any money... I must've, uh, left my wallet at... home?

[In. Australia?? Did she have a home here or was she going to be stuck sleeping somewhere in the mall? Petunia sighs deeply, looking mildly defeated under the weight of all this weirdness and uncertainty]

[generalstudies]

[His job was to be a store clerk, right? And for every person that walked up he'd say some lines, make some small talk that bounces harmlessly off their programs, and give them something. Technically speaking, did it really even matter if he took money?]

[He's betting it doesn't. That seems like the sort of thing that might slip under the radar.]

Right, one pretzel dog. [tap, tap]

And your price will be... [a number does pop up on the screen, but:] Anything you can hand me. [Which, uh, hopefully she gets the drift of any doesn't assume anything weird about that comment. No exploitation or anything just literally- hand him something so he can make this "look official."]

[flowerclip]

[She looks like she's about to keel over from a heart attack when he starts putting in the order anyhow. She splutters and stammers a protest--didn't he hear her, she forgot her wallet!--before her protests stop dead at the 'price.'

She makes an oh-so-intelligent 'bwuh?' noise and stares at him.] Anything? [Thankfully she doesn't take it in some perverse manner, but she has to stop and think of what she has that she can hand over.

She has a feeling that's definitely not what popped up on his register either, and though a part of her bristles at the idea of charity, she reasons with herself that it's not really if she's trading something for it.]

Um. [She reaches up and removes her hat, smoothing out her hair with her free hand as she holds it out.] Will this do? [She loves her hat but she loves food more. And she can always get another.]

C

[yorozuya]

[He was so close...

The tips of his fingers brushed the edge of the quarter that had been long forgotten under the vending machine. His knuckles curve and... no luck. The coin doesn't budge. Gintoki groans and presses his cheek into the bottom grate of the vending machine just a little more, wincing against the pressure as he stretches and tries again.

He makes contact with the coin. More solid contact...!

And then a woman's scream has him jerking his body out from under the small space, scraping his arm as he forces himself to his feet.

A quick scan of the area, and his eyes catch the splatter of gore on the glass doors. He catches a glimpse of a darkened tendril as it raked the remains away. And as the sight fades into the fog that swirls outside, Gintoki slowly approaches the young woman who had been floored by the sudden onset.

There's a sympathetic look to his gaze.]

Not sure we got any weapons in here that's gonna cut it, y'know? Gotta have a little more planning than that.

[flowerclip]

[Petunia looks sharply at him, then to the windows, then back again.]

But... But something is better than nothing. We can't just... sit here and wait for them to eat us! [He's probably right though, that they should plan this out a little more since Petunia's just running on 'get weapon, beat the thing to death.' ]

Isn't this America? There should be somewhere selling guns, right?

[yorozuya]

[The man stands next to the woman, holding out his hand in an offering to help her back to her feet. His head tilts to the side as he look outside once more. The mist billows like smoke, swirling and rising... and yet it doesn't dissipate. He didn't quite remember it being so thick the last time he'd looked outside...

Was it getting worse?]

We got better luck fortifying in here than running straight into their jaws tho, y'know? [The albino's brows raise for a second and he offers the woman a shrug.] Ya really think a gun is gonna do much against whatever is out there? ... Though I think I saw a store with some hunting stuff. Maybe that's your best bet?

[flowerclip]

[It takes her a few seconds, but she eventually accepts the hand and pulls herself to her feet, feeling a little wobbly but able to stand on her own after a moment.]

I-- [he's right, she knows it, but she still feels like protesting for some reason. It doesn't seem right to just let it go like that.]

I know you're right, but... I feel so useless like this... I at least know how to use a gun, so-- So if something does break through, I can protect people with that. I can at least try.

[yorozuya]

[Nothing's quite right about this whole situation. First they're thrown into some poor excuse for a game, and then they're expected to sit and wait for some sort of resolution at the bidding of those they're 'entertaining'...

It all hits a sour note, which was precisely why Gintoki has spent most of his time simply fortifying and playing up his other role. It's easier to tackle one issue at a time and all that-]

Yeah? You want to protect the people around you, huh? [He mulls it over for a second before nodding.]

Can't argue with that. C'mon, I'll show you were I saw some guns. But I need a favor from you too, think you can manage?

[Besides, they should try to put some distance between themselves and those doors. Seeing that little bit of activity has him aptly spooked.]

[flowerclip]

[A favor from her? That's entering some suspicious, possibly dangerous territory and her eyes narrow suspiciously. In her head is her brother's voice screaming at her to never accept a deal without knowing the full parameters of said deal, but she firmly ignores it. This is more important.]

Okay. I'll do my best! [SHe looks oh-so determined and serious about this too] What do you need?

A

[kiseijuu]

[ Shinichi has no set destination in mind as he...all but creeps around the mall. Everything's completely bizarre -- he's in some location based on some American city apparently, in the past. He's certainly no stranger to extremely bizarre occurrences, but this.. this takes some kind of cake.

And he has no idea where to go. He's just sort of carefully meandering his way throughout various shops, because he was told to survive, and he doesn't really know what that entails. Survive..what, exactly? Well, one thing's for sure. Being out in the open in a largely abandoned mall feels like being hunted. He's slowly moving around a large directory sign, when he hears a Yeouch!

Instantly, the young male ducks behind said sign, crouching down. His eyes are wide and frightened as he slowly peers around the sign... and there's a girl not too far from his position, crouching down right in the middle of the space, with her head down. She doesn't fit the mold of the odd people he's encountered so far. Perhaps...could she be in the same position as him?? He can't leave her like this if that's a possibility. ]

Psst--! [ He hisses over to her, gesturing with one hand, his voice an urgent whisper. They look like two people crouching in war trenches, in the middle of a...mall. Which would almost be a comical sight, if this wasn't all so horrific. ] Are you all right?

[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]

[kiseijuu]

[ Shinichi's eyebrows lift as she reacts to him -- she definitely isn't like those people! -- scooting back to make room for her behind the sign. They....probably aren't even that well-hidden. Regardless, he's maintaining the frenzied whispering as well. ]

I'm like you! I have no idea, this is.. this is insane! There's no way we're in America... in 2007! It has to be some sort of prank, right? [ He glances around the sign and then darts back as one of the odd people meander close, then turn right back around. It sure as hell doesn't feel like a prank.. and he's worrying his lower lip nervously as he looks back to her. ]

Do you have your phone on you...?

[flowerclip]

It has to be! Like, um... L-like we were kidnapped! And brought here as a big joke! Ahha-- haha! It's something Cyril would totally do... Do you know Cyril? [Cyril would definitely do this as a joke, Petunia is pretty sure. Why he'd do it is a totally different thing, but...

She looks around anxiously, but whips her head around to give him a puzzled look at the question.]

A... phone? Why would I be randomly carrying a phone with me? It's not like I know how to set one up either! [What crazy talk! Did she look like someone who could plug all those wires in and get a phone set up? Please.]

Apologies for the slowness!!

[kiseijuu]

Cyril... [ Shinichi searches anything he knows about the name, rather desperately grasping for straws, but -- it's completely unfamiliar. ] I don't know anyone named Cyril. [ Admittedly, he's wondered if this might be some sort of government thing... and he's certainly a candidate for getting nabbed by the authorities. But brought to a shopping mall? Told to survive? Nothing adds up. And what's the deal with Migi being so weak? ]

You don't know how to set one up? [ That distracts his attention for a minute (his voice dropping once more to a whisper when one of the creepy NPCs makes a close round near their hiding spot).] Did you get one of the latest models? They're confusing, right...? Activating them is never as easy as tech support tells you it will be.

[ ...Because even when on the run in a freaky shopping mall, it's never a bad time to complain about technology. And he hasn't really... grasped that not everyone here is from the year 2018. So he's patting his jacket pockets for emphasis of how empty they are. ] Mine was gone from my pocket when I woke up!

np!

[flowerclip]

I don't-- What?

[Petunia just looks more confused, though she cringes and claps her hands over her mouth when the npc comes too close. But said NPC ignores them completely and just walks away. Petunia sighs deeply.]

What are you talking about? Nothing you're saying is making sense! You can't carry a phone in your pocket!