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

...That was terrible - Excuse me.

[The man in the suit backs up away from the dog weakly, backing off with his hands up. His notebook drops and he bends to pick it up with an anxious expression on his face looking up at the man following it.]

...Is that your dog?

[Martin's nearly caught up with the dog when it... glitches. And finally turns to look at him. With all three eyes. It wags its tail and stops, though, even as Martin stops in his tracks, as well, only to be accosted by a stranger. That's- is he seeing this right? That dog is- it's- what?

One thing at a time. It doesn't seem like it's going to attack him, so he gives it a pat, and it trots off. Now, the man who looks about as nervous as Martin's suddenly feeling.]

Um. No. I just saw her and... I-I don't think dogs are supposed to do that.

[Be... not right like that.]

Sorry if I was bothering you.

[Should he just go? No, that would probably be too rude. Martin offers the man an apologetic smile, instead.]

[The dog just shifted it's shape. Richard watches it go, mentally running over just what that could be. His anxiety and nerves dissolve into annoyance. He rubs at his temple, pressing the bridge of his nose.]

No. Dogs aren't supposed to do that.

[He opens his own notebook and notes, wryly, that he's filled most of it.]

...How long were you following the dog?

[One thing that he and his compatriot have in common is the desire to cling to reason and facts. It's something he admires about Alex despite everything.]

Actually - listen let me buy you a cup of coffee son. You look nervous and I would...

I am in the business of phenomena like that.

[Stranger Danger much? Martin considers the other man for a long few seconds. What is with random people offering him coffee? Is it a being in America thing? Is this one of their customs?]

It was only a block or two, sir.

[But this man says he's in the business of this sort of thing. Maybe he'll have Statements that Jon could use? Hmm...]

You don't need to buy me anything, really, but we can talk. My name's Martin. [There's a light drizzle starting and Martin motions the man toward the nearest cafe-looking establishment.]

Edited 2020-04-08 18:52 (UTC)

Doctor Richard Strand.

[He smiles at that. When he smiles he does his best to be disarming, charming, the sort of man who people would open up to. He's good at it when he wants something and in this case it is interest.]

I don't mean to pry. I'm just trying to get an understanding of the place from a scientific perspective.

[And Alex isn't here to temper his inherent assholery. The cafe also serves pork and he points.] I'd avoid the pork.

[It's good, certainly, but Martin's about had his fill of affable older men who say they need him for things. Richard doesn't look or sound like Peter Lukas, which is helpful, but his general... existence isn't something that sits especially well. Martin's own smile is bland in return as he settles down from the shock of the dog.]

I- Yeah, I saw... I don't think I'm really that hungry, Dr. Strand. Thank you, though.

[He gestures again and will hold the door of the cafe open for the other man once they reach it, ushering him toward a booth.]

I'm not sure how much help I'll really be. I only just got here, myself.

You don't believe it's some kind ...strange universal dream.

[He stares at the pork with a strange look on his face.] Fine with me. Two waters are for the best.

[He sighs.] I'm making notes. There's nothing to be nervous about son.

[And he smiles] I promise.

[The 'son' rankles more than Martin expected something like that might. He's quiet for a moment, just getting his initial bristling under control. The doctor is being nice, polite, even if he's being familiar in a way that Martin isn't used to. He can deal with it.]

Whether it's a strange universal dream or something else, it seems like there's a lot to be nervous about, Doctor. You said you have experience with this sort of thing. May I ask what experience that is?

I'm a paranormal investigator.

[He smiles at that. A waitress appears, nonplussed by the pigs, and sets down two glasses of water. He holds up a hand.]

Trust me. It's not as exciting as it sounds. It's all...fake. Delusions. Hence why this is a bit disorienting. I want as much information as I can so we can discover our kidnappers.

[Martin stares at the other man for a long moment, utterly nonplussed. It's like... Jon. Jon, back before Prentiss. Before... everything. He can't help it, a giggle bubbles up, the stress and the nerves and too many people finally getting to him. It's not a pleasant sound; it's far too cutting, cold, like something echoing and hollow across a misty shore.]

Oh... Oh, I am sorry, Dr. Strand. That's- [He manages to get himself under control after a few seconds.] Of course that's what you are. Okay. I'm a paranormal researcher, too. Trust me. A lot of it's real.

[Richard has been hit with information like that before. He's built walls around it before because this man is obviously delusional. Except - something has changed. It's Coralee, her betrayal, her declaration that he's somehow special. That his bloodline was the only reason He looks upset, like his world view has been disrupted. He has built a wall around certain world views and this...

He shakes it off.]

It's rare. Unless you're talking about here. I'm not familiar with this place.

Incredibly rare. A lot is a...liberal estimate wouldn't you say?

[There are a few people in other booths giving them dirty looks for the noise Martin is making. He wishes he could just disappear again, wrap himself in a Lonely shroud and fade away from notice. As it is, he manages to quell his bitterness and just lets it rest as a cold pit inside his chest.]

That's fair, yes. Sorry, just the way you said that... A lot of the stories we have aren't real, but I've spent a lot of time dealing with the ones that are. Here? Well... [He picks up his glass of water and sips it.] It just pet a three-eyed dog half-glitching out of existence and all of the townspeople have pastel hair or gas masks. It seems like there's a lot of weird stuff here that isn't afraid to come out of the shadows.

Unfortunately I spend most of my time with people in their 20s and early 30s. In Seattle. It's not uncommon for them to dress strangely.

[He did, once. But clearly this person has never been - well. Young? An adult? Led a life? Something. Thank God he actually had. Or perhaps that's age.]

As for this place.

[He shrugs]

Take these people for instance. [He gestures at one of them, turning into a pig.] That's an infection. It...It has to be.

[Martin follows the point and he would really like to not be anywhere near that person now. Don't eat the pork, indeed. The discomfort likely shows on his face, but he's quick to mask it.]

It certainly looks like a sort of infection. [This is the point where Jon might suggest calling it 'swine flu.' Martin bites his tongue on that. It's funny, but also, what's happening to that person is extremely not funny.] Definitely the supernatural kind.

[Richard stares at him and shakes his head before. The pig gets a little bit of a dispassionate gaze.]

...There are species of frogs that change their physio-

[No not even he can get to it. Another person pops into pig form right behind him.]

...There's no such thing as magic, or ghosts, or demons, or sacred geometry or anything like that.

It's all just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.

[He can't help it anymore. The look Martin casts at Richard is one of incredulity.]

There's a point when skepticism stops being clever and starts being- really not clever at all, Dr. Strand. I'm sorry this is confusing and probably very frightening for you, but that-[Martin points to a pig person]-isn't smoke and mirrors. And I hope you're not going to try any pork or get someone you trust to try it to prove the point.

Edited 2020-04-09 05:05 (UTC)

[At least, he thinks, this man is relatively frank. He appreciates that. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he removes his glasses and stares at them.]

You have a point. However let me ask you - what makes you think it's supernatural? There are...always reasonable explanations. always.

[One hand goes to his right wrist and forearm, squeezing it as he stares at the other man.] So it could be...a government organization. Or a corporation engaging in...mutating people somehow.

I'll concede that that's not a hallucination, but far too often are facts and reason dismissed from discussions of things like this and...they shouldn't be.

[But his hand stays wrapped around his forearm.] ...It's the worst kind of food poisoning.

There are reasonable explanations. [Martin can agree to that.] I can think of 1 of 14 reasonable explanations that would make sense of what's happening with that, and it's a supernatural one. There's nothing inherently unreasonable about paranormal phenomenon once you understand the source behind it and the patterns to recognize.

Not everything has a supernatural explanation, but some things do. It's very silly to dismiss when the facts point that way.

Edited 2020-04-09 05:34 (UTC)

[Strand bristles, but he breathes. At least he's willing to acknowledge there are rational explanations and not just supernatural ones. That's a step in the right direction and enough to get his metaphorical hackles down.]

...How do you define paranormal patterns.

[He has a trick, of listening and setting up a very firm wall with this person is an idiot because Demons aren't real. Murderous cults are just as bad. The notion of demonic entities, of ghosts, of paranormal anything is absurd but...He will hear the man out.]

I mean, scientifically.

I don't know how it is where you're from, but where I'm from, stories of a supernatural nature will not record on standard digital devices. Too much static and tearing. They will record on an analog cassette tape recorder, though. For whatever reason. That's the first screening test we have.

Really.

[He leans close, folding his hands over and his cold demeanor drops several inches. That's wholly new. It's a scam. but it's a creative scam.]

IS this...a story when it's told by anyone? Or by the person involved? I'd love to test this if you don't mind. I have a friend who runs a podcast.

[Martin frowns.]

I did just say in my world, Dr. Strand. I don't know if it's going to be the same here. In a dream. Typically when we're doing this, it's with a written, first-hand account from someone who's filled in one of our Statement forms. The account might be about something they experienced personally, something they witnessed, or, very rarely, something they heard about. Mostly those come in the form of letters between people that the Institute's acquired. It's been around 200 years, so there's a lot of historical record available.

[Right.

He runs a hand through his hair. When he speaks his voice is sincere.]

I...apologize. It's hard to accept that I've been shanghai'd into a dream still.

[And at least he's being honest. When the other man talks about this institute though his sincerity into genuine interest.]

200 years old. That's incredible. And you've always been doing paranormal research? With equipment and a budget and staff?

[He just has interns who he can bribe with college credit,a personal assistant, and keep the name and his business going but it was just him. To have 200 years of history...]

...The notion of being unable to record stories is really [creative] unusual. Your world must have a high instance of paranormal activity.

[Well, they have... staff. And a modest budget. The most modest out of the entire Institute, Martin has discovered once he'd become Peter's assistant. Of course Elias would underfund the most vulnerable department. All to plan. Hmph!]

It doesn't. Like I said, we just happen to deal with the real ones. We have thousands of Statements in our archives. My job was to help authenticate them. Or not. Most of them go into the discredited boxes.

...so you and I are in the same business. The Strand Institute deals with debunking things, however - my world is mostly murderous cults.

[Does he look a little nervous? Maybe. He scratches the back of his head. ]

I'm a skeptic. My father was also in this business you see, I'm used to skepticism. Please forgive my rude comments earlier.

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

APRIL 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

YOU UNCULTURED SWINE

GOOD ENDURES

Character Arrival

I

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