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

[mercurio]

"Oh! Not much, really."

He's setting the bags down on the table and looking in his vest pocket for the card, handing it back to Ignis. Not a single scratch on it. He did well!

"I think Nate thought I was a little too hungry? Y'know, the guy at the counter. Nathan. Anyway, I paid with the gil notes you gave me."

Opening the bags, he pulls out boxes of McD's filled with chicken, burgers, apple slices in a container. "I got a premium coffee roast for you..." pulling out the cup from within the bag, he also pulls out a water bottle.

"Do you wanna try it? --did you know that they have Ebony in Niflheim?"

[cheffeur]

"Already on nickname basis, then? Good you were able to make a friend." But... perhaps this Nathan had a point. Prompto did look poorly off, at the moment. Not as though he was actively starving, but like he had certainly been through an ordeal. Still, this was frankly ridiculous. "Did he tell you anything about this place while you were conversing?"

He takes the card back, tucking it away and wrinkling his nose as Prompto starts laying out the number of small wrapped sandwiches, fries, an eerily-smiling box... then again, it wasn't as though he was expecting gourmet fare. Nut-- hey, more coffee.

"Thank you, Prompto. I appreciate the thought." And he will certainly drink a second, that is not even a question. He takes the cup closer to himself, as well as one of the sandwiches. It get set to one side, while he sets his notebook to his other hand, marking notes off on the page he had started earlier. He really is happier while keeping track of things and marking off goal progression, even if it's something as basic as 'get lunch' or, back home, 'give Sonia her frogs so they stop being so noisy in the boot'.

"And I was unaware that it was an international brand. I suppose I should have known that even the Empire could have a taste for good coffee." There's a short pause as he tries some of the coffee Prompto had brought him, before nodding his approval to it. "I take it you discovered this while there recently?" It's the beginning of an opening to talk about it, so he'll take it. "If I may ask... in your time, how long have you- we?- been in Niflheim?"

[mercurio]

For his part, Prompto's opened up the bottled water and is taking a long swig. He hasn't realized how thirst he felt all this time.

"Don't mention it," he intones at the same time he takes a chug of air, setting the bottle down and immediately heading for the chicken. "I'm guessing this is supposed to be like chickatrice? Looks similar enough..." He studies it a moment before biting down. It clearly tastes good, if the widening of his eyes in surprise is anything to go by.

He lets Ignis keep talking, humming or grunting at his words. "Nate didn't say much, by the way. Kinda ignored my lost tourist questions."

Greasy fingers collect some of the napkins, trying to clean up. It's a moot action, really, for he's happy to indulge in the chicken drumstick again, even if Ignis's attempt to open room for a conversation makes him pause.

"...dunno how long, honestly," at least, Prompto relents some information from wild, anxiety-ridden clutches. The warmness in Ignis's presence might have something to do with it, too. "It felt like days, but -- it's honestly all jumbled up in m'head to tell. Can't really answer if you guys made it there, either."

[cheffeur]

He hums quietly at Prompto's question, eyes flickering down in thought- and perhaps so as not to appear to be scrutinizing Prompto so much. He can't imagine the Empire to be very accommodating to their prisoners. Even if their Chancellor had been dubiously-helpful on occasion (always following it up with something decidedly less helpful, such as stealing their car-) that sentiment can't be popular amongst the world power that had been pressuring Lucis for years, tore down their wall, allowed daemons into their city, especially to a person who likely knew the location and plans of the Crown prince--

He's not aware of his grip tightening on the cup of coffee until his fingertips lightly crease the cup, and he relents. Prompto doesn't deserve anything the Empire could have done to him. That's a fate he and Gladiolus may have been prepared for-- but Prompto?

"...I see. Well, they can't keep you hidden from us too terribly long-- especially since you are now here." A pause, and he looked down at the greasy paper bags. "But even if that weren't the case, I don't think the Infernian himself could keep Noctis from dropping everything to steal you back." His lips curl into a wry smile-- even if he knows it's not the choice he might make, there was often very little able to dissuade their Prince.

"For instance- consider the lengths he went to just to appease Gladiolus's ridiculous love of those damned noodles. He has ten times the ferocity when it comes to the protection of his friends." A pause, and he finally takes one of the wrapped sandwiches himself, carefully peeling back the wax paper as though it might leap out and bite him. "...You especially, since you're the friend he chose."

[mercurio]

Prompto can't help the smile that seems to appease his entire expression when he hears Ignis trying his best at offering support and well-rounded advice. He really does appreciate it.

"...yeah," he speaks up softly, then lowers his head to bite down on the chicken, again. Chewing slowly, he seems to remember how thirsty he is, and picks up the water bottle to quench his thirst instead. "Noct's kind of an all-out guy."

Except-- Noctis's hurtful words, warping towards him and knocking him off the train. His mind supplies that it was somehow Ardyn's doing, but Prompto still can't help thinking there's some truth in it. He shakes his head and drinks some more water. It doesn't help when he stops to consider the truth about his origins, how even though he might feel okay with it, now (after tons of explosions, attempting to burn off his tattoo, and heartfelt conversations with Aranea), there's no telling how Noct will react. How -- Ignis will react.

Prompto has never been good at keeping his emotions hidden--not when he's not consciously thinking about it. His face falls, brow pinching and lips tightening into a thin line like any time he's decidedly clamping up, biting at the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from having an emotional outburst.

"That's--gotta count for somethin', right...?

[cheffeur]

He can't help the faint, fond smile at the mention of Noct's better qualities. He may be somewhat lazy and aloof at times, spoiled and entirely royal about things... but he has a good heart, a just sense of what's right, and a sheer want to do what's best for those around him. He nods at Prompto's assessment- that he's an 'all-out guy'.

"Indeed he is."

He's not sure what's troubling Prompto... but clearly something is. He'd almost forgotten how demonstrative Prompto is with his emotions, everything showing up as clearly as if it were actually written across his forehead. The taut pull at his expression and features, and for a moment, Ignis wonders if he had inadvertently shoved his own boot into his mouth. After all, he has no idea what Prompto's situation was before arriving, or what had lead to it. What his last impression was upon seeing the group, how he had been treated whilst a captive of Niflheim.

He can't help but worry it might have been himself calling for Noct to 'leave him'. It.... isn't outside the realm of expectation, after all. But then again, all this worry and concern seems more in regards to discussion of Noctis than about Ignis's own presence. So...

Really, its anyone's guess and impossible and useless to speculate on.

He leans in closer, reaching across to table to put a hand on Prompto's arm. Physical contact was reassuring, right? "Prompto, I assure you, it counts for everything. Noctis has never been known to willingly let go of what he considers his."

[mercurio]

Physical contact is reassuring, and Prompto appreciates it in more ways than Ignis could possibly imagine. It's been so long since he had contact that wasn't otherwise malicious or an antecedent to a threat.

He looks up, his features relaxing despite himself, and he nods at Ignis's words.

"Yeah, I know," and it's true. They're friends--best friends, a friendship that was built outside of obligation, instead found in common comfort and true comradeship that both of them had so painfully yearned for.

He feels somewhat uncomfortable under the scrutiny however, and so he raises his face towards the other, his left temple tilted downwards--hiding at the bruises he hasn't seen but knows are there, the cut he hasn't seen but which stings and throbs regardless.

"Don't worry about me, Iggy. When we find Noct--and Gladio, it'll all be cleared up. I'd rather just talk about it once, if it's okay."

He ends kind of sheepishly, biting at the chicken he had put down in favor for emotional outburst.