progress city test drive #2

[progressmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Here You Leave Today And Enter The World Of Yesterday, Tomorrow And Fantasy. Welcome to Progress City's second 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! Reserves for next cycle open on April 8th!

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

Vivian | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

[shadefist]

🅰️

[ If this shadow demon is going to panic about the abrupt change in scenery, she's going to do it where no one can see her. And I do mean no one can see her. Shadow travel is neat like that.

Once she's calmed herself down, she looks for the nearest person/animal/robot or whatever that she can see also has one of those weird bands. And tries to address them from her still-invisible location. ]

Um... excuse me. Over here.

[ An invisible person calling out from a darker, less-traveled location. Surely not suspicious. ]

---
🅱️

[ Ok, so... Vivian's come to accept her current situation, sort of. She's never done anything for herself before (even deciding to help Mario was a gesture of gratitude), but if her sisters aren't around... it's okay, right?

Having just come out of the Creepy Steeple, the Haunted Mansion is familiar enough territory that she gravitates towards that one.

And coming out of the ride, she seems... lovestruck? As Vivian heads back into Liberty Square, she can be heard remarking: ] She's so beautiful...

A

[allknowledgegoodknowledge]

[Eclipsa loves dark shady corners of life, are you kidding, she's practically skipping over there no questions asked.]

Helllllooooo? Any creepy crawlies in here?

B

[ilovepuppies]

Please tell me you're not talking about the lady in the attic.

Violet Baudelaire l ASOUE (Novels)

[invented_misery]

(A)

[Violet is looking ready to panic but once she sees there's no Olaf in sight she calms down a bit. But she does keep a death grip on her tool belt just in case.]

Excuse me? This is not London so where am I? [But she does move around, hoping against hope Klaus and Sunny are somewhere around. But feel free to notice the notebook she's also got in her hand. She won't let that fall into the wrong hands.]
----
(D)

[Violet does notice the walking ink and poses a quick question.]

Am I seeing things or did the ink just walk? [But as another walks by she throws a trash can lid, it oddly enough works and they are sent running for cover.]

Ok, did not expect that!
---
Wildcard

Have Violet will travel!

A

[avalion]

[The girl grabs Saber's attention, and she turns to her.]

I'm afraid I don't know myself.

[Not having a better answer, she feels a little useless. They're both in unfamiliar territory here, it seems. The least she can do is help her to the best of her ability.]

Are you alone?

d

[itsthecount]

Playing in garbage again, orphan?

[and stalking out from the shadows? it's your worst nightmare.]

How predictable, and yet, how fitting.

Artoria Pendragon (Saber) | Fate/Stay Night

[avalion]

B

[Bestowed by the knowledge of the Holy Grail, Saber knows what a theme park is, and what purpose it is meant to serve. It's a place one goes to have fun, and, whilst there is currently no means of leaving yet, she might as well give that a try.

So she joins the queue for Splash Mountain, taking the necessary precautions and wearing a large rain poncho, hood up in anticipation.]

D

[She's started to get to grips with the wristband's functions during her time here, managing to coax it into summoning weapons. Or, rather, a single weapon. A wooden sword is by no means Excalibur, but it'll do for now.

As the inky creatures scuttle about, Saber meets them with her blade. Despite wielding a child's toy, the skill in her technique is unmistakable. In an explosion of ink, it goes down.]

Do you know where these are coming from? [They weren't advertised.]

B

[wedgeofheaven]

[hey saber guess who just cut in line and is currently behind you]

You know, I really don't get the appeal of this ride at all.

A

[fashednable]

My god, as if the spectacle of mediocrity couldn't get worse...

[There's a voice of utter disgust from behind Saber in line. Because of course there is.]

[seizemymoment]

A

I demand to see the manager. Do you know who I am? I am Ernesto de la Cruz, one of the greatest musicians of all time! I'm going to be late for my Sunrise Spectacular, this is unacceptable!

[This sure is one jerk-ass skeleton! He's feeling a little frazzled due to an unspecified earlier incident, and once he realizes he's crossed the line of his 'usual' persona, he calms down and puffs his ribs out.]

You will have to forgive me, amigo. It's very rare for me to leave the Land of the Dead.

C

♪No dejaré de quererte
Ay, ay, ay♪

[Ernesto finishes his performance with a flourish. It was a lot smaller than his more recent events, but it still had some audience, which was fine. Unfortunately, he was reminded of a much simpler time with a friend once so dear to him. Maybe it's a celebrity thing to look tired after a good show, but anyone who crosses him would notice how outright pissed off he looks. Confront him?]

WILDCARD

I didn't kill anyone, I don't know what you're talking about. Ah, you must've seen my movies, haven't you? I did all my own stunts, every last one of them.

wildcard

[deadendstreet]

"I didn't kill anyoooone," you say!

But that's literally exactly what a murderer would say to try and hide it.

A

[itsthecount]

Wow. Way to soccer mom at me, Sans Undertale. You'll have to talk to the black-and-white freak when you get the chance.

[listen, just let count olaf eat his eighth turkey leg today in fucking peace]

A

[fashednable]

Hmph. Clearly, dahling, if that's what you're walking around in.

Kubo | and the Two Strings

[loneleye]

B

[Hopefully you weren't in need of a map today, because there's a good chance that any stand you happen to visit has been entirely emptied of them. Luckily it seems like someone's inadvertently left a trail behind that leads straight to wherever they've been carried off to.

If you decide to follow the loose maps, you'll end up finding a lot more of them-- though they're a bit hard to recognize, given that they've been folded into dozens of origami animals, sitting all over the ground in front of and around a bench. On said bench is Kubo, working on folding another map, though his focus is easily drawn away from it and towards whoever approaches.]

Oh. [He looks at the map in his hand, then across the area towards one of the empty map stands, and finally at the large number of folded maps at his feet.] Sorry. Did you need one of these? You can take one.

[He takes one of the maps, folded into the form of a cat of some kind, and offers it in an outstretched hand.]

I ran out of normal paper.

C

[Kubo doesn't... hate his job. It'd be a stretch to say he enjoys it, but it's not the worst as much as it's just really boring. It makes money, sure, but why make money doing something boring when you could make more money doing something you're good at? He wouldn't feel as bad wasting it on snacks frequently if he had some extra to spend.

It's not like there's a rule against making money outside of work, anyways. At least, not one that he knows of, though he figures if he gets dragged into the mayor's office because of this he won't really be surprised. After work hours, he sets himself up in the center of a pavilion, shamisen drawn and ready to play. It may not work the same way it did back at home, but it's still good for making music, and that's all that matters here.

Before he starts playing, he takes a hat he's bought at one of the shops and sets it upside down in front of him, turning to address any onlookers with one hand poised to strum.]

Before I start, if you like the music-- or even if you don't like the music-- consider offering your feedback in the form of money? Just... please don't tell the mayor. [Better safe than sorry?]

C

[deadendstreet]

Why would I tell that mayor dude anything?? He's super freaky and I don't ever trust a thing he says.

C

[rogueguitarist]

[Hm. His plea not to tell the mayor was way too similar back when the music ban was still in place in the Rivera household. Miguel fidgets with his guitar strap, going from looking confused to determined. They mayor seems nice, but he doesn't want to put his friend at risk.]

I won't. He doesn't have to know about it.

[He then gives a toothy grin and offers a couple of disney dollars, already excited to hear him play.]

B!

[ilovepuppies]

[Star is gawking at all the little paper animals scattered about and lets out a squee of delight at the cat he offers.]

It's soooo cuuuuute!

bigby wolf (the wolf among us)

[sweariff]

B.
[Being at a theme park is an entirely new experience for Bigby. In all his centuries in the mundie world, he's never been to one. He's seen them on television, sure, and he's heard talk of them courtesy of the shit Jack spews from of his humblebragging mouth about all the wonderful places he's been to outside of Fabletown (most likely in his quest to find exciting new ways to con people and evade the law, Bigby's sure), but the idea of actually going to one is about as foreign as a trip to the moon. Bigby doesn't do vacations.

He also doesn't do rides, but here he is standing in line for one anyway. Curiosity overcomes personal standards. And there's nothing more curious than a big spooky house echoing ominous noises with a disproportionately huge line wrapped around it. It's not like he has anything better to do in the next hour anyway.

He's halfway through it when he comes to an interesting sight. It's the Haunted Mansion's pet cemetery. It's... Well, he guesses it's supposed to be cute, but it seems more morbid than anything. And one of the statues looks really strange.]

Someone has a sick sense of humor. [Seriously. Bigby isn't Toad's biggest fan by any means, but this—]


C.
[It's a beautiful day to be stuck in line. It's an even better day to be working at the front of it.

Look, let's cut right to it: Bigby never asked for this. That should be obvious, there's a whole mountain-sized pile of things he never asked for just chilling in the background. Some of them are, of course, more bearable than others; being abducted is a downright disgusting crime he can't forgive, being trapped in a place that's sort of like Florida might be even worse, but with time comes healing and he supposes he can learn to sort of acclimate to the way things are if he's given the freedom to move at his own pace. He supposes.

But being forced to work for these assholes, to be expected to perform a downgraded version of his job back home? At minimum wage? Well, someone's going to have to suffer for this. You know what they say about misery and company.

Today, Bigby's stuck doing security detail at the employee— excuse me, cast member entrance. And boy, is he in a sour mood. He's moving with as much efficiency as a machine, searching through bags and purses for the usual contraband. If he finds any, you can be sure it's going to be confiscated.]

—The hell?

[Uh-oh.]

What made you think you could bring this in?

[What is it? Well, that's up to you!]


wildcard
[yeah, we're doing this.]

C

[ilovepuppies]

[The contraband in question is a cutesy pink magic wand with wings and a bright yellow star in the middle. Very suspicious.]

Wha- hey! That's my wand! Give it back!

B!

[humanoidtyphoon]

[Vash on the other hand, has quite enjoyed his time here, although there was a pang of guilt at having so much fun. Would everything at home be fine? His brother could be causing trouble again. He missed the insurance girls too...

He'd heard of Earth before while on the Project Seed's ship and... quite honestly he never in his wildest dreams imagined he'd be here, considering in his world Earth was inhabitable to the point humanity had looked for an alternative. The planet they crashed on - Gunsmoke - was so barren and beige, devoid of bright colours that he couldn't help be in awe. So he's been taking a stroll on his work break, taking in some of the sights when he spots Bigby and... slides in front of him quite humorously.]

Huh? Hello there mister! What's wrong? [he turns to look at what Bigby is looking at] Not a fan of Frogs?

Jimmy McGill | Better Call Saul

[gimmejimmy]

a

[There's a rather panicky dude here, wearing a gaudy suit, who appears to be looking frantically. After tugging at his Magicband for a couple of minutes, you may see him approach you.]

Look, hi, I'm - bad form for what I presume is a hostage situation, I know, but I'm Jimmy McGill. I'm a lawyer from Albuquerque. I'd show you my driver's license if I had it but...

[Alright, this clearly isn't working.]

I gotta get home. My brother's sick. You help me and mark my words, I will tie this place up in so much litigation that their descendants are gonna be dealing with the paperwork.

wildcard

[here’s a message on the local bulletin board, posted by some throwaway account:]

so jw

whats the law lookin' like here because for the record i have a lotta questions so we'll start with those

1. lets say you have some sort of degree. anything along the lines of lets say a doctorate, a teaching license or a license to practice law. really any sort of significant certification. how easily is it to regain these things upon entering progress city or are there any real avenues to gain these things back??

i mean crunchy christ on a cracker there has to be some sort of system in place here

unless you people are set on sellin dole whips for the rest of your life

2. if there’s no avenue to regaining these things, can any hack comin in “accidentally” claim to have these things and be able to run a business that’s legitimate to all eyes but theirs??

3. local law enforcement. does it exist or have people here just become accustomed to the idea of 1984??

a

[mostwantedfrog]

[A lawyer, huh? Constantine ponders it over. Allying with him could be either really helpful or absolutely devastating, depending on how corrupt the guy is. The last thing he needs is some goody-two-shoes lawyer springing him out of this funland park and straight to prison. But a lawyer who'd be willing to keep him out of the gulag... And perhaps out of any legal trouble here should he, say, try to stage a coup...

Better to test the waters first.]

If I help... What is in it for me?

Demoman (AKA Tavish Degroot) | Team Fortress 2

[scottishcyclops]

Prompt C

[Sure, Demoman had held a lot of jobs in his life--piano player, bomb maker, mercenary, floor sweeper for a thousand-year-old eldritch wizard. Came with the territory of being in the DeGroot family. But retail work? Now that was another beast entirely. Demoman liked to think of himself as a nice guy, but if another person came in here with some dumb question like "Do you sell Dole Whips" or "Where are the bathrooms" or something like that, he was sure he was going to lose it.

Why couldn't he work somewhere reasonable, like Bill's Lab? He could offer a lot in terms of chemistry knowledge and mechanics.

When he spots someone else coming into the shop, he takes a deep breath, forces a smile and says:]

Welcome to the Mall of the Future! Do ya need any help finding anythin'?

[please don't unfold the shirt pile he spent like, thirty minutes trying to straighten them out]

Prompt D

[As you're walking around in Progress City, you might come across a few ink creatures, going about their business. Then you might hear a screaming Scottish man holding a sword barreling past you, barely missing you with the blade and promptly beheading the creatures in one fell swoop.

Tavish looks down at the weapon in his hand, a wide grin on his face. It isn't the Eyelander, but it sure as hell works.]

Now, this is more like it!

Wildcard

[It looks like someone has posted a new note on a bulletin board!]

Ye ever wanty just wrap yersel up in tin foil nice and cosy and then just fucking get right inty the microwave and blow yersel up tae fuck

C

[songsaboutrainbows]

Hi-ho. Uh, yes, I ordered a t-shirt with my name on it. "Kermit the frog"? And they said it'd be ready today.

Princess Aurora || Sleeping Beauty

[cursedtosleep]

Prompt A:

To say she was disoriented would be an understatement. Aurora felt like she was going to collapse and her finger ached. One moment, she could only hear Maleficent's voice in her head, ordering her to touch the spindle, and the next... the next she was in this place.

Was this part of Maleficent's spell? Was she asleep? Even as they explained she was in something called a theme park, something Aurora had never even heard of before, she couldn't really take it in.

Eventually, she just had to sit down. Nothing made sense and this was quite possibly the worst birthday ever. She swallowed and took a deep breath, crying in public wouldn't do her any good, it certainly wouldn't help her situation. She could cry, properly, again, when she was in a more private location, and more aware of what was going on.

Progress City, they called it. She had been so numb and overwhelmed to the whole thing she had agreed to everything before she really knew what was happening. Now a bit more clear-headed, she needed some answers. The princess stood up, wobbling only for a moment and saved by her gifted grace before she called out to the nearest passerby.

"Excuse me, may I trouble you for a moment?"

Prompt B.I

Aurora had never seen such things in her entire life, part of it was living in the forest for sixteen years, but most of it had to be from coming from the 14th century. She was wide-eyed and looking to understand what was going on, to say the least on the matter. She paused at the sight of the castle, confused at its size, such a thing was much too small to be a real one, but it was something she recognized, to say the least.

But at the very least, perhaps she could seek information from the royal family within. Surely they could help.

"Excuse me, do you know how I may seek an audience with the royal family within?" she asked, gesturing up to the castle.

Prompt B.II

Aurora examined the rainbow disc with a stick in it for quite some time, never before having seen anything like it. She watched a child ask for it and then begin to eat it. In fact, she watched as every strange, brightly colored item seemed to be grasped onto and then eaten after its purchase made her realize she was in some sort of food store, but it wasn't any food she could readily recognize. A whole wall of jars with beans in them sat to one side, but she had never seen beans of such colors! And what was this thing called chocolate?

Still, she hadn't eaten since... well, she wasn't entirely sure on time anymore. But something to eat seemed like a wise decision. She wasn't sure she would find any food in this place. She did, however, spot some fruit being sold across the way, and the apples were something she did recognize. In making to leave, she was pushed by an over-eager child into another.

"Ah, my apologies," she offered sincerely as she pulled herself off of the poor soul she bumped into.

Wildcard

(Feel free to make your own prompt!)

B.I

[gwenchman]

"Oh, uh...I don't think there's one, actually?"

Gwen's pretty sure of that, at least. This crazy backwards place had been pretty difficult to get accustomed to, but it's by-and-large still a theme park. That much of it needed to come first and foremost when dealing with this place's logic, she imagined, and that was easy enough to roll with.

Still, the girl looks confused, and it's best to play along with it if nothing else.

"Pa-rettyyy sure that's just where the mayor lives."

Master Shake | Aqua Teen Hunger Force

[themicruler]

Prompt A

Whoa...what's this? This is cool.

[Excuse the giant walking, talking milkshake that is just looking around at all this new stuff around him.]

I mean...of course it is. I did make it, it's mine. Welcome to my home! Mi casa es tu casa! ...As long as you paid you did pay to get in here right? We're making money off this?

Prompt C

[Congrats. There's a new ride mechanic in the city. Excuse him as he fixes this ride with his specialty: hitting the side of it with a hammer.]

Work! You better start working you mother! Oooooh boy, you better....if you don't get moving your ass is going to be refurbished into car doors, and won't that suck!