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.
doesntpaint: (0214 (EG))

[personal profile] doesntpaint 2020-04-10 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ As luck would have it, Tony's just gotten a mouthful of the pork, but hasn't swallowed it yet when the bearded guy's warning comes. Don't mind him if he talks with his mouthful. ]

Yeah? What kind of food poisoning are we talking here?

[ If it's the puking over the toilet kind, then of course he's gonna spit that thing right out. ]
fiorenero: (.19)

[personal profile] fiorenero 2020-04-10 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Did they? How considerate of you... you what?

( if she looks a little pale it's because she is. feeling sick will do that to a person.

eventually she nods. )


The one and only. Can't say I know you. Not from Peter. He's never mentioned you. Unless... ( she pulls herself together enough to feign surprise. ) Holy shit! You're the guy. The guy from the news back home! You saved everyone when the water monster attacked Venice!
laruetheday: robins @ insanejournal (thanks for setting the bar so low.)

[personal profile] laruetheday 2020-04-10 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ Clarisse didn't find the trip up the mountain hot at all, mostly because Robin was a pig during it. But now that she's human again, Clarisse can admit there's a certain level of, like, weird Greek romance attached to this whole thing. Turning someone human again. It's kind of intense.

She props herself up on her elbows so she can look at Robin more closely. She would've thought there were better questions to ask first. Things like "what the fuck?" and "who are you?" and "no, really, what the fuck?" But apparently not. ]


What, you don't have The Offspring where you come from?
littlelesshelpless: (did someone say mothman)

[personal profile] littlelesshelpless 2020-04-10 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Bella shakes her head quickly, eyes widening a bit.] N-No, no, you're doing great! You already know waaaaay more than I do -- I just got here, like, ten minutes ago. It's really reassuring to hear about some of the stuff that happens, just so I'm...prepared and all.
itknowsyou: used with artist permission (/=- toward death)

[personal profile] itknowsyou 2020-04-10 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ He nods along, too tired to protest. A private collection. Surely they'll find scraps enough here to keep him going. He doesn't presently have the energy to worry about what will happen if it's not enough. ]

Maybe. I hope so.

[ He is so, so tired. John leans his head back against Martin's shoulder— and frowns when this gives him a clear view of the new patterns ringing the man's throat. ]

May I... look at this? [ His fingers hover over the tattoo, a little crease of worry forming again between his eyes. ]
doesntpaint: (0196 (CW))

[personal profile] doesntpaint 2020-04-10 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
Hulk, as in really big green guy?

What, is it his birthday or something?
littlelesshelpless: (checked out of this convo)

[personal profile] littlelesshelpless 2020-04-10 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
-- oh. [Bella stands still for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest and inhaling slowly, before letting her breath out in a long, shaky exhale.] Okay. Um. When, then? Can I -- is there any way to know?

[She sounds younger than she is, and lost. She blinks upwards, manages a shaky half-smile.] Bella. Hi, Dana.
imarealistnotacynic: (Default)

[personal profile] imarealistnotacynic 2020-04-10 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
Something close to it. Some kind of...fungal mutation that's -

[He gestures at one of the patrons how - with a pop - falls to the floor with a squeal, tangled in her clothes.]

Doing that. Near as I can figure.
thenovice: (pic#13255420)

here's some general weirdness for ya girl

[personal profile] thenovice 2020-04-10 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
[There's a soft, short laugh behind her, as she deposits the food she has on her plate into the trash; the teenaged, irish monk (tm) had been busy today after school, collecting bottles or cans deposited on the roadside to re-purpose (as he tends to do when he's stir-crazy).

A quick visit for sandwiches 'to go' at Dearly Diner afterward, and here he is...!]


You've my apology, for the way this town behaves.

If you'd like — I have a spare meal?

[Don't mind him tugging back a long robe sleeve, to reach into his satchel. He has a very neatly wrapped turkey and cheese sandwich, one he must admit was some gluttony on his part. He's a growing boy?

He holds it out to her.]


One not made with anything that will change your appearance, praise be.
itknowsyou: used with artist permission (+ that will lead us back)

[personal profile] itknowsyou 2020-04-10 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ Jon startles at the movement, and looks at him, uncomprehending. Slowly, gently, it breaks across his face: something softer than he's felt in... in a very long time, from anyone but Martin. Sunny's gesture is so stunningly, unexpectedly kind. There is no reason this man needs to be be... to be so...

Well. Voicing what he feels in moments like this has never been Jon's strong suit, anyway.

He averts his eyes, breathes a soft little breath out. The tension all drops from his shoulders, some; he doesn't notice. He is trying to find a way to say thank you that won't sound too wobbly or too stilted. He is failing. ]


I... yes. Right. That's... a good idea. Whatever you're comfortable with.

[ And: ] What you're doing... I appreciate it.
mysterioisthetruth: (Advanced tech)

Appropriate. XD And I saw you've apped! Yay and good luck!

[personal profile] mysterioisthetruth 2020-04-10 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I'm working on it.

[Which could be working on the tech - or working on finding that hero.]
slayertude: (pic#6692902)

[personal profile] slayertude 2020-04-10 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Hey, I know my favorite color, and I know your favorite color is not orange. It's- More blues and greens and-

[ She watches Xander flipping through the racks, really confused by what's going on here. ]

How about all of the above? You know it all depends on the outfit I'm- we're putting together. Hey, what's your favorite animal?

[ It's kind of a long shot, but anything's worth a try, right? ]
lonelynotforsaken: name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (uncertain | okay...)

[personal profile] lonelynotforsaken 2020-04-10 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
My mole?

[Martin's brows knit in momentary confusion as he tries to crane his head to see where Jon's reaching. He knows he as a few moles here and there.]

Um... sure?
mysterioisthetruth: (Laughing hero)

[personal profile] mysterioisthetruth 2020-04-10 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
The one and only!

[He grins.]

Quentin Beck, but you probably know me better as Mysterio.
itknowsyou: used with artist permission (/ find me)

[personal profile] itknowsyou 2020-04-10 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
The... tattoo.

[ His fingers brush the design, and then slide to cup Martin's cheek and gently angle his face away. He neatly tugs Martin's collar out of the way, shifting up onto his knees on the couch to get a better look.

Antlers wreathed in... fog. It sends an awful pang through him, and Jon lets go. Sits back. ]


The letter said we'd each been given one.
lonelynotforsaken: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (smile | blush)

[personal profile] lonelynotforsaken 2020-04-10 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
Okay. Well, good luck! Nice talking to you.

[Sort of. At least it hasn't been disastrous.]
lonelynotforsaken: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (smile | blush)

[personal profile] lonelynotforsaken 2020-04-10 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
[Martin tilts his head immediately at Jon's gentle touch. There's a blush that colors his cheeks as Jon tugs at his collar, and this is not the time to think about things, but he kind of likes Jon scrutinizing him like that. He's about the only person Martin likes looking at him closely anymore. The tattoo mention has him wanting to find a mirror, but one thing at a time.]

Right. Um... where's yours?

[He cocks his head, gaze scanning Jon's neck, then moving to his hands and... really, that's about all that's visible.]
itknowsyou: used with artist permission (/=- to be up all night)

[personal profile] itknowsyou 2020-04-10 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know. [ Said irritably. ] There have been other priorities.

[ He hadn't wanted to get undressed in that empty, untrustworthy house. He... is deciding whether he feels safe enough to get undressed now. Nothing has come for them yet, and the ritual of sitting with tea does, he has to admit, help calm him down. He is more exhausted than wired, right now, though Jonathan Sims is an expert at combining the two. ]

I don't feel anything new.
vatical: mooncons | ij (027)

[personal profile] vatical 2020-04-10 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ for a second or two, he's not sure if he's being.. presumptuous. but then jon seems to go soft and a little startled, and sunny has to stop and wonder when it was someone was last just.. a little kind to him. other than martin, that is.

he smiles at the thanks, sweet and warm. ]
Nothing to thank me for, hon. How about you enjoy the tea best you can, maybe text Martin a little, and I'll go write this up real quick.

[ he pushes his pen into his hair, tucks the sketchbook under his arm, and grabs his coffee, and heads into his studio/living room. it's easy to see him from the kitchen if you turn that way, but he's just enough out of sight that maybe it'll help jon focus on other things.

he's not gone for too long, at least, returning with two pages rolled up. he drops his sketchbook back on the table, this time with a charcoal pencil, and offers out the rolled pages. ]
I think it might need some explanation afterward, but um. If you have questions, you can text me about it if you want later. [ then, probably a little unexpectedly: ] Do you mind if I sketch you?
lonelynotforsaken: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (smile | blush)

[personal profile] lonelynotforsaken 2020-04-10 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, well... neither did I.

[Martin's got his own nervous sort of energy going.]

I could look, if you want? [He bites his lip. This is not a sexy scavenger hunt across Jon's body. This is not a sexy scavenger hunt.] We don't have to do it right now, though.
slayertude: (pic#6692706)

[personal profile] slayertude 2020-04-10 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ Buffy looks disappointed that that didn't seem to help. Or at least, she can't tell if anything's changed. ]

Um- I accidentally burned down the gym at my old high school. Does that count?

[ She looks at her hands, waiting to see if the wrinkles will start receding. If they are, they're going very slowly. ]

Is anything happening?
itknowsyou: used with artist permission (+ that love is like ghosts)

[personal profile] itknowsyou 2020-04-10 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ He hesitates. Cranes his neck to peer out the window, as though he'll happen to spot some new horror preparing to strike at them. He doesn't. The house, the street, all look at the same as before. ]

I... suppose things are quiet for the moment. The letter implied a certain baseline normality.

[ A beat. ] It wouldn't hurt to check. We've, uh... found yours.
yolos: (xoxo 01)

cw, just to be safe: body parts, death (children)

[personal profile] yolos 2020-04-10 03:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ Her breath is short as she recounts the whole ordeal to him, unable to filter out the gory specifics: it was small enough that it had been at most a Class 3 - not that the categorization would give anyone much comfort.

Deep Ones are loosely accounted for in terms of size and weight, and a Class 3 falls to the middle of the spectrum.

It had bad eyesight, but they had learned too late that it paid attention to sound and vibrations, capable of tracking them by tasting the echo of their steps in the air and ground.

It moved silently, not unlike a spider maneuvering on a web. So she only noticed the sudden lack of weight behind Maite's arm when she stopped and the hand she held in hers was too light, the fingers curled around her own as if the nerves had not registered the other girl's death.

It's difficult to breathe when you can't scream for fear that the monster will find you.

Her first friend - her best friend was gone. Swallowed whole without so much as a peep and the thing was hunting her. And she was now alone, her small and wayward group picked off like a food off a plate.

She doesn't see Jon anymore. Doesn't notice that he's come so close or that the pull of yes, tell me the story is coming from him.

Instead, Kaya draws her knees up, tight against her chest; hands cold and body shivering from the remebered feeling of the wind roaring, the rain pouring, and the sound of the creature moving a floor beneath her.

She starts to pray in the tongue of her hometown, a soft and lyrical sound memorized from years of practice. She's still young enough to believe that there's an omniscient being looking out for all of humanity, but old enough not to hope that whatever It is, it will intervene. ]
Edited 2020-04-10 03:35 (UTC)
lonelynotforsaken: name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (work | sweat)

[personal profile] lonelynotforsaken 2020-04-10 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Okay, okay. This is fine. it might just be on Jon's stomach. He'll lift up his shirt a little and that will be that. Still. Martin sets down his tea and rises, moving to the window to shut the curtains for privacy.]

Right. I assume you took a look at your feet when you put your shoes on? So... start with your top and work down? [Is that too eager?] O-or you can go to the loo. There's a mirror in there.
kaleeopee: ✘that's how you'll stay (✘and forever more)

[personal profile] kaleeopee 2020-04-10 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Sasha is quiet for a long time. She stands there, still as stone, just processing Jon's words. The details of Amy Patel's statement are clarifying in her mind: the thing that climbed into the fourth window of Graham Folger's flat, cleared out his things, how it supposedly took over his life.

She remembered tracking down one of his notebooks, the repeated ramblings on every page of just "Keep Watching". How Amy Patel was the only one who remembered the real Graham.

Which one of them had remembered her?]


...Knew I should've quit when I had the chance. [There's a sad sort of smile tugging at the corners of her mouth though there's no actual mirth in it.] Could have avoided this whole mess if I'd just done that when I was thinking about it, y'know?