soddersays | APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

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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.

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I did. If you don't, you'll begin to... dissolve.

[ a beat. with their background, that sounds much more graphic than he means it. ]

That is, you'll... fade away. I'm not sure what will happen then— if it would take us back to where we were. But, ah... I doubt it.

[ So. He took the risk. There's so much to figure out about this place, anyway— surely there will be some way out. Jon has, at this point, escaped from worse. ]

That's what I assumed.

[He made a note.] A sort of collective delusion. Folie A Deux and...such.

[He shook his head.] All this notion of the supernatural is foolish. It's ...nice to see someone who agrees.

[She gets a long look as he makes one more note.] How long have you been here? The young woman who was running said people appear and disappear.

[Dissolving sounds horribly graphic and even as Jon's speaking Martin's getting a berry out and stuffing it into his mouth. It tastes... fine, really. Juicy and tart. He breathes a sigh of relief and closes that up, putting it into the refrigerator. The kettle starts to whistle and Martin rattles around getting tea--there's some in the cupboard, thank goodness--prepared. He doesn't have milk, but there's some sugar, and he puts some into his, fixing Jon's as best he can to the other man's usual tastes with what he has.

He brings a pair of plain mugs out and offers one to Jon.]

So. Sodder. I... don't remember seeing a name like that in any of the Statements. Or any of the books I read in the library. Ringing any bells for you?

[Arid straightens sharply as old parameters once again slam down around her. Must be obedient. Must not misrepresent reality. She has no choice but to speak.]

25 days prior, the humans native to this system commenced the observance of the spring equinox. They dressed in white uniforms and participated in various feasts and diversions, which were also attended by a number of captives. I did not participate.

On the second day of this festival, I witnessed an elderly human female standing on the roof of a multi-story building. She was singing, as eight native humans stood and observed below. One of these eight humans carried a wooden hammer, approximately one meter in length.

[Her voice expresses no anger or hurt. It is a placid, robotic monotone, helpful and matter-of-fact. It is thus acutely incongruous with the way Arid suddenly lunges forward, raising the needle mounted in its base and slashing it in a diagonal across the human’s face.

All the while, her narration continues.]

—When she had completed her song, she leapt from the roof and fell several stories to the pavement below. The fall appeared to kill her on impact. [She aims a kick just below the human’s knee in an attempt to force him to the ground.] The human with the mallet then used his weapon to crush her skull and ensure her demise.

[A beat, and then in that same pleasant voice.]

Do you require a demonstration?

[The dog just shifted it's shape. Richard watches it go, mentally running over just what that could be. His anxiety and nerves dissolve into annoyance. He rubs at his temple, pressing the bridge of his nose.]

No. Dogs aren't supposed to do that.

[He opens his own notebook and notes, wryly, that he's filled most of it.]

...How long were you following the dog?

[One thing that he and his compatriot have in common is the desire to cling to reason and facts. It's something he admires about Alex despite everything.]

Actually - listen let me buy you a cup of coffee son. You look nervous and I would...

I am in the business of phenomena like that.

[Stranger Danger much? Martin considers the other man for a long few seconds. What is with random people offering him coffee? Is it a being in America thing? Is this one of their customs?]

It was only a block or two, sir.

[But this man says he's in the business of this sort of thing. Maybe he'll have Statements that Jon could use? Hmm...]

You don't need to buy me anything, really, but we can talk. My name's Martin. [There's a light drizzle starting and Martin motions the man toward the nearest cafe-looking establishment.]

Edited 2020-04-08 18:52 (UTC)

[It could be worse, Neji thinks. However, it doesn't negate the fact that there's a mounting frustration with Deerington which he suspects isn't going to ease away-- not any time soon. And for the life(?) of him, thinking about time spent awake here is something he'd rather not indulge. It could be worse, he reminds himself, looking up from his Fluid and observing the other man's short travel.

He could have been the latest fresh meat, and it's somewhat of a relief that he isn't. So far... the notes scribbled on the Fluid made sense. There was no timing for the gates to open, close, welcome home the newest Sleepers.] You're new.

[Which might as well be 'hello' when someone isn't used to saying that word just 'because'. But it's not meant to paint a target on the stranger, and after all Neji might be in the wrong, so he amends.] At least I haven't seen you around before. [Which is all of 3 days worth of his own travels

but nobody needs to know that.]

[ Chloe’s eyes widen and she stiffens up at first at the sudden hug. Despite the kiss, she’s never been the best at affection she didn’t initiate, and surprise affection is that much more jarring. But she relaxes quickly enough, albeit still bemused as she puts an arm around Usagi. ]

I did...?

[ She had seriously not expected that to work in the slightest. There’s a small laugh that escapes her because hey, she always wanted to be the prince in a fairy tale before. ]

Uh... Cool.

It’s been a long time since I’ve pet a dog.

[Hr has found a thing to do]

[Honestly, that sounds like typical zombie apocalypse life. Who hasn’t almost died horribly at least once?]

Good to meet you, Louis. Any friend of Clem is good people in my book

[She doesn’t trust just anybody, after all]

[ Chloe’s eyebrows raise at the question, a small laugh escaping her. Obviously the guy’s cursed, that much is clear, and she finds it rather rich that it’s supposed to be her fault this is all going on. She leans against the counter, orders two lattes (the guy might as well have something to drink while he mimics her doing so), and then turns to look at him again once the barista has gone off to make the drinks. ]

I don’t have a plan because it’s not me who made you into a living mirror, bucko.

[ She was going to gesture towards the mirror, but stops herself short so he doesn’t have to do it too. There are little ways in which she’s not going to be a bitch here, apparently. ]

You’re cursed. Not my bad. Last person who was cursed around me broke it with a kiss, but... you’re not... really my type. No offense.

[ They had not actually broken it with a kiss, but neither girl had realized Usagi was just the type to spill about herself easily and broke it so quickly because of it. ]

Bad luck you’ve got. I’m a real movement based kinda gal.

I don't know. This kind of curse feels pretty... old school... [ Like Greek mythology levels of old school, with the pigs and.. Shit, did he step into The Odyssey without even realizing it?

And-- oh. Oh no. Jeff's starting to think he might've worded his question differently, like, maybe in a less potentially panic-inducing way? Now there's a chance she either thinks she might be cursed, or that the meat here used to be people-- which, come to think of it, was a possibility that hadn't occurred to Jeff, but he sure as hell can't shake it now.

But he's going to put that aside, try not to dwell on the possibilities, and focus on the one thing he can affect. ]

But it's okay. She'll be fine! We just have to get to this... enchanted stream? That's what the locals say. We get her there, sing a song, and bam! [ THUMBS UP. ] Good as new.

[ He... he thinks, anyway. Jeff doesn't really know for sure, but for Kaya's sake, and Fiona's, he's definitely going to act like he's totally confident. Fake it til you make it. ]

She'll be walking on two legs again in no time.

Edited 2020-04-08 19:43 (UTC)

I didn't feel any force making me follow you! I mean, like, I followed just now to tell you the curse was broken but like, I didn't need to follow you, I wanted to! [She says that a mile-a-minute and all in one breath. She's very excitable, this one.]

If ever I need a curse broken, it's going to be Chloe-chan to the rescue!

[ It is always nice to hear a flattering assessment of one's abilities; always nice to hear of a tough version of yourself somewhere.

And, of course, he asks a very good question. But this is her third go around in a place like this, and she highly doubts they'll be able to get out of here - worth a shot, of course, but she doubts it. Therefore to her, there's another, far more relevant bit of information. She smiles. ]

You're an X-Man?

[ Unless he's from that horrible world where she never broke free from Mystique... There would always be a connection with another mutant, but an X-Man, no matter the where or when, was family. ]

[Usagi came up beside Neji and looked between the two of them, the vendor glares at her, demanding she wait her turn but she merely turns to Neji and tilts her head.

She couldn't help being concerned... or well, nosy depending on who you asked.]

Hey, are you okay? [Usagi herself was pretty damn pale, but this young man looked both pale and unwell... more green than pale right now.]

Are you feeling okay?

[ It already has the ring of a Statement. He is, Jon realizes, already too far in. And too hungry. The thought of subsisting on nothing but written scraps makes him go cold with apprehension; he wants this.

At the word hunt, he trembles: just a moment's taut-wire tension. Her fear is so apparent. There's so much for her to tell him, and it's all new— these are things he's never heard before, things his patron has never seen—

He wants to be better than this. He's not. He's got a little girl in an alleyway and he can nearly see the tentacles in her dreams. ]

And you were... hunted.

[ There it is: that resonance again, prompting her, urging her to speak more freely than she would. It gives a strange weight to the air. Tell the story, it says.

(Sorry, Martin.) ]

[ He is watching her, listening, Seeing the scene as though it's playing out before him—

And then there's a line of pain across his face and Jon yells, sharp and shocked, and goes scrabbling backwards. He may be a monster, but he is not a fighter; the kick takes him down, and he hits the dirt with a thud and a yelp.

One hand clapped over his face, he looks wide-eyed up at her, rumpled and bloody. ]

No! No, I— that's enough!

[ He's breathing hard, free hand held out in a gesture of stop. ]

I, I'm sorry. I just— wanted to know.

[Okay, she's smiling. That's a good sign.]

~Yeah. Chamber. Graduating class of... whenever it was.~ [Sometimes it feels like he's still eighteen, living in the basement at the school. Other times - like now - it feels a hundred years ago.]

~I'm not a particularly good one, but I'm occasionally useful.~

[Okay but that helps nothing because he still doesn't know what a latte is, and he's not panicking over it but there's apprehension he smooths over by declaring it a simple shinobi instinct. Going by the girl's impressions so far, it's going to be something slightly unsavory he'll regret partaking in sooner rather than later.

So he raises an eyebrow right back, leaning against the counter and somehow managing to call up enough poise to make it look like it's his idea, neat and judging and

he smirks, because it's all he can do to keep the low bubble of hysterics from letting itself be known to the outside observers. Of course. Naturally. Cursed? Sure. And the kicker is- the girl rambles on, and Neji starts to lose his guardedness, at least for now, for the moment. There's the quick, universal, sharp light of

this is bullshit

in his eyes, something mocking tugging at his lips that isn't directed towards present company.] In that case, I appreciate your patience with me. [He'd bow-- to be overly sweet, too polite, and just an ass. But he can't, so he'll revel in the informational loot while he's allowed.] I'd hate for your good luck to have run out on my account.

[Movement. He could do that.]

You have to make sure you keep this to yourself and don't start clucking off with him. I have a turtle at risk here.

Think of the turtles, bacondonut.

I wasn't always made out of grass!

[There's no way anyone could reasonably know that, but Fern is upset and caring a little less about being reasonable right now.]

The townspeople aren't the same as the rest of us. They're - I'm not even sure they're human. The rest of us are Sleepers, people who fell asleep or got knocked out and stuck in this dream.

[Then Fern pauses, realizing that that explanation might not be the clearest thing ever.]

We're all from different universes, 'cause that's a thing. Multiple universes. Probably an infinite number of 'em.

[ He takes the mug gratefully, just enjoying the warmth of it in his hands and the calm rhythm of Martin's movements. ]

No. I don't know it. [ He sighs. ] Nothing here is familiar, honestly. I can't... I can't Know about this place, even when I try. I can't see the shape of it. Even the Eye feels distant. It's... a bit like being in the Buried.

[ Which is. worrying. ]

( the first thing that comes to mind when she sees him; it's a shame certain people didn't get their hands on some bacon. her second thought; shit. shit! SHIT!

and finally, deep breaths Michelle. you can do this. you can totally ‒ maybe, do this.

after about two minutes she switches her feed to video. coming across the screen looking bored. not angry, or terrified at seeing him, just bored. one might even go as far as saying it's as if she doesn't know him. (spoiler: she does.) )

And what part of people turning into swines screams wholesome to you?

( until she sees him in his getup, costume, whatever, she isn't going to touch on him looking remotely familiar. )

Edited (html fail) 2020-04-08 20:28 (UTC)

[ Strong -- and freezing! Rogue lets out an involuntary squeal, but she doesn't attempt to wiggle free.

So now Val just needs to sing a little, and this whole nightmare should be over. ]

Y-yeah, me too! It's kind of weird. I can't remember the last time I was in the woods. Not since I was a kid. [He'd wandered around Blackley Forest a few times, but he'd never done a lot of that.]

Edited 2020-04-08 20:37 (UTC)

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APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

YOU UNCULTURED SWINE

GOOD ENDURES

Character Arrival

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video; un; boh

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