JANUARY 2021 TDM

[sodder]

JANUARY 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to January’s Test Drive Meme!

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: Claustrophobia, panic attacks, ghosts, demons, hallucinations, blood, violence
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Prompt Three
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

THE ONLY ME IS ME

The room is unfamiliar. You're not even sure how you ended up in here. Had you fallen asleep? That has to be it. Even if you're not a being who ever sleeps (which must make being in a dream world feel that much more surreal), it feels like the answer. There’s no door, no windows, and the only source of light in the whole place is two tiny, extremely dim side table lamps that give a soft, orange glow to your surroundings. It’s hard to see and easy to bump into the sparse amount of hotel room furniture that seems to be scattered around the small space. Hopefully you don’t have bad knees.

While there is no exit, if you look along the walls, you will eventually find a peep hole. The small hole in the wall makes you feel instantly uneasy, even if you’re someone who isn’t prone to fear in the first place. You’ll feel fidgety and tense, but there’s a part of you that still desperately wants to look through it. Avoiding the peep hole will make the tension disappear eventually, but it creeps back up every time you look at it.

If you woke up here alone, another person will appear in the bed you woke up in the moment you turn your back. It’s good to not be alone, right? But with the room so small, the air might start to feel a little thin. Is it getting hot in here? Is the ceiling feeling a little lower than it did last time? Are the walls closing in? It’s hard to tell if it’s all in your head or if the room really is getting smaller. Having to share it with another person, to share the limited air with someone else, is enough to make anyone panic a little.

Whenever one of you decides to look through the peep hole, you will see a man standing on the other side in a typical hotel hallway. He’s just waiting. Watching. Or at least you think he’s watching; it’s hard to tell when he doesn’t have a face at all. His presence makes that fear in you spike, your worst memories flashing before your eyes, and you won’t be able to look for long without going into a full panic attack. Getting as much distance between you and the peep hole is the fastest way to get a chance to calm down. If you can get yourself to calm down at all.

The key to getting out is the person beside you. If you choose to let them close, eventually the panic will start to ebb, and you’ll find yourself feeling more at ease the longer you sit beside them. Touching, whether it’s a hug, a hand on the shoulder, or more, will eventually make the room stop feeling so tight and the air won’t feel as thin. Eventually, you might start to feel some semblance of trust— trust that they can keep you safe. Approach the peep hole with your roommate and look through it together; while you’ll still see the painful memory from before, one of your happier memories will play soon after to soften the blow. Seeing both your dark and Your light is the best way for someone to truly get to know you, after all.

Once the memory fades, you’ll both be on the other side of the wall, and the man outside the door will be nowhere in sight, with no sign that he was ever really there at all.

DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL NOW

Walk through a door, any door and you're not where you thought you'd be. Instead, what lies before you as well as to your right are what looks like perfectly normal hallways you'd find in an apartment building or a very large, fancy house. There's doors spread out along either side at varying intervals and one of them opens to let another person in, someone just like you who probably meant to go to the restroom and ended up here. If you try opening the doors, none of them budge no matter what you do and so it seems the only choice you have is to pick a direction and walk.

There's a tingling sense of dread that creeps up your spine as you go. You pass what looks to be doors to restrooms, bedrooms, living rooms and recreational rooms, but none of them seem to be an exit. On the walls are pictures and paintings, it looks like there's a familial theme to them, there's group portraits and moments captured in time such as when someone's Dad spilled punch all over himself at the family barbecue. All wholesome and loving looking pictures but oddly not of just one family, in fact you might see some familiar faces in there. Along with pictures, there's narrow hall tables with vases and more photos in frames and all the drawers seem to be locked, though you get the sense there's something in there...

Eventually, you turn a couple corners and it almost feels like you've come full circle, but at the end of the hallway there's a clear exit. Three steps down to a cracked open door. It sort of looks like a garage from what you can see, but when you open it... you're right back where you started. Only now, the halls are colder, the lights overhead that were once warm and steady are flickering and the pictures on the walls are tilted, some even cracked. There's a creaking sound somewhere far off, like something heavy swinging from a rope. You feel as though something is watching you, following close behind as you hurry your way through the halls again to find another exit.

Again, the only exit is the garage door and with no other option, you step through. And you're back where you started only now other doors in the halls are cracked. In one you see the light of a television playing static in a dark room and someone sobbing and muttering to themselves, in another there's bright red light spilling out of the crack and you see movement, something swaying, the creaking is louder. Heart pounding, you make your way around the corner and the drawers of the tables in the hall all open at once to let damaged photos fly out, all of you and your friends and family in horrifying circumstances or dead.

Run to the exit again and you are back at the start and there's now spatters of blood over the walls like a grisly murder occurred in several locations along the halls. The creaking is louder and so are the wails of the person in the room with the television. More doors are open a crack here and there and each promises something horrifying should you open them. Maybe they're abstract manifestations of your greatest fears, painful memories coming through the static T.V. set, or a stereotypical ghostly spectre with unfinished business. There is a supernatural force in this place and it feeds on your deepest traumas and fears whatever they may be, or it'll be content to sip on the fear brought on by a jump scare or a ghostly shadow watching you from afar wherever your turn, waiting for the moment to suddenly appear beside you.

To escape this haunted loop of rising torment, you must bring the demonic spirit with you as you pass through the exit door. This can be any way you wish, though the easiest is to allow it somehow to possess your body while your companion wrestles it, and you, through. You can discover this solution through clues behind the pictures and scratched into the wood on the bottom of the drawers in the form of riddles, or you can stumble upon it by accident. Once the spirit is pulled through the door, it will break the loop and you will be back in Deerington, though perhaps not quite where you were when you opened the door the first time.

NOW'S THE TIME FOR ACTION

There's something watching you. You don't know what, but you can feel it in your bones. Sometimes you think you see it (them?) out of the corner of your eye, but you can't quite make out the who or the what that might be following your every move. Sometimes it looks supernatural, a mythical creature from your own world maybe, and other times... It looks like someone from home you never wanted to see again. People show up here all the time, it's not impossible...

It doesn't stay just one being, though. Eventually you start to see small groups of people or things you can't quite make out before they disappear. It's hard to tell if they're really there at all or if it's all in your head. But the danger feels real. The inexplicable feeling of pure terror, the solid idea that they're going to kill you and you aren't going to be able to fight them off, the absolute assurance that they're evil. The longer this goes on, the more drawn to a crowd you'll begin to feel. There's safety in numbers, after all. But just being surrounded by people doesn't feel like enough, not when the other Sleepers you find feel just as on edge as you are.

In the center of the crowd are scattered tables. Each table has a bowl or jar filled with various party supplies. Bluetooth speakers that can connect to your Fluid to play music, noise makers, snap poppers, even pots, pans, and their lids. It's enough to make a real ruckus. And you're realizing that that might be the answer. You start encouraging the people around you to make as much noise as possible. Grab the things on the table and just start shouting whatever comes to mind. The more noise you make, the more the fear ebbs, and the shadows following you start to disappear. They almost seem like they're actually running from the noise. You keep shouting just to drive them as far away as possible.

You might notice that you're shouting out things you never expected— and so are the people around you. Emotions you wanted to keep buried, confessions you never planned on giving to someone, secrets you've been trying to keep to yourself. They come pouring out faster than you expect them to and they're there for anyone to hear before you can even stop yourself. Hopefully this doesn't have too big of a fall out for you.

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

catra | she-ra and the princesses of power

[redemptnyan]

the only me is me

[She has no memory of this place. It's not the Fright Zone, nor Horde Prime's ship or anyplace that haunts her dreams. Nor is it the Old Ones ship that she was just on with Adora.

Or at least, she was sure she was just there.

Catra creeps along the edges of the room, low, on guard like she expects someone to jump out at her at anytime. Then her fingers come across the hole in the wall. She swallows, it makes her feel uneasy, all the fur on her back standing up straight, but it's the only indication of anything outside of this room.

There's a dark figure, like someone guarding the door. She opens her mouth to taunt him,]

Hey big- [And then it dies in her throat and instead she flings herself bodily away from the hole, gasping, chest heaving.]

There's... there's someone there.] Is all she manages to sputter out as she tries to catch her breath. She looks terrified and she knows it. So if you stare at her too long she'll just scowl and move away from you... but also the peephole.]

What? It just surprised me.

now is the time for action

[There's something watching her. And paranoia is a sensation that Catra is uniquely acquainted with but she is certain something is here and it's not just her imagination.

So she'll sometimes twist around and almost bodily force her companion out of the way to check behind her in the darkest corners, in the furthest shadows.

Catra would have loathed to be with these companions years ago but... right now she knows that she has to stay with them to survive. Even if some of them she's only known for five minutes and would love to throw them off a cliff.

Then something happens. Maybe, someone knocks something off a shelf or gets a call and everyone freezes, expecting an attack but instead there's relief.

Idly Catra reaches up, grabs a pot and ladle and then bangs it loudly.

Right next to your ear.

If you start, she'll laugh.]

Oh man, you should have seen your face. Now, come on, we've got noise to make.

[And so it goes, banging pots and pans, yelling whatever comes to mind, until suddenly she finds herself shouting something that she never planned on telling a single soul.]

Ugh, I know it was stupid to use that portal! I know I almost destroyed the entire universe and I know it was stupid, ugh! What else do you want me to say.

[Oops, well. Not that.]

Wildcard

[Feel free to hit me up via PP or at mythal]

the only me!!

[cuddlery]

[There is indeed someone else in this room! But someone who might look a little familiar. Scorpia is sitting up in the bed, practically in a state of shock as she watches someone she hasn't seen in a month. ...And even before then, hasn't really properly seen in a while. She stares, wide eyed and with awe at her old friend.]

Catra? Is that you? Are you real? [This place has a knack for horrible illusions, she reaches out a claw to gently poke her forehead, just to make sure she's really there.] Also, are you alright?

[Because it really looks like something just gave her a frighten!]

[redemptnyan]

[Oh.

Oh no.

This isn't what she wanted. This isn't how she expected this to go. She'd played the conversation over and over in her head and now everything just felt... empty.]

Ow! Yes, it's me.

[It bubbles out of her before she can stop it. Swallowing her prickly tendences like bile she looks at Scorpia. Well, actually, she looks at Scorpia's feet.]

Hey. Scorpia.

[cuddlery]

[That confirms it! No illusion could imitate Catra that accurately. Scorpia knows without a doubt that she's dealing with the one and only wildcat now. And that realization comes with a mix of joy and dread! Joy because, no matter what, she'll always be happy to see her best friend. But dread because, well, now she gets to be subjected to Deerington too!

She withdraws her pincer - and it takes everything she has to keep herself from outright hugging Catra. It just doesn't feel like the right time. Not when they're meeting for the first time in this world, and this room feels so cramped... maybe she should give Catra some space? Scorpia smiles softly.]

Hey Catra. I did not expect to run into you today. But, this is a pleasant surprise! ...Well, seeing you is. Not this... weird room we're stuck in. [Her eyes dart towards the door, and she starts to feel a little anxious.]

[redemptnyan]

Believe me. It's mutual.

[It sounds meaner than she intends. But that's sorta Catra's life, huh.

But that's interesting.]

You don't know where we are? But how did we... how did we get here?

[cuddlery]

[It's okay. Scorpia might not be wearing rose-tinted glasses as much anymore when it comes to Catra, but she still feels that she's being sincere about that sentiment.]

Good question! You - you do always come up with good questions to ask. [She says that with a nod, before she continues.] So, I don't know where we are, but I do know where we are.

It's this place called Deerington. It's like another world but also part of someone's dream? It - I'm still - I think I'll always be in the process of wrapping my head around that one, but anyway. Cutting to the chase! Sometimes in this place, we just... find ourselves in random strange places! It's just a thing that happens sometimes. And, uh, this seems to be one of those times!

[redemptnyan]

...Wait? You're not on Etheria anymore?

[Her mind races. Did they not make it in time? No, that can't be. Scorpia wouldn't be like... well, herself, if things were that bad.]

H-how? What's going on back... back home?

[Feels weird to say.]

Now is the time for action!

[rukovodstvo]

[Graham has kept his jacket and his boots and his climbing gear. He's got an ax slung on his back but at the very least one of the ...beings running with him seemed capable. He's far too focused on the things, one hand behind him ready to reach for the axe-

Then the pot clamors next to his ear and he lets out a loud growl drawing the axe and catching himself before staring at the cat eared...person.]

Don't fucking do that!

[But he follows her lead and using his axe he bangs on pots and pans until she shouts on portal and end the universe and he blinks at her.]

Makes sense in this weird place. How the hell do you even end the universe anyway? It can't end. That's just impossible.

[She's - what? Not a kid. Still. This is one hell of a dream but who knows what makes sense anymore? Slamming his axe into items he focuses solely on the noise before-]

[And he'll just keep slamming the small ice axe into things.]

[redemptnyan]

Okay, I'll stop and just let whatever is out there come and kill us.

[So she's just gonna bang on another pot! Maybe extra loud! Just to be sort of a dick except... then she says that stuff out loud and everything is suddenly less funny.]

It's... none of your business! Ugh, I don't even know why I said that.

The Only Me

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz did what she felt was the only sensible thing: she cast a glyph for a light spell, so she could at least survey some of her surroundings. Shockingly, she didn't get much light, which was worrisome: she usually always casted her light spell perfectly.

The first thing of note was the other person, who was a cat girl. This discovery would normally have sent Luz into a world of glee, but the setup of this situation was really sucking any of the whimsical out of the room, which was steadily starting to feel uncomfortable. It wasn't helped that the teenager reeled from the hole. She didn't stare, but she did take a slow inhale, trying to calm her panic].

W-what did you see?

[redemptnyan]

Someone there. A guy. Big. Just... watching.

[It's so unsettling. She tries to run her hand down the back of her neck, smooth out her fur. It does nothing. The fact that she doesn't recognize the figure and yet it instills terror in her is unsettling on its own.]

He's probably trying to stop us from getting out.

[imaglyphwitch]

A big guy? What kind of guy?

[That wasn't good, not at all. Normally when you were describing someone you had details. The lack of any was starting to put Luz on edge, and she was starting to think of using her plant glyph to pull him from the ground].

Let me go see where he is!

[Luz started to walk over, leaning in to get a look].

[redemptnyan]

Don't!

[She should say more. Say why she shouldn't but she can't. She can't put words to fear that she felt when looking through that hole.]

[imaglyphwitch]

[That DID stop Luz though. This was Deerington, if someone said DON'T you listened. Luz turned to the new (cat) person, looking slightly alarmed].

What's behind that peephole? Is he that creepy?

[redemptnyan]

Yeah.

He felt... dangerous.

[She doesn't know how else to describe it.]

the only me

[owllady]

Sure it did. [ Eda's laughing at you, Catra, her shoulders shaking.

She waves Catra away from the peephole and looks through it.

And then she feels that same wash of fear that Catra must have just felt. Luz, being kidnapped, Luz, dying at the hands of Belos--

She grits her teeth, looking away as nonchalantly as she can manage. ] Just a guy. Nothin' scary out there.

Now how do we get outta this place?

[redemptnyan]

Just a guy? He's... he's obviously watching us!

[Her voice rises like the hair on the back of her neck.]

Probably trying to stop us from getting out!

[owllady]

Guards. Right. I can take guards. [ Eda says it casually, stretching out her arms. Her shoulders pop. ] He didn't look that strong. Just a guy. Standing there. [ Her eyes stray to the peep hole again, and dread drops in her gut. ] This room feelin' small to you? Or is that just me?

[redemptnyan]

Yeah. And getting smaller.

[It is, right? It can't just be her mind. Then again, her mind has pulled stuff like this on her before.]

We still have to get outta here to take him. And I dunno about you, but I don't see a door.

[owllady]

Huh. You're right. [ Hey, she was a little distracted. Eda looks around the room with a grimace.

So, next best thing: she draws a gold circle in the air and sends a blast of magic at the wall.

Nothing happens, except that the room is lit up for a moment. The wall smokes a little, but is otherwise untouched. ] Farts.

[redemptnyan]

No magic either?

[She doesn't know this woman but... she can hazard a guess that was some kind of magic.]

the only me is me

[droptheious]

[Varian has been in Deerington long enough to distrust whenever he gets locked in a room with someone else. It usually means some sort of teamwork is required or talking or any number of things. One of Sodder's many, many puzzles.

He raises one eyebrow at the... cat-person and he assertion that it was a "surprise".]

Yup. You sure look surprised.

[Other people might use the term 'scared shitless' but, you know, that's other people. He sighs, getting to his feet- one flesh and blood, the other a metal prosthetic ending just above his knee. He wanders over to the peephole. ]

Do you recognise them?

[redemptnyan]

I just didn't expect to see anyone.

[Surprised. Sure. She'll take that out. She's still a little annoyed that she reacted enough to need an out.]

No. I-I don't think so.

[droptheious]

It could be another Sleeper?

[He sincerely doubts it, but he can dream. He peers through and...very quickly startles back. Something had flickered through the veil of his subconscious, just for a moment. Noxious smoke and people yelling. He backs away from the door, great, this is great.]

Yeeeeeaaah no, that is definitely not a Sleeper. Which means this is something Sodder's put us up to.

now is the time for action

[laminae]

[Fern might not have super hearing, but having a pot and ladle clanging together right next to his ear is still a lot, okay. He's got two pots in his hands, ready to start knocking them together.]

Hey!

[Wow, rude. He shoots her a glare before going ahead with his own noisemaking, and it feels pretty good to do.

Riiiight up until he hears the weird cat lady say something that grabs his attention.]

Wait, are you talking some universal portal biz?