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tdms

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!

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

[It's a good thing Pokemon can digest pretty much anything. Hydrangea happily nibbles on the square some more.]

Mi!

[And then there's an obviously human voice, calling from above the table.] Hydrangea? Where did you go? [The Shaymin's ear flowers twitch again at the call, though they seem more interested in finishing off the chocolate first.]

[They stiffen at once, eyes darting to trace the source of the sound - quite pointlessly, of course, considering that they are under a table and thus completely incapable of locating it of their own accord. Nonetheless, the creature seems to react.]

[Immediately, their attention slips away from them entirely and up toward the source of the voice.]

[Chara tenses up, a distressingly hopeless instinct - there's nowhere to run to.]

[Hydrangea goes quite when Chara does, their head tilting to the side in confusion. They approach the child, nuzzling at their leg gently in an attempt to be reassuring. There's the sound of someone lifting the neighboring tablecloths, slowly coming closer.]

[The contact jumps their heart, catches the breath in their lungs. Their hand drops in an unconsciously protective gesture, as though Hydrangea requires any shielding whatsoever.]

[The tablecloth is lifted, inevitably, and they can only hide for so long. They lift their chin, steady their gaze, level their expression, iron out their tone into one of icy condescension - as though someone has just entered their room unasked, and not merely checked beneath the table.]

Do you mind?

[Franciscus blinks. He was not expecting to find this under the table.] I apologize. I was simply looking for one of my companions. [Hydrangea waves a tiny paw at Franciscus, looking up at Chara with a hopeful "Shay" sound as if trying to impress that he's a good person.]

I see you've found them, though.

[They glance down at the creature at their side, then up at the...human who's located them. There's not much one can do to recover from this.]

[Stupid. Of course this...they belong to someone. They're someone else's companion. Friend. Whatever. To think - ]

Is that so? [Trying to keep their tone locked into one of haughty skepticism is growing less tenable. Their control of the situation appears to be rapidly dwindling, not that it was ever all that cemented in the first place.]

[A pause, as Franciscus evaluates the situation. He knows Hydrangea will probably come if he calls them explicitly. On the other hand, this kid is obviously far more comfortable around them. He glances back at the dance floor, deliberately looking thoughtful.]

Indeed. On the other hand, this does seem a safer place for them than out there. Would you be willing to look after them for a while?

[It's obviously an attempt to placate them. Isn't it? It is, isn't it? They'll owe him, or some equally undesirable outcome. He's making an accommodation for their sake and they resent that on principle.]

I could be terribly dangerous. You don't even know me.

[Admittedly, it is, partly. He's just trying not to spook the kid too much, and they and Hydrangea already seem comfortable around each other.]

I like to think Hydrangea is a good judge of character. And if there is danger, they're powerful enough to escape.

[Powerful. More to the little thing than meets the eye, is there?]

[That's less of a surprise than it should be. Living with monsters, they've come to learn as such. Even Asriel, small and young as he is, is learning to form a blaze between his paws, to match the great infernos that his parents...their parents - summon with ease.]

You don't seem to keep very careful watch of them.

I know they can take care of themself. [He's suggested as much about their power, after all.] I like to let them explore new places on their own, as well. [Honestly, despite technically being older, Gerard is the one who likes sticking by Franciscus more.]

Because they're...powerful.

[They draw the word out with a skepticism they don't actually possess, because it's a simple deflection. It's how one gets a question answered without needing to ask it.]

And they like exploring on their own. They're much smaller than my other companion, after all, so they have their own perspective. [Gerard would never fit under a table.]

Has anyone ever told you that you're abysmal at explaining things?

[All things considered, they phrase it very politely, coolly, paired with a subtle tilt of their chin.]

[A tilt of the head.] On occasion. I suppose part of it is that back home Hydrangea is quite easily recognizable, so I'm not used to having to explain them..

[Their chin jerks back as though they've been slapped.]

[It was a polite way of saying it. Of saying - you uneducated idiot. That must be what this is. An insult, slid like a knife beneath the skin, something raw and substernal and, and - don't act like you didn't have it coming.]

[Be good.]

[Be better.]

I see. [They're trying to lacquer something unfeeling and cold over the subtle tremor in the words. They're not certain they're succeeding.] If that is how you feel, perhaps you both ought to find someone better educated.

[...wow. It's really a minefield, trying to communicate with this kid, isn't it?] Like I said, back home everyone would know. But this place is not my home. And like you said, I'm the one who's bad at explaining. [He can admit that, at least. He honestly doesn't know how to handle kids sometimes.]

[It's difficult. They make it difficult.]

Stop trying to humor me, [Chara snaps.] It isn't working.

[Gosh, this kid is cynical. Makes it hard for someone who's used to using charm to get through everything.] I'll leave you alone then. Is that what you'd prefer? [He actually makes to drop the bit of tablecloth he's holding up.]

What do you think?

[The answer to that is yes, they would probably prefer to be left alone. A pity that doesn't seem likely, given that they're surrounded by people.]

[...yeah, he can tell that.] Hydrangea, if you want to stick around down here, you can, okay? I'll let you know when I'm about to leave.

Min! [Hydrangea has been looking nervous during this whole conversation, but they speak up with a slight nod. Franciscus nods back and drops the tablecloth.]

~~[Of course, later on he's going to get chased out of the venue when the countdown ends and he nearly gets murdered, but it's probably fine.]~~

[That's. New.]

[Someone hearing the unspoken assertion and listening. They expect Hydrangea to depart as well, but...they don't. They're given the permission to remain, and once Franciscus is gone, Chara glances down at them.]

I don't like him.

Min... [Hydrangea nuzzles Chara, in what is trying to be a reassuring way. He's their dad! He's not that bad, okay?]

I suppose you do?

[Their tone is dry, but not pointed. Not bladed, the way their words were before. The lack of another human in the vicinity seems to have sufficiently calmed them away from the asymptote of undisguised hostility.]

Min! [It's a very cheerful sound.] Sha...shaymin. Shaymin shay sha. [And an attempt to explain why this human in particular is so important to them. It's too bad Chara doesn't know what "Dad" sounds like in Pokemon.]