sodder: (Default)
Sodder ([personal profile] sodder) wrote in [community profile] soddersays2020-03-25 05:21 pm
Entry tags:

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME




APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME









Welcome to April's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: ENCHANTMENT 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.

CW: Enchanted food, possible body horror, mild finger injuries, magic based mind control, rapid aging, possible death
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!











YOU UNCULTURED SWINE


Pork is on sale!! Time to buy it up for all your family meals. It also means anything with pork in it in all of the restaurants is on special and super affordable for just about anyone. New arrivals can even get a free meal of bacon, sausage and eggs at the diner! Seeing all the low prices, you find yourself craving pork more than ever. But who doesn't love bacon, right? Maybe you had ham and pineapple pizza at Peter's or those delicious and mouthwatering pork dumplings at the Hot Pot. You could have cooked a nice pork loin with your friends and family for a large get together. Candied bacon is a real treat to munch on in the park!

You're cooking it yourself or getting it from the local restaurants, so nothing bad could happen with a little self-indulgence, right? Just about everyone has learned not to trust the food at a giant feast in Deerington, but short of the lunch and dinner menus at the diner, the restaurants and the grocery store have never done a Sleeper harm! At least, that's the way it's always been before. Two years is long enough to start taking things for granted.

Anyone who has any of the specials from the restaurants or who cooks any kind of pork related product at home will find that once they have finished their meal, they will slowly turn into... pigs. It seems to vary on how fast a single person turns, some moving slowly over the course of days while they eat more and more food, and others will turn into a full blown pig in a manner of minutes. At first you can still talk to others and display your usual personality in pig form, but the longer you stay a pig, the more boarish you'll become.

So how do you break the curse? Locals say there's a magic stream up on the mountain that will stop these kinds of enchantments, but you can't go alone. Someone will have to carry you up and sing to you while you drink. It might be a friend or a lover or a complete stranger, but whoever you can nudge into it will have to physically carry you in their arms up the side of the mountain looking for this stream. It can take a while— the walk is fairly long, a few hours at best, but you'll know it when you find it. The stream sparkles unnaturally in the sunlight and it seems like none of the animals are willing to drink from it's unnaturally cold waters. The moment you take a long sip while your companion sings whatever song pops into their head, you'll turn back into a human. Hopefully your clothes turn back with you.

If your character does not eat meat/pork, then they'll be safe from this event!


GOOD ENDURES


Mirror mirror on the wall...

The pork doesn't seem to be the only enchanted object around Deerington this month. There are several of them cropping up all over the place and each one has a different outcome for those unfortunate enough to run into them.

Spinning wheels seem to be in the most random of places. Some of them will even just appear in your house. Sometimes multiple spinning wheels show up. Anyone who gets to close will have the strong urge to prick their finger on the spindle, the needle very easily cutting the tip and making you bleed more than you might have expected. Hopefully you have a first aid kit around.

Anyone who pricks their finger will find that they are forced to follow the next person they see around everywhere. They'll follow them to work, to school, to the bathroom, to the kitchen, even to bed. It doesn't matter if it's someone you've never spoken to in your life, you will follow them like a lost duckling every hour of every day. It's enough to drive anyone bonkers.

Mirrors will also suddenly be being displayed in every home and every shop, even if you never had them before. It doesn't matter whether or not you have a reflection, any person who looks into the mirror will find that they are forced to imitate the next person they make eye contact with. This can be their personality, their posture, the way they speak, their basic movements— you'll start to become a total mirror image. If it goes on too long, you might even start to find the two of you start to look more and more alike...

Apples start to pop up in all the stores as well as in your fridges. They're bright red and look so delicious, you can't resist taking a bite. Even if you don't like apples or are normally allergic to them, you'll want to eat these, and you'll find they taste delicious and don't bring harm to anyone. At least... not at first.

A few hours after eating the apple, you'll start to notice differences in your appearance. Your hair has start to thin and become gray and limp, your skin is wrinkled and covered in spots, your hands become frail and shaky. You're aging, and rapidly at that. Before you know it, you've turned into a hideous hag, one that would frighten children in any fairy tale book. But how do you reverse it?

The cure for all three enchantments is to tell three facts about yourself. Even just introducing yourself will show improvement if it's to someone who never knew your name before. Those who ate the apples will have to seek someone out, but anyone who pricked their finger or looked in a mirror will specifically have to confess these three facts to the person they're enchanted to follow/imitate. Once three facts have been shared, you'll be able to leave, return to normal, and age back to your regular self.



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.
bigredape: (Sad)

[personal profile] bigredape 2020-03-27 03:12 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, a wise guy, I see.

What's with all the questions on my father? He's already passed, so the angel business is done and over with.
heraldingangel: (Soldier: Ancient histories of pain)

[personal profile] heraldingangel 2020-03-27 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
I don't recognize your name and I know most of the demons in Hell.

[ Fought a great deal of them after Lucifer's fall from grace. ]

Maybe I'll recognize his.
onerthes: (02)

[personal profile] onerthes 2020-03-27 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
That's a very short version, basically, yes. And trying to escape will only bring you danger or back to this town. [She smiled sympathetically.]

It has its charming moments, but I wouldn't call my idea of a vacation either. Especially not after as long as I've been here.
bigredape: (Forward)

[personal profile] bigredape 2020-03-27 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
It's the name I was given. We don't talk about my other name. And anything from where I came from? I don't know about. I like to keep it that way too.
dickthree: (Default)

[personal profile] dickthree 2020-03-27 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
Why [ He almost laughed at the question, his brows pull up on his forehead. ] You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

[ Because, at first, Gansey assumed it was purely out of curiosity. But he hadn't wanted to touch it. He spent the better part of the day trying not to interact with this spinning wheel that really wanted Gansey's attention. ]

A curse. I don't feel tired. Didn't she fall instantaneously into a coma? What could the curse possibly be? [ He felt fine. Nothing has changed, just that the person who he was following ended up being his best friend. ]
heraldingangel: (Soldier: Ancient histories of pain)

[personal profile] heraldingangel 2020-03-27 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ So, it was an alias. ]

We?

There's another demon with you?
bigredape: (:[)

[personal profile] bigredape 2020-03-27 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds like an adventure I'm not going to like.

And how long have you been here. Please don't say years. that'da be depressing.
bigredape: (Default)

[personal profile] bigredape 2020-03-27 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
"We" as in my father. Me. My... friends, I suppose. Family. We don't talk about it.

You're very curious. Why?
threelayers: (09)

[personal profile] threelayers 2020-03-27 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
[He was supposed to carry her...? Ok, that was less than ideal if you asked her. She was perfectly capable of doing this herself on these stubby little... right. Hadn't someone in town said getting to that mountain involved going up a stairwell of some sort? She probably would need to be carried.

Ugh. this wasn't annoying. this was insane. She tamped her foot loudly to say that she understood and if she could have glared at him like it was his fault? Still, if he was planning to pick her up, she wasn't going to stop him.]
stauncherhearted: (tumblr_inline_ns1uyw3RL61re7o24_540)

3 new bffs

[personal profile] stauncherhearted 2020-03-27 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
Careful!

[Nancy calls out, but it's too late as the younger girl lets out a cry of displeasure. Nancy hastily closes the last few feet between them, thinking nothing of calling out to the stranger.]

Oh goodness- let me see that. [She reaches for her hand, wishing her healing magic was working the way it normally did.]
heraldingangel: (Soldier: Ancient histories of pain)

[personal profile] heraldingangel 2020-03-27 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's not very suspect at all. ]

We watch over the souls of humanity and you're a demon.

[ You're basically a big bad wolf in his flock of sheep. ]
trancheuse: (02)

[personal profile] trancheuse 2020-03-27 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeaah, I mean sure. That works for a sphinx, but you never know what kind you'll deal with. Still, if you're going to try and escape, it's your funeral. I've already seen what happens after all." And while she was more helpful than usual with her memories from home muddled, she wasn't that helpful. "You'll be back soon enough, one way or another. They always come back here eventually."

She shrugged and grinned. "So, Sorry. What's your name, really? I don't mind calling you that, but might as well give you another chance to tell me your real name."
romancekiller: (pic#8640809)

spinning wheels!!

[personal profile] romancekiller 2020-03-27 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
[clarke has always held onto hope that her friends were alive but the one thing she wasn't expecting was seeing them so soon despite what she has been told about this place. initially she feels like she might be seeing but it's not long after she spots murphy that she decides to follow him to confirm for herself.

she even doesn't realize she's been following out of any particular influence given that she would have done that anyway either way from seeing any of her friends here so when she catches up to him]
Murphy? Hey. It's just me—

I can't believe you're here. I didn't think I'd see you again. [or anyone else really but that goes unsaid. she doesn't even seem to consider his rather hostile reaction towards her as being strange since more than anything else she is relieved to see him alive and well]
bigredape: (Talk)

[personal profile] bigredape 2020-03-27 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
Does that mean we're going to butt heads here, Castiel? Because, if I'm honest, I'm not much on messing with Angels. I ain't here to do anyone harm. You can put your holier then thou attitude away.
onerthes: (09)

[personal profile] onerthes 2020-03-27 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
I'd like to think that the company manages to make up for the unpleasantness most of the time.

[There was a sort of fondness to it. She hadn't mentioned it, but she did remember him. She remembered being chased by giant worms in a car in a weird dream dessert within the dream. But he also clearly didn't remember. It wasn't the first time this had happened. Sometimes, she just decided to wait for a bit, to let someone get settled.]

A year and a half, so... not years yet? [She laughed sadly.] But I do know some people who have been here for close to two. It seems that everyone we know here's been trapped here that long or less.
heraldingangel: (Soldier: Ancient histories of pain)

[personal profile] heraldingangel 2020-03-27 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ He is, in fact, holier than thou. ]

It means I don't trust you.

Demons lie.

[ He's just going to lay it out on the table. ]
holybeasts: (012)

[personal profile] holybeasts 2020-03-27 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
[Maria's quick to wave a dismissive hand.]

It's alright. Like I said I would rather know now than later. You didn't scare me.

[And if she was worried it's more for the harm she could have done.]

Maria Renard.

[With that she wiggles her handkerchief covered finger, smile growing.]

Thank you for this too, by the way. We've barely met and you're already getting me out of jams.

[Her words have a slight light-hearted edge to them.]
bigredape: (Watching)

[personal profile] bigredape 2020-03-27 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Wow, Wow. Way to be rude.]

No one asked ya to trust me.

But I wasn't raised to be a liar either. Lies only get you stuck in places. You don't know me, Angel. Don't judge so fast.
thighzits: (a little rain has never hurt)

cw: brief gore

[personal profile] thighzits 2020-03-27 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Syd follows, nodding stiffly. Might as fucking well sneak into the roller rink with a drugged sailor, at this point. It's not like her life is ever going to go back to anything resembling normal.

Just their luck that they pass an employee not five feet into the dim back hallway. He takes one look at Syd, who mutters, ]
Period, [ and he quickly disappears the way he came.

The bathroom is single-stall, just a dingy toilet and a soap-stained sink. Syd locks the door and makes a move for the paper towels, but it's then that she catches her own reflection for the first time since the dance.]


... Would you believe me if I said it was pig's blood?

[Jesus Christ, that's brain on her collarbone. There is a piece of brain on her collarbone, and she's never scrambled for paper towels faster in her life.]
bigredape: (Talk)

[personal profile] bigredape 2020-03-27 04:22 am (UTC)(link)
I suppose the company could be worse, yeah.

[He most definitely doesn't know her or this place, but that might happen the more he hangs around.]

That's still depressing. Geeze.
holybeasts: (002)

[personal profile] holybeasts 2020-03-27 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Oh!

[Amusingly enough Maria's reaction to the light flipping on is less "drop this weird beast now" and more "clutch onto it and investigate more".

She's thankfully not staring straight down the top or anything so being blinded by the light as it switches on isn't the issue. No it's simply curiosity and soon the blonde is twisting the lamp around, first to the right and then the left, with wide eyes as she looks it over.

Eventually she finds the same switch and once she flicks it herself and the light just snaps straight off, she looks to Neo with a bright grin on her face.]


So it's a flameless torch then!

[She turns it around a little more, giving the switch another flick as she muses aloud:]

I've seen creatures like these before, though I don't believe they were anything so tame as a simple light.

[And this thing she held in her hands at the moment doesn't resonate as anything else. Or at least it doesn't have any appearance of life.]
crossbow_killer: (woman in the dark)

[personal profile] crossbow_killer 2020-03-27 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
I mean, there's probably jobs and tasks and shit. But as far as a quest, something with purpose or a point to it...there really isn't. It's not that kind of place.
holybeasts: (002)

[personal profile] holybeasts 2020-03-27 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
For this sort of store. I have seen more ornate things but I certainly don't run into them every day.

[If the furnishings in Dracula's castle weren't absolutely lavish then she didn't know what to call them. Then again she supposed the furnishings in her own family's home hadn't been any less lavish, has they.

She takes in the mirror a moment more curiously, then huffs out an amused breath.]


I think if I stared at my own image much longer I wouldn't be able to stand my own company, never mind gaining an ego.

[So instead she turns to Wanda herself and then can't help but peep into the case nearest her.]

It all looks so good.

[Seriously, Maria can't cook or bake worth a damn so this all looks fantastic to her.]
chambermusicandtenpins: (looking just a lil sneaky)

Apples

[personal profile] chambermusicandtenpins 2020-03-27 04:41 am (UTC)(link)
[He doesn't mean to stare at the other man, truly. It's mostly concern that draws him in, seeing the way the other man looks at his own hand so raptly. Albus remembers the tea from a few weeks ago, which had drugged anyone who'd had it, and he wonders if this is some similar enchantment overtaking him.

So his voice is polite and tentative when he approaches, asking:]

Excuse me -- are you all right?
heraldingangel: (Dom: Round Two)

[personal profile] heraldingangel 2020-03-27 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
You want me to believe you're not here for the souls congregated in this place? A demon who doesn't want a soul? One who hides their name.

What you're asking for is exactly that.