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

[ a. get this party started; cw: underage drinking ]

[Alright, so. This is bad. And not even the usual Alex Messed Up™ kind of bad, because usually that kind can be fixed with the right amount of magic and can-do spirit. No, this is the kind of bad that has only happened to her twice so far, the kind that likes to come along just when she thinks her life has achieved some kind of permanence.]

I'll be taking two of these, thanks.

[She scoops a cup of beer right off of the pong table without so much as a look at the players and starts to skulk away. In a grey flight suit (A. RUSSO emblazoned across the breast) and high-heeled boots, she doesn't exactly fit in as she commits grand beer larceny, particularly because she's clearly less than twenty-one years of age. If you let her get far enough away from the table, however, she'll proceed to fit in even less, when she reaches into one of the boots and pulls out what looks like (???) a magic wand.]

Think, think- [She taps it against her mouth for a moment, before something seems to come to her.]

This day has really sucked, you see,
so make this beer a daiquiri.

[And with a little wave of the wand, the amber liquid in the cup turns red and frosty.]

[ b. happy new year ]

[The second she sees her neighbors start kissing, Alex is outies.]

Eugh. [She takes another beer off the pong table as she scoots out of the corner, headed for the front door, and is already pulling out her wand to transform it when she runs right into- ] Crap.

[The good news? Beer won't stain as much as the strawberry daiquiri would have, so your clothes are probably safe. The bad news? That depends on how the New Years spell affected you.]

(( OOC: information on alex's crau can be found here ))

[Guess what magician has two thumbs and saw that spellwork.

This guy!

He strolls over to the girl, a beverage of his own in hand.]

Well, that's one way to get the drink you want.

If you want me to do yours, I charge.

[This is a lie, and Alex is a jerk. She takes an experimental sip of the daiquiri; despite the red color, it tastes like pineapple. Whoops.]

No. Thank you. Daiquiris aren't my style. Frozen drinks are only appropriate on a beach with a little umbrella.

What, you're a big, serious man who only drinks stuff that tastes like gasoline?

[She had her fair share of shitty, straight liquor when she was living in space, but as soon as she worked out a decent spell it was bye bye lighter fluid and hello beach vacation.]

[He snorts, rolling his eyes]

Please. I still have taste buds. Don't lump me in with those bearded lumberjack hipsters and their craft beer.

[... A man of better taste than she originally thought.]

No, no - beer tastes like the smell of pee.

[Oh honey you're talking to a master mixologist here. He laughs.]

That is an excellent description, actually. Granted, there are a few exceptions, but not many. As for me, I'm more of a fan of wine or champagne or a well mixed drink.

[Dale's too affected by the champagne to care about the beer, but he leans down and kisses her. the collision means he only hits her forehead, but he still frowns a little]

I'm sorry, I don't know what just came over me, miss, I'm terribly sorry. Are you alright?

[Jeez, dude. Alex frowns, and reaches up as though he's just punched her in the face.]

Aside from the stranger danger? Wear a bell, man.

[his frown deepens, mostly because, well, he DID just apologize, didn't he? he's not really sure what else she'd want him to do.]

A bell? ... It isn't as though I snuck up on you.

[she was the one who walked into him, kiss or no kiss]

Yeah, well I wasn't paying attention.

[Because that's absolutely his fault.]

Hence, bell

[his frown flips slowly up into a hint of an amused smile, eyes shining]

In my experience, a bell only works when the thing it's attached to is in motion. So your solution would only make sense if you were the one wearing the bell.