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

Uh, thanks. I'm pretty fond of 'em myself.

[ Great for smashing into dudes' faces, that they were. Unlike Jyushimatsu, Majima was dressed in a formal tux, a mildly neglected champagne flute in one hand. ]

You soused already? Thought we were savin' that till after midnight.

Wha? No! I drank so much but I don't feel that sort of heat typical of someone who got shitfaced!

[ That was a legit compliment coming from the heart, not weird at all. ]

That sounds suspicious as hell.

[ BUT HE BELIEVED IT. He raised his glass to Jyushimatsu, then took a sip from his flute. It was pretty good... ]

Haven't seen you around before. You from Japan?

[ Jyushimatsu nods affirmately after watching the guy's face for a moment. ]

Totally yes! And you look like a japanese thug too!

Been a while since I heard that one.

[ And it was a little jarring to hear it now -- an unexpected reminder of home. He tilted his head, curious. ]

Tokyo?

[ His accent wasn't as pronounced as Majima's, apparently. ]

Tokyo! It's got a place called Akatsuka Ward and that's where I live! It's the same name as my creator, you see!

[ He specifically says creator and not some history figure that named his home neighborhood. ]

Don't remember hearin' about any Akatsuka Ward, but that apparently ain't all that uncommon. Seems like a million different versions of Japan're out there.

But I'm a little confused. Is that some kinda alternate-Japan way of sayin' your old man?

[ Maybe he was talking to a robot..... ]

Nah, he's my creator! I've already got a dad but he was also created by him! We were all drawn by this old man about sixty years back!

[ The fourth wall is strong in this individual and he's not afraid to show it. ]

So... you're a manga character. Gag? Action?

[ Honestly, Majima was kidding more than anything else. Sure, he figured some of the people he'd met had had comics drawn about them, but that was a little different. ]

Gag! I was gagging in an anime and manga since the 60s! It's a wonder why I'm only in my twenties now, but that must be happening just to appeal to the fangirls!

[ Not like he looks any attractive, mind you.

(AND YET...) ]

Well, manga characters don't really age, do they? Unless there's a timeskip.

[ god, what was this conversation..... ]

So it's 2020 or so where you're from? Ya look pretty spry for an 80 year old.

2018! We're constantly up to date because merch keeps us alive! We've still got countless events of any kind!

[ This is a very normal conversation. Ordinary stuff. He's happy to explain canon shit to all perplexed individuals. ]

Ya must have some competent people behind that franchise, then. Not that I know all that much about manga; kinda stopped readin' it on the regular a while ago.

I'm kinda surprised it's so popular with the girls. Ya don't look like you're from a shoujo manga and all.

[ Not enough sparkles, clearly. ]

[ A shrug! He may know something or two about how the stock market works but he'd never try to get into the mind of a fangirl. ]

Actually, we tried to appear like those idol game boys that are drooled at by girls nowadays so we got more popular, but that didn't quite work as we hoped! Struck down by copyright police! Tragic, but we eventually became successful anyway!

They make video games about boy idols in 2018?

[ He shook his head. ]

Yeah, not really my scene. Good on ya, though. I'm gonna go see if those garden statues're tryin' to eat anyone.

Statues that eat people? They exist? Holy shit that's hardcore! I wanna see them!

[ Flailing wild and more excitedly than a small child on Christmas, immediately sprinting past Majima to go outside. Just let them eat him. ]

That's --

[ Oh. Left behind. Well, godspeed, Jyushimatsu. Majima would be along a little later. ]