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

This is not the sort of dancing to which I'm accustomed!

[But she's still going to try her very best. Those spikes look rather sharp, and she finds it much easier not to watch.]

And I'm hoping the prize is that door opening!

[ He holds a hand out to her and encourages her in the steps. ]

I suppose not. This isn't even my world's style, though I find I like it.

I hope you're right! I'd just as soon not be in here long enough for that ceiling to come down on us.

[Despite their situation, she finds herself smiling up at him and takes his hand. It's far easier to look at this rather handsome man? whoever he is! than up, though the pragmatist in her keeps her aware of the danger from above.]

Are there many from your world who look like you?

It isn't a bad style. And you're a good dance partner. [She'll agree, though her remaining hand stays on her long skirt, holding the hem up enough to see where she's stepping. Thankfully it's not one of the many with the extra train, but it's still somewhat awkward in this situation.

She already has plans to make a more appropriate outfit if and when they get out of this room!]

Yes, that would be a bit of an issue.

[ And he is pleased to be dancing with such a comely woman, who despite not being familiar with this modern dance style is doing very well. ]

The people of my clan, the Noldor, nearly all have black hair and gray eyes, like me. And we're all Elves!

Thank you! You're a good dance partner, too. [ Even with a long skirt. ]

Let's just make sure we don't put a foot wrong, and then we won't have to worry about the teeth of the ceiling. By the say, my name's Curufin Fëanorion. What's yours?

[She's had to learn to adapt quickly. And she likes dancing.]

Yours is a handsome people! [If he's just one example, she doesn't know what she'd do if she were to meet more!

A corner of her mouth turns up.] Thank you. It's one of the things I can do.

[Sansa makes use of a very short break to curtsy just a little before the machine went right back into sending them moving.]

Sansa Stark, of Winterfell if you know it. I am pleased to meet you.

[ The mark of a good dancer is that love of dance. He is the same. Even if they both fell over their own feet, they would still be the real thing. ]

Thank you! I think you are attractive too. And I'd be surprised if you didn't have other talents. You simply strike me as being one who does.

[ When Sansa curtseys, Curufin bows. He knows how to be a gentleman. And then they are suddenly back to stepping swiftly and sometimes leaping to keep up with the machine. ]

And I am pleased to meet you, Sansa of House Stark! I have heard of Winterfell, in my many wanderings. It seems a strong and intelligent house.

[Falling is unlikely, especially with a dance partner as graceful as Curufin! Sansa finds herself trusting he will help steady her should she falter, and even finds herself smiling at him.]

I have some skill with needlework, but really, Ser, I am only a silly girl who is a slow learner.

[Her heart does a funny little leap when he mentions knowing of her home.]

You must have done quite some traveling! I have not heard of anyone with ears like yours.

[ He'll be there to steady her if she should need it, but he doubts she will. She is graceful too! The two of them are adapting to one another's motions, and having fun doing it. He smiles back. ]

Needlework is no simple skill. I know this because my grandmother was an expert, and she made magic with her embroidery needles and colored threads. Besides, I don't see you as a silly girl.

[ Of course he knows of Winterfell because he knew another Sansa once, and a Jon Stark. But he won't speak of this unless there is a good reason, since it merely confuses things. ]

I've lived in two worlds besides my own. Three, if I count Deerington. My ears are Elvish ears, and I suppose they are obvious, although they're not so pointed as those of most of my relatives. You don't have Elves in your home world, do you?

Edited 2019-09-12 07:33 (UTC)