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3.0 Test Drive Meme
3.0 Test Drive Meme
Premise & Arrival ֍ FAQ ֍ Apply ֍ Navigation
Welcome to Well! Characters arrive a little differently this month (see the first prompt). Your character arrives this month in the middle of the formless desert with only a handful of memories, clad in old west style clothes of your choosing, with no items from home.
Anyone is free to play on the TDM, but you need an invite to apply. Feel free to use these prompts, and interact with the arrival or locations. NPCs are around, but only say a certain set of phrases. TDMs can be considered game canon.
This TDM takes place from the first week of August onward, and can happen concurrently with other events during August and September. This will be the only TDM for August, September, and October.
Applications are open July 26th until August 1st, and August 27th until September 1st. Invites are available for friends of current players.
A Little Lost
Content warnings: heat exhaustion, feelings of unreality
You wake up in a sea of sand. It’s hot, and dry, and it seems to go on forever. You don’t remember much about yourself except your name and a handful of memories that most likely aren’t useful right now.
The sand slip-slides under your feet with every step. Sun beats down heavy and hot on your neck and your head. You’re so thirsty. How did you get here? How long have you been walking? Where are you headed? You can’t know. You feel like you’ve been walking forever, but the sun stays high above you, like it’s always noon. It may have been hours, it may have been mere minutes. What are those things circling in the sky above you? Vultures? That can't mean anything good.
Eventually, you find someone else, another new arrival, maybe, or a resident of the town who may have wandered a little too far into the desert. Maybe they have some water on them? Either way, company is exactly what you need right now, because there sure isn’t anything else in this desolate place. Not a cactus, not an animal, not even hints of a town.
Once you’re together, it seems a little easier to move forward. Time starts to move, too. The sun dips in the sky, your feet tread through the sand, and together, eventually you find the town.
If you take too long after you find one another, and the sun sets, be careful. Cacti sprout up closer to town, and after the sun sets, the cacti start to move, and they seem hungry for blood.
tl;dr:
You wake up in a sea of sand. It’s hot, and dry, and it seems to go on forever. You don’t remember much about yourself except your name and a handful of memories that most likely aren’t useful right now.
The sand slip-slides under your feet with every step. Sun beats down heavy and hot on your neck and your head. You’re so thirsty. How did you get here? How long have you been walking? Where are you headed? You can’t know. You feel like you’ve been walking forever, but the sun stays high above you, like it’s always noon. It may have been hours, it may have been mere minutes. What are those things circling in the sky above you? Vultures? That can't mean anything good.
Eventually, you find someone else, another new arrival, maybe, or a resident of the town who may have wandered a little too far into the desert. Maybe they have some water on them? Either way, company is exactly what you need right now, because there sure isn’t anything else in this desolate place. Not a cactus, not an animal, not even hints of a town.
Once you’re together, it seems a little easier to move forward. Time starts to move, too. The sun dips in the sky, your feet tread through the sand, and together, eventually you find the town.
If you take too long after you find one another, and the sun sets, be careful. Cacti sprout up closer to town, and after the sun sets, the cacti start to move, and they seem hungry for blood.
tl;dr:
- This time, new arrivals wake up lost in the middle of a vast desert.
- There's too much sun, too much sand, vultures circling and too little water.
- Finding each other makes time start again, and lets you find the town.
- If you don't make it back to town before nightfall, vicious living cacti appear to attack you.
Face Your Fears
Content warnings: hallucinations, reality shifts
In this town, fear soaks the hot, dry air. It lurks in shadows and the corners of rooms, waiting for their moment. What is it that you fear? Monsters? Disappointing your parents? Maybe you’re afraid that everyone you love will leave you, or that you’ll end up alone. Whatever it is, right now, there’s a chance of becoming very real.
It happens suddenly. Your mind drifts. You lose focus on what you were doing, and when you look up again, the world around you has shifted. What was a nice lunch with a new friend or a fun visit to the saloon becomes a nightmare. What fear manifests is totally up to you, and it can be different every time. The person beside you could become a monster you think is trying to attack you, or you could be suddenly alone in a cold dark space, desolate and empty.
Whatever horror your mind conjures up for you, it will feel real in all ways and with all senses including, of course, your perception of pain. As far as you know, you’re trapped in a nightmare with no way out.
Except, of course, there is a way out: you just need to figure out that it isn’t real. Maybe you’re strong enough to do that on your own; maybe you’ll need help from a friend or a new pal, reaching through the illusion to pull you back. After all, these hallucinations are entirely in the mind of the beholder: to everyone around you, it sure just looks like you’re yelling at your pancakes!
tl;dr:
In this town, fear soaks the hot, dry air. It lurks in shadows and the corners of rooms, waiting for their moment. What is it that you fear? Monsters? Disappointing your parents? Maybe you’re afraid that everyone you love will leave you, or that you’ll end up alone. Whatever it is, right now, there’s a chance of becoming very real.
It happens suddenly. Your mind drifts. You lose focus on what you were doing, and when you look up again, the world around you has shifted. What was a nice lunch with a new friend or a fun visit to the saloon becomes a nightmare. What fear manifests is totally up to you, and it can be different every time. The person beside you could become a monster you think is trying to attack you, or you could be suddenly alone in a cold dark space, desolate and empty.
Whatever horror your mind conjures up for you, it will feel real in all ways and with all senses including, of course, your perception of pain. As far as you know, you’re trapped in a nightmare with no way out.
Except, of course, there is a way out: you just need to figure out that it isn’t real. Maybe you’re strong enough to do that on your own; maybe you’ll need help from a friend or a new pal, reaching through the illusion to pull you back. After all, these hallucinations are entirely in the mind of the beholder: to everyone around you, it sure just looks like you’re yelling at your pancakes!
tl;dr:
- You start hallucinating that the things you fear most are actually happening to you.
- These fears feel like real, concrete sensory experiences, even though they're only happening in your head.
- You can escape by recognizing that what's happening isn't real, either on your own or with help.
Bullrider
Content warnings: mild bovine coercion, alcohol
Come on, hot stuff. You know you want to.
Bet you can’t stay on for more than half a minute.
You don’t look too tough.
You think you can tame me?
In the saloon, you hear a voice in your head. It calls to you, the words seductive and enticing: you want to prove it wrong, you want to find out what it’s promising, you hate to lose. Whatever the motivation, you find yourself abandoning your drink and making your way to the new attraction at the back of the saloon: the bull.
It’s a big boy: a massive mechanical bull. Covered in spotted cowhide, with a bull head and big horns, this thing sits on a massive pedestal like a challenge. Around it is spread... relatively thin padding and a flimsy rope to keep the audience back an appropriate distance.
The compulsion keeps a hold on you until you’re on the bull. Maybe you’re on it with a friend, or a stranger, and it starts up with a mechanical buzzing. It starts to sway under you, and now you have just one job: stay on.
It starts easy, but gets harder as it goes along. It’s incredibly difficult to stay on for more than a minute. But during that minute, you feel amazing. You feel hot as hell, in whatever way that works for you: sexy, powerful, bold, in control.
Until he throws you off onto the padding or into the crowd! When you get thrown, there's a good chance you'll go flying into the crowd. Hopefully they're ready to catch you!
If by some miracle you manage to stay on for more than a minute and a half, the bartender slides you a bullrider special: a spicy whiskey cocktail with a hint of lime. Feel free to leave it up to pure chance, and have the mods roll a die for you to see whether you manage to stay on or not.
tl;dr:
Come on, hot stuff. You know you want to.
Bet you can’t stay on for more than half a minute.
You don’t look too tough.
You think you can tame me?
In the saloon, you hear a voice in your head. It calls to you, the words seductive and enticing: you want to prove it wrong, you want to find out what it’s promising, you hate to lose. Whatever the motivation, you find yourself abandoning your drink and making your way to the new attraction at the back of the saloon: the bull.
It’s a big boy: a massive mechanical bull. Covered in spotted cowhide, with a bull head and big horns, this thing sits on a massive pedestal like a challenge. Around it is spread... relatively thin padding and a flimsy rope to keep the audience back an appropriate distance.
The compulsion keeps a hold on you until you’re on the bull. Maybe you’re on it with a friend, or a stranger, and it starts up with a mechanical buzzing. It starts to sway under you, and now you have just one job: stay on.
It starts easy, but gets harder as it goes along. It’s incredibly difficult to stay on for more than a minute. But during that minute, you feel amazing. You feel hot as hell, in whatever way that works for you: sexy, powerful, bold, in control.
Until he throws you off onto the padding or into the crowd! When you get thrown, there's a good chance you'll go flying into the crowd. Hopefully they're ready to catch you!
If by some miracle you manage to stay on for more than a minute and a half, the bartender slides you a bullrider special: a spicy whiskey cocktail with a hint of lime. Feel free to leave it up to pure chance, and have the mods roll a die for you to see whether you manage to stay on or not.
tl;dr:
- There's a mechanical bull in the back of the saloon!
- There's a strange deep voice in your head, coercing you into giving it a shot.
- It's hard to stay on, but when you're on it, you feel powerful, bold and in control.
- The padding's pretty thin and you'll get thrown hard when you do. You might hit someone!
- If you stay on for more than a minute and a half, you'll get a fun little drink as a reward.
yang xiao long | rwby
[ yang isn't sure of a lot of things right now. her home, her loved ones.... all of them are worrying blank spots in her memory. or she would be more worried if the sun wasn't baking any moody contemplation on the issue right out of her brain. at least the mystery desert was kind enough to grant her a wide-brimmed hat that blocks a fraction of the heat.
she squints into the distance looking for any thing that can hold a conversation. even a tumbleweed would be good company right about now. however, that dark spot on the horizon is vaguely shaped like something even better--a person! she sprints toward them at top speed, grinning from ear to ear. ]
Think I made a wrong turn back at that third sand dune, [ yang chirps. ] Have any clue where the nearest oasis is? One that isn't just wavy lines preferred, but I'm not gonna be picky.
b. bull riding
[ her eyes are glued to the mechanical bull from the second she walks in to the saloon. it's loud. it's unwieldy. it's dangerous.
yang loves it.
she sits at the bar watching attempt after attempt, knee bouncing with impatience all the while. ]
There's no catch to this, right? [ yang asks the person next to her. ] Just stay on as long as you can? That doesn't seem so tough.
[ said as yet another person is flung to the floor with a nasty-sounding thud. ]
c. wildcard
[ want to do something different? no problem. just DM this journal and we can talk it out. ]
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She glances over to the girl beside her and the way her knee bounces. She gives a little sigh.]
I don't think so?
But do you seriously want to do something like that? It's dumb.
[Yeah. Real dumb.]
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Of course! [ yang meets the other girl's gaze head-on, seemingly undeterred by her affected disinterest. ] Sure, it could be dumb, but there's a good chance it turns out super cool, instead. A whole 50-50 chance. Probably.
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That means there's just as much of a chance that it's going to be dumb.
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matter-of-factually, she continues: ]
Sometimes bad things happen and there isn't a single thing you can do about it. Be nice if you could, though.
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Yeah. No. I know that better than just about anyone else here.
I spend more time getting people hurt than anything else- I think.
It just works out that way.
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[She gives a little shrug. Yang was right, but she didn't want to admit that. She couldn't at the moment.]
But I don't want to be the cause of it anymore. Whether it's something I can control or not.
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The only way that works if you lock yourself inside forever and never talk to anyone else as long as you live. You sure you're okay living like that?
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ride 'em cowgirl
Not as far as I know. Totally catchless. [she catches the eye of the person getting flung off the bull and laughs, raising her brown bottle in a cheer. with her attention back on her companion, she says,] Come on, cowgirl, give it a shot.
YEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWWW
yang xiao long loves showing off in front of women. she will do anything to look cool in front of them.
in the face of this earth-shattering realization, she mirrors her bar mate's broad grin, tipping her hat toward her in acknowledgement. ] If you're twisting my arm then guess I don't have a choice. But how about we make it interesting. Wanna bet how long I stay on?
no subject
Tell you what. You stay on there for... 20 seconds and I'll match your next drink and chug mine.
rolled a d20 and got an 11, i'm counting that as a mixed success
regardless of motivation, she won't turn down a brand new friend or the free drink she's offering. yang stands with a decisive nod, drawling over her shoulder as she saunters away, ] You got yourself a deal. Better get ready to chug.
[ the taunting voice of the bull overtakes the raucous noise of the saloon with each step closer to her goal.
think you're tough, don't ya? you're strong? don't make me laugh. you're foolin' yourself if you think you can handle something like me.
its grating laughter and the pounding of heart drown everything out as she hops into its back. yang digs her heels into the bull's side harder than she needs to. winning the bet is no longer enough. she has to send this thing straight to hell.
the first five seconds aren't so bad which comes as a surprise. maybe she used to be athletic in whatever kind of life she had before. another five seconds go by and she feels grateful none of teeth have rattled out of her skull from how hard she's flung about. time slows to a crawl as she holds on for dear life. five, ten (hell yeah, there's the bet), fifteen--
the world blurs as she flies through the air and right through a table. the saloon goes quiet as they determine if they should jeer or cheer. hell, is she even alive...?
when yang gives a thumbs up from the floor, the answering cheer shakes the rafters. she's battered, definitely bruised in multiple places, and most importantly, victorious. she slowly picks herself up and limps back toward the bar, grin proud but more than a little strained. ]
Please say that an ice pack is included in that deal.
no subject
Some ice for the brave bull rider? And then two of whatever she wants.
[emerald doesn't say much else for a moment as she finishes what she's currently drinking in one long swig. settling the empty bottle on the bar, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.]
That wasn't the chug. Good work. [she extends her other hand for a shake.] My name's Emerald. Welcome to the town.
no subject
[ she requests two shots of something strong from the bartender ("surprise me!") before turning back to emerald. ] Is it always like this around here? Because if so, getting dumped in the middle of the desert seems kinda worth it.
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[she says it pleasantly after yang places that surprise order and settles back in on her stool more comfortably. this girl seems fun.]
And it's usually like this, yeah. We had a big pool party a couple months ago, and there was a dance the month before that, when I showed up. [she pauses as the bartender slides the shots out to both of them. it's a brownish liquid that a more alcohol-savvy person would probably recognize as whiskey; she is not that person.]
The sandstorm last month was rough, though. The whole town was buried. [she's looking out towards some of the other people she recognizes, though nobody in particular. there's more to it than that, and it worries her.] But we got out of it.
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[ towns don't get unburied in a month, either, but she keeps that thought to herself. everything about this situation is already weird enough. better to just roll with it for now.
yang lifts her glass in a lazy cheer. ] Here's to surviving.
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b
Jaune sort of hopes she didn't, but his luck lately hasn't been that great. ]
That's the idea, yeah. [ He mutters, morosely, staring into his milk. ] It's a little harder than it looks...
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Sometimes, you've got to take life by the.... [ hm. maybe not a good call to finish that sentence. she clears her throat, continuing in a more sympathetic tone, ] How're you feeling, by the way? Nothing got broken in your fall?
[ yang did in fact see his turn on the bull. sorry, buddy. ]
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[ Jaune laughs, which is another mortifying ordeal all on its own. He used to have a laugh with some gravitas. This creaky, high-pitched nervous chuckle? It's not that.
The good news is that the vibrating girl isn't being mean about it, as far as he can tell. She's just excited. Really, really excited. ]
At least when you try it, you know you can't do worse than me! [ Does that call for a thumbs up? He's giving a thumbs up. ] So...you know...there's that.
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Really? [ He bats his eyelashes, appropriately damsel-like. ] You'd do that for me?
I guess all I can say then is...'the word'.
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You've got it, uh, [ crap, she never got his name, think think think-- ] Milk Boy!
[ nailed it. ]
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Down the stairs.
Bouncing off of every one on the way. ]
...Milk Boy?
[ He murmurs, bereft, turning his gaze to his glass of the once inoffensive beverage.
But no. No, he won't give into despair at being consigned to 'Milk Boy', not in the face of such gallantry. He'll just have to prove to her later that there's more to him than his appreciation of a nice, tall glass of refreshing moo-juice. ]
It's Jaune, actually, and - break a leg out there! I mean, don't really break a leg. It's just a saying.
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Don't worry, I remember that saying means, at least. But I'll make sure your honor's restored without any literal breaks. [ yang turns on the heel of her ostentatious cowboy boot to march toward the bull, but quickly steps to the side to let an groaning, banged up victim of said mechanical bovine limp by and out of the door.
a beat and then: ] Very important question before I go do this. Are medics here in town or...?
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