Opening Test Drive Meme

[trpmods]

TEST DRIVE
Application FAQ | Taken Characters | Reserves | Application

Welcome to the first Test Drive for The Revival Project!

For those who do not know, this game is a spin-off from The Drift Fleet game, which is shortly closing. For more information about what this game is about, please check out the FAQ here or the premise here.

The TDM for the first round of applications is NOT required but is highly recommended. Really this is to see the interest level in the game as well as to have everyone interact on the new planet and with the new experiences offered here. There will be a post in the TDM where questions can be asked regarding the prompts/settings. We're keeping this loose though so go ahead and have fun with it. Any questions about the game please direct to the comment section of the FAQ. 

If you are a Drift Fleet alumni, please label your character as 'DFAU' on your top level so we know. Also, keep in mind you have complete flexibility on how your character comes here. They could be taken before endgame, after endgame, two years after, one year before, etc. It's up to you! The only option not allowed is to completely restart your character (because then it's not DFAU, is it?) 

So go! Explore Agra 10! And, as always, HAVE FUN! 

*ATTENTION! RESERVES ARE NOW OPEN!*
*ATTENTION! APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!*
*GAME OPENS AUGUST 19th!*

WHALE COMB PARTY


In the square near your arrival point, one building seems to be in fairly good repair. It’s large and stark white on every wall. Unlike the other buildings, all the lights are on and the windows looking out are intact. That alone would make it remarkable but it’s hardly the most noticeable thing once you step inside the open doorway.

Hanging against one wall is a piece of fabric that has ‘WHALE COMB!’ painted on it in drippy, fluorescent pink letters. A smiley is painted underneath it right on the wall with three eyes and long fangs. The fangs drip down all the way to the floor and the eyes are just a blob of paint, but whoever left it seems to have been trying, here. ‘US THANK THEY!’ is written beside it, barely legible. On every other wall is ‘EAT’ in various sizes and colors. They thankfully don’t drip as much as the smiley since, beneath them, are tables upon tables of food.

There are meats, fruits, root vegetables, and even what might be a sweet dessert of some sort as well. Bowls are full of them, apparently a welcome dinner for the Agrii’s new heroes. At the very least it will give everyone a quick crash course on what is edible around here. But some of it might have … adverse effects:

- People chomping down on the striped meat all seem to get very drowsy a few minutes later.
- The red fruit that looks like a giant cherry is the equivalent of a few shots - the more consumed, the more drunken this party is getting.
- There is a bowl of weeds that have small, daisy-like flowers all along the stalks. This tastes like chicken and gives the eater a sudden burst of energy that will have them running around the room like they’re being chased.
-There are a collection of drinks, some made from the red fruit, some that are clearly water, some that taste like a less-sweet lemonade with no effects, and then there's a blue one that tastes like an especially dark beer. People drinking this will find themselves incapable of lying for a half hour.

Of course, no way to know any of this before you chow down. So dig in and enjoy the show!

 

LOST AND ALONE


They said don’t go into the forest. If the noises there weren’t deterrent enough then the thick trees and lack of paths should have been. Yes, you’ll need food. Yes, both meat and many fruits are in the forest. But maybe you should have gotten some more information before heading in.

Congratulations: you went into the forest and are now lost. You can’t hear the murmurings from town, nor can you see any of the lights that might be flickering on and off in the city. How are you going to get back into town? How do you make sure that the creatures here don’t attack you? You probably don’t have any weapons, so you’d better figure something out quick.

Or, maybe you’ll get lucky and run into another foolish person wandering around out here. Try not to attack them - unless they attack first.

 

MILES TO GO


The first thing every survivor needs to find is shelter. Not long after your arrival at the fountain, it’s getting darker now and, even if the night is short (you’re about to find out it’s not!), you don’t want to spend your first one out on an unfamiliar street. Distantly you can hear a sound like a wolf howling through an elephant’s trunk. It’s loud and alien. Maybe you want to find somewhere to sleep a little more quickly.

Right away there are two pretty solid options that will do nicely for the night: an abandoned hotel-like structure and some empty stores.

The hotel structure seems to be the most popular option for others. Its large, overgrown lobby leads you to the staircase and over a dozen floors of rooms in varying conditions. Despite it looking as though no one has set foot in here for decades, the stairs and floors all are secure. The rooms that have doors on them open up to dusty rooms that all have a bathroom (of sorts) attached and long, narrow bed frames. Figuring out a mattress will be a challenge but at least this is a safe place to sleep. As long as no animals laid claim to this room before you got in...

But let’s say the room in the hotel doesn’t work for you. Maybe the room is too small for you. Maybe you don’t like the stairs. Maybe you want someplace private to separate yourself from the rest of these strangers and to think quietly about what to do next. Either way, the other option is any number of abandoned stores lining the block where you arrived. The glass doors and windows of many are broken but there are just as many intact as well. The rooms are all large and empty, as whatever wares inside were either taken or dissolved over the years. There may be a counter or two that will get you off the ground, though. With all this space, you’re bound to find something to sleep on.

Unless someone else got there, first...


code bases by tricklet

Comments

Clint Barton | MCU | Mid-Endgame

[beenalongday]

A. Whale Comb

Once upon a time, Clint was very much a party person. But the whole world changed in the blink of an eye, and with that, Clint's priorities changed as well. So he's here at this party, but it's not because he's looking for a good time.

What he is looking for is people he might know, but also, some indication that the food laid out in front of them isn't laced with poison. No one around appears to be keeling over mid-bite, but that doesn't mean he trusts things just yet.

The striped meat and the red fruit look very odd, so he bypasses those. The bowl of plants is odd, but- it's plants. People have been foraging and gathering for literal years, so he figures this might be a safer option.

Fast forward a couple seconds, and Clint can now be found dashing around the room like a man on speed.

B. Lost and Alone

When the party becomes too much for Clint, he retreats, but the problem is, he's only just getting his bearings. The forest does look ominous, but it's quiet, and there's solitude to be found there.

That's what he's looking for most as he makes his way into the thick of the woods. But when a twig snaps behind him, he tenses and whirls around, but he doesn't have his usual bow and arrows within arm's reach. Either way, he's ready to defend himself however he can, even if that's just with a broken-off tree branch. Of course, it would be preferable if he didn't have to right then and there, but beggars can't be choosers.

C. Miles to Go

After his jaunt into the woods, what Clint wants is somewhere private and comfortable where he can take a load off. He might not trust this place just yet, but even he needs a break sometimes.

It's not even that he's a stranger to sleeping out of doors, but like it or not, he feels just a bit drained. Not that he'll be admitting as much to anyone, but lately he's been feeling like he's been lugging around a bag of rocks that he just can't shake off.

Life hasn't been a picnic lately, and it seems that things are finally starting to catch up to him. Luckily, even though the exterior of the hotel leaves something to be desired, a room is a room, and Clint is anything but picky right about now.

Of course, before he just helps himself to a room, he knocks on the door. "Hey, anyone in there?" If there's no response, he'll walk right in. Hopefully whoever's in there isn't asleep.

Lost and Alone

[frontierbashir]

Julian throws up his hands in an automatic show of his unarmed status. His busted tricorder hangs powerless against his hip from his shoulder, a rather innocuous looking metal box to the casual outsider.

He's 6'0", very lean and dressed in a one piece uniform. His expression is slightly panicked as he takes a half-step back despite being a few meters away already.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was attempting to explore some of the flora around here myself when I got lost. I didn't exactly trust the food laid out for us."

[beenalongday]

It's just a default reaction at this point, especially in an unfamiliar place like this one. But clearly Julian isn't armed, and that's enough to cause Clint to lower the tree branch and slip into a more relaxed but still wary stance.

"You too, huh?" No, Clint's still a bit wary of the food provided, although he did sample some of the weed-like plants. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to be out here," he says by way of apologizing for brandishing the tree branch at him.

"Have you found anything edible?" Personally, he's not holding his breath, but he's been surprised before.

[frontierbashir]

The gentleman in front of him certainly appeared human to the doctor, but he could never truly know that without the aid of his tricorder. He doesn't entirely recognize what the other is wearing either--certainly not contemporary Terran, but not the other extreme--the fashion of the 1960s Earth he sees in his holoprograms. He's unsure about fashion in the Terran colonies, but it certainly doesn't look Cardassian or Bajoran in any case. Regardless, Julian's already assessed the situation since arriving and decided to stick to the Prime Directive for now until he got a better sense of what exactly was going on here.

He relaxes slightly when the tree branch is lowered (even though he's already done calculations that he would be able to avoid it if it had been brandished in his direction by a normal human).

"I certainly don't blame you--it's eerily quiet out here," he replies as he takes a half step forwards towards the other.

"I'm afraid I didn't have as much luck as I thought I would. I was hoping to find an animal, truthfully. I would feel better knowing where my meat came from if I could have seen where it came from." As though expecting something to pop out of the brush around them, he does look around them just in case.

Satisfied (or perhaps unsatisfied) that there wasn't anything else sentient around them, he carefully reaches forward and extends a hand. "Doctor Julian Bashir."

[beenalongday]

Oh, he's human alright, which kind of makes him vulnerable in situations like these. He'd feel a lot more secure if he had his bow and arrows, but he doesn't, and something tells him he's not likely to get them back anytime soon. Which sucks for him, but at least he's good at improvising. As for what he's wearing, it's neither Terran, nor Cardassian or Bajoran, and it's certainly not 1960s based. Even if he knew what three of those things were referring to, he'd just call his style of dress good old fashioned Earth style.

...Whatever that means.

"Yeah, you're telling me. Which makes things like a twig snapping sound twice as loud." But hey, he's not saying anything about Julian, just making a comment about silence amplifying things. "What would you do if you found an animal, though? Got a knife or something on you?"

That would be where his own weapons would come in handy, but whoever saw fit to bring him here didn't factor those into the equation.

"Good meeting you," he says, holding out a hand in case the other man wants to shake it. "Clint Barton."

whale comb

[seeingscarlet]

Fortunately for Clint, Wanda's seen the effects of that particular plant before. Familiar scarlet wisps of power surround him and gently bring him to a stop before Wanda herself hurries over. "Clint? Are you all right?" She gives him a once-over and...well. "What did you do to your hair?"

She looks and sounds different than she did the last time he saw her: her hair is brown, her makeup is done in her usual style, and her accent is still noticeable. Wherever she came from, she clearly wasn't in hiding.

[beenalongday]

At first, those tendrils of power startle him, because for him, it's been a long time since he's seen those powers in action. But there's no mistaking that voice for belonging to anyone else, even when he turns to get a good look at her and spots those differences in her for himself.

He doesn't want this to go south before they've even started, because he's not certain what she knows or remembers, so he goes with the humor route. "Which one should I answer first?" He chuckles lightly before giving her a second once-over. "Got a haircut. Do you like it?"

Of course he's not dumb enough to think she'll overlook his bypassing the first question, but there's time enough to get into that.

[seeingscarlet]

Clint isn't the only one sporting some changes, though. He might, if he's paying close attention in his second look, notice that Wanda's wearing a ring that doesn't really match the style of her others: a wedding ring.

"The first." But he doesn't, and Wanda will let him off the hook for about five seconds before she picks it up again. "It is...different. A little floppy at the top," she says after a moment with a smile. "Was it getting in your way? Or did you lose a bet with Nat?"

[beenalongday]

They don't call him Hawkeye for nothing. He's always been good at noticing details, and while some might consider rings a small detail, nothing's too small for someone whose skillset is based around observing the things that others might miss. He makes a mental note to ask her about that later, because at some point, she wormed his way into his affections, although he hasn't admitted that to anyone just yet.

He appreciates the reprieve, even if he knows it won't last for long. "Hey, it's not floppy. It's aerodynamic." Okay, so maybe he's just a little bit full of hot air. But it's been a long time since he felt like cracking a joke, so he considers this a win. His smile falters a bit at the mention of Natasha, but he plows on ahead anyway. "Nah, nothing like that, although this is totally something she'd make me do. It was just time for a change, that's all."

And now seems like a good time to segue into a conversation about her ring. "Looks like you got something new there."

Miles to Go

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha is already standing when she hears the knock, every intention of meeting whatever fellow kidnappee has found their way to her door and making sure they're settling. Call it micromanaging, but she'd rather know who's here with her, what they can do and what help they might need, then chase them off for her privacy.

It's not that she's looking for company as much as information, but the end result is the same.

When she hears that voice, though, the heavy sense of responsibility is lifted. It's replaced by something much more raw. "Stay right there!"

An instant later, she's opening the door, already reaching for his shoulder even while she's confirming that he is who she thinks he is.

[beenalongday]

Clint almost turns around to try his luck at another door, because despite his earlier thought that he'd just walk right in if he didn't get a response, perhaps the silence from the room in front of him means its occupant is asleep. He's not so rude as to just barge in, not when there's another room just a few steps away. If this were his own house, of course he would let himself in, but it isn't, so he refrains.

As he's contemplating whether or not to leave, he hears a familiar voice shouting a command to stay put and he freezes in place. His fists clench without him being aware of doing so, because this has to be a mean trick: using that voice to get to him.

But then the door opens, she's gripping his shoulder, and he's frozen in place, unable to do much more than stare. A second later, he finds his voice again, but it still comes out sounding more strangled than he intends it to. "Hey, Nat."

[outstandingbalance]

Natasha has had enough time to wonder what she'd do if this happened. More than anyone else, she's thought about what she'd do if she came face to face with Clint again. All her forethought and planning never really produced an answer, though. Now that she's looking him in the eyes, she doesn't have any better idea what to do than she had when she woke up with all these memories...

She hears the way his voice tightens.

Then she's pulling him into a hug. She's still not sure what to say, but she's here, and he's here, and for a moment, they can have that.

"Hey. Didn't think you'd make it."

[beenalongday]

Likewise, Clint's played and replayed their last moments together almost to the point that it drove him mad. Of course he knows why she did it, but he still believes it should have been him. There's no changing what happened, and he wouldn't dare dishonor her by losing sight of the significance of what she did.

But he sure as hell regrets it, and he has a lot of lingering guilt on that score. She's looking him in the eyes, and it's almost too much for him. He wants to look away, but before he can, he feels her pulling him in for a hug and in spite of himself, he leans into it and just holds on.

"Yeah, well- You know me, I'm hard to get rid of."

There's a moment's pause, and he just says one thing. "Sorry." It doesn't even begin to cover what he's feeling, but he feels like he owes it to her.

A

[doubled_speed]

Well, a man on speed really can't compete with Speed himself. Doesn't recognize the guy at first, just wants to chuckle when he sees someone else going for the weeds. This will be funny. But once he starts going, well, Tommy moves quickly, at the speed of another person's thought. Moves right into the path and holds and arm out, bracing himself. Super speed mutants also tend to have super strength muscles. Not SUPER super strength, but enough for him to absorb any impact and catch the man in his arms.

"Well, nice to run into you."

[beenalongday]

Hey, in his defense, he needs a little humor in his life. That may not be why he went for the weeds, but if it leads to a bit of levity, he'll take it. He couldn't have foreseen Tommy getting in the way, though.

"Hey, man, nice to run into you too, but you're really slowing my roll here."

What? Maybe he just wanted to feel what it was like to have super speed.

[doubled_speed]

If that's super speed in this guy's mind, then Tommy feels bad for his flawed perceptions.

"What? You didn't see that coming?"

Tommy has no idea that he's paralleling words from Clint's version of his Uncle Pietro. An Uncle Pietro that he does have some passing resemblance too, though he more has features a bit like Wanda's.

Still, he keeps his hands on Clint because he knows the man might keep running if he lets go.

"You look familiar."

[beenalongday]

Okay, so obviously it's not super speed, but this is as close to experiencing that as he's going to get. Quicksilver, he is not. And speaking of Quicksilver, when Tommy says that line, it definitely feels like a suckerpunch to the gut.

As annoying as that kid was, he didn't deserve what he got. But that's not Tommy's fault; he doesn't know a thing about Clint, so of course he can't fault him for that line. "I must be getting older than I thought," he quips, trying to keep things light. "Well, I guess there's no stopping time."

And at those words, Clint's giving him a good once-over, because now that he's mentioned it, he looks familiar too. "Do I? Well, I guess I could say the same about you. What's your name?"

C

[stillgotmyleftarm]

It's likely that Clint picked, whether consciously or subconsciously, a room with good sight lines. And it just so happens that yeah, that room is occupied; Bucky's dozing more than sleeping, and he's tucked in a sitting position into a corner where the red, white, and blue shield doesn't catch the light.

Even so, he'd be visible to someone like Clint as soon as he does come in. That's about how long it takes Bucky's head to snap up and his hand to go for said shield, though most (if not all) of the tension goes out of him when he sees the face.

Like Clint, he's basically looking at a familiar face, just with a different haircut.

Which might be why the first words out of his mouth are, "Ouch, did you lose a bet with Stark over how to do your hair?"

[beenalongday]

Upon entry into the room, the first thing Clint does is do a visual sweep for anything out of the ordinary. He doesn't notice the shield right off, but he does notice the man in the room, and he's about to back out of it again when he sees Bucky snap to attention. Reflexively, Clint's hand reaches back for an arrow that isn't there, but he stops halfway before his fingers close on air.

Sure, he knows of Bucky. Does he know him personally? Not really, but he's an ally of Steve's, which has to mean something.

When the question about his hair comes, his first reaction is to smile wryly. "Not quite. This look used to be all the rage, you know. I'm gonna bring it back."

Okay, so pigs might fly before that, but stranger things have happened.

[stillgotmyleftarm]

Bucky, for his part, looks like a guy who knows a little more than of Clint. Maybe not a whole lot more - he's only fought with the guy once - but you kind of skip a lot of the awkward phases when you stop aliens from invading New York together.

Clint looks a little older, but not markedly. And he doesn't seem unfamiliar enough with Bucky for him to think much of it, as he pushes himself to his feet.

"If it's something I missed in the ice, I think I'm kinda glad," he says, but teasing, just like before. "You just get here?"

[beenalongday]

Now that'll be a fun conversation, if it ever comes up. It'll certainly explain a few things, but also probably raise a few more questions in the process. Not that there's ever a good explanation for alternate timelines.

If the little he's gathered from talking to Steve and a perusal of some websites discussing those who fought can count for anything, he has at least a surface level of knowledge concerning the other man. Or at least, he thinks he does.

"Yeah, I just got here, but- hold up. You were in the ice?" The smirk that was forming drops a bit, replaced by a halfway surprised look.

B

[waterwhip]

Of all the people Clint might have crossed paths with, he was probably not expecting a lost little girl. She can't be any older than his daughter, in fact, and she's obviously surprised to see him.

Katara shrinks back when he turns to look at her, and though her hand rests on the lip of the waterskin that's slung around her shoulder, she seems harmless enough.

"Hi!" she says, laughing nervously. "I don't suppose you know the way back to the city, do you?"

[beenalongday]

No, he's definitely not expecting to come across any lost girls around here. This doesn't seem like the place for girls Katara's age; it doesn't seem like the place for any of them, if he's being honest, but for better or for worse, they're here. When he spots Katara, his brow knits together in something like concern, because she looks to be close in age to his own daughter, and that hits really close to home.

"Hey yourself." He gives her a quick looking over, just to make sure she's all right and not hurt or anything. "And yeah, it's back that way." He points over his shoulder, to indicate he's just come from there. "Did you get yourself turned around? It seems like it's easy to do around here, especially since there's no maps or signs."

He's happy to take her back to the city, because there's no way he's going to leave her here to wander around and run into who knows what. Just because it seems quiet doesn't mean it's not dangerous.

[waterwhip]

"I did get a little lost," Katara admits sheepishly. She and her friends are used to flying places, and anyway, Sokka is the map guy. Not that she has a map, mind, but he's better at reading them than she is.

"I'm sure I can find my way back as long as you point me in the right direction! Especially if you're busy," she adds, trailing off and trying to look more confident than she feels. Her hands absentmindedly grasp at the strap of her waterskin, tugging on it lightly.

"I'm Katara. What's your name?" It's only polite to make introductions in situations like this, right?

[beenalongday]

"Yeah, well, I think you're not alone there. We're all lost, pretty much. I haven't ran into anyone who says they're from here, so- Sounds like being lost is the popular option these days." He's trying to reassure her, but he knows he doesn't have a lot of optimistic things to say. There's no ignoring the fact that they're all pretty far from their respective homes.

"Me, busy? Nah." He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he just let her wander off alone, even with the right directions. "I'm not exactly brimming with things to do here, just kind of trying to get my bearings. We can do that together, if you want."

And then he smiles at the introduction, and comes back with one of his own. "I'm Clint. Not as pretty a name as yours, but it works." He grins a little lopsidedly at her, hoping to ease any lingering tensions by poking fun at himself. "Nice to meet you."