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

Cullen is from a place with more than just humans. There are several intelligent, self-aware races besides humans: elves, dwarves, qunari. There are demons, which although evil clearly possess some sort of devious intelligence, and then there are darkspawn, although to call them intelligent is a stretch.

But throughout Thedas, he has never heard of a creature such as the one that bows in front of him now. Bowing in return seems the best response at present, until he can work out if something more is required from him.

He's a little taken aback by the enthusiasm, but that's probably because he feels quite dazed at the moment from his recent arrival and the strangeness of this place.

"I'd be glad of a companion if they could tell me where I am, and why, ser."

If the man had to ask... well, X'rhun believes he's stumbled upon someone who might not have seen the basket and its contents when he left his house. Not that he minds, he's used to such.

"Aye, well, this world is called Deerington, and the building? The Grady Hotel, a sprawling establishment for people with finer tastes or mayhap in need of a luxurious vacation." Then the Miqo'te shrugs. "If the lobby desk were manned more often than not, that is."

Then he shakes himself, tail flailing out with the motions as he does. "But you're in luck, my friend! Tonight of all nights is special, given the turn of the new year is upon us."

It's unfortunate that Cullen doesn't recall much before he came to this... hotel. He remembers the forest, in a distant sort of way, but if he was anywhere else in this land between there and here, it has escaped his recollection. It's quite possible, the withdrawal from Lyrium can have many unpleasant effects, including memory loss, intense and inescapable nightmares as well as the more mundane symptoms of recovery from addition: headaches and tremors, sickness and dizziness. Thankfully, most of those Cullen now takes in his stride, or at least keeps hidden from all but his closest associates.

"It's First Day?" Cullen says with some surprise. There is such a holiday in Thedas, where the previous year is looked back on, the coming of a new year celebrated, family and friends gathered. But it is not for several months yet, at least it should not be for several months.

But then something clicks into place from the other's speech, and Cullen's wonder at the time of year passes into something approaching concern, even fear. "What do you mean, world?" This must be part of Thedas. Simply a part he is unfamiliar with, perhaps part of Antiva or Rivain. He hasn't travelled there, and this could be some small city-state with little to trade outside it's boarders.

"Mrrrm?" X'rhun is momentarily distracted by the glimmer of champagne from a tray nearby, and claims the untouched glasses for himself, holding out the other to his companion, tail swaying from side to side in his eagerness to drink.

"Oh! I do mean world, indeed. I know not where your homeland is, but Deerington is some place else entirely."

Then his eyebrows raise in his sheer earnest desire to keep the man as calm as possible, because it dawns on the Miqo'te that this is likely a distressing situation. He's been here so long that he's almost forgotten the feeling of shock, of waking up in a bed not his, in a house he never bought but discovered was in his own name.

"A world separate from all other worlds, I would say... Whose people are taken from others, like you and I."