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soddersays2019-08-25 12:00 am
sodder) wrote in soddersays2019-08-25 12:00 am
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SEPTEMBER 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME
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!
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.
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.
no subject
[He says it in almost a whisper, correcting despite the obvious defeat in his voice.]
I know what such a feeling is like; a friend named Frank who resides here, he looks frighteningly similar to my dearest friend from home. [Distantly, he wonders who that 'someone' used to be. Perhaps it's none of his business. After a moment of studying the machine, he swallows hard.] ... I suppose this is to be expected...
[Pressing the button, the roll occurs.
Fortune seems to favor him; he startles as confetti pops overhead, and he's moved forward a few spaces.
He looks at his hand, looks to Tony.]
... Nothing terrible happened.
[He sounds mystified by it, honestly.
He's been here nearly a year now after all, and good things never happen.]
no subject
Time to see how unlucky these unlucky spots are.
For three, four seconds? Nothing. The tension in Tony's shoulders goes loose and easy as he lets himself relax- ]
Guess there's not that much unlucky about-
[ Being with the Ten Rings taught him plenty. Like how to breathe around cracked ribs, something he hasn't through about in about a decade, until it becomes pretty fucking relevant. There's no impact, no blow, just the sharp snap as he folds over, hand pressed to his left side, hissing through his teeth. ]
Fffffffffffffffff christ. Avoid the skulls. They're not fucking around.
no subject
[The boy lurches forward, startled and concerned, eyes round with panic; he rushes back a few squares toward Tony — stops right before the skull on the floor. The screen seems to assume Diarmuid would prefer to be further behind — it follows him, and he finds himself unable to return to the last place he’d been. Some sort of... invisible wall.
The machine makes a sound, urging him to take his turn.
He refocuses on the man once more instead.]
What happened?
Are you able to continue?
[He’s one to talk, beaten up as he is. But it looked like whatever it did to the man’s insides hurt something fierce...!!]
no subject
[ Wincing, he straightens slowly, hand against the hurt. If he keeps his breath shallow, if he keeps his eyes on the far wall and runs the numbers? It's easier. ] Unless you have to. Okay? I'll live.
[ It's just some cracked ribs. It's nothing he hasn't lived through already. ]
no subject
... Don’t double back.
I’m sorry — I’ll be more wary now. [He breathes in, composing himself, the eyes under rioting curls of brown hair uncertain as ever as he turns his gaze to the machine once more. His good hand tingles with some panic, as if hovers toward the button. He presses it — it rolls and rolls and rolls.
Six.
He takes those six steps with some trepidation, narrowly avoiding the skull — he lands on another celebratory luck space. More confetti blasts, this time near his face; he has to swat it out of his wild locks.]
... another lucky square.
no subject
[ He'll manage one way or another. Getting the already beat-up kid out of here safe? That, that's what's important. Maybe it means running through this room again, maybe it doesn't- not relevant. He grits his teeth and rolls, shuffling forward three spaces into his own new space. A chest, again. He pats down his pockets and sighs, pulling a bottle of painkillers free. Okay, this is- now more doable. ]
Chests and clover. And the room's only- not that long. Play it smart and we roll well, we'll get out of here in maybe five, six turns? Ten at the latest if we avoid the skulls.
no subject
Five, six turns. Like a countdown of sorts, it at least can keep his mind focused on it than on the fact that he may very well not have endured enough in the wake of August's cruel events. If he says he'll be able to keep moving... then Diarmuid must do the same, though his hands shake to push the button again (the effects of before still hit him, paranoia gripping him like talons) —
It's going to hurt me now, he thinks with sharp panic.
But then he steps forward again, and the confetti pops loud in his ears.
... Again...?
For some reason, the luck feels like water torture. There's no way this shall last.]
... It says — move ahead... four spaces.
[He moves hesitantly, eyes flicking back to see if Tony's alright.]
no subject
Take four to your left, see if you pick up anything useful. [ like a 'skip to the end' card. They make those, right? Right. ]
no subject
Strange. What is lifted up and supplied from a pedestal isn't anything he's familiar with.]
... It's some kind of... robotic glove...
[Oh hey, look at that, Tony. One of your oldest gauntlets, barely functional. But functional. Not that Diarmuid would know; he's practically a child who found his father's gun in the closet. Please don't let him shoot his own face off. Maybe this was meant for you more than for the 13th century monk with the bum arm.]
no subject
He was young and angry and five kinds of vindicated, vigilantism seemed the best way to go. ] Something I've made. Put it on your hand, keep your wrist straight. If you pull your palm back, like this?
[ He demonstrates the usual repulsor blast pose. ]
It'll shoot a concussive blast so don't actually...do that.
no subject
Something... Alright...!
[He seems more at ease with Tony's presence, despite earlier panic at having him near — perhaps the urgency of the situation helps with the fear of being attacked by another person. He struggles with his cast in its sling, trying to use those shaky fingers to apply the gauntlet. He's not so sure this is a good idea, but...]
Like this, sir?
[He looks terribly nervous about this, but wouldn't anyone?
He makes it sound like Diarmuid has magic strapped to his hand.
... He's a little concerned at why it would be offered here.]
no subject
He can get Diarmuid across and...deal afterward. ]
Just like that. Don't point the palm at your face, that's where the blast comes from.
[ He's not entirely sure how the onboard reserve power will react, how much force is involved, but it's more than enough to break a neck if from the wrong angle. ]
1/2
Being anxious about blasting someone has certainly given him room for obedience. Even as broken and battered as he feels mentally and physically, he finds a little strength within himself, especially with someone else's life on the line.]
I understand...!
I'll do my best — um, Tony.
[It's nice to have a board that properly gives a name. Hopefully they're more polite to him and spell his properly. He rolls the dice, watches as it falls to a clear space, moves again.
FREE TURN.
Diarmuid lets out a relieved breath, and moves again-]
no subject
When he steps on it, there's a CLICK — then silence, before a number of squares to the rleft sinks into the ground. As the podium raises, Diarmuid feels his mouth go dry, because he quite quickly recognizes the huge wolf as the one that had nearly drowned him in an icy lake, long ago, just when he'd arrived to Deerington. It's fur is more manged, mouth dripping with slobber, eyes immediately locking onto Diarmuid where he stands.
It begins stalking toward him like a predator to its prey, the fur on its back raising.
... And Diarmuid seems completely frozen with fear, staring at it like he's looking into a vision of his own death; the unfortunate side-effect of something already happening in the town, even if that means nothing to Tony. He can see it. He can see a vision of the wolf ripping him apart. He can see it in his head—]
no subject
And armed. ]
Diarmuid! [ His voice snaps out sharp and commanding- not the Dad voice he's been using with Morgan over the past few years, something older and less comfortable for the distance. The Iron Man voice. Tony braces himself to sprint to his next square, watching the little board to wait for his dice to roll- but that's...not happening. Probably won't happen until this thing has been dealt with and of the two of them? Diarmuid has the better shot. You don't take a knife to a wolf fight.
Or.
Something. ]
Brace your feet and blast it! [ Tony demonstrates despite the twinge in his ribs, classic repulsor pose, free hand bracing the one that'd be covered in the gauntlet. It's the best impromptu lesson he can offer for tech that is old, outdated, and likely good for maybe two or three blasts. ] Aim for the face!
no subject
I can't... I... I'm going to die.
[He swallows hard. The rabbit effects — the rabbit effects are making him frozen. He doesn't have time to explain. Panic seizes his throat, and he breathes in short bursts, fast and harsh and full of anxiety. You're going to be ripped apart, a little voice says. You're going to die again. But like the other side of a coin, there's Tony's little voice, ringing: Aim for the face.
He rips his hand upward, and it takes everything to just force himself to move.
But then he's firing once from the gauntlet, and it hurts, jarring his shoulders back. But the blast does connect; it clips the creature's front leg, and it thrashes angrily in pain for a moment as it stumbles; it's still moving toward Diarmuid, more desperate to kill him now that he's posed a threat —
Closer and closer, it's getting closer —
It's nearly upon Diarmuid, and then the boy fires again. Point blank.
The creature is sent flying, and Diarmuid ends up on his butt... slowly sitting up to stare in the direction the beast flew. It's not moving. It's not breathing, either, and he stares partly in awe and partly in horror at the damage done.]