December 2020 Test Drive Meme

[sodder]

DECEMBER 2020 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to DECEMBER's Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: SURREAL WINTER 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: psychological horror that deals with memory displacement, unnatural paranoia and madness, ghosts and hauntings, gore that includes limbs and organs, unknowingly eating rotted food and cannibalism

Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

YOU WIN OR YOU DIE

Perhaps you just stepped outside or you were on your way to the store, wherever you are out and about in Deerington, a blizzard so strong and thick with snow picks up around you and within seconds you can't see more than a foot in front of you. Choose a direction to search for shelter and you'll eventually come upon the mouth of a cave that you've never seen before and that's alarming in and of itself. But it's either going in the mysterious cave or getting lost in a blizzard and freezing to death.

Entering the cave takes you down a short narrow tunnel before it opens up into a large frozen over cavern with a narrow stone path that leads to an icy looking castle at the center. The air in the cavern is below freezing and while the castle has a foreboding look, the warm light that shines from all the windows promises warmth and safety. And when you step through the massive doors it's like stepping into another world. There's fires burning in every hearth and seasonal decorations of all sorts cover the walls and hang from the ceiling. No matter what you celebrate at this time of year in your world you are likely to spot several familiar cultural or religious ornaments.

And mingling around are countless ghostly but harmless and even friendly looking servants and lords and ladies, as well as other sleepers who have found themselves here just as you have. Make your way to the throne room and you'll find a medieval style court filled with more specters of finely dressed men and women standing to observe their liege dispense judgement and law. But no person sits upon that throne, just a lone crown that looks like it's made of ice that seems to call you forth. Nobody stops you when you reach out to touch the crown, in fact their faces seem to twist in an unnatural sinister delight the moment you do.

Once it has been touched by you, the full curse of the crown and throne settles in and you are compelled to place it on your head. Suddenly, the castle feels colder, you can swear there are greedy eyes on your crown and as you return to mingling and partaking in food and drink, the ghosts of court one by one start sidling up to you and whispering in your ear:

"I caught your most trusted friend in an affair with one who seeks to dethrone you, my liege." "Your advisor was plotting with the servant boy to poison your wine!" "I swear I witnessed your betrothed passing coin to an infamous assassin."

Your mind starts to place people in your life in the roles the ghosts claim plan to betray you, perhaps you now believe your best friend is your royal advisor plotting to poison you or that your significant other is your fiancé planning an assassination after you are wed. Or maybe it's someone you just met today that's suddenly your spouse. Your life as a sleeper in Deerington and everything before feels fuzzy, and all that matters is domination of power and being the only one seated on that throne. Paranoia slowly seeps into your bones as you continue to mingle with the court's holiday celebrations and all you can see are enemies until you're the one plotting or trying to end them before they can end you.

The more your irrational paranoia and suspicion grows, the colder the castle becomes, or perhaps that's just you. Ice follows you where you go, your skin is turning blue and everything you touch seems to frost. Maybe you have someone thrown in the dungeon to rot or you try poison or a knife in the dark, but no matter the more subtle paths you try to take out all your enemies, you eventually become so mad with power and paranoia it becomes a physical confrontation and somehow there's weapons all over the walls of this castle to grab and fight with or chase people through the maze-like halls with.

Only when the crowns are removed from the heads of those affected and not touched again does the curse lift, the affected sleepers slowly go back to normal and you look around to find that the ghosts have faded away and all the decorations are there, but they are made from pieces of people's limbs and organs. The food you have been eating may also have been rotted and covered in maggots or comprised of human body parts. And in horror you run for the nearest door to escape and then find yourself right back in Deerington. When the massive ornate doors close behind you and you look back, there's nothing there.

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES

You know what they say. You can never truly know someone until you walk a mile in their shoes.

You wake up one morning, like any other. Nothing seems unusual about the day, nothing at all really. In fact, if you ignored the heavy snowfall lately, it would be an otherwise perfectly average day in a town in Maine. A glance out the window will show that there's been some paths carved in the snow, so maybe you can get out of the damned house a little. It won't last, so you might as well enjoy the freedom, right?

When you go to get dressed, however, there is something odd. There's another set of shoes there. Maybe you recognize them as a friend's, or maybe you've never seen them before in your life, but they're definitely not yours. On a whim, you feel an almost inexorable compulsion to try them on, and they fit perfectly! It does not matter how biologically impossible this might be because of different species, foot sizes, the fact that you've never worn high heels in your life, they fit, and fit perhaps better than any other shoes you've ever worn.

That's when the rubber meets the road, however. The moment you put them on, your memories feel fuzzy for a moment and then everything is just wrong. Your memories of life become those of the person whose shoes you are now wearing. Inconsistencies are papered over for a moment. Flagrant inaccuracies just don't seem important at first, and you go about your business, being them. There's always a strangeness to your day, a sort of surreal oddity to it. It feels 'off,' and every time you look in the mirror you swear that you see the words somewhere in the reflection "Cogito Ergo Sum. At qui ego sum?"

Eventually, the nagging feeling gets worse and worse until you're compelled to find the person wearing your shoes. Only then can the curse be lifted by talking about the pieces of each other's false lives, sharing bits about oneself and realizing in the haze, confusion and fear that they are sharing your memories, not theirs. When enough have been shared, the urge to trade shoes comes, and once the right ones are on your feet it's all back to normal. The false memories bleed away like the morning fog. At most, only vague recollections linger unless the two of you choose to continue talking about them. But the next time you look in the mirror, backwards, written in blood are the words:

"?I ma ohw tub ,ma I erofereht kniht I"

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

Robyn Hill | RWBY

[mantleoftruth]

Win or Die
Stumbling through the cold Robyn muttered about suddenly finding herself in the middle of Solitas without transport, without a scroll, and worst yet without a plan. Luckily there was a cave that offered her a bit of refuge from the cold so that she wouldn't freeze to death once her aura became depleted. Entering it she saw the decorations, the ghostly servants that mingled around. It was almost a little like mantle, and Robyn found herself wishing she'd had her fan.

Pushing further though she found herself in the courtyard, looking around at the various lords and ladies. Compared to all of them, Robyn was clearly under dressed, and for a moment she wondered if she should go back to the cave with the servants, it was probably safer there.

"Guess if that's Mantle, this would be Atlas."

Seeing the throne and crown she found it strange. Sure monarchies were pretty archaic but usually, if there was one still around a throne never sat empty that long.

"So where's their royal highness?"

Walk a Mile
Want to walk a mile in her shoes? Robyn Hill, an honor student of Atlas Academy, graduating at the top of her class. But while it should be a proud moment she notices the inequalities and injustices between the conditions of Mantle and Atlas. Still many are hesitant to approach or speak to you, afraid of the fact that you can tell whether they are being honest, or if everything they say is a lie. Only a few people ever seem to accept your outstretched hand.

Rather than joining the Atlas military, you form a group of huntresses, one that will oppose the oppression and exploitation of the people of Mantle, the Happy Huntresses. Classmates advance through the ranks become a part of the Ace Ops, the elite group of the military. Your path leads instead to a podium, to a platform, speaking to the people on behalf of the people. Running for the open council position, a position that will allow you to help the people who need the supplies and materials that have continuously been confiscated and taken away by the military of Atlas, sent to the city among the clouds.

Arrival
The dream was disorienting, unlike any other that Robyn had previously experienced or had. Robyn found herself sitting up in the bed she suddenly was inhabiting as she raised a hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. She could feel being drug across the ground, wondering if it had been her subconscious connecting to her being drug to where she was now. Wherever it was, it clearly wasn't a cell, so that maybe there was hope.

It only took a few minutes for her to read through the letter, tucking the bowl and everything else away as she hit the streets. As grateful as she was to have had a place provided, she wasn't exactly going to trust it, not just yet. Ensure she had her crossbow, the blonde decided to hit up any of the public spaces and buildings to try and get some kind of official that might be able to explain just what was going on, and why she was in some place called Maine.

Win or Die

[fallsuccession]

[Pyrrha has just gotten over the curse of the crown thankfully, so she's not about to let anybody else make the same decision.]

Excuse me. I'd avoid the throne if possible. It's... Well, it's not fun.

[mantleoftruth]

"Thanks for the heads up Matchstick. Good to know, but I don't really have any interest in a crown. Surprised they just left it laying there though."

Weren't those that held those positions usually the type that was a bit paranoid and held themselves to be above everything. Looking around she saw most of the 'nobles' whispering and eyeing them as well. It was very much an air that she didn't care for.

"So what brings you here?"

[fallsuccession]

The nobles whispering about them made her feel uneasy. One could probably say that they just didn't care for outsiders, but she couldn't help but think that maybe they were talking about her. Talking about how she had fallen victim to the curse.

"Um, actually... There's some sort of curse to the crown. I was just trying to get out of the cold and I ended up here. It makes you feel paranoid like... everyone is against you," she explained, "I just wanted to help anyone else who may possibly fall prey to it as well".

[mantleoftruth]

"It is a cold one out there, and you'd hope that they'd be a bit more welcoming to those just trying to find a little warmth. There's no reason for anyone to be or left out in this weather."

Not when it looked like most of those here were fairly well off and could do with having a few extra guests to crash their little gathering. More and more she was beginning to wonder if this place was just another Atlas. Those living above the clouds looking down on others, a leadership position that seems to be cursed.

"Well they say it's a heavy burden to bear, and that being on top means having to watch your back. When people care more about themselves than those they share this world with, I can see why that kind of person would be paranoid."

This girl on the other hand,

"But that doesn't seem like you at all. If you're taking the chance to warn others about it. That's awful nice of you."

[fallsuccession]

"I don't think they really care," glancing around the room, "We definitely don't fit in here."

"It must be difficult to be in that kind of position. I'm not sure I'd be cut out for it, paranoia aside," she said, reflecting on her feelings that she felt while under the curse. She had always been put on a pedestal, but this was over her head. She would rise to a challenge, of course, but from her experience... It was lonely. She couldn't even begin to imagine leading a country or region like that.

"Oh. I... It's nothing really. I just had an awful experience and I'm sure it would probably be the same for anyone else," she said, giving her a sheepish smile, "I wonder how far away the town is. I wasn't really prepared for the weather here, so I'm not sure how much my Aura would be able to take of the cold."

Arrival

[clickclickbloom]

By the point Ruby really should have been less surprised to see someone else from Remnant walking around in Deerington, but it never didn't come as a shock. She stops and just stares briefly as she Robyn making her way toward the mayors house. She raises a hand up and calls out.

"Uh-Hey! Miss Hill? You might not want to go in there. It's more than a little dangerous, I know from experience."

[mantleoftruth]

"A government building that dangerous, sounds about right. Though I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be there to help people."

After recent events, there wasn't very much that surprised Robyn. It was a pleasant coincidence that she'd run into Ruby this soon. Pausing though Robyn crossed her arms in front of her and waited for the other to make her way over.

"So what's the deal pipsqueak? Do they not respond to walk-ins well, or are they just that incompetent that it's painful to talk to them?"

[clickclickbloom]

"Yeah. This place isn't always that great at helping people, unfortunately. I can't believe I'm saying this but they're actually maybe a little more indiscriminate than Atlas was." At least Atlas had made an effort to save some people. Deerington was generally out to get everyone in town.

She rubs at her arm and nervously and thinks of how to describe this.

"I'm going to lean more toward the first one? There's not really anyone inside there. When you open the door it's kind of like you're getting dumped in ice water, and then there are a bunch of freaky faces with eyes staring at you. And then there's a big tentacle monster that tries to kill you." That was putting it about as lightly as she could, and she knew it was super confusing.

"So I know half of that doesn't really make sense. But it's weird dream logic. There are few places here that just really want to kill you."

[mantleoftruth]

"That's a pretty high bar to clear. I'm not sure whether to be impressed or just start over from the ground up."

Robyn raised an eyebrow as Ruby went on to explain the mayor's place. It almost sounded like the whole place was just infested with Grimm. In which case maybe it would be best to keep it closed and locked up. Though all of it sounded pretty far-fetched it did line up pretty well with what had been mentioned in the letter, and what she had read about on the network so far.

"Guess they're going a bit literal with how slimy the politicians are. So if the mayor's office is off-limits, where's the place to get a bit of information on what's going on here pipsqueak?"

[clickclickbloom]

"It is. And well I don't say that lightly. I wish starting over from the ground up was an option."

Ruby was glad to see that Robyn didn't seem too blown away by her explanations. She was getting a little out of practice on them, she hadn't really had to do one since July.

"That's a good way to put it. The mayor fits that description pretty well, same with Mother Superior but she's more the nun in a gas mask sort of creepy." She hadn't had a good experience dealing with either of them and they were the closest to anything resembling people of power here.

Ruby frowns for a second being called pipsqueak, but it turns into a bit of a grin. It was always nice to get another piece of home here.

"There are two people here who compile up information about the town. Peter Parker makes a pamphlet with information that he hands out, and Chloe Price documents how the town changes from month to month. I can help you get your hands on their information if you'd like."

arrival

[hallucinogem]

Now, listen. Emerald Sustrai didn't get starry-eyed. But after the things she'd heard coming out of Atlas about Robyn Hill and her Happy Huntresses, well, it had been a dream for a while to actually meet up with one of them. And what better place than a dream to do exactly that? Robyn was hard to mistake, at least in Emerald's mind, as the two nearly crossed paths along the street near the Hair of the Dog, and—

Emerald stopped in her tracks and turned the other direction, in the way that the real savior of Mantle was walking. "Hey!" she called out. "Aren't you Robyn Hill?" And she couldn't stop herself from following after her trying to close the distance. "I'm a big fan of your work. I especially like the parts where you kick Jacques Schnee's ass."

[mantleoftruth]

Robyn never really thought of herself as a celebrity or hero, what she did anyone was capable of she just happened to be the one that stepped up to do it. Along with the rest of the Happy Huntresses. She'd noticed Emerald as she walked by and offered a small wave to acknowledge her though she didn't say anything since they were just two people passing in the street.

However, when the girl called out and she heard her name Robyn paused.

"That's me, though unfortunately I don't think it really counted as kicking his ass. Though I've certainly thought about it."

Violence wasn't her style but that man certainly pulled the worst out in a lot of people. And Robyn felt that he deserved everything that he'd received for what he'd done, the lives that had been lost because of his greed and selfish ambition.

"But it's always good to know that there are people who agree and want their voice heard though.

[hallucinogem]

"I'm kind of going by what I've heard," she explains, glad that she's off to a good start with Robyn despite being, like, who she is. But she's not wanted in Mantle or Atlas (as far as she knows), so that at least makes sense.

"The last thing I remember hearing was that you were going up for a council seat. Yang Xiao Long told me," she says, assuming probably very correctly that Robyn and Yang had met, "Back when she was trying to catch me up on all the stuff I missed from the last time I could catch up with the news." For one reason or another. And this might be the best chance she gets to learn more, and her tone shifts to something a little weightier. "So I guess it didn't go well?"

[mantleoftruth]

"I was running, and I was winning, but then that man did the unthinkable. He struck a deal with a pair of murderers, a man who was able to hack into the system and change the election results and give him the council seat. And in return Jacques gave them access to everything, plugging Mantle into even more chaos and unrest."

Robyn had no love for Jacques Schnee and firmly believed that the blood of those who had been lost in Mantel was on his hand as much as it was Tyrian or Watts.

"After that though, things got really crazy, and things came apart after his arrest and the truth coming to light. Guess Fisticuffs forgot to mention all of that. But coming from anyone else it would be pretty hard to believe."

Arrival

[justoscar]

[Instead of finding an official once she hit up the library to see what the resources there said, she would find a young man with dark curls pushing around a hand truck with books that needed reshelving. Upon being stopped for directions, Oscar turned-- and stared up at her with disbelief in his hazel eyes.]

Miss Hill?

[He blurted out, disbelieving himself. While others from Remnant were hardly a surprise anymore, he rarely expected an adult-- particularly a friendly adult. Whether Robyn recognized him or not didn't matter, as he was one of many, many faces attending the dinner party at the Schnee mansion. Knowing this, Oscar immediately followed up his words.]

I-I'm a friend of Ruby's. Oscar Pine? Not that we really met...

Sorry, I admire what you've done. The way you work with people is amazing... but that's not why you're here.

[He quickly took a breath to stop himself from babbling further.]

Anyway. What did you need help with?

[mantleoftruth]

[Since she had started pushing for the seat on the council Robyn had become used to people that she didn't know recognizing her. And with those same people stopping her to talk or ask for something. She never really minded meeting them or talking for a bit as long as she had the time. At the mention of Ruby she cracked a lopsided smile.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence kid. That pipsqueak has the potential to do some great things too.

[Well she was at a library, which she figured would have some kind of public record or information.]

Yeah, I'm looking for any kind of record or map of this place. Maybe something about the history and what's going on.

[justoscar]

Believe me, Ma'am. I think she's already getting started.

[Oscar admired the traits Ruby and Robyn both shared--particularly their willingness to cross the invisible divisions between people and open up the avenues of communication between them. While the current efforts had not gone through as smoothly as Oscar had hoped, from what he learned from Ruby, it still set precedent. No one else was truly trying to do what they were accomplishing.]

But... yeah, this place is a lot. I can take you to the Reference section for some maps, but someone else like us has a nice log of the general info about this place written up somewhere.

Did you want me to send it to you?

[mantleoftruth]

She has the drive to do something great, so I'd believe it. Shame we couldn't have tried to team up sooner.

[They could have gotten so much more done. Though she hoped Ruby would still accomplish something great. As long as Ironwood didn't get his way and had them all behind bars unable to do anything. But if someone else had already done the leg work on gathering all of the relevant information Robyn was happy to make use of it here and now.]

That would be pretty helpful, Thanks short stuff. You seem pretty calm about all this, I can imagine things being that calm around here.

walk a mile

[hitstuff]

While Nora absorbs the memories of Robyn Hill, voice of the people, Robyn may find herself learning what it is like to be Nora Valkyrie, newly-minted Huntress.

You are lost, and you are hungry. The wealthy people of this city throw away so much food. The waste would upset you, were it not your first consistent source of sustenance since your parents died. You eat moldy bread from the trash and other children laugh at you, call you a dog.

The city falls. You and another boy, a kind boy, are the only survivors.

Your school falls. Hordes of Grimm attack Beacon Academy, and there is nothing you can do to stop the wreckage of your first home, the fracturing of your team.

You stand before General Ironwood. He lectures you about necessary sacrifice, and you are so angry, you feel as though you might be sick. The people of Mantle are cold. They are hungry. You remember what that was like, and you shout back, refusing to accept this man’s leadership, his way of thinking. He knows nothing of this sacrifice. Nothing at all.

When Nora Valkyrie, who believes herself to be Robyn Hill, comes face-to-face with a tall, fair-haired woman, the shorter redhead does little but stare for a long, long moment.

“You’re...I know you. You fight, right? To protect the people?”

[mantleoftruth]

You always had to fight, fight to protect, and fight to ensure the happiness of everyone. When they wouldn't listen you had to show them your teeth and hit them hard enough that they had no choice but to listen. Ironwood had proven impossible to work with, having completely abandoning reason and compassion. How could a man that was tasked with protecting the people completely abandon them, give up and run rather than fight?

Robyn found herself questioning what she could do, how she could help, and what her purpose was while she was on her own. And yet at the same time, she felt a certain strength and confidence, along with the desire to smash something rather than talk it out.

"Yeah, at least I try to. You try to help too, standing up to Ironwood and Schnee."

arrival

[bolstafir]

[Over the past several months, Qrow has developed a habit of flying around town to keep tabs on everyone from Remnant. There are a lot of them, after all, and it's more efficient than walking. It helps, too, that birds are inconspicuous and don't draw much attention or suspicion. Perhaps an unnecessary concern, these days, but a spy's habits are never quite broken.

It's during one of these flyovers of Deerington that he spots her. She's new, clearly, sporting that particular confused expression that comes of waking up in an entirely new dimension with a letter from your apparent kidnapper explaining your presence within a dream. Qrow chooses not to immediately reveal himself, instead following at a respectable distance until finding a convenient location to drift out of sight and reappear as a man. He carries Harbinger on his back, still, the blade not yet soaked in Clover's blood nor confiscated by Atlesian military. Nonetheless, he .... know a bit of what transpired that night, now. It's awkward, a bit, especially when he hasn't talked about Clover's death to anyone since this town saw fit to snatch the secret from Clover's grasp back in October.

...He decides to sidestep the matter entirely. She might not even know any of that herself, given how Deerington is about timelines. He raises a hand in greeting as he walks toward her.]

Hey.

[He has a way with words amirite.]

[mantleoftruth]

[Robyn on the other hand was without her trusted shield and crossbow. Of those she hadn't expected to see, Qrow had been towards the top of the list. They'd been imprisoned together, but still, Robyn did figure that he'd stick around long when they were out. Hearing that familiar voice was enough to get her to pause and look back.]

Look who decided to drop in.

[She was curious, he'd been in a pretty bad place after what happened. And there wasn't too much she was able to do while they were locked in Ironwood's cells. Especially with the company they'd had.]

So how's it going jailbird?

[bolstafir]

You know what they say about birds of a feather.

['Jailbird', though, paints an immediate picture, and the weak grin he'd attempted doesn't hold up against it. So Clover had died, and he wasn't even able to go help the kids at the end of all that. That's just fantastic.

He sighs. Might as well just....rip off the bandaid, here.]

Better than it's going in Atlas, from what I hear. Uh, this place is messy with time. Last time I was in Remnant was before the election. But I know some of what's happened since.

[It's enough that he honestly doesn't want to go back to face all that pain, when his family is here and so is Clover and though things can be difficult, it's not that much worse than the standard one would expect from a Huntsman lifestyle.]

[mantleoftruth]

You're a few steps behind then, and haven't seen the worst of it I'm afraid. But I'm glad that someone's got you caught up on things.

[Well that didn't last long. Robyn had already received the rundown on the whole time situation, as well as the horrors of this little nightmare town. Apparently, a squid demon and nun with a thing for masks were running things. She'd even managed to acquire PETER PARKER'S PRINTED PAMPHLET which she was not going to try to say five times fast.]

As for this being better than what's going on at home. I've heard mixed reviews about that. But no one seems to be running or screaming at the moment, so I'll take your word on it.

At least we're free to do something about it now.

[To be able to do something to help the people that were here, and to help Julia.]