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Sodder ([personal profile] sodder) wrote in [community profile] soddersays2020-03-25 05:21 pm
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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.
laruetheday: (am i a hero? i can't really say. but yes)

[personal profile] laruetheday 2020-03-26 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, yeah, probably.

[ Clarisse is also joking, buuuut not really. She hasn't seen a Betty actually, like, assault anyone, but if someone came up to her tomorrow and showed her a bite mark, it's not like she'd be shocked. ]

Look, I'm not the best person to ask about this stuff for real. I only got here last month. And I pretty much barely talk to anyone.
entered: (pic#13867201)

reed westergard-holmen | original character

[personal profile] entered 2020-03-26 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
spinning wheels.
[ There's a dude who, frankly, sort of looks like a History professor. He has all the makings of it: tweet jacket, elbow patches, soft green sweater underneath that. There's an ease to the way he's been strolling around town -- hands in his pockets, taking in the sights.

He's also been following you for the last ten minutes.

From afar, sure. There's been some attempts at not being too obvious. Peering at you between cans of corn stacked on the shelves, or from two aisles over while he's browsing the magazine stand. But it's not too hard to catch him in the act. (One spinning wheel later and, well. The compulsion to follow had made his heels itch. Reed hadn't seen much point to resist.)

So here he is. Following you out of the Hart Mart, jogging lightly so that he falls into line right beside.
]

Where are we off to, exactly?

[ He grins, all charm. ]

arrival/misc.
[ Cut to: The Laundromat.

Reed, once again, has his hands in his pockets. He's just standing there, eyeballing one of the empty machines, its perfectly circular door squeaking slightly open.
]

I have— [ Reed sounds a little surprised at himself. ] —no idea when I last used one of these.

[ He looks pretty clean, though. ]
shinkunochou: (018)

Sae Kurosawa | Fatal Frame II

[personal profile] shinkunochou 2020-03-26 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
[A. Arrival]

[To say she was horribly lost and confused would be a gross understatement. There’s a shocking clarity of mind that she hasn’t felt in hundreds of years, and the modernness of the world and her new...home?? Thing? Are frightening, driving her to quickly wander into unfamiliar streets.

Was this how it felt for the people she’d spirited away before? Except the place is a little too bright and upon stepping outside the sunlight is so bright to Sae that she actually takes a tumble down the front step of her house and lands heavily on the ground. If her knees are skinned she hardly notices—there’s blood splattered all over the front of her usually pure-white kimono, and a rope-like bruising around her throat, so really, what’s a little more pain and blood?

She reaches up and covers her eyes with a whimper, just trying to adjust to that alone. She struggles to stand up, eyes still closed, and stumbles about blindly, trying to grab onto things to help her find her way.

Or...maybe someone by accident.
]

[B. Around Town]

[One she’s finally adjusted to the light of day, Sae spends her time just trying to orientate herself to the surrounding town. She says away from people, taking small steps on bare feet as she stares at the shops and the people and the everything.

It’s all so much. Feeling herself becoming quickly fatigued, Sae takes a few stumbling steps away from a particularly crowded sidewalk, trendies of what looks like...smoke? Maybe? Beginning to curl around her wrist and ankles, drifting out from beneath her clothes. It’s gray and winding around like it has a mind of its own, Sae’s breathing becoming a little short as she struggles for control.

Ducking away into a near-by alleyway seems to help a little though, clutching at her arms and hugging herself tightly as she breathes.
]

Are there always so many people...?

[C. Spinning Wheels]

[Spinning wheels aren’t entirely new to Sae, but the ones presented around town at random are of an entirely different design from what she’s used to. So approaching one doesn’t seem out of the ordinary or strange, nor does the desire to touch one... But when she pricks her finger there’s a warning bell in her mind that tells her that it’s weird. Something is off. Why would she randomly want to prick her finger?

The blood is a marvel though. When was the last time she bled? She stares at it, transfixed and rubbing it between her fingers in fascination before realizing that’s kind of weird and she should maybe Not Do That.

So with a shiver she turns away and just. Wipes her bloody fingers off on her kimono (look its already got blood on it, who cares about a little more at this point right?) and washes off the rest.

She’s not immune to the effects though. Shortly after she finishes taking care of the blood, the next person she looks at upon wandering about on the street will find themselves with a little shadow, Sae compelled to follow without even thinking about it. But since she can’t take very long strides in the kimono, she finds herself struggling to keep up sometimes, so the person in question might find their sleeve or the back of their shirt suddenly grasped in Sae’s hands, an anxious, pleading sort of look on her face. She doesn’t say anything, but it’s a look of quiet, ‘please don’t go so far!’ Sort of look.
]
redheat: redheat. (❝and all she wants is to go home❞)

[personal profile] redheat 2020-03-26 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ With a gentle shake of her head, Jean smiles to Bella, still warm in her touch and expressions. ]

You'd be surprised how many people get a little squeamish at the sight of blood. So don't feel like you have to apologize.

[ Her touch is careful and gentle, coming to discern that stitches won't exactly be needed but... there is a lot of blood. ]

How about we get you to sit down somewhere? Don't want you passing out on me all of a sudden.
lightthedarkness: (Usagi) (I'll help however I can)

[personal profile] lightthedarkness 2020-03-26 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
[With how many introverts are her best friends and fiancé? She has to be. She stops for only a moment when Rei says no. No she hadn't met Sodder or no, she hadn't... she was going to bet it was the arriving. Usagi took a deep breath and swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling dry.

She glanced at her. A death cult?
] A death cult? [She repeated aloud. She pressed her knuckles to her hand.]

Rei-chan... I think... are we near your house? Are they the ones who brought us here? Are we supposed to be sacrifices? How can we stop them? [Because that's what they were meant to be doing, right? That's why they were even here, yeah?

[She tried to stay positive, why else would she be here, that Rei would be here? They were senshi! It was their job to help people and stop things like this death cult.]

But, I'll listen, whatever, you have to say.
wolverinesbodyguard: (1)

[personal profile] wolverinesbodyguard 2020-03-26 05:36 am (UTC)(link)
[When he pointed out the diner she nodded for him to follow while he could.]

That is where we will start then. It seems strange that it would happen in a diner, but maybe they saw something.

Mmm chicken wasn't on sale. Maybe that has something to do with it. Pork is being pushed nearly everywhere I've been so far. It's very... curious.

[She reached out and pat his shoulder, smiling.] Okay, Star-Lord, Peter. We will get to the bottom of this. This way.
lightthedarkness: (Usagi) (It's so cute!)

[personal profile] lightthedarkness 2020-03-26 05:37 am (UTC)(link)
[No teasing from her, not from Usagi. She grins wide.]

Well, the amount of hair I have probably makes it seem that way, I guess? [She laughed.] By the way! I'm Usagi Tsukino, what's your name?
yourule: (and i oop)

[personal profile] yourule 2020-03-26 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ there's a delay in response, because robin is: a) laughing her ass off and b) trying her best to figure out how to save the image. ]

that's exactly the man i'm looking for. good work, detective. i like to think, in our humble days of slinging ice cream together, i taught him everything he knows about the culinary arts...
incandescentfaith: <user name=cupcakegraphics> (A Little Down)

seals your HTML error into perpetuity.

[personal profile] incandescentfaith 2020-03-26 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
[Rei smiled sadly, looking at Usagi's eyes and shaking her head. There's a lot to explain, though Usagi was more on the nose than she had expected her to be.]

We're almost there. I live just a little further.

[And, to reassure Usagi, she continued in a low, but still even tone:]

We weren't brought here by the townsfolk, and they aren't the real problem. And we are...not...supposed to be sacrifices as far as I know. They may try but they're only human, and they seem to be trying to do everything ritualistically. Meaning that unless you engage with them and their customs, you're probably safe.

[And if not, well, Usagi can handle a human.

A small house on a corner comes into view. It's nothing extravagant but very American Suburban, from the 1950s. Complete with a white picket fence, and Rei's own addition: warding papers hanging from all of the exterior trees. They've been prepared and waxed...and clearly there for a while.]


So. This is my house. [obviously, since she pushes open the gate.] We're more safe here than elsewhere. I've protected this place as I would a shrine.

Now. I'll start with the very basic fact that this is a dream, but it's a real dream. You can get hurt here. You can die here. And we can't leave on our own. The...dream world...won't let us. I don't know how we got here, and I don't think anyone does, not even Sodder. I know that sounds very bleak, and I won't lie to you and say it's a nice town, but I will say that nearly anything this place throws at us is something we can handle.
yourule: (smile)

[personal profile] yourule 2020-03-26 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ robin immediately knows who's texting her. brain cell in action!

which is why she's gonna have a little fun. ]


what a relief!

huge hair

massive hair

extremely feminine hair for a man his age
acidwashjeans: (Would change in me)

[personal profile] acidwashjeans 2020-03-26 06:03 am (UTC)(link)


Michael Bolton?
yourule: (oof)

cw: body horror

[personal profile] yourule 2020-03-26 06:07 am (UTC)(link)
Y-yeah.

[ robin would say something more coherent, or at least wordier, but she's interrupted by some very unpleasant and involuntary heaving. but instead of looking pale, robin's skin starts to take on a pinkish tone. meanwhile, her stomach continues to expand, and robin can feel her nose almost...flattening. it's turning into a snout, but robin doesn't know that. to her, it just feels like her body is being pulled apart. ]

Wh--what the fuck. This -- [ another heave ] -- this isn't food poisoning.
yourule: (yapping)

[personal profile] yourule 2020-03-26 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
now why would a nice band geek like me seek out michael bolton? please. i can do better.

the guy i'm looking for is 19! does that give you a hint?
acidwashjeans: (Tell myself)

[personal profile] acidwashjeans 2020-03-26 06:16 am (UTC)(link)
there aren't many nineteen year old guys with good hair here

[ except

there's literally about twenty second's pause as he puts it together ]


robin

jesus christ robin is that you? scoops robin?


[ steve's going to attempt to call you because???!!! ]
lightthedarkness: (Usagi) (It'll be alright now)

[personal profile] lightthedarkness 2020-03-26 06:21 am (UTC)(link)
It's pretty, it's... [She looked at the wards and nodded as they came into the front yard and she looked all around. It looked near identical to the one she exited upon arriving without all the papers and the front yard had been more... detached, as if was maintained and little else.

She listened as Rei spoke and nodded.
]

Okay, a real dream... a dream you can actually die in. [So something like Nehellenia could concoct. But they were trapped? They were...]

It doesn't sound nice. [She admitted, her lips pressed together. But she reached out for Rei's hand and smiled.] But I- we were brought here for a reason, and whatever that reason is, I'm here with you, and so long as we're together we can figure this out.


[She took a deep breath.] I'm sorry I've left you alone for so long, Rei. Even with how strong you are, I would never have let that happen if... if I had known. I'm so sorry.

[Another deep breath.]

So, the things this place throws at us, what about that?
yourule: (wow!)

voice

[personal profile] yourule 2020-03-26 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ robin doesn't text back and instead just picks up the phone when steve calls. she's grinning from ear-to-ear now; hopefully steve can hear that one the other end. ]

Took you long enough! Hey, are you the real Steve, or like, a Russian hallucination Steve my truth-serum mind has cooked up, because, like, I thought we got that drug out of our system, but hey, those Russians are real tough so maybe not?

[ she's rambling, yes, but only because she's excited! ]
yourule: (smile)

[personal profile] yourule 2020-03-26 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
[ piglet robin only half-understands bella's human words, but she does understand the gesture. she's very responsive, and practically walks right into bella's hand, oinking happily. yes, please pet her!!!! ]
yourule: (explaining)

[personal profile] yourule 2020-03-26 06:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ once the other girl breaks contact, robin finally has the opportunity to briefly check out whatever it was she rubbed off on robin's skin -- and ugh. this is way worse that a soccer injury. now, robin's really worried.

but let's be fair -- she's also pretty intrigued.

robin follows slowly, trying not to startle the other girl. ]


Hey -- look -- that Lady Macbeth move isn't going to do much. [ she puts her hands up in mock-surrender. ] Look, I'm in no position to rat you out. You're looking at a girl who just broke into a top-secret Russian military operation.
redheat: redheat. (❝she's got bubble wrap around her heart❞)

the laundromat

[personal profile] redheat 2020-03-26 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well there's something you don't hear every day.

Jean's finishing up with stuffing a couple things into a laundry bag for herself when she overhears his surprise and she can't help but glance over with a rather curious expression on her face. One which, rather gently, turns to that of amusement. ]


In general or this particular type?
incandescentfaith: (Neutral/Flat)

[personal profile] incandescentfaith 2020-03-26 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Rei led the way up onto the porch, which was more or less decorated exactly the same as the house Usagi had meandered out of. Table, chairs, etc. Rei had barely used them.]

It isn't nice. [Frank as always.

Pushing open the door and leading the way into a room after unlocking several latches, Rei nods. A wave of her hand ignites a dozen small candles placed all around the room, giving the somewhat spartan main room a cozy atmosphere. It's laid out more for texture than for looks, with lots of heavy blankets everywhere, clearly meant to invoke that kind of feeling.]


You also have nothing to apologize for. It's...weird but before I delve into the world, let me at least explain my situation. I haven't seen you in almost a year, but I have been here for about a month now. For a second time.

[She moves to the couch and settles in, patting a seat next to her.]

Almost two years ago, I woke up alone in this dream, with just Phobos and Deimos and other Dreamers like us. I...lived here for almost nine months, in a little house up the street that's now occupied by someone else. And then I woke up. For about three days, I was just living life as normal in Tokyo. I remember doing spring cleaning, and shopping, and I had no memory of Deerington. Just my normal routine. And then a month ago, I woke up here again. Only, from the perspective of the people here who still remembered me, I'd been gone a full year. And Minako, apparently, has been here for four months.

[which is a whole other can of worms.]

I'll make sure she contacts you and such, but I think she's asleep at her house across the way, so let's just sit together for a time. It has been too long since I had you to myself, and I know how confusing and weird it sounds.
Edited 2020-03-26 06:48 (UTC)
acidwashjeans: (On the ride home)

[personal profile] acidwashjeans 2020-03-26 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
Holy shit, it's really you-- [ Sure, Steve's thought about Robin showing up here. He hasn't wished for it, because who would? ]

Robin. Robin. Listening carefully to me- are you okay, right now? Is there anyone nearby with like-- a giant hammer or a bunch of ropes or something?

[ yes, he sounds like a crazy person. he no longer cares about that ]
entered: (pic#13867204)

[personal profile] entered 2020-03-26 07:57 am (UTC)(link)
[ He doesn't answer, at least not immediately. Rather, Reed bends at the waist, leaning forward until he's exactly eye level with the machine. As if it has Secrets. Capital S. ]

In general.

[ He stopped bothering with it after a while. It all just seemed a little... mortal, in its way.

A beat. Reed straightens, then pivots a glance at Jean sidelong. He smiles easily, all genial in the shape of his face.
]

You don't happen to be an expert, do you? Inventor of this particular brand, at this particular place?
fuckamerica: (4)

III

[personal profile] fuckamerica 2020-03-26 08:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ His first thought had been about Lou. And, naturally, he wasn't just going to take him missing as a done deal; he quickly got to it, searching everywhere he could. Ignoring everyone he could in the process. Fuck 'em - he can worry about the fact that he was in some strange, new place later. Not like it was the first time he underwent a strange dream-like experience and new place...

... Which is how he found himself where he is, suddenly hearing an uncomfortably familiar voice.

Sam ignores the unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach, turning towards Higgs. He's far enough away, he doesn't expect the guy to hear what he says, even if he is standing right where he could easily be seen... ]

Of course...

[ Because... of-fucking-course... ]
quipsandthwips: (pic#12665495)

a. straw houses

[personal profile] quipsandthwips 2020-03-26 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Peter is being swiftly approached by a man waving pig hooves at him.

Which, you know, is a very serious thing. Super serious situation.

Say something supportive, Pete. Something helpful.

... Slowly, he holds up a finger, informative:]






I don't think this is what they mean, when they say 'bring home the bacon'.



[Nailed it.]
shoplifter: (pic#11989731)

arrival

[personal profile] shoplifter 2020-03-26 08:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Logan's here, a very young girl's voice reaches back, at some point. But not Charles.

Laura's sitting on her bed in the farmhouse, hands in her lap and eyes attentive, despite the way they bore holes into the wall; she had felt this feeling before — a little different, but very similar. Charles had found her, and she had reached out to him in return, and they'd spoken at length like this. Very much like this.

She wonders just who this could be, and has her guesses; there's quite a number of X-Men comics sitting on her dresser, after all.

You are a telepath, yes? A mutant?]