AUGUST 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

[sodder]

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.

Comments

[clussy]

(Eddie was so used to people not remembering him that he sincerely expected nothing. But that little sharp intake of breath: how could Eddie not notice? Eddie Kaspbrak was too sensitive to not notice things like that. The slightest hint of something was enough to make every nerve on him go spastic, normally in a negative direction, but for once? His nerves exploded inwardly positively.

Kind of.

It was bittersweet. Will was back and he- he remembered Eddie. Eddie didn't even care to what extent. The fact that Will remembered him at all was enough. Eddie doesn't respond at all because he doesn't trust himself to respond. His eyes were wetter and he knew if he spoke, he would cry and it'd make this whole situation a hell of a lot worse.

Eddie was thirteen now and sometimes he liked to think he had Gotten Bigger emotionally, mentally. But right then he was sucker punched right back to being a hopeless eleven year old again who quivered when the going go tough. Literally. Eddie trembled a bit and hugged himself. He was thinking fast. What would happen if they refused to fight?

Then he realized it didn't really matter. He had Will and Will had him. Point blank. End of discussion. Eddie's shoulders relax and his hands go to his hips, a small, lopsided smile suddenly growing across his mouth. He glances up at Will, head tipped.)

Hope you're fast, Will Byers. 'Cause we should probably make a break for it.

(He holds his hand out then, palm up, a multitude of scars starburst in the very center of his hand. Old promises he still kept.)

Don't let go, okay? (He wiggles his fingers.) I promise we'll get outta here.

[deadboywalking]

[to will it hasn't been much time at all since he last saw eddie -- but he was smaller, then, smaller and shivery and scared, like will himself. he can see the slight changes, hear them in eddie's voice, in the way he moves, and he knows in his gut it's been a while. and he hates it. he hates not knowing what's happened to his-- to eddie.

but the smile is the same. it's lopsided and crooked like lightning up and down will's spine, and it's like no time at all has passed. he doesn't even think about taking the offered hand, pressing his own cold one to the notches of the scars, stomach swooping.

it's completely the wrong time, wrong place, but will grins back like the sun coming up.]

I'm fast. I'll be right behind you.

[clussy]

(It was true. Eddie was different than the last time they had met. The most obvious probably being in how his right arm looked. There were deep, deep scars that riddled his right arm. The kind of scars that made you wonder how someone could survive from that kind of looking thing. Even the hand he uses to hold Will's - the fingers don't close quite right anymore, the pinky always a little open, the scar tissue there more obvious than even on his left hand where his promises were kept. Yet he tries his best anyway.

It's always so easy to remember how to be brave whenever Will was around. It was like settling right back at home with the Losers. God, he fucking missed Will. He didn't realize how badly til just then.

Wrong place for sure, but God wasn't just how the both of them went? They were always at the wrong place, wrong time. Eddie melts at the smile.)

C'mon then. (And Eddie books it. He's definitely fast, but he makes sure to keep in pace with Will. No one gets left behind, right?

It thankfully isn't too hard to escape from whatever hell they accidentally wound up in. It wasn't as entertaining to watch two twiggy little boys weakly slap at each other as it was to watch two people with muscle and real threats.

They burst back out into an alley and Eddie knows right where they are. He slows down just a bit, and he hooks them out of the alley and down the street, and one street over, and then he slows down to a final stop right next to a rather pretty car. Eddie lets out a shaky laugh, looking at Will, his eyes shiny, silver, bright.)

You remember me? (He's still holding his hand, and if anything, his grip has gotten tighter. There's a weak sort of hope in his voice. Please say yes.)

[deadboywalking]

[it's harder than will had imagined to keep up -- he's so tired, his whole body is shivering with exhaustion, even as he pushes his legs to keep up, his feet to keep landing on the pavement, keep propelling him forward. still, eddie's hand is tight around his, scarred and firm and there.

when they stop, will has to lean heavily against the (very nice) car, breath rattling in and out of his lungs, hospital gown stained and damp with sweat. but the question makes him look up, eyes wide and bright and baffled.

he clears his throat, gasps in another breath.]

I-- of course. You're. You're Eddie. You're from...from Derry. It's in Maine. You and...and your friends called each other the Losers. You've been here for a really long time and...and you were the only person I had here.

[he exhales, sharp and shaky and desperate.] Do you...remember me?

[clussy]

(Eddie's had an honest advantage of being in Deerington for so long. While he does have multiple cars, he still usually bikes and walks everywhere. The kid's scrawny, but he can run for miles no sweat.

Eddie's breathing is steady, ironically, and he watches Will catch his own breath. He recognizes that hospital gown, and his eyes carry down to Will's wrists briefly before he's looking back up at him.

He knew Will had recognized him but oh! Does he recognize him! He more than recognizes him. Eddie's face seems to open up with the sheer relief and he loosely grabs at his own chest.)

Of course I remember you. You're Will Byers from Hawkins, Indiana. You and your friends call yourselves the Party. Your mama is Joyce and she's really nice- and your brother ...Jonathan. Yeah, I remember you just fine.

(He stops for a second, hesitating, but then he decides there's no real reason to hesitate around Will of all people. He steps forward and grabs at Will, pulling him close for a tight, ironclad hug. He presses his face against Will's shoulder and just kind of.

Breathes.)

I've missed you a lot. I never thought I'd-. (He doesn't finish the sentiment, but he knows he doesn't have to.)

[deadboywalking]

[that moment of hesitation has will faltering too -- maybe he remembered wrong, maybe eddie doesn't remember everything -- but then it's over and eddie's grabbing him in for a hug, the kind where his fingers dig into will's back and his breath puffs out hot through the fabric of the hospital gown. the kind of desperate, clinging hug that makes something tight and painful in will's chest uncoil, just a little.

so he clings back, just as tightly, hooks his chin over eddie's shoulder, barely conscious of how he's shivering all over. residual adrenaline and relief and joy at them finding each other again, even if it's in a place like deerington. the unfinished sentence makes will shake his head once, hard. he doesn't want to think about that.]

I'm right here. I'm. I'm here again. [he should be terrified. this place is terrifying. so why is he smiling and breathlessly laughing like this is the best thing that's happened to him in years?]

feel free 2 ignore for lateness

[clussy]

(Will might be oblivious to how he's shivering, but Eddie sure isn't. Maybe it's mostly out of adrenaline, Eddie doesn't know, but Will is definitely not dressed all that well. It was true- Will was here again. That's all that mattered.

Eddie gives him one tight, tight squeeze before gently pulling back, staring at Will with critical eyes.)

You need like. Real clothes.

(Eddie goes to Christine then and opens up the backdoor to grab the t-shirt that had been in Christine when he first got her. It was an old worn baseball style shirt with Derry written across the chest in faded print. It was a little loose on Eddie, which meant it'd fit on Will over his hospital gown just fine. He had never taken it out, and he supposed now he knew why. It was useful having some spare clothes around.)

Here, at least put this on. (Eddie himself was smiling nonstop, rocking back and forth on his feet. It was supposed to be a tire situation, but he was acting as if he was waiting in line for the ultimate ride. It was Will. Will who remembered him. Eddie was trying to be chill about it but he had always sucked at being chill about anything.)

how dare you i'd never

[deadboywalking]

[will nods sheepishly, taking advantage of eddie turning away to quickly wipe at his eyes. he always ends up half-clothed and crying around eddie, why is that?

he'll take the shirt gratefully, tugging it over his head and breathing in slowly, savoring the scent of something that isn't the cold, clinical, medicinal hospital. not. that he likes the way eddie smells.

because that'd be weird.]

Thanks. That's a million times better.

b l e s s

[clussy]

(That was just their destiny for their relationship. Half-clothed emotional breakdowns was just par the course. Give it some time and it'd be Eddie crying on Will. They can take turns.)

You look a million times better. (Wait. That sounded-. Eddie just turns gradually as red as Christine.)

Uh. If you want I have like actual clothes back at my house. And like. Food. Are you hungry? I can feed you. I have- the ability.

(Smooth.)

[deadboywalking]

Like pants? [will isn't proud, okay, he can admit that he'd feel and look a lot better if he had pants on. and he'd be less shivery, although the shirt helps a lot.

he crosses his arms, blinking a couple times at eddie before smiling.] That's good. That you, uh...have the ability.

[why are they like this]

That'd be really nice, yeah.