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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( Perhaps, it's time for one more Mar Novu sponsored detour Oliver hasn't seen coming. He's used to his friends being involved, but not like this. Not yet. He does know something is coming and that maybe it will come down to banding together. But, small town life? It feels smaller scale. So, he'll play this casual for now. )

Against all odds, I do find this endeering. That's the only one you'll get from me. Especially, considering we've ended up in the same part of the multiverse again. Not that there isn't a time and place for deer-related puns, Barry.

[ he is so excited he broke down oliver to the point where he got two deer puns. two! ]

At least there's no deer aliens!

[ wait. that sounds like a really great idea. welcome to barry continuing to text out a conversation he practically has with himself: ]

OMG, I hope there are deer aliens with cute extraterrestrial horns and hooves and little snouts. Bambi would look so cute in an alien suit. Do you think J'onn knows any aliens? Maybe Kara does. I should give her a deer-buzz.

My phone doesn't work. Reception is fawnty.

And no Earth-X Nazis. That we know of.

( Oliver texts with Barry pretty often. Maybe not in the past ... can he call them weeks? However long it's been on the path with the Monitor, but regularly? He's used to Barry being in his inbox. He's always liked his energy and over time he's become one of his closest friends not in Star City. )

Barry.
Barry.

Focus. There will be plenty of time to make deer-related puns. Maybe even scout out alien deer. But, for now, don't you think we should try and figure out everything else? Do you know anything about the Monitor, Barry? He calls himself Mar Novu.

[ if oliver had typed a third "barry", he'd be standing to attention and know that this is some deery serious business. but he does focus. they're in a weird and whacky earth run by deer and adorable, ferocious cats, and barry has to focus. the cats are so cute...

okay, his nonchalant attitude about being in another earth needs to stop for just a moment. everything is fine; he'll get them out of this. ]

Is that some computer repair place? Because I need to get my Macbook Air fixed. I kind of maybe accidentally did fry it while speed typing...

[ HE'S FAST! if oliver ever needs someone to type out his conversations... ]

( The cats are called the Authority. Oliver is standing on the side of caution with them. As for the deer and everything else, it is still serious business. Even the deep deep silliness of the pig he's adopted. )

No, Barry, the computer repair place isn't a 'he.' How about, tell me where you are right now. I'm sitting outside a cafe.

Drop me a pin. Unless you want to come to me? I can probably do another round of golf.

[ or six, since oliver is sloooooow. ]

( Golf. Seriously. Only Barry. He played golf as the mayor, and as the spoiled rich son of Robert Queen. Now is not the time. )

No. Let me.
There.
Got it?

( A pin drops by the cafe he's sitting in front of. When Barry arrives, Oliver's set his Fluid down to take a sip of from his water. In his other hand, he holds the leash he'd purchased, and on the end of that leash? A pig, snout moving as it sits quietly at his feet. )

[ barry doesn't respond. within two seconds, there's a gust of wind electrified by his speed force kinetic energy. in a blast of golden and yellow light, he appears, skidding across the ground dressed in converse shoes, jeans, and with a cute golfer's hat on his head. in his hand is a pizza slice that he continues to eat once he's stoppe running. everything around him either tumbles away from the impact of his speed or simply shakes. ]

Oliver! [ he skips right past oliver the human and squats so he can pat oliver the pig. ] Dude, you're looking really good. Did you finally use that cream I got you from Earth-2?

[ jk. ]

( something oliver is also used to. he doesn't wince. but, it's good that he's not alone here. oliver stands, ready to embrace his friend (whose wedding thunder he did kind of steal) but barry moves past him. to the pig.

he turns heel, eyes down toward a crouching barry. ) Very funny, Barry. C'mere. ( He all but pulls barry up into a hug, being very mindful of that pizza. barry is safe. and they haven't reset this timeline yet, so, it's not a loop.

as he leans back. ) He's the product of pork gone bad. He's also a person. ( weird, right? ) What did that cream do, anyway?

( he may have never gotten around to it )

[ a hug from oliver??? well, barry's pizza is no longer of interest to him, although he will continue eating it after this hug—where no pizza touches oliver—is over. it's always nice to see oliver, especially when he's not hijacking his wedding and his actual day of pure, rare happiness... albeit, that had been felicity. it's a good thing iris isn't here—she's still a little sore over it...

looking down at oliver jr, he mumbles with his mouth full, ] Got rid of wrinkles. [ not that barry needs it, since he's twelve. he's back to squatting on the sidewalk as he chews his pizza slice thoughtfully. only a quarter of it is left, toppings all intact from his run. ] Hey, Porky. [ frowning, he looks at oliver judgementally. ] Did you feed a pig pork?

[ what's wrong with you, ollie?? ]

( He's had a trying few months and he's feeling particularly marshmallow-y. You would do this too if you just spent a few days with your grown children.

The pizza doesn't touch his sweater and Barry is back to crouching down again.

How dare you, Barry. )

I - I didn't feed the pig pork. He fed himself pork when he was still a person. This isn't a joke Barry. I watched a guy in a diner eat a BLT and then - ( become the B. )

[ barry eats his pizza like it's popcorn as he listens to oliver. ]

That's kind of gross.

[ but, hey, he's still going to eat his pizza that is porkless until it's all gone. the crust was really nice. he'd recommend the pizza parlour.

before he stands, he gives the pig his golf hat. ] What are you going to do? Give him to a farm? Feed him some more pork to de-pig him?

Imagine being me. Watching it happen.

( But, it was less Roger Corman and more ... magic. Like, a pig crawling out of a pile of clothes. No agony. No body horror. )

I hadn't thought that far. John Constantine is here, too. I thought maybe he could help. ( He's not commenting on the farm! Jesus, Barry. )

[ john who.

okay, barry's just going to roll with it. it's like whenever oliver talks about deathstroke. who names these people when cisco isn't around? ]

It's stupid, but... [ he shrugs his bony shoulders. ] Have you heard the people talking about the pigs? You take them up this mountain, let them drink from this stream, and sing them Poker Face to turn them back into people. [ okay, the people didn't specifically specify poker face, but not a lot of people here could pull off beyonce.

without missing a beat, he glances over towards the table he thinks is oliver's. ] Hey, did you order food? [ rubbing his stomach, ] I'm hungry.

Barry.

( Within reason, he'd try anything. He's obviously not heard about the pigs. Or, about taking them up the mountain. Or, about - wait - what?

As if on cue, Oliver's non-pork sandwich and side salad is set down on his table. )

I can't pretend I don't remember experiencing your metabolism. Fine, Barry. One more meal. But, then we send this pig up the mountain. ( And after a beat. ) I don't know Pokerface.

How can you not know Poker Face? You're Oliver Queen. You know everything.

[ except poker face and quite possibly all the dance moves to beyonce's homecoming. all of that is reserved for one bartholomew henry allen.

his look of utter betrayal lingers for just a long moment longer before it's gone. this news definitely does take precedence over the pig situation.

without invitation, barry's already half-eaten oliver's sandwich. with his mouth full, ] I can take him up the mountain. Did you want this? It's so good. [ except he takes another big bite without swallowing what he's already chewed, anyway. ]

( So. He doesn't listen to that kind of music. Maybe if Felicity used to listen to it. But, how is Barry not too busy to listen to what's popular right now. Don't forget, Oliver missed a lot of pop culture while on the island and he had to play catch up, Barry.

He quickly fires off another message, sits... wait. Wait. Barry!

Oliver's arm goes up, hand reaching out. Barry. And to the waitress who passes by. )

Could I - yes. Please. One more.

( And back to Barry. )

It seems it's better with you. ( Maybe, more appreciated. And inhaled whole. He looks down at his Fluid. How in seconds -- ) Barry, I'm sitting right here. That's - ( He reads. ) I'm not singing Jay-Z and Beyonce. Either part. Barry. Buddy. Focus. You don't want to get to the bottom of any of this?

[ he has dibs on the beyonce parts, duh.

first sandwich devoured, barry's got a fork in oliver's salad as he, well, stops typing on his fluid and continues to eat. he's famished. ] Yeah, I do. [ he taps his fork against the bowl. ] I want to see if there's any croutons down here. And that's not what you meant.

[ he does need to focus. as excited as he is to be somewhere new, he kind of does need to get back to his earth and central city. the last thing he wants is for anyone to discover nora can go home and she goes home without him there to say goodbye. that thought sobers him; this time, he swallows before he speaks. ] Of course. It'd be pretty cool if you can turn someone from pig to human doing something that belongs in a fairytale. I want to see if it works. We haven't dealt with any fairytale metas in Central City.

That is not what I meant.

( Oliver waits, knowing his friend well enough that something is going on. If not just being somewhere else entirely. )

Short of, returning this man to his proper form, I'm talking about being here at all. Barry, I don't know what's happening in Central City, but I've been on a, a sort of scavenger hunt through time and space and I think this might be my next puzzle. ( He just doesn't ... know what Barry is doing here. Or, what he himself is doing here. Or why. )

[ barry's completely devoured the salad. sitting back in his chair, he presses his hand to his stomach. god, he feels so full. who knew leaves would make him feel so full? ]

A puzzle? [ his excitable and electrifying air dims somewhat. now well-fed (for now), barry's all business. regarding oliver with a frown, he shakes his head, confused. ] What kind of puzzle? Sudoku? A Green Arrow kind of puzzle...? Because I'm suddenly not available to get shot in the back again with an arrow. Or in the leg. Or anywhere—I'm wearing my good jeans.

[ or to go on an island and do survivor-esque puzzles. he was not cut out for that kind of life! ]

I don't know what kind of puzzle. I never do until it reveals itself. So far, they've been based off of something I need to learn, or to remember. Find. ( Not - whatever puzzle you're talking about. Barry, that was one time and it was a meta. The both of you got over it. And became closer. He leans forward with all the seriousness of the world. ) Somewhere in this town is a clue that will help save the universe.

[ good to know oliver is as dramatic as ever. barry can't help his sigh. he likes to exude a bubbly persona because that's what he is—a piece of sunshine in really skinny jeans and converse shoes—but even he's a little over having to save the universe. he loves it! but at the cost of what he's going to lose?

back to being bubbly and full of kinetic energy. it's very easy being a pest around oliver. ]

Do you think... [ he's going to have some fun here. looking suspiciously at the pig, barry does his best not to make eye contact with it. leaning forward, he places his hand against his cheek in a bid to hide himself from the pig that isn't even looking at them. then, he whispers, ] Do you think maybe pigs are the answer?

( He's - so so lucky Oliver's second sandwich arrives. )

Maybe, Barry. Maybe.

( Give him a few minutes. Let him eat in peace, Barry. He knows how absurd the pigs are. Barry being here but not being informed why. But, if he had answers, Oliver would share them. )

[ ftr, oliver eats really, really slow. how did he never notice this? when was the last time oliver took him out for a buffet? why hadn't oliver taken him to a buffet? why was he starting to get hungry again?

that peace for oliver lasts literally two muggle minutes.

leaning back comfortably in his chair, barry surveys the street and sighs. ] Do you think if I eat pork, I'd turn into a pig? Maybe my metabolism would be fast enough to process all the pig-turning magic in the pork?

I don't know, Barry. What if whatever mysticism is in the pork, it bypasses your metabolism.

( But, he does -- think about that. )

I don't think it will do us any good if you also turn into a pig.

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

YOU UNCULTURED SWINE

GOOD ENDURES

Character Arrival

un: queen

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