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returnjourneymemes2022-02-01 02:13 pm
returnjourney) wrote in returnjourneymemes2022-02-01 02:13 pm
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TEST DRIVE 002
RETURN JOURNEY: TEST DRIVE 002
Welcome to the Return Journey's test drive meme! We appreciate your interest. Our TDM features a small sample of events your character might encounter in game, which you're free to embellish or improvise with your own ideas as desired. Don't worry if you haven't read everything yet; while we recommend skimming our FAQ for relevant questions, critical information should be contained or linked within the prompts themselves!
TDM threads can be used as samples for applications. Players can mutually keep threads as game canon after being accepted into the game, though threads featuring non-canon squalls or events may need to be adjusted.
We suggest putting your character's name, canon, and potential role (warden or inmate) as the subject. If you're not sure which role you want to choose, feel free to try your hand at both!
If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask here.
1. Welcome Aboard!
Welcome aboard the SFS Peregrine, a ship in the Admiralty's Transformative and Penal Reparation Fleet. It is presently circling the outer perimeter of the Oos Ring Galaxy.
Wardens have been approached personally by the Navarch with a job offer: Come aboard the SFS Peregrine to assist in the redemption of an inmate, and receive a miracle known as a windfall as payment. Even if you don't ask as many questions as you should, every warden will be treated to a short Warden Orientation video explaining their expected duties and conduct.
Inmates have died and been placed aboard the SFS Peregrine as candidates for reformation. You may have come willingly, offered a choice between death or redemption, or you may have been collected against your will. Inmates are also treated to an Inmate Orientation; you'll find you have less privileges than a warden, but more motivation for...latitude. Violence? Chaos? Bribery? Blackmail? Well, no one said the path to redemption was without a few bumps along the way.
Given staff shortages, some wardens may be asked for a favor. Rather than leaving directly for the Peregrine, you've been asked to pick up an inmate from the limbo between death and redemption. During this mission, wardens will have clearance to enter a snapshot of sorts, where the inmate died (so devoid of other living beings). You either have to talk them into willingly coming along...or bring their unconscious, fresh-from-death not-corpse with you in the Avro provided. Better hope they don't wake up on the way!
Inmates, in this case, you'll be presented with the choice of death or redemption from a warden rather than the Navarch. Or possibly not provided with a choice at all, if death has rendered you unconscious. Good luck when you awaken to find yourself in a small ship, with someone you've never met. Try not to cause any trouble.
2. Pairings
Pairings are a critical aspect of the dynamic between warden and inmate. While interactions between wardens and inmates are not restricted to those in pairings, this relationship is a bit more...inescapable. Inmates test the limits of a warden, whether they take a more typical or unusual approach to matters; likewise, wardens learn what makes an inmate tick (and hopefully cooperate). Chances are, your values will clash.
A pairing of any sort is as varied as the individuals involved in them. And today, courtesy of the Navarch's monthly announcement, you and your sorry partner have been paired. Temporary or permanent, with a warden for an inmate or an inmate for a warden, it's your first day together — out of at least a month, so good luck setting some ground rules and figuring out each other's breaking points.
3. Life on the Peregrine
Hey, inmates! Ever gone to summer camp? Had a sibling? If so, you might see where this is going. If not, welcome to your first experience with shared sleeping arrangements!
The dorms are lined with bunks, though maybe they're better described as pods: futuresque capsules stacked two high, with sleek white paneling and cool blue LED lightning. Each bunk can be closed off with a sliding door privacy and boasts a bladeless fan for temperature control. Bedding is adequate. If such modest conditions do not appeal to you: consider not committing crimes against other people.
And just like with siblings or summer camp, you don't get a say in who your bunkmate is. Maybe you'll luck out and get a light sleeper who doesn't toss and turn in the night. Maybe you won't, and you'll end up with someone who will kill you if you snore. Whoever you get is who you're stuck with until further notice!
Wardens get much more hospitable quarters, but they may want to keep an eye out on the inmate dorms. Just in case an inmate does try to kill their bunkmate.
4. Squalls
Occasionally, the ship passes through squalls, the equivalent of cosmic turbulence that can mess with little things like, say...the fabric of reality. These are shipwide effects, though who they hit is variable. Sometimes you might fall victim; other times you might be the one standing by, exasperated, as you deal with those affected.
(In other words, it's up to player discretion. And feel free to make up your own squalls!)
This time around, the squall comes with an interesting side effect: whenever you lie or someone lies to you, you experience an immediate rush of anger — whether you consciously know someone is lying or not. Think of it as a temporary lie detector, but instead of being hooked up to a machine, you might punch someone in the face.
5. The Peregrine
The Peregrine's layout and protocols have been designed with its intended passengers in mind, who are primarily Earth humanoids and inclined towards certain social and cultural practices. If you're wondering why you are on a ship of Earth humanoids despite not being one yourself, please understand that all ships in the Admiralty have a population capacity. At times it may be necessary to assign other species to a ship of this type, based on availability.
As a warden, you have full run of the ship map. Inmates...less so, but that's nothing a little creativity can't fix, right? Just remember, if a warden catches an inmate somewhere that inmate shouldn't be, it falls on the warden to handle the matter. And if the warden turns a blind eye...well, let's hope neither of you get caught. While it won't result in anything as extreme as a demotion, wardens can expect to get a stern dressing down; inmates, meanwhile, will be reprimanded by the warden who found them.
6. Networking
Now that you've powered on your CommLink for the first time and sat through the short tutorial and appropriate orientation, you're ready to explore the wonders of messaging. Video, audio, or text, the world is your oyster and you surely have opinions on it.
There is no anonymous option and IDs must be some variation of your name. (IC, characters will have to try their luck and see what the communicator will or won't accept when they register; OOC, it's up to players to decide what name to use if the character has multiple names or aliases.)
Wardens have access to a group network filter, something that inmates lack, and can track inmates throughout the ship with their CommLink. Inmates, best avoid getting your device confiscated or monitored.
7. Wildcard
If it's in our game pages, you can use it as a prompt! The sky's the limit.
Theon Greyjoy | A Song of Ice and Fire | Inmate
[ Theon thinks he must be dreaming. He’d been passed out for a good deal of the journey, coming to just in time to catch the end of the tail strange iron bird’s speech. If there was an agreement to be made, he missed it. Someone else made it for him. He thinks he catches something about doing better? Theon did the best he could. He hadn’t wanted things to turn out how they did. How could he have possibly done better?
He can recall what happened last in vivid detail: the sickening crunch of a mailed hand to his face, the heat of the flames, sheer destruction and chaos all around him, Smiler with his mane ablaze, then nothing—only black.
So, is he dead?
No, he decides, drowning out the iron bird's squawking even further. Whatever its saying isn't nearly as important as what's going on in his head. Someone surely would have rescued me. Luwin, Asha, someone. I’m dreaming. It’s a lie he has to tell himself to keep from slamming his head against the wall. He knows he was all alone by the end. His sister wasn’t coming back and his father wasn’t sending reinforcements.
He rubs his cheek, still feeling the pain of a broken cheekbone. He’s not bloodied, he isn’t even burned, but he is bruised and covered in sooth and ash. If the person across from him, be it inmate or warden, should open their mouth to speak, he’ll be quick to cut them off: ]
Does it look as though I wish to speak to you?
2. Life on the Peregrine
[ The confines of the Peregrine leave Theon feeling a bit claustrophobic. To a young man who spent his childhood around ships, this is not a ship. It’s almost offensive to call it such. There’s no spray of the ocean, no salt air, no screeching seabirds, and no way out.
Theon is also used to more luxurious accommodations. He’s been a prisoner half his life (the irony of it all is something he has to laugh about), and yet he never found reason to complain about his bedchamber in Winterfell. Although perhaps not as large as those of the Stark children, it had been warm and well furnished. This looks like little more than a hole in the wall, cold, impersonal and sterile. Not even a fur in sight! He cringes when he sets eyes on it. ]
I would rather sleep on deck.
[ Should have thought about that before you killed people, bud. ]
3. Network
un: greyjoy
The rest of you agreed to this?
I didn’t agree to this.
This isn’t even a ship.
[ Just…in case you hadn’t noticed. ]
4. Wildcard
[ Pretty chill with just about anything. You can find me at
3 ( text | jvolkhov ) HANNAH! <3
why in the hell would they launch prisoners into outer space. nobody's been able to tell me why that makes sense when its 100 x harder and 1000 x stupider than just putting us in a BUILDING ON THE GROUND
who is paying for it. who paid to build a space station. the fucking owl?? how does this place make money
HELLO FIRE!!
What makes you think I have any of those answers?
Whatever it is and however it's funded, it isn't a ship.
no subject
It's not a ship.
no subject
[ It must have taken a bit of time to compile all those questions, after all.]
no subject
I haven't seen the SUN in a MONTH. I'm going to get fucking rickets, like a Julian orphan.
no subject
[ Men have gone mad from lack of sunlight. Men go mad from a lot of things. ]
Have you seen anyone who has actually manage to leave?
no subject
But like I said: I've had a month to plan.
1
Claire's mouth hangs open for a moment before she shuts it, lips pressed into a thin line. She could bite back, or take the high road. After a breath, an attempt is made:]
You look like hell, actually.
here we go again...
He glares at her, or tries to. Truth be told, he still feels and looks a bit dazed. Maybe it’s from Ramsay’s knock to his face, or maybe it’s from the wealth of information he’s just been presented with and can’t fully comprehend. All he knows is he doesn’t appreciate Claire’s comment, or even the fact that she’s here at all. ]
And you think you look much better?
[ She does, obviously. He’s just angry and confused. ]
destined to meet over and over
[Which might be a little too cruel, considering his position. Claire doesn't apologize, but she does shake her head.]
Are you all right?
no subject
He snorts, and he smirks, sly, but somewhat brittle behind it all. It’s obvious that it’s a painful move, and he’s cringing through it. Why he feels the need to smile right now is a mystery. It’s what he’s always done. ]
I’m fine. I’ll wake up soon enough.
[ Keep telling yourself that, Theon. ]
no subject
Do your dreams usually hurt?
no subject
Is that any of your concern?
[ He doesn’t even know who this woman is or why she's in his dream. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1
[ He reaches to smear a finger — ungentle — across Theon's shattered cheek. ]
no subject
But his expression is confusing, to say the least. He grins, wide and toothy and sly, like he knows something that no one else does. ]
It looks as though I’ll bite your finger off if you touch me once more.
no subject
Try it, then.
[ Elbow still propped to knee, he reaches out once more. Palm up, open. A dare: Take it, or take a bite. ]
no subject
He sneers, teeth still bared in that strange, off-putting smile. ]
Get away from me.
no subject
Make me.
no subject
Do you take me for a fool?
[ Do not answer that. ]
Use what little brain you may or may not have. There's less room in here than there is in a horse's stable.
3; id: viktor
no subject
But god forbid he just say that. ]
My family are all ship captains. My first steps were taken with a deck beneath my feet.
Whatever this is, I will not call it a ship.
no subject
[More personable, maybe.]
I always liked boats.
no subject
[ It's clear that he isn't all that pleased with the word choice, but it works for him far better than "ship" does. He's always liked boats as well, but what choice does he really have in the matter? The sea is in his blood. ]
Have you ever sailed?
no subject
[He definitely threw up.]