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soddersays2020-03-25 05:21 pm
sodder) wrote in 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.
no subject
She wasn't here because of some new enemy... at least, not in the sense she and Rei were used to. There WERE enemies, but they weren't after Earth, the ginzuishou or sailor crystals, and they didn't want to marry Mamoru. But Rei said that the things that went on were all things they could handle. So what was it that went on if Rei could get injured? She was Sailor Mars, she was one of the most magically powerful of the senshi in and outside of her form. She was also one of the smartest and most alert.
They were home, but this nightmare realm had them here... for some reason. She couldn't trust any of the citizens but she could trust the other dreamers. She'd be able to tell them apart because there was something off about the citizens. Time was funky, Rei had been gone for a YEAR here but not really because it had only been a couple of days back home only to be another year here.
She closed her eyes. And Minako was here, but she hadn't sensed anything... well, of course, she couldn't sense anything, that wasn't her area of expertise to begin with and apparently a year here was nothing but a day back home.
She took another deep breath and sat up, smiling.]
I'm glad Rei-chan was able to make friends here, and didn't have to go this all alone. I hope I can meet the people who are important to you, Rei.
There's probably a lot of other important things I should know, I'm trying to understand it all. But is there anything else really important?
no subject
[Rei was a touch reluctant to let go of Usagi, but for the moment she did, slumping forward and folding her arms across her chest in a not quite sullen way. She could tell Usagi wasn't quite...her...Usagi. Just a slight difference, and a bit like Minako, but it wasn't a big deal. Certainly not enough to qualify as important. Usagi likely knew she was older anyway, though...she wouldn't age further, if what she knew about Senshi biology was correct.]
Sometimes our powers don't work exactly right. It's sometimes hard for me to control the fire, and my senses act up. I...try to avoid looking into the future here. It only shows me darker visions. So, I would be careful, no matter what. You may have to rely on others, and on more conventional means of defending yourself. A ring of salt, a lighter to make fire to burn some kinds of monsters, and even some scrolls I'll make for you.
There are other people out here too, people that you can trust. Chloe Price, Shiro Takahashi, Gwen Poole...and a few others all know I'm Mars. You don't have to hide who you are, if you don't want to. The people here sometimes need protection and secrecy isn't always an option
[She turns in her seat, sitting up cross-legged and looking at Usagi seriously, her eyes just beginning to turn silver with unshed tears.]
...And...I think it's important to know how much I've missed you.
no subject
However, her thoughts broke away from her powers to Rei mentioning-]
You told them? I wouldn't even... know how to bring it up. "Hello, my name is Usagi Tsukino, I'm also Sailor Moon in case you need help." [She shook her head, smiling.] If it comes up, I guess it'll come up. I'm not sure how to bring it up in a natural way, can you believe that?
[But then Usagi presses her mouth shut because Rei has turned to look at her, and she's giving The Rei Look™ and Usagi instinctively clamped tight. But then The Rei Look™ was filled with very clear unshed tears and Usagi didn't hesitate to hug one of her best friends.]
I'm sorry I took so long to show up.
no subject
[That's all she can get out, before she's being pulled into a hug, and the tears roll down her cheeks. She buries her face against Usagi's shoulder, a heavy sigh the only sound she makes. She's...pretty good at not crying loudly. She certainly isn't sobbing.
She's just tired, more than anything. And while Usagi being here is a whole other pile of stress inducing moments, it's nice seeing her again. More than nice, really.]
I'm...not...going to accept that apology. I wanted to spare you and the others this. Deerington is hell, Usagi. You should be getting ready for your wedding, not worrying about a bad dream.
no subject
I go where my loved ones need me. So I'm exactly where I should be, Rei. [She kept stroking Rei's back and hair, scared to share her light with the other girl considering what Rei said about powers and so instead she focused on how much she loved Rei and hoped it would be enough for the other to sense.]
I won't make you face hell alone, never.
no subject
Just like she was, apparently, unprepared for this.]
...It's...not really your choice. But I'm glad. So much has happened, and I don't...really know where exactly to even start with it all. So much has gone wrong, and...and I don't...
[She finally lets out a weak little sob, clutching Usagi's shirt.]
no subject
[Her heart broke when she heard Rei sob. Rei who was always so strong, so calm, who had a handle on every situation and could face any problem with grace and poise... to see and hear her like this. Usagi frowned and leaned her head on Rei's. She would be strong for Rei.
Rei was one of her most precious people. If Rei was like this. Usagi's steeled her resolve. She would do everything she could to get Rei out of here, even if it meant she stayed behind. The girls had always, always done everything they could to be strong for her, to be a rock for her in the face of everything she went through with them. Well, now it was her turn. Rei needed her and she would be there for her no matter what. Usagi took a deep breath, her mind made up, her determination set. Damn this place for bringing Rei so low.
But for now, for now, she would just hold the other and hug her tight, keep Rei in her warmth and strength for as long as she needed. She pressed another kiss to Rei's head.]
You don't have to do anything right now, Rei-chan. Not right now.
no subject
But it did help, having someone hold her for a change.
Shifting her face so she could stare off over Usagi's shoulder, she loosened her hold and slipped arms around her too, pulling her tight against her.]
...So much has changed. [She almost croaks.] ...Yet here you are. Helpful as always.
[Internally, she resolves to do everything she can to make sure Usagi never sees the worst of this place. What little she can do.]
...I won't...say I didn't need that. It's very tiring, supporting people and being the optimist. I don't know how the others, and you, do it.
no subject
At the mention of how she wasn't sure how she could be such an optimist, she laughed, she couldn't help it. She gave a small shrug, sometimes she wasn't entirely sure either.
Well, no, that wasn't entirely true.]
I have so much to be grateful for, and I have even more help from my loved ones, so it's easy for me to be so optimistic cause I've got all of you to help me be that way. But Rei-chan has always been supportive, you're one of the most supportive people I know. You're always there for us when we need you and you're always honest, that's a really special support that not everyone can do. Rei-chan should give herself more credit, yeah?
no subject
[She laughs, a hoarse and weak thing, and slowly pulls back from Usagi. Just enough that she can tilt her head in and kiss her gently on the cheek. There's been a few positive things she's picked up in her time here, and how to be really affectionate is one of them.]
I'm not good at inspiration, that's always been you. I'm not down on myself, I just know my skills. But I've...had to learn.
no subject
At the kiss, Usagi went bright red in the face but smiled bright and wide.]
I mean, I don't even really know how I inspire people, I just try to do my best.
no subject
You just do. It's a natural talent. I'm...learning. But it doesn't come so easily.
no subject
Well, then I have a feeling you'll be doing amazing things pretty soon, Rei-chan learns things at such an amazing rate, so if you're learning, you'll be soaring above me soon enough.