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returnjourneymemes2021-12-10 12:00 pm
returnjourney) wrote in returnjourneymemes2021-12-10 12:00 pm
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TEST DRIVE 001
RETURN JOURNEY: TEST DRIVE 001
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. Accidents and Sabotage
A. Lights Out
As everyone knows, when it's lights out in a prison...interesting things can happen.
Whether a natural fluctuation from traveling through heavy space debris or something more unnatural (maybe it was you), the power has gone out. While life support continues to function, it's pitch black and any areas usually locked to wardens are left with doors open. It's the perfect setting for a riot, breaking and entering, thievery...your general crimes, petty and otherwise. Wardens, of course, are expected to stymie these efforts, but that doesn't necessarily mean they'll succeed. What's a little chaos between friends?
Our apologies if you happen to be in an elevator when the power dies.
B. Invasive Species
Being in space, sometimes space things happen.
Somehow (and hopefully you or someone you know isn't responsible for that "somehow"), a greater lunar tetacocien has gotten on board. Quite a feat, since they're the size of a rhino, but they have an impressive ability to squeeze through anything large enough to fit their beak. Unfortunately venomous, carnivorous, and native to the starstuff of Oos, the creature needs to be rounded up before it destroys anything (or anyone) aboard the ship. Please do not attempt to eat; the flesh is toxic.
The multi-legged predator can be immobilized with shots from an energy weapon... Too bad inmates can't carry them. Time to improvise! Or steal one, if you're canny enough.
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!)
A. Truth Bomb
One week, those affected cannot tell a lie. Wardens and inmates alike can only speak the truth, though it varies whether they blurt out a response to any question asked or can keep mum.
B. Stuck Together
Another week, you're stuck together. Travel any farther than two meters from your buddy and you'll experience intense physical pain. There isn't anything visible to this connection; it isn't something you can sever (not that this means you can't try). So have fun with your group activities and try not to kill each other.
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.
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In the meanwhile, I'll have to confer with the other Wardens on a better way to enact security in the dorm. I don't to do anything like 24/7 monitoring. That's not exactly going to foster any trust with us.
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There's no disciplinary or safety reason we should have to wait to be paired to sleep in a room or use a shower privately.
[Imagine a slow, elaborate settle into a martial arts stance. Let's go. Come at him.]
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But I am new, and I have my own investigating to do first. And I don't think I'm going to get past any sweeping changes without the other Wardens on board at the very least. I am hoping they're reasonable people, but that remains to be seen.
If you are under that much threat then you can stay in the quarters next to mine. I'll request to have you transferred from whatever Warden you're with now. This does, of course, mean you're going to have to trust me, just another one of the 15 assholes on this ship.
Take it or leave it.
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Nice doing business with you.
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[why is he being an asshole to a guy who offered to do him a favor? well, 1, because he is just actually an asshole.
2, though, fuck being polite and earning back things that never should have been taken from him in the first place.]
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[Waver's a good man, but he's no doormat.]
I understand why you're angry. And while I'm not going to be some strict disciplinarian, I do have duties expected of me just like you do. For better or worse, we're stuck here now, and now we can work out the finer details of what's going on here.
[There's a minute or so before the next text is sent.]
Perhaps there are things you'd like to talk about off the record. I'll be in my quarters for the rest of the night. My name is Waver Velvet.
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I've got nothing to hide except that I think this entire system is a crock of shit.
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I've already regretted taking this job, but I'm a man of my word. I'll see this through to the end, one way or another.
Punishment for my greed, I suppose.
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Look, take whatever time you need to get acquainted with this little cops and robbers circus. You'll see I'm right about the rooms.
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Well. I can't speak for the others. I sure hope they don't feel that way. I don't.
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Two classes of people, one of which gets outside rights, full access to the building, private rooms and bathrooms, and guns?
Come on. You're an adult, think about the nature of people here. Inequality is uncomfortable. If they haven't all convinced themselves they deserve it now, give it a month.
[this is your periodic reminder that the stanford prison experiment was faked as a publicity stunt but people are still dicks to each other and that hasn't changed]
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Back home, I have to work with nobility a lot.
Noble mages, which, if you're unfamiliar, is even worse.
I am not, nor will I ever be nobility. Not for all the money in the world.
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Isn't nobility like, the goal, though? Like, climb the corporate ladder and "make it"?
Or do you mean hereditary?
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However, no matter what I do, I won't get to climb that ladder. I'll just watch everyone else pushes ahead and climbs it over me.
[Not that it's stopped him from trying, or ever will.]
So, no. I really don't want to lord this warden idea over anyone. It would be beyond hypocritical of me.
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i just want to be able to afford things. devastatingly horny for financial stability
i hope you stick to it, because frankly I think this entire place is a fucking cult
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[Bitter much?]
I will try. And if you see me falling in line with that sort of thinking, I hope you'll call me out on it.
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Life is a rigged game. No one makes it out a good person, and I'm sick of people who think that they're above it.
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I don't disagree. I just don't want to give up trying to be good anyway. Things got better for me once I started trying.
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