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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.
Action;
[She gestured for the way they need to go and well, began walking.]
So, did you just arrive too?
Action;
[ He turns to the side so she can see said tail. This is ridiculous. But he starts following after her, because he really doesn't want to turn into a full-blown pig. ]
Yeah, just got here. I mean, it's been a bit, maybe a few hours, but- Yeah. How about you?
Action;
[Sailor Moon looked at the tail and then back up the path.] Same, just a few hours. But they've been... very informative few hours like the knowing how to break this pig curse thing.
Where are you originally from, Stark-san?
Action;
[ In the best sense. Because she knows how to break the curse and he doesn't. Or didn't, until she told him. There is a good part of him that wonders if this is actually going to work, but then again, he still has no reason to doubt her word. ]
Originally California, then relocated to New York, if you're familiar with either of those. You?
Action;
[She winked.]
And I'm, well, originally I'm from the moon but I now live in Tokyo, Japan. I'm very familiar with California and New York... in name only though. I always wanted to visit, though. I've always wanted to go to the original Disneyland!
[She may be a superhero but still! It's DISNEYLAND.] What made you want to move?
Action;
[ He winks back. ]
You're from the moon? Funny, you don't look like an alien. [ And not just because she's young and attractive (no, he's not having any untoward thoughts, don't worry). She looks very human, so that's an interesting piece of information. ] Kind of a big move, coming to Tokyo from the moon. Makes my move look like small potatoes.
[ He chuckles, though. ] You should go to Disneyland first chance you get. It's worth the trip.
Long story short, my house in California got blown up, and I had some business ventures I wanted to pursue in New York anyway, so- It was all very practical. [ On paper, anyway. The reality of it is slightly more interesting, which he doesn't necessarily mind telling her about if she asks. ]
Action;
I want to go to Disneyland, that's definitely true! [Maybe now that's she's graduated she can! At the mention of his house being blown up, her eyes widened.]
Oh my gosh! I hope you weren't hurt!
Action;
[ He smiles, hoping to reassure her that he was fine in the aftermath of his house blowing up. ]
Yeah, I was fine. Some scrapes and bruises, nothing major. It's too bad about the house, though. It was a nice one.
Action;
Well, I'm glad no one got seriously hurt. Oh, and actually, I can restore buildings too, but that's kinda part of healing.
Action;
Flying's cool. Existing in space, too. I can do that, but not without my armor. Lift a car's doable, but the rest? Healing and all that? Nah.
[ He doesn't mean this all to sound like he's bragging, just comparing notes. The fact remains that she's way cooler than he is, and that's saying something. ]
I didn't realize it at the time, but the whole thing was my fault anyway. That's what happens when you announce your location to anyone with a working TV and basically challenge people to a fight.
[ Well, it was just one person in particular, but he sure did deliver, even if the whole affair was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. ]
Action;
But she killed all my friends and precious people to make me feel alone. [She shook her head.] Well, more than just coming for me, there was more to it than that. But! [She smiled.] It's okay, we talked it out and I revived everyone. [After snapping her body apart.]
Action;
[ He really honestly doesn't mean anything condescending by that. Anyone can have enemies. He knows that better than most. ]
And you know what else? You get more impressive by the minute.
[ Okay, that could be interpreted as condescending, but he's really truly impressed by her. ]
It's not every day that I meet someone who can revive people who've died.
Action;
Well, thank you, Tony.
[They had gotten outside of the town.]
Well, admittedly, it's rare where I am from as well and isn't the easiest thing for me to do. But what about you? I mean, you must be getting pretty bored hearing all about me.
Action;
[ He really, genuinely feels sympathetic towards her. That can't be easy at her age. Actually, weirdly enough, it's kind of how he feels towards one Peter Parker. Anyone that young already forced into fighting and defending others and themselves has to grow up too fast. It's not fair, but when is life ever fair?
He chuckles lightly and rolls a shoulder, trying to deflect while he comes up with a response. ]
Bored? This is one of the most interesting chats I've had since showing up here. But sure, we can talk about me for a bit. Anything you want to know?
Action;
Well, I guess, why did you challenge people to a fight? Were you trying to do something?
no subject
[ He goes silent for a few seconds as they continue walking along, but eventually, he speaks up: ]
I'll admit, I kind of let my ego get a little big, but the point is, someone was threatening the American people, and he put one of my friends in the hospital, so he had to be stopped. Of course, that didn't go as planned, and it turns out something much bigger was going on, but I didn't know that at the time.
no subject
[She lets him go silent, thinking she asked for too much and was about to change the topic until he spoke.]
Ah... yeah, I could see allowing yourself to be the target if it meant your friends weren't targeted anymore or to stop having people be hurt. I probably would have done the same thing... But, it sounds like you handled it! Or at least, I hope you did? Tony-san seems very smart so I have no doubt you did!
no subject
[ Well, sort of. ]
I don't have all the details, but she spends a lot of time in space visiting planets and being like their defense system.
[ At least, that's his understanding of what she does. ]
Okay, so I don't know her that well, but I think you might get along if you ever got to meet.
[ But getting back to the whole threat and his attempt to handle it: ]
Eventually, yeah. Did it go perfectly? Not really, but at least there was one less threat to worry about.
[ And he's just going to lowkey preen because she called him smart. Don't mind him, nothing to see here. ]
no subject
She sounds awesome! And it's okay if you don't know her that well, yet. Someone you only kinda know right now is a friend you get to know better later, yeah? [Okay, that sounded cheesy even to her, but STILL, she believed it.]
Well, I'm glad you're alright. Most of the time my plans never go perfectly either... though that's partly cause I never have a plan, Mercury is the one who comes up with all our battle plans. And one less threat is usually always better.
no subject
Her name's Carol. Carol Danvers. [ And he wants to say he wishes he had more time to get to know her, but- well, time's not exactly on his side here. Not that he's said anything along those lines to Usagi. ] You'd hit it off.
Yeah, my plans don't always go the way they should, but that's where improvising comes in. Usually, it ends well. This one didn't go that great, but you can't win them all, right?
no subject
You just have to hope you win the ones that matter. [She closed and tilted her head.] The battles you lose can be pretty harsh reminders, though...
[They were getting further and further up the mountain now, as Sailor Moon, Usagi didn't feel the least bit tired.]
I'm sure you've won plenty of battles, though.
no subject
[ He's almost forgotten all about his piggy problems. He's been so busy talking that he hasn't noticed how his nose has morphed into something resembling a pig's snout. Luckily, he hasn't changed so much that he's walking on all fours, but it's probably something of an inevitability at this point. ]
There's been a few, but really, they were joint efforts. [ Look, he can actually appreciate being part of a team now. Age has given him some perspective. ]
no subject
Most everything I do is a joint effort. My biggest achievement was a joint effort, honestly! If it weren't for the other senshi, I'd never be able to achieve the things I've done! So being able to depend on someone or a group of someones is important. What's the expression, no man's an island? [Goddesses aren't either.]
no subject
That makes you smarter than me, then. It took me a long time to realize that working as part of a team really isn't all that bad.
[ He resisted that for a long time, and he took some hard knocks until he came around to that conclusion.
He opens his mouth to add some additional thought to what he's been saying, but rather than words, what comes out is a very piggish snort, and Tony's eyes widen with surprise and no small amount of chagrin. ]
no subject
[When Tony's words came out as a pig snort, she paused.]
Um, so, shake your head yes or no, but I can carry you up the rest of the way to get you there faster, if you want?
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