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Entry tags:
Summer TDM
✖ Test Drive Meme
Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
You land on an island, no surprise there. It’s not particularly large, this island, but what’s really more of note is that the entire thing is a beach. White sand stretches out in every direction, the only greenery being palm trees and impossibly fragrant bushes of flowers that resemble hibiscuses.
Allergic to the sun? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of canopies set up so that you can get some shade. There’s also changerooms with toilets and showers, and also free swimsuits that fit you perfectly! There’s plenty of food stalls - try a corndog, or the fish and chips at “America’s Scrod Basket!” Groovy! Once night falls, you can relax in one of the many hammocks strung up between the palm trees, or catch some Zs on the surprisingly comfortable beach chairs all over the place. All of your basic needs are met, Traveler!
Ⅱ. BEACH BLANKET BINGO!
All of the residents of this island look like they’ve stepped off the set of a 1960s beach party movie. Catalina Caper, maybe. They’re all extremely friendly, and BOY do they love to dance! Which they do. Frequently.
In fact, did you notice the live band? Because there’s a live band! A few, actually - they rotate through the day and into the evening, although you never actually see them switch. That’s pretty weird.
The island residents will drag you into one of their many, many dance parties whenever they can. Sometimes they’ll just form around you like a horrible flash mob, twisting and shaking like they’ve downed a gallon of redbull.
Maybe you want to get as far away from the water and the parties as possible. Venture further inland and you’ll find yourself still surrounded by sand and a few tropical plants. There’s bound to be a few other Travelers about, but at least it’s quiet.
Wait. What the hell is that, a lawnmower?
Surprise! As you stand there, a dune buggy comes plowing over the hill, spraying sand everywhere. Inside of the buggy is a group of young people, all smiling broadly at you and any other Travelers nearby.
“Hello, friends!” they cry. “Want to take a ride? Charlie’s got a ton of these, you can borrow one!” So if you really feel like careening all over the island, this is a great way to do it!
Ⅲ. SURF'S UP!
CW: drowning, possible death.
As with all of the islands you will visit, you will either see the island as floating either in a horizonless sky, or in the middle of a wine-dark sea. Regardless of which you see, you soon discover that you can go surfing in it.
That’s right - there’s a bunch of boards set up down at one end of the beach. Wander down and you’ll find yourself suddenly embroiled in a surfing contest! That’s right, it’s you versus another Traveler - first one off of their board is the loser! Win and you’ll be the most popular person on the island for the duration of your stay! People will lavish attention and gifts upon you. Lose and you’ll be ridiculed! They’ll probably even make fun of your mom!
Whether or not you care about winning, once you’re in the middle of the contest you and your fellow Traveler will see someone swimming not far away from you. Or they were swimming - now they seem to be going down and popping up, looking terrified. The realisation comes to you suddenly: they’re drowning.
You have a choice here - you can forfeit the win to save this stranger, or you can leave them to their own devices. Your opponent will have the same choice. Be a hero, or be a winner?
Ⅳ. TERROR AT ROCK-OUT BEACH!
CW: unwanted romantic attention from a monster, optional sexual themes.
You’re just sitting there minding your own business when you suddenly realise that you’re very nearly alone. In fact, it’s just you and another Traveler, maybe a few. Where did everyone go?
Suddenly a shadow falls over you. You turn and are greeted by what looks like a man in a vaguely fish-like costume; it has flat webbed feet, a body covered in what appears to be rubber seaweed, and a triangular head with huge rubber gills sticking out to either side. Its immobile mouth has pointy teeth, and its bug-eyes appear to have pupils merely painted on.
This monster waves its arms threateningly. “Gaaaaah!” it says. Its voice is muffled. “Gaahhhhhhhhh!”
Somehow it is a lot faster than it looks, and the next thing you know it has enfolded you in its embrace.
“You will be Flupper’s bride!” the monster shouts, regardless of your gender identification. It looks at whoever happens to be in your general vicinity. “Who this?”
Struggling, you realise that Flupper is stronger than any creature you’ve ever encountered before. You can’t seem to get it to let go of you, and it's rocking against you in such a way that it makes a sound like the soles of sneakers on a gym floor. On the plus side, it doesn’t have any genitals so at least it’s not as bad as it could be. Still, desperate times call for desperate measures! “That’s my partner!” you claim before you can think about how stupid an idea that is.
“You bride? LIES! Flupper can tell!”
“We can prove it!”
“Oh yeah? Tell something only bride would know!”
Oh shit. Now you’re stuck - you and your fellow Traveler have to admit to something true about love or intimacy, under the guise of it being about the other. Flupper’s lie detecting abilities are good enough to call you out on untruths, but not good enough to know who you’re talking about.
He’s not letting you out of his squeaky embrace until you’ve convinced him that you’re a couple.
Greetings, prospective Travelers! Welcome to the Summer 2021 POLYMYTHOS test drive meme and thank you for your interest in our game! Our next application round will run from June 25 - July 2, 2021. For the months of June, July, and August, we invite you to use this TDM to explore but one of many, many islands within the Endless Isles; use it as an opportunity to introduce and familiarize yourself with the game, form connections with other characters, and just have some fun. (Perhaps while also getting some solid samples together for your application!)
Use the prompts provided below as-is or feel free to write your own set within the environment detailed in each. You're even welcome to access the network via your character's ScryWatch. While there will be some inevitable changes, TDMs may count as game canon and some islands may be revisited in the future. Be mindful of your surroundings -- you never know how you and your fellow Travelers might affect this place in the long run.
Hang ten, Moon doggy! Seeking those killer jams?
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
You land on an island, no surprise there. It’s not particularly large, this island, but what’s really more of note is that the entire thing is a beach. White sand stretches out in every direction, the only greenery being palm trees and impossibly fragrant bushes of flowers that resemble hibiscuses.
Allergic to the sun? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of canopies set up so that you can get some shade. There’s also changerooms with toilets and showers, and also free swimsuits that fit you perfectly! There’s plenty of food stalls - try a corndog, or the fish and chips at “America’s Scrod Basket!” Groovy! Once night falls, you can relax in one of the many hammocks strung up between the palm trees, or catch some Zs on the surprisingly comfortable beach chairs all over the place. All of your basic needs are met, Traveler!
Notes:
1. Please remember to mark threads appropriately with Content Warnings when necessary.
2. These prompts are a jumping off point - how they affect your character and their development is up to you.
3. Have fun!
Ⅱ. BEACH BLANKET BINGO!
All of the residents of this island look like they’ve stepped off the set of a 1960s beach party movie. Catalina Caper, maybe. They’re all extremely friendly, and BOY do they love to dance! Which they do. Frequently. In fact, did you notice the live band? Because there’s a live band! A few, actually - they rotate through the day and into the evening, although you never actually see them switch. That’s pretty weird.
The island residents will drag you into one of their many, many dance parties whenever they can. Sometimes they’ll just form around you like a horrible flash mob, twisting and shaking like they’ve downed a gallon of redbull.
Maybe you want to get as far away from the water and the parties as possible. Venture further inland and you’ll find yourself still surrounded by sand and a few tropical plants. There’s bound to be a few other Travelers about, but at least it’s quiet.
Wait. What the hell is that, a lawnmower?
Surprise! As you stand there, a dune buggy comes plowing over the hill, spraying sand everywhere. Inside of the buggy is a group of young people, all smiling broadly at you and any other Travelers nearby.
“Hello, friends!” they cry. “Want to take a ride? Charlie’s got a ton of these, you can borrow one!” So if you really feel like careening all over the island, this is a great way to do it!
Notes:
1. These residents of the island are normal humans. Killing them is possible and will affect the colour grading of your Scrywatch depending on the situation.
2. The food is safe to eat, and is consumable by non-human entities.
3. The short creepy guy who has the keys to the dune buggies might be a little pissed if you trash them, but he can be mollified if you listen to his shitty music and tell him it's good.
Ⅲ. SURF'S UP!
CW: drowning, possible death.
As with all of the islands you will visit, you will either see the island as floating either in a horizonless sky, or in the middle of a wine-dark sea. Regardless of which you see, you soon discover that you can go surfing in it.
That’s right - there’s a bunch of boards set up down at one end of the beach. Wander down and you’ll find yourself suddenly embroiled in a surfing contest! That’s right, it’s you versus another Traveler - first one off of their board is the loser! Win and you’ll be the most popular person on the island for the duration of your stay! People will lavish attention and gifts upon you. Lose and you’ll be ridiculed! They’ll probably even make fun of your mom!Whether or not you care about winning, once you’re in the middle of the contest you and your fellow Traveler will see someone swimming not far away from you. Or they were swimming - now they seem to be going down and popping up, looking terrified. The realisation comes to you suddenly: they’re drowning.
You have a choice here - you can forfeit the win to save this stranger, or you can leave them to their own devices. Your opponent will have the same choice. Be a hero, or be a winner?
Notes:
1. Obviously, the decision to save the swimmer or not will affect the colour of your Scrywatch. Both parties may decide to save the swimmer, or both may decide to continue on with the contest. Your reason for saving them can also make an impact - are you saving them only to be considered a hero by the island residents?
Ⅳ. TERROR AT ROCK-OUT BEACH!
CW: unwanted romantic attention from a monster, optional sexual themes.
You’re just sitting there minding your own business when you suddenly realise that you’re very nearly alone. In fact, it’s just you and another Traveler, maybe a few. Where did everyone go?
Suddenly a shadow falls over you. You turn and are greeted by what looks like a man in a vaguely fish-like costume; it has flat webbed feet, a body covered in what appears to be rubber seaweed, and a triangular head with huge rubber gills sticking out to either side. Its immobile mouth has pointy teeth, and its bug-eyes appear to have pupils merely painted on.
This monster waves its arms threateningly. “Gaaaaah!” it says. Its voice is muffled. “Gaahhhhhhhhh!”
Somehow it is a lot faster than it looks, and the next thing you know it has enfolded you in its embrace.
“You will be Flupper’s bride!” the monster shouts, regardless of your gender identification. It looks at whoever happens to be in your general vicinity. “Who this?”
Struggling, you realise that Flupper is stronger than any creature you’ve ever encountered before. You can’t seem to get it to let go of you, and it's rocking against you in such a way that it makes a sound like the soles of sneakers on a gym floor. On the plus side, it doesn’t have any genitals so at least it’s not as bad as it could be. Still, desperate times call for desperate measures! “That’s my partner!” you claim before you can think about how stupid an idea that is.
“You bride? LIES! Flupper can tell!”
“We can prove it!”
“Oh yeah? Tell something only bride would know!”
Oh shit. Now you’re stuck - you and your fellow Traveler have to admit to something true about love or intimacy, under the guise of it being about the other. Flupper’s lie detecting abilities are good enough to call you out on untruths, but not good enough to know who you’re talking about. He’s not letting you out of his squeaky embrace until you’ve convinced him that you’re a couple.
Notes:
1. It’s up to you how much of this back and forth it takes to convince Flupper that you are ‘brides.’
2. You can choose to abandon someone in Flupper’s grip - this would be reflected in your Scrywatch colour. Probably negatively, unless you feel strongly about the morality of fishman marriage via kidnapping. The ‘bride’ would then be forced to attend an extremely dull ceremony lasting three days and three nights. For the duration of your stay on the island, you would now be married and expected to bring Flupper its slippers and pipe every evening.
3. You can try to kill Flupper. Unlike the other residents of the island, it is extremely resilient and strong. It is possible, however.
4. You can keep this completely G rated - maybe all you know of love is that time in first grade when you got a Valentine card from the cutest kid in class - but if you DO get saucy, please mark your thread with a Content Warning.
Greetings, prospective Travelers! Welcome to the Summer 2021 POLYMYTHOS test drive meme and thank you for your interest in our game! Our next application round will run from June 25 - July 2, 2021. For the months of June, July, and August, we invite you to use this TDM to explore but one of many, many islands within the Endless Isles; use it as an opportunity to introduce and familiarize yourself with the game, form connections with other characters, and just have some fun. (Perhaps while also getting some solid samples together for your application!)
Use the prompts provided below as-is or feel free to write your own set within the environment detailed in each. You're even welcome to access the network via your character's ScryWatch. While there will be some inevitable changes, TDMs may count as game canon and some islands may be revisited in the future. Be mindful of your surroundings -- you never know how you and your fellow Travelers might affect this place in the long run.
bruce banner | mcu
[ It's a shift, Bruce can say that much. Not even a bad one when you stop to compare it to the garbage-mountains of Sakaar or the fighting pits of the arena, or even the cramped quarters of the Statesman, stuffed to the rafters with refugee Asgardians and newly emancipated gladiators. No, this place is a simple slice of Americana. Completely and perfectly normal in comparison to Bruce's recent jumble of days-years that he's still trying to sort out in his head. Way more normal than anything Bruce has had land on his plate in a while. Just a day at the beach with no life-threatening implications or fate of the world hanging in the balance. (Not immediately anyway — that Ferryman hadn't really given a timetable on...anything. At all. God.)
Which is why Bruce is currently parked on a beach blanket beneath a beach umbrella doing his best to breathe through the beginnings of a panic attack. When you spend the better part of a decade switching between fight and flight and nothing in between... Yeah. "Normal" becomes the new abnormal and throws all the bullshit of the last couple years into stark relief and there must be something so very wrong with him to almost miss Sakaar right now.
No. He doesn't miss Sakaar. That's the other guy who can sit down and shut up and let Bruce stay in the driver's seat a while. He's had his turn. ]
Well. It's not an Anus, so. That's definitely an upside.
[ A moment of slow blinking and a double-take show that...yeah. Did not realize he was speaking out loud there and he winces once he does. A sheepish smile as he shrugs. ]
Long story. Sorry.
𝟶𝟶𝟹. 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚏'𝚜 𝚞𝚙
[ Okay, so the whole floating-island-in-the-sky is kind of a wrinkle in the whole "normal" shtick they've got going around here. Bruce can admit that for sure. It was easier to miss while still on the landward side but after wandering into an over-enthusiastic crowd of beach bunnies and surfer dudes, shoved onto a board and left to paddle out... Yeah. Less so.
It's weird because he can feel breezes blowing around his legs and water lapping at his knees at the same time as he sits on his longboard and if he thinks about it too hard he knows he'll get a headache but if things were as simple as not thinking, a whole lot of things in his life would've been much easier to deal with. So instead. You know. He's here. ]
Uh. Hi? [ Awkward. Very awkward. ] ...I have no idea how to use one of these things.
[ The crowd of spectators cheering from the beach don't seem to know that. Or care overmuch.
arrival.
It buzzes and the man makes a thoughtful humming sound. ]
Right — good. Not an anus or a gut or tongue in sight. [ Beat. ] Well, not unless we take a trip into the deep, but I haven't got the right swimsuit for that.
[ Is he even talking to Bruce? Who knows anymore? He seems perfectly content to continue prattling on, and does so. ]
Yes, I'd say there are definitely some upsides. [ He nods then and settles onto his blanket, the glowy buzzy stick-thing tucked away into what might be thin air — or just very good swimsuit pockets.
To Bruce, or to no one at all: ] Just went down to the water to check something.
no subject
The lurking green static in the back of his head assesses the newcomer in an instant and dismisses the potential threat after a moment; the rest of his head once again tells it to shut up, and besides what about the green glowing thing?
Still tiny. Could smash. Good lord.
Bruce shakes his head at himself while the other man rambles on, then. Hm. Maybe he isn't talking to him specifically but at some point he's going to maybe have to get used to speaking to people again. Probably. ]
I don't think I want to know the deep space phenomenon that would warrant other body part names. One was enough.
[ It's none of his business. He shouldn't ask. He'd be better off. He's learned what happens when his curiosity gets ahead of his common sense.
Except— ] ...Check for what?
Arrival
[The last time she'd seen a thing that looked like Bruce on one of these islands, it had been some kind of ghost. The last time she'd tried a beach on an island, there had been a weird skull that fed on the loss and mourning of people to fuel its zombie horde. There is literally nothing good she expects to come from this, but there is that perverse gnawing hope that somehow a version Bruce might end up here and alive.
Also, he mentioned an anus, and she's pretty sure that's not where she'd start this particular seaside hallucination.]
no subject
Which is to say Bruce's head is a goddamn mess and at first he doesn't notice somebody talking at him because he's a disaster.
Once he does, he startles and turns to look around for...whomever apparently knows his name? The voice isn't familiar, but the face almost seems to be? Nothing he can put a finger on, not right away, and he can't help the wariness in his voice when he answers because of it, nor the minor embarrassment when he remembers he's still in Asgardian (read: space ren-faire) clothes. ]
That... I guess would depend on who's asking?
[ Look. Ten years, give or take, you see a lot of faces and not all of them were happy meetings and again. Brain tangle. And anyway, he can always apologize if it's a pretty phenomenal space-out. (As if he wouldn't apologize anyway.) ]
no subject
Well, Doc, either that's a really bad joke, or I've got the wrong person. You look like you were visiting Thor.
[Because the truth is, if it is any of those possibilities, the smartest thing she can do for both of them is probably to walk away and gather herself. No one needs to have a gray and green hulk on the beach losing control because someone looks like the cousin who was murdered because of the threat of his abilities. Not this guy who has his own trauma to end up here. Not any of the bystanders]