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 think that would depend on what age you are from. I'm beginning to suspect you were not from mine.

[For a lot of reasons but even more so when she mentions Alistair.]

Ah, so you know the King of Ferelden? [Because that bodes well... if she heard about their encounter anyway.]

Or... soon to be King?

[Neria blinks in a little one-two, head tilting like she’s encountered an intriguing puzzle of some sort. ]

Will be? What an odd thing to assume. No, ser, the coronation ceremony took place well over a year ago, just after the end of the Blight. Though—I suppose in Tevinter they don’t take much notice of who’s on the Ferelden throne? So long as no one’s exaltedly marching on anyone.

[ They’ll get to all this time travel stuff in a second here. ]

It’s fair to say I am acquainted his majesty, yes. In passing.

[troll troll troll ]

Edited 2019-01-13 16:59 (UTC)

It's only an assumption because he seemed to be confused about whether or not he was or wasn't king or what his crown was given to him for. I also am not entirely sure what age either of you are from. All I know is I've met the King in my time, and the Alistair I met before, your version of him, is younger. By how much, I can not say.

[He waves his hand as if his age doesn't really matter.]

I am from 9:41 Dragon. To give you a clue.

[ Wh—oh. Oh. A lightbulb appears above her head, figuratively. They don’t have lightbulbs in Dragon Age. ]

Did he say it all flat and dry and brittle, like so?

She does an incredibly good impression of Alistair’s deadpan here. ]

“Yes, hello, I’m Alistair, a slack jawed fool. Drooling in my smallclothes on the Chantry steps, that’s me. Oh, if only I could find my own arse with both hands and a map,” et cetera, et cetera?

[In like, her normal voice: ]

If that’s the case, I can personally promise he was joking. He does that. In fact, I suspect you may be the first person in all Thedas to take even most of what he says seriously. Is that how the two of you got off on what seems to be four wrong feet between you?

[ She’s genuinely curious, and would like to resolve this besides; it’s a weird place, they’re all Thedosian, might as well at least try to keep the peace. ]

Edited 2019-01-13 22:15 (UTC)

No, seemed like perfectly honest confusion. [He's sticking to that story as well. He knows sarcasm when he hears it, he just doesn't care if the so-called-King was being serious or not. Two can play at this game.]

I certainly hope he was joking, for Ferelden's sake. Not like I care that much otherwise. He kicked me and mine out of his kingdom anyway. The only faith I have in anything these days lies with the Inquisition.

[He chuckles softly.]

I may have not recognized him at first and insulted his looks. That would be how we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot. I assure you, had I known he was King I would have at least attempted to use a filter. Though to be fair, he's not King here. And he's not my King.

[ Hmm. That cleared up less than she expected it to. The Alistair she knows has never inspired instant hostility in anyone, or: ]

I shouldn’t think a filter would be necessary. He’s never flouted his authority in his life, nor do I expect he ever will.

[ Her affect is a little colder now; she really had thought whatever ill will there was between them had been inspired by misunderstanding; her intrinsic bias aside, it’s Alistair’s disarming puppiness that has gotten him so readily accepted by his subjects. ]

What do you mean “you and yours”? Ferelden’s mages? Those aren’t your people, they’re mine. And Alistair gave us autonomy, so whatever’s happened in the meanwhile if you think he doesn’t stand for mages you’re quite mistaken.

[He sighs.]

Fantastic, so now you're calling me a liar.

[He shakes his head. Dorian isn't being cold, in fact he's been trying to talk this through with something almost amused but it's slowly losing that airiness.]

Yes, me and mine, because it was the Inquisition that took the mages in when the King refused to give them asylum. I helped to save them and everyone else in Redcliffe from the Venatori along with the Inquisition. [Which may not be the whole truth exactly, he's leaving out the part where the Venatori was his old mentor...among other things. It's personal she doesn't need to know that.]

I may not be from Ferelden but I am still a Mage, and I am still doing what I can to support any and all mages who want peace and to be safe. Regardless of what anyone might initially assume about me. Perhaps the man you know, the man he is now supports the mages, but he didn't then. And he commanded we all leave. Your time and mine are vastly different and perhaps that changes him.

[He's not trying to be scathing, he's just telling the truth.]

With all due respect m'lady but if they were "your" people then where were you?

[He does, however, have a tendency to really stick his foot in it. Even with his own companions, many of them started out this way. Cassandra, Blackwall, bickering back and forth until eventually they realize either is being an ass and apologizes. If it can come to that.]

Actually, I don't have any idea who you are.

[It doesn't help that the Champange is likely making him even MORE bold than he would normally be...there is likely NO filter what so ever.]

I’m calling you mistaken. If you’ll recall. And you would make an excellent point about where I might have been at the time, except that in 9:41 I’ll be quite surprised if I’m still alive.

[ Having uh, spirited conversation with someone who seems amused is kind of insulting, so the deflating airiness is nothing but welcome. She does make an effort to be taken seriously just on occasion; the air of this silly little conversation barely mattering is difficult not to interpret as disrespectful. She steeples her fingers, resting her chin on the bridge they make. It’s just too unbelievably awkward to be like “I’m the Hero of Ferelden :D,” so dear Maker let there be some way around that. ]

I’m Neria. [ She smiles, crooked. ] Court Chancellor. So you can see why I feel I might have some insight. And why I don’t believe a king who made a mage his highest advisor would turn out refugees unless he had to.

Edited 2019-01-14 04:46 (UTC)

[He sighs softly, trying his best not to get his back up, she clearly has a loyalty to the King. One of which he doesn't blame her for. If they are as close as they seem it would be hard to think such a thing might happen to someone. But a lot can change and does. If she is not alive in his time, if she is not alive during the mage rebellion, or at least has not lived them yet, then she can't possibly know.]

I assure you, m'lady, I was there when he commanded the mages leave. I am not mistaken and he very clearly had a choice. I don't personally believe he had to turn the mages out for what happened. But he did and the Inquisition took the mages in, we needed their aid anyway. FIona was doing what she thought best for her people and she was manipulated and lied to. Once the Venatori influence was removed, they would have been no threat to Redcliffe. They simply over-stayed their welcome.