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JULY TEST DRIVE MEME

JULY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to July's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: JUDGEMENT 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: Violence, possible gore, intense nightmares, possible death, religion, slow suffocation, melting skin, throat trauma, fire
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Prompt Three
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

STICKS AND STONES

Anyone who has been to school in Deerington likely knows about the possessed bathroom walls by now. The writing blasting your deepest and darkest fears, your best kept secrets, always manifesting the worst parts of yourself. It starts off slow, and grows, and grows... Anyone who looks at the wall only sees rumors about themselves, usually, but lately, people have started to be able to see rumors being written about other people. The writing slowly starts to leak out of the bathroom, starting to spread on the school walls and lockers. Eventually, it starts to spread out into the town itself.

Writing and drawings start to show up around town. It seems like they're exposing peoples worst memories, their darkest actions, but anyone who reads the writing about themselves will see that Deerington has taken a few liberties to make it seem even worse. Did you kill someone in self-defense? The wall will describe how you did it in cold blood. Or maybe you accidentally broke someone's heart? Everyone will read how you manipulated, lied, and destroyed the emotions of an innocent person. Eventually, it will start to make things up that may have never actually happened, but when it's mixed in with all the stories that hold a grain of truth, how can anyone tell the difference?

People will find themselves compelled to believe the rumors, no matter how well they know the person they're written about. Some people might even find themselves tempted to add to the rumors with writings of their own.

You can not scrub the writing off the wall, but it can be covered up or scratched out by markers and paint. The rumors will just write themselves back in within 24 hours, but at least you might be able to stop people from seeing the worst bits about your personality if you're quick enough.

MAY BREAK MY BONES

People will start to find themselves getting exceptionally tired as of late. Even those who don't normally sleep, or normally can't physically sleep, will still find themselves drifting off into whatever equivalent their body can manage. Maybe you curl up on the sofa for a little nap or you're crawling into bed at the end of a long day or you could even just stretch out in the park to get a little shut eye.

No matter where or when you fall asleep, it will be extremely restless. Nightmarish, even.

You "wake up" in a room with a large climbing wall in front of you and nothing but darkness underneath. You aren't alone; the person beside you seems to have just woken up here as well. Maybe it's a friend, maybe it's a stranger, but you're both going to want to take in your surroundings before you get to any kind of chit chat. You can tell you're dreaming, but it all feels, looks, and smells so real. The scent of rust, metal, and blood fill your senses to an overwhelming degree. If you usually rely on powers, you'll find that they aren't working here. You'll also find out quickly just how mortal you may have become.

The large wall is littered with traps. Spikes that shoot out of the wall, ready to skewer the unfortunate person in front of them. Large bear traps will snap shut, just the right height to cut off a persons head at the neck. Random large bouts of fire and sudden puffs of acidic gas that can melt skin. It's hard to tell what triggers each space or if it's entirely random, but you'll need to move quickly in order to avoid all the death traps that are awaiting you.

Especially once the wall starts to deteriorate in front of you. You have to start climbing. Now. You have to move quickly to avoid the wall falling apart while you're climbing it. If it catches up to you, you'll fall into the darkness below, eventually hitting the sharp rocks at the bottom. If you get injured by one of the traps, you'll find that you can really feel it. You'll bleed the same way you would have if you had been injured in real life— even if you don't normally bleed or feel pain at all.

If you climb fast enough and make it to the top of the wall, there will be a door waiting for you. Walk through and you'll wake up wherever you fell asleep. If you sustained any injuries, you'll find that they've been reflected on your body. Hopefully they weren't fatal. Those who don't have human bodies will still find gashes in their bodies where the injuries may have been sustained in their dreams.

Should you die in the dream? You'll die in real life. The body of someone who dies within the dream will suddenly convulse before turning to the same purple dust that all the other bodies in Deerington do before they're reincarnated a week later.

BUT WORDS STILL HURT LIKE HELL

Sometimes when you wake up from your nightmare realms, you won't be in your bed or on your couch. You'll find instead that you're stuck in a confessional booth, even if it means you've been resized to fit in the small space. There's someone on the other side of the screen, but it's not a priest; it's another Sleeper. You're both trapped, the doors refusing to open, and no amount of physical strength or destructive power will make a dent on the walls. The only way out... is to confess.

And you can't just confess any old thing; it has to be something that has been weighing on your mind for some time. Maybe a memory that fills you with guilt, or admittance to an unrequited love, or a deep desire to hurt someone... Anything that's been keeping you up at night, causing tension inside of you. It's your chance to really get things off your chest.

The longer you take to confess, the more dangerous things will become. The air seems to be slowly being sucked out from the confessional booth, slowly suffocating whoever is sitting inside. Even if you don't normally rely on air, you'll start to find yourself choking. It's like your very life force is being sucked out of you. The more you talk, the easier it becomes to breathe, and once you've both finished? The doors will simply unlock.

When you exit the booth, you'll find yourself inside the Deerington church. Turn around and you'll find there is no booth in sight. Guess it's time to just head home.

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.

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...

[ For a good few moments, she's quiet and contemplative. Her eyes gaze back and forth - from him, to the crossroads.

And when he tugs her towards the shops, she can't help but let out a sound of surprise. This was not what she expected in the slightest bit, nor was it something that she thought was planned. ]

Ah - I mean... you don't mind?

[ I'm not being a burden? ]

[He shakes his head, mixing a smile with his response;] Not at all.

Let's go. I'll get us a drink somewhere.

[Atsushi could never think of her as a burden now. If anything, he worries he might be imposing. His offer to buy her a drink is supposed to make-up for the fact he refuses to leave her side just yet.]

It's been a lot. I don't think I could get any rest either.

Do you have money for it?

[ She actually doesn't know if this world actually has currency - and even if it did, she isn't sure if the money that she even has would even work. ]

I don't mind paying you back at some point, though. [ Since she doesn't exactly like owing other things. ] It has, especially since I've gotten here... I do need to get back to the world I was in prior to this at some point.

[ Not "home". ]

["Does he have money for it," she asks. Like she knows that Atsushi has to sink a lot of money into replacing his shoes and pants. Even the deer knew to drop Atsushi in this town with only the clothes on his back and an empty wallet. A powerful statement.

So it may surprise Inaba when Atsushi gives an almost excited answer, as if this fact is bright enough to dispel any amount of gloom;]

Actually, a lot of the food here is free! [so that offer to get her a drink was just atsushi being polite out of habit.

His smile does dissolve when she mentions another world.]

... Mm. I'll find a way to get you home, don't worry.

Eh?

[ She finds herself pausing before the realization actually sets in at the comment 'free'. ]

What?! Seriously? Oh, thank god - I mean... it's not entirely relieving, but let's change plans. Is there a grocery outlet or something? I want to stock up on some stuff and I might as well do it while I have another pair of strong hands.

[ Is she going to take advantage of this? Absolutely.

Is she also going to pointedly not mention 'home'? Also yes. ]

[Her new dense friend doesn't realize that 'home' was the wrong word. He may realize he's being taken advantage of, but he doesn't mind. Being able to help Inaba will only help to drown out thoughts of an apparent dead man.

He hasn't forgotten. He probably won't. That's probably why he never let her hand go.]

Yes, there's a grocery store. I could use to pick something up too! [Atsushi doesn't want Inaba to ever feel guilty for asking his help, so tries to even it out with his own selfishness.]

This way! Oh. [Speaking of 'strong hands.' He's forgotten to let go of hers. Time to do that.] Sorry.

[ Maybe one day she'll explain what the situation is like for her, but right now is... most definitely not that time.

And even if she is taking advantage of him, it's not as if he won't benefit from it. ]

Alright, that's perfect.

[ Although her face burns a bright scarlet when he suddenly lets go of her hand.

Goddamn it. ]

No need to apologize, really... but I do want to get some ingredients for food, since I need to continue practicing my cooking. And - [ She shouldn't. Right? ] if you wanted to, you could come... visit? For dinner?

[ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

She wants to perish just asking that. End her now. ]

[Sooo you had him at 'food' and then really had him at 'cooking.'

He may be awkward about hand holding, but that's because it's about hands. And physical contact. But there is no room for being awkward when it comes to eating.]

I'd love to. Are you really sure? [She knows that he eats a lot, right?

To Atsushi, that's the only thing potentially embarrassing about sharing a meal with someone: How difficult a proper 'sharing' ratio is going to be.]

I can eat some snacks before hand, of course. And.. maybe I can help you cook? [Since he can't offer to pay for the ingredients.]

I make food for my boyfriend back in Canada. It's fine.

[ Pointedly not going to say who her 'boyfriend' is, much less what kind of food that she makes. Although he might be surprised that she says Canada when she clearly understood honorifics earlier.

Hm. ]

And no. You're not allowed in the kitchen. Eating snacks is fine, though.

[ She knows he's Bottomless Stomach McGee. ]

You're Canadian..? [Please don't ask him to find Canada on a map.

Please don't ask him to find Canada on a map.

Please don't ask any geography, really. He isn't even 100% sure where Maine is.]

I... I'm not a kitchen disaster. [Atsushi may give a very small pout. It's not Atsushi's fault that he never had a full kitchen to use for himself, you know. He can peel vegetables and cook basic dishes just fine.

...

How much does she know..?]

There must be some way I can help, at least. I'm not your boyfriend, so I ought to be helping.

I was in Canada before here, but I was born and raised from Yokohama.

[ She waves her hand rather dismissively, though. ]

It's okay, I want it to be a surprise.

[ She has to stop herself from snickering his last sentence, though. ]

[He could still be helping somehow--!!! But Atsushi will let it go. Inaba is insistent and he wants her to be able to relax. After everything she confessed in the booth, maybe cooking a meal with give her a sense of calming normalcy?]

If you're sure. At least use me for carrying groceries, please.

[If he carries most of the weight then maybe he can even out his karma a little bit.]

The grocery store is down this road. See?

I'm sure.

[ Her words might be insistent, but there's something about her words that seem a lot calmer now. Almost as if she's pretty much relaxed at this point. ]

I'd appreciate the extra pair of hands in carrying things. There's definitely a lot of stuff I'll have to get...

[ She hums rather pleasantly even as they're walking ahead of them as he points out the road. Although she's clearly paying attention to her surroundings. ]

Then leave it to me.

[Normally he's pretty paranoid about food waste, but today he'll make an exception. He wants to carry a lot of weight for Inaba, since she's carrying metaphorical weight in knowing his past.]

Do you cook for your boyfriend often? It must be nice to have someone to eat with...?

Well, for the one I live with, I do. I generally try to keep an entire fridge full of his favorite food.

[ "The one I live with" definitely implies... something. ]

Although if he goes out, or if I go out then I can't cook for him. Or vice versa.

[Okay, even Atsushi caught that. That's how blatant it was.

He tries not to ask. It isn't as if he knows much about relationships to begin with, so who knows? Maybe it's trendy to have multiple boyfriends. Or maybe they use the term differently in Canada?]

One of them...? I didn't realize you were so popular, Inaba. Uuuum, not that it's surprising? You are very cute...? [He laughs lightly, but he's more confused than amused.]

Ah-

[ Oh my god. ]

D-D-Don't say something like that?!

[ Oh my god. ]

I mean, I am dating two people and am in an open relationship, but you can't just say that I'm cute!!

[ Her face is completely and utterly red now. ]

[THAT'S WHERE SHE DRAWS THE LINE? Atsushi thought that girls like to be told they're cute! That should have been the safest of his statements!

He's also turning a flustered shade of red, but for different reasons.]

Right, sorry! [Here, let him just

put a good six inches between them. Like Bible camp.]

I-- Wow, Canada sure is different! But I'm glad you're uh so loved. [Nodding.

Can this conversation end now? He's not sure how you win or lose at conversation, but he's deefinitely losing this one.]

Broccoli! Do you have broccoli in Canada?

It's not even something that's just a Canada thing, stupid!

[ She's flustered because she's actually really happy at being called cute but there's also confliction there?

Please change the subject, she's going to perish. This will not help if and when he finds out who one of her boyfriends... well, is. Inaba lets out a huff and just sighs, glancing away once again. ]

... Of course there's broccoli there. I'll find some frozen. I need to get rice, salmon and green tea at least.

[Thank you, broccoli, for saving the day.]

Sounds great! I think we can find those. Or at least, similar ingredients.

Let's hurry? A little jog isn't bad, right? [Also, he really needs to clear his head. That was so embarrassing.]

Y- Yeah, a jog isn't too bad--

[ Not to mention it'd help clear her head just a little bit. Even if she isn't necessarily the most athletic of people. ]

[Good, because Atsushi is ready to leave this awkward moment in his dust. He'll run ahead a short bit, occasionally coming back to her so they aren't actually separated. Choosing awkward silence over that awkward conversation, until they reach the grocery store.]

... Okay. You lead the way. I'll carry the handbasket?

Alright.

Although -

[ Because she is a little out of breath by the time they're at the grocery story after that jog. ]

No more running unless it's necessary...

[ She is terrible at this sort of thing. Save her. ]

We didn't go far though... oh.

[He flashes Inaba an apologetic smile. Not only was that careless and rude of him, but it was troublesome. Atsushi laughs with unease.]

Sorry. We can get cold drinks on our way out..?

[Which he hopes will help her.]

Just because we didn't doesn't mean I'm good at this sort of thing...

[ She's still not athletic! ]

Yeah, maybe a soda would be nice. Cool my head a bit.

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JULY TEST DRIVE MEME

JULY 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

STICKS AND STONES

MAY BREAK MY BONES

BUT WORDS STILL HURT LIKE HELL

Character Arrival

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