saveournumbers | Second Test Drive Meme

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Second Test Drive Meme

Second Test Drive Meme

Welcome to the SoE TDM!

Due to the premise of the game, everyone on this testdrive must be the modern day reincarnation of the characters we all know and love. Please take a quick look at our navigation to familiarize yourself with the concept and setting of the game before you jump in.

If you have a relationship plotting post comment for your character (which is NOT mandatory to play in this tdm), please link to it when putting up a toplevel on the TDM. That way, other players can easily get an idea of what kind of character they will be tagging.

Other than that, you know the tdm drill - when commenting, please put your character's name and canon in the subject line, and write one or more threadstarters so others can tag you easily. Below, you'll find some prompts that you can use or discard at will to write those threadstarters.

1. A ghostly apparition

There are many places in Mossgate Council where one may spot ghosts, but the place that yields such sightings most frequently is the ruins at the top of the cliffs. So one beautiful night, you're up there - for a date? To smoke weed? To watch the stars with a bottle of whiskey? - as you suddenly notice something out of the corner of your eye. Perhaps it is a bearded man in a long cloak, or a woman in historical clothes, or something much more outlandish... What do you do?

2. Old ships

A new exhibit at the museum has opened! ...Or rather an old exhibit has reopened after some repairs and an overhaul of the presentation. So now the old pre-Roman-times ship that is the pride of the museum can be visited by the public again, and of course there are all kinds of advertisement around town, and a large sign in the entrance are of the building guiding visitors towards the correct room. The ship sits elevated on a platform in the middle of the room and other items and explanations are placed along the walls. A volunteer guide is always close by to explain more about the ship (if your character is the volunteer guide - just make something up!).

3. Moss Manor gathers

In Moss Manor, there is reason for curiosity, gossip and free drinking. Wait. No. Of course it's just that the village gathers to warmly welcome the new vicar of the local church, and since that church is so important locally, even those who aren't directly related to it show up to say hi.

But while they're there, why not take advantage of the free food and drink and the opportunity to talk to everyone else at the welcome festivity?

4. Water activities

In Folkton, summer has begun. People are boating on the little river, sitting near the water while studying or take an afternoon nap there, older relatives try to keep children from falling into the water or at least not going in without supervision, and occasionally someone is yelling at a dog that just took a leap into the cool waters and splashed them at everyone in the general surroundings. An ice cream van is parked near the river, and some kids play football near the river.

5. The wonderful everyday

Being people living in our regular, modern world, people need to work or study, eat and commute, shop and relax... Just that all those regular, normal tasks can hold unexpected difficulties if you were just sitting at the tills at Tesco's, and this noseless customer suddenly made you remember the day you lost your parents. Or maybe you were getting some exercise, and running down the street you developed superspeed and have no idea how to control it yet...

6. How many times will they have to tell you?

Twice a year, there are guided tours through the tunnels under the cliffs east of Mossgate. Those tunnels, dug into the chalk throughout centuries or perhaps millenia, were built without a general plan, so their layout is an absolute confusing mess. On top of that, there are cave-ins and unsafe areas. It is strictly advised to not stray from your group, as people have been harmed because they got lost in them before. But you just had to get distracted, or perhaps think that it would be more fun to explore on your own, and now you are lost without a blip of signal to call for help with...

7. Fun, fun fun!

At Mossgate's seaside, a Victorian pleasure pier extends about 40 metres into the sea. The platform at the end of the pier holds fairground rides such as a merry-go-round, a small rollercoaster and a helter skelter and along the pier kiosks sell candy floss, rock candy, roasted nuts and other goodies. A small distance down the street, a minigolf site can be found and on the street along the coast there are fish and chips shops, family-friendly arcades and souvenir shops. Maybe you are actually here for the fun, or maybe you just work here or are trying to track down a wayward friend...

8. Wildcard

And, of course, the obligatory do-what-you-want option.

Threaded | Flat

((Channing on the relationship plotting post!))

4.

There is barking coming from down in the water, and if one goes to investigate, they'll find a small, white dog that seems to be in rather a lot of trouble.

Not because he can't swim; he can swim just fine. But he absolutely underestimated his ability to get back out of the water. The river bank rises much too steeply to just climb out when you're Pomeranian sized, and he can't even just stand up - the water might not be deep, but it's still too deep to reach the ground for someone his size.

Help?

5.

But sometimes he can be the rescuer, too! He has an excellent and much superior nose, after all, he'll tell everyone, and thus he has been roped into finding someone who has gotten lost in the tunnels.

((Plotting here!))

1.

Nighttime - arguably, his time. For Walter, looking at the stars, and imagining what it might be like looking back from them, is as relaxing as he finds his work.

Which probably makes him an oddball on several counts, but that's not his problem...

"Eh?"

He turns, half-expecting someone there - but is there?

5.

Just focus on breathing, he reminds himself - or tries. He swears he was never this uncoordinated when puberty hit - or when he more-or-less had to go through it again, for that matter. If it'd been up to him, he'd have stayed inside, but that just wasn't happening.

Walter stumbles back from whoever the latest person he ran into was.

"Sorry!"

7.

Sometimes, he really wishes he could walk around wearing headphones and have that not backfire on him. Apart from that, though, Walter won't deny that this is a nice place...

Someone should drag him onto the rides.

[[Mary Ann Tilly is the daughter of Sam and a GP working in Mossgate. She probably lives in Moss Manor (the village).]]

2.

Helping one of her kids with a school project, Mary finds herself at the museum. Not very often, but she hangs around some afternoons, morally supporting her child while said kid is giving guided tours... and, when things get really busy, giving said guided tours herself. She helped her kid study this material, after all, so she knows most of it by heart.

Today is one of those busy days. So she approaches someone who came in and is now looking at the ship and smiles. "Got any questions about this?"

5.

Mary smiles her professional smile when the door opens, expecting a patient to come through the door.

The last weeks have been weird. Ever since she gained the ability to perceive ...life, perhaps... in a whole new way, she's been able to tell things about patients that she couldn't prior to that. Which led to a few referrals issued by her that were based on 'a strong hunch' - that odd new perception that she obviously can't tell anyone about - and turned out accurate. So whatever it is, it isn't just her imagination.

On the other hand she's also had a few new patients, Numbered with physical alterations that wouldn't let them see a doctor not in on the network any more.

In short, it has been a ride.

But all that, she can shove away by working. "Good morning."

Edited 2018-06-23 22:08 (UTC)

{{Here's her AU workshop! Help hammering out some details would be so very appreciated.}}

1- Spooooopy times

[Should a young girl be poking around the ruins all alone at this time of night? Of course not, but a class mate of hers totally has a friend of a friend who definitely maybe saw a real ghost in this very ruin last week. That's the kind of thing she has to check out for herself. And don't worry, she's not even scar- what was that noise just now?!?!]

EEEP!

[Yes, the high pitched squeak in response to the first noise or movement to catch her attention is clearly proof of her bravery.]

Wh-who's there?

[Was it the wind? A small animal? Was it you?]

7- Entirely too much fun...

Hey! Let's go ride the roller coaster!

[She's tugging on your sleeve excitedly. Why you agreed to let Elise drag you around the amusement pier is anybody's guess. But this will make the fifth time today she's wanted to ride the roller coaster.]

And then we can get ice cream! My treat, okay?

[She says with a big smile and a wink.]

Oh! And do you wanna hit the arcade later?

[At this point she may just be coming up with excuses not to go home. But her siblings are all busy today, and her father is almost never around. Being in that big house all alone is just....

The arcade is just better.]

Edited 2018-06-24 03:03 (UTC)

((the plotting post for Russell Scordato, job-hopping thespian, can be found over here))

1: Ghostly Japery

Ghost sightings in the ruins come from so many things. Missed connections between visitors, happening to hear or see a glimpse of each other but never confirming the truth of things. Coincidences of wind and shadow, adding to an impression of person, but gone. Sometimes... the ghosts may truly be ghosts.

And then there's the times when the ghosts are fellow living people, intentionally skulking about in ghostly garb like archaic dress or old bedsheets.

In this case, Russell is the ghost. He's dressed as a blood-stained ghost, deliberately spooking people. As he figures, it enhances the experience of visiting the ruins, when the sightings come so much more often! And it's a good chance to observe some earnest fear reactions, the better to imitate in his next audition.

Say, what was that sound over there? A nut clattering against stone, when there's no nut trees up here?

3: Moss Manor Manners

You don't just grow up in Moss Manor, and then leave - there's some real community-minded spirits in the village who keep their drifters in the loop... And the new vicar's assignment is a big event for an important social cornerstone. It doesn't matter whether it's their church or no, family and friends from all over get drawn in.

Russell's milling about, plate full of hardly-touched sample sizes, looking for someone familiar to talk with. Whether it's someone he's hardly interacted with since school, someone from the network...

Really, anybody who meets his eyes (and doesn't seem likely to overwhelm him with church and community-related minutiae) will do.

7: Fun fun fun in the sun!

Mostly, fun for everyone else. It's a truly beautiful day, the pleasure pier full of locals and tourists alike... and so, all the shops and kiosks along its length need to be staffed.

The souvenir shop closest to the merry-go-round is pretty much always open, full of gift shop classics: post cards, hats and shirts, a scattering of snacks, little artsy doodads like windchimes and jar candles with pictures of important local landmarks...

Alternating Tuesdays find Russell keeping careful watch from behind the counter, smiling brightly at everyone who comes through. "Hey, if you need anything, just ask! I'm here to help."

Jim Pike works in the Industrial Park of Mossgate designing engines

1.

Coming out to the cliffside was one of Jim's things. Much like how he took his coffee with too much sugar, was meticulous about safety standards and how much he dotes over his grumpy Scottish Fold kitten Bones, coming out late at night to lie back and watch the stars with his legs dangling off the edge of the cliff was his Thing.

It's in his half-awake state that he sees movement at the edge of his peripherals. he takes a glance, well aware of the rumours that ghosts appear here and not thinking much of it - except... there's movement in his peripherals.

"Hello?"

3
The Manor gathering is great! The free food, the local company, the atmosphere, the food.
Jim can be seen constantly going back for more plates of finger food and occasionally talking shop with anyone scientifically minded; though he won't turn anyone down for conversation.

x
Wildcard!

➣ Prompt 1

David prefers to ride at night once summertime reaches a fever pitch, especially during particularly hot years like this one. The harsh sun gives way to the softer, more merciful glow of the gibbous moon overhead, the pale light resting on his shoulders and the hindquarters of the black mare beneath him. It's their usual ride, one that winds along the sandy trail leading to the ruins crowning the top of the hill, and it is beautifully quiet. Grass rustles alongside the rasping of a great reed warbler somewhere a few hundred meters out; the sandy path grinds against the soles of his mount's hooves; crickets sing in the undergrowth bordering the trail.

They round a small cluster of aspen trees and at last the ruins come into sight as they have on every ride - as well as a pale, shimmering form, vaguely humanoid, standing utterly motionless at their center some 20 meters away. The horse's ears swivel toward him in unison, then forward along with the lifting and stiffening of her long neck a moment later. Her nostrils flare and she softly but audibly blows out a gust of warm air. There is no reply from the shape, which certainly looks like a ghost.

It's not, obviously. It can't be - ghosts aren't real, nor can they be. If anything, it's probably some trick being played by the teenagers who come up here now that they're on holiday with nothing to occupy themselves with, simply because they know that many of the locals buy into the myths around this place. To their credit, the figure looks incredibly real, breathtaking even, as if composed of suspended stardust.

"Easy," he says quietly, reaching down to scratch her neck with one hand while pulling back on the reins with the other. "You're alright." The sun-bleached ends of her tail lash against her hindquarters as she blows again, more loudly this time, still with no reply. Her forelegs fumble on the ground as her weight shifts forward in an all-too-familiar change of posture - she certainly seems to be thinking about kicking, and rearing isn't too far from that. A fake ghost isn't dangerous, but a terrified horse is.

"Back. Come on." She takes one step back but doesn't go any further, breathing heavier, ears beginning to flatten. David's heart beats a little faster in his chest as his hands tighten on the reins. Stupid kids. There are a hundred other ways to keep yourself occupied.

"Stop that," he says, projecting his voice as far as he can while keeping it level. "You aren't funny and this isn't Halloween."

➣ Prompt 2

The best time to visit a museum, especially one in the midst of an upsurge in traffic, is in the early morning. It is quiet then, with no crowds and as close a view of the exhibit as the museum's rules will allow. This works quite well for David - he wakes at 5:00 in the morning to feed the horses and is usually in the feed room putting away buckets by about 6:15, as is the case on this particular day.

He showers, pulls his hair into a small ponytail, and dresses, then leaves for the museum. As expected, it is almost entirely unoccupied when he arrives; save for the echoes of a few sets of footsteps in other rooms, the building is silent as he stands at the edge of the rope fencing around the newly renovated ship and examines its hull.

That is, until another person enters the room - he looks up when he hears the soles of their shoes on the floor tiles and offers a polite smile upon accidentally making eye contact.

Edited 2018-07-19 22:05 (UTC)

[Zhiwei Kuan is a relatively new arrival (though his recently deceased grandfather was a longtime resident) employed by the UK Forestry Commission to make sure all the majestic nature is properly respected. On weekends, he's a volunteer Scouts leader.]

1.

Zhiwei doesn't believe in ghosts. You don't need to believe in things that exist. Mountains don't care if you believe in them and, presumably, neither do ghosts. That said, he doesn't really have mysterious specters in mind as he approaches the ruins. Despite his childhood visits, he doesn't really have a local's appreciation for the lay of the land yet. It's just a pretty bit of cliffs. And suspicious lights look to him a lot more like teenagers who are probably going to hurt themselves and may need to be growled at. He's not on the clock or anything, but he is wearing his uniform jacket because he's too lazy to change. Might be able to convince them to clear off. For their own good. And to restore proper tranquility to his walk, of course.

5.

It's a summer weekend, busy day for tourists and Zhiwei has his hands full with variously daft questions and a few good ones. Fortunately most of them are in a good mood and easy to impress, until he tries to point out a handful of harbour porpoises to a group of untalented birders in the hopes of making them feel better about not spotting much but a few gulls all day. People go nuts for anything cetacean, who knows why. Seals are cuter. But not a one of them seems to be able to see them. Eventually the slightly perplexed crowd of old ladies tells him he must have very good eyes and moves on.

Thing is, he didn't see them. Well, maybe a brief glimpse of a squat little dorsal fin, but he... smelled them. A few healthy adults, good sized, actually quite good news in such a busy area. That's what he tries to focus on as he stares distractedly out over the water, because otherwise he might have to think about the fact that they smell absolutely delicious.

8.

Zhiwei isn't the friendliest guy. He manages when he has to deal with visitors to the park, but when he's not in professional shill for nature mode, his natural expression is a bit of a scowl. But that's for things like crowds, and adults, and expectations that he behave like a respectable member of a civilized society. Not so much with kids.

It's an archery day for the scouts, mixed ages so that the setup can get maximum use and everyone who needs it can get their badge with maximum efficiency. He's not even a particularly good archer, just capable of a unique brand of enthusiasm. It's the little Beaver scouts that seem especially determined to follow him around, and he often has multiple children dangling off his arms while he tries to give stern directions and snaps at anyone not observing safety protocols.

He is also wearing a Robin Hood hat that doesn't fit at all and regaling his hangers on with a few stories that didn't make the movies. He's rather particular about them, too.

"No, Robin Hood isn't an earl, that's Will Scarlett's thing. The whole thing falls apart otherwise. Now, the wedding was to take place on the morrow--it just means in the morning, keep up, and so Robin and Little John..."

4

Already soaked and dripping with the river water, one young girl is walking gingerly through the shallows at the edge of the river a short distance from where her siblings are at play. Her dark eyes are focused down, scanning beneath the surface to the stones in the mud. Pauses in her steps are frequent, but quite suddenly she stops all together. Freezing in place with drips of water falling from the locks of her long red hair, she stares at something in the water. Ever so slowly, she crouches where she stands to slide her hands through the surface and down to scoop something out. Water trickles from her tightly cupped hands as she peers curiously at a crayfish.

7

The pier is rather busy this day in the lovely weather, and numerous people are walking between the attractions and distracted by their conversations. Drifting between the streams of movement, Ornella walks back and forth with a frown crimping her expression and her hands wringing at the top layer of her skirt in the front. Her eyes are flickering from face to face, looking for someone familiar. It had only taken a matter of seconds to get separated from her family, and every passing minute heightens her distress.

8

Curiosity leads her as Ornella wanders through the quiet spaces in the park wearing overalls with her hair barely tamed into a ponytail. With a small plastic whistle held in her lips buzzing faintly every so often from her breathing, she seeks a place to sit in the shade. In her hands, she carries a spiral-bound sketchbook, a tin of pencils, and a well worn eraser. There must be something to sketch nearby. In fact, perhaps it lies right around the bush ahead!

8+
(Open!)

Edited 2018-09-13 01:33 (UTC)

[[AU plotting thing]]

1

Marian's come up looking for the ghost more than once, because who could resist? Ruins on top of a cliff, with a grey figure who shows up now and then to Be Spooky (stories about how exactly it manages to accomplish this vary wildly, from what she's gathered)...it's all too fantastically British and quaint for words. 'Quaint' is a description that earns a lot of exasperation out here, but she's used to exasperation, and besides, it is all quaint.

She's never seen the ghost, but she usually has a decent hour or so anyway drinking a beer and looking up at the stars. They're always brighter up here, more than in most places she's been. Less light pollution. Whatever the reason, she'll take it.

It's not unusual for other people to wander up here too, usually teenagers looking for a place to snog, so when she hears an odd noise she turns her head to see what it is. She does tense, because some old instincts die hard even when you're only twenty-odd years old.

4

Marian walks or sometimes jogs near the water's edge, throwing a stick for a young mastiff who's clearly having the time of his life running around, skidding sand all over the place, splashing into the water, getting distracted by any interesting smells or sights in the area, and once in a while retrieving the stick and bringing it back to Marian.

If he's done any of those things to you, she's very sorry and will apologize. The dog isn't sorry at all but will probably lick you. Don't worry, he's friendly. Honest.

5

"Right." Marian lays down on the bench as her companion loads up the weights, getting herself into position, shifting around until she's comfortable. Once they nod, she grips the bar above her chest.

Before beginning the lift, she turns and looks over with a raised eyebrow. "You're ready to spot me? I don't really want a huge indentation the shape of this bar on my face if this turns out to be too much weight. I like my nose the way it is."

5

Marian loves running. She puts on some music, and the world narrows to just pounding the pavement, wind pushing against her, and speed. Houses and landmarks and people pass by in the background, and the path before her is simple and uncomplicated. Just run. Nothing else. The endorphin high when she gets into the zone is better than sex.

Well. Better than most sex. Fewer risky side effects, too.

Still, she's not completely oblivious. When she sees a huddled shape on the ground she slows down a little, frowning, then speeds up to get there, stopping and bending over. "Hey. Hey. You all right there?"

Edited (html fail) 2018-10-11 11:30 (UTC)

I

Feste may have lived around Mossgate for most of their life, but that doesn't mean there aren't always things to do and see and explore. The cliffs aren't new, but they always forget how pretty they are. Today they're trying to remind themselves, sitting a bit back from the edge with a sketchbook, alternating between trying to draw the scene in front of them and just doodling cats and doofy cartoons when they inevitably get distracted.

But something catches their eye, and they look up, swiveling their head in the direction. They thought-- but... no.

"If you focus it'll just make it harder to see..." they murmur, more to themselves, but... even they're not sure what they're talking about exactly.

II

History is not Feste's favorite topic, but that doesn't mean they don't like it and it certainly doesn't mean they won't show up at the museum and see the updates and improvements. Their eyes are wide as they look over an artifact, some scrap of a story or something with a picture they can't really interpret. But that's why other people are around. "Excuse me!" they say, politely but perhaps a bit over loud or excited, "Do you know what this is?"

V

Feste still doesn't really know what's happening with their dreams and memories, but they're trying not to let it bother them. They do have a bit of a problem though, which is mostly that they seem to have picked up an absurd fascination with anything shiny. Not even like jewelry things- right now they're crouched down in a parking lot, trying to decide which of these rocks is the best because they can't take all of them, that's just silly...

[ooc: Family/friend plotting post over here~]

Shinichi on the relationship plotting post

1. Ghosts
Ghosts weren't real. That was one thing that Jimmy was completely sure of. So when he is told that they had been seen in the ruins at the top of the cliffs, there is only one possible response. To go there himself and prove it.

The next weekend he hikes up there one evening with enough supplies to stay for the night, and starts to investigate the ruins.

2. Museum
When Jimmy sees the advertisements about the reopening exhibit, he immediately decides that it is something he has to see. He spends a few days reading everything he can find about pre-Roman ships, and makes a point of arriving at the exhibit as soon as it opens.

7. By the Sea
Jimmy wanders around the pleasure pier for quite a while, sampling all the foods and comparing them with the kinds of fair foods he'd had back home. He checks out the souvenir shops, but doesn't really find anything he wanted to send to his siblings back home.

Eventually he finds his way to a bench with a good view of the sea. It doesn't take him long to get distracted, scribbling some ideas down in his notebook and muttering to himself about alibis and train schedules.

Edited 2018-11-16 19:05 (UTC)

1. Whatisshedoingwhatisshedoingwhatisshedoing. How did she ever let anyone talk her into this?

Sarah Atwell is shivering as she heads up the last few stairs towards the ruins, hugging herself as tightly as possible as though that will block out what is to come. She hates ghosts. Hates them. How did she ever let those boys goad her into this?

Just five minutes, she tells herself. Five minutes. Sitting at the edge. That won't be so bad. She can do this.

Right?

. . . Right?

8. The somewhat mousy-looking high school girl doesn't quite look like a fortune teller, brown hair wispy and a little unkempt around her face, glasses just a little too big for her and often sliding down her nose. She has herself draped with a dark cloth with silver spangles over her head in an attempt to look properly mysterious, cards spread out before her, but in all honesty it really doesn't help to improve things.

Her mouth is set in determination, though. She's there to make a couple of extra dollars at the festival, and she's going to do it.

Care to have her read you? She's actually often strangely accurate.

Threaded | Flat

Major Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings | Parasol Protectorate | Family pet

Webmind aka Walter Weekes | The WWW Trilogy

Marja Virtanen | Mage: The Ascension | GP

Elise | Fire Emblem Fates

Papyrus | Undertale | Theatre Technician / Supporting cast / Misc Part-time work

James Kirk | Star Trek (2009)

Captain David Collins | BBC's Banished | Stable Boy

Kethel | Books the the Raksura | Park Ranger

Spring Sprite | Fantasia 2000

Marian Hawke | Dragon Age series | Gym Instructor/Personal Trainer

Feste | OC | University student