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

[ Thwip thwip and the guy that was advancing on Sam no longer has the knife in his hands because of a small black and red Spider-Man that is suddenly falling from the ceiling between Sam and his attacker, and landing surprisingly gracefully on his feet. Nailed it!! ] No-one's gotta be stabbing anyone. Why don't you just get some fresh air.

[ The dude hightails it away, and Miles' interest is suddenly on the guy he'd been protecting. Cue a 'sup nod. ] You okay? [ His spider-sense will probably tell him if that guy comes back with another knife, probably. ] These guys on bath-salts or something?

[ did everyone shrink? first steve, now spider-man? though man might be generous. still sam nods warily because the last time they "met", he got web-wrapped. ]

I'm all good. And I have no clue, I didn't set him off.

[ 99% sure he didn't set him off. ]

[ MAN IS NOT GENEROUS. MAN IS JUST CALLING IT AS IT IS. Tyvm. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately for Sam, Miles is definitely not Peter. So any possible web-wrapping isn't going to happen unless he starts acting bath-salts-y. ]

Yeah, a lot of people have been acting stab-happy. I think there's something in the drinks or something, I wouldn't drink 'em. [ This is like... his first time doing Spider-Man things, wow, he's kinda nervous. ] This whole thing is kinda giving me bad vibes. [ A pause. ... Finger...guns??? ] Cool, so uh, be safe citizen? [ Is he asking or telling him....... ]

[ be . . . safe, citizen? really? sam blinks owlishly. ]

Uh, sure. Maybe we can get the unaffected people out . . . Spider . . . Man?

[ He's new to this!!!!

His arm freezes mid lift to thwip off, his fingers hovering over the pressure plate of his web-slinger. "We????" ] What, like pull a fire-alarm or something? [ Really, he'd just been trying to stick all the weapons to the ceiling and tables and other places where they couldn't be a problem. The other Spider-Man seemed to think it was a good idea... But honestly, getting the unaffected people out sounds like a WAY better plan... ]

[ that's sam. the rational better-plan maker. ]

Yeah. Then we can steer the affected people in one place before taking them down. Hopefully not too hard.

[ He nods, turning to look where the fire alarm might be for this dumb place. ] Alright, I can get the alarm. You help people get out? [ Miles is just assuming he's the one to do the taking down. ] Be right back! [ He's just gonna thwip off to do part one of that plan. He'll be back to help with getting people out and webbing the affected people up. ]

[ sam just shakes his head. spider-people. really, really weird. but he starts heading for the crowd, gently directing them to the exits. they're still rushing, much like a stampede, but sam holds his ground, keeping his voice pitched high enough to be heard. ]

Right this way, folks. Don't push!