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Test Drive

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's sort of funny to see her panic. A bit of a smirk creeps onto his lips without really thinking about it. Even though he is just honestly trying to help. He's trying to but he wouldn't be surprised for anyone to take it the wrong way and assume something strange was happening.]

[She catches on, though.]

Let's find out. [He takes the hat, pops open the cash drawer and... alright. There's no headache. There's no sick feeling in his stomach. As of right now, it seemed fine. Well, next step is to hand over that dog.]

Looks like that's a fair enough price so far. [What is he going to do with a hat? Who knows. Maybe he can trade it to whoever's trapped at the Jamba Juice or something.]

[Petunia watches anxiously and then makes a relieved noise when it seems to go through. Somehow. She takes the pretzel dog with unrestrained delight, like he's just handed her some priceless treasure.]

Thank you so much! You have a pretty scary sort of face so I was wasn't sure at first, [THANKS PETUNIA] but you're a really nice guy! I'm so glad!

My name's Petunia. Petunia Elkwood!

[IT'S FINE... HE'S USED TO BEING MISUNDERSTOOD...]

[Even with that bit of a downer, he's still kind of happy to see her so excited, though. You think he'd have done something ten times riskier or given her something twenty times nicer. It only shows in like the smallest upward curve of his lip (after all, he's got a scary sort of face) but it's there.]

[He does take a quick glance just to make sure there's no one more "waiting" just in case.]

Hitoshi Shinso. [he introduces himself, hand resting on the back of his neck.]

Kind of rude for someone to drop you in a mall with no spending money, isn't it? [Although what he wouldn't give to get to move around more, money or not. He was at least right next to the food.]

Nice to meet you, Hitoshi! [And she genuinely means it, stepping a little to the side, just...in case some NPCs decide they want to order some pretzel stuff too. It doesn't look like anyone's actually interested, but she's trying to be mindful.

She sighs and leans against the counter] Yeah, tell me about it... Kidnapped and robbed? You know, my life was really looking up! I was getting a new job! [Okay this new job was... possibly something super shady and possibly involving like, bio-terrorism or something WHO KNOWS but still.] I wasn't going to lose my apartment, my brothers weren't butting into my life much, and-- I mean, okay Cyril was there and he's a real snake of a man, but he's okay sometimes and Todd Allison was trusting him so I guess we'd have to work together, but if that was the worst thing I'd have to deal with it'd be fine, but nooo, I had to get kidnapped by-- By Space aliens!

[Her rant, which had been growing in intensity as she went on, is ended when she savagely bites into the pretzel dog to eat it.]

Edited (no one saw that) 2018-08-19 20:44 (UTC)

--Hey, this is really good! I've never had something like this before, is this American? I mean, I know the sausage hot dog thing part is German? But the wrapping it in a pretzel is a really American sort of thing, right?

[She looks forlornly at the rest of the pretzel dog.]

...There isn't really a dignified way to eat this, is there. [A beat. She looks up, brow furrowed in confusion]

What was I saying?

[It was always kind of nice to have people that talked too much. At least, if they talked too much about themselves, you got an idea of their whole situation without even having to chime in. There was a part of him that had started keeping track of those little things about people.]

[Which, well, it wasn't very hero-like but sometimes a person just had to be manipulated. And there wasn't any harm in practicing it if he never had to use it. So, it sounded like she was going through bad times and now there was an upswing... In that situation people either got extremely optimistic or extremely distrusting of it.]

[And in this person's case, they also seemed pretty emotional about just about anything.]

Something about space aliens. [he chimes in helpfully.]

Unless you wanted to go back to whoever came up with these things. They're definitely not Japanese. [They were, at least, easy to carry. Sort of.]

Aliens! Right! [She stands up straighter again] Because, that's gotta be what happened, right!? I mean... Everything's so... [She looks around, leaning against the counter on her elbows again and frowning down at the remains of her pretzel dog. She eats the rest of it in a sort of sullen contemplation.]

It's a lot more advanced than anything I've seen. I can't wrap my head around any of this. [She trails off, frowning.]

[It was as good an excuse as anything. Things were still so hazy as to why they were even here. Why did they want him? Why did they want any of them? How was this entertainment for something?]

Yeah. [He figures she's not talking about the mall, but-]

[He leans in a bit conspiratorially.]

There's one of those bays here in the food court, too. That's where I came out of. [And he leans back, trying to look a bit more like a model employee.]

I'm just trying not to think about it now but... as soon as I'm off the clock I feel like it's all I'll be able to think about. [He probably won't sleep. He has no idea how little he's actually going to sleep, he can have no idea what will actually start happening once night comes.]

[Petunia stares at him for a second or two before belatedly making a strangled little outcry, flailing her hands apologetically]

I'm sorry! Thinking about things like this is probably the last thing you want to do! [She shakes her head a little.] I thought maybe I was just going crazy, but if there's a lot of other people who, uhh, woke up like that, then...

Well, I guess you can't really say it's good, it's really kind of terrible, but it's also nice to know we're not alone.

Yeah, you're definitely not the only one. [He rubs the back of his neck a bit awkwardly. It's not from any faux pas of hers. Really, who the hell knew what social rules they were supposed to follow here. Even if he was trying not to think about it, it was overwhelmingly happening.]

Most of the people are those freaky repeats but I've seen a lot of people like you looking around. [So, it's terrible, but,]

It's nice to have a conversation that isn't just an order.

[Her pretzel dog gone (she feels oddly a little sad about it, and makes a mental note that if and when she gets money to buy like, 5 more), Petunia doesn't quite have an excuse to hang around anymore, but it's nice to talk to someone who's actually talking back.]

Can't you just... leave? It doesn't really look like anyone's going to stop you...

[His brow furrows a bit and his expression darkens- not because he hates the question but because he hates the answer.]

... Considering I've already been kidnapped I'd rather just cooperate for now, you know? [He could call it reconnaissance or whatever else he wanted, there was still some part of him that felt weak for just going along with it. It definitely didn't feel like what a hero would do. And he hated the excuse that he was just a kid, a teenager, and shouldn't overstep those boundaries. Hadn't the crappy part-time job just reinforced that image more?]

Besides, as much as the minutes have felt like hours, time's still passing. Eventually I'll be off the clock.

[There were also the small, sharp headaches that kicked in every time he intentionally tried to change up an order or shake up the routine. Still, this was apparently fine.]

That's some work ethic you have. I guess what you're saying makes sense, but... [It doesn't sit right with her either. While she'd been content at first to just sort of wait around, getting some food in her has made her rethink some things. She hated sitting around and waiting for someone else to do something about the situation.]

I don't know. I guess sitting around and waiting like this just isn't much 'me.' I feel like I should be doing something. Like protesting! or... civil disobedience! Knocking a trash can over!

[A REBEL ON THE EDGE. She trails off with a sheepish little laugh, scratching the back of her head.]

How much longer do you have? I can go gather some information and then come back, since you're stuck here! [They're partners now, she's decided.]

[He understood that feeling. He did. He just also really understood the feeling that people were shoved down from helping unless they were perfectly prepared. If you weren't prepared, stay out of the way. Yet, within the same minute, Petunia reminds him of his own shame and offers him a way to interact with this situation somehow.]

Ah, I figure I'll be done when the mall closes. [His expression is a little bit less sullen-looking, kind of grateful to be made a partner tbh.]

I've got no idea where to start with information... maybe where more of those weird things we came out of are? [There were spawn bays hidden behind the kitchens in the food court but clearly there were ones out there for people who could actually, like, walk.]

Or if you can find anyone with, like, a handheld game system or something I'll trade them as many pretzel dogs as they want.

The machine things? I've never even seen anything like them before, but I can just start pushing buttons and stuff... [What's the worst that could happen?? But as Hitoshi continues, Petunia's confusion grows.]

A handheld... Game system? [Her brow furrows in confusion. She mimes making a square in front of her] Like a... really small board game? A card game?

[He's about to tell her to please not touch buttons at random. He'd really rather not his first reliable contact with the outside world end up turned into ash or something from rampant button-pushing. Then, however, there's something else confusing.]

... uh, [wait a second] I mean, yeah, I'll take anything at this point. Like, even a rubik's cube or something... [When she had said things looked too futuristic she meant, like, the pods, right? Not just this mall? Not just, like, a ridiculous pretzel dog?]

[... oh, man.]

Uh, Ms. Elkwood, where did you say you were from? [And, uh, when?]

Oh, you can just call me 'Petunia'! I don't think I'm that much older than you! [She's quick to correct him, a bit flustered. 'Ms. Elkwood' sounded so formal!

Oh wait, that's kind of an important question, even if she feels it comes a little out of nowhere.]

Umm... Australia. [Petunia catches on though to what the real question might be and grows sheepish, offering a meek:] ...1921?

[Calling his schoolmates by last name has transferred over pretty cleanly but- yeah, standard Japanese levels of politeness really didn't fit into America in the 2000s. Or Australia in the 1920s. That was sort of more important than figuring out if he was embarrassed to just call her Petunia or not.]

Oh. ... Can't say I've ever met someone from Australia before. [a beat]

Maybe I've met someone who was alive in 1921 but they'd be a lot older than you look. [Which is, uh, a compliment? Maybe? It's not really meant spitefully but this sure is a mind-boggling experience.]

[Petunia laughs a little despite herself. The Australia thing seems the least surprising thing, so it catches her off guard that that's what he opens up with.

She pumps her fist and grins] We Australians age super well! We've discovered the secret to keeping our good looks through the ages!

[It's a joke, obviously, and her laughter trails off as she leans against the counter a little again.] ...I'm only 18. Though I guess if this is 2007, maybe I'm 104? It's all a bit... Much. A lot much.

Very much.

[Even if it's a cliche kind of joke, her enthusiasm sells it. He'll smile a little.]

I think you're still 18 even if it's 2007. [It was just... time travel. Which, as weird as time travel was, he was also kidnapped and had some sort of suppression on his quirk. The quicker he could accept that things were Weird the easier he could roll with these punches.]

But yeah- this is a lot for me and I know what a cell phone is.

[How had he not noticed that? He's got to give Petunia credit. She had just seemed really excited about pretzel dogs. They probably seemed really impressive with that timeline in mind.]

DO you think I could get senior discounts though if I keep saying I'm 104? [Discounts are too good to pass up, okay. She'll milk this if she needs to!

But she nods a little.] I completely freaked out when I first woke up, but even I can't keep that up forever. Eventually it just... became something I had to accept, you know? Just take it one step at a time! Ahah...

[honestly, what other choice did she really have? That thing in the beginning had said to survive and she couldn't really do that if she was flipping out like that the entire time, so...

Petunia pauses and then leans in conspiratorially, voice lowering to a whisper as if she's about to drop the utmost of covert information.] What's a cell phone? [Nailed it.]

[They didn't have any choices here, really. That was part of why he was hanging around and just trying to do his shift. That was the best way he could consider to adapt to the situation. It at least kept him a bit calmer.]

[Again, there's that quirk of the lip at asking what a cell phone was.]

It's a little phone you can carry around with you. Most of them are hooked up to the internet these days. [oh, man, he has to explain the internet]

It's like a world-wide network. So, if you're bored, you can look up information- like who gives senior discounts to ladies that look 18- or... anything else.

[...]

Like- do you like cats?

[The idea of a little phone that can do all that is overwhelming--though the idea of the 'internet' is still vague, the idea of a world-wide network is a little easier to swallow. Or, at least, to understand.

Still, to have that much power at your fingertips... SHe feels a little dizzy just trying to imagine.]

Huh? Cats? Sure, I like cats. [What do cats have to do with anything though?? She looks so confused]

Here, [He shuffles and pulls out the phone he was provided with. It wasn't his, of course, it was some old 2007 model. It was slow but he could at least give her a preview of... The Internet.]

Take a look at this. [On the small display of his phone... an image.]

See, this isn't my cat. I've never met this cat before. Still, someone shared this picture of their cat on the internet and now we can all enjoy it.

[Does he somehow look happier talking about cats? No. It must be your imagination.]

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