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tdms

JANUARY 2019 TEST DRIVE

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

Oh my god, do you work for the government?

[Alexis!! Not everyone who lives in DC works for the government.]

Everyone knows everyone and there's like one bar and it's not even good. But I have a job, so that's super cool and I'm thinking about finishing high school soon.

[She was in Johannesburg doing god knows what when she should have been doing the SAT.]

It's been a real growth period, I've learned a lot about myself.

[She may have been drinking a little champagne, although she's chatty by nature.]

[ he can't help the low-drawn chuckle at that. yeah, sam working for the government. what an idea. he's quite sure the government has given him them middle finger. not that sam wouldn't do the same. ]

Yeah? You're one-up on me. I'm currently jobless.

[ avenging or whatever it is steve does on a regular day doesn't count because it doesn't pay bills and has no netflix privileges. ]

But I'm glad it's working out for you.

[She makes a little sad face in sympathy, because while she spent most of her life without a job, there's a difference between being so rich she didn't need to work and being 'jobless'.]

Thanks! I'm totally sure you'll find something too. [She's got a positive attitude, most of the time.] What was your old job? Where you a firefighter or something?

[Excuse her while she just lightly touches his arm because even in the suit she can tell he's got muscles.]

[ it feels like another life, to talk about the VA. the moment catches in his throat abruptly, but loosens after a few seconds. another soft chuckle rumbles from his chest. ]

I worked at the VA. Helping veterans with their PTSD and other experiences.

Oh, wow, that's so like admirable and stuff.

[It could be condescending, especially the "and stuff" but it's just the way she happens to talk, she's being sincere.]

I once dated this guy who was like, a general, I guess? He had a palace but then I found out he was super mean to his people so I totally bailed on that whole situation.

[???????????? a normal thing to have happened to a person]

Right. Don't date dicks who own palaces.

[ #seemslegit. there is a lot to unpack but sam can take it slow. glacial even. ]

Anyway, I'm — was very low on the government side of things. The VA ain't exactly the most functional branch of office.

Luckily David sent me a new passport so it wasn't even a big deal.

[Her brother is the only person in her family who actually paid attention to anything Alexis was ever doing. Thank god there was at least someone.]

Is any branch of the office functional? [She says this in a way that makes it clear she's imitating someone, like a little kid making a joke about taxes because they've heard their parents do the same thing. Alexis knows so little about how the American government operates.] And hey, do you know if we have to get jobs here? With the kidnapping and all?

[ that's funny but also very sad. at least to sam anyway. ]

No, I don't know. We might be assigned a job instead.

Ugh, ew.

[So dramatic! She's had one job in her whole life and it's the one she just got. Alexis has zero life skills.]

I miss like, travelling, you know? I haven't been anywhere new in over a year and now I'm here and sure it's like new but it's not even good. It's just a creepier Schitt's Creek.

[Here's the thing: Alexis is doing her very best not to freak out about the whole situation, but it's very fucked up. Everything she's been through has been 'normal' for her, drug lords and regime changes and the FBI are all real actual things. Dreams and nightmares and the strange people in town aren't real. It's a lot to wrap her head around.]

Hey, look.

[ he pitches his voice low. ]

Whatever's going on, at least we're all together, yeah? We can all pitch in to help each other out.

[There's not really anyone in Alexis' life who's Steady And Reassuring, so she's not entirely sure what to do with Sam, all of a sudden.]

Yeah, yeah, of course.

[The first 'yeah' doesn't sound very sure, but she's got the spirit of things by the 'of course'.]

No one's got like guns or whatever so it's totally gonna be fine but maybe we should call the police? Or the FBI? I don't have my phone with me but someone's got to.

[ sam doesn't seem put off by it. words are just words after all. but everything starts somewhere. ]

I don't think they'd kidnap us and also give us access to the authorities. I think we're pretty far from everything we know.

Okay, I get that, but why can't we just like go? We're not tied up and no one's watching us, I can drive, we could get a car and just go.

[She really hasn't totally wrapped her head around the whole "everyone's in a dream and they can't wake up" thing yet.]

You think so?

[ the doubt in sam's voice is heavy. ]

[She wants to say yes, but Sam might as well be mentally shouting "no" right at her, so she presses her lips together into a thin line instead.]

I just don't understand. Why can't we leave? What do they want from us?

Edited 2019-01-03 01:55 (UTC)

[ sam frowns, though it's not directly at her. ]

I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm in the dark too.

Well, shit.

[A few years ago, this might have been the point where Alexis would have a meltdown (or a tantrum) but she just takes a few deep breaths to try to keep calm. She's probably going to freak out about it later, but she's buried it away for now.]

Ew, sorry this is like, such a bummer. I didn't even introduce myself, did I? I'm Alexis.

[ sam wouldn't hold it against her. he's not fraying but sam knows how close that line can be. he gives a rich chuckle. ]

I think this is a little bigger than a bummer, but you're not wrong. I'm Sam.

It's nice to meet you, Sam even if this whole thing sucks.

[It super sucks! It's going to suck more when the clock strikes midnight.]

Do you wanna steal a car and try to get outta here?

Sure, but only if it's a car of someone I know.

[ does barnes have a car? one good turn deserves another. ]

You know people here?

[How come she doesn't know anyone here? That's rude as hell.]

Sort of. I don't know if they count.

[ there's steve but he's like. tiny and barnes who sam pretends he doesn't know on a regular basis. ]

Ohhhhhh... [She says this as if she's clued in on some wonderful secret, crisis forgotten because there's Gossip.] Is it an ex?

He wishes.

[ but no. ]

Boo.

[Sam is ruining all her fun, having an ex here would turn things from creepy to an amusing episode of reality TV or something. And that's way better.]

Did he steal your girlfriend or something?

[Tell her!!! She needs to know!!]

(no subject)

wingmans - 2019-01-03 04:41 (UTC) - Expand

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