JANUARY 2019 TEST DRIVE

[sodder]

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.

Comments

Jyushimatsu Matsuno | Osomatsu-san

[yakyuuman]

i; why the heck not

[ So he had a weird dream that involved deers, and then woke up somewhere that wasn't home.

He went to nap thinking he'd be back inside the big futon with his brothers next to him, but nope. Same creepy surroundings all around him.

Sure! Okay! He'll take that! No problem!

With that sort of coping mechanism kicking in and keeping him cheerful, Jyushimatsu will take part in the celebrations for the new year, although he was quite sure he was in mid-March before he was dropped in here. Whatever, he doesn't care, there's a party and he can't be confused and upset when a party has just started!

There's alcohol that he'll dawn all the way even without being compelled to, and it's funny because he doesn't even feel drunk and yet he's spurred by an urge to be his usual cheerful self, just 300% better (or worse, depending). He'll be out and about, approaching people more easily than he would as the normally useless NEET he is. It's good to make friends and forget even harder about the situation he's in, right? ]

Hey there! I really like the outside of your elbows!

[ Yeah, that's a compliment that he just blurts out with zero thought behind it. Have a dude wearing an oversized yellow hoodie and waving a long sleeve at you, just inches close from slapping that across your face by accident. ]

ii; i am a 20-something years old virgin and what is this (lucky)

[ The new year has come, and Jyushimatsu is flustered.

Before he can make sense of his own feelings, whoever stands next to him is suddenly invading his space and...

He reacts too fast, and too eager as he leans in and hopes to have his first kiss stolen by a random stranger. Instead what he gets is a face smashed against his own, and he distinctly hear a cracking sound coming from his nose, which starts profusely bleeding like a fountain when he pulls back. The NEET's eyes wander in different direction as he wobbles dizzily before shaking his head so hard it becomes a blur, and then smiles quite sheepishly regardless of all that blood. ]

Hahahaha! Sorry about that! Should we try again?

iii; canon typical violence (unlucky)

[ The new year has come, and Jyushimatsu is pissed.

No reason why that's happening. He's not angry over not being able to go back home. Hell, he's even liking it here! And the air is not chill enough to trigger his murderous rage. But even so, he's overcome with the urge to kill something, and before you know it he's holding an axe in his sleeve and there's no wood to chop here. Flesh and bones will do.

It's fine. People come back after they die. It's how it also worked in his world, so why not here?

With a growl, he raises his axe and swings it down on his target. ]

iv; wildcard

[ Feel free to tag me with something outside of these prompts or hit me up via PM if you wanna plot! ]

i;

[lifleifthrasir]

[That is the oddest compliment anyone has ever given her. She's not even sure she would call it such, especially since her elbows are covered by her armor. Lacking anything else to say in return, Gwendolyn simply inclines her head to her overenthusiastic fellow party-goer.]

Greetings, and good evening. How fare you tonight?

[yakyuuman]

[ Wow... he's just given a weird comment to a quite pretty girl. Way to go Jyushimatsu! The virgin NEET in him rears its ugly head up with delay as he quickly stumbles on his words, blushing red and shifting his gaze away from her. ]

He-... Hello! I'm fine! Honest, I'm f-fine!

[ He's not fine. ]

I mean, my name is not Fine! It's Jyushimatsu!

iv

[weakman]

[ It's an accidental text. He gets the idea of the device but it's using it that comes with a few minor hiccups. ]

Where do I find a grocer?

[yakyuuman]

[ Jyushimatsu is quite an inept with technology, having never owned a phone back home, but he finds it amusing that the first message he gets is that of some rando asking him such a mundane question. He'll laugh for a solid minute before typing up his reply haphazardly. ]

i dunno man! im a newbie around here! got here literally a few hours ago!

whatsup???

[weakman]

So did I.
I was going to use my Deerington License to stock up on the essentials.
Meat, bread, milk, and eggs.
There's a map in the basket I was given.

Would the grocer be Hart Mart?

[yakyuuman]

yep i checked my basket too and found the map but didnt understand anything about it and gave up

if the names got MART in it im preeeeeetty sure it sells grocery stuff!

[weakman]

Are you free to make the trip?
I want to get to know the town.

[yakyuuman]

oh! you wanna hang out with me?

yea sure why not! im all for exploring this hole right now!

wildcard

[relieable]

[it's funny, seeing Jyushimatsu again is something Osomatsu did not expect to happen so quickly. it's a New Years present! though, where's everyone else?

ah, well, no matter! Osomatsu tackles Jyushimatsu when he sees him, squeezing him tightly enough to crush. it's Jyushimatsu, though, so it should be fine]

JYUSHIMASHUUUUU! [stop blubbering. he's fine. well, he's in Deerington. that's worse]

[yakyuuman]

[ motherfuck—

A squeal that could be deciphered as a "BOEHBAA" comes out of Jyushimatsu, his eyes bulging out and his large tongue lolling helplessly. It's a sight to behold for any onlookers, because there's a man in a bowlcut wringing an identical man in a bowlcut to near death.

But Jyushimatsu is Jyushimatsu and the hug attack doesn't phase him as much as it surprises him. He thought he came here alone but thankfully he was wrong! ]

OSOMATSU-NIISAaaaaannnn...! [ His voice dies at the end while Osomatsu is still squeezing the life out of him. He never remembered his older brother being so strong??? ]

[relieable]

[yes, where did he get that strength? Osomatsu looks completely normal outwardly, even though his arms squeeze tight. Jyushimatsu can take it, right?

finally, Osomatsu releases him, though his fingers are still hooked into the yellow fabric just below his brother's shoulders. he pulls back, eyes shining]

Are you okay? What're you doing here?

[yakyuuman]

[ Air quickly flows back into his lungs once Osomatsu decides to grant him the bliss of breathing again. He hooks his sleeves over his own chest, a bit red in the face from the ordeal but doing fine, considering a hug like that would have killed a normal person. ]

Yeah, I'm okay? I dunno how I got here! Dreamed of deers wanting to eat me and then woke up! What the heck is this place?

[relieable]

[Osomatsu has many questions, himself, but he might as well answer Jyushimatsu's questions, first. he looks down for a moment, his eyes becoming a bit sad, though the grin still stays firmly in place. he's... torn, honestly. he wishes his brother was back home, and not here. at the same time, Osomatsu is so happy that he just has a brother here!]

This place... Is Deerington. [he lifts his head] It's strange. Like, creepy-strange. Not in a good or fun way.

[yakyuuman]

Deerington? Sounds american! Are we in America?

[ His brother looks sad for a moment and Jyushimatsu tries to wonder why that would be the case. He's mildly uncomfortable with being carried so far from home in such a short time span, but his mind is already adjusting to the situation. At least on the outside, so no one would waste their time being concerned about him. ]

Define creepy, nii-san! Is it not like the horror movies we watched? Because those are hilarious!

i

[justbeingknife]

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.

[yakyuuman]

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. ]

[justbeingknife]

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?

[yakyuuman]

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

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

[justbeingknife]

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. ]

III

[silvertongueheir]

[Nope. Noooooope. Not going to get killed by another of the Matsuno brothers. Franciscus sees the axe coming for him and is already diving out of the way, before scrambling towards one of the drink tables that's close to the exit. Hopefully if Jyushimatsu attempts another swing it'll get stuck in the wood. And if not...well, he hopes this is like Stacy's and exiting the place will remove the murderous compulsion.]

[yakyuuman]

[ He's lucky that Jyushimatsu has not been gifted with accuracy or a smarter brain along with the homicidal urges. His improvised weapon strikes the table at his second swing, and he growls in frustration because it'll take a few tries to unhook the darn thing before catching up with the man he's fixated on chopping apart.

The whole time, his blown wide eyes will never leave the target, chasing him out as he keeps swinging around, cutting whatever stands in his way. ]

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus has managed to make it closer to the door while his pursuer unhooks said axe, although he keeps looking over his shoulder to make sure Jyushimatsu hasn't fixated on any other target. Although he does wince whenever something else gets in the way.]

Come on, come on... [He whispers to himself as he leaves the area, hoping that it won't take too far a distance to wake the man up. At least if he gets to open air he can hopefully fly away on Gerard's back.]

[yakyuuman]

[ Jyushimatsu is steps close to getting out of the building when he stops, all of a sudden, and makes one last ditch effort to hurt his target as much as possible. Maybe he won't be able to kill him, but some bit of damage should do. It may slow him down and allow the murderous NEET to reduce the distance and give him some good beating to death!

He swings his axe above his head, takes an approximate aim... and throws it. You better dodge that buddy!

Whether or not he scores a hit, Jyushimatsu is on hot pursue again, the effects of his killing instinct slowly ebbing from his mind the father he runs from the party. ]

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus takes a glance back when he doesn't hear the sounds of pursuit anymore. Is he...oh Arceus, he's really going to do it. Franciscus ends up dropping to the ground completely, watching the axe spin wildly overhead before dropping down in front of him, bashing him in the shoulder. He lets out a groan as he rubs it, slowly sitting up to see if his pursuer has calmed down yet.]

Another suit ruined...