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

"None of that is reassuring, Dorian." Cullen replies, hoping that the words might stir the mage into revealing some boon, some positive. He has said that he is trying to work out a way out, and from that Cullen can only assume there is no obvious way, no quick way, to return to their very urgent work in Skyhold. Or at least, somewhere that does not seem so nightmarish.

As Dorian continues, Cullen feels another shiver run down his spine, but he finds himself ignoring it, taking another swallow from his glass again, a glass that doesn't ever seem to run dry. He feels... he feels unlike himself, but the realisation doesn't seem to reach his mouth or his limbs, which continue on regardless. He feels unpleasantly social, so rather than trying to leave and find out how to escape this place, he's content to remain here and talk.

"Seems we shall have to make the best of it, then. It sounds very much like Kirkwall, in truth. There's no doubt some explanation for it, I am sure we will get to the bottom of it. We can gather a force over the next few days and search for a source of Red Lyrium."

The Altus sighs, "Yes, well, I think we should both be fairly used to unsatisfactory information by now. All the looming possibility that things can go badly at any moment."

The bubbly beverage he's been consuming may make him feel lighter, as if those very things are far away and don't bother him as much as they probably should. But that doesn't make it any less true. It's that bubbly laissez-faire that makes it so much easier to admit and speak of, even if it sounds dire.

"Indeed, we must enjoy ourselves while we're able." He sips his wine then ponders over the next idea.

"You believe there could be some here? I'm not so sure. This place is based off a world called Earth." Very basic name, he knows.

"It does supposedly thin the veil, which... could play a part in what brought us here, but that..." He shakes his head. They are supposedly dreaming even if this feels real.

"We are essentially projected from our bodies so if this were the work of red lyrium, or demons or spirits or something of that nature it would still be connected to the physical world. Our world. But, I don't think this place has anything to do with anything we're familiar with. This isn't the fade. Something else has brought us here for one reason or another." He frowns.

"Besides, Red Lyrium would be dangerous. I sincerely hope it does not exist here on top of all the other horrors I've heard."

Cullen can't help but chuckle. He wouldn't, in any normal circumstances, do more than crack a smile at such an ominous turn of phrase. Surely if things were to go wrong, or more so than they already were, they certainly will do so now that the Mage has invited bad luck on them. But instead of finding that concerning, he finds the very idea of it amusing. Maybe it's the drink.

"Earth," Cullen repeats, as he knows nothing of the place. How can there be another world other than Thedas? The Maker made only the one World, every child knows that. Still, if Dorian knows more he will encourage the man to share, if only so Cullen can try to understand what is happening to him, to them.

"If the Veil is thin, and that is how we came to be here, can we not force our way out? If you are asleep and you realise you are dreaming, doesn't that stop the dream? Surely we would wake now, if we were truly dreaming."

Dorian no doubt has a much better understanding of the Fade and how this place works, he seems familiar with it. But unfortunately he is no expert, and his suggestion regarding Red Lyrium proves it. He's grateful that Dorian does not scoff, merely explains why it would not be the case. Still, Cullen feels decidedly out of his depth here.

Give it time, Cullen, later on when the countdown happens people will try to either shiv one another or madly fall in love. But that won't be till much later in the evening.

"Yes, one would think that would be how it works, but apparently not. And trust me Cullen, I've been here a few months, I've tried everything within my power to find a way to wake up. I've gotten no where. No books can give me answers. Even my magics aren't working properly. I feel like a school-aged child again." He is growing increasingly more frustrated as he speaks, but then he'll down his champagne and exhale with a sigh. The empty glass fills itself. He drinks more.

"We are dreaming. And yet, we are here. We can die and we come back. Awful things happen over and over like a nightmare. No one really knows how or why, we can't predict it. We just know... this world is constantly in a chaotic motion and there's no way out of it. You can trust the deer, they help us." He considers a moment.

"Have you eaten anything since you woke up?"

Cullen listens to Dorian and his growing frustration, but as much as he should feel all that concern, as much as he should be worried, it's near impossible with the gentle buzz from the alcohol flooding his system. There's no need to worry. Is this place really as bad as all that? He was dragged here yes, by some Halla, and it hurt, but...

But this was nice. This seemed... pleasant, there wasn't anything as horrific going on as Dorian seemed to think there might.

He reaches out, gently patting the mage on the shoulder, in an attempt to distract him from his thoughts. "You'll crack it. We'll work on it and get to the bottom. Never give up hope."

He shakes his head when he's asked the question, raising his glass a little. "Just this, so far." He is hungry, now that Dorian mentions it. He'd been too busy fretting to really think about it before.

"Your optimism is delightful, if a little misguided." Dorian gives him a small smile and a nod, the courage of the bubbly helping him to feel like they shouldn't worry too much over the very serious things they'd been discussing.

"Well, let's get you some Hors d'oeuvres before you disappear." He chuckles softly as he heads for the table, "Literally."

It's not funny, but it is to him and the Champagne. "You see we need to eat or we'll fade away."