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JANUARY 2019 TEST DRIVE
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!
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.
max briest | original
[It's a trap.
Max has made enough traps herself to see the bait meant to lure them in, alcohol, food, the lull of familiar music. Her hackles are up from the moment she steps into the room, although nothing about her demeanour would give it away; she smiles, she accepts glass after glass of champagne, she seems to nibble on finger food, but anyone paying close attention will notice that no food ever truly passes her lips, and the champagne is discreetly left around the room, joining the empty glasses.
What she is going to be doing is trying to see if there are any rooms further into the building, away from the party itself, hoping to find some clue to what's going on here. She even tucked her lock-picking kit into her bra and will use it on any closed doors if she thinks she's alone.]
i wanna dance with somebody
[For all that she'd rather be alone right now, Max knows the importance of networking, even more so in a situation as strange as this, where she has no allies or resources.
The idea of a glowing dance card seems ridiculous in theory but it seems as good a plan as any to meet the other people here. She claims a card for herself, searching the party until she spots the same number on another person's card.]
I believe you're my match for this dance.
[She wants to play nice, at least for now.]
murder on the dance floor
[It's probably for the best that no murderous rage seeps into Max, she's quick and deadly with any kind of blade. There's an advantage to that, though. As soon as she realizes something is wrong, Max grabs one of the long knives off the table and moves towards the closest person who seems to be caught in a murderous rage.
She'd prefer to disarm and subdue, rather than kill, but now she's prepared to defend herself.
Or maybe she's coming to someone's rescue, blocking the swing of a knife with the one now in her hand.]
i wanna dance with somebody
That he isn't worried over those things as Max approaches with a matching dance card is an indication that this night's been no different. Sipping his champagne, he smiles at the woman and nods. ]
Guess so. You up for it?
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[She's decided to start with Max Briest: socialite for this particular place and this particular party, although that may adjust in the future. It's an old role for her and one she can play without needing to think too hard.]
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That's good to know considering I've been tryin' to start a club.
[ He offers one arm while the other goes digging into his suit jacket. Out comes a card, which he offers over. It's a bit of a joke (this is a horrific dreamscape, after all — no quiet town of meager means), although Max might find John acts pretty serious about it for a second. ]
Someone's just gotta fill in their name and they've just gotta dance once to get one. And maybe one of these days it'll get said person a free waffle breakfast down at Dearly Diner. Hard to say, though. Things're always a bit of a mystery around these parts.
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Is there much call for this sort of thing? A dance club in the middle of a nightmare?
[She understands, of course. People need light to hold onto when things are at their darkest, but still. A dance club.]
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Not even close, but if you don't find a way to blow off a little steam, it gets pretty rough.
[ It's only because of the alcohol he has any levity on the subject. Blake's been in town half a year now, and there's a great many years of strife behind that, too, so under more normal circumstances, he'd start with a much more suspicious tilt. ]
I'm Blake.
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Max. It's a pleasure.
[The fact he's been here for a while is interesting, though, it's exactly what she was hoping to gain from this exercise.]
I took some time to read what I could on the devices given to us, but if you have any advice on surviving here I'd certainly welcome it.
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Ruminating on her request, he pauses thoughtfully and then tips his head this way and that. ]
Depends on what kinda survival you mean. The day-to-day stuff's a bit diff'rent, and a lotta that depends on who you ask, too. If nothin' else, that you're thinkin' of this place as a nightmare already is a good thing. People tend to forget they're dreamin' after a while.
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party rocking
Our intrepid (former?) police officer rounds the corner (quite frankly looking pretty Done with this entire evening) her brow quirks, and she clears her throat, slouching against the wall with her arms crossed. )
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[Max looks at Sarissa with an expression that could be described as contrite, though it would be more appropriate for having taken the last slice of cake from a plate, not for committing a minor felony.
She rises to her feet, in case this goes south and she needs to run or fight.]
Are you one of them?
[Their hosts, or whoever brought them here. What she means is are you someone who's going to have an issue with this.]
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( Dryly, the swaying twang of her accent coming out stronger on the vowels. She glances over her shoulder, back around the corner she just appeared from. )
Nah, ( clarifying, perhaps unnecessarily, and making sure no one else can emerge unexpectedly as she did. ) But I'm a curious pain in the arse, so I kinda wanna see what's behind that door.
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It's likely nothing, but I don't trust the townspeople here and if I can find anything about why we've been brought here...
[She can't stand not knowing.]
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( Leaning, keeping watch, because when has joining in with criminal activity ever gone poorly for her? )
I bet it'll be the evilest linen closet the world has ever seen.
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[She doesn't need the sass, Sarissa!
The door lock clicks satisfyingly and Max draws out the picks before turning the handle to reveal
an empty hotel room]
I suppose it was worth an attempt.
omg m8 babysitting small children apparently is time consuming???
murder on the dance floor
The blade goes up the sleeve of her shirt, and she meanders back into the party with a secret, just as the count starts to tick down. There's something intoxicating about hiding in the middle of a crowd with a knife up your sleeve. Hiding in plain sight. Amanda's breathing kicks up a notch in anticipation, her lips curling at the corners. She's no stranger to a desire to murder, so as the count strikes one and everybody begins to cheer, she does not feel at all out of the ordinary as she lets the blade slide down her wrist and comfortably into her hand, rearing back with a shout to aim at the back of the neck of the person next to her–
only to have her downward swing deflected by somebody else. Amanda's arm goes whipping back and her shoulder clicks painfully. She breathes, ragged and furious, and stares wildly about. A woman is facing opposite her, holding a long knife out in defense of the stranger she had tried to kill. Amanda grimaces, showing her teeth, and grips the handle of the knife tightly.)
Out of my way.
amanda pls.........
[If she were home, now is when Max would shift a little, toughen her skin or start working on a poison, but the last time she tried to shift here it hurt so much she blacked out. Now isn't the time for that sort of risk, she'll just have to take a few knife wounds if necessary.]
Look around you, this is a compulsion, I won't allow you to do something you'll regret.
[There are other people, locked in their own struggles and Max has to assume it was something in the food or drink, or maybe even a telepath, someone like Asteria. This can't have just happened.]
??? :)
No, (she breathes, and shakes her head,) no. This is all of my own free will.
(And it always has been. Nobody has ever been able to truly control her, have they? She twists the handle casually in her hand so the blade points back toward Max. Ready to strike.)
And If you won't move, I'll just have to make you.
:<
[Once whatever this is passes, people will have to deal with what they've done.
Max doesn't move, refusing to show any kind of hesitation because it's just someone with a knife, she's handled this kind of thing before, but she's tense beneath a calm exterior.]
But I doubt you're going to do much with that little thing.
[Make her angry, keep her off balance.]
kiss
(Does she look like she's threatened by the idea of consequences? As far as Amanda's concerned, she hasn't got a lot left to care about, and she certainly has no regard left for her own self. Let them do whatever they want to her. That's all anybody has ever done to her. What they liked, and nothing else.
While she had been burning to kill a specific person who has long since fled behind Max as she stands careful guard, it is slowly becoming less important to her. It doesn't matter who feels the bite of her knife, so long as she feeds it.
Amanda relaxes her grip on the handle, tenses it, relaxes, tenses. Like a heartbeat.)
You have three seconds to get out of the way before I show you what I can do with this 'little thing'.
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[ sam doesn't look put off as he fiddles with his cuff links. it's been a while since he's had to wear a suit. but sam politely extends his hand like a gentleman with a hint of cheeky flourish. ]
Consider me matched up.
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[Cheeky, but he seems sincere enough and Max returns the smile with practiced ease, laying her hand in his. Flirting never hurts, when it comes to securing allies.]
Do you know how to waltz, Mister...?
[It would probably more polite to introduce herself first, since she approached, but Max will ignore convention if she wants to.]
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[ high class, he is not, but sam seems rather at ease in surroundings that are larger than his paycheck. after a few years with superheroes, grandeur no longer has that edge on him. ]
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Max Briest.
[Max, who hasn't watched a TV show that wasn't a documentary in like five years because she doesn't know what relaxing is: ok. But she can assume it's some kind of show about fancy people.]
Perhaps I should lead then, Sam.
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By all means. I only ask that you make me look good on the dance floor.
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Everyone looks good next to me.
[Every man, is what she really means, because being arm candy is a very useful tool but - that's not the point of this.
She goes to shift her hold on his hand, fully intending to lead, when she finds herself stuck. Max frowns at her hand, then looks back up at Sam with something between mild concern and a little bit of suspicion. She's not going to accuse him of being responsible, but she isn't ruling it out yet.]
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