JANUARY 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to January’s Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: NEW YEAR'S.

All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.

Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.

CW: Mind alteration, alcohol, options for self-harm, knife violence.

Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

YOU BETTER GET THIS PARTY STARTED

It's party night at the Grady Hotel and the hosts are pulling out all the stops. Champagne, funny hats, pictures, great music, and a wonderful countdown clock that let's everyone know just how much closer they're getting to the end of what has probably been a pretty crazy year for everyone. The glasses never seem to empty themselves and the citizens serving them out to people seem to be making extra sure that everyone has one for themselves. Regardless of whether or not you usually like champagne, anyone with a glass in their hands will eventually be tempted to take a sip, especially the closer it gets to midnight - the bubbles make you giggly, friendly, talkative in a way that you may never have been before. It lifts up just about anyone's spirits, no matter how rough of a time they've had before (or during their time in) Deerington. It doesn't seem to get you drunk, no matter how much you drink, but it definitely makes you more euphoric. Enough so that you might start to think you can do anything; tell someone how you really feel about them, compliment whoever you've had your eye on all night and see if they want to spend more time together, make up with someone you've been fighting with lately, do a magic trick you never were able to master, or even something as drastic as fly when you know you can't. Hopefully you start off trying to jump from a chair, but there is definitely roof access for those who are a little more daring - maybe someone a little more sober will have the wherewithal to stop you before it's too late.

There is also plenty of entertainment happening in various parts of the room. A table with beer pong for the adults who never outgrew their college days, a dart board, card games in the back, and a game called Guess the Candy for those who want to test their sweet tooth. Anyone who wins a round of any game will get rewarded with a small gift from home (no bigger than a toaster). Unfortunately will disappear once you leave the party, so make sure to enjoy it while you can.

The dance floor is also lively, the music upbeat and easy to move to no matter what your personal tastes might be. If you want a random dancing partner, take a dance card! Each one has a random, glowing number on it and it's your goal to find the person who matches. Once you do, no matter who it is, you'll find yourself literally stuck together (hopefully just by your hands, but it can be any body part) and will have to go through an entire dance (or maybe even two) with them before you come unstuck.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Everyone starts to gather around the countdown clock as it nears midnight, and when it's down to ten seconds, obviously you've got to start counting too! Everyone seems to be having such a good time as they shout out each number (10! 9! 8!) and you might not even notice the way some of the people around you have started to get a little... twitchy? (7! 6! 5!) Or the way some are starting to get more handsy, pushing themselves up close to whomever is beside them. (4! 3! 2!) And it isn't until they all shout 1! in unison that the room seems to shift in two very different moods.

If you're lucky, the person next to you will just have the urge to kiss you - and you might even have the urge to kiss them back! After all, sharing a kiss at midnight is supposed to bring you good luck for the rest of the year. And with the way everyone else is starting to act, you might need it. For some, the urge to kiss might be stronger than just a chaste peck. For those who find themselves wanting to get a little more intense, it might be best to try to sneak out the back and head back to your place. The moment you step outside into the cold air, though, the urges seem to disappear - unless, of course, you were in the mood all on your own.

If you're unlucky, there's a murderous rage that runs through you, and there seems to be a table of weapons near by to help encourage a messy time. Various knives, swords, machetes, and other blades are laid out, enough for almost everyone. You might find yourself driven to plunge your weapon into the closest person, or maybe someone you've hated for a long time, and even more - maybe someone you've loved. Whoever it is, the image of their face will be burned into your mind and you'll do everything you can to try and make them bleed. Hopefully they can fight for their life - or at least evade your attacks until they can trick you into going outside. Like the desire for love, the desire for murder will also disappear the moment that someone steps outside, regardless of whether or not they did so on purpose or just to try and hurt whoever they're after.

Character Arrival

You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.

There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week.

The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.

If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This is a fever dream. That's the only explanation Gwendolyn can think of. She's about to fall to her death and her battle weary mind is giving these visions to her.

'Tis a pity it could not be a vision of familiar faces. She would much prefer that over a ball. But seeing a throng of festive people, celebrating themselves and their lives, isn't so terrible either. It would be remiss to not to join them. With a little fluff of her wings at her hips, she steps out into the crowd.]

I. BOTTOMS UP
alas that's not how she'll win the game

[Games involving alcohol aren't unfamiliar to her-- though she's never participated in any personally. The soldiers were too reverent of her to ask her to join, and she didn't have her sister's familiarity with them to insert herself into the competitions. But she is a Valkyrie, and she can hold her drink, and frankly she deserves this after defeating Levethan. So when there seems to be an opening, she steps up and nods in acknowledgement of her opponent.]

Well met. I need only a brief explanation of the rules before we start, if you would be so kind.

II. A ROYAL WALLFLOWER
obligatory culture shock prompt

[But the dancing! Gwendolyn finds herself staring at the way her fellow revelers are moving. Even the most commonfolk festival dancing in Ragnanival isn't as wild as this. She would not abandon her yet-to-be-seen partner, but she isn't sure she could be a good match for him, either. Perhaps if she explains herself once they meet.

She wanders the edge of the dance floor, occasionally glancing down at her ensorcelled card to check if the glow is stronger or not, and then finally comes to a stop.]

Good evening. I am Gwendolyn of Ragnanival. It would be my pleasure to be your partner for the next dance. Though I will confess that I am ignorant of how to perform it.

[Straight and to the point!]

III. TO WAR
don't piss off a valkyrie

[Good luck to whoever is next to Gwendolyn when the countdown hits zero: they're dealing with an experienced war general. She has no specific target in mind, but that also means that everyone is her target. And if they try to run, well...]

COWARD! Face the harbinger of your death!

[She kicks off from the ground and hovers in the air with her hip-wings for the briefest moment before divebombing at her target, letting loose a war cry, her sword extended.]

IV. WILDCARD

[Feel free to write your own starter!]

[Newt was all for just watching people enjoy themselves and standing off against the walls. He didn't know why he grabbed a card. It was a whim and a whim that he actually didn't make effort to seek out in the end. So really, it was dumb of him.

He startles a little when someone approaches him and speaks to him.]

Oh. I- [He glances at the card in her hand and the card in his. Bugger.] If you mean the dancing they're doing. I'm, well, not sure how to either. It's a bit after my time. [He smiles nervously as he keeps his eyes on the card.] I only really know how to waltz a little.

How fortunate that I have found a partner of equal experience, then.

[The parties she's had to attend through the years were few and far between, but luckily she knows how to go through the motions. She's not in a fancy ball gown, only her armor, but when she spreads her hip wings and bows to him, it looks every bit as grand as it should be.]

[Newt had been to enough Ministry parties and social gatherings of some sort, but he was never comfortable and rarely did dance during them. He just happened to know incase he had to.

He gives her a nervous smile before bowing a little awkwardly. He holds his hand out to her so he can walk her to the dance floor proper. He at least knew how to go through the steps.] U-Uhm. Can I have this dance then?

[Oh. It was a lady. Neji was seated neatly across from her, the table being arranged for the two shot glasses and they were soon filled by "the judges" with whatever that clear liquor was supposed to be. It smelled sour- it would be potent.

It only took Neji a quick handful of seconds to remember the lady's question. He'd bested the man in the last round; of course, that now made him a veteran.] Well met. [She's a diplomat, or a daimyō's daughter. Or something of that sort-- he'd never really bothered to learn, not unless interaction was a necessity as per the mission scroll. Anyway.] The rules are simple, though I have to wonder if you're up to the task seeing as you've obviously only now found the table. Following every drink placed before us, we must answer what question the Judge gives us. The one to lose the challenge is whoever cannot hold their drink, or whoever holds their tongue too much. [Is she in? The bystanders would like to know.]