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.

( She takes her own step back, body language a strange mix of tense and lazy, deception woven into how she moves. )

Yeah, that's a real fucking charming attitude for my evil twin to toss out. What are you, the rocker Lestat edition?

( She may still be slightly drunk. ) The English accent is stupid, by the way, Australians can be weird punk vampires, too. We don't gotta try to be English to sound more authentic, dickhead.

[ Okay. Admittedly. Despite all the strangeness going on, the jab about Lestat hurts her deep, deep down in that "but I loved him when I was thirteen and went through a vampire phase" way. Her jaw twitches. Minutely, but it happens. ]

So if I'm the evil twin, what does that make you, the hick? [ And what the fuck, what's she done to be called a dickhead other than grab this person's shoulder and seem less than enthusiastic to share a face with her? ]

( That is so offensive, but perhaps not for the anticipated reason. )

Have you ever heard of a "hick twin"? We're in some weird nightmare my brain created, and I'm pretty sure I ain't ever heard of a hick twin trope, thanks, Lioncourt.

( Muttered, almost to herself: ) Get your shit together, Theron.

( And more deliberately intended for Lestat: ) And in Australia it's redneck, thanks. You really are the evil version. Hick, Jesus Christ.

[ There's a pause while Sarah takes a couple deep breaths and tries to get her temper in check. It's hard, because this woman's a bloody moron, but she manages it. Mostly. ]

You think I'm some figment of your imagination? You conjured up some dream twin who's fucking evil and British? Like we're in a cartoon or some shit? That's... so stupid.

( Her face is approximately: >:C! Aggravated, she ruffles her curly mess of hair. ) Because waking up somewhere else inexplicably after a weird deer-fueled nightmare and that being reality and then being faced with... what? My long lost British twin?

( A scoff, although it's a scoff that's pretty stressed. ) Yeah, sure. That must be the reality. My fucking mistake.

Look, if anything, you're a fucked up dream I'm having.

[ Although, honestly, she doubts that. She thinks they're probably both real, and this person, annoying as she is, is just another clone. Just what she needs, really. ]

I'm fucked up, yes, and I'm dreamy, definitely, but I am no fucked up dream.

( It's a very stupid joke, and she cracks a grin (uncomfortable, nervous, trying to be super cool and fine).

She leans forward, and squint a little. )

So you reckon we're both real, and this isn't a fucked up dream, huh?

I'm real. Not sure if you are, but that isn't my problem, yeah?

[ Either way, this person obviously has no clue why they're here. Sarah turns and begins to look down the near-empty street again, searching for someone else. Absently, she rubs the fingertips of her right hand against the bottom of her jacket. Her fingers feel oddly numb, maybe from the cold. ]

What I really love about you, Lioncourt, is your team spirit and community mindedness. You're right; we are in this together.

( Somehow that faux-chipper attitude makes her accent come out all the stronger, and she looks around as well, not yet noticing the stranger fidgeting with her jacket. ) If your name's Sarissa we're going to need to come up with a needlessly complicated naming system.

[ That makes Sarah turn and look at her again, expression of annoyance still on her face and now mixed with a touch of incredulity, because really, Sarissa? ]

Of course my name's not Sarissa. [ "That's not a name" isn't said out loud but clearly implied. ] It's not Lestat, either, thanks. Sarah.

Sarah?

( She doesn't need to say it, because her tone radiates: can you get any more basic?

Maybe it's a reflex to that reaction to her name, the same way her response to being grabbed was to swing. Some part of her used to be better at control and reflection, but that's the part of her that used to be a cop, and she doesn't have that any more. )

My condolences.

Yeah, thanks, it wasn't my decision.

[ She rubs her fingers on her jacket again. ] Look, I'm— [ not gonna say "sorry" ] This is fucked, innit.

( The gesture catches her attention and she tilts her head, curious skirting on concerned. )

You okay? ( Asked with a little nod towards her hand. )

"Fucked" is an understatement, yeah. Nothing like a mild existential crisis to get the day started. Really clears the sinuses.

I'm fine.

[ She's not going to dignify Sarissa with an actual answer, because what the hell kind of question even is that? ]

Were you an IVF kid? Like, did your parents use it?

( She tenses, a jolt of it across her upper back that lasts only a moment before she makes herself relax, rolls her shoulders. )

Well, shit, talk about an ice breaker. Usually I ask someone their favourite colour and how they like their coffee to ease into conversation.

( A huff, and she stretches to crackle her back. ) Dunno. Never mentioned it if I am. You reckon maybe a stork didn't bring me after all?

[ Sarah only rolls her eyes. Yeah, this is totally an ice breaker situation. Nothing weird about it at all. ]

Yeah, just thinking. Same donor dad, or some shit. [ She's gotten less iffy about meeting new clones, but something still makes her hesitate to say it outright. Not here, when they're... whatever. Kidnapped, stuck, who the hell knows. ]