soddersays | JANUARY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

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JANUARY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to January's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: OCEAN 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.

PLEASE NOTE FOR CHARACTER ARRIVALS: This month, all players can choose to have their characters wake up in the town of Deerington or on the Titanic.

CW: Ghost of a child, rotting corpses, drowning, hallucinations, paranoia
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

WHERE FEET MAY FAIL

For those who were left behind in Deerington while everyone else was whisked away in the flood during the New Years Eve party, they will find that the town is a little more wet than usual. The streets are still flooded, houses are damp, and the chill of winter isn't making it easy to deal with. Your hands can feel like ice any day of the week and it's hard to focus with how badly you may find yourself trembling from the cold.

But it's almost preferable to the visions. They start off while you're sleeping; large sea monsters roaming the ocean, waiting to pull you down into the darkened depths; or maybe it's a strange, ghost looking girl with glowing eyes and tattered clothing, her skin blue and rotting the way a body does when it's been submerged in water for too long. She's calling out to you, beckoning you down, and all around her are the strung up, floating corpses of the people who were foolish enough to listen.

It's just a dream though, right? Slowly you start to see the girl around town. She's still calling to you, watching you, waiting for you. If you get too close, she'll even be able to grab onto you, pulling you down into the waterlogged streets, and into what you thought was only a puddle of water. It's as deep as an ocean, and just as dark and cold too. Someone near by can grab onto you before she can drag you under and the vision will disappear. If no one does, maybe if you're a strong swimmer, you'll be able to struggle free, but when you resurface, there will be a bruise forming on your arm in the shape of a hand – something to remind you that maybe these visions are a little more real than you gave them credit for.

The only way to stay safe is to travel in pairs. The girl seems to keep her distance when there's more than one person around, but it doesn't mean she won't try to find the means to separate you. Whether it's increasing the flooding in certain areas of the street or trying to distract one of you long enough to put some distance between you and your comrade, she'll do whatever it takes to try and grab onto whoever she can.

GHOST SHIP

Those who are on the boat might find that life is a little easier, depending on what class you've found yourself in. The struggles between first, second, and third are certainly rough on everyone, but many seem to find themselves thinking this is just the way of things. Maybe your mind has been altered to just accept the class differences or your memories completely rewritten and you think you've led a completely different life so far; either way, only a handful of passengers seem to fully understand that this isn't the way things are supposed to be.

There's nothing anyone can do to change things, though, and so many find themselves getting lost in day to day activities. Whether it's working on the ship, enjoying the finer foods in the first class dining halls, or enjoying the rowdy parties in third class storage after hours, everyone seems to be finding something to keep themselves occupied. As the days pass, even those who know full well what's coming seem to forget the looming doom, and you might even find yourself feeling lost in the monotony of day to day life.

But those who stare into the water too long, who look at the strange, large shapes swimming just under the surface might find a sense of dread filling them. The paranoia will shake you to your very core, leaving you with a sense that all is not right with this journey. You can try to tell people, but most will look at you as though you're insane. Eventually, your fear will become so heavy that you start to see destruction all around you. Whole sections of the ship will look flooded, rotting wood and rusted steel taking over every inch of the once proud ship, and every section is covered in algae. You might start to realize it looks uncannily like an old shipwreck.

The ship is still floating, though, and the coarse steady. So it's all in your head, right? Staying away from the water will make the visions and paranoia eventually ebb, but any glance at the floating shapes will cause it to come back tenfold. Maybe just stay inside and away from the ship's edge. It seems a lot safer that way.

Character Arrival

You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.

NOTE: Character's this month can wake up in Deerington or on the Titanic.

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.

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[He winces as the gun hits the ground- here's hoping he didn't damage the equipment again- but at least no one's gotten shot. Yet.]

Hey, my bad, just trying to save your life here-

[The good news is, Venkman actually is pretty fucking strong, especially in a crisis situation once adrenaline kicks in. He's more than capable of lifting a full grown man wearing a proton pack, so a man without one isn't a hard task. Golisopod, though...

As soon as Venkman registers the fact he's going to be pulling that up with Guzma, he glances frantically around for anything he can hold onto to keep himself grounded. They're near to an alleyway, so he winds up practically wrapping himself around the supports for a fire escape and hoping for the best.

The hose is straining at this point- it's built to withstand a lot of abuse, but this is really pushing it. Only a few more seconds before Venkman knows for sure he'll be coming to see Ray with a very broken proton pack. Better make them count!]

[Thanks for the sympathy, bud. Kokichi's clearly not This news doesn't sound very good at all, not that he blames the messenger here.]

Oh. Great. We're stuck on a magic murder boat. Anything else I need to know before I get myself killed?

Who?

[Let's just ignore the misinterpreted sarcasm for a second, shall we?]

By throwin' a gun at me? Didn't really think that one through, didja?

[Says the man who tried to attack a ghost, but look lets not get too wrapped up in the details. Fortunately, those few seconds are enough for Guzma to get himself fully out of the water. Which means Venkman isn't entirely alone with pulling that big bug out once he's able to get his own two feet firmly on the ground.

Whatever hold there was on Golisopod below the depths of that chilly water seems to let go, because in the next instant all resistance gives way (well, other than what Golisopod's fat bottom naturally has). Which means Guzma's losing his balance and falling right on his ass rather unceremoniously.

...And finding himself being crushed by his Pokémon. It's a good thing Guzma's a large dude, and hardly fragile to boot, or he might have gotten more than some bruising from the impact! Instead, he lets out an annoyed grunt, and pushes the bug off of him. Though, more accurately, Golisopod clambers off of him the moment he feels Guzma push.]

Well, that was annoyin'.

[Guzma huffs out as he rises to his feet, looking over his soaked clothes with a scowl, before directing it at Venkman as he frees his arm from the poor abused hose, taking the gun in his other hand to do so.]

What the hell is this thing, anyway—and who're you, huh?

[Kim doesn't react at all to Venkman's disapproval. He has nothing in his hands--this is just how he stands at attention.]

Yes, I'm a cop. No, I don't have a warrant. Even if I did, warrants are for searching private property, not for questioning.

[He sounds more tired than stern--the citizens of Revachol have had far too much happen in the part twenty years to warrant any trust towards the RCM, not to mention the rampant corruption within a volunteer-based organization.]

Actually, my questions aren't related to any criminal investigation. I just want to know where this ship is going.

We are certainly something. [look, when you have the skills to back up your boasting and more, you sure as hell boast all the time. her power and celebrity went right to her head, but amara's thing is that she didn't let it warp her morals like some others did.

doesn't mean she can't be insufferably arrogant at times, though.] Hated boss, eh? Doesn't that give you worry for a mutiny?

[she's being sardonic-- doesn't care he doesn't shake. he's not trying to shoot her, so honestly, that's a step up from 99% of the people she's met in the last year or so.]

We should keep moving, by the way. That makes it harder for her to grab us again.

[ That's something they have in common without even knowing it: wanting anonymity, at least for the duration of this trip. ]

No fun stories? Don't know about that.

[ He tends to have a well-honed sense for troublemakers not unlike himself, and Genji feels like one. Or like something familiar, anyway. Like they're somehow of a kind. If he's not also suffering from lycanthropy (which Jesse would have figured out by now), then he's got to have a knack for trouble. What else could it be? ]

You're right about one thing though: we've got plenty of time to kill around here. Guess introductions are in order. Name's Joel Morricone.

[Hey, he can't blame her. He knows all too well what it feels like to flaunt power, and how rewarding the awe and fear of it can be.]

Nah—my own know better than to cross me. Ain't no one more feared in Alola than ya boy here.

[Alola fears him and hates him... His team fears him as much as they love him. Or, maybe they just fear him, it's all the same to him. He shrugs at her suggestion (despite agreeing), waving for Golisopod to follow them as they start to make their way.]

Moving and avoidin' them puddles. I'm no stranger to ghosts, but I can't say I've ever dealt with one like that.

Little shits like that common here?

I don't know where Alola is. What system does it lie in?

[vault hunters have a similar rep. feared and loved, don't want to cross 'em, want to pay 'em enough to kill people for ya.]

Not sure. I'm new to this place, though many planets I've been on tend to have their own fauna that're just as dangerous. I wouldn't be surprised to learn if the child was a creature using illusions to lure us in.

System—?

[He's staring at her like she's an alien (which isn't technically wrong, here), and that look gets even more befuddled as she continues on. Talking about planets, like she's some kind of astronaut...

He knows he was grabbed by that Ultra Beast, and it pulled him into that portal... The baffled expression gives way to a dismissive sort of grin as he finally responds. His voice relaxed, and perhaps a little incredulous:]

You s'posin' this is a whole 'nother world?

[Not the craziest thing he's heard, after all, he was given a beast that could open portals to another dimension, so it makes sense. Doesn't make it easier to grasp, but if it's troubling him at all, it doesn't look like it. It'd explain her, too. With those weird tattoos and the phantom appendages...]

Using what I've got, here- don't exactly have a rope...

[The end of the hose connected to the pack sparks ominously on the final tug. As Guzma's Golisopod collapses on top of him, Venkman nervously examines the worn material, debating if he should take the whole pack off and throw it aside. Just in case it gives up entirely and self-destructs.

He only looks up again when Guzma addresses him, and he eyes the gun in his hand.]

... Dr. Peter Venkman. Ghostbuster. And you probably don't want to keep holding that.

[Guzma's eyes follow the other man's to the gun, and a grin spread on his face. As he levels his gaze back to the—ghostbuster, was it? He aims the gun at him with a side grip, the menacing crease to his brow helps nothing.]

Yeah? And why's that, doc?

[Whether or not Guzma intends to pull that trigger is absolutely left up in the air, maybe even Guzma doesn't know, but he can't help but be contrary to people... Even those who just saved him.]

[He takes the hand, giving it a shake.]

Louis. And don't mention it. We gotta look out for each other here, right? And I don't blame you. The bar is the place a lot of people end up at the start. It's... a lot.

[Deerington is a lot, but being on the Titanic is, too.]

A couple. I checked up on my friends and a couple are dealing with it.

Is offering, not necessary to eat. Suggestion should be enough. Easy-peasey.

[ Clearly not, but he still maintains it was a flawless plan. He frowns at the state of his clothes, but the suggestion goes a ways to relieve the annoyance over it. ]

You have laundromat? Good.

[Flatly:]

Because you're holding a nuclear weapon that you and your giant cockroach just damaged. The odds of you actually shooting me are about as high as the odds that you're gonna kill yourself with it. Or knock yourself right back into that puddle.

[Venkman's had his life threatened by everything from gremlins to Sumerian gods. This is nothing.]

[Guzma doesn't seem fazed by the news, his eyes merely going back to the gun in his hand, before lowering it with a casual shrug.]

Pretty dangerous stuff—makes it even more stupid you chucked it around like that.

[He says, and then tosses the thing back to Venkman.]

Ain't no cockroach—he's Golisopod, and he can handle a lot more than you think.

[Just ignore this mishap with the ghost girl, that was a fluke.]

Figured I oughta cover my bases. Just in case.

[Case in point- he didn't really expect Kim to be holding anything, but his shoulders do relax ever so slightly once he's certain the man's hands are empty. But only slightly.

Venkman takes another sip of his drink, scanning the deck. Looking out for anyone watching them. The only other first class passengers he sees are occupied with their own matters, and he nods, turning back to Kim.]

I dunno- probably wherever the real Titanic was going. Never really read up on the incident, I just know the important parts.

Wasn't broken then.

[He catches it with practiced ease, examining the gun for further damage before holstering it. The end of the hose sparks again, but this time Venkman ignores it- from what he can tell, the pack will last until he gets home to Ray. He just has to make it there first.]

You're right- didn't think a giant cockroach could tread water like that. Pretty impressive stuff.

[ look. people can talk all they want about "classes" and "propriety" and all that garbage. they can stick him in some fancy canto bight level suit that's not part of blending in for a mission. they-- the nebulous they, the undefinable "there's no way we wound up here by accident or at random and not because of something someone deliberately did" they that finn has to assume exists-- can stick him on a big ship with however many decks put between him and rey.

it will not ever be enough decks to keep him from finding rey, and it will not keep him from keeping her in his vicinity at all possible times for as long as she'll allow him to be there.

this is a simple fact.

anybody who falls under the umbrella of being his people has a place in his orbit. well, maybe orbit is a strong word.

they just... have a place. when they want one. with him.

and in a weird, ridiculous situation like this, finn likes to think that he has a place, too. right now, that place is wherever it's easiest to get to rey if something goes wrong. you know, the way things almost always go wrong when they're in a weird situation.

finn shuffles into the seat next to hers empty-handed, more to keep her company than anything. there's food on the levels he got assigned to. no point taking it from anyone's mouth somewhere else. he's more used to the cramped quarters and noise level that he's finding down here, though. it's comforting in some way. ]

Can't all be that different from what you're eating, right?

Technically a character would have to steal the token that comes with a First Class Passenger's luggage to get into restricted areas. These tokens can be stolen and a character would have a better chance at getting away with the theft if they also steal clothes to blend in. NPCs would only notice if a character started to act suspiciously.

For further information you can check out the Prelude here.

The photo would look like a regular picture of the ocean, regardless of whether or not they were seeing eerie shapes under the water in reality.

Right. The Titanic. People keep saying that name, as if I should know something about it.

[And, frankly, it's kind of irritating. He prides himself on knowing a lot about vehicles, from motor carriages to motorcycles to boats, but he's never so much as heard of the Titanic before, much less Olympic-sized cruisers.

He rubs his forehead, looking frustrated.]

I take it we're not in Elysium anymore, then.

[ Having all your memories in tact when everyone else is stuck thinking they're on a perfectly solid boat sailing in the middle of a perfectly normal journey makes relaxing and just having fun a little hard. It's why Chloe's downed more than her fair share of beers this evening, leaving her tipsy enough to not give a shit about the anxiety of it all, but not so drunk that she's going on any insane sounding rants. ~~Yet.~~

She was just finishing off another pint with a large gulp when the metal hand was held out to her, brow arching before she went to place the glass down on the closest flat surface that kind of looked like it was being used as a make shift table. She opened her mouth to give some sarcastic piss off at first, but the initial rejection is bitten back because well... It's hard to rain on the parade of someone who sounds like they're enjoying themselves so much.

She sighs and goes to take his hand. ]

Fuck it, why not.

[ Moira had a vague mixture of memories; some faces were familiar, but she could never quite place them, and others that she should have known weren't familiar at all. Faces like the scarred and metal one of Genji Shimada, a person she should have been somewhat pleased to see, but was currently quite unimpressed with. Dr. O'Deorain — an Irish woman posing as a man to become a doctor in the States, all to start a new life with her son — didn't particularly seem to want to be waved over by someone who was clearly from a much lower class than her own.

But she sighs, coming over all the same, glancing over the edge with little interest. ]

It looks like an ocean to me.

... Ah. You're from one of the not-Earth dimensions, I guess. Or post-apocalyptic Earth. Or... Whatever.

Basically, back in the early 1900s, this ship was built, was supposed to be unsinkable, and sank anyway. Ton of people died. From the looks of it, we've all gotten ricocheted back into the past and are probably all gonna die, or nearly die, once this bad boy smacks into an iceberg.

And for the record, I've got no clue where or what Elysium is.

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JANUARY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

JANUARY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

WHERE FEET MAY FAIL

GHOST SHIP

Character Arrival

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mess hall

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3rd Class Parties

the deck

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