MAY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

[sodder]

MAY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to May's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: DARK FANTASY 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: Heightened mental health issues (anxiety & paranoia), auditory hallucinations, option for visions of canon death and violence, child death, corpses, possession.
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

DEATH'S EYE

Desperation and anxiety are things that come easily in a place like Deerington, but lately it seems like it's being felt in waves. Maybe you're feeling more desperate to get home, maybe you're afraid of what will happen when you do leave here, or maybe you're dreading what the month to come has in store for you. Some people might just start to feel anxious and terrified with no real reason behind it. The worries are plaguing your thoughts, leaving you unable to trust those around you. You keep seeing visions in your dreams of violent wars, senseless murders, and all of it seems to end with a stand in the middle of the woods with a single glass orb.

There's no rationality for it, but eventually, you'll feel compelled to find the orb. You'll find that when you leave the house to go somewhere, you'll forget where you were headed, only to end up at the edge of the forest. Sometimes you might sleepwalk and wake up in the dirt by the trees. If you decide to fight it and keep leaving, you will grow more and more paranoid, isolated, and violently aggressive to those around you. If you can wait out a full week, you might find the anxiety starts to ease, and slowly over the course of five days, you will begin to return to normal.

If you don't fight it and head into the woods, you will feel pulled to follow a long and winding path through the woods. There are multiple branches off of the path, but you won't feel compelled to go down them. Keep heading straight. Another personal will eventually stumble down the path you're on as well and the two of you will walk together through the woods.

Eventually you'll find a clearing. It's the same clearing from your dream with the same orb displayed in front of you. One or both characters will hear whispering throughout the clearing that grows more intense the closer you get to the orb. They're urging you to touch it, to free yourself from the pain you've been feeling for days on end. The strong can fight it, but most characters will be too weak from the lack of sleep and the constant fear to refuse to give in.

If you do fight it, you can leave the clearing, but the same anxiety and paranoia cycles will follow you for another full week before it begins to ease. If you don't fight it and you touch the orb, you will be filled with a blinding pain that runs through your entire body. There will be a quick and heavy sequence of images that runs through your mind; they will be images of the most traumatic experiences that your companion has ever faced and you will feel as though you were experiencing every moment first hand.

When you break free, the anxiety and paranoia will be gone and you'll be back to yourself. It seems you two will have a lot to talk about on the walk home.

Note: It does not have to be just one character who touches the orb. Both characters are welcome to.

NOW YOU SEE ME

The first few signs you're being haunted are easy to miss. Maybe you think you just misplaced your keys or put that book you were reading down on a different counter than where you find it. Things get a little harder to ignore when random objects start to fall off shelves or glasses shatter without any warning. Eventually there's no denying you've got a full fledged poltergeist on your hands; the walls will shake and screams will echo in your head that you can't block out no matter how tightly you cover your ears. Lights will flicker and bulbs will eventually blow from the power surges. Objects that fly across the room will barely miss your head— some might not even miss at all.

If you know any tricks for getting rid of angry spirits, none of them will work. Trying them seems to only make the spirit angrier. If you try too many times to get rid of the spirit, it will eventually possess you, filling you with a blind and violent rage that can make you attack even your closest of friends. The possession will last for one full hour and once the spirit leaves you, you'll feel completely drained for the rest of the day.

But there's hope! In your blessing's basket, your character will find one-half of an antler wreath. The trick is to find the person with the other half. Each wreath will have a unique set of flowers on them and you will have to find the person who has the flowers that match your own. Both of you will have been being haunted by the same ghost, it seems; they were a busy little poltergeist.

Once the two halves of the wreath are connected, it will begin to glow, before a faint wisp of light starts to travel a path in front of you both. If you follow the path of light, it will take you through the town, down the roads, through the playground at the elementary school, and eventually stopping near the edges of Koji Pond. Continuing to search will eventually lead to both character's stumbling on the body of a young child. Rest the wreath against them and the light will encompass the body, becoming blindingly bright, before disappearing altogether.

Both characters will be filled with a sense of peace afterward and will be safe from harm for a full twenty-four hours after the ceremony is complete.

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.

Comments

If you have an issue w his fourthwalling I can change it!

[4thwaller]

I watched a crack in the road heal up all goopy and gross like a wound. There's probably still a scar. Really gives you the heebies to match your jeebies, if you know what I mean.

[ He narrows an eye, squinting. ]

No, I just know which X-Virgins are here and which one's aren't. And you weren't on the list.

[ Womp. There it is. But he does seem to consider her other question. Apparently knowing who she is, or having an idea at least since Katniss always avoided him at the X-Mansion, doesn't really draw any bad or good feelings.

Fingers thrum over the push bar of the shopping cart he's got. ]

You need a tour guide? I can show you the perfect spot to throw rocks at all the goody goody spandex shoes.

[ It's a shame Daredevil is gone, he was a lotta fun to try to nail with a rock. ]

Not to mention a Chinese place to die for. I could inject the mapo doufu directly into my veins.

she's seen her kids from the future with charles and logan. she can handle anything.

[skinsuits]

[She knows what he means, but somehow it sounds more like innuendo when he says it. Raven sighs. He's hardly said anything yet and she feels annoyance rising in the depths of her soul somehow. Where is it coming from, and why is it so familiar?]

It's cute that you think I'm a virgin. I'll take that as a compliment.

[But more importantly, it seems like he knows her. Or knows of her. Enough to know of her on-again off-again affiliation with the X-Men. It's like a bad relationship you keep going back to because the sex is exquisite.]

Not really looking to throw rocks yet, but if you know anywhere that sells guns? [She might be interested in the mapo doufu later on, though. Being creeped out apparently got her hunger goin. Raven rests a hand on the edge of the shopping cart to make sure he didn't go anywhere just yet.] What did you say your name was, stranger?

[4thwaller]

I don't judge either way. [ Seeing as he's no blushing virgin himself. ] It's why I could never be an X-Man. That and X-Men, what's with that? [ His gaze falls past her, like something else has caught his attention, to the fourthwall. ] Totally fucking sexist. Clearly there are X-Otherpeople too.

[ Dark brown eyes flicker back to her, scanning over her face unabashedly. Though, it doesn't seem to be in shock and awe or disgust. Even without his Hamburger Helper face, she's prettier than him on his good days. This is the first time he's dealt with her this up close. ]

Mmm, guns. You're the second mutant to ask me that question. Sheesh, it's like you guys are dangerous or something. [ As casual as he sounds, none of that is probably a problem. Then again, Wade can keep a casual tone while trying to kill someone. ] Me. I'm an anywhere that sells guns. [ He has a bad habit of having sticky fingers during the events and keeping whatever weapons he sees.

When he finishes what looks to be learning her resting expression his attention very notably falls to the hand on his shopping cart. A scarred eyebrow raises. ]

I didn't. Specifically for the fun reason of having you at a disadvantage. [ Nobody ever said he wasn't an asshole. ] But, since you asked so nicely; it's Wade.

[ Does the annoyance in the depths of her soul have an inkling on an understanding yet? ]

[skinsuits]

I'm glad someone else has noticed.

[Maybe this guy wasn't so bad despite being a little bit unusual, but who wasn't? The issue now was who the hell was this guy. She'd infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. enough times that she's seen the records of any mutant that ever even thought about doing something wrong, and his face doesn't ring a bell. And she'd remember. He's got a reasonably attractive face, all things considered.

Raven is ready to do business the second he mentions that he sell what she's looking for, and now she's the one committing his face to memory. For her, it doesn't take long to do that sort of thing. Before she can say something relevant, Wade says his name and she realizes immediately what that feeling was.]

Fuck me. Are you kidding? Wade Wilson?[She lets out an unamused sigh as he looks at his face again. He doesn't look like the only Wade she knows of. The one she fake married one time to get into a secret government facility. The one that thankfully signed those divorce papers right away with much fuss.]

You don't look like...yourself. I'm guessing this is another case of mistaken timeline? Or universe. Knowing mutant history as well as I do, I'd be surprised if it's not more time shenanigans. [There's a little pause, but she does offer something helpful.] You get cancer and almost die in the future. And then you never die--or shut up. It's actually awful.

[4thwaller]

[ Someone's feeling dirty for thinking Wade Winston Wilson is attractive, huh? ]

I'd say the one and only but apparently the multiverse is real and Disney is about to bad touch the fuck outta me. Maybe I'll tell 'em my safe word is Sony. Haah!

You mean, I don't look like the inside of a Pizza Roll? Appreciate the sugar coating on that part, Toots. I get a sick-ass Fox movie, that I practically blackmailed the heads into letting me have. Get cancer, almost die a lot, survive a near fatal bovine attack, get injected with a fuckload of whoknowswhat, lose any hope of being Prom King, and dying, ever. Travel the world in an attempt to regain my spice for life and a flux capacitor, while battling ninjas, the Yakuza and a pack of sexually aggressive canines. Yadda, yadda. It's a family movie.

[ Does he sound just as crazy as the Wade she knows? ] The next one's gonna be a Disney movie. Can't wait to ruin the expectations of so many emotionally unavailable parents.

I was born talking though. In the womb. Before the womb. That was always consistent. [ Sure, he talks a LOT more now. But he's always been chatty. ]

Then I showed up here, got injected with a bunch of autobots, got cured of looking like I had leprosy AND the cancer in one go. [ His head cants to the side, curiosity sparking in his expression. ] Since I've done that song and dance, and nowhere along the way was La Blue Girl involved, how do you know me exactly?

[skinsuits]

[As usual she has very little idea what the guy is on about, and less patience to try and understand. How was he that attractive before all the...cancer? It's a little sad, really. All people usually got was the 1-3 degree burn assortment surprise skin, and the mouth. Maybe it was better that way...]

I doubt Disney would allow kids to be influenced by someone like you. Pretty face or not. But consider your safeword duly noted.

[He sounds exactly like her Wade. Oh god, she's upset at even having thought the words her and Wade in the same sentence. She feels sick, but also Canadians were so easy to take advantage of. It wouldn't be the first time she's used him, but at least this time he knows what he's signing up for.]

I don't know this version of you. But we've crossed paths a few times. We know the same people. I may have married you with a false identity for access to some files, but you got your divorce, and I got my intel, so no harm done. [She secret married Charles Xavier before he died, so definitely not her lowest point.]

Come on, finish grabbing your groceries. I'll try not to judge your caloric intake too much. [Wade might have been an idiot, but she knows he can multitask. He can talk and shop at the same time.]

[4thwaller]

Fox let me have two movies, anything is possible if you believe, like Bill Nye said. [ No... No, he didn't, dipshit. ] Also, I didn't miss that compliment, even if it was hidden in an insult it still tickled my cockles.

[ Cockles is a funny word, huh? ]

Oooh, you and me? Fake married? Did we, y'know? [ His eyebrows raising up his forehead is enough to run that implication home. But, at least he's feeling magnanimous enough to listen to her demand, pushing his cart again, toward the Easy Cheese. ] Judge away, baby, I gotta keep this girlish figure somehow. [ And with that, he knocks about half the shelf of Easy Cheese into his cart.

Off to the taco makings next, which he'll be taking way too much of too. ]

I dunno if I should be arming ex-... [ He glances at her, squinting. ] ladyfriends? [ He knows she's even more genderfluid than him. ] With guns. Y'know Wolvie is here. [ Actually, there are two, but he isn't sure he should be sharing that yet. ] Now who do I have to blow to find mangoes here? [ Back to the previous topic as he shovels more food into his cart, it hardly even looks like he's looking at what he gets. ] How do I know you're not gonna try to turn him into swiss cheese? Then he'll find out I gave you the cheesemaker, and he'll stab me, again. Then, again, he did kill Francine that one time... So he probably deserves the swiss cheese treatment.

[ TV dinner time, LET'S GOOOO. ]

[skinsuits]

[Sorry Wade, she's tuning you out rather than trying to make heads or tails of whatever it was he's talking about. No point in listening to him ramble when there were guns to discuss acquiring.]

You're worried about the wrong things. Aren't you virtually unkillable anyway? Not that I'd ever shoot you. [A lie. She'd shoot him point blank for no reason at all if he annoyed her enough, but Wade doesn't need to know that.] Oh? Is he?

[That complicated things, but she can deal with Logan by staying the hell away from him. She doesn't plan to stick around long once she does have the fire power to shoot her way out of this place.Raven will eventually see that it doesn't work like that, but until then she can try to slowly build up an arsenal.] Even if I turn him to Swiss cheese, he'd just come back and gut me. I have no reason to put myself in that position.

[She's doing her best to follow, she really is, but Wade loses her at Francine. Raven sighs, trailing along beside Wade, taking in his ridiculous grocery list as he seems to arbitrarily toss stuff into the cart. Clearly selling guns makes a lot of cash or he couldn't do this sort of thing.]

Alright, then let's go into business together. I'll help you move your merchandise, and you can see that I can be trustworthy.