progress city test drive #1

[progressmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Here You Leave Today And Enter The World Of Yesterday, Tomorrow And Fantasy. Welcome to Progress City's first official test drive meme! This game is a panfandom jamjar set in a flux dimension inspired by Disney Theme Parks (particularly Walt Disney World in Florida) and the original concept for EPCOT (a city that would connect to the theme parks). Whether you're looking to join us or are just here to play around for a little bit, we have a few prompts below for you - but you're also free to come up with your own!

Prompt A Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, you find a vintage-looking ticket. The next time you blink or close your eyes for any reason, you open them and find yourself somewhere else - Progress City's Ticket and Transportation Center. You have no idea how you got here, and definitely don't know how you got this weird thing on your wrist... You'll learn, eventually, that Progress City and it's world-class themeparks are a popular tourist dimension across this universe. People can get in here very easily, but for some reason, that unremovable band on your wrist isn't allowing you to use their transporters to get home. To compensate, you'll be offered a job in the parks and free housing for the duration of your stay. Is that something you're willing to take?

Prompt B While you're here, you might as well spend some time around the theme parks in your downtime. It's easy enough to get to them - the city offers free 24/7 monorail and peoplemover transportation to each park, and you also get a free annual pass for yourself with your stay (lucky you)! If you're at all familiar with Walt Disney World, these four parks will seem...remarkably familiar to you. But there's little subtle differences here and there that that make this seem different - and the ones in charge will seem confused by the concept of a "Walt Disney World". Must be a thing about different dimensions. Nevertheless, you're still going to have the occasional bit of free time here, so there's plenty to see and do here across all four areas. Go ride some rides and eat some Dole Whip, you crazy kids.

Prompt C With the housing, you also get offered a job by Progress City's mayor. Maybe you decide to take it, maybe you don't, he's not gonna kick you out of your apartment unless you deserve it. But this poses a good way to get some actual money. You'll be matched to a job around the resort - hopefully one you enjoy. You could end up working in the parks as a ride operator, serving food, managing a shop, working security, or ending up as a pool lifeguard. There are a number of possibilities here, and you can always change your job later on if you find one that may suit you more.

Prompt D Over time, the thing on your wrist changes. Namely, it'll start taking on new colors, designs and occasionally icons that reflect your character's personality and appearance. You'll find that by concentrating you'll be able to utilize your band to... cast magic spells, of all things. These also seem tailored to your character - summoning weapons, creating projectiles, putting foes to sleep? It seems that no two bands are alike when it comes to this. ...Occasionally, you'll spot one or two small ink blot-like creatures scurrying about the city or the parks, creating an inky mess and leaving a small amount of chaos in it's wake. Those don't seem advertised. Perhaps they'd be good to try out your new abilities on, or maybe you'd prefer to practice a little bit first.

Wildcard As always, feel free to come up with your own scenario if none of these inspire you!

Comments

Drake Mallard | Darkwing Duck

[ownsthenight]

A

[POOF! Blue smoke, everywhere!]

I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the decreased ticket prices after you already bought a lifetime pass! I...

[The smoke fades, and there our hero stands, triumphant, noble, dynamic - until he takes in his surroundings. He blinks. Blinks twice. Glances around.]

... Am clearly not where I'm supposed to be. Huh. Oookay, this is the last time I let Launchpad program the GPS - why did I think he could do that when he can't handle VHS?

[Someone care to clue him in?]

B

[Perhaps a little hopeful, he's found himself in/around the Haunted Mansion, trying to quiz the employees who, if you ask him, are being TERRIBLY unhelpful.]

Are you sure you haven't seen her? Tall, black and white hair, pretty pale, shape of an hourglass?

[TMI, Drakey.]

Look, all I'm saying is that this place would be her scene! Tch.

[That's when he turns to you, annoyed but still desperate.]

How about you?

C

[Well, until he gets some real answers, security might be the ideal job for him - and lo and behold, he believes he's caught a thief!]

Pause in your pilfering, you pea-brained pillager!

[Ho! Ha! Karate pose! Are you actually a no-good criminal, or there been a severe misunderstanding?]

D

[FINALLY SOME REAL ACTION! THIS IS THE STUFF HE'S USED TO! With his trusty can-hold-anything-not-quite-gun, he chases down the inky monstrosities!]

Not so fast, you dark dredges of dinginess! There's no escape from DARKWIIING DUCK!

[He fires! And out shoots pairs of rope to instantly capture and tangle the subject! ... At least, that's how it would normally work, but since they are ink creatures, they just casually slip out. He pauses, looking down at his weaponry.]

Not one of my better days, I'm realizing.

A! Because I have to!

[keen_gear]

Someone was sitting there when the smoke cleared, looking utterly impressed. "Way to go, dad."

She put down her camera with a huff. "How am I supposed to get video of you to use so Honker and I can make Darkwing Duck action figures if you landed us somewhere where there are no bad guys? Huh?"

She hopped down from her seat, then blinked, looking around. "Hey... where are we, anyway?"

[ownsthenight]

"And what part about this, exactly, is my fault?" He huffed as well, adjusting his hat and walking around in a circle to get a better look at his surroundings. "I have many skills, karate, sleuthing, stealth, but SUDDEN TELEPORTATION ISN'T ONE OF THEM!"

I mean honestly. But he puffs up his chest, eyes squinting. "Clearly, we've been kidnapped! And dropped off into a pleasant-looking theme park... in other words, a trap!" Sure, he had no idea how or why, but those were really just sidenotes. "Don't you worry, Darkwing Duck always gets to the bottom of things!"

[keen_gear]

"Yeah, usually by falling," she said, starting with the last comment first, because that was where the best punchline was. Still, she did move closer to him, and not just cause there might be danger. "Well, if it is a trap anyway... surely we could have some fun until the bad guys show up, right?"

[ownsthenight]

Honey, you're killing your father. "Are you nuts? Any one of these rides could be your last! Space Mountain could shoot you into space! The Haunted Mansion could make YOU a haunt! The tea-cups could..."

Uh. "... Okay, that's probably harmless. And looks kinda fun."

[keen_gear]

"KEAN GEAR!" Seriously? You're just making the rides sound MORE awesome. Well, except for that lame teacup one.

"So Space Mountain then? Right, Dad?"

[ownsthenight]

Welp, that's on him. "I really need to stop spelling out dangers in front of you. Also, no."

He cups his beak, trying to think. "What we need to do is investigate! ... What I need to do is investigate, you need to stay somewhere safe."

[keen_gear]

"Got it! You investigate the eeeeevil scary teacups. I'll go stay nice and safe in one of those car things on Space Mountain! Pick me up some popcorn once it's all clear!" And she started to dash off, hoping she could get away with it, willing to bet she couldn't. But hey, she had to try.

[ownsthenight]

"GOSALYN!" No villain will ever kill him, he'll absolutely of a heart attack via daughter first. In seconds he was after her, trying to scoop her up from under her arm pits. "Don't think that just because we're not at home that I can't send you to your room!"

[keen_gear]

She had been already to sigh and go along with wherever he was going to drop her... with plans to slip off and explore as soon as he was gone. After all, he might need back up, since Launchpad wasn't here.

But what kid could ignore a clearly empty threat like that? She twisted, trying to turn and face him. "Oh yeah? How?"

[ownsthenight]

Careful, Gosalyn, this is a dangerous game. He puts her down, then leans in menacingly.

"Simple - during our reluctant stay here, I, being the parent, decide where we need to stay until an exit or answers are found. Thus, I decide where your temporary room is. And right now, the public restrooms are looking very tempting."

Dun dun DUN.

c

[negaverse]

[Christ just let him steal shit in peace perhaps?]

How about you stop pretending I'll listen and fuck off?

[ownsthenight]

[Oh sure, how about on the twenty-first of NEVER]

Your foul misdeeds are almost as bad as your foul mouth!

[Hahaha, foul. Because they're fowls. He kills himself.]

Ah, I'll have to remember that one. Heh heh heh.

A

[theduck]

[Donald was unfortunate enough to be in the general vicinity when the whole smoke bomb thing went off (and talk about overkill). He's so busy coughing out blue smoke for the next bit that he doesn't even notice the weirdo in the costume-- not at first, anyways, but he does hear him as he's prepping to launch into a yelling fit.

Well. He hears the second part, anyways, not any of the nonsense about flapping in the night. Needless to say, it shocks him out of his anger pretty quickly, even though he's still coughing a bit as he speaks.]

Launchpad? Did you say Launchpad?

[The last duck he's seen since the whole murder hotel incident was... well, Negaduck, and Donald hadn't exactly wanted to talk with him, so it's a relief to see someone else who looks like they could be from Duckburg. Even more of a relief to find out that this guy apparently knows Launchpad. Maybe it's not a stretch to think that he knows the rest of his family. Donald just has to know they're okay.]

You know him? Is he here?

[ownsthenight]

[After adjusting his hat, he glances at the Ordinary Citizen, raising an eyebrow. If someone else knows Launchpad, it... pretty much means one thing.]

Look, buddy, if he owes you money, I can tell you right now you're never seeing it again. You're probably better off that way - one time he tried to pay me back with an expired hot dog.

[theduck]

What? No, I'm not stupid enough to loan Launchpad money.

[Also he doesn't have much money to spare (unless he's counting Scrooge's money) but. Details.]

He works for my uncle. You know, Scrooge McDuck? And I'm looking for him.

[Well. Not specifically. But he's looking for familiar faces in general.]

[ownsthenight]

Then that makes two of us - in the sense that he works for me, and I am looking for him. He was supposed to be hiding in an alleyway, waiting for my signal, buuut seeing as I have... somehow magically changed locations without doing anything...

[Seriously, what. Just airily gestures around him because SERIOUSLY WHERE ARE THEY]

I'm suspecting that said alleyway, and said sidekick, aren't here.

[theduck]

He works for you, too? ...How is he better at finding jobs than I am?

[Whatever. Forget it. More important things to focus on. He grabs the costume-clad fellow by the shoulders, looking at him sternly.]

Alright, listen, you and I are after the same thing. [Sort of. Launchpad probably isn't anyone's top priority but he can be for the moment, Donald guesses.] That means we can help each other. We've gotta get out of here! Wherever 'here' is.

[ownsthenight]

Hey! Only one of us gets to give a heroic speech here, and that is the hero!

[You're throwing off his game, dude!]

Just leave the "saving" deal to me.

[Plucking Donald's hands off.]

I'll get to the bottom of this, or my name isn't... DARKWIIING DUCK!

[DRAMATIC POINT UP! ... Glacnes to Donald. You recognize the name, at least, right? Right???]

[theduck]

That wasn't heroic, that was desperate. But fine. Whatever. You're the hero here, sure.

[He's used to the sidekick role, anyways, he doesn't even care at this point. This dude clearly doesn't understand the potential severity of the situation, given that he's running around pretending to be a superhero. But, then again, not everyone is used to being trapped with strangers and in danger of being murdered like Donald is. That's what this is about, right?

In any case, he just. Deadpan stares back at Darkwing before rolling his eyes with a half-hearted shrug.]

Okay, that's great. Are we going or what?

[ownsthenight]

[YOU'RE HARSHING HIS MELLOW, DUDE.]

I'm going to need a word with the St. Canard newspaper distributors, clearly they need to expand their horizons...

[Sigh. He brushes off his wounded ego, puffs chest out, and begins walking.]

First and foremost, we must focus our fortitude on our findings! We must ask Who, What, Where, When, and Why! Who has taken us? What methods did they use? Where are we? When can we expect to get out? And, most importantly of all, Why did they take us?

... Well, I know why I was taken, but you're the mystery.

[I mean, who WOULDN'T want to capture DWD? It's on every villain's bucket list!]

And the quickest way to answer all of those questions is to find a so-called "employee" and interrogate them!

[theduck]

[Donald is beginning to think this may have been a mistake. Seriously, this guy. He'll grudgingly trudge after him, though.]

I mean, it's not like I haven't been kidnapped before. But it's usually to get to Scrooge-- I mean, Scrooge's money, and I haven't seen Scrooge in... a while.

[He's still not convinced this isn't another murder thing but. The hosts were usually more obvious when it came to those, among other things.]

That's what I was planning. But forget the employees, we gotta go straight to the management.

C

[elevatoravatar]

Elizabeth looked up, sure there were 29 empty plates around her, but she was promised an all you can eat buffet and did not have the look of someone who had in fact eaten all they could despite the protests of the owner of the restaurant. Still she looked over, her golden eyes sparkling at the prospect of the real thing she hungered for. Something to ease her boredom.

"No, pea brains were not one of the food offerings. In fact I was not even aware that peas had brains. Still that is something to consider, perhaps in this realm they do. After all a duck is the one yelling at me."

[ownsthenight]

"... Once again, my wit is wasted with wrong-doers." After a long-suffered sigh, he straightened up, trying to regain his mojo.

"Put down the plate and back away from the buffet! Nice and slow, no sudden movements!" Sure, he wasn't 100% sure about what she'd done wrong, but his instincts were never wrong!

... Were usually 99% right!

... 75%?

[elevatoravatar]

In Elizabeth's world, things are literal, all you can eat means death to the person offering it as she can eat more than most small armies. Still this duck seems quite agitated about something. She ponders a second before nodding.

"Why? For there are many plates here and they all promise all one can eat."

She taps her cheek a bit in pondering why he said slow, was this some duck thing or a mortal thing? No, she's fairly certain ducks eat quickly.

"Do not worry though, I understand many mortals do need to eat slowly, yet that has never been a concern for me."