SEPTEMBER 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to September's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: CHAOS.

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: Torture (emotional and possibly physical), claustrophobia, potential weapon violence (guns, knives, spears, flamethrowers, etc.), possible body horror, emotional manipulation, emojis
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Prompt Three
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

DICE BLOCK

In case everyone hasn't had enough fun and games to last a life time in the good old town of Deerington, apparently this month brings you one more. Maybe you were just walking through the door to get into your own house, or maybe you were leaving from work — the moment you walk through any door, you'll find that it doesn't open up to the place you were looking for. Instead, you find yourself standing on a giant game board and you seem to be right on the start space. The doors already disappeared behind you, don't bother trying to run back. The only exit is at the end and you'll have to hope you make it there.

But you aren't alone! With you are other unfortunate souls who hopefully weren't just looking for a quick bathroom break. Some of them might look a little worse for wear. What happened? Well, looks like you may have to ask later, because you'll only really have time to exchange names if you don't already know one another before a large screen you didn't notice was hanging from the ceiling will light up. There's a giant image of a typical six-sided game die that's completely stationary. For the moment. Shortly after, a voice will come on over the speakers, echoing in the otherwise fairly empty room. It's overly cheerful, grating, and giggles at the end of every sentence.

Welcome, players! Is this your first time? Yes? Great!
Would you like to hear the rules?
Okay!
Each player will take a turn rolling their die.
You can then move the number of spaces shown — but only those spaces!
You can move forward, backward, right, and left, but not diagonally!
Each space will have a symbol.
The spaces with a clover are lucky spaces! Congratulations! You'll gain some fortune, whether it's an extra turn, moving ahead more spaces, or gaining an important item you can take with you on your journey!
The spaces with the skull are unlucky spaces! Boooooo, that's too bad! You'll befall some grave misfortune here. Hopefully it won't set you back too badly! Make sure to avoid these at all costs!
The spaces with a chest are item spaces! Here you'll be able to win prizes, like medical supplies or weapons! Maybe even a small something from home! Wouldn't that be nice?
Your goal is to make it to the end alive! Good luck! And remember to have lots of fun!

The first player's name will pop up on the screen, before the die will begin to randomly blink between numbers. Eventually it will land on a number. Once the player moves forward and lands on their space, it will repeat for the second player. This will go on until one (or both players) reach the end!

When they said to make sure to not land on an unlucky space, they certainly weren't kidding. Each one seems to come with some sort of random punishment or horror; it can be as light as having to move back a few spaces or go back to the start, or as heavy as breaking a random bone or feeling a blade slice open your skin. Maybe you'll start to slowly turn into a monster or become filled with the desire to kill your opponent. Anything can happen, but it's always going to be bad.

Players who reach the end will be able to go through the door and end up back wherever it was they were intending to go in the first place. Players who lose? Well... It's back to the beginning for you. Time to wait for the next player. Better luck next time.

DANCE DANCE

But what's behind door number two! People are going to start to get tired of walking around in their own houses at this rate. Even if you managed to escape the board game horrors, this new room you've found yourself in doesn't seem much better. In the center is a large TV screen and on the floor in front of it are two pads with arrows pointing in four directions; up, down, left, and right. Anyone who is familiar with Dance Dance Revolution might feel right at home! But fear not, there are instructions on the screen for you to follow if you need them.

Two players only, and you'll have to work together! It's a team dance and you'll want to encourage each other to stay perfectly in sync. The doors won't open until you finish, and should you mess up? Well, look up, friend!

The ceiling is covered in sharp, painful looking spikes and every time someone misses a beat or steps on the wrong arrow, the ceiling will drop down a foot. It's pretty high up there, but miss more than three arrows and you're gonna start to really feel the pressure. The spikes are looking a lot bigger and more ominous than they did when they were all the way at the top. Hopefully you've got some good rhythm.

But this is a good lesson in teamwork! Even the worst dancers might be able to get out of here okay if they've got someone who they can work together with. Maybe their perfect scores will make up for your two left feet. You can only hope you're both so lucky.

THAT'S NOT A "MEH" FACE!

Everyone loves to get a text, don't they? Of course they do! Which is why someone has been kind enough to send out a little special something to everyone's Fluid's this month! There's no name you recognize — in fact, it doesn't even look like a name is attached at all. The sender's identification only looks like this: 🥳

The message you've gotten is pretty simple though! Each person has received a text message with one emoji inside. No rhyme or reason applied! That's... random, isn't it? You can try to text back, but no one will answer, and so you might as well just close your device and forget about it.

Every person who received a text will find that their personality starts to shift. They begin to take on some aspect that's tied to the emoji they received. Did you get a simple smiley face? You're happy and relaxed for the time being! Or maybe a silly face will lead you to become more of a prankster. An eggplant could have someone feeling like sexting a Special Someone. An angry face might get you really riled up, even towards people you love. Did you get a knife? Time to start stabbing. A gun? Those people around you look like really good target practice...

The options are endless. Each emojis effects will last for twenty-four hours or until another emoji is sent from the same user.

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

[Is it really wise to play this game with a guy who's kinda magically compelled to want to murder you.]

Remind me. You're right-handed, aren't you?

[He's shifting his aim just a little to Arthur's left hand, because he's nice.]

[This is the king of playing chicken and Arthur's standing at a street corner. It's a slim chance, but if Eames takes the shot, he's going to whip around that building and make a run for it.

That thought doesn't stop him from clenching his jaw a bit, or how his body tenses, ready to move.]

[If he were in his right mind, he'd probably give in. It's much more in his interest to figure out what's going on than win some stupid, made up contest. He'd probably also notice the fact that Arthur's ready to bolt.]

[Suffice it to say he's not in his right mind, only giving it a moment's consideration before he fires.]

[Luck is not on Arthur's side today and the shot hits it's mark, going right through the center of his palm before he can turn. There's no way he can't yell from the pain, sharp and loud, but he doesn't stop to stew in it. No, instead he's swinging around the building in case Wrong!Eames fires at him again, injured hand held to his chest as he stays low.

He's not an Architect, Deerington has made it abundantly clear that any amount of altering of it's fabric will have consequences, but he needs to get away fast. Changes he makes in public spaces revert shortly after, and that's what he needs, now.

A section of wall gives way under his shoving shoulder as if the hidden door had always been there, and Arthur's stumbling through, racing down the 'tunnel' that's been created cutting through the base of the building. There's only so much time he's got before it'll close up in front and behind him, so he doesn't dawdle. After all, Eames could still get into the passage while it exists.]

[Well that throws a significant spanner in the works. Arthur's faster than him and he's got a headstart, not to mention he knows this place better than Eames possibly could. He huffs in frustration as he catches a glimpse if Arthur vanishing into a building, a noise that builds to a growl when whatever door he must've used refuses to budge by the time Eames gets there and he smacks an annoyed palm on the surface.]

Arthur!

[When all else fails, try yelling, right? He may not be able to cut through, but Eames follows the perimeter of the building, hoping to catch him at whatever exit he uses.]

This could've been avoided if you'd just answered the question.

[You know, your own question that Eames was supposed to answer.]

[Eat a dick, Eames. Any dick. Your own dick, even.

Because Arthur's not slowing down. He keeps running, even after he's escaped from the building, mental map of Deerington coming in very handy as he starts weaving through the streets, yanking off his tie as he does to wrap a tight, makeshift bandage around his hand for the moment.]

[Well, that's all just very rude. Maybe Arthur should just stop so they can talk about it.]

[Eames breaks into a sprint the second he catches sight of Arthur, following as if he has some hope of catching him up. It'd be a bad idea to go firing off if he's not at least 50% sure he'll get him, but god he wants to. Every time he's got a semi-decent line of sight, he thinks this might be it, but then Arthur vanishes around another corner and Eames shouts after him again.]

[Well, fuck it. He's been hesitant to use his magic, too uncertain about what this place is to risk any ramifications, but he needs to stop this nuisance. The next corner he rounds after Arthur, he reaches out to pull a metal fence down on top of him before he's gone again.]

[The movement in his peripheral makes Arthur dive into a roll, just barely ducking under the fence as it comes down. Then as he springs up to his feet, his gun is out and he's turned to aim it at Eames, glaring at the stranger wearing a familiar face.]

Stay back.

[Eames stays where he is, absolutely certain he'll get shot if he moves an inch in Arthur's direction, but he certainly doesn't look afraid of that possibility. Eyebrows raised as if he thinks Arthur's being unreasonable, throwing a tantrum over nothing.]

Fine then, Arthur. [He emphasises the name as though it's a joke, obviously a fake and they both know it.] Looks like we're at an impasse.

Unless I shoot you to make things even, 'Eames'.

[Practically growling out that name with more derision than he's ever actually given to his Eames, even when they were fighting. The gun doesn't lower, held steady and aimed at the Other Eames' head, the bandaged hand held up to his chest to stem the bloodflow a bit, even if he can feel it seeping through the silk of his tie.

Despite the pain shooting through his arm, he doesn't dare show any sign of weakness, face remaining stern and holding himself still in this little stand-off of theirs.]

Seems a little over the top to me, dear.

[He probably should take this all a bit more seriously, but it's hard to feel threatened by this Arthur-but-not. Eames sighs, rolls his eyes at all this drama, an idle finger tapping the side of his own gun impatiently.]

Can't be helped though, can't expect an imposter to know what he's dealing with.

Quit with the 'imposter' bull. Let me explain something to you, since you're obviously new, here.

[There's no small amount of vitriol in his voice, and while Arthur's not sure if this Eames will even be affected by bullets, he's always got that silver knife he'd taken to carrying after the incident with the demon clowns... So he keeps his head.

This is probably just a more paranoid, alternative universe, asshole(r) version of Eames. Not some supernatural creature he needs to take down. Right?]

I'm not your Arthur, but that doesn't make me a fake. You're not my Eames. You're probably from an alternate time and world to mine. It happens, here, all the fucking time. Get used to it before you jump to conclusions.

[Damn, but his hand's throbbing... He wants this conversation done so he can go get that looked at, maybe with a bottle of hard liquor to forget the day with, because he's sick of Deerington and it's shenanigans.]

[Good news, he's both! It's Arthur's unlucky day.]

[Right now though... That's such an out-there explanation that Eames' determination to murder wavers again. Imposters and fakes are all unfortunately common for him, of course usually it is him, but there's nothing about Arthur that really flags him as fake. If anything he's working Eames' last nerve so hard that he's really inclined to believe he's telling the truth.]

[Doesn't mean he has to be in any way nice or respectful about the fact that maybe he shouldn't have shot Arthur and chased him through the town. He thumbs the safety and holsters his gun to offset just how bad he wants to pull that trigger again, jaw clenched and eyes hard while he turns all that over in his head. His expert opinion is that it sucks.]

So this dream realm is a fucking nightmare. Got it.

[Eames shakes his head and makes a move to leave. The longer he's here the harder it's gonna be to resist that urge to kill him, and honestly he expects the same is probably true of Arthur at this point.]

[He'll probably apologise in like a month or two.]