soddersays | SEPTEMBER 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

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SEPTEMBER 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to September's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: CHILDREN/YOUNG ADULT 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: Evil dollhouses, potential body horror (turning into a doll), heights, pranks with the potential to cause harm, some stalking vibes
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

THE EVIL DOLLHOUSE

When you wake up, you find you're not in your own bed, your own room, or even your own house. The room is well decorated, almost Victorian in fashion. The bed is pretty uncomfortable and you're not even sure the mattress is a real mattress. The chairs look like they might be made of plastic and the doors are flimsy. But it might not be what catches your eye, especially if you look out the window.

Through the clear panes (which also seem to be plastic), you will notice you do not see the town of Deerington, or even the outdoors at all. You see a living room that feels larger than life. There aren't any people in it, but as you look around at the fake looking furnishings and the strange view, you might be hit with a realization: you're inside a dollhouse.

The dollhouse has three floors for those who explore; the second floor you woke up on has two bedrooms and a fake little bathroom, all decorated in the same Victorian dollhouse style as the room you originally found yourself in. The bottom floor has a cute little kitchen with small porcelain dolls sitting around the table, a living room with all the basic furniture one would expect to find (in fact, it looks a great deal like the living room outside the windows), and an office filled with books that can't actually be pulled out of the shelves. On the very top floor is an attic. It's dusty and filled with broken toy beds and chairs, a few shattered doll pieces, and on the far wall you'll see another bookshelf. All seems... fairly standard, really, if you're used to seeing dollhouses.

But what there doesn't appear to be is an exit.

While searching, you may run into another Sleeper. A friend or a stranger, it's clear you're both stuck here together. And the longer the time ticks by, the more concerning things get. You might not notice at first, but anyone inside the dollhouse starts slowly... changing. It seems to go at a different pace for everyone, but the results are always the same. Your skin will start to become porcelain, your cheeks more rosy, your clothes made of cheaper cloth material, your joints become stiffer, and your eyes will start to become more and more glass like. If you don't get out of the dollhouse soon, it's clear that you may become the next doll at the kitchen table.

Searching the house again may feel fruitless, but keen observers may find light scratches on the floor in front of the bookshelf in the attic. Maybe they were like that because of someone moving things around or maybe there's a reason. If you decide to eventually pull the bookshelf aside, there will be a large door in the wall. It may seem strange, given that the wall only leads to the outside, but it's the only door to the outside that actually opens. You expect it to open up into the living room, but instead you'll see the grass of the park below. Far below. It's likely you could get hurt jumping, especially if you've started to turn to porcelain, but what other choice do you have?

Once characters take the plunge, they will find that they land rather softly in the grass, despite how high the jump may have seemed. As soon as you are out of the dollhouse, your body will have returned to complete normal.

And the house with the dollhouse in the living room will be nowhere in sight.

THOSE PESKY KIDS

You start off thinking maybe you're just forgetful and moved minor pieces around in your house without paying attention. You might think you're just seeing strange things out of the corner of your eye, because why wouldn't you? It's Deerington. Things are always strange. But each day, there's something weirder going on. Small objects might turn into entire rooms being rearranged, strange sightings out of the corner of your eye might turn into you swearing you saw a lake monster running through the street, and you swear you can hear the rattling of chains or the sounds of someone telling you to leave echoing in your house at night or following you down the street.

A haunting seems plausible. It wouldn't be the first time in Deerington. But no amount of herbs burned, or exorcisms performed, or chants and spell cast will make these things go away. In fact, they seem to just becoming more and more frequent, and more and more intense. Eventually, the strange creatures you see running around may start to try and attack you. They may start to try and kill you. But they always run off before you can attack back or show yourself to be stronger than them. It's probably the first time the monsters have ever been so easily scared.

Anyone who looks into it further may start to find weird clues lying around after a monster has been chased off. Footprints that don't look quite monster-like, tapes or records that when played will make strange rattling sounds like the chains you've been hearing, a piece of rubber that looks a lot like the monsters skin... Huh. The more you follow the clues, the more they'll lead you towards the answer to your dilemmas; these aren't hauntings.

They're pranks.

People can work together to catch a monster or ghost (or killing it, if you decide to); catching them will lead to them getting quite flustered and angry, struggling to get away. Pull off the mask or the sheet and underneath you'll find... a very disgruntled townsperson. Maybe your business was taking too much money away from theirs and they were hoping you'd close down with enough scares, maybe you talked back to them one time and they were looking for revenge, maybe you ruined their house or garden when you were fighting the things in Deerington that actually try to kill you, or maybe they were just having some "harmless" fun; they all have a different excuse, but they're clearly angry about getting caught.

They woulda gotten away with it if it weren't for you pesky Sleepers, after all.

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

They're all sealed pretty tight.

[Makoto nods to Sakura's second statement, pumping her fist in agreement.]

Yeah, there's probably a secret pathway or something. We just have to figure out where it is.

[Doesn't that mean they should start in the library, there was always a book that opened a hidden staircase or something in the library.]

Exactly! I'm sure together, we'll find it!

[Somewhere. Hopefully before Makoto gets any worse. Sakura's just barely starting herself in feeling that stiff movement and all yet. She glances around then expectantly. As if the way out is gonna just. Show up all obvious. Probably a little too optimistic.]

Where should we start?

[That was a pretty good question. Well, obviously the front door and all that wasn't the key. What would Ami recommend for something like this?]

Well, we should start on the ground floor and work our way up. If it looks like something's been moved, or looks out of place, then we can take a closer look. We could check under rugs and stuff too.

But maybe we should start in the kitchen? There's a doll in there, maybe that's where we're supposed to start.

[Or end up. Though Makoto certainly wasn't going to go down that easily.]

Right! That makes sense. Go through all the rooms on this floor one by one and then head up.

[It might take them longer. If the exit somehow is upstairs. But Sakura figures in being thorough and checking room by room they'll eventually get there? Between the two of them hopefully they won't miss anything at least. So she gives a nod in agreement to starting in the kitchen, making for that direction where she can see the kitchen from where they are now.]

[Hopefully, they would have time, if not well no matter what Makoto would find a way out. She still had her Jupiter Crystal, and there's no way that some cheap plastic would be able to keep them trapped.]

We'll be out in no time.

[Searching the Kitchen, Makoto started with checking around the fridge to see if it would move, and then the table where the doll was sitting.]

Right! Together we will be!

[Sakura's sure of it. Or. Definitely damned hopeful and optimistic on it, working together that they would figure this out. Before it's too late. She tries not to stare too much at the dolls and focus on trying to figure another door or something to shift to get behind it to get out somehow. She glances when Makoto checks the fridge.]

You think that might be it? Need a hand?

I don't think it is. It doesn't look like it's been moved.

[In fact, she was pretty sure that it was fused with the wall, and there weren't any signs of it turning or anything.]

Do any of the cabinets open?

The cabinets? They do, but they're empty.

[Aside from what looks to be stickers? Of cans or such at the back of it? Sakura's not sure what the point of it is but. It makes sense if this is a house for dolls. They wouldn't actually need food, real food, after all. Still. It's kind of concerning and confusing at why they would open in the first place if they're empty like that.]

Should we check another room then?

[Makoto nods. The main room was a bust, and so was the kitchen, so it obviously wasn't on the ground floor.]

Maybe the bedrooms since that's where we woke up? Where do you normally open a dollhouse from anyways?

[Makoto had been more into arcade games, or always busy with practice to have really had a fancy dollhouse like this before.]

Hm. Opening a doll house? The middle? Or the back, maybe.

[Some had like, hinges in the middle or something? It depending on the doll house. Some you just turned around to play with and the back was open. She's not sure if that's the case here given there seem to be four walls as far as she can tell at least.]

[Well there were definitely four walls. And if it opened from the middle, Makoto went to the front wall and followed it over the spot met the next, there did seem to be a seam or gap there.]

I guess that isn't it either. We could check the back of the house, but maybe it's better if we keep going up?

Maybe. If we don't find something down here, we can rule it out and keep heading up. I guess like normal houses, doll houses can be different in how they open too.

[As long as they find the exit in time. Before they end up stuck here like the other dolls. Sakura tries not to glance to them and think on that possibility too much though. Tries to focus on the positive on possibly getting them out of here instead. As they rule out anything in the kitchen and move on to check other rooms.]

[Makoto could tell that Sakura was a little nervous being around the other dolls, which made a lot of sense given the circumstances. She could tell that her leg a lot stiffer, and whatever this was had started to spread.]

Well it's not in here, and the front room was a bust, so there's just the closet and then the second and third floor. So let's head that way.

[And she was pretty sure that the closet wasn't even a real door.]

Well we can check the closet then on the way upstairs.

[Sakura figures, giving a nod in agreement in getting up to shift to the other rooms in making their way to try and progress in checking more of the house for a way out. She gives the closet a quick glance but it doesn't seem there's anything in there or any way that would help them get outside so she quickly then heads with Makoto upstairs.]

Did we want to split up in taking one end of the floor and we can cover it quicker? I can let you know or you can let me know if we find something?

That would be a good idea since we need to hurry. But if you have any trouble or there's something scary just call me.

[She didn't want anything to happen to Sakura just because they had split up. But time was working against them. More of Makoto's skin had started to take on a slight gloss already.]

And if I find anything I'll come get you.

Right!

[Sakura gives a nod in agreement that she or Makoto would let the other know if they found something. Or needed a hand. She's not necessarily as aware of her own skin taking on that glossy shine starting, as she focuses on searching for doors or anything that might shift in being able to move it to the side in finding a way out.

She's out of luck though, and it's not too long before she returns in making her way back towards Makoto's side.]

No luck on your end either?

[Makoto had pretty much torn the room apart as she was looking, even moving the entire bed and the night stand. As she went to lift the latter she heard the cracks in her leg expand, and realized that it was getting harder to move.

It felt almost like her leg was completely asleep. Hearing Sakura, Makoto shook her head.]

No nothing in here. How are you feeling though?

[It seemed like this floor was a bust as well. She wouldn't admit it, but Makoto was starting to worry a bit.]

Let's keep going then. Upstairs.

[Sakura gestures, starting for the stairs. Not that she had been...probably quite as strong to be as thorough as Makoto but she hadn't figured finding anything that might be a way out yet either. So hopefully the next floor would be useful. She's just mindful it would be higher up. Maybe stairs back down or something?]

If there's a way in there has to be a way out. Somewhere.

[She doesn't outwardly fret over noting about Makoto's leg. But it does increase the urgency she has in her steps as she heads up to the attic.]

[Well it would be the last place that people would probably look, so if they were trying to trap people in here long enough they'd change it would make sense. But Makoto wondered how they were supposed to get down, well and how they were supposed to get back to their normal size.]

Of course, there's always a way out.

[Even of a magical creepy dollhouse in a nightmare town.]

There will be. We just have to find it. If we haven't down there yet it has to be up here somewhere.

[They have to be right. Have to get out of here soon. In time before they fully change. Sakura's determined and stubborn, optimistic enough to keep at it at least. As they make their way up stairs and she starts looking. Mostly near any windows, around the walls at the edges of the room rather than the center.]

Right.

[Makoto started at the front window, a round one that looked out into the living room. Everything was really strange, and see pushed against the plastic and of course it didn't budge. Looking around there were a few boxes, something that looked like an old crib, and then the bookshelf. Of course all the books were just plastic, fused and refused to come out, but the shelf itself was still pretty heavy and seemed like it was made of wood unlike everything else.

She pulled at one of the rows of books, it'd defiantly been glued in, but eventually it gave and Makoto fell back, making a clink sound as she hit the ground.]

Ow. Well it's not a book I guess.

[She looked where the plastic cover of books was lying on the ground at the base of the bookshelf.]

A-ah?

[Sakura winces as Makoto falls, shifting in trying to get closer and offer a hand to help her back to her feet. If possible, given that clink sounded like something shattering or breaking. Which she hopes isn't Makoto's leg or something.]

The marks. Scratches. It seems like it should be able to move? If we push it? Together? Are you okay?

[The leg still seemed to be intact, through it had become rigid and she couldn't move it, and even Sakura's help it was a little hard to get on her feet. Though as she did several small pieces of porcelain fell to the ground. Her hair had also started to take on more of a sheer and looked much stiffer. This wasn't good, but she still didn't want to worry Sakura, so she'd keep going and try not to draw any attention to it.]

Alright, if we push together we should be able to move it.

[Though she didn't see any stairs of anything outside.]

[She figures there has to be a way down somehow. Even if not stairs, there has to be at least some way in and out for them to end up here in the first place. So Sakura gives a nod, unsure on mentioning the growing worry and fear as they transformed more. Panic wouldn't figure anything, wouldn't help get them out of this. So she helps Makoto to her feet and braces in helping push the bookcase.]

Together.

Together.

[Putting her shoulder agains the bookcase she pushed, several more pieces of porcelain falling to the floor as she felt her leg start to shift a bit, but the shelf moved revealing the door that had been behind it. Looks like they found the way out.

Makoto leaned against the shelf to keep any weight off of the leg that seemed to be deteriorating. As she looked at the door.]

Think that's it?

SEPTEMBER 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

SEPTEMBER 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

THE EVIL DOLLHOUSE

THOSE PESKY KIDS

Character Arrival

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