JANUARY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

[sodder]

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.

Comments

always better! also the holidays take their toll on all of us

[pinballs]

[When Kim hears the man's voice, he pauses for a moment, recognition finally settling in. His eyebrows knit together in a concerned expression.]

Ah, Detective...

[His voice falters for a moment. He still doesn't know this man's name. Kim remembers he told him something back when they were questioning Garte--he had his doubts as to the legitimacy of what was said, but it's not like he's in any position to question it.]

...Costeau. I didn't recognize you from afar.

[He pauses for a moment, evaluating the man before him. It's difficult to tell whether the detective's current sorry state is the result of the alcohol or the sea-sickness. Probably both.]

Are you well enough to hold a conversation right now? You seem...preoccupied.

Omg what is formatting im so sorry haha

[discocop]

[Costeau? Who the hell is...? Ah. Wait. That's him, isn't it? Raphael. He shakes his head uselessly. He sure doesn't feel like a Raphael right now. One or two more shudders pass through him before he's convinced that his stomach is empty. Then he slides down onto his knees, one hand still clutching the railing, the other the bottle.]

I'm super fine right now. I've never felt better. Ready for work. And superstardom.

[He struggles to turn himself around to face the detective. Now he's full-on sitting with his back to the railing.

He's still wearing the Expression - and his breath, well... a mix of alcohol and vomit.]

It's good to see you.

it's all good!!

[pinballs]

Mhmm.

[He nods. At this point, Kim has learned to tune out the detective's strange comments about being some sort of supercop. It probably has something to do with the apparent brain damage he suffered after nearly drinking himself to death.

Well, it's clear now that Costeau is inebriated. Kim can't tell how many drinks the detective has downed, but it's probably okay if he can still talk and recognize him. Whatever. As long as he can do his job and doesn't go and have a heart attack.

He digs through his jacket pockets for a handkerchief, but for some reason, he can't find it. Strange.]

It's good to see you, as well. Do you happen to know how we got on this ship?

[He doubts it, given his initial inquiries, but it's still good to ask.]

a million years later orz..

[discocop]

[The detective - Costeau, that's right, the name keeps dancing out of reach - stares at Kim dumbly for several long moments.]

...

...

Magic.

[He almost coughs the word out. But then he's holding up a hand, it wavering in the air as he attempts to head off any protests.]

Kim, I know you don't like the whole supra-natural thing, but I've been here for a while and there's no other good explanation.

[God, if there's one time he wants Kim to believe him... But he knows he doesn't really have the reputation for having his shit together.]

[pinballs]

[Kim lets out a quiet sigh at the word "magic". Sure, it lines up with everything else that he's been told, what with the letter and the food and, well, everyone else he's asked acting like Revachol isn't a real place. But it's not something that he's entirely willing to believe just yet--not when there are still so many other explanations that could be just out of reach.

Besides. It's not as if anything particularly supra-natural has happened yet. He just woke up on a boat filled with unfamiliar people heading to an unfamiliar place, and, somehow, despite it all, the Pale has not taken its effects on the passengers.]

I was afraid you would say something like that. I've been looking into the matter, myself, and I haven't found any other explanation yet--

[He stops, looking puzzled. There was something funny about the last thing he said, something that doesn't sit quite right with Kim.]

Wait--how long have you been here, exactly?

[discocop]

[Costeau nods almost absent-mindedly.]

Cult-driven trickery? A shared hallucination? Mass hysteria? All very complicated... All would leave some sort of evidence. And then there's the Big One. The mountain of a question. Why?

[He lets that mountain cast its shadow over them for a little while.]

Magic is randomer. And easier. [He presses his palms against his eyes.] Maybe too easy. I don't know. [For a moment all the brilliance seems to leave him, and he's nothing but a drunkard with bad fashion sense, featuring the latest trends in alcohol-stained clothing.

He stays there with his hands pressed to his face, like he's crying.]

...Two weeks. Or a little more. [There's uncertainty dripping through his tone. It's painfully clear that he doesn't actually remember. He's guessing.] But if you mean the ship, then... I don't know... A day?

[pinballs]

Why, indeed? There seems to be no motive behind it, and I haven't been threatened or approached by anyone I recognize.

[Beyond the stray comment about his glasses or accent, that is. But it's to be expected. Kim watches sympathetically as the detective puts his hands to his face, and for a moment, he's unsure if he should be comforting him. Say something like, "There, there, detective. I'm sure this is all very confusing" or whatever.]

It's okay if you can't remember exactly, detective--but if you've been here for that long....

[Kim trails off, his eyebrows furrowing together in an unreadable expression. Concern? Apprehension? He saw him just last night, right before going to bed--but that's impossible. The detective doesn't seem to be sure about the length of time he's been here, but he also doesn't seem the kind to lie about this kind of thing. That, and also the fact that he's apparently suffering the effects of alcoholism.

God. The more he's told about the world, the more he can feel his grasp on it slipping further and further.]

Either I've been asleep for two weeks longer than anticipated, or we're dealing with something-- [He leans in towards the detective, lowering his voice to a comically loud whisper.] --supra-natural.

[discocop]

[When the detective lowers his hands, the Expression wavers, hanging onto his face by a thread. But that last comment seems to invigorate him, and the grin returns in full.

Supra-natural! Kim's openness to the idea, no matter how small and hesitant, is like a shot of pure caffeine to his failing body.]

I'm okay, Kim. I'm the hot shit. The mega-man.

[He offers his hand for Kim to help him up to his feet.]

You have to admit, the supra-natural thing is so much easier. Hold on, what's the last thing you remember? The... [What is it? The detective shakes his head.] The Whirling-in-Rags?

[pinballs]

Just because it's easier to believe doesn't mean that it's right. We're probably just missing something.

[Kim grips the detective's arm, helping hoist him onto his feet. He takes a moment or two to hold him steady and make sure that he won't just collapse again.]

We had just spoken on the balcony on Whirling-in-Rags, going over the events of the day. We still hadn't gotten the body down from the tree, unfortunately...though, if we're both here, it's unlikely that it'll ever be taken down.

[He grimaces slightly. It's clear that he would have rather gotten the body down as opposed to leaving it up for an indeterminate period of time while he was in this strange dream world.]

Why do you ask?

[discocop]

[It's a good thing Kim keeps him steady, because he wobbles on his feet for a few seconds.]

So evening then?

[He burps. It is not a pleasant smell. He doesn't seem to care.]

When I "left" Martinaise, it was only about noon. We hadn't taken down the body, but we had barely even looked at it. I threw up. There were no "events of the day" to even discuss. Not yet.

[He gives Kim a look, certain that the detective will come to the conclusion himself. The timeline is all messed up. Costeau had heard as much from other people... other "sleepers". But here was proof.]

We're a long way from Revachol.

[pinballs]

[Kim blinks, looking surprised. The expression quickly fades, however, and is replaced by a look of concern.]

That early during the day? But that means...time in this world must be....

[He trails off, thinking back on the events that day--what Costeau knew versus what he knew, things that happened inbetween. Visiting the bookshop, rifling through various novels, trying to negotiate with that racist, so on and so forth. It could be that the detective suffered another bout of amnesia since then, but that seems highly unlikely.

Kim feels like this world could throw a giant lizard or cryptid at him and it wouldn't seem out of place with what it's already given him.]

We can ponder the anomalies of this world in more depth once we have more information. [And once his brain stops hurting trying to process all this.] How have you been dealing these past few weeks, then?

[discocop]

[Costeau is also nursing the idea that the discrepancy could be a mix of amnesia and liquor. It wouldn't be the first time. But no - it feels too different. One is a hazy fog, shifting to reveal or hide memories at random... the other is just plain darkness.]

Honestly, Kim, I've been good. I have a place to stay. I have a card that gets me most things I need. For the beer, I- uhm. I haven't been drinking any. At all.

[He very discreetly uses his foot to nudge his beer bottle through the railing and over the side of the ship. It is super discreet.]

All-in-all, I've had more luck with it than the Whirling-in-Rags.

[Mainly because there's no one to kick him out of his tiny crummy apartment when he completely wrecks it in a drunken fit.]

[pinballs]

[Yes. Very discreet. Kim glances briefly down at the beer bottle, then looks away, pretending not to have seen it.]

At least you don't have to pay your debts with that cafeteria manager.

[What was his name? Garte? It doesn't matter. It's not like he's going to also be on this boat. At least, probably not. They'll cross that bridge when they get to it.]

When I woke up, there was this...basket full of miscellaneous items, as well as some of my belongings. You wouldn't have happened to have received any similar items, did you?

[It's a long shot, but, hey, worth asking about. Maybe he got his gun back. That would probably be helpful.]

[discocop]

[For his part, Costeau looks away from Kim, pretending not to have noticed Kim pretending not to have noticed the bottle. Yes. There is no alcohol problem here, Kim. Yes.

He looks back at the question, however, knowing full well that Kim is hoping he has his badge and gun. The detective nudges his coat open, showing an empty holster where the pistol would normally have been placed. He wears it out of force of habit... and maybe a hope that it will one day be filled.]

Nothing from Revachol. But I did get a letter... and some very tasty pastries. [He eyes Kim with some caution, wary of going further down this line of questioning, but...] Did you eat the food right away? I delayed eating mine, and...

[pinballs]

[If only this was a Telltale Game--Harry would've received an ominous pop-up of (?) Kim will remember that.

It's hard to miss the slightly disappointed look on Kim's face, but it's to be expected. The detective can't exactly find his ID or gun if they're on a boat fuck-if-they-know miles away from Revachol, which is somehow also in a dream world.]

I still have my pistol. Hopefully, it won't be needed anytime soon.

[He has a feeling that there won't be any way to restock his ammunition on this boat, if he does end up running out.]

I did, yes. I figured if they wanted to poison us, they would've done so while we were still asleep. [He tilts his head to the side.] Did you start to disappear, as the letter said?

[discocop]

[Costeau certainly catches the disappointed look, but he's had so many of those thrown at him that it has no effect at all. Ah, to be numb to the judgment of the world...

As for actually needing a gun, well... so far they're both still alive on this boat. Hopefully they'll make it through fine without having to fire a single shot.

That last question, though... Costeau is glad to be with a detective as sharp as Kim.]

Yes. That's exactly what happened. I began to fade... first my fingertips, then whole fingers. I ate the food quickly after that.

[Self-experimentation is one form of detective work, right?]

It was surreal. [And maybe he was still nursing a huge hangover.]