revivalprojectooc | Winter Test Drive Meme

Entry tags:

Winter Test Drive Meme

WINTER TEST DRIVE MEME
Application FAQ | Taken Characters | Reserves | Application

Welcome to the Current Test Drive for The Revival Project!

This game is a spin-off from the closed The Drift Fleet game. For more information about the game, including more details on the setting, please check out the FAQ here or the premise here.

A thread on the TDM will be required for all applications. Please view the FAQ for information about how this works. Any questions about the game please direct to the comment section of the FAQ as well.

If you are a Drift Fleet alumni bringing your character from the game, please label your character as 'DFAU' on your top level. 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! If you want to completely restart your character, they're not considered DFAU anymore and won't need the label.

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

Thread ideas:

Winter in Temba and Sh'Ka

Winter has arrived on Agra 10 and with it its cold temperatures, sharp winds and, you guessed it, snow. It starts slow and gentle in Temba, but even such gentle snowfall tends to build up and over the course of a few days of constant snowfall, the city has been covered with a white, roughly knee-deep blanket - Unless someone actually remembered to keep some of the paths clear.

And it still keeps snowing. The cold is also causing some of the Shadowpaws to be drawn to the inhabited buildings of Temba in search for shelter. The further away from the library one is, the more likely it gets that they may share one's living space and bless anyone else living there with nightmares. The area around the library remains free of the shadowpaws thanks to the mothcats residing there.

Over in Sh'Ka, a similar picture has been painted. But being situated within all these tall trees paints a somewhat different picture. A more icy one. All the by now leaf-free trees are covered in a thick layer of ice, as are Sh'Ka's stone-carved buildings. The wind here is harsher than it is in Temba, which has been comparably wind-free.

Please try not to slip and hurt yourself while marveling at either city.

Explore ~~the city~~ Temba!

Here's a map of Temba and a bit more description of some of the buildings here.

Most of the buildings are run down and have clearly been abandoned for years; fortunately, the water treatment center appears to be working, but power is intermittent and unreliable. What used to be stores or places to live in lies in ruins, but there may still be something to scavenge among the rubble. Do you want to risk a swim in the flooded area that has turned into a deep lake that has yet to be fully explored; or does it draw you to some of the more prominent and partially restored buildings, such as the hotel, the hospital or the amphitheater.

If you are lucky, you might even stumble over The Deep End, the bar located on one of the mid-levels of the tower residences in one of the residence towers. Unfortunately no bright neon signs can lead you there, but it does exist.

Visit the spaceships!

That's right, there are currently several small spaceships sitting in the hangar. Not all of them may be around when you check out the building, as one of the pilots may be using one of them to fly over to Sh'Ka. But there should still enough of them around for you to inspect and maybe wonder about. However, only one of them will open its doors for you. Do you dare to step inside? Check out the protein paste or maybe even meet one of your crew mates?

The two currently crewless ships are open for anyone to step inside and have a look around, maybe even use for a nap.

Try the network!

Upon arrival, your character will have on their person a small, handheld communications device. Maybe they know exactly how to use a computer, smartphone, or tablet, and immediately blast out a text or video trying to figure out what's going on. Or maybe they're not so tech-savvy after all, and everyone is about to get a lovely shot right up your character's left nostril.

There be storms...

These power-altering storms keep ravaging parts of the planet every once in a while. No one truly knows where they come from or what to do about them yet, but one of them appears to be approaching. You have the option to find shelter in one of the buildings to wait for it to pass. Unless, of course, you rather feel drawn to investigate.

Should you step inside the storm, or even get lost in it, it will show ghosts of people you know and those you don't. It drains you of any super-human abilities and tries its best to keep you from getting to its origin. Are you going to try anyways? Or are you going to chase the whispers of people from your past? Maybe you will simply find yourself calling for help or stumble across another lost soul in need of assistance.

More information can be found here.

Wildcard!

You're welcome to use any previous test drive scenarios or previous game events as a basis for a thread/situation, or simply make up your own! Keep in mind that you're currently stranded on a planet with only basic necessities, but there is enough food and fresh water. Creature comforts, however, seem to be distinctly lacking. Quite unlike a gathering of potentially dangerous creatures to encounter. The setting is yours to explore and have fun with!

✧ Premise ✧ FAQ ✧ Rules ✧ Test Drive ✧ Taken ✧ Reserves ✧ Application ✧
✧ Map ✧ Devices & Network ✧ Data Points ✧ Ships ✧ Flora ✧ Fauna ✧ Supply Requests ✧ Calendar ✧
✧ Activity Check ✧ Player Plot Suggestion ✧ Player Contacts ✧ Player Permission Code ✧ Hiatus ✧ Drop ✧
✧ Navigation ✧

code bases by tricklet

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Donatello is not the only one who doesn't appreciate the cold. The figure trudging through the snow skirting the edge of town square obviously isn't enjoying himself; the snow nearly reaches mid-thigh on the short teenager, and if that wasn't awkward enough to navigate, the half-dozen layers of sweaters that make his otherwise slight form puffy aren't doing him any favors. The beanie he's wearing is almost comically useless over his wild head of hair, yet he feels the need to wear it anyway, as well as keep his arms folded and hands tucked in the sides of his coat.

Dustin fucking hates winter. He would hibernate through it if he didn't care about having access to hot water and clean clothes, or eating. Annoying inconveniences. But at least they force him out of his workshop every few days, allowing him to keep tabs on changes to Temba and the people in it. Spot the occasional human-sized turtle wearing a purple bandana.

Dustin stops and stares. Actual giant turtle, odd branching Earth timeline, or alien fluke of convergent evolution? All possible and all equally intriguing. Also, potentially fatal? Regardless of if this guy actually follows the turtle model and is cold-blooded, he's definitely not dressed for the weather, and as much as Dustin doesn't want to engage with anyone ever for any reason, he's not going to leave someone to die of exposure.

With a reluctant, dramatic huff, Dustin shuffles his way towards the fountain. "Hey you," he calls. "How long have you been out here?"

The turtle wouldn't have minded it so much if whoever had dropped him here had thought to dress him accordingly! No snow boots or pants, no down jacket or fur-lined cap, no gloves!! What kind of monsters were these Agrii?? What makes it worse is the fact that it appeared his battle shell was lost in transit, his sensitive softshell exposed to the harsh elements.

He's too busy trying to keep his feet moving to keep the feeling in his toes that he completely misses Dustin's approach until he speaks. Yelping, he jumps clear out of the snow, only to stumble back into it and promptly vanish as he falls face-first into the soft white depths.

Dustin reacts with a similar level of surprise - a shout and a stagger backwards, though thankfully he's able to pinwheel and keep his footing before he goes ass-first into a snowdrift. It takes a couple moments after that of instinctive, confused panic before his heart slows and logic kicks in.

Then he's just annoyed. "Fuck's sake," Dustin murmurs through a sigh, straightening upright while his expression flattens. Then he clears his throat so he can let his voice carry again. "Relax - I'm unarmed."

That's...well, mostly true. Dustin frowns, thinks for a second and amends, "--Okay, I have a leatherworking knife, but I'm not interested in trying to stab you with it."

You try being calm when you're freezing your shell off!

The turtle reemerges from the snow, shakily pushing himself up and sputtering. "Not even a scarf-!" he not quite wails before he works at getting back out of the snow again. It's so hard to move when it's so cold.

"...oh g-good, I don't think I'd put much of a f-f-fight up on the account that I can't feel my fingers," he finally replies to Dustin, eyeing him to make sure he's not just imagined him. If they really are on an alien world then that would explain the lack of odd looks or screaming. Talking giant turtles are probably the least strangest thing here. Maybe.

Dustin eyes him back, gaze level and calculating, although he really doesn't have to think too hard about whether this guy - turtle? Turtle guy - is being honest. Someone with Donatello's physiology cannot be comfortable in this kind of weather. He needs to do something before those fingers start to freeze off.

Dustin lets out another heavy, long-suffering sigh. "The Agriculture Building is significantly warmer than ambient and just across the plaza," he says, starting to clear out the pockets of his jacket. Handfuls of various junk are shuttled into the satchel sitting at his waist, ranging from piles of screws and a screwdriver, to empty glass vials, to a half-completed breadboard with unsecured wires trailing from the underside. Then he hefts the bag off and, reluctantly, also his jacket.

"Take this," Dustin continues, holding the coat at arm's length. "It'll keep you from freezing to death before you get there."

"Agriculture- ah! That would track if it's c-climate-controlled," he observes, watching curiously as Dustin starts unpacking his jacket. It's a lot of stuff, some things he'd ask about if he wasn't preoccupied with not freezing. After all that he probably shouldn't have been surprised to find the coat offered to him, but he still blinks almost uncomprehendingly.

It's only for two seconds that he stares, because in the next he snatches the coat and throws it around himself, shoving his arms into the lingering warmth of its sleeves. "Ohh that feels so much better," he sighs, huddling into the warmth. "I guess one can't expect alien abductions to be considerate about, well, anything, really."

Dustin pulls his arm back quickly after Donatello accepts the coat, wrapping both hands tight around his chest so that they burrow into his many layers of sweaters. In spite of the fact that he literally just offered it to him, Dustin watches what the turtle does with his jacket warily; he likes that jacket, very much, to the point where parting with it is almost physically painful. Or maybe that's the wind chill. Whatever the case, he wants it back later and he wants it in one piece.

Not wanting to waste any extra time away from his prized Eorzean coat, Dustin gestures for Donatello to follow him with a quick jerk of his head before he starts trudging through the snow again, looking much smaller than he did just a minute ago. "Especially not when their primary form of communication involves compulsory memory-imprinting," Dustin grumbles in agreement. "I'm assuming you've already had the standard welcome?"

The coat isn't his preferred color so Dustin has no need to worry about it getting claimed at least. Donnie's just glad to get some of his blood circulating again.

He nods as Dustin starts to lead the way, pausing only after briefly stumbling over something in the snow. Reluctantly he reaches into the cold before pulling out some kind of fancy metal rod-looking thing, or maybe it's a scepter for the stylized, pointed tip. Donnie gives a happy gasp as he practically hugs the thing, before he remembers he's cold and there's the promise of warmth ahead.

"Compulsory memory-imprinting. You mean that orb? Yeah, if that's what you mean by the welcome." He casts a brief glance back at it. "Wait, so no one's seen or talked to these guys? How do we know they even still exist??"

Dustin pauses and glances over his shoulder, giving Donatello a quizzical look out of the corner of his eye as he retrieves something from the snow. Obviously something familiar...huh.

"No, we've spoken with them," he clarifies. "Interacted with directly, even. Some of the others have been on their ship in orbit, apparently. Unfortunately they are very real--" Dustin huffs in annoyance. "--and very interested in sticking their grubby fucking hands where they don't need to be."

He rolls his shoulders, as if trying to shake the irritation off of them. He is not successful.

"What is that?" Dustin asks instead. Maybe indulging his curiosity will stop him from thinking so much about how frustrating the Agrii have been lately.

"Fascinating... Well, I suppose if there's something happening to their world that proves lethal to them it's understandable why they'd want to avoid making a personal appearance..." Donatello considers. "But I concur, as much as I have always wanted to see space and be in an actual spaceship, this is far from any of my preferred expectations. Clearly these Agrii aliens need to learn basic manners and better hospitality!"

He's tucked the purple and silver object under a flap of the coat in hopes to make it less freezing to the touch. Ah, the drawbacks of hi-grade titanium. Blinking, he draws it back out with a slightly smug grin.

"This! Is my tech-bo," he introduces, holding it out to the side as he taps at a button, the metal staff extending to full length.

Dustin arcs an eyebrow. "'Basic manners and better hospitality' are high bars," he mumbles. He should know - Dustin rarely meets those requirements himself.

But before he can continue on any further anti-Agrii rants, there's the staff to contend with. Dustin leans in a little when Donatello holds it out, then nearly jumps out of his skin when it suddenly expands outwards, backpedaling awkwardly in the snowdrifts. That's definitely a weapon, he realizes. Bo staff? The name kind of gives it away. Six months ago Dustin might have seen this as the start to a surprise attack, using vulnerability in the cold to get him close and strike, but by now he's had that time to mellow out those more anxious, flighty tendencies.

Instead, he's irritated. "Watch it!" Dustin snaps. "Warn people before you do that shit, would you?! Could've hit me in the goddamn face!"

Donatello looks at him dryly. "I figured when I held it off to the side that would be sufficient warning. Anyway, it was you who asked," he sniffs, shifting the staff to hold vertically before him.

"If you're going to insist on being mad can we at least do it inside?"

"I wasn't asking for an active demonstration," Dustin huffs, face growing hot. Curiosity has definitely been satisfied; now he's too busy trying to soothe his bruised ego to care about much else. He turns on a heel and continues, stomping agitatedly into the snow. "You don't just prime weapons on people--I'm allowed to be angry about that."

Or so he tells himself. Maybe it'll help him sleep better if he thinks he's right.

The turtle teen snorts. "It wasn't at you, don't take it so personally." He's been smacked by his own weapon plenty of times so he feels Dustin's taking this far too seriously.

Since he's got the staff extended, Donatello uses it as a walking stick as he tries to keep up with the human. His top half may be warm but the rest of him is still in the snow.

"Man, whatever," Dustin huffs, clearly taking it personally. He keeps trudging ahead in silence for a couple long, tense minutes after that, stewing in his own self-conscious irritation while he creates a small divot in the snowdrifts for Donatello to walk in. At least he's not too difficult to match pace with; Dustin's stride isn't terribly long on his best days, and he's not taking the direct path across the plaza anyway, seeming to weave at random while he avoids the obstacles he knows are hidden under the deep blanket of white.

Eventually curiosity again wins out over sulking. "What's the deal with that, anyway?" Dustin asks, in a tone that suggests that he's not nearly as interested in the answer as he actually is. "Why do you have it?"

The silence to follow is a little unnerving, punctuated by the unwelcoming chill that still very much surrounds them. Donatello tries not to look too petulant himself as he continues after Dustin, thankful that at the very least he's got a slightly clearer path to walk along because of the other.

He lifts his head, brightening perhaps just the slightest bit. "Well, it's mine, obviously. It seems like the only tech that made it with me," he says, glancing behind him despite the fact that his shell's covered in the warmth of the borrowed coat.

Dustin rolls his eyes. "No shit it's yours," he drones, still obviously in a foul enough mood to be a little shit. "Everyone shows up with at least one thing. And clothes, usually."

He pauses, casting a dubious glance at Donatello from over his shoulder.

"Unless they don't normally wear them, I guess."

That look makes him terribly self-conscious. The turtle pulls his arms in front of him even though he's already covered in a coat. "Hey, I've got shorts on! And if I knew I was going to be mingling with humans I'd have put on my hoodie," he sniffs. "...just as I would have worn my snowgear if I'd known I was going to get dropped off by aliens in the middle of winter."

Those are all perfectly reasonable points, so naturally Dustin ignores them in favor of the one thing that doesn't immediate make sense to him.

"You're already familiar with humans, then?" he asks. This seems to be the norm, but it can't be assumed. Neither can the planet. "Earth?"

"Well yeah, they kind of make up the majority of the planet's population." Donatello nods. "Yes, Earth. New York, -city, specifically, if you wish to further narrow down my stomping grounds."

Dustin blinks in surprise. This is a possibility he'd considered, but for whatever reason he had assumed that, if Donatello was from Earth, he'd be from some strange, alternate version of it, so far removed that it would be nearly unrecognizable. The fact that New York City also exists and that a humanoid, sapient turtle lives in it feels somehow stranger than the alternatives.

"Huh," he mumbles - his best attempt at voicing all of those thoughts, apparently. "And you're...from...there?"

The turtle directs a dry look at the back of Dustin's head. "Yes, born and raised. Well, assumedly born, definitely raised." He waves a three-digited hand.

"Don't worry, New York and Earth so far as I know is still very much human-ruled. My family and I are an unnatural exception on the account that we were genetically mutated by a warrior alchemist who was bent on creating a perfect army of mutants for his plans to destroy humanity."

"Oh, and there's a hidden city beneath New York full of yōkai, I guess that might be a little weird."

Well, at least now he knows for sure. Dustin opens his mouth to follow up for details, except Donatello beats him to the punch - by quite a lot. His mouth clicks shut, listening in silence, save the steady shuffle and crunch of his legs through the deep snow.

There was a time when Dustin would have called bullshit on this whole story. That point passed a while ago. "...From Japanese mythology?" he asks after a moment, picking the part of everything Donatello's told him that seems the easiest to dissect first. "The fuck are they doing in New York?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that. For all I know, they've borrowed off the name or are some extension." Donatello sounds a little reluctant to admit it, he'd rather have an answer to offer than saying he didn't know.

"I've never been outside of New York either so I'm not sure if it's just a local thing or how widespread, really." Going to Jersey clearly doesn't count.

Dustin grunts his acceptance of this explanation; it's as good as anything he could've come up with, all things considered.

"Could've been present in my universe's version of New York, too," he shrugs, casually glossing over the 'separate universes' topic. It's become such a staple of living here that he barely even notices how weird it is anymore. "I've never been."

I

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject