January 2024 Test Drive Meme: Our First!

[sweetmod]

Welcome to the Simulation: Our First Test Drive

Taken | Reserves | Application | Activity | TDM Questions | Premise | FAQ | Calendar Full Navigation Reserves open 01/27/2024 @ 12:00 AM EST Reserves close 01/31/2024 @ 11:59 PM EST Welcome to our Test Drive Meme! Our Test Drive Memes are considered game canon and are open to current players and prospective new players alike! It is completely optional to keep your TDM threads as canon to your character's experience in the game, so feel free to play around and enjoy the flexibility before applying! All TDM threads can be used for samples for your application and activity proofs. All TDMs come with an additional greeting message from Daisy in addition to her typical Welcome Message. This is her message for newbies for this month: "Hi there, Sweet Subjects! Congratulations on being the Very First Batch! That also means you're the first friends I've made for this whole project! Isn't that exciting? Unfortunately, I have to already apologize to you. You see, I wasn't expecting you quite so soon! My math was a little off and well...There are a few kinks in the system I'm working out. But don't worry! I'll take care of everything. You can trust me. After all, we are friends, and it would be very rude to not trust your friends! Why don't you just stay inside this little house while I fix things up? You'll be safe! P̴̥̾̉r̸̢̋́̓̀̏ó̵̧͖̈́̏̋͊̅̋̕͘b̵̛̺̞̦̳̙͒͘͜ä̸͓̗̯̺̰́̿̆͘͠b̶̭͔̯̆̒̐l̵̨̬̬̱̱̙͔̻̊̾́͠͝y̶̰̺̲̝͙͈̝͙̟̖͑̆̾̀̀͒͝!̶̱͚͙͉̠̓̒́̌̽̌̚͝ Remember: Don't open the door to strangers. Anyway! In the meantime, get to know your fellow Sweet Subjects! After all, you're going to be spending a lot of time together! Thank you for understanding! Good luck! Prompt One | Prompt Two

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Summary: 🌼 Content Warnings: Optional light alcohol, isolation, bad weather via thunderstorms, feeling of being watched and taunted, false information, mental manipulation, memory manipulation, memories or depictions of murder and torture 🌼 Characters wake up in an unfamiliar house during a thunderstorm. They hear Daisy's broadcast on the TV. There is a persistent knocking at the door, but you know you shouldn't open it. 🌼 Another character (or more) is in the house with you. Pictures of you both begin to take up the walls. Of memories you either really experienced or false memories. They increasingly become more violent. 🌼 A radio broadcast warns Sweet Acres residents about an escaped criminal. Paranoia grows between characters. Violence out of deluded "self-defense" may occur. 🌼 The true escape from this prompt is to just open the door. Outside, all is well and you realize the house was one giant mind fuck...Or hopefully, you realize. Your memories might be a little scrambled now. There is a knock at the door. You mustn't answer the door. It has been a long, long, long day, hasn't it? You don't even remember sitting on the couch and you certainly don't remember dozing off. But that strange broadcast certainly woke you up and now...You are here. In an unfamiliar house with outdated wallpaper and dirty carpet. The weather outside seems frightful. Torrential downpours with clashing thunder and flashes of lightning chase even the most persistent shadows in the house. Was the lady on the TV serious? Did you just have to wait in this lousy place for the storm to blow over? Or, wait, how did she word it? Wait while things finish configuration. Damn, your head is hurting and you could use a drink. Hopefully, the tacky yellow kitchen has a stocked fridge. Luckily for you, it's filled with fresh food and some fresh booze. There is a knock at the door. You mustn't answer the door. Unluckily for you, there is another person in this house with you. They might have woken up on the same couch as you or are bumping around upstairs. Either way, the freak in the polka-dot dress wasn't wrong: You're not alone here. When you and whoever else in this house finally join up, you will notice that the house seems to become a bit more lively. The pictures on the wall change to feature you or your companion. Some of the pictures are genuine from back in your homeworld, but others...Not so much. Others look like false memories of you with families you don't even remember or at a school you never attended, but they are all so real you can't help but think maybe Daisy is telling the truth after all. There is a heavier knock at the door. You mustn't answer the door. There is a radio in the house that suddenly begins to declare an emergency announcement: "At this time, we urge all residents of Sweet Acres to seek shelter immediately. The wind is picking up and we anticipate this storm to last the rest of the night - Oh? This just in: a convict has managed to break into Sweet Acres. We are told that they were last seen in...Oh, oh my...Whatever you do, make sure your doors and windows are locked. And remember: don't answer the door. And remember: don't trust strangers." A heavy booming knock lands three times at the front door. Let. Me. In. The pictures around the house begin to change. Now it shows you and whoever you're sharing the house with doing some...terrible things. Maybe some of it is true. Some of it may be completely false. Will it matter when the pictures seem so terrifyingly real? What happens when the TV glitches on and starts to play sketchy home videos of one of you doing something terrible? What happens when the radio starts to play terrifying audio of you confessing to an atrocious crime? What happens when the person you're stuck in the house with might just be the stranger the radio warned you about? Or will you have the sense to realize that something is very wrong here and that you're both being played a fool? The knocking at the door is only getting louder. So loud it cracks the door. The storm worsens. What should you do? The madness will only worsen the longer you stay. You may even be driven to defend yourself from each other, you may come to develop false memories of crimes you didn't commit. You may just... Decide to open that damn door already. It turns out, that's what you needed to do the entire time. Because the moment you do? You open the door and see a beautiful, sunny day outside. No rain. Not a single gray cloud. Certainly no horrifying stranger either. But now you're left with whatever you did or thought from the house. For some people, the terror may slip away as easily as the rain, but for some of you, you might be stuck with paranoia and suspicion. Welcome to Sweet Acres. back to top ⤴

[ The Bot Problem ]

Summary: 🌼 Content Warnings: Forced sexuality, optional sex, aphrodisiac style computer virus, dubious consent, hunted by machines, use of bombs, guns, and shrapnel. Possible character death or maiming 🌼 Sex Bots are spreading a virus to those that touch them that will cause player characters to go around flirting with others. They can either get rid of the "virus" by having sex or meeting someone who can hack it out of their system by asking grounding questions (or any other creative means a player may have). 🌼 Characters are hunted down by violent little metal boxes known as metal dogs. The metal dogs are extremely resilient but can be destroyed by extreme measures. These metal dogs are intent on killing and maiming characters and plants. You will notice that there are still some errors in the system as you go out and about exploring your new town. There will be an occasional glitch that opens up a screaming void of bottomless darkness before it blinks out of existence. Those are unsettling enough, but at least they don't seem harmless. The bots, on the other hand, are a different story. They glitch into the town, cracking through this carefully structured reality like breaking through a window. It seems like Daisy has a lot of work to do on the external firewalls of Sweet Acres! In the meantime, you're going to have to deal with her incompetence. The Sex Bots A lot of the bots can easily be mistaken for other residents in town. These are model-gorgeous women and men who almost seemed like caricatures of stereotypical beauty conventions. Big lips, huge hips, large muscles, chiseled jaws, perfect hair, pearly white teeth. These beauties flounce about and no matter who or what you are, if they look your way, they are immediately approaching you. "Hey, sexy. I'm single, horny, and lonely. I just turned 18 and I've got my daddy's credit card." "I've never seen a person more beautiful than you. I'm the CEO of at least three different six-figure income businesses. How about I take you on a night out in my Ferrari?" There isn't a single thought behind those eyes or in those smiles. If you have the thought to rely on your Daze, you can just block the Sex Bots and they will blink out of existence. Alternatively, you could probably just smash them out of existence with a good punch or the swing of a weapon...They will just vanish into a cloud of corrupt coding. But if you're a bit more gullible and still catching up on the strangeness of this place or can't figure out Daze, you might make the mistake of responding to one of these bots. The Bot will immediately scan you for all of your information and warp its features into something that you actually would find to be the ideal beauty. "This is better, right?" It's hard to deny...They even sound like the ideal beauty in your mind. A gentle hand on your arm and then they are leading you away. Except they aren't leading you anywhere. You watch helplessly as coding goes up your arm and begins to consume your body. You can't feel anything but a prickling sensation. The Bot vanishes, but you are left rewired. Now it is you with the dramatic features emphasizing your most attractive parts. Regardless of your personality, you suddenly feel the urge to walk up to just about anyone anywhere and flirt with them. Whether stupidly or sincerely. It's hard to remember yourself with the bot's virus wreaking havoc on your Daze. Worst case scenario? You wind up sleeping with someone because of this bizarre virus, but you will also ironically get it out of your system this way and feel completely normal after. Alternatively, you can find someone who is a bit more tech-savvy with the Daze and who might have an idea of how to hack into your system and get rid of the virus for you. This might involve some personal line of questioning, but hey, at least you're not walking around asking for sex from total strangers anymore! The Metal Dogs The Sex Bots are a dream compared to the other virus attacking the system of Sweet Acres. One will begin to see small metal robots trotting about, no bigger than a backpack, with lethal determination. These metal dogs scour their surroundings for anything organic or anything that doesn't belong in the space. This means they are actively ripping up plants and destroying trees, which is tragic enough, but just be glad they haven't seen you yet because it turns out that Daisy's Sweet Subjects are the metal dog's top priority. The moment they notice you, they will begin a neverending chase. These robots can catch up to a speeding car and resist an enormous amount of damage. They are waterproof and run on their own network completely disconnected from the Daze, so good luck trying to hack into them- it won't work. They can see just as well in the dark as the light and have sensors that allow them to pick up on body temperature as well as any vibrations you might make. They are not gentle creatures: their goal is to terminate all organic beings and Sweet Subjects in the area. If they catch you, they will immediately attempt to blow your head off with a small gun they can form. Alternatively, they will expel a shrapnel bomb if you catch them off guard. They also have paralyzing fog bombs. Metal dogs can be destroyed, however. With large explosions, armor-piercing weaponry, people with extreme super strength. Or you can get creative! Maybe you know a spell that can turn them into a stuffed animal or melt the metal. Maybe you have control over metal beings. There are ways to destroy these things. But don't worry. If worse comes to worse, Daisy is going around to destroy them for you. But do you really want to owe her your life? back to top ⤴

Comments

[kobes]

...oh. [That's clearly not what Koby had anticipated, the lawful good little virgin he is. Then again, his way hasn't exactly helped a lot of people, so...] Does that work?

I...joined the Marines because I thought they wanted to help and protect people, but. [Koby raises and lowers his shoulders, hugging his knees to his chest.] I think I was wrong about that.

[timetechs]

What the fuck.

[ Kind of blank. Yeah, okay, he didn't make the robot cry, good for him. This whole grinning delight because he said the dude's a person is way more fucking alarming. He kinda wants to find someone and punch them. ]

What the fuck, don't thank me for that, dude. Who's going around saying you're not a person, that's fucked.

[clipon]

Uh.

[ hal shifts a little uncomfortably, glancing away like his expression will give him away. it takes him a moment to decide how he's going to answer, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. ]

I mean, Dirk's always treated me like a thing. A mistake that shouldn't exist. It's easy to think of someone like that when they're a pair of glasses that remind you of the worst parts of yourself. Maybe it'd be different with a body.

[snakesona]

[ olrox turns to his daze. ]

I'll admit, I'm unfamiliar with such contraptions.

[whatam_i]

"Of course you don't! Because it's violating." Ed says and then gestures dramatically to everything around them.

"And even if we do, agency in a controlled simulation doesn't really amount to that much. If we're in control though, that's a different story."

[dead_tongue]

I like to think so! I mean, I'm not solving world hunger, but on a personal level I've found that I wind up doing a lot of talking and processing with people through sex.

Oh, wow. Wow, the Marines? That's hardcore. And you're so... twinky!

[Immediately, Iggy pats Koby's shoulder.] Sweetie. It's okay to be wrong. And you know what? When it comes to joining the military especially? They lie to you on purpose.

[dead_tongue]

Iggy ponders this and finds that it is sound logic. He doesn't really think too much about the fact that he's trusting an admitted murderer.

"Right. So. What do we do?"

[chuanifrinn]

[Leaning on the spear he gives the other man an appraising look wondering how best to explain it, technology was new to Lancer, but he'd been inundated with information prior to the holy war and learned what he needed to quickly.]

The simplest wat to explain it as I understand is a program we've been infected with. It will allow us to communicate with one another, but I think it's how they keep a tab on us as well.

[kobes]

That...really? You talk during it? [Koby, you might as well hang a big neon "virgin" sign over your head. He seems genuinely bewildered, though, hugging his knees a little tighter.]

...is that bad? [He knows nothing, Iggy. Nothing whatsoever. Clearly; he enlisted because he thought the military was basically good.

Koby's shoulders slump a bit, chin resting on his knees.] It seemed like the better option. It's that or be a pirate, where I'm from, and I didn't want to be a pirate.

[dead_tongue]

Sure! And after it, even more.

[Iggy shakes his head.] No, sweetie. Some people prefer it.

I mean, if you only have two choices you do what you can. I think maybe you're being too hard on yourself.

How old are you, sweetie?

[timetechs]

Huh. [ He pauses. He's not gonna go punch Dirk, that's his bro. ] He seemed, well. Mostly chill with you when we were chatting pre ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny. Or, uh, sweaty horse sprite you.

[ Dude's got his own share of issues, Dave gets it. Issues which he has zero insight on since they weren't included in the big rooftop feelings jam. ]

[clipon]

[ he feels incredibly bitter now and he's not sure where it stems from. he frowns, staring down at the floor. he's got red chuck taylors on his metal feet, which is kind of cool, he guesses. he's always liked red better than orange. he picks at a thread on his pants. he doesn't want to make dave dislike dirk. or be mad at him, he supposes. but it's also clear dirk's never talked about hal or admitted anything he did for (to) hal early on.

finally, he just blurts it out. ]

That was after I begged him to not kill me.

[whatam_i]

".........." Ed stands there with his mouth open and his finger poised for a long moment and then huffs.

"We need more information. Before we make a move we have to figure this place out."

[clipon]

It ends up being fine that Iggy isn't ready, because when Hal opens the door, nothing happens. Or, well, nothing happens but the horrible storm sounds instantly dissipate because it's an amazing, beautiful day outside.

"Ah, so my calculations held up. There's nothing out here."

[timetechs]

Oh. That, uh. Sucks.

[ Yep. He's not good at the whole comforting thing. Let alone when it involves whatever the fuck mess he's just accidentally stepped in. Talk about real fucking awkward. ]

NGL, I'm gonna keep away from this whole thing. Not even touching it with a ten foot pole. [ He's not taking sides between two Dirks. ] But I'm glad he didn't kill you and that you've got your own body and you're definitely a person.

[clipon]

It's the torture, I'm sure.

[ he turns back toward the guy, tilting his head a little, and shrugs one shoulder. ]

The entire purpose of this place is to torture us, learning experiences be damned, and breaking people's minds down is one of the first steps to assure continued compliance. But hey, that's just my opinion.

[clipon]

I'm over it. Mostly. He didn't end up doing it, so whatever. I know why he hates me, but I still don't think it's fair to make someone in your image and then hate them because they look and act like you.

[ a sigh. sounds a little like an old-timey bellows still, which is kind of cute. ]

I don't want to make you get between us anyway. I appreciate what you're saying, though. It's nice to hear, anyway. Sucks we're stuck here, as far as situations go. I mean, I'm as stoked as a bonfire I finally got to meet you, but this place already blows.

[kobes]

...hm. There hasn't been a lot of talking every time I've, uh. Walked in on it. [By way of explanation:] I used to, um, live on a ship and there's not exactly a lot of...privacy.

Oh. What, ah...what does it mean?

[Koby frowns a little, but he doesn't argue. He knows he's hard on himself. But that way he can usually avoid anyone else being hard on him.] I guess. If it's even real at all. Our memories, I mean.

Nineteen. I think.

[clipon]

"No. I'm normally a pair of sunglasses. Or I was until I woke up here. This whole thing is a bright, brand-new experience for me. I didn't even have a voice before, I was just some red text. So far I'm enjoying it, despite the circumstances."

The circumstances being what they are, he does suppose it could still be worse.

[timetechs]

Dude, you know he can't help it, guy's got a major hateboner on for any and everything by name of Dirk and Dirk-adjacent. It's a whole shitty complex. Which I don't get, 'cause I lived with the actual bad Dirk and neither of you are that asshole.

[ It is a cute sighing noise, and Dave can't help patting his shoulder again. ]

Anyway, I'd rather be here with someone I can count on, so yeah, this place majorly blows, but what else is new, situation normal, etc..

[clipon]

I don't. I think it's stupid that they all want to die and kill each other. It was always strange to him that I want to live, but why wouldn't I?

[ the shoulder pat gets a smile out of him that almost looks shy. he's getting a little embarrassed when dave talks about being here with someone he can count on, but it doesn't click in his head that dave could ever be talking about him. one of the few dirk blind spots he has. ]

I'm sure there are a lot of people here that are fine. It's statistically impossible for every single person brought here but us to be awful. Don't tell anyone I said anything optimistic, though.

[kobes]

...really. [Koby slowly straightens up, setting down the lamp and stepping forward to examine the outside, the surroundings. It looks...extremely weird to him, unlike anything he's ever seen. Or anything he thinks he's ever seen.]

Why do you think that's the point? [What can be gained by torture? Information? Compliance? Just for fun?]

[dead_tongue]

"I won't," he promises easily.

He smiles. "Yeah. Yeah, I do know. You like being spanked?"

Oh yeah, their fake reality. Iggy hums. "I'm not sure what to believe. I mean... I once saw this old movie where these aliens would change human's memories and stuff every night? And this one guy, they made it look like he was a murderer, but he didn't remember doing it and he remembered his girlfriend but she didn't remember him and she was played by the girl from Labyrinth who is SO pretty and anyway not the point. They just did it to study people. So. That sounds... sort of like that?

"Not really sure how to explain the fact that you're the only person I've seen with multiple arms, though. You know, if we're all from the same place and we're just in different Sims. Or... do you have demon powers?"

[dead_tongue]

Well... I'm also a professional. So people have an easier time with the conversational aspect sometimes. Sex workers, hairstylists, and bartenders are therapists for people who don't go to therapy.

[Oh this guy is too cute.] Gay slang for guys who are young, thin, pretty hairless. Like I'm a twink.

Oh, yeah. If.

Okay, well, Jesus. At nineteen some countries won't even let you drink so how the hell can you be expected to suss out the motivations of the military industrial complex? At nineteen I didn't know how to make Mac and cheese, nevermind figure out if the Marines aligned with my values or whatever.

[snakesona]

[ olrox's expression changes, cold and furious in the blink of an eye. ]

A leash.