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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.
lightthedarkness: (Sailor Moon) (Hm I wonder)

[personal profile] lightthedarkness 2020-04-13 07:02 am (UTC)(link)
Oh... well, um, but why? [Nope, she didn't forget.]

Mnn! Not all aliens are mean though! There are some super nice ones who protect and help our planet too! [She doesn't have time to be traumatized, oh sure, deep DEEP in her psyche she is, especially when it's an immortal gig she never gets to give up unless she stops existing. But HEY let's just SHOVE those thoughts deep, deep, deeeeeeep down where they will never ever ever see the light of day, yaaaay! But, no, in truth, she accepts her role as much as he does.]

Oh? Well, if they're nice aliens I would befriend them! I mean, what's any different to befriending someone from outer space than it would be befriending someone from a different country, yeah? Different customs and different appearances, but I don't see why them not being from earth would stop anything.
redheat: redheat. (❝she's got bubble wrap around her heart❞)

[personal profile] redheat 2020-04-13 07:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ This would be a moment of truth, wouldn't it? Where one comes to wonder if telling someone from their past might change or alter the course of time itself and rewrite actions and decisions that haven't yet been done or made. Granted, being within a dreamscape of sorts might actually offer a sort of resistance to any change that might be made... provided a dreamer doesn't remember their time or interactions with those locked in here with them.

It's with a momentary glance off to the side that she then looks back to him and offers him a smile of reassurance. To see him here like this, even being much younger... it's a comfort she didn't know she needed. But, then again, he was always good at being that for her. ]


Isn't there usually the possibility of changing ones future should they know too much from it?
thenovice: (pleasant)

[personal profile] thenovice 2020-04-13 08:03 am (UTC)(link)
[He watches her with rounded, surprised eyes as she works everything through her head, holding the sandwich out as patiently as ever; maybe offering the sandwich still is a silly thing, but he's always been one for tenacity. He's not particularly lost by the response; he knows exactly what is vexing her, and so he smiles apologetically.]

We share very similar faces, Peter and I. It is not the first time someone thought me Peter. My name is Diarmuid, and I can assure you, you're safe to eat this. I had some earlier without any concerning changes.

[But if they do end up influenced by even a regular turkey sandwich, at least it shall not be alone???]
slayertude: (pic#13907174)

[personal profile] slayertude 2020-04-13 08:43 am (UTC)(link)
Gosh, anyone who does ballet has like, my total respect. Dancing, skating, gymnastics- it's all way outside my comfort zone.

[ She smiles, relief evident in her face as she looks back at Bella. ] Yeah- yeah, I'm a teenager, and boy, am I ever glad for it. [ Now she has both renewed respect for the elderly, and a firm understanding that she wants to enjoy her youth while she has it. ]

Me too. That was some good thinking.

[ Honestly, if this were back in Sunnydale, she'd think about recruiting Bella to join the team. ]
doesntpaint: (061)

[personal profile] doesntpaint 2020-04-13 08:43 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds like we've got a plan then.

I'll be waiting right here.
doesntpaint: (0215 (EG))

[personal profile] doesntpaint 2020-04-13 08:44 am (UTC)(link)
Great. Glad to hear it.

[ And for Tony's part, he still hasn't forgotten about that. It's kind of impossible to, even though a lot's happened in the intervening years, but he still feels a pinprick of guilt when he looks at Bucky and remembers that terrible fight they had way back then.

But time has passed, a lot has happened, and he kind of feels like maybe they're in a decent place. Maybe. At least they won't be trying to kill each other this time. ]


Yeah, you too. Still sporting the metal arm, I see. [ It's not really funny, but Tony's not grinning or anything, just making an observation to try and fill in the space. ]
vlogged: (pp | 013)

[personal profile] vlogged 2020-04-13 09:22 am (UTC)(link)
[he doesn't move for a few moments, his arms wrapped tightly around tony as he (selfishly) takes comfort in the fact that the man is here again. that he isn't alone. he knows that he should really be disappointed that he's back. that he isn't at home with his wife and daughter. but...he needed this too. for all the friends he has here, they aren't mr stark.

but eventually, he does force himself to step away, a wide grin on his face as he almost bounces in place.]


You read the letter, right? And you ate the berries? [of course he did. this is tony stark.] I uh- I brought my notes too. About this place? There's not much, but I thought you might want to look. The other Peter knows a lot more about Deerington than me though.
bettorup: (Default)

[personal profile] bettorup 2020-04-13 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh, good, multiple kidnapping dimensions. Javi does not like the sound of that. Louis does bring up a good point, though: the lack of muertos is a plus. One Javi is not really used to yet.

But the survivor instinct will not relax so easily]


So this place is safe, then? No bandits or anything like that?
especiallyparanoid: (serious – oh.)

[personal profile] especiallyparanoid 2020-04-13 11:56 am (UTC)(link)
Well. I suppose the catch would be that you get to live in a terrible dreamscape that occasionally seeks you out to torment or kill you.

[You know. As terrible dreamscapes do.]

Ever since my arrival I have had my memories tampered with, made an addict to a power-enhancing slug species and witnessed sacrificial mass suicides from the local inhabitants.

[Or, you know. One of those Tuesdays for the Buffy crowd.]
fiorenero: (.42)

[personal profile] fiorenero 2020-04-13 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
ooooooookay. i take it back, i'm sorry they're here.

the academic decathlon. it sounds boring but it's not. promise. it can be intense. do you have anything like it where you're from?

right. so note to self: definitely don't bring up the titanic to anyone. are there any other subjects or incidents i should avoid talking about?
oversight: ([±] it's a picnic)

[personal profile] oversight 2020-04-13 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh. Sorry. Wrong number I guess. I was trying to reach someone else. You're new in town?
casuistic: (is much appreciated)

[personal profile] casuistic 2020-04-13 05:05 pm (UTC)(link)
No, but something not nice happened here.

[ Eames is nothing if not persistent. ]
paradoxpoint: (Default)

[personal profile] paradoxpoint 2020-04-13 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
No shit, Sherlock. It's Deerington.
teamfun: (Take the pain take the fear)

[personal profile] teamfun 2020-04-13 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
No bandits. I wouldn't say it's safe. There's still stuff that tries to kill us on the regular. Usually shows up mid-month. It's a nightmare dimension, so we traded out bandits and walkers and starvation for mental torture and bigger monsters.

But, you know. We have electricity. And hot water.
casuistic: (075 (1))

[personal profile] casuistic 2020-04-13 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[ And Arthur is nothing if not consistent.

Eames quiets for a moment and then nods, levelling Arthur with a look that speaks volumes of his frustration.

Apparently Arthur isn't going to tell him what happened to him. ]


Anything else you want to add, Arthur?
paradoxpoint: (you've got to listen)

[personal profile] paradoxpoint 2020-04-13 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Some lemon to my next drink, I think.

[Translation: no.]

Want me to get the next round?
casuistic: (just bloody difficult)

[personal profile] casuistic 2020-04-13 05:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure.

[ What else is there to say? ]
paradoxpoint: (brand new track)

[personal profile] paradoxpoint 2020-04-13 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh good, Eames can be house-trained not to piss off Arthur by deliberately dragging answers out of him!

Arthur will get those drinks as a reward for his good behavior.]


So. Where's your new place at?
touchofrogue: (Oh - This Ain't Over)

[personal profile] touchofrogue 2020-04-13 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't come any closer! [ She warns sharply. He's not physically moving, but she doesn't trust his curiosity. ] It's not safe to get close to me.

[ Her hair, at this true statement, begins to change back, starting (oddly) from the tips and working back up. ]
vlogged: (pp | 003)

[personal profile] vlogged 2020-04-13 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ ... academic decathlon. conspiracy theories. weird facts. ]

mj???

[ he'll get to actually answering those questions later. he just...needs to check first ]

is your name michelle?
casuistic: (015)

[personal profile] casuistic 2020-04-13 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He might be quiet, but that doesn't mean he isn't irritated beyond polite conversation, his jaw tight as he looks up at Arthur returning to the table. ]

The same place as the last.
littlelesshelpless: ([up] yeah and?)

[personal profile] littlelesshelpless 2020-04-13 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
It only lasted a couple months -- I kept running into the other kids and running to hide in the closet. Skating I never really attempted cause...y'know. Knife shoes.

[Bella nods seriously, feigning a look of intense scrutiny.] Yup, you're back to looking not a day over eighteen. Unless, uh, you're trying to score beer. Then you're definitely twenty-one.

[Then she shrugs, absently twirling a strand of hair around one finger.] I-It was nothing, honestly. I had the same thing happen to me earlier, except I was cursed to follow random people around. Like a duckling.
touchofrogue: (Glare | Over Shoulder | Vulnerable)

sorry, got stuck here for a bit

[personal profile] touchofrogue 2020-04-13 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Shapeshifting immediately makes her think of Mystique, which immediately makes her tense.

But after a moment's reflection, she realizes that Mystique is far too fond of the sound of her own voice to try a disguise like this. So she takes a quick sip of her soda to wet a suddenly dry throat and nods. ]
Nice trick.

The pastel -- everything -- is creepy enough as it is. I mean, fashion is one thing, but matchin' everything is just a special kind of hell.
paradoxpoint: (your fate)

[personal profile] paradoxpoint 2020-04-13 07:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Same number or different?

[He's going to pointedly ignore that tight jaw or the aura of irritation surrounding Eames. He's a big boy, he can deal with Arthur not wanting to talk.]
casuistic: (pic#10700666)

[personal profile] casuistic 2020-04-13 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Different.