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

I surely won't last the night. [He jokes, but he's also not sure if it's a complete joke. He doesn't need one right now, but he knows he'll want one as soon as they stop dancing and he no longer has it to distract him.]

You're gonna have to give me examples of other habits because I can't possibly think of anything that would replace smoking. I'm rather fond of my cigarettes, unfortunately.

Chewing gum, for one. I hear they even make it in nicotine flavor now.

Ugh. Gross. [A rather hilarious word considering that not everyone probably enjoys the smell or taste of cigarettes.] I'm not a fond of the noise and feel of chewing that stuff at all. I'll stick to cigarettes, thank you.

I'm particular about my cigarettes anyways. I only smoke one flavor and only one flavor.

Really? Then perhaps you might not have a choice, depending on how rare that flavor is. The stores here might not stock it, after all.

Vanilla. I'm pretty sure they're banned in the States. They're probably terribly unhealthy for me given they're not allowed, but that really does make them better. [He laughs.] The nice things aren't usually good for us.

That's a universal truth, it seems. [Who doesn't like indulging in forbidden pleasures at times? Franciscus slows some more in his dancing, and finally realizes he can separate his hands. He pauses for a moment to shake them out and rub his fingers.] Well. That was a surprisingly benign effect, for this place.

[A pity they have to stop. The noise in the place starts to come back and he takes a few steps off the dance floor as he fishes out a box of cigarettes from his back pocket.]

It can't always be bad. [He clicks his tongue with a huff as he shakes a cigarette out. He should really keep a lighter on him.] I'm sure it likes to play with its food. It wouldn't want to get tired of us immediately.

True. From what I've heard, things reached a climax a few months before I first arrived. [October was apparently a shitshow.] Perhaps it's going into torpor. [That last bit is said more jokingly.]

Oh. perfect. I imagine Halloween was a smashing hit. I do love witches and ghouls and what have you. The candy isn't needed, but it's a plus. [Cain turns away for a moment. When he straightens up and is looking at the other again; his cigarette is lit.]

Perhaps it needs to hibernate for the winter. I, too, need ample of rest after terrorizing an innocent populace that are here against their will. [Cain is all for snark, sass, and seemingly not taking the situation seriously.]

Oh, certainly. Every dark lord needs time to practice their speeches and think of new and inventive tortures to use on their victims, after all. [Yeah, he'll happily go along with the snark.]

Only amateurs practice their speeches. If you can't make a convincing and moving speech as you go, then what's the bloody point? It's all about improv now, isn't it? I certainly won't be moved by some evil mastermind who had to rehearse their lines.

[He takes a drag from his cigarette before exhaling. There's a scent of vanilla in the air.] It's pretty late in the game to try and invent new ways of torture. Honestly. They should have jumped in sooner into the genre if they wanted to be original.

Why, do you have experience with that kind of thing? [It's a playful question, with some genuine curiosity buried underneath there.]

I'm a musician. I've had to listen to theatre snobs prattle on for a bloody eternity. You'd be surprised how much they can pull out of their arse. If some evil mastermind can't do the same then I can't be impressed. [He also had to listen to his awful dad for way too long and the man was a politician. That counts for Cain.]

Unless you mean new ways of torture. My knowledge of torture is limited to what's done in the bed. [Shameless.]

A musician? How would you judge the music choices for tonight, then? [Although he blinks a little at that comment, then grins a little.]

Oh? And what kinds of bedroom torment do you have in mind?

Pleasant. I'm not that much of a snob. If I can dance to it and enjoy it well enough, then it's fine. [Cain shrugs a little. He has his particulars, but he isn't also too picky in selection as long as it's played well.

He raises an eyebrow for a moment.] Sorry, but only men get to know that kind of stuff about me. You're going to have to grow up a little for a chance.

[A slight snort.] And how would you define that? [Okay, he supposes technically he can't legally drink here yet...but he could back home!]

I'm the kind who moves goalposts around depending on the person. I don't judge everyone equally. I can't let people think I'm not highly opinionated in my bedfellows.

Do you have ways to convince me that you are one?