TEST DRIVE 006

[returnjourney]

RETURN JOURNEY: TEST DRIVE 006

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 ports 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.

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The Peregrine

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. Dorm Life

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. 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.

5. 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.

6. Wildcard

If it's in our game pages, you can use it as a prompt! The sky's the limit.

Comments

[holdshisown]

[That throws him off a little.] I...don't know. [Trust did not come easy to him, especialy not with people he'd never met before.] I don't trust people much anymore.

[underscene]

Join me? ( It comes after a considerate amount of silence. His hand unfolds to his side where Cyro stood, looking out into the space beyond. )

[holdshisown]

[He spends a long time simply staring with a blank expression across his face.] Very well. [Maedhros walks over, carefully making sure to stand where he could keep a wary eye on the other man.]

[underscene]

( And he'll not invade the space that's set between them. Instead, Cyro turns his attention to the view outside. The color that dances in the darkness. ) Have you seen such a thing before?

[holdshisown]

[Maedhros is not terribly inclined to take his eyes of the other, but he does cast a cursory glance out the window from time to time.] No. I don't believe I have.

[underscene]

Nor I. ( He lets the conversation breathe; small and casual. Opting to try and give a bit of information about himself and see where that lands. ) The smog too thick.

[holdshisown]

It's to close. I'm used to the sky being farther away. [Being surrounded by it is disconcerting.] It sounds like a dismal place to live. When you can't even look at the stars at night.

[underscene]

( Those dimly glowing eyes blink once in a while; lids fluttering over them as if they were still natural. He has a lot of conflicting opinions of what Negus was. On the brink of burning it all down but not fully sure he's-- thoughts for another time. ) Luxuries of a distant past. But life continues. ( Cyro exhales, and allows again for space before turning his attention to the other man. ) Do you want to return home?

[holdshisown]

[Human eyes shouldn't glow like that. He was used to elves having a soft glow, eyes and body both, but humans were supposed to be without any inner light to them.] Sounds too much like Angband to be healthy. [He shudders at the memories even speaking of that place brings him.] My home is not somplace I can return to anymore. It would be a waste of time to wish for things to be different.

[underscene]

( A messy topic: what makes a human, human. Cyro does not like mess. Yet so much of him is, and perhaps that was the most human thing about him. He thinks this is the case for many wardens. Human or not. He turns his gaze toward the darkness once more. ) And yet you're given the opportunity to make things be different.

( He turns his body fully, now. Still poised and proper. The tones of his voice reflected an earnest but firm plea. ) If you work with us, everyone benefits. If you do not, then this place truly is just a prison hurdling through space for whatever length of time no one knows.

[holdshisown]

[It sounds too good to be true to Maedhros, wich means it probably is. Even if everything that's being said is true it doesn't mean there won't be unintended consequenses.] Making things different, does not necesarily mean making them better.

Some things, no matter how horrible, need to happen for the greater good. What if, by changing them, I only end up making things that much worse for everybody else?

[underscene]

( Some things, no matter how horrible, need to happen for the greater good. He struggled with this because ultimately... some part of him agreed; a great part of him agreed. But at what point does that sacrifice become too great?

He pauses, and for a moment nods both to himself and the statements shared. ) I have only an interest in working with you to discover the ways that you can do better in your world if you returned. These are always the risks we take--the what-ifs--but what good does not trying provide you?

[holdshisown]

[For Maedhros it is something that simply seems to be true about the world. If he had never attacked Sirion Elwing would never have brought the silmaril to Eärendil, and without the silmaril he'd never have made it to Aman. Wich ultimately led to Morgoth's defeat.

No matter how much he hated the fact, it seemed to be true. None of this excused the actions taken however, it had been an evil thing he did that day.] Maybe I'm just tired of making these kinds of choices.

[underscene]

( Temporary Wardens do not get full files on their inmates for the month. Perhaps it was that event that landed Maedhros here, perhaps not. He is not sure, but a great part of him wanted to learn this from the person directly and create his own file from their work together. People could lie, of course, but if he did his job correctly they would be less likely to.

Cyro nodded. ) I imagine it is exhausting to make these decisions. Heavy sacrifices. Here, you do not need to make these choices alone.

[holdshisown]

[There are plenty of missdeeds that could have landed Maedhros here, Sirion was simply the one that weighed heaviest on his conscience. It was the least excusable thing he had ever done in his life and it had cost him his youngest brother. Maedhros was not inclined to lie about what he had done, but he wouldn't volunteer the information without prompting either.]

It is. But not making them leads to their own regrets as well. [He lets out a deep sigh. No matter what he does he's likely going to end up regretting it.] Trust does not come easily to me these days...but I might try.

[underscene]

( Cyro nods. ) It does sometimes feel our responsibility to choose between the lesser of two evils. ( He'll take his time with asking. Building rapport and trust seems more important to him than diving straight into the nitty-gritty with Maedhros. He is thankful at least that they now are willing to try. With a few moments of quiet, he adds: ) Thank you for giving me a chance. Do you have anything you'd like to ask me?

[holdshisown]

I have spent most of my life choosing betwen lesser evils. [Cyro, despite his disconcerting qualities, has acted in a way that puts Maedhros at ease. He is not incapable of changing his opinion and his captor seem to have roven himself somewhat trustworthy.] I cannot promise I will not have moments of...difficulty in this. But I will try not to make things more difficult than they have to be. [He has several questions. The most pressing one being:] Will you put chains on me?

[underscene]

I understand, and for the record I make no claim of perfection. I believe the doors should open both ways. It is not impossible for a warden, too, to step out of line or struggle. ( He considers the best way to answer the latter question. As there are no chains, but there are other things that could be quite the same. He'll share details of those. ) But to address your concerns, there is solitary confinement. We hold energy guns with stun capabilities and have handcuffs at our disposal. I prefer to never need to use them.

( It would be too easy, too much like home. One misstep leads to immediate termination. That is not the person he is anymore, not the world he believes in anymore, but he easily could be. Too easily. It sits just beneathe his skin. How quickly he could strike at all the softest parts of a person. ) It would behoove both myself and whatever inmate under my charge to discuss decisions and actions considered out of line rationally if possible.

[holdshisown]

[Maedhros listens intently to what is said, not just the words themself but how they are said as well. He is very conflicted about some of what he hears, one small snarling part of himself wishes to lash out at the thought of being confined in any way. But he can understand the possible need for it.]

There is a difference to put me in chains to protect yourself and others and to put me in chains simply because you wish it. I don't mind the first overmuch. [He'd never be completley comfortable with it, but he could understand it in some circumstances.] I don't completley trust myself at all times, having a way to keep me from doing any damage is not...unwise.

[underscene]

( Cyro understands the apprehension or even the anger that would boil over hearing such things, but he firmly believed honesty was the best approach to this case. If he wanted to punish that would be a different story. This was about rehabilitation. So he nods, and listens. Allows space for emotion. )

I appreciate your honesty. To know this about yourself is important. ( Cyro takes a moment and considers a few more options. For a brief second he turns back to the vastness. ) In my world, we traded freedom for peace. Everything has its place, its purpose. Clean. Perfect. ( His attention once again returns to Maedhros. ) The sentence for disobeying law is death. Period. No matter the gravity of the crime. ( A few beats pass. Quiet, and almost resigned. ) I, too, can be dangerous. But I have no desire to partake in this structure anymore.

[holdshisown]

[Maedhros appreciates the honesty, he'd likely take things much worse if Cyro had lied to him. As unapealing as some truths were it was always better to know them upfront, rather than getting them as a nasty surprise later on.]

Yours is appreciated as well. [Maedhros listens without interruption.] A truly grim place, your world, by the sound of it. What are we without a certain measure of freedom, after all? [He smiles grimly at that.] We're all dangerous, in the right circumstances. Anyone who thinks they're not, simply hasn't been pushed far enough yet.

[underscene]

You're welcome. ( He acknowledges it with a nod, and listens... to an opinion that makes him feel terribly conflicted. Negus was... not a grim place at all. It was incredible. A true marvel of human capacity to make something from absolutely nothing. Visually stunning. Clean. Organized. But it's culture... It's leaders... and even that has him conflicted, often. A learning process. ) It has it's charm. ( Is what he'll say. )

You are right. ( He'll... leave it there, and perhaps more information will come later. After all, trust was a two-way street. He lets this moment sit for a few seconds before picking back up: ) if you would like, take the rest of today to acquaint yourself with the Peregrine. There is a private room attached to my quarters, if you would prefer this to the open dorms please let me know. If you have any further immediate questions, I'll answer them to the best of my ability.

[holdshisown]

Most places have. Beleriand was a grim place to live as well, but there were many things I loved about it. [Himring during the deep winter was fair to him for all that most people found it inhospitable. For all the darkness and grief he had found in Beleriand it was still a land he held close to his heart.] Yet fairer still it would have been, without the enemy to have darkened those lands.

A lesson I learned well a long time ago. [About himself and others. But he won't say more than that, at least not at this time.] I might. You have given me much to think about...No. No other questions at the moment, though I might have more in the future.

[underscene]

( He supposed it was true that there was a charm in many things if you looked for it. He had not truly been one to think of these things until recently. Much growth for them all. ) I would like to hear about it sometime. ( An invitation whether it was chosen to be taken up upon now or another date. ) When you're ready, you can find me through your device--or quite likely the med bay.

[holdshisown]

...Later perhaps. When I've had time to process this...new development.