soddersays | SEPTEMBER 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

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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

[Bad answer. Roxas ignores what Vanitas asks and walks over to grab the others wrist.]

Show me where you came from. Now.

What's your problem?

[He hisses through his teeth, already attempting to jerk his hand out of Roxas' grasp. Get out of his face, he's sick of looking at you already.]

[Sorry. His strength has only been temporarily strengthened by the world this month. Good luck.]

You want to see Ventus, don't you? He's here. But you'll disappear if you don't eat that food Sodder left for you.

[That makes his eyes narrow. Though its hard to tell if it's Roxas' odd strength or the mention of Ventus]

I already did once. Doing that from here can't be much different.

[He tries again to pull his arm free.]

Let go, freak.

[While is powers are faulty, a bit of darkness does flare up around his feet. Not a lot, but the Unversed he created earlier scurry back to their master, almost seeming to hiss at Roxas and glare with gleaming red eyes.]

Disappearing here is different. It's... bad. Not like back home.

[He doesn't let go, the Unversed not bothering him at all. He purses his lips and lets out a low whistle.]

If you won't show me, I'll just have Velvet track where you came from.

[A minute later a red colored husky comes bounding over and stops beside Roxas.] Don't try anything. She bites.

What do you care?

[He doesn't get it. They were just insulting eachother and now Roxas cares about him disappearing? He's getting those goody guardian of light vibes and he doesn't like it at all. It annoys him. There is no reason for Roxas to even bother with him. It'd be easier if he just disappeared.

Vanitas may be being stubborn but this is strange. It's like when Sora tried to reach out to him. At least that made a little more sense because Sora is a soft-hearted idiot. It's his choice if he wants to disappear or not. This is no different then before.]

I have my reasons.

[The biggest being Ventus. Even though they talked, someone needs to distract the other blond. Make him stop possibly brooding and avoiding anyone. A common "enemy" that could bring them together again. Though... Roxas feels like he wants to actually make friends. Weird... this place must be rubbing off on him.]

Tell me where you came from or I'll drag you along as Velvet tracks it by smell. I can easily break you if you try and fight me.

[He's quiet for a moment. He can't get his hand free, granted he hasn't tried removing Roxas' hand either but with his powers being on the fritz to where even his keyblade doesn't want to summon to his hand, he doesn't bother. He just gives the blond a flat look.]

Forget the mutt and let go unless you really are trying to hold my hand.

[One glance and it doesn't look like much of anything than an obnoxious fluffball. He moves, pulling Roxas with him if he's going to stay attached to his arm. If he lets go it'd be easier to ditch him.]

I woke up in some apartment...

Hold your ha- [EXCUSE YOU HE'S IN A WEIRD RELATIONSHIP STATUS, NO THANKS

But he'll hold on because who knows if Vanitas will try and escape. As for the mentions of the apartment-]

The David Cliff apartment? I live there....

[Just because he has Sora's face, Roxas, doesn't mean...

Vanitas blinks a bit at that]

Yeah, I think that was the name or something. It was the second floor.

[He sort of kicked over things when he first showed up though so the place is a mess. Vanitas didn't plan on living there for more then a few seconds. He remembers the basket because of the music but he was so angry that he didn't care.]

[Sora has a nice face, so... damn. That means Vanitas does too and Roxas would hate himself for thinking that.

Oh gods... Roxas lets out a soft, frustrated noise.]

I live on the second floor... now I know what the hell that noise was. You trashed the place.

[Don't worry Roxas, Vanitas doesn't smile like Sora does. Same face but they have wildly different expressions.

He squints at the blond as he walks in the direction of the apartments.]

So what if I did? I could trash yours next.

[Don't judge him. Though his attention sways as he flexes the fingers on his other hand feeling tingly or something.]

[Sora also has nicer eyes. Blue is a good color.

Vanitas will get a deadpan expression as the first part of the response.]

Do that and I won't hesitate to have Velvet and my Nobody take you out.

[Velvet will bite anyone her master tells her to... Roxas notices the flexing, not sure if it has anything to do with the situation or Vanitas feeling something.]

[He didn't choose his eye color. Don't start daydreaming about Sora now.]

You really think your mutt and creatures are a threat...

[He scoffs. He has Unversed too. Just...not the limitless supply he had before and they hurt more to create. A pain he was sure he was use to...but its stronger in this world.
Also don't mind the flexing. Just started to turn into dust, no biggie.]

[LOOK HE CAN'T HELP IT Roxas is a hopeless fool when it comes to the brunette... Daydreaming is standard.]

Velvet's bite is poisonous. My Nobody has a sword. If they fail, I have Stripes, and my Keyblades. Don't mess with me.

[Yeah. He knows that pain. Only able to summon one Samurai... And they should probably walk faster so Roxas doesn't have to princess carry a Sora-face. Only Sora gets princess carried.]

[Roxas is hopeless. So sorry he shares your boyfriend's face and voice. Granted his voice is a bit deeper. If he wanted, he might be able to mimic Sora, but he has no desire for that. He doesn't want to be Sora. He just....wants to be whole.
Whole like Ventus gets to be. Just that thought puts a familiar bitter taste in his mouth]

So you just have a lot of pets to hide behind...fitting considering who you look like.

[Pets, friends, is there a difference?

Also don't princess carry him. He'd rather die.

At least the apartment building is within sight now.]

[Vanitas mimicing Sora is a sure fire way to get punched.

There's a snort as Roxas looks away.]

He and I are nothing alike. And only Velvet is a pet. The other two are magical creatures. There's a difference. I learned that from a wizard friend of mine.

[They're all his friends!!! Newt taught him that!!

Roxas takes the lead now and practically drags Vanitas to the door.]

Which apartment number?

You don't come with friendship speeches too I hope. I've heard enough of that garbage.

[Vanitas doesn't do friendship nor does he care to hear about it. It makes his mood sour more but when Roxas starts to drag him he quickens his pace and uses his shoulder to push him out of his way as he leads him to the second floor. Ignoring the question he goes to apartment 212 and just kicks open the door.]

Make yourself at home, blonde.

[Can you let go of him now?]

No. I hate giving speeches.

[Roxas has only friendship speech-ed one person here. And it worked.

Huffing at the rudeness, Roxas does let go. But not because they're there. But because...]

............ this place must hate me. [Why are they across from each other... Nothing to do about it now except go into the wrecked apartment and hope for the best.] Did you have to break everything?

[Well, Roxas gets points for that. No friendship speeches sounds good to him.

Vanitas walks through the apartment, kicking things out of his way.]

I didn't break everything. Stop being dramatic.

[The kitchen is pretty intact at least, granted the basket got tossed across it. At least the jar of strawberries. Not something Vanitas cared that much about but memories from Ventus probably brought about that.]

I'm not being dramatic. This world gives you a home, so don't break it.

[There's relief as the kitchen is deemed intact. Roxas sees the jar, which is still in one piece. Vanitas won't get out of eating after all. The blond picks it up and tries not to laugh. Berries... Just like Sora and Ventus. He's the only one who didn't get them, a blue sea salt Jello having been his first food here.]

This is it. You gotta eat the whole thing. Don't worry, it won't fill you up. It's magic food.

[He didn't ask for a home. He doesn't want it. Though he squints at the jar.

The strawberries mean nothing to him though his nose wrinkles just a bit. Instead of focusing on the jar, his golden eyes flick back to Roxas.]

I don't get you...

Huh?

[Tilting his head, Roxas watches Vanitas. Then he sighs and hands the other the jar.]

What's not to get? We're alike.

[He takes the jar, practically ripping it from Roxas' grasp. He scoffs mockingly at him]

We're alike? You and me?

[He snickers before just laughing out right. A crude laughing]

That's the stupidest joke I've heard in a long time! We're nothing alike. Don't compare yourself to me.

[He chuckles out though his last few words are practically hissed though his teeth.

Roxas may know of Vanitas but Vanitas hardly knows about him. Vague things from the organization about the nobody with Ventus' face. He hates his face. He hates that face so much. A face that actually should belong to him. Ventus has everything and Vanitas has nothing.
No X-blade. No heart. Just a broken half of darkness that has no place in this stupid world. Incomplete and without purpose other than being a shadow to Ventus and now Sora.

Roxas is nothing like him.]

[A expected reaction. From what little he knows, Vanitas is very in denial about anything being even the slightest bit good about him.

Roxas sighs and goes to find a spoon while Vanitas goes through his outburst.]

We're both halves of someone else. We were both used by Xehanort to attain a messed up goal. Probably the only differences are our faces and that I wield light while you wield darkness.

[He holds the spoon out for the black haired youth.]

Plus, even though I'd fight it, you've got a third option for joining someone to become whole. I have my own heart. [There's a grin on his face now.] I don't think I'm a challenge you want to take on..... oh, and don't touch Sora. I'm not afraid to kill.

SEPTEMBER 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

DICE BLOCK

DANCE DANCE

THAT'S NOT A "MEH" FACE!

Character Arrival

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