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

...You're right. [...Not really, but she'll easily concede here.] And I'm sorry.

[She pauses, considering. Wondering what they'll say.]

Would you not like arcade games? There's uhm, fighting games and Pac-Man and adventure games...

[Another pause.]

...Have you ever played an arcade game?

I don't see any reason why I should tell you.

[They draw the words out with as much haughtiness as they can bring to bear under a short timetable. This sort of thing would work on Asriel - acting more worldly and grown-up than they are in practice. It's not likely to work on someone older, who claims to know them. But maybe they can keep her guessing.]

[They should. They should keep her guessing.]

...

[She has a sudden idea she hopes will work. The lightbulb moment is practically visible on her face.]

Then don't tell me. Show me. Beat me at Street Fighter and I'll get you any food from the arcade store.

[She backs away a little further, as though worried for retribution. She's starting to draw some glares from curious bystanders.]

[Why does she keep doing this? Is this supposed to disarm them? Put them at ease? Make her seem harmless, and friendly? It's disgusting. It's patronizing. That sort of cunning playfulness would work - if she were a monster.]

[She isn't.]

How stupid do you think I am, exactly?

[She pauses in the act of actually standing up.]

Why would that mean I think you're stupid?

[Oh yes, she can pretend just like any of the rest of them. That she's not trying to lower their guard. Not trying to placate them. Humans always have them - those ugly ulterior motives that they so enjoy enacting. Trying to get one over the head of a small child. So clever and quick-witted.]

[They hate them. Truly, they do.]

Don't insult me. You think you can lower my guard?

[She's starting to feel like nothing she says can get through their stubbornness.

...But then, that's always how it's felt with Chara.]

Is there anything I can do to help you trust me?

[They smile.]

[It's mirthless, twisting, cruel. It's like a knife between their ribs, or the fresh welling of bruises across one side of their face. It's so uneven that it hurts.]

You could die. I imagine that would help me feel better.

[Her mouth tightens into a line. Of course they were going to say that. She's beginning to remember how difficult Chara is, besides how much she wants to help them.]

I can't help you with that.

[She stands, Chara falling out of her view beneath the table. But she still talks to them, voice a little louder.]

Try to find someone to be nice to, and with, please. It's a dangerous place.

[She means it. She wants Chara to be safe.]

You must not know me very well at all, then.

[Chara? Nice? Chara has been nice to a scant number of people in their entire life, if at all. Those people, it turns out, are all monsters. Nice is not a trait they personally associate with themself.]

[Why should they pretend to be something they're not?]

...

[Better than you think, she wants to say. But she doesn't of course. Instead she sighs heavily and turns away.]

You know where to find me.

[Congratulations, Chara, you've successfully gotten rid of Max. She knows better than to push her luck so far.]