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

A friend of Genji's is not the stirring recommendation Jesse thinks it is, and Hanzo's expression does not warm even by the barest of degrees. "You mean you are Overwatch. Or you were." He says the name like he'd rather not have it on his tongue. After all, while he certain bears his share of guilt when it comes to what happened to his brother, he also maintains that were his brother not swayed to betray the clan? All of what transpired could have been avoided.

So all told, if Jesse wants to address any issues with him and Genji, he is going to find Hanzo even less friendly than he does now. Which at this point, is about like saying the Arctic is going to get even colder.

The difference might not be noticeable, to the layman, but it will be present and recognizable to anyone familiar.

“Little bit of both. That a problem?”

No one who knows them could ever confuse the two Shimada brothers, physical differences aside. Their personalities are night and day anymore. But Jesse remembers when Genji was a different man. Angry. Quiet. He could brood with the best of them, and his silent displeasure could freeze even the sturdiest man in place. He can see that now, looking at Hanzo.

He shifts his stance a little in a way that wouldn’t look particularly threatening to the average person. To someone well-versed in combat, however… it might be a different sort of tell. His gun is fully visible at any rate. A deterrent, hopefully.

Americans and their love of firearms. How predictable, such an unsophisticated taste from this...outlaw? Was that the term? He could think of a few he might choose, certainly less kind.

"That depends on what your business is with me," he replies, not quite grinding the words out between his teeth, but there's a quiet coil of tension in his muscles. He'll make a move if he has to, if he thinks Jesse is a threat in any way.

A decade of being chased by top-tier assassins does ingrain certain habits into one's nature.

It’s a good thing Hanzo didn’t insult his gun out loud, otherwise Jesse would be testing those reflexes of his right about now.

“You’re my friend’s brother. That’s my business, but hell if I know why he’s so eager to get you back on his team.” That dedication to not bringing up the murder thing? Yeah, that’s flying out the window fast. He doesn’t move either, completely still in the manner of a true standoff. The minute Hanzo makes a move though, he’ll have Peacekeeper in his hand.

“You probably just showed up here, right? He’ll want to know you didn’t get left in a back alley somewhere. This ain’t a normal town, if you hadn’t noticed.”

He’s trying to do you a favor here, in other words.

A favor? Seems fake, but okay.

If he is -- or was -- Overwatch, then he knows. If he did not see what was done, he would have heard. He can only imagine what stories were told by those who were not present, who did not understand what happened, or perhaps Genji might have told the man himself. In either case, he knows what he sees in the other man's eyes as he looks at him.

Disgust. Kin-slayer. Butcher. Things he's called himself and far worse. Why help a man such as that, willingly?

He'd be a fool to trust him. Better to take his chances with a stranger.

"Do not trouble yourself. If my brother is here, I will find him. I do not need your help." And his strain on that last word is very similar to that of 'Overwatch'. Something he has very little regard for.

There’s only so much of this Jesse can take, even for Genji’s sake. Hanzo can take care of himself. Plus, the town is small enough that Genji will be able to find him if he really sets his mind to it. If something does happen to Hanzo in the meantime, it’s not like it’ll sit heavy on Jesse’s conscience.

“Fine. Fine. Don’t got to twist my arm. Just don’t eat or drink anything around here ‘til you talk to Genji. And don’t touch anything.”

One final glare, and he turns on his heel to leave… only to keep turning, going in a full circle. The stunned look on his face says that, clearly, this was not intentional. He tries again, only to turn back in the same direction. Facing Hanzo. Stunned starts giving way to irritated. He attempts stepping back without turning, only to find that the heel of his boot won’t touch the ground.

Should’ve maybe followed your own advice there cowboy.

"...what are you doing?"

He sounds more exasperated by McCree's strange behavior than he is confused, though both certainly apply. He watches the attempts for a few moments more before shaking his head. On second thought, he doesn't care enough to pursue the matter further. One hand lifts and flicks dismissively.

"Enough. Go your way and I will go mine."

And he proceeds to turn, to slip down the alley and leave McCree where he stands to do...whatever it is that he is doing. It's no business of his, and he doubts there's even anyone present who would care about the price on his head. So there's no point in even engaging him as a potential target.

Better to leave him behind entirely.

Jesse’s worst fears are confirmed when his feet automatically move to follow Hanzo into the alley, keeping pace with the archer almost step for step. The spinning wheel. That has to be the cause, though why this? And why Hanzo? Like most things in Deerington though, there are no answers. The weirdness just is what it is.

“Well I’d sure love to do that, but it’s not lookin’ like I have much of a choice.” He speaks through gritted teeth as he tries to fight his movement in Hanzo’s direction. All the strain and frustration seem to be for nothing though. He remains the exact distance from Hanzo he’d been before, which appears to be the maximum distance his body will allow.

It's not those details that strike him, as he notices McCree start to follow. Instead his mind swerves towards another motivation entirely. He doesn't have a choice...meaning he's been ordered to? By Overwatch, or someone else? No matter. He wants no part of any of it.

"It was not a request," he replies bluntly, and moments later he turns, a hand going to the rail of a nearby fire escape. In a matter of seconds he's swiftly climbed his way up onto the second landing, before slipping forward to continue up the remaining steps.

If the outlaw will not desist on his own, then he will simply have to lose him. Simple enough. He looks nowhere near nimble enough to keep up with him.

Jesse curses as his feet tug him forward of their own accord. The guy is fast, and there’s no way Jesse can keep up. He knows this. He’s good over short distances and in close quarters, not high-speed chases up and down buildings. But try telling that to his spellbound body, which has already started going through the motions of climbing up the fire escape after Hanzo.

“And I wasn’t kiddin’ about not havin’ a choice!” he shouts, trying and failing to stop his hands and feet from carrying him upwards. He hasn’t seen Hanzo fight in-person, but he can make a guess about his parkour skills from having seen Genji's and hearing about their childhood training. He has no idea what’ll happen if his idiot body tries to follow Hanzo from rooftop to rooftop. A few broken bones at least.

He's persistent, he'll give him that.

Hanzo also hates persistence.

But let him chase, if he's feeling up to it. Hanzo sees no reason to stay behind and humor him, and wants it made clear that if he wants to disappear? He will do so, and stay gone, until such time as he wishes to be found again. It hasn't occurred to him that this is some supernaturally-induced state.

For now, there's only the path forward, up the stairs and across the rooftop...before taking a running leap across the gap to the rooftop on the other side. He moves with practiced grace, rolling his weight forward in momentum as he lands to continue his retreat.

"Oh hell no—"

Jesse gets to the roof just in time to see Hanzo make a graceful leap onto the neighboring building, and he already knows this isn't going to end well. There might be minimal damage if Hanzo slows down, which... doesn't seem like it's going to happen, so. That's fun.

"I literally can't not follow you, so if you could stop it with the circus act, that'd be great!"

He shakes his head, giving up on trying to hold back as he breaks into a run. Some momentum is better than none. Also he really doesn't want his second death in this place to be falling off a building while tailing Hanzo Shimada. He just might stay dead out of embarrassment and spite if that happens.

I literally can't not follow you.

Something about the wording gives him pause, slows him enough to look back. He could drop off the edge, disappear before Jesse McCree could catch up to him, and that would be that. But there's an edge of frustration -- distress? -- in the man's voice as he hurries after him.

His brow knits faintly. Is there something he's not getting, here?

Hanzo hasn’t moved any closer, which means the tug is still there, and Jesse steels himself for the precarious jump as he nears the edge of the roof. His jump isn’t terrible, but it’s also not Shimada-level parkour. One boot hits the roof of the building Hanzo is on while the other heel meets empty air. His heart is in his throat as he tilts back towards the empty air.

If he’s coming back as a ghost again this time, then he’s haunting the shit out of Hanzo.

It's curiosity that gets the better of him, in the end.

Before Jesse can finish arcing backwards and falling into the alley, his progress is halted with a jerk, as Hanzo's fist curls into fabric at his chest, holding him in place for a moment. His eyes narrow in cold study, before makes his decision. He wants an answer more than it would amuse him to watch Jesse break his neck trying to follow him.

And Hanzo yanks the outlaw forward, allowing him to find more sturdy footing beneath him on this shared rooftop.

Jesse grabs at the hands on him out of instinct, just in case they slip or let go entirely. There’s a moment where their eyes meet that he’s sure Hanzo is going to change his mind. It wouldn’t take much to shake Jesse off with his balance already off. One sharp push…

But then he’s moving forward, not back, and Jesse takes what feels like his first full breath in far too long.

“Shit--” He sounds winded as he glances back at the edge of the roof. That had been entirely too close. “Do me a favor and just... just stay put for a minute ‘til I can breathe again, yeah?”

He gets no answer save a grunt, and Hanzo steps back only far enough to give the man breathing room as his arms fold across his chest. It still sounds ridiculous, but he knows what he sees, and Jesse doesn't appear to be putting on for any real reason.

It's a lot to risk for a ploy so unbelievable.

"Why?" No mincing of words, here. It's not as if he has to clarify.

Jesse shoots a glare in the archer's direction, not so much for the question as... well, all of it. Nevermind that none of it is Hanzo's fault.

"Look shit like this... it ain't uncommon around here. Not this exact thing, but weird goings-on. Curses, monsters, strange cause-and-effect. And right now, it looks like we're..." He struggles to find a word he likes better, fails, then huffs as he continues. "...tethered together." Might be somethin' to do with this." He raises his injured hand, which is thankfully no longer bleeding profusely.

"Hell if I know any more than that. Powers that be don't bother to explain anything to us, generally."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

YOU UNCULTURED SWINE

GOOD ENDURES

Character Arrival

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