soddersays | APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Entry tags:

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!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

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.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, I would love to tell you, but I kind of made a deal with the asshole rooster and he swore me to clucky secrecy. If I betray him now, I may be on a chicken run for the rest of the day.

You have to swear on the best chicken nuggets you've ever had you will not tell him that I'm even talking to you, let alone revealing the chicken burrito secret location.

Oh, I don't really drink wine.

[He bites back on the tannins lie he'd used at Jon's birthday party years ago and just sort of flaps his hands vaguely. Mostly, the thought of being out of control with drink is anxiety-inducing. Much more so in the past than now, but he's still not keen to let himself go.]

Thank you, though. I'm not religious, no. It's still sort of- Um... It's kind of impossible not to be aware of Christianity where I'm from? So, just- it's just odd. Not bad! Mm...

[He frowns, trying to think how to put it.]

I guess... my experience with things people think of as gods hasn't been the best, but you seem really nice. I hope it stays that way.

Edited 2020-04-07 22:18 (UTC)

It's been four months. Two in town. Two in vastly different other places but that's even more impossible to explain.

It being a dream ironically makes the most sense. Including the people coming and going at random.

[He pauses then holds out a hand.]

I'm Detective Loki.

[ he's fully prepared to be on edge the entire time this man is here, with that.. being staring at him from beneath the stranger's skin. but then he says something that sort of reminds him of something martin had said. feeding on stories, hadn't he put it..? ]

Oh, [ he says, surprised, something in his posture easing and the nervous fear ebbing to the background. ] Are you Jon? Jon.. um, Sims? I've met your-- your-- [ come to think of it, he hadn't really asked martin to put a label on his relationship with his jon. ] --your Martin. Come in, I'll get some paper and write something down for you. [ he ushers the other man further in and shuts the door behind him.

the house is pretty much spotless except the living room, which has been converted into a kind of studio. there's plastic on the floor and a canvas atop it, sketches taped to the walls and stacked everywhere, and supplies wherever he has room for them. instead of leading jon into the living room, then, sunny takes him to the kitchen. ]

He told me about your.. would you call them dietary requirements..? I-- Sorry, your watcher is.. new to me. Can I get you coffee, tea, something else..?

[ he eases back in his chair to sip his own glass, eyes crinkling up a little at the explanation. ]

Thank you. I don't really.. [ he trails off for a moment, fingers drumming against the bowl of the glass. ] I'm human, though. I'm.. Sunny. I kind of think of us as two separate.. beings, even though I know technically we're not. God was kind of a bastard in my opinion, and I don't.. want to be Him. I know that might change one day, because let's face it, God's a lot more important than Sunny Holiday, but..

[ his shoulders lift in a narrow little shrug. ] In the meantime, I keep the lid on the box as well as I can.

[ This actually, genuinely startles him out of it. Jon blinks at the man, expression blank and bemused, and then at the name Martin everything in his face and posture just melts into a stunned little smile. Jon gives an honest-to-god laugh and runs a hand through his hair, still shaky. ]

My Martin. [ The way he says it is... embarrassingly warm. Jon doesn't really have the presence of mind to care, at the moment. ] Of course. Yes, I... thank you.

[ So he follows. Jon hovers politely a few paces behind, watching him. ]

No need. But if you must— tea, then. Thank you. [ It will be awful, American tea, he's sure, but he will drink it in Martin's honor. And, again, with more feeling: ] Really— thank you.

[ jon goes soft and gooey the same way martin does, and for a few seconds there, it's easy to forget about the eyes staring through him, because it's just. sweet. ] Y'all couldn't be more head over heels for one another if you tried, [ he says with a breath of laughter. his head still aches and he still feels as if his body's all wrong, but it's not as bad as it was gearing up to be. he doesn't look at his hands as he pulls down the little electric kettle for hot water and think: are those mine? and that's something.

he takes a mug down for the other man, opens his cabinet where he keeps his tea and coffee, and makes a musing noise. ] All I've been able to pick up so far is a store-brand black tea. It's okay, but probably not the best you've ever had in your life.

[ it'll do if all jon wants is something to wrap his hands around and focus on, though.

he leans his hips against the countertop as he waits for the kettle to boil, arms folded loosely over his abdomen. ] You don't have to thank me. I mean.. the eyes are spooky, but it's not your fault. It's not even the first time I've seen something with a lotta' eyes. [ a beat, holding up a finger as if asking him to pause. ] Um, don't.. ask about it, he said to remind you. I'll write that bit down, too. He told me a little bit about you. [ in spite of himself, he grins. ] He's so smitten there's no hiding it.

[It really is like Jon and being the Archivist. Except Sunny's presumably slightly more benevolent and focused on creation as the Christian God than the Fears are. Still, he cocks his head.]

Mm... In my experience, individual people are a lot more important day-to-day than any god. [And a small shrug.] Just a thought. Especially if people are getting along without a god. Is there anything I could do to... help with keeping the lid on? I know we just met, but if you need to be... fed in different ways? Or- whatever. I can try?

[ Jon gives another little huff of a laugh, at that, but doesn't deny it. He nods readily enough at the promise of mediocre bag tea. He hadn't expected quality. A warm distraction will do.

At the promise of something with a lotta eyes he straightens unconsciously, alert like a dog scenting game. The hunger is back in his eyes before he knows it's showing. Once his host thinks to cut him off, he settles a little, reluctantly, chewing his lip. Tone wry and tired: ]

It's— difficult not to ask. Not as bad once I know you intend to write it down, though. [ Then it's not denial of knowledge, just patience. Jon is not good at patience, necessarily, but he's never had such a strong reason to learn.

The talk of Martin loosens him up a little more, eases his posture back down to something closer to normal. Jon resumes a noble effort to act like a person instead of a monster. ] I'm sorry— I never asked your name. You know mine.

[ gosh, it really is a hunger, isn't it? you can see jon's posture change, his eyes--all of them--refocusing, laser-sharp and intense. if this had happened ten minutes ago, sunny would have been very, very on edge. ]

I can imagine. [ it must be like starving and having your favorite dish dangled in front of your nose without being allowed to touch it or taste it. ] I promise, I'll write down everything I can think of. Like I told Martin, though, I can't say they'll all be.. good? Some of it's pretty mundane, for uh.. supernatural.. stuff. [ angels are just a part of his life now, whether they're human-shaped and perched on a stool for him to sketch or impossible creatures of eyes and wings and holy fire checking in on his migraines.

but then he smiles, warm and kind and a little crooked. ] Sunny. Sunny Holiday. [ a beat. ] My ma had a sense of humor, I guess. [ he's heard all the jokes. he knows his name is silly. ] It's nice to meet you, Jon. Really.

[ the kettle clicks and he jumps a little, laughing at his own jitteriness as he pours water over a teabag for the other man. he sets out cream and sugar for him, then pours coffee for himself, setting everything out on the little kitchen table.

before he sits, he finds his sketchbook and a pen, holds both up for jon's inspection. ] I don't usually keep lined paper around. Will this be okay?

[ Slow blink.

She doesn't... feel any different. ]

What is?

[Daisy bristles a little (not quite literally, but -- close) at the mention of the coffin, arms crossing over her chest, shoulders tensing. The pig squeaks a little, ducking behind Jon's legs. Definitely seeing her as the apex predator here.]

Then what good's it? Your -- powers. If they can't work enough to even tell us where we are and why, they're not much help.

[ Jon tries to think of a delicate way to phrase this, fails utterly, and resigns himself to sounding like some horror. He is, so it's only fair. ]

The more... intense experiences feed it most effectively. It's... a being innately tied to fear.

[ He wants the shock and terror of being faced with something impossible; he wants to taste this man's distress. He hates it, but there it is.

And— Sunny Holiday? Really? That's remarkably unfortunate. Still: he could never have imagined so warm a welcome. ]

You as well.

[ Jon settles in with his tea, holding it while it steeps. The warmth is, somehow, comforting, and the nod he gives Sunny is grateful. ] Yes, absolutely. It's the content that matters, not the, ah... delivery.

[ Except that spoken is much different than written, of course. He wonders how much Martin has explained. ]

[ he eases down into his own chair, setting the sketchpad down and tapping the pen against his lips. ] So times I was scared of the stuff I see. Angels count? [ he starts a hesitant bulleted list so he has an idea of some of the things to write for the other man. ] Witches, probably.. [ some of the weirder things he doesn't have a name for, too.

he glances back up when jon mentions the delivery, setting his pen down to finally put cream and sugar in his coffee. ] Martin said that telling you would give me nightmares. [ not like he doesn't already have those, but.. ] What's the difference? I mean, if you don't mind answering. Does it.. have something to do with the.. distance? [ to actually tell it is kind of to be in the moment, isn't it? while putting it on paper gives you the chance to sit back and think about it, rewrite it, leave things out or add things in.. it's certainly not as immediate as telling a story. ]

W--wait I---

[ The incredulous scoff that bubbles up leaves him before he can righty stop it. What an absurd idea. He would know, wouldn't he? Granted, his only recent experience with another telepath was with Emma Frost. Surely it wouldn't feel so vastly different?

He takes a step back towards the direction the other man is going, questions whirling in his own mind. His charge takes that very moment to squeal noisily and he's left at an impasse. He can't leave the poor person like this when they're so close.

Still, there's such a nagging feeling that this man is familiar to him. Then it finally dawns on him. ]

Now, I remember. So you're hardly capable of manners no matter where you are.

Tsk. [Elias looks disappointed, waving a dismissive hand. You're absolutely no fun, Jon.] I would think you'd prefer to be at your best in an unfamiliar place, with all manner of unforeseen dangers. But if you prefer to be malnourished and slow, that's your business, I suppose.

...it'd be a pity, though, if your, ah...friends were to turn up and you found yourself unable to defend them.

[ he blinks, then smiles a little helplessly, looking tired and sad and a little fragile for a moment. ] Well, I have to hope that's what He was thinking. [ that humanity was too important, that humanity choosing its own path was too important to risk interfering in, even unintentionally.

but the idea of feeding god.. he drains his glass of wine and sets it back down on the table. ] No, it's.. Thank you, that's really sweet of you to offer, but I think I just have to be, uh.. strong. I think. It might even be.. easier here, without Michael around missing his parent.

[ speaking of being here and all.. ] Do you need to contact your Jon, by the way? I-- I just realized I sort of kidnapped you.

[ Actually, she was talking to herself - so if she jumps a little at the voice and slowly turns around a little wide-eyed... please don't take it personally. It's not you.

She was walking for quite a bit and there hadn't been anyone else in sight. ]

A-america? [ Never heard of it. ] W-where's that?

[ That suggestion of a coat sounds like a good idea. She can feel the cold in her bones. It's not... too uncomfortable. A little like stepping out of a cold shower into an already cold room - or close enough. ]

Edited 2020-04-08 00:21 (UTC)

[ Interest piqued, he finds it difficult to focus on the townsperson, but the nudge in the right direction from the man next to him does help. Lucky for their new swine friend, Charles was already planning on helping. ]

Magical stream. Of course, that would make perfect sense. [ Charles picks up his new charge, and goes back over to the booth, sliding in and setting it on the cushion beside him. ]

Do you? How remarkable. [ He's been in people's minds. Seen the worlds they have created of their own but---well, nothing so marvelous as this. ] Only in theory, really.

So, you have the ability to create and manipulate the fabric of reality?

[ He grits his teeth at Elias. That was transparent and terrible and it is absolute working goddammit. ]

They wouldn't want me to. They've made that very clear.

And you didn't answer my question. [ Every word precise, emphasized: ] Can I feed without hurting people? [ He stops short of pushing compulsion into it but oh it's tempting. ]

[ Despite calling out to her, Jeff startles a little when the girl pokes her head out from behind a rock-- not all flailing limbs or anything, just a little jerk, reflexively clutching the pig closer to his chest for a moment, before he takes her in and noticeably relaxes. His own greeting is friendly, spoken with a somewhat bewildered smile. ]

Hey!

[ She's a kid. Younger than his daughter, by the looks of it, but probably close to the same age. And though he doesn't know her from anyone else here, Jeff can't help but feel a little surge of protectiveness, not just as a dad and a teacher, but, like, as the adult here, in a weird dream-like town where people can get turned into pigs for eating a ham sandwich. (Fiona.) ]

Oh, we're okay-- [ He exchanges a look with the pig in his arms, and she snorts in disgruntlement. Jeff grimaces a little. ] Sorry. I'm okay; she's not. Okay, seriously, can I put you down now? [ The pig oinks out something that sounds like a very impatient Fine, and Jeff gingerly sets her on the ground to stretch her legs. For her part, she trots on over to the girl and appears to size her up with a scrutinizing gaze. ] I'm Jeff. And that's, ah... Fiona. She's under a curse.

[ That explains enough, right? Jeff steps towards her, though he moves cautiously, giving her space in case she doesn't trust him-- which he'd totally understand, since he's a total stranger and was just serenading a pig. ]

Are you okay? You didn't eat any pork or bacon or anything recently, did you? Oh man, please tell me you didn't.

[ His mind's already racing to the WORST CASE SCENARIOS. Because if she starts to fall under the curse, he has no idea how he's going to get two pigs up the mountain! ]

Edited 2020-04-08 00:41 (UTC)

[How... old is this girl? She has to be- that's basic geography. Or maybe there's some weird reason she doesn't know? Martin's brows knit together.]

I think it would be easier to say if you tell me where you're from? Why don't we go into that shop to talk?

[They should have a heater. He's motioning to the Wasteland Thrift Shop. If she needs a coat, that might be the place to go.]

[ Funny, for someone she's just met (or maybe it's because he's one of the few she's encountered here so far), she really likes talking to Jon.

So when he goes quiet and there's that... look on his face, she can't help but take a small step back. ]

J... Jon?

[ She knows that look.

It was luck that she ducked into the music department - the old building at the far end of the school field where kids her age rarely went because it wasn't a place where most kids could run around.

She feels the ominous cr-cr-crack of thunder reverberating in her bones as she makes her way up the steps, her body heavy because her uniform is drenched all the way down to her skirt. The main corridor is narrow and lined with plaques and photographs. But there are stairs that lead up into the concert hall's balcony area.

She'll be safe up there. She hopes she'll be safe up there. Maybe it won't find her here--

--and she'll do her best not to throw up because she can't get the image of Miss Alvarez speared through by snake-like bone tentacles out of her head.

It looks wrong on his face. ]

Jon...? What's wrong?

[ The young girl at the table draws his attention. A simple game that almost makes this town seem less sinister. He uses that term to himself mostly because what else could it be if not that. Why should their hosts not make themselves known?

He tries to focus on that because thinking of what is waiting for him back home is decidedly less appealing a thought. A world on the brink of war. It was hard to see past that. He did hope that they managed to make it through. He hoped, one day, he might open a school for people like himself and the others. Somewhere they could explore their powers safely. Be accepted for who they are.

His thoughts quickly spiral away from that course. Mostly because he sees a person hardly watching where they are going that is about to run into the table where the little girl is stacking her tower of cards. Too far to stop her in time by getting up, he touches two fingers to his temple and focuses.

It's more difficult for him to access his power here. Slippery in a way that reminds him of much older times he'd rather not revisit. Still, he can utilize enough to nudge the person in another direction mentally. Just enough that he narrowly bypasses the table. After, he drops his hand back down to rest on the table as if nothing happened. ]

That was rather close, wasn't it?

[ He lets her inspect his finger, before taking his hand back to inspect the cut again. Nothing looks off, but that doesn't mean much when dealing with magic. ]

Okay, in my defense, I totally didn't mean to touch the damn thing. I definitely remember thinking to myself: do not go near any mysterious objects that only appear in fairy tales and the Renaissance Festival, because that shit definitely spells trouble and--

And then, it was like...

[ Jeff trails off, frowning, as he tries to figure out how to describe it. It's difficult, though, because every time he tries to pinpoint the memory of that moment, it's like it gets swept away in a fog. ]

Um. Anyway. You don't happen to have any experience with breaking a curse, do you?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 72 of 116

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

YOU UNCULTURED SWINE

GOOD ENDURES

Character Arrival

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

henlo ouo

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject