riverview: may test drive meme

[riverviewmod]

riverview test drive meme

Welcome to Riverview's test drive meme! Feel free to dip your toes in on the test drive meme to try out your character in the setting, play out a mission, and get samples for your application at the same time!

● Reserves are currently OPEN.
● Applications open on June 1st.
● Providing all parties are amenable, threads on the test drive meme can count as game canon, as the plot in the prompts presented is game canon.
● TDM threads do not count for Activity Check, but they do count for Activity Bonus Points, so long as all characters involved are accepted into the game.
● Threading on the TDM is intended for prospective new characters, so top-levels should only be posted by players of these characters. Since the events in the TDM are considered game canon, characters currently in the game are free to use the TDM prompts for logs and posts on the regular communities.

Feel free to use the prompts below or create your own scenario. The setting is built to be flexible, so feel free to make things up as you go.

information resources
premise ● arrival ● setting ● ask a question ● calendar ● navigation

prompt i: search & rescue

Following rumors about a magical healing spring deep in the jungle, a group of intrepid explorers ventured out to verify whether it existed or not. After finding the spring inside an ancient temple overrun with tree roots and flora, they brought samples back and discovered that the spring did, in fact, have healing properties. Just like the rumors said.

Until the authorities decided what to do with this information, no actions were to be taken, nor information revealed to the public at large. Unfortunately, the news leaked and spread to the alternative science communities as well as the top minds at Gramarye Magic Research. With interest piqued, several more unauthorized expeditions set out beyond the fence in search of the spring. And once the information leaked beyond these scientists and scholars? Everyday citizens also launched their own excursions into the jungle, many bringing ailing family members or friends along for the ride.

This month the mission is to deploy teams of skilled citizens into the jungle to rescue some of the less fortunate, unsuccessful parties. Some of these people will be trapped or set upon by monsters, unable to move forward to the spring or back to the safety of the city. Others have simply run out of supplies and need the teams to restock them so they can continue their trek. And some groups have managed to reach the spring and collect their own samples of the spring water, only to find themselves struggling to return to the city before the samples lose efficacy. Feel free to create your own party to rescue, and get a team together to do so!

prompt ii: death from above

Normally, living inside the Inhabited City is a pretty safe bet. You can go day to day without running into a monster or risking any kind of danger requiring a fight. Generally, the tall, laser-fenced walls keep out anything particularly dangerous.

The problem with walls? They only go so high.

While usually assault from airborne monsters isn't a problem that's on the map, there's a few weeks during late spring where a swarm of flying monsters not unlike feathery pterodactyls are migrating back to another part of the moon. They're only in the area for a couple of weeks, but during that time, residents can expect occasional attacks by swooping monsters if they should see easy prey. Usually, a good sturdy dark-colored umbrella is enough to keep them from seeing a potential victim or meal, but sometimes the attacks still happen. So the Perimeter Guard sends extra details, calling in all the reserves, to patrol the city and keep an eye out for citizens in distress. There's also a general call for anyone who's experienced at fighting to help protect their fellow citizens. Whether your character is being attacked or protecting someone else, be prepared - these monsters are quick and have very sharp teeth.

prompt iii: homesick bazaar

Over the past couple of weeks, the portal has seemed really fixated on food. Almost every time the portal changes location, new bundles of food are near the entrance, ripe for the Perimeter Guard Orientation Team to pick up and drag through. As a result, the Orientation Team has set up a free bazaar outside City Hall. The Bazaar lasts from the 20th until the 31st of May, and is completely free, featuring tables and booths laden with food taken from the other side of the portal. Many of these foods will be familiar to characters in the City, whether it's that special brand they're totally addicted to or a plate of grandma's family recipe.

Everything at the Bazaar is totally free, and anyone joining in on the feast is encouraged to share (read: gently not allowed to leave until they do) and to tell stories about the origin of the foods from their own home. It's a multidimensional foodie's paradise!

prompt iv: prijata pregaming

Prijata is a holiday in Riverview celebrating platonic love - essentially, it's a celebration of friendship, geared at showing appreciation for existing friends and finding new ones. While I won't spoil the rest of the prompts for the introductory mingle, one of the main staples of Prijata is gift giving, and the Government of Riverview gets into the spirit of it by giving small gifts to everyone who's arrived since the last Prijata.

This prompt can be used to give a quick idea of what your character is into so other characters or players can suggest gifts to be given them (or to give them) if they are accepted! More information can be found in the Prijata Pregaming modpost.

prompt v: friendr/network

Whether your character is posting up a silly word game to distract people from the dangerous mission going on, trying to get hold of a friend, or putting out feelers for people to go out into the fray with, the network is going strong.

Alternately, an offer for a free app is popping up on new arrivals' devices - Friendr is a friend-finder and/or dating app. If characters choose to install it, they will fill out a short bio and parameters for what they're looking for, upload a snap of themselves, and then proceed to browse for matches. This is a typical swipe-left-or-right type app.

Code to post your character's bio is in the textbox below, or you can just do a text version of the information in the app. An example of how it looks can be found here.

<center><blockquote style="width: 220px; margin: 0; padding: 0px; background-image: url('http://i42.tinypic.com/2uf53s4.jpg'); font-size: 12px; font-family: verdana; border-radius: 20px; text-align: center;"><div style="padding: 10px 0 0 0; text-align: center;font-size: 25px; font-weight: 900; font-style: italic; color: #528887; text-shadow: -2px 2px 2px rgba(150, 150, 150, 1);">F<span style="font-size: 16px;">RIENDR</span></div> <center><img src="ICON URL HERE" style="border-radius: 50%; width: 70px; height: 70px; box-shadow:-3px 3px 2px 0px rgba(82, 136, 135, .75);"></center> <center><div style="width: 210px; background-color: #528887; color: #fff; padding: 5px; font-size: 14px;">Name of Character</div></center> <center><div style="width: 210px; background-color: #528887; color: #fff; padding: 5px; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"><b><small>AGE:</small></b> ## <b><small>INTERESTED IN:</small></b> Male/Female/Any <b><small>SEEKING:</small></b> Type(s) of Relationship(s) <b><small>ABOUT ME:</small></b> Blurb goes here, can be as long or short as you wish.</div></center><br> </blockquote></center>
Many thanks to mistojen for coding this especially for Riverview!

prompt vi: wildcard

Choose your own adventure and do something else in the setting!

navigation
[river market image is by Tyler Edlin]

Comments

tsumugi aoba / ensemble stars!

[exfine]

iii.

[ The bazaar sure is lively, and Tsumugi can't help but be swept up by the current. There's so much food to try out -- things that he hasn't heard of, even from the books he's read -- that he doesn't know where to start. A pot of bubbling, earthy-looking stew does catches his eye, though. ]

This dish sure looks strange... You think this is safe to eat? N-Not that I'm saying it doesn't look appetizing, but...

[ Shush, don't make this too awkward. When he finally takes a seat at a random table with a random person with all the meals he's gathered: ]

There's nothing like these back in Japan, though... What's your food like back at your home?

iv.

[ A gift-giving holiday... How quaint. Tsumugi won't expect anything luxurious or anything like that -- he's a simple boy with terribly simple needs -- so stuff like books or a new sewing kit would be enough.

Or maybe a new pair of glasses but he'll insist that his usual pair is still fine! Really! ]

v-a.(username: blackswan)

So is magic possible here? If so, where can I learn some tricks?

[ He's so excited... He's been dreaming about this ever since. Please indulge him. ]

vi.

[ Obligatory wildcard! Throw anything at me and I'll do my best to follow your lead. ]

@2cool | text

[glitterpants]

_{[ he's new here, so he's not 100% sure the answer to this question, but he probably would have given a dumb answer like this anyway: ]}

Heh. Let not your faithful heart be hesitant... the magic that you seek isn't always something of physical change-- something that cannot be explained-- something miraculous. A miracle? Is that what you are seeking? A pointless chase.

No, worry not about learning new tricks, for you have already learned them. They are here.
In your heart.
Where ever you go.

if you believe in yourself.

[exfine]

[ uh. what is he supposed to say here. ]

Um, thank you? That's really inspiring of you to say, actually!

But I really am looking to perform actual magic... It's something I've always dreamed of for some time now.

[glitterpants]

_{[ don't encourage him.. hearing a positive response like this only makes it worse. ]}
Don't you realize? You have been performing all along..
The world is your stage! And the tricks that you will show others are the good deeds that you do for them.
Kindness, nowadays, is what will leave even the coldest people baffled, if they choose to open their eyes and see you.

_{[ this is too profound...... ]}

[exfine]

[ he's not getting to this stranger, isn't he... ]

Ah, good point! In a way, that reminds me of the goal of my idol unit back at home - to spread the magic of happiness for everyone!

But... I really am serious about perform magic and witchcraft so if you can tell me where I can learn them...

1.2

[glitterpants]

_{[ tch..... so you don't wanna keep talking about this and encourage more opportunities for him to be painful cool sounding, he gets it.. ]}

2.2

[glitterpants]

What purpose is learning such a thing going to provide for you?
Is it because you want you follow your dreams? Is it to better yourself, perhaps? Or to start the beginning of world peace?

_{[ how would that even be possible.. ]}

[exfine]

Well, as I said, I've always wanted to learn magic. Fortune-telling and divination is usually seen as magic, but I want to do things like holding a magic wand and being able to teleport.

That's... kind of childish if I say it like that, isn't it? But yes, you could say that I want to better myself with magic. To get myself out there some more.

iv

[finethanks]

[At first, Eichi thinks he might be hallucinating. Is he having a stroke this early in the day? Since the last time he'd visited the hospital, his health had been rather stable. He'd purposefully avoided outings and jogging and stuck to what he knew— he had to be careful. But as he stops in place and more people pass in the crowds, the image of his old partner doesn't fade.

It's not the reaction he expected to have towards someone showing up, either. He's hopeful, his heart in jumping in a way that makes it feel dangerous, but he can't move at all. In fact, he vanishes back into the crowds and makes himself scarce as he tries to think about what to do about this. Why, he wonders...

He doesn't end up understanding it completely, but his feet do bring him back to Tsumugi after a few hours pass. This time, he's holding a small box neatly wrapped in blue with a white ribbon on top.]

I was beginning to think I'd never see you again, Tsumugi. [What a dramatic line that it took him three hours or more to come up with... But he says it with a small smile hiding his scattered thoughts, holding out the box for him. Inside, he'll find a bracelet with a little card explaining that it's one of those little good fortune bracelets, this one native to this world. Apparently the beads represent good fortune, emotional support, and a good immune system...

For Eichi to buy something like this, he really must be out of his mind.] This is for you.

[exfine]

[ If Eichi thinks he's been hallucinating, Tsumugi himself is... well. He certainly didn't expect his former unitmate being out and about in this alternate dimension. He didn't expect to be given a gift for this holiday either. ]

Eichi-kun... [ He's utterly speechless, staring at the tiny box containing the gift. He has so many things to say to Eichi, so many questions -- but he'll think more about them later as he finally opens the box and takes out the bracelet. ]

A good luck charm? This is perfect! [ He immediately puts it on too... He extends his arm, admiring the simple jewelry. ] I... Thank you, Eichi-kun. I never thought --

[ That they'd never see each other again, even after graduation? That Eichi would give him a gift? Words fail him as usual, so he turns to look at the bracelet once more. It's so cute...! ]

[finethanks]

[What does he do now? Putting the awkwardness of their situation back home aside, he's been through months of things here. Tsumugi's greeting tells him he hasn't been missing a day, or if he has, it's been hidden away as some hospital visit and not thought about. He really could go missing without anyone being any the wiser.

He's never been the type to initiate physical contact, even if he doesn't mind it, but he finds that as the moments pass without any, he craves it more. Maybe just to confirm that it's actually Tsumugi standing there in front of him and not some phantom in his image. His fingers twitch together in front of himself, and to avoid any fidgeting, he folds his hands together.

He can't fall apart now, after everything. That isn't the appearance he needs to have. Tsumugi is part of another unit now, so...]

I know you must have only just arrived, but you haven't seen anyone else from the academy, have you?

[exfine]

No, not at all... I thought I was the only one.

[ But he does feel very relieved to have found Eichi here. It really quite frightening, being on another world all by yourself... It's nothing like the books he's read about the subject. He's not some generic male protag who knows how to fit in -- he's just another idol.

So he lets out an exhale, and reaches out to grab both of Eichi's hands as a way to support himself. Huh, cold and clammy as always. ]

But what about you? Are you doing okay? How long have you been staying here?

[finethanks]

[HAND GRABBING... Hand grabbing that he desperately needed, and so his calm expression cracks a bit at his eyes in reaction to that. He's very cold, as always, and Tsumugi's warm palms are a welcome feeling around his own. Hold on, he's still processing this, he can't lag behind—]

Six months. [There's a pause, a blink into a calmer expression, and then he squeezes back at Tsumugi's hands briefly.] Ah, wait, it's only nearly my third month in this place, to be exact. I misspoke.

[Six months away from home, though. Uh, should he even explain any of that... He still doesn't know. He's going to try to push past this quickly and into something else.] If you've just arrived, Tsumugi, then I should show you around, shouldn't I?

[exfine]

Six months? Wait, you've been away for that long?

[ He's been away for that long... how? As far as Tsumugi can remember, he doesn't remember Eichi taking an extensive leave from the school, aside from those hospital trips -- maybe that's it? ]

But of course. There's a lot I still don't understand, though... But I'll do my best. Let's go take a look around, then?

[ So they start walking! Hand in hand, because Eichi looks paler than usual and Tsumugi's gonna be here as his support just in case he faints or something. Please don't die along the way, Eichi-kun. ]

So how have you been doing? I can't imagine you being in this place all by yourself, actually...

iii

[carrotkeeper]

You have a point there. It does look kinda weird.

[It's hard to discern the ingredients in the bowl from eachother, which is warning sign number one, but she can't imagine Riverview warping anything outright dangerous to eat. Even if it's reminiscent of witch's cauldron straight from a fairytale, it's probably fine. Probably.]

Hey, you want to split a bowl?

[Time to live on the edge of danger!!]

[exfine]

[ This is way too much danger for Tsumugi's good! But having someone to try it out with him does make him feel a bit braver, so: ]

Sure!

[ It does look like something from a witch's cauldron, but Tsumugi moonlights as a magician of sorts back at his school so maybe it won't be as bad? Hopefully??

Anyways, the bowls of stew have been served. Gulp. ]

Um, h-here goes then...

[ Oh god he's gonna die. ]

[carrotkeeper]

We've got this.

[It sounds like he needs some encouragement for this adventure in possible food poisoning. She grabs her spoon and pumps her fists.]

On the count of three, okay? 1, 2, 3!

[She takes a big scoop and shoves it right in her mouth, glancing out of the corner of her eye to see if he's doing the same. Don't let her down!!]

[exfine]

[ OH WOW SHE'S ACTUALLY DOING IT... So brave. Tsumugi won't back down from a fight too, even if it involves weird slop...

So he scoops some up and takes a tentative sip. Oh god. OH GOD. Don't throw up here, not in front of a cute girl -- Pinching his nose, he crams the spoon into his mouth and quickly swallows.

GOD. ]

...I'm fine! I'm fine.

[ NO ONE'S ASKING ]

[carrotkeeper]

[The next few seconds are struggle. She has a very strong urge to not swallow and while she's sure it's not dangerous, this stew only tastes like regret. But down it goes and she makes a face.]

Ugh, me too. That was pretty rough though.

[Even with the small amount left in the bowl, they can't waste it, right? Probably not.]

Maybe it tastes better with other things?

iii.

[leatherdaddy]

[ Please don't mind the 198cm of tattooed muscle looking down on you from on high, but that weird stew? Yeah, he's not the only one looking disgusted. What doesn't help is the smell, like it's been fermented in garlic or some other pungent thing, only... wet. How does someone make such a gross stew and live with themselves?

Want me to taste test it for ya? Totally not something he's going to say this time. ]

Ughh. Looks like something that came out of a marlboro.

[ Have a clap on the back that's intended to be friendly and probably won't send him careening into that bubbling slop. Probably. ]

It's all you. Good luck.

[exfine]

[ OH GOD, A LARGE DUDE whose smack can move mountains. Tsumugi staggers, still holding onto his glasses so as they don't drop into the weird stew. ]

Marlboro? Is that a native animal around here?

[ Huh, he catches on. Sorta. ]

But I can't possibly eat this on my own... It might not be too good for me.

[leatherdaddy]

[ You might want to invest is some tighter frames, kid. ]

I hope not. And you'd better hope they don't find their way here through one of those portals either.

[ Gladio's nose scrunches up once, twice, then the smell seems to trigger some reflex and he turns away to sneeze. A-CHHH. He swings back around scrubbing at his itchy nose for a moment as he grimaces at the dubious-looking dish. ]

Is this even food? Maybe the taste is better than it seems.

[ ...Just looking at it makes his stomach turn. ] Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick.

[exfine]

[ So they're monsters rather than actual domesticated animals... Noted. ]

Good point... I shouldn't put myself through that. There's a lot of food here that I've never seen before -- what would you recommend?

[ He wants to try everything on the menu but... Yeah, let's not get too excited. ]

you asked for it

[leatherdaddy]

[ Gladio frowns as he scopes out the selection, massive arms crossed over his scarred chest. There's all kinds here, anything from the recognizable to the truly bizarre, it's really incredible the stuff they've collected through the portal. But that frown of concentration slips away to wide-eyed wonder as his arms untangle from themselves and slowly fall to his sides.

Large, unassuming cups with paper lids are arranged to the side of some magnificent looking roast of unknown organic origin, which is ignored in favor of simpler fare. This isn't any imitation, it's the real deal. ]

Holy shit, Cup Noodle?!

[ He'd praise the Six if he was a religious sort, but the only god he worships is the salty, savory delight of hot instant ramen. ]

bless you gladio

[exfine]

[ Blinks. Oh, it's something from home! ]

They have those here too? This place really does have everything! ♪

[ He grabs a couple of cups and presses one to Gladio's hands. Big boy deserves it. He certainly didn't expect a massive guy like him with a penchant for instant ramen though, but Tsumugi won't judge. It's kind of cute, actually. ]

Here! Let's eat it together, shall we?