JULY 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to July's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: DREAM HORROR.

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: Violence, Freddie Kreuger references, fire, forced sleep with some drug-like references, stabbing, nightmares, monsters, possibility for extreme alcohol consumption, and lobster festivals
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Prompt Three
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

WHEN THE BOAT COMES IN

It’s July and July in Maine means lobster! The Lobster Festival springs up seemingly overnight down near Koji Pond. In the morning, there’s a large parade that makes its way through town, starting from the top of East Main Street and all the way down through West Main St until they hit the festival. There are tents, a few rides, games, arts and crafts, and most importantly, food pretty much everywhere behind the hotel and you can help yourself to free ice cream at the ice cream shop! Lobster ice cream and Blueberry ice cream are pushed to the forefront, but you can get just about any flavor you could possibly dream of in the long run.

You can hear live music playing and a stage has been set up on the roof of the arcade. Live bands play everything from folk music to jazz to classic rock that you may or may not have heard in your lifetime. There’s a tent where local artists (including sleepers) are selling art, a craft tent where people are selling goods they’ve made such as pottery and homemade fudge, and a Do It Yourself tent where people are teaching you how to make your own buoy decoration for your front yard or how to weave your own baskets!

A seafood cooking contest is held for anyone who may want to show off their culinary skills. Any kind of seafood dishes are allowed, but they highly encourage showing your abilities to cook with lobster! Think you can beat the longstanding champions from Deerington? It’s pretty unlikely, especially since it looks like the townspeople keep trying to sabotage your meal as you’re making it. Did you mean to put in an entire half cup of salt to your stew? Oops. Guess you better figure out how to work with it anyway.

Across Koji Pond, there are floating crates set up for the great crate race! See if you can make it across the lake fastest – challenge a friend! These lobster crates wobble pretty heavily, but each runner is given a life vest for when they might inevitably fall in. Be careful if you do! Some of those strange looking fish in there definitely bite.

Each morning at the festival there will be an all you can eat blueberry pancake breakfast. Surprisingly, nothing drastic seems to happen, so have as many pancakes as your body can hold! They’re delicious, after all. Through the rest of the day, it’s easy to get your hands on lobster rolls of varying sizes, full steamed lobster meals (with corn on the cob and a buttered dinner roll), lobster salad, steamed mussels, scallops, haddock (baked or fried), fried clams, lobster stuffed risotto balls, blueberry cobbler, and strawberry shortcake are all available at any of the food stands. All the food seems perfectly safe. But you’re gonna need something to wash it down with…

The drink stand has a great deal to offer, but every drink seems to come with a particularly strange side effect to it. People who enjoy the hand crafted beers will find that it gets them drunk twice as fast and can even make people who would normally never drink completely wasted after just a glass or two. Every glass you have makes you thirstier than the last and it can be easy to want to reach for another beer to try and get yourself together. In fact, it’s particularly hard to reach for anything else. Urges to drink the beer will last for at least one full hour or can be cut short by being responsible and going to drink some water instead.

So maybe beer isn’t your thing; that’s okay! There’s also blueberry lemonade which will turn you the color of blueberries from head to toe! Fresh iced tea will make you feel particularly sarcastic, prone to mocking even your closest friends and gossiping with complete strangers about the things you may or may not have heard about the town. Got a juicy secret you were trying to keep for someone? Well, it’s out in the open now. Cream sodas will make you extremely cuddly, wanting to cozy up next to the closest person to you for a little while. The more you drink, the more touchy-feely you may get, so maybe try and stick to just one or two unless you’re looking for some afternoon delight. Hot tea will make you feel calm and relaxed to an extent you never have before. To the point where you might even want to just go lay down on one of the docks and take a quick catnap in the middle of the afternoon sun. Hopefully you wore sunscreen.

Effects from any drink will last for one to three hours or until you have some strawberry shortcake from one of the food vendors.

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL

So maybe the lobster festival isn’t your thing or you got tired of all the crowds and wanted to go and do something else fun. Strangely enough, some of the fields out near the farmhouses apparently have a bunch of blueberry bushes that no one’s ever noticed before! They’re in full bloom and the berries look ripe for the picking. Perfectly round, juicy, warm from the sun – you could eat a whole handful of these and maybe never feel more satisfied. They’re deliciously sweet, perfect for pies and cobblers. And a whole basket seems to be reasonably priced, so why not go out and pick as many as you can!

The longer you’re out in the fields, the more you’ll start to feel a little groggy. It’s easy to shake off as just being from the sun at first and you might think about heading back, but something in you wants to keep picking. So you trudge in deeper into the fields, and that sleepy feeling becomes more and more difficult to ignore. Eventually, you might find that you’re ready to just lay down and take a nap in the shade of a particularly large blueberry bush. It seems like a good a spot as any – the ground is nice and soft. Just curl up for a little while and close your eyes. Even people who are normally not prone to sleeping will find that they are compelled and even capable of taking a quick nap in these fields.

Any dreams you may have while sleeping will feel more vivid than normal – to the point where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not. Did you actually manage to find your way out of Deerington and back home? You can pinch yourself, but you won’t wake up, and it’ll hurt like a bitch, so it’s hard to be sure. Dreams seem to mostly be pleasant ones, but the occasional nightmare might find its way in to your otherwise restful sleep. Anyone who stumbles on you asleep in the fields might even hear you talking in your sleep, rambling out conversations and feelings you might normally have kept quiet. Got feelings for someone you were trying to bury? They might just hear you mutter them out loud if they’ve found you there in the dirt. Wanted to make sure no one in Deerington found out you had no home to go back to? That sucks, it sounds like you might have just spilled the beans without even knowing.

The real question is if the person who finds you will wake you up or just keep listening to find out more of your secrets without having to pry for them.

NINE, TEN, NEVER SLEEP AGAIN

It’s not just in the blueberry fields that sleepiness seems to be catching. Throughout Deerington, people seem to be having a harder and harder time staying awake for long stretches. The desire for a quick nap or even a long snooze becomes harder to fight as each day passes and you might find yourself nodding off in places you normally wouldn’t – behind the wheel of a car, in the middle of a store, at work… Hopefully no one gets too hurt or loses a job during these strange episodes.

Only unlike in the fields, when you do give in to sleep, the dreams you have are now far from pleasant. Nightmares are running amok in your mind, but that vivid realism? That inability to tell when you’re awake or asleep? That has definitely not changed. You might not have even realized you’ve fallen asleep at all – most of the scenery around you seems to be Deerington itself, but something just seems off. You don’t have time to think about it though because it’s then that things start to get scary. Whether it’s reliving your most traumatic experiences, running in to your worst enemies, or seeing monster of your own creation popping up and chasing you, danger and fear are permeating every corner of these dreams. Horror movie fans might find they’re being chased by Freddie Kreuger, hunted down by Jason, cornered by the aliens from Alien. Or maybe there are terrifying monsters from your own world that have started to come for you and are trying to tear you limb from limb. It feels impossible to outrun, and maybe in the end, you don’t. But if you die in your dreams, you don’t really die in real life, right? So you might just snap awake with a particularly frightening jolt.

You think when you wake up that everything is fine. That sense of fear is gone and you’re able to just breathe. But as you go about your day, you start to see images from your nightmares out of the corner of your eyes. Was that Freddie’s claws scratching against the blackboard? Did you just hear the strange clicking of alien feet against the tiles? You hope it’s in your imagination, but this is Deerington. When does anything ever stay normal?

The danger from your nightmares is definitely invading your personal space and it will try to kill you. Anyone else can see these images just as plain as day as you can and they are welcome to either sit and watch or help you fight. Whatever is trying to kill you will go down in the same manner it would have back home – that means that it could be as easy as a bullet between the eyes or it could be as complex as an intense ritual. Guess you’ll have to figure it out for yourself before it really does kill you.

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

At-- ( she looks around for a clock, slightly surprised at seeing exactly how long she'd slept for ) 3pm?

( lilith lets that question hang for a few seconds, not commenting on how long he may have been asleep for. it wasn't necessary and he had been kind enough to let her sleep as she had )

But no. I have a different meal in mind.

( one that she'd have when she finally left. she moves to take one of the other chairs, dress a little creased, waves of her hair a little flatter. she could easily fix both with a spell but for the moment she's less concerned with how she looks. at least not around him )

We will need to talk about this. About him.

( lucifer. his version of lucifer. perhaps one day her own just in case he did break out of his prison )

[He wouldn't argue with her. At least not about breakfast (lunch?).

Crowley squirmed when she brought up Satan.]

Wh-uh-- Do we? There's not much to talk about.

A plan.

( though she hadn't had one before and whilst effective lilith couldn't guarantee that it would work again )

A more permanent solution than sending him back to Hell.

[Oh yes, the serpent was visibly squirming now. It was one thing to thwart the apocalypse. It was entirely a different thing to openly plot against the Devil himself!

He busied himself drinking his coffee as he mulled over her words, finding the dark, bitter liquid very interesting.]

You know what he would do to me for plotting an uprising against him? Because I can't even fathom it.

[Crowley set his cup down and wrapped both hands around it, still not tearing his eyes away from it.]

You're proposing we try destroy-- [Holy Water won't just kill your body, it will destroy you completely!] --I might have an idea. A way to destroy him completely. Assuming he's susceptible to it.

[And this is where the dilemma comes in. He had had no intention, absolutely zero intention, of giving away instruments that could destroy himself.]

Yes, I am.

( if there was a way. lilith hadn't been certain of it but with this satan she doubted that a simple prison would do it. and honestly, if crowley knew what she'd been through recently he'd understand why she was plotting )

Tell me first.

[Crowley's hands tightened on the cup. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation. Couldn't believe it and wished he wasn't.]

Lilith...

[His tone was the tiniest hint pleading. He really didn't want to give anyone this ammo. It wasn't death, it was the end of a demon.]

It's... No, it's nothing. Probably won't work and I doubt they just leave it about here.

( she doesn't reply instantly, doesn't try to convince him to tell her what it is. she doesn't beg or plead and manipulation isn't her only weapon for getting what she wants )

You're afraid of him but you're also afraid of it.

( was he? maybe it was just his fear over satan but lilith was comfortable in making the leap. if she was wrong then she was wrong. but she also could be right )

He's a fallen angel. ( all versions of lucifer morningstar he was an angel. that part was the truth no matter what happened after ) As are you. You're afraid for your own life.

( that the weapon against him could be used on crowley )

I don't need a weapon to kill you.

( she had magic. and if lilith could hold satan off she could kill him much more easily )

[In truth, he wasn't sure which he was more afraid of. So when she began drilling him, assessing the situation, he could truly feel the weight of it all settling on him.]

No, but whatever you do to me, I can come back from. This destroys a demon, permanently. Nothing left. It obliterates us completely. I've seen it. Used it against a fellow demon to save my own hide-- Hell isn't happy about that. Sentenced me to extinction for it. Nasty business. So you can understand why I'm not fond of just sharing this information.

[Crowley wrang his hands together and took an entirely optional, deep breath.]

I can't afford this getting out.

( if it destroyed a demon then she was going to be very careful around it )

We may be from different places but I'm still a demon. I wouldn't let out something that could potentially destroy me.

( she had way too much self preservation for that )

[Crowley considered that for a moment and took another steadying breath.]

Holy Water.

( that gives her pause. yeah, holy water would do it. )

Do you know where to find some?

( because it wasn't exactly just lying around )

[Crowley shook his head, finishing his coffee as he gave it more thought.]

No. But I'm sure if I posed the question to our fellow citizens of Pleasantville, someone might be willing to lend a hand in its acquisition. There's just the matter of the target that would paint on my back. Our less than trusting kin may not take kindly to someone fishing around for Holy Water.

[This was honestly more dangerous than hiring a little team of human thieves to pilfer water from a church. He couldn't just say it was to kill the Devil, that would seem odd. Not to mention, well, the Devil lived amongst them and the last thing he needed was another Lucifer trying to skin him alive for a new pair of snakeskin shoes.]

That isn't happening.

( there wasn't anyone in this place that lilith trusted and whilst thry might not know that she was a demon they'd know too much )

I may be able to get it another way.

( her much darker magics )

[Crowley cocked his head questioningly.]

If you're concerned I'd drop your name, I wouldn't. I'm a demon but I'm not a complete bastard. I don't jeapordise my friends.

[Well, that was a thing. He used the "f" word. You're stuck, Lilith.]

Is this secondary way safe? For you?

( him calling her a friend doesn't yet register, not that she'd believe he considered her that )

For me it is.

( for the other person involced-- )

You'd be better not knowing the specifics.

[The demon could just tell he wouldn't get anywhere arguing with her.]

It had better be. I won't be there to carry you back to safety if something goes awry this time.

There are few things that will do that.

( just a massive use of her powers and even though things had weakened her before it had never been that level of exhaustion. satan was something else altogether )

I won't be near it when it happens.

I'm holding you to that, mum.

[Crowley slipped out of his chair to his feet in one fluid motion, putting at least some distance between himself and Lilith.]

Don't put yourself in unnecessary danger, either.

They won't see it coming.

( she offers a small smile, friendly to him but also the smile of someone that is most definitely plotting something. she has a poppet and an idea in mind. they won't know what hit them nor remember it after )