TDM: Mega Throwback Edition!

[polymods]

✖ TEST DRIVE MEME

Ⅰ. ARRIVAL
You can read all about your character's arrival in the game lore.
The island you find yourself on is a tropical paradise. The hair is heavy and humid, and a thick flowering jungle encroaches on the white sandy beach. As far as mysterious islands go, it could be a lot worse! Maybe there’s a bar with some Mai Tais set up here somewhere…

As you walk towards the jungle you become aware that something is moving in the bushes. Some sort of animal, probably - maybe your mind goes to jaguars, or monkeys. What comes running out onto the beach, though, is not remotely mammalian: it’s a dinosaur.

Just a little one - it’s about the size of a small dog, running along on its hind legs. Aww, he’s kinda cute if you ignore the sharp teeth and claws! Lucky for you it’s busy chasing something else and soon darts back into the bush unless you do something to grab its attention.

Listen closely and you’ll find that sometimes you can hear sounds that are distinctly mechanical. Whatever this place is, it at least sounds like it’s inhabited by something possessing intelligence. You could definitely go and find out. Just be careful!

Or maybe you think, hey, I’ve seen this movie, I’m staying on the beach! You could, but unless you’re good at diving for fish you might have a hard time finding food.

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. The people on the island are normal humans unless otherwise indicated. The dinosaurs are animals and can be killed. I mean, good luck with that, but.

4. Have fun!

---

Ⅱ. CRETACEOUS PARK
CW: Dinosaurs! Violence, possibly against dinosaurs!
The jungle is thick and it takes a lot of effort to move through it. You’ll have to crawl under vines, climb over felled trees, and just generally pay a lot of attention to your surroundings. This is the sort of situation where having someone with you certainly makes things easier. Occasionally you will hear animals calling, and you’re bound to see some of them eventually. Maybe you’ll luck out and spot a herbivore like one of the armoured dinosaurs, just chewing on plants and not likely to attack you unless you piss it off. Maybe you spot something about your size with a decidedly less vegetarian diet and you have to decide between hiding or trying to scare it off.

Eventually in your wanderings you come across an unusual sight: a dirt road. It cuts its way through the trees and ferns, and to the south you can hear what is probably a familiar sound: engines. And shouting.

It’s getting closer.

Suddenly there are cars and motorcycles rushing down the road toward you - try not to get hit! One of the cars slows and a guy with a ragged blonde beard hangs out and tells you to get in the back. At close to the same time a truck slows and another guy tells you to climb aboard and grab a gun.

Why would you need a gun? The answer presents itself almost immediately: big daddy T-Rex is stomping its way down the road towards you.

You can escape with the first car, or pitch in and try to shoot the dinosaur with the second. Or you could try and prevent them from hurting the animal entirely, or just run off into the jungle by yourself. Better decide quickly, though. That T-Rex looks hungry.

Notes:
1. You determine your level of dino encounter! And what kind - nobody is going to get on your ass if you pick one from the Jurassic period instead of the Cretaceous. It’s a magic island for crying out loud.

---

Ⅲ. SETTLEMENT
CW: Kidnapping.
Whether you throw in with the humans or maybe stumble upon it by accident, you wind up at their encampment . It’s definitely the safest place to be - there are high walls around a series of small buildings mostly cobbled together from wood and tin. But there’s cots, and food. Outside the perimeter wall are tripwires and very basic motion sensors that will alert the settlement if any sizable animals are prowling around.

You’re informed that mostly the dinosaurs leave the camp alone - too much effort for not enough food.

While you’ll be welcomed the first night, as soon as morning rolls around it will be made abundantly clear that you’re going to be expected to pull your weight. Pitch in with the cooking or cleaning, or if you have some mechanical skill you can help fix up some of the rattling vehicles parked around.

From what you can gather, this is just one of a few different settlements on the island. Some of the others have small farms, and if you can drive you will be asked if you’d mind running over a delivery to one of these.

Agree, and you’ll be handed the keys to what sure looks like a 1970s era Cadillac. The mulleted gentleman who has asked this favour of you hands you a piece of paper upon which a small map is drawn, along with written directions. A note at the bottom reads, “don’t look in the tunk.” You think he means ‘trunk.’

“Package is in the trunk,” this gentleman confirms. “Don’t open it, sunlight’ll mess it all up.”

With that he sends you on your merry way. Best to take along a buddy for safety!

Partway through your journey you will come to realise that whatever is in the trunk is making a banging noise. You can ignore it and keep driving, passing the keys off to the people at the farming settlement, or you can pull over and investigate.

If you choose the second option, you’ll find that your ‘package’ is a person. Not a human one - this person has scales and huge, bulging eyes above small nostrils. They’re bound hand and foot and gagged, staring up at you with terror.

Well, jeez. Now what?

Notes:
1. If you open the trunk and discover the Crazy Frog-esque figure within you can continue on to the settlement and deliver him as promised. If you choose the former, the people at both settlements will be angry and turn on you unless you can spin a very convincing lie about your prisoner escaping.

2. If you choose to free your froggy friend, they will indicate that you should follow them through the jungle to their home.

3. If you skip the delivery mission, you can still stay at the camp. It’s very bare bones, but there’s food and cots and bathrooms at least.

---

Ⅳ. REPTILIANS
Whether it’s because you’re led there, or because you find it by accident, you find yourself in a village - the houses are smooth stone, curving elegantly under sprawling vines and beautiful blooming flowers.

Upon your arrival several humanoid lizard people emerge from their homes and watch you, silent. One of them, stooped and wizened with age, moves to stand directly in front of you. When they speak, you realise that you can’t hear them with your ears; they communicate through telepathy.

You are welcome to stay in our village if you pass our Test of Bravery.

You’re half expecting that they’ll make you fight a velociraptor or something, but no - this village elder leads you and your companion both to the center of the village where there are several large flat stones ringed around one much larger stone. You’re both instructed to sit. More of the reptilian people approach, watching you.

Tell us a story of your bravery, the elder tells you.

You’ll have to dig into your memories to find a moment where you think you acted bravely, and then you’ll have to tell everyone assembled about it. You might be tempted to embellish a little bit, or to outright lie.

But if you do…

The moment you start fudging the truth, a different memory will play out just above the large center stone like a hologram. This memory paints you much more poorly: it's one of your most cowardly moments. Definitely not what you wanted to share with a village full of people.

When either your story or your memory is finished, the village elder will look at you with their strange eyes and pronounce whether or not you’re allowed to stay.

Notes:
1. Whether or not you are allowed to stay is not based entirely on how brave you were - how you react to having to share (willingly or not) these stories also plays a part. For example, if you ran away from a fight but in the present you don’t try to justify it with bullshit reasons, you will still be invited to stay.

2. The Reptilian village is a blend of nature and advanced technology. Frankly, it’s a nicer place to stay than the human settlements. They have a lot more creature comforts, like nice deep baths and soft beds.

---

Greetings, prospective Travelers! Welcome to the POLYMYTHOS test drive meme and thank you for your interest in our game! 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! Apps are always open!)

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.

Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

Comments

[heavymetallieutenant]

"Neither'a you deserved that horseshit," Hank grumbles, turning his attention to the water again. It's easier on his heart than looking her in the face. "If it wouldn'a caused an incident I woulda punched that asshole."

He trails off in his grumbling, letting the silence draw out with the white noise of the water between them. But a sound from the trees reminds him that hey, he's somewhere new, and really goddamn weird.

"So what is this place?" he asks, that familiar frown back. "First thought was whatever afterlife exists for me but if you're here..." Unless she's not real. Just a really detailed illusion, like she'd believed him to be.

[neverwither]

"These days, I would probably let you." Gently, she bumps Hank's shoulder with her own. It's not really funny, and she probably shouldn't attempt to make light of it at all, but it might temper her heartfelt outpouring just a little bit.

Her brow furrows, troubled by his assumption. She doesn't think he's the first to reach that conclusion. Still. It isn't something she wants to contemplate for too long. "It's a journey. We travel to different islands to, well, learn more about ourselves. There are various scenarios to encourage us to share something or look at something within ourselves." Which is a pretty generous way of putting it. No doubt he'll hear less optimistic versions from some of the others.

"I know it's all a lot to take in. If there's anything I can do to help or make things easier, don't ever hesitate to ask, okay?"

[heavymetallieutenant]

The bump draws the softest smile from him, barely there but enough to make him look a little less hostile.

"Doesn't really help that idea that this is some kinda Purgatory," Hank mutters, scratching fitfully along the edge of his beard. "Ever heard the story of Sisyphus? Been relatin' more and more to that all the time."

He trails off, finding himself drawing comparisons to other classical Greek stories, now that his brain had been set off on that path ever since the boat trip. Chasing down a lead that didn't really lead anywhere.

[neverwither]

She gives him a smile in return, gentle and warm. All too soon it fades, feeling inappropriate as Hank opens up just a tiny bit. She shifts a little closer to make herself more a presence alongside him rather than simply sitting nearby. She's mindful not to encroach on his space too much, though.

"I know the story." She can relate too, in her own way. "May I ask what it is that makes you feel that way?" Truthfully, she doesn't expect much of an answer. She's a virtual stranger to him so not wishing to get into the deepest and darkest with her is perfectly understandable. It's more to say that should he ever want or need someone to listen, she's there.

[heavymetallieutenant]

Hank's arms prop on top of his knees again, hands coming together out in front of him as he regards the water. It's...nice, the subtle weight against the line of his side, though she's obviously trying not to take up too much of his personal space.

"Just...feels like every time we're gettin' somewhere, like it's finally time for it to all be over, it all just comes back down again. You keep tryin' and it's a vain attempt at overcoming everything over and over." Vague enough not to get into his own personal experience, but an explicit look at his mindset about it all. He doesn't believe he really achieved much of anything. Not even personal growth.

[neverwither]

She looks out to the water herself, considering. Even without explicit personal detail, what he does say speaks plenty. It makes her thirium pump ache. One benefit of him being here is that at least he wouldn't be alone. Connor is here, and she knows Connor will always support him.

"I don't think trying is ever really in vain. It shows you care. That you still have hope. When one doesn't try at all, that's when nothing will ever happen. However far you do, or don't, get, whether it all comes crashing down... You made the effort. It counts for more than people sometimes give it credit for."

[heavymetallieutenant]

He's quiet for a while after that. He know that it's when he stops caring, numbed by alcohol or depression or both, that people really need to be concerned about him. Most of the time he can muster anger in place of the nothing, winding up that constant low-level rage to push himself to do his job, but there wasn't anyone left in his life that cared to look in on him in those low points in between. Until Connor had come along on his mission, with his straightforward intentions and personal questions and his trying so hard to meet Hank on the same level and establish enough of a rapport to make being partners easier.

His thumb rubs across the space between his beard and his lower lip as he thinks all of it over, and eventually just shakes his head.

"So whadda we do now?"

[neverwither]

"I'm sorry. I talk too much sometimes. Well, most of the time, actually." Her smile is self-consciously apologetic. Sharing her thoughts when someone else seems troubled, the urge to view it from a positive - or at least hopeful - angle comes all too easily to her. Maybe it's a by-product of spending years not really voicing much at all. Maybe it's just her.

"Usually there's some sort of occurrence but..." Chloe glances around them, as though saying it aloud will summon one of the Ancient's methods of self reflection and growth into being. "Since it seems relatively quiet, we can explore or enjoy the sand or..."

Is the rustling from the jungle getting closer? Frowning, she looks over her shoulder to see if the source is going to reveal itself. Could just be another Traveller. Could be something else entirely.

She probably should have stayed quiet about occurrences.

[heavymetallieutenant]

He glances around at the same time that she does, figuring if she has cause to be concerned, then he might too. Hank doesn't see anything out of place yet at least, but that doesn't stop him standing up and dusting the sand from the seat of his pants, then offering her a hand up.

"I think I could do with a walk."

[neverwither]

She thanks him for the help up, giving his hand a little squeeze before letting it go. Being sure to be casual about it, she moves to his side so she can station herself between him and the jungle as they walk. Physically bigger as Hank is, she’d rather anything sinister that could come barrelling out of the trees collides with her first. What she lacks in strength and speed she can make up for in shielding soft human body parts.

Or the noise could be nothing. Could be cute, harmless tropical critters just going about their day.

“What I’ve said probably isn’t painting a very good picture. It really isn’t so bad.” What’s a few doses of emotional exposure and the digging up of buried traumas in exchange for friends and a sense of maybe, possibly moving forward?

“Not so long ago, some of those here had their pets from home appear. Maybe Sumo would be able to join you too.” That would be a positive, right? Chloe says it like it would be. Though it might raise the question of how she knows about the giant dog at all.

[heavymetallieutenant]

He doesn't like that her first instinct seems to be to place herself between him and whatever danger lurks in the trees. He tells himself that it's probably just some latent programming, that she's crunching the numbers on who would be more likely to survive if suddenly a jaguar erupted from the undergrowth hellbent on biting his leg off.

He doesn't point it out. All of this is already weird, let's not make it weirder.

Except then she brings up his dog, and he has an extremely troubling thought regarding his initial assumptions about his whereabouts, and old cases that had involved deaths in the presence of animals. What a grim goddamn thought, nervously chewed by his old buddy before anyone found either of them...

"How do you know about Sumo?" he asks with a deep frown. Yes, it took him that long to actually process that an android he'd only met once knew not only that he had a dog (and he would have just assumed she knew the same way Connor had), but that she knew said dog's name. That had never come up in her presence. He knows it hadn't.

[neverwither]

The casual namedrop of his dog could have far less casual connotations. It's all too easy to picture Elijah finding out all he could about the man who had visited them That Day. The one who had urged Connor to defy the instructions of the man who had created androids. Perhaps he has. Elijah has always been one to be as ahead of the game as he can. Brief as their interaction was, the Lieutenant is now in the orbit of his schemes.

"Connor," she answers quickly, excluding herself from any involvement in those schemes should his mind have gone in the same direction. A whole new can of worms popped open, Chloe gives herself a second to steady herself. It seems likely that the Lieutenant would rather his android partner hasn't been swept up into all of this as well. The fact of the matter is that he has, and he'll find out soon enough.

"He's here too," she continues, breaking the news gently. "And he's okay." As much as anyone can be having experienced what Connor has in such a short time and then finding themselves thrust in this situation. "I know he's missed you a great deal."

[heavymetallieutenant]

Before Hank can work himself around to that exact train of thought, that Kamski had taken it upon himself to dig into all the little aspects of his life just to gain some fucked up upper hand, Chloe says one of the only things that could knock any train of thought right off its track.

"Connor's here," he repeats, looking down at her with alarm and serious concern. If this place is Confront Your Fears: The Island, then what's the kid doing here? What the hell does he have left to confront?

The expression softens at the assertion that he'd been missed. There's a vague memory, his dog resting his head atop a spare jacket left at Hank's place after Connor had had to go undercover. He feels in that moment that he knows exactly how his poor dog must have felt.

[neverwither]

The look on his face prompts her to take his hand to bring him to a stop. Keeping hold of his hand, her other covers his. Too serious a gesture, maybe, but it's a serious matter of discussion. She'd rather be overly sincere than appear to be doling out empty platitudes.

"Sometimes these places are hard, but he is okay. We've been taking care of each other. I've been trying to help him as best I can when it gets tough." The specifics of Connor's torments aren't for her to tell. Hank probably knows them better than she does, anyway. Has seen it all firsthand.

And maybe she sounds like a usurper. Someone who directly contributed to those torments who's now worming her way in for her own redemption. There could be a sliver of truth to that. However, the Lieutenant's potential feelings trump her own. Especially when she sees the reaction to the fact Connor misses him.

"You mean so much to him. I don't think he would have ever wished any of this upon you but... I can see how good you've been for him. I hope that's the same for you." Knowing how good Connor has been for her, she can't imagine it wouldn't be similar for the Lieutenant.