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!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Will looking a little perkier is definitely Good, and Steve relaxes a fraction. ]

A few months. Would you believe I got to graduate? [ Steve, the kid doesn't care about that. ] It's me and Mike here, we've been looking after each other. I've been trying for months to get him to brush his hair.

[ Probably not relevant information, but he's trying to make the kid feel at ease. Like this is all fine. Totally fine. ]

Well, yeah. Jonathan says you're smarter than you think you are. [then, like he didn't just drop some very bizarre information (jonathan byers talks about steve harrington? what.) will manages a half-smile.] I don't think Mike's brushed his hair since kindergarten.

[then he seems to actually hear what steve had said, eyes widening a little, hopefully.] Wait, Mike's here here?

Yeah, he's here. He got here just before me.

[ But more importantly. ] Wait, Jonathan talks about me?

Oh. Is he...when is he from? [because if mike is older, from the future, like steve is, that means will is going to be even tinier.

the question makes him frown, wrinkling his nose a little.] Yeah. Sometimes. Sometimes I ask.

[ Jonathan Byers talks about him and Will Byers asks about him. What a crazy world.

He's going to come back to that, once they're out of danger. ]

Mike's from that night. When El fought the Mind Flayer and your mom saved you. He's-- he woke up here not knowing how it ended either, so he'll be pretty happy to see you.

[you bought jonathan a cool camera, steve. will wasn't privy to the whole "punch each other in the face a lot" situation, being in a Pocket Hellscape, so all he knows is that steve has good taste in gifts.]

...is my mom here? [his voice is very, very small.]

[ Why Is Will Byers So Small??? Steve Must Protect Him From Everything.

Also he really wishes this sudden urge to hug kids would piss off. He can't just go around hugging kids. ]

Sorry, kid. It's just you, me, Mike, and Billy Hargrove so far.

[among the wild feral tweenage creatures of hawkins, he is a Baby Deer. with big sad anime eyes and the shaggiest bowlcut in the world.

there's a very long pause while will tries desperately to remember what a billy hargrove is.] ...Max's stepbrother?

That's him. Dumb blond hair and unable to button his shirts.

[Steve, the kid doesn't need this information]

We're getting by. Once these assholes give up on making us fight each other we can go find Mike.

...seriously? Why? [why are you noticing this, steve. will doesn't understand at all.]

Oh. Right. [they're still at fight club, he'd almost forgotten.] Um...can you like...pretend to fight me? [go for it, steve, punch ~~bambi~~ will byers in the face.]

[ He just shakes his head at the first question. Thinking about Billy Hargrove and his Inability to Shirt just isn't a good time.

As for the second question, Steve doesn't actually think he can do that.] Like pretend to punch you?

[ For half a second Steve looks almost sick at the idea, and then ] Yeah. Sure. I'll hit you and you fall down. Easy win.

[ He doesn't want to punch bambi ]

[explain this lack of shirt, will doesn't understand. talk about your feelings, steve.

but then he nods, seriously, crossing his arms over his chest.] Easy-peasy. [he looks a little grim about it, because even if he knows that he's incredibly easy to beat up, it doesn't make him happy.]

Just. Don't actually, um. Hit me. Okay?

[ his feelings are that he doesn't care. those are his feelings. ]

Yeah, no actual punching. [ He rolls his shoulders, trying to exude a feeling like he knows what he's doing and this will be fine. He'll fake a fight, not hurt Will Byers, they'll get out of here. Great. Excellent plan. ] I'll punch my hand a bit, you fall over, everyone's happy.

[ Great? Great. ]

[a likely story.

will nods, shifting from one foot to the other for a moment, then closing his eyes.] Okay. I'm ready.

[he's...definitely bracing himself. just in case.]