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soddersays2019-07-27 01:49 pm
sodder) wrote in soddersays2019-07-27 01:49 pm
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AUGUST 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME
AUGUST 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to August's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: DYSTOPIAN 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: Physical violence, monster violence, creepy ogre-like monster in link, being hunted by a monster.
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!
BLOOD IN MY VEINS
With supplies low and food getting even more scarce, things in Deerington, Maine seem to be getting that much more tense. For those who pay attention to the habits of the townspeople, there’s something that might add to that feeling of stress; all of them seem to be involved in some kind of physical training, whether it’s archery, hand-to-hand combat, or fighting with firearms, they all seem like they’re getting ready for something and it definitely feels like it might be something big.But no one wants to train against a townsperson - it’s highly likely they’re not going to fight fair with the way they’re all glaring at the Sleepers, as though they’re to blame for everything that’s been going on. Unless you’re sparring with people in your own backyard though, it seems like there isn’t any space to get your own training in.
The Betties are starting to pop up around town pretty regularly, waiting until they find Sleepers on their own, and quietly waving for them to come closer. “You need to prepare,” they’ll whisper to you in hushed urgency, before grabbing your hand to try and get you to follow them. If you fight, they’ll insist only once more, before leaving you alone. But there’s something inside of you urging you to comply and follow.
They’ll lead you down an alley, pushing aside a large dumpster, and revealing a trap door in the middle of the concrete. You’ve never noticed it before, even if you’ve been down this alley a hundred times. The Betty leading you leans down, pulling it open, and the ladder that goes into the tunnel is long and dimly lit. You could leave now, but the Betty will insist this is for the best.
“Knock twice. No more or less. Show them what you’re made of.”
Once you get to the bottom of the ladder, there’s an equally long hallway that leads towards a closed metal door. You knock twice and the door shakes before sliding open. The light that comes through is almost blinding with how bright it is compared to the dim tunnel, but as your eyes adjust, you can finally step in to a fully stocked training room.
There are instructors in basics for beginners, areas for intermediate, and most abundantly there are one-on-one sparring areas. The moment you come close enough, you’ll be immediately paired with another Sleeper, and the two of you will be locked in the room together to be observed. You could choose to not fight, of course, but you’ll be stuck there for a good long while if you do. It might be best to just get it over and done with.
So feel free to help others who seem to be struggling or show off your strength for everyone to see. It looks like everyone is going to need to be ready for some kind of fight.
I AM THE GREAT UNKNOWN
Maybe you got knocked out during a fight or maybe you fell asleep in your own bed - or maybe you don’t even remember closing your eyes at all, especially if you don’t usually have the ability to go unconscious for one reason or another. No matter the cause, everyone will wake up in the same place, surrounded by tall, thick hedges in the middle of a... maze?It doesn’t take you long to realize you aren’t the only one waking up, too. Someone is next to you and it seems like you’re stuck finding your way out of here together. Literally. On each of your wrists is a metal cuff with a long chain connecting them. It can’t be broken, no matter how strong a person is or how powerful a weapon or spell they try to use against it. You’re in this together whether you want to be or not.
Once you can pick a direction to head in, it seems like this might almost be boring - that is until you start to hear the sounds of rustling leaves and breaking twigs. At first it seems like it might just be a trick to spook you, but the more you ignore it, the louder it gets, until finally you see it, charging down the row at you, scythe raised and ready to strike.
You can try to fight, of course, but it’s hard when you’re chained to one another. Learn to work together quickly and maybe you can make it work. It seems to go down with normal attacks, though it takes a long time to get the creature to fall unless you cut off the head. Ultimately your best interest might be set in running as fast as you can to get away. You can lose it in the maze if you’re quick about it. But then you might also be lost yourself.
If you do manage to lose the monster rather than killing it, stay quiet and you might not attract its attention again. It may take a while to find the end of the maze. The hedges feel like they stretch on forever and the sun is blaring down. You’d think there would be shade with all the height of the bushes, but there’s no relief from the heat. Hopefully you don’t burn easy.
When you get to the end of the maze, the two of you will come up on three doors. One door will lead out of the maze and back into the center of Deerington, cuff free. Another door will lead you right back to the beginning, forcing you to start again. And what’s behind door number three...?
The monster, of course.
Choose wisely.
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.
no subject
[Because nothing is worse then The Bachelor. Not even needles under fingernails.]
If it is Bowie, then I'm definately not wearing the tight-tight pants. No one wants to see that.
[He nods, following her. Despite his general loud brashness, he can move quietly when he needs to. Mostly because someone who isn't quiet around walkers will find themselves suddenly very, very dead. When he speaks, his voice is a little lower.]
I'm Louis, by the way.
no subject
[ Chloe had learned to walk silently back when she was a kid, the best means of avoiding trouble and being able to steal the shit you needed. So she’s glad to see she doesn’t have to tell this guy to lighten his footsteps any.
She presses her hand up against the right wall, to make sure that they’re headed in a direction that should get them out of here. ]
Chloe. You new here?
no subject
[He flashes her a lopsided grin to show the comment wasn't meant completely to insult. It's just some casual shit-talk, it's all good. He turns his head to the sound again, movements slow and careful. He listens for a moment, still walking, before turning his attention back to her. ]
Yup. Fresh off the boat. Well, not fresh off the boat. I was already in one of these kidnapping bullshit dimensions when I got kidnapped by this one. That's double the kidnapping for, like, half the fun. I mean, my world is a festering shithole and all, but come on.
no subject
[ She clearly hasn't taken it too much to heart, though her tone is slightly more distracted when she hears a branch snap that's a little too close for comfort. Mmm... ]
No shit. I was in a place before this one too - sorry you've got the same shit luck. We're a rare bunch. But welcome to Deerington, I guess. I hope you like heavy Silent Hill vibes.
[ Which makes the small growl that echoes through the hedge beside her that much spookier and just excuse her while she jumps away from the sound.
She's gonna definitely walk a little faster. ]
no subject
[He's not appreciating the noises, not even a tiny little bit. He does take comfort that he's not alone in the dual kidnapping thing. Misery sure does love company.]
I mean, like is a strong word, but I'm pretty used to spooky bullshit. Also lots of walkers- zombies. Lotta those, back home. Do we have those here?
[Because at least he knows how to handle those. He cants his head, trying to catch the sound- trying to find the direction it's coming from- which unfortunately seems to be everywhere.]
Don't suppose you've got a weapon on you?
no subject
Not... like the traditional walking dead - [ HAH ] - kind. Yet. But it’s kind of a matter of time. We had um - ... I dunno if you ever got a chance to play the Resident Evil games, but we had Lickers from that show up once - humanoidish monsters with giant tongues that will tear you apart.They’re stuck in a tunnel under the city now, but who knows if they’ll break out again.
[ Man, she hates explaining this part. She bends down to pull out a knife from her boot and then straightens, grabbing the gun from the holster at her back after, holding them up in a sort of ‘Pick Your Poison’ fashion. ]
And when I say from that game, I mean literally. I dunno what it was like where you were last, but this place brings in all sorts of shit from all sorts of worlds, not just Sleepers like us. Any monster or cryptid or what the fuck ever you’ve ever seen in person, or book, or comic, or any kind of media could pop up at any time. People were all shocked about them being the actual shit from their fave horror movies back home, but I dunno how when I’ve literally gotten drunk with Deadpool and cooked for Spider-man.
no subject
Holy shit. So... we get video game monsters here? That's pretty fucked up. And they're just waiting there? Like, no one knows how to kill them for good?
[He figures not, or they would have done it already- rather than leave some really dangerous monsters just...hanging around. He doesn't hesitate with the prefered poison. He plucks up the knife, giving the gun a wide berth. Guns are not his fave, ever. There's the comforting weight of Chairles inside his jacket, but he really does need both hands to use it with any efficiency. Best choose something quick and nimble over something chunky right now, he reckons.]
That tracks for the place I was in last. It brought shit from people's memories. It meant what it could bring in was always limited to the people trapped there- but sometimes that wasn't always the best. The last big heap of awful that hit was from Captain America's world. That was- pretty fucking nasty. Lots of people died.
[He died, but he tries not to think about that. As usual, he goes through his super healthy way of trying to ignore it in the vain hopes that eventually the memory will go away. A small smile crosses his face.]
I mean, honestly getting drunk with Deadpool sounds like a great life choice.
no subject
There were too many of them. They just seemed to keep showing up no matter how many people killed. Some of the monsters here will sort of... respawn, I guess? After about two weeks. Some a month. There are a few that'll die for good, but a lot of them seem to just keep coming back. Just like when a Sleeper gets killed.
[ She wrinkles her nose at the thought of things coming in from a memory. If a storm like back home was going to hit Deerington, she'd... probably have a mental break down. Again. ]
That sounds pretty fucking shitty. [ She's placing her hand against the wall, starting to try and figure out their way out of here as she talks the best she can. ] Lots of people die just about every month here. I'd say you get used to it, but I haven't figured out how to yet. The first death sucks enough in general, but anything after starts to have side effects. No one knows all of them, but I think one of the hella smart people here has been posting up info about it on the Deer Feed.
[ She smiles a little. Great life choice. It makes her snort. ]
He made me grilled cheese and we watched Golden Girls while I cried on his couch. It was kind of embarrassing.
no subject
Oh good. So basically nothing stays dead? I guess they gotta keep the excitement running somehow. Though it doesn't mean we get much break from all the bullshit.
[That's super fucking rude, though. At least walkers have the decency to stay dead, after their second death. Oh, but what she's saying is very, very worrying.]
I really need to um... avoid that. The dying thing? Not just for the obvious reasons of being a sane person who doesn't want to die. [He taps the side of his head, ominously.] I'll ... come back if my brain doesn't get destroyed when I die. I mean... it's like that back home and it was for sure that way in Wonderland [he doesn't remember what happened after he died there, but he knows it happened] so chances are it'll happen here. I think people have enough to deal with without adding surprise zombies into the mix. So that's a thing.
[God fucking damnit, he doesn't have Clem or Michonne here. He's going to have to find new people to punch his ticket before he becomes a problem and that's the fucking worst thing to ask of anyone. ]
But glad to know it works a little like Wonderland. With the side effects. Though in Wonderland you were apparently limited to five of them. Deaths, I mean.
[At least the Deadpool talk distracts from the awfulness, as he follows her through the maze, trying to listen for whatever the hell is moving around that's not them.]
I don't know what you mean, that sounds like a great time to me.
no subject
... Fuck, dude. [ Eloquent as always. ] That's rough.
[ There's a part of her that wonders if she should promise to make sure if he ever dies in front of her, she'll keep it in mind, but she doesn't want to think about someone she just met dying in front of her at all. Or anyone for that matter. Jeez, why does Deerington always have to encourage this kind of awkwardness? ]
We don't know what the limit is here, but you lose your memories of home on death number two, and your memories of everything on three. So I can only imagine it just gets worse from there.
[ She wrinkles her nose, shrugging. She wanted to give some witty retort, but the sound of something a lot heavier than either of their footsteps on the opposite side of the hedge makes her freeze instead, reaching out to grab onto his arm rather instinctively with the hand that is not holding her gun. ]
That was real, right? [ Sometimes she hears things, especially when she's already paranoid, so she's always gotta be sure. ]
no subject
[He tries to keep his tone light and flippant- trying to make the soul-crushing awfulness of his world a little less soul-crushing is how he's made it this far without turning into a psychopath or a jibbering wreck. ]
Yeah? I guess that makes sense. So it gets progressively worse after each death. Shame this place sounds like it's not all that easy to avoid the dying thing.
[His arm under her hand tenses, the hand around the knife gripping slightly tighter, getting ready for a fight. ]
Yep. Pretty sure that's real.
no subject
[ Though the emotional part of it was always a challenge – when it was the people you loved trying to kill you. But she doesn’t want to mention that when there are more important things to focus on.
Like getting farther from that noise. Knowing it isn’t in her head makes her want to find that exit faster than ever. The rustling before could have at least been deer or maybe something easily fought off, but this sounded far bigger which likely meant far harder to take down. ]
I’m gonna be straight up; I’m a decent shot with this thing, but uh – I’m also kind of a death magnet, so we might have better luck running.
no subject
[The Delta are a whole other story that he is not willing to tell yet. That can be a grim-ass story for another day. Regardless, Louis learned how to fight people too, something that sits heavy with him- but something he knows is sometimes unavoidable. ]
Oh good, nothing like a death magnet. I'm only one of those like... fifty per cent of the time, but if we add those odds to your odds and it suddenly sounds like a way worse chance of us getting out of here not dead. So yes. Running, please.
no subject
Fifty percent, huh? What a funny sense of humor Deerington has pairing the two of us, I guess.
[ Running getting a unanimous vote was a relief, and she's already going to pick up the pace, letting one hand run along the leaves just to keep track of where they might be in the maze. ]
no subject
[He can at least run with her- lanky legs are a godsend in the End Times, it seems. He can keep up fine. There's still a lot of noise and it-]
Does it sound closer to you? It sounds closer to me. I'm concerned by the closeness.
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Too fucking close!
[ Way too close. She doesn't care whether or not it's the right direction to go, Chloe yanks them both around the next available corner, just to get out of the creature's line of sight. ]
no subject
What in the holy fuck is that??!
[He glances around, trying to find the quickest way away.]
Shit. Maybe if we make enough turns we can confuse it?