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

Space pilot, remember?

[It's okay if you don't, Will. He's not here to judge. It's also the easiest, most truthful explanation.]

[The kid's going through enough.] Don't worry. Long as you're here, you're stuck with me.

-- right. I guess I thought...you came home sometimes. [he's thinking like a regular pilot, where you just...go to space sometimes and then come back? maybe once a month?? he's twelve, a month is forever.

will relaxes a little at the promise, nodding.] Okay. Okay.

...you have a robot lion. [he'd been momentarily distracted, but. twelve, remember?]

Yeah, I did. Space is pretty big, though -- missions can run longer than expected.

[Still technically true. Maybe eventually, he'll give Will the whole story. But not now.]

What? I do? [A dramatic glance around himself.] Oh! Look at that. So I do.

...I'm sorry. [now he looks woeful, trying to wrap his brain around being out in space for so, so long.] Were your other friends up there?

[will has his hands folded in front of him, trying so clearly to not reach out and pet the robot kitty.] She's really really cool.

Don't be. [And he says it like he means it. There's no reason to be. He'd ultimately chosen that life.] Yeah, they were. You can meet a few of them, here.

[He grins, watching as the Lion swings her head around, regarding Will with golden eyes.]

She knows you.

[Because they have that ~spooky metaphysical link~]

Cool. [as long as they're as nice as shiro, will would be happy to meet them. he can always use more friends.

the sudden movement startles him a little, because when she stands still, she's very easy to mistake as some sort of...modern art statue. but will finally raises one hand, waving awkwardly. king of social situations, right here.]

She does? How?

She knows you... because I know you.

[So there. Which... probably makes a lot more sense if you actually know they have a weird psychic bond thing.]

[But this is more fun.]

She's my partner.

Oh. [he says this like he understands but??? after a moment he clears his throat and ventures:] Did you...tell her...about me?

Sort of. We're linked -- she's in my head.

[And then he laughs.] Which sounded a lot less weird before I said it out loud.

[will's crouching down a little so he can be eye-to-eye with robokitty, but that makes him pause, looking up at shiro very seriously.]

Do you want her to be in there?

[That's -- actually an easier question than maybe it sounds like it should be.]

Yeah. I'm happy to have her.

[It feels Right.]

Oh. Good.

[you shouldn't have things in your head that you didn't invite in, shiro, did you know. will's going to hesitantly reach out, then stop. is it okay to pet a robot lion? is it rude?]

You can touch her.

[He's pretty sure the Lion won't mind. If it was a problem, then riding her would be way more of an issue.]

[will looks up at shiro, all big hopeful eyes and nervousness.]

Really? I can? [he hesitates for another moment before slowly reaching out and settling a hand on top of the lion's head, smoothing over the metal very gently.]

Yeah, go for it.

[He hangs back a bit, watching. There's no real reaction from the horse-sized robot. But he doesn't get a sense she dislikes what's happening, either.]

Chloe hid from her, when they met.

[it's probably sort of pointless to pet a big robot kitty, but...it's a kitty. so will's going to pet it.

this makes him snicker a little, grinning up at shiro.] Really? How come? She's cool.

She's a robot the size of a horse. I think it was a little intimidating for poor Chloe.

[Pet away, Will. The Black Lion will stand there impassively for the attention.]

[So clearly she doesn't mind.]

But she's awesome.

[and now he's...smushing the lion face between his hands, like he'd do for his dog back home. how do you like being smushed, robokitty.]

She--

[Uh.]

Will, are you... trying to squish her face...?

[KIDDO SHE IS MADE OF METAL.]

-- yeah. [he's not stopping, though it's more of a face-cradle now, between his two shivery little hands.]

She likes it. [that is an...assumption he is making.]

She's... made of metal.

I don't think that's going to feel good on your hands.

[shiro, you're dad, you know that your literal actual children don't care about things like their personal comfort!!

but will suddenly looks concerned.] Can you ask her if she likes it? With your, uh...mind-meld thing?

I... can tell she's not upset.

[But that's all he's got.]

Hmm. [he'll smush her gently, once more, then step back with one more pat to the head. nice kitty.]

Then again... that might be the only time anyone's really pet her like a housecat.

New feeling for her.

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