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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.
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( Slightly muffled by the hug that's suddenly happening, leaning into the familiar comfort of her sister. If the hug is a little too tight, she really doesn't mind. In fact, she's holding onto her sister just as hard. )
A few hours ago. I— started wandering to try and get a feel for the area and do some recon, but then I saw this place and I was really hungry, but then the food came and suddenly I was, you know, not so hungry. And then Frank said he knew you after totally failing to appreciate my potato castle.
( It all comes out in a big rush, and she draws back just enough to get a look at Wynonna. ) Where are we? Are any of the others here?
( The questions will probably keep coming, just a flood of words. )
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and when wynonna throws her arms around her sister, he momentarily watches the scene, the affection in it, and he warms him to know that she has somebody, that she's found the most important person in her life, and that's the most he can hope for her.
holding up his palm in a brief gesture, he gives a nod as he begins shuffling back. ] I'll, uh — I'll leave you ladies to it.
[ because this reunion has too long been awaited by his girlfriend to get in the way of it. man's gotta get back to work, anyhow. ]
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But she can’t let Frank exit stage left without acknowledging the role he played in it too; her eyes meet his over the top of her sister’s head and she just mouths a thank you that doesn’t seem to fully encompass the gratitude she’s feeling in this moment — for being here, for helping Waverly, for clearly talking to her long enough to keep her from leaving — before turning her cheek to Waves’ hair with a small sigh. ]
Not sure how much of a rundown you already got from Mister Diner Man over there, but — it’s just me here, as far as I know. Well, just us, now.
[ And then she finally retreats, though she’s definitely not going to give up her seat on this side of the booth with Waverly, one arm slung across the back as she searches those familiar features. ]
Are you okay? I mean, as okay as you can be after being kidnapped by Dream Bambi, or whatever.
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Oh. Okay, well— we’re together now. I’m sorry you were here alone.
( Quieter, as she strokes her sister’s hair. Wynonna being stranded here by herself was even worse to think about. )
I’m fine. Still getting my head around everything.
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Maybe it's because Wynonna spent so many years away from Purgatory, but she knows how to knuckle down and get through it, covering up any deeper emotions with her tendency to joke her way through it. Waverly's forever had a harder time hiding when something's weighing on her.
But she's not about to leave her sister's side now, not if she can help it, even if she does briefly divert to pluck up a fry from the plate in front of them. ]
Yeah, I know. Look, before I even say anything, I'm warning you now that this is going to sound crazy, but — I've been here for six months already. [ She's already bracing herself for the mild freakout. ]
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( It's fine. Potato fortress was probably doomed, anyway. How could it survive the inevitable gravy moat? And she might even have said that out loud, except that Wynonna's saying things, and it's a significant thing. She has Waverly's total attention, and then Waverly thinks she might just have short-circuited. )
You wha huh?
( Hang on a moment, please. Let's try that sentence again. ) But! You were just— we were just in Purgatory. I mean you went off on your motorbike but you said you were coming back, and— and that definitely wasn't six months ago.
( She leans against the booth, but doesn't sit in it. ) Hohly crabcakes.
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In the same sense, maybe she should've given her sister more of an advance warning before essentially pulling the rug out from underneath her, but she's always been more of a rip-the-Bandaid-off kind of gal and there's no sense in beating around the truth of how long she's personally been dealing with her own twisted, dream version of Mayberry. ]
That's the last thing you remember? [ Because that's definitely not the case for Wynonna herself; the last thing she remembers doing, before here, is playing hide-the-hose with Fireman Charlie, which isn't necessarily a bad way to go out if you're not necessarily planning on waking up on a whole new plane of existence. ]
Okay. That was — that was a while ago, for me. But I'm sure it's fine. I guess I've just got a few things to fill you in on. [ Like how about the fact that your dad was technically an angel, Waverly? Cool story, right? ]
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( No, hang on: what? Waverly's quiet for a few moments, just trying to— to process that, what it means, all the implications. ) We're from different points in our personal timelines? But— wow, this is something we need Jeremy for.
( Bless their nerd. Most of the knowledge she has about whatever that could mean for them in the long term is limited to things she's caught on television, and even in that arena Jeremy's knowledge would be way (way way way) beyond her own. Her hands rest on her lap, and she's not quite looking at her sister, gaze faraway as she tries to wrangle her thoughts, and try to ignore the fact that she really wishes Nicole was here. )
What do we do?
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[ There have been plenty of instances already in which Wynonna's convinced she could've solved any problem here if she'd had a little nerd at her disposal, and that includes the one sitting next to her, but where Waverly is the one who could make a literary reference to almost anything in her sleep — even something written in a supposedly dead language — Jeremy is equally as likely to make a Star Wars mention as well as reference hit song "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega in the same breath. No wonder the two of them are basically, well, like the Wonder Twins. ]
Hey. [ She reaches down to cover both of Waverly's hands with her own, fingers curving around the familiar pair — and God, she shouldn't be so comforted by the fact that her sister is here, but she's done the whole away-from-family deal once before and she really doesn't want to go through it again. ]
We'll figure it out, okay? I mean, if there's one thing we Earps are good at, it's faking it 'til we make it, right?
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Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think sniffing out the nearest donut stand is a close second, but I'll accept faking it as our major skill.
( A brief moment of pause, as she realises the unfortunate implications of her phrasing (RIP Champ) and she tilts her head just a little bit. )
And uh, hey. What's with Frank? He seemed kinda familiar. ( If you catch her drift. Shameless shoulder bump, a-yes. )
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👀
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[ And look, hopefully anyone who may or may not be happening to be listening right about now will interpret that faking it comment in any other way than it was intended; she definitely hasn’t had that problem recently, wink wink nudge.
Uh, but speaking of, Wynonna finds herself on the receiving end of a meaningful sister jostling and her first impulse is to knit her eyebrows together, a soft scoffing sound preceding her actual words. ]
He’s — we’re — well, yeah, we know each other. [ Know-what-the-other-looks-like-naked department, more like. ] He showed up here right around the same time I did, so. It was a real bonding experience and all that.
[ Goddamn it, Waverly, you’re going to make her come out and say it, aren’t you? ] We’re together, okay? Like — together-together.
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( A little tilt of the head, and she quietly acknowledges, ) Pretty good pun, though. Especially if the donuts are shaped like little people.
( — Maybe that was too dark. Okay, let's focus on Wynonna, and Wynonna and Frank. Her gaze flickers towards him, and then back to her sister as she talks, before she really starts to think about what her sister's saying, how she's holding herself and the tone of her voice shifts. And then she says it, and Waverly's smile brightens like the morning sun emerging from a cloudy sky. )
Seriously? ( Okay, hugs first, hugs first more questions later. ) Wynonna—
( It's kinda bittersweet, actually. Getting to see Wynonna be together-together with someone after the complexities with Doc and Dolls that made that kind of thing keep slipping through Wynonna's grasp back home - that was so great and so important and something her sister deserves so much, and there's this part of her that's just a little bummed that she didn't get to be there and see it happen. Her arms are still wrapped around her, and she props her chin on her sister's shoulder. ) You know this means I need to threaten him at least once though, right?
( ALSO SHE FRICKIN KNEW IT YEAH GO TEAM WAVERLY IS ALWAYS RIGHT )
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[ She doesn't really know what to expect when she finally just out and admits that she and Frank are a thing; her track record with dating has been disastrous, terrible and flat-out nonexistent — and not necessarily in that order. But Waverly making a high-pitched noise that probably only dogs can hear before launching herself in for a hug is not high on Wynonna's list of predicted responses, and she finds herself blinking a couple times in a light daze while her own arms drop to return the hug on autopilot. What is she gonna do, not hug Waverly back? That's crazy. ]
Well, obviously it wouldn't be right if we didn't mildly imply loss of limbs towards a sister's S.O., so.
[ How many times has she vaguely threatened to break Nicole's fingers if she broke Waverly's heart? Actually, some of those instances were probably a lot more direct.
But she sighs, turning her cheek against the top of Waverly's head, and lets that soft admission slip out on the heels of her exhale. ] I've missed you so much, angelface.
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There's a very quiet breath of laughter. ) Yeah, except you don't threaten Nicole anymore.
( A moment of pause. She doesn't, right? There's not really a chance to get into that, or insist she not (fruitless as that insistence might be given the present circumstances) or even to point to her eyes and point to Frank in an ineffectively dramatic way. What Wynonna says next sort of outdoes any possible significance talking about that, or even quizzing her about whether Frank is a suitable gentleman of adequate means. )
You can't have missed me that much. Sounds like you've been busy. ( Meeting Frank, and all. Wink.
Okay, but aside from that, now she's done. Waverly sighs as well, though her's is a little different from her sister's, and she hugs Wynonna tighter. ) I wish I'd known you were here. I wish— I wish we could've done something.
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[ And really, it had taken her a lot of time to get it, to realize that this thing between Nicole and Waverly — it's serious, it's real, it's the best thing she ever could've wished to happen to her little sister. There's no doubt whatsoever in Wynonna's mind that the cop loves Waverly, and Waverly loves the cop, and there's a small pang then when she realizes that whatever's taken her sister here has taken her away from Haught all in the same snap.
She does permit Waverly that small scoff, the acknowledgment of that wink wink nudge remark — really, her time here has been driven as much by the chaos in this town as it has the realization that she and Frank were something more than just friends with a tendency to punctuate every snarking remark with an eyerolling, but she can't pretend one didn't inadvertently lead to the other, or propel it into certain territory thanks to a series of life-or-death situations.
But Waverly's here, and that means her priorities might have to shift a little — because sure, her mission here is as of yet unclear, but she's got someone else to look out for now. ]
I know, Waves. The one thing I kept going over in my head was the fact that you guys would've been working to pull me out, if you'd known. And I can't say I know for sure why I'm here — why we're here — other than someone in this place needs our help, so maybe that's what we've gotta do. Help here, before we can go back.
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She sighs a little bit, tries to clutch at some resolve. They're Earps (even if she's only one by name) and their job is saving the world. Or at the very least, their job is saving the Purgatory and the Ghost River Triangle, with the world being kind of adjacent to that. It really just depends how dire any given situation is.
Gently, she brushes Wynonna's hair from her face, setting aside teasing and elbowing about her sister's beau (she will definitely call him that, though) to try and get a handle on this bigger, more dire matter. )
That sounds kinda like a plan. ( While also not actually sounding like a planned out plan, but they can work with it. ) Okay. We help here, and we figure it out from there.
( Rubbing her hands down Wynonna's arms is as much an effort to soothe herself as it is to comfort her sister, admittedly. )
At least I arrived with my good ol' Blue Devils uniform. I can rally the spirits and— lead some cheers.
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From the sound of things, she and Waverly have got a few months separating them, months in which Wynonna had tried to push through grieving Alice's loss, struggled to kick her own ass back into shape, tried to cope in any way she knew how — which turned out to be a lot of trips to Pussy Willows, as it turned out. Months in which she knew Mama Earp was locked away, safe from ever being able to hurt them, while Waverly remained unaware of exactly how close their mother resided. ]
Yeah, I've kinda been operating under the one-day-at-a-time approach, 'cause, uh, this town likes to throw a bunch of random shit our way. But if there's anyone who knows a thing or two about dealing with weird, it's us, right?
[ Said while she reaches out to take another one of those fries too, trying to console herself with some salty goodness — even though said fries are starting to veer more towards soggy disappointment now. ]
Seriously? Well, maybe you can try putting some pep in your step with the goods actually covered this time. [ Oh, yeah. Don't think she's forgotten walking in on that, a memory that is now permanently singed on the inside of her eyelids. ]
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Well, you coulda knocked.
( On the front door. To her own home.
You know what, Waverly's had a very long day, don't question it. She does slightly awkwardly run her fingers through her hair. ) Besides, no-underwear adventures are strictly for Nicole alone, so—
( A little shrug. It's fine, she's fine, it's not making her fret that Nicole isn't here and that Wynonna's already been here six months and that who knows when she's going to see her girlfriend or their close friends again. It's fine. They just need to stick together and get through this, and it'll be super, super fine. )
I also arrived with a box of donuts. Vanilla-dipped. We could split 'em, if you want? They're at the place I woke up in.
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[ Next time you want to go commando, Waves, do it somewhere other than right by the front door, maybe? Your sister loves you, but that doesn't mean she wants to see all of you.
But, if it helps at all, she kinda gets it now that the house she's living in is also host to three other people, two of them on the more youthful side of things. It means she and the guy she's kinda dating now can't exactly participate in a healthy romp on the couch without accidentally scarring young eyes. ]
They stuck me in a farmhouse practically on the edge of town. Kinda reminds me of the homestead in a lot of ways. Hey! [ And that's punctuated by Wynonna gently smacking her sister on the arm. ] You should come stay with me. Seriously. Not wherever it is they've got you shacking up.
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Ow!
( Not justified, it didn't hurt, but she rubs her arm a little anyway. ) Sure. I mean, you need someone to do the dishes and save you from your own laundry pile, right?
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[ This is Wynonna trying, and failing, to defend her complete and utter lack of interest in anything resembling household chores, and the truth is that she probably would be drowning in her own laundry if not for the fact that she has a handful of roommates now who have graciously pitched in with that on occasion. ]
Okay, fine. Sometimes I do the dishes. Sometimes someone else does them. Alright, usually someone else does them. And, uh, I guess this is the part where I tell you that I've been living with a couple other people. Well, technically I was there and then they all sort of moved in, but — there's this kid named Cliff, who's pretty chill as long as you know how to speak Surly Teenager, and a younger girl named Laura, and uh.
[ She jerks her head up, a vague nod in the direction of where Frank's standing — probably back behind the diner counter by this point, which is basically his default position when he's working. ] The guy with the coffee pot over there.
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but it all changed when the Fire Nation attackedbut she finds her eyebrows slowly and steadily rising as Wynonna talks about other people doing them. And then other people having moved in. And two kids, basically, at that. And Frank?
By the time the ramble is done, her eyebrows are as close to her hairline as they can go, and her mouth is a little open, before she shakes herself. )
Sorry, I think I blacked out for a second and hallucinated that you'd made a like, commitment.
( Wait, that came out badly, but also, still kind of accurate. And maybe, just maybe, there's something a little bit hurt that Wynonna was pulling together family without her around, even as the part of her that saw her sister sobbing over giving Alice away knows that it's not that simple. ) I mean— like living together living together? Like Brady Bunch family coming together living together?
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No, I know, it's just — what?
[ That's... not at all what this is. Except for the part where it actually is and oh my god she's living out an episode of the Brady Bunch right here in Deerington.
Cue Wynonna looking a leetle overwhelmed by the revelation because she sort of is, because maybe she made the decision to say yes based on the fact that Frank and Laura came as a package deal these days and she was secretly tired of having an empty farmhouse, especially after the town had gone all Purge mode and the house had been brimming over with people who didn't have a safe place to go — but she can't explain all of that to Waverly, not in so many words, so she might just be blinking slowly for a little while before steadying herself with a breath, lifting an index finger in preparation. ]
Okay, in fairness, wait until you see the house. It's huge. Way too big even for all this ass. And secondly — no, God, you're right.
[ She slumps forward against the table, bringing her head to rest against the table with an audible thunk (though thankfully, nowhere close to that dwindling fry pyramid).
Shortly after, slightly muffled given that her head is still smushed against the table: ]
I totally made a commitment.
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( No no no no she just broke Wynonna. Thankfully they're on the same side, so she doesn't need to try and shimmy into the seat and force Wynonna to scooch over with her head still resting on the table - it's a feat she's accomplished before, but not necessarily an easy one. Leaning against her sister, and kind of draping herself over her back a little, Waverly gently strokes Wynonna's hair. )
Hey, it's a good thing. ( Aside from her own quiet unhappy jealousy/envy situation, but that is being compartmentalised to be dealt with at a later time, ie. ignored for as long as possible, preferably forever. ) Wynonna, it's a really good thing.
( Preferably she'd have liked to do a background check on the dude involved before he moved in, but hey, she can work with this. ) You made a commitment because you wanted to, without me or anyone else being involved or making you feel like you had to or running our mouths about it. That's badass, Wynonna.
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