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

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.

[scottishcyclops]

[A talking frog? Well, he's seen stranger things since he's started working here. Could be worse. Could be that Plankton guy with the nasty temper and fake eyepatch.]

Aye, I never forget a face. Give me a moment...

[He ducks behind the counter and takes out a t-shirt that says 'KERMIT THE GORF' on it.]

Here it is, yer Kermit the Frog t-shirt.

[songsaboutrainbows]

[Kermit's face falls. Oh dear.]

Uh. Uh- uh- oh, no, I don't think that says "Kermit the Frog".

That says "Kermit the GORF". G-O-R-F. You see, frog is F-R-O-G. Now, uh, ya got the letters kinda mixed up there, I think you made some kinda mistake.

[scottishcyclops]

What?

[Tavish squints at the t-shirt.]

This shop never makes mistakes. It's run by robots.

[...Actually he doesn't trust the robots very much either.]

[songsaboutrainbows]

Uh, no, but that says Kermit the Gorf. And there's no such thing as Kermit the Gorf.

[dogtoyreviews]

Uuuhhh, actually? That'd be me. Kermit the Gorf is my name.

[That's a lie but he just wants a T-shirt.]

[scottishcyclops]

[....That's a dog.

Whatever, he's holding the t-shirt out for the dog to take it.]

Ah, yeah, here's your t-shirt, sir. Thanks for ya business.

[dogtoyreviews]

Thanks.

[Takes the shirt in his mouth and leaves.]

[scottishcyclops]

[Tavish waves goodbye to the weird talking dog, straightening out the custom t-shirt pile. He then notices Kermit still standing there.]

Aye, yes, can I help you?

[songsaboutrainbows]

Wh- Wha-... That's- that's Kermit the Gorf??... That's weird.

[He watches Kermit the Gorf leave, not noticing Tavish watching him until he speaks. The question catches Kermit off guard.]

Uh- I, I told you, I'm Kermit the Frog, and I ordered a "Kermit the Frog" T-shirt.

[scottishcyclops]

Oh, that's a hot one, someone else just walked outta here with one of those.

[He digs through the pile of custom t-shirts again, and pulls out a "KERMIT THE FORG" t-shirt.]

Here it is, yer Kermit the Frog t-shirt.

[songsaboutrainbows]

Eughh... No, no, no, no, that says Kermit the FORG. F-O-R-G. Yeah, and my name is Kermit the Frog, F-R-O-G.

Th-there's no such person as Kermit the FORG.

[andbegone]

[where'd this guy come from]

Yes, hello, I am Kermit the Forg. I expect you have my t-shirt?

[scottishcyclops]

[...Isn't this that Plankton guy with the fake eyepatch?

Hm. Might be a guy with one of those disguise cards. Who is he to turn down a customer?]

Aye, sir, here is your t-shirt. And thank you.

[Demo hands over the t-shirt to Kermit the Forg, Not Plankton.]

[andbegone]

Excellent.

[who the fuck is Plankton??? anyway he's out of here]

[songsaboutrainbows]

Guh-

I don't believe this. That- that's- that's- that's really weird.

[scottishcyclops]

[Tavish turns back to face the frog.]

I'm sorry, what cannae do for you?

C

[nope_dot_avi]

... Tav?

[Well, if this ain't a coincidence and a half. Dell hadn't seen hide nor hair of any of his teammates these last few weeks in this messed up theme park, and he sure as hell didn't expect to find one hawking T-shirts and merchandise 'round these parts. Least of all Tavish DeGroot.]

Whatchy'all doin' here? Never took you for a retail guy.

[scottishcyclops]

[Tavish blinks.]

...Dell?!

[A huge grin appears on his face. Hope you're ready, Dell, because here comes Tavish DeGroot, barreling full force towards you for a big hug.]

It's about time you've arrived, pal! Now this city is finally gonna see some real action!

[He forcefully pats the Engineer on the back and pulls away, grin faltering a little.] Aye. I've worked a lot of jobs in my time, and I have to say...retail is the meanest, most terrible of 'em all. It's even worse than that one time Merasmus took my eye. Here, the customers tear you apart bit by bit 'til there ain't nothing left of ya!

[He looks Dell square in the eye, gripping his shoulders.] But enough about me, how've things been goin' back at home?

[nope_dot_avi]

[Dell accepts the hug, gripping his friend tightly in return, a matching grin on his face.]

Damned good to see ya, Tavish. I don't know how much longer I could keep palling around with all these Disney movie rejects 'fore I lost my mind. You know they tried to elect a damn jaguar as a mayor? Sounds like somethin' right outta Solly's head.

[He shakes his head, sympathetic.]

Been a while since I worked retail, but I agree with ya. Lord knows I was more in danger as a cashier on a Black Friday than I ever was on the battlefield with y'all.

... Huh. How long you been here, Tavish? 'Cause I've been here... Shit, since middle of April? I ain't seen the team since I got here.

[scottishcyclops]

A jaguar? Huh. Would've still been better than that lousy knock-off pirate mayor they have now. He hasn't even passed any sorta legislation or done anything mayor-like. In fact, the only time I've seen him is when came and got a shirt for "Kermit the Frog" or somethin'.

[He scratches the back of his head, thinking.] Wellll, I've been muckin' around here for about...oh, I dunno, two weeks? We must've just missed each other or--

...Wait, you mean t'say that...the rest of the team ain't with you? [His face falls a little.]

[nope_dot_avi]

Lord Almighty... Who runs these elections, anyhow? Sounds like they ain't botherin' to get anyone qualified. Not that that's a huge difference from back home.

Damn. We mighta been passing right by each other in the street without even knowin'. To think, I coulda just walked right by this store today, and who knows when we mighta finally seen each other.

[Dell's smile fades completely at that.]

I ain't seen 'em, Tav. Could be that they're somewhere 'round here, and we just ain't found'em, yet.

[Or they're the only two of the mercs in fake Disneyland.]

[scottishcyclops]

Someone went and built themselves a robot based off of Rod Serling. As if a regular theme park isn't enough trouble, they've decided to introduce robots to the mix. I swear, Dell, one day someone's gonna cross their wires and we'll have a whole new mess on our hands. Sure, we have those cards, but there's nothin' that works better than a good ol' fashioned bomb.

[He hesitates, then shrugs, trying not to look too disappointed.] Ah, it's...fine. Maybe now that you're here, you could fix up those portals that they keep havin' trouble with. Didja check out those two laboratories that they have? Been meanin' to get myself transferred over to one of them for some real work.

every time i delve deep into southern dialects in these tags i die a little more

[nope_dot_avi]

Rod Serling... Why would someone go do that?

Still, ain't like it's the first time we've dealt with 'bots. Or whatever's in these damn cards- I ain't even tried messing with mine yet. They said they're magic somethin', and I had 'bout enough of that with Merasmus' shtick every year.

'M sure you can scrounge somethin' up to make a proper explosive, Tav. You always were good at improvisin' under pressure. Or inebriation.

[He snorts.]

Those portals are over my head- if this is an alternate dimension like they said, I'm humble enough to say I pro'lly can't do a damn thing about 'em. Nothin' like that in our world, unless ya pooled up all the Australium in the universe until somethin' came together.

Ain't seen the labs just yet, but I've heard a lil gossip. Apparently one of the labs' run by a real sumbitch. Dunno about the other.