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JANUARY 2021 TDM

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's such a cliche term, but Padme's heart stops. Or, rather, it skips, and though she can't feel it herself, her disbelief and wonder and soaring joy is like a blazing thing in the Force. It's what she's longed for, dreamed of for years, since she was a child herself, cuddling and caring for the refugee children, the orphans of Naboo, the urchins of Tattooine. One of her own.

The young man -- Luke -- is a shadowy figure by the door, and this could all be a strange trick or dream. But Padme steps closer, and his eyes, his smile, his presence is so, so familiar.

She almost reaches out, instead clutches her blanket tighter around herself. Repeats in a faint voice:] Skywalker. That's a...a strange name. It's. From Tattooine, isn't it?

[He can't help but stare at her as she comes closer. She's beautiful, but not in the way he thought Nakari or Leia were beautiful. This was different. His brows drew together, watchin her. The air in the room felt thin, and after looking to see the faceless man in the peephole, seeing the memory he didn't want to see... after all that, having her closer felt... nice. Better.]

I'm from Tattooine, at least. You... know the name? [It was clear now she was at least from the same universe as he was. Interesting.]

I do. [Padmé inhales, exhales, measured and careful. Even if her instincts are screaming at her, she's still doubtful. Luke seems to be her age, and he hadn't recognized her name. So she's cautious, hands white-knuckled on the blankets.]

Someone very, very dear to me shares that name. Perhaps he's a...relative of yours? [One more moment of hesitation, then:] His name is Anakin Skywalker.

[There was a good reason he didn't know her name, or rather a terrible reason, really. She seemed so hesitant and he wondered why for a moment longer...]

[Only to hear that name.]

[His heart sank a moment and he watched her. Her face, carefully. She reminded him of Leia. And that someone dear to her was Anakin? He should censor himself. Maybe not admit to who Anakin was to him. After all, he'd only just learned himself. And yet... in surprise, he spoke so softly.]

Anakin Skywalker is my father.

[Padmé's breath leaves her in a sobbing sort of gasp, her hands flying up to cover her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Because as joyous and wonderful as the confirmation is, there's also an intense, overwhelming grief. Because Luke doesn't know her -- not her name, not her face.

She steps forward, hands shaking. Something had to have happened to her, some illness or accident. Only death could've kept her from her child, that she knows.]

He's. My husband. [Padmé exhales, shuddering. Even if she'd died, there was no way Anakin wouldn't have told their son about her, kept her alive that way. So something must have happened to him too.] How...did we...are you...?

[Oh.]

[Oh no.]

[Oh...]

[He stood there, seemingly in a bit of shock. Anakin was Padme's husband? Did that mean...--he took a small exhale of breath, not realizing he'd been holding his breath at all. His eyes were a bit wide, and as she stepped forward, he didn't move away, just studying her face, her eyes, so intensely.] He's... you're husband. [He repeated, as if it had to sink in or something.]

You're my mother... [It wasn't a question, but a whispered statement. And his heart broke, for her. For himself. For Leia. For Anakin.] I never knew you. I never knew either of you. [He said so softly. Unsure how to go on.]

[Padmé had known it, had guessed it, but it still wrenches at her very soul. She shudders out a sobbing sound and crosses that last little space between them, reaching out to cradle his face in her hands. This close, she can see he takes after Anakin, and through her grief she smiles.]

Luke. Oh, Luke, I'm so, so sorry.

[it was so strange, meeting someone you have always wanted to meet and knew nothing about. Uncle Owen never even mentioned his mother, nor had Kenobi. And his father? They had all been lies until the end.]

[He stood there shocked, but as her touch came to his face, the air in the room felt less thin, and the unease he had of seeing the man with no face in the hole there had faded away. It helped. He sighed, feeling his head tilt a bit into her hold.]

It's okay. [He said so softly.] I'm so sorry to spring this on you though. You're future, that is.

[Padmé shakes her head immediately, firmly. The grief of the realization is a tangible thing, but she pushes it aside to process later. Now she's preoccupied with the concern in his face, his voice.] Don't be. My future has you in it. [For however long.

Still, she has to know --] Do you...know what happened? To us, your father and I?

[He's still in shock. How would this even happen? He wants to reach out and hug her. He wants to apologize as well, for her being... well, whatever has happened to her. He doesn't know. So as much as he loves this moment he dreads it as well.]

I don't... I don't know. [Except... he does, a bit. And he looks guilty. So guilty. HIs eyes drop down and he shakes his head, not wanting to say.] I only learned of my Father a few days ago. And I had to face him.

[Padme presses her lips together, because that guilty look is identical to Anakin's. She knows when she's being fibbed to. She's shorter than Luke -- so strange, that he's all grown up, and she didn't know he existed until moments ago -- so it's easy for her to duck and try to meet his gaze.]

Face him? What...do you mean? He's -- Anakin's still alive?

[He peeks up to her as s he ducks to catch his eyes. This is a terrible place to mention all this. But, it had to come out, right? He bit his lip, his hands reaching out to her arms, at her elbows, to touch softly.]

In my time, he's no longer alive. He has returned to the Light side of the Force. He was... changed, for some time, and returned in the end.

[Padmé goes very still, eyes widening a little. It can't be possible. What he's implying can't be true. But she remembers the Raiders, remembers Anakin's grief, his rage, his violence.

Still, she shakes her head, faintly.] It...you can't...you can't mean...

[He watches her with a guilt. He can search his feels and knows she's his mother, or will be, but he has no idea what happened to her. Then there is his father, and he just... feels guilt.]

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't mean to... I mean, I don't think this is... [he paused, not sure how to WORD what he wanted to say, then he shakes his head.] I'm so sorry.

[It's an excruciating, horribly overwhelming thought, the idea of Anakin -- her Anakin -- turning to the Darkness. But it's even more painful to hear the apologies, the lost helplessness in Luke's face.

So Padmé shakes her head firmly, reaches up to turn his face to look at her again.] You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. Whatever...happened, it wasn't your fault.

[He turns his head, looking to her, watching her. She's so beautiful, but sad. Much like Leia said. There was so much to tell her. He reaches up to hold her upper arms so lightly, eye to eye as he says.]

What ever happened, to you, to him, Leia and I were safe. We were safe and taken care of. [He said, knowing this is the first he's mentioned Leia, but she should know. Just in case.]

[Padme is still for a moment, eyes going a little wider. She might not recognize the name, but she's a smart woman. She can put the pieces together.]

Two. There are -- two of you. [And in spite of what she's heard, there's another of those smiles, brilliant and joyous.] Twins.

[Despite himself and this bad situation, he smiled to her.]

Twins. I only found out recently myself. Her name is Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan. She's a leader of the Rebellion in my time, and a brilliant politician.

Organa? Alderaan? [With Bail and Breha, then. Some of the anxious tension leaves her shoulders and she exhales, relieved. She knows Bail, trusts him implicitly.] Where were...you raised, then?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

JANUARY 2021 TDM

JANUARY 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

THE ONLY ME IS ME

DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL NOW

NOW'S THE TIME FOR ACTION

Character Arrival

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