FEBRUARY 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

[sodder]

FEBRUARY 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to February'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: Prompt 1; Grimp Reaper image, feelings of being stalked, repeated death, Groundhog Day/Russian Doll themes, talks of car accidents and suicide/murder. Prompt 2; Image of a heart, organs on the outside of the body (heart), very mild body horror.

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

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

BEREFT OF HOPE

The day feels the same as any other in Deerington. You wake up, you go through your routines, you wait to see if something creepy is going to be lurking around every corner, and then you go get breakfast. There's nothing too unusual going on, though sometimes you get the strangest feeling that someone might be looking at you from afar. Watching you. Waiting. For what, who knows, but isn't that just the normal vibe in this town anyway? You're starting to maybe get used to feeling perpetually anxious that you're being stalked. It might not even really make you think much of it at all. You continue to go about your day. Things still go as normal.

Until you die.

Maybe you were hit by a car, or you choked on your morning bagel, or a piano fell on you, or a townsperson who was going off the deep end decided to drag you off and murder you in Deerington Park; however it happens, you absolutely remember dying. The details are a little fuzzy around the edges, but you do remember seeing someone standing near by when it all happened, a shadowy figure you can't quite recall the face of. Maybe that's who had been watching you.

Dying isn't necessary the weird part, though. People die in Deerington all the time and come back remembering the details, usually with a fancy new scar to show off to everyone (or more likely keep desperately hidden because of your trauma ridden guilt). This time, though— this time sticks out. Because you don't go through the normal death process. There's no calming valley with a strange deer, there's no fruit, nothing about it is the way that it's supposed to be. You just were dead one second and now... you're not. Maybe it was a bad dream? You're in your bed, that's usual, but you're in the same clothes (or lack thereof) that you went to bed in the night before. The sun is shining through the window and...

Everything is exactly the same as it was yesterday.

If you've ever been a fan of Bill Murray at home, you can probably guess what's going on here. Or at least have your suspicions. You go about your routine again, you greet some of the same people, you eat the same breakfast (or maybe you switch things up just to try and break the cycle), and you still have that strange feeling of being watched. Every person you meet doesn't remember seeing you before your death and certainly none of them remembering you dying, no matter how public it was. You can try to convince them, but they're probably not going to listen, or they'll think that it's Deerington just fucking with your head again.

So you go outside. Same time, same place. And you die. Again.

Things start to repeat. Some people might start to snap from it and start to try and die in different ways. Some people might try the age old rule of learning from your mistakes, of being a better person, and try to spend the whole day being kind or trying to find some significant moment they're supposed to focus on to make this all better. Some people might just break down after a while and think there is no way out. Because nothing seems to be working. It's happening over, and over, and you're meeting the same people over and over, and you're doing the same things over and over, and you're dying over and over, so what's the point of even getting up out of bed now?

But there is a way to end it; find someone who is going through the same thing. All the other people you've seen, Sleepers or not, have had no recollection of you dying or of this all being a repeat day. Eventually, though, you might start to notice another person who is having the same discussion with another, desperately trying to tell them that this is all happening repeatedly and you can't figure out how to make it stop. When you realize there's another person having the same issue as you, you can start talking to them. Maybe you won't realize what you need to do at first, you might even end up dying together a few times before you finally realize— you have to save the other.

Every day you've died at the exact same time in roughly the exact same place, whether you took your own life or it was done outside of your own control. Prevent your comrade from dying all together until the sun goes down and the cycle will finally be broken for both of you. It just might be hard to do when the forces of the town are pretty hellbent on making sure you both die.

THE BEATING OF HIS HIDEOUS HEART

Happy Valentine's Day! Deerington seems to be trying to get somewhat in the mood of romance this month, the town decorated with hearts and tiny cherub statues and all sorts of delicious displays of chocolate in the windows of most stores. Don't worry! They're just normal chocolates. Eating them will do nothing to you unless you've got problems with controlling your blood sugar levels or an unfortunate allergy. Buy some for your sweetie! There are even some beautiful looking chocolate covered strawberries at the Hart Mart that could be perfect for a romantic evening...

One morning, you'll wake up to a gift wrapped in pink paper with a red bow on a table in your home. It's clearly marked for you and it's from a secret admirer. Did you even know you had a secret admirer? If you choose to not open the gift (this is Deerington, this could obviously be bad news), it will do exactly what one would expect it to in a town like this; the package will follow you. It will show up on your desk at work. It will show up on the counter at the store you frequent. It will show up on a bench. In your car. Next to your bike. On your porch. On your best friend's porch. Anywhere you go, the present will be there. Waiting. You can't ignore it forever.

When you finally cave and open the gift, you'll find a truly fitting present for such a romantic holiday: a heart. It might be human, it might not, but it's still beating. You can watch it pulse, but it's surprisingly neat, no blood to be found anywhere in the box or in the heart itself. It just sits there, thudding away, waiting for you to pick it up. No one really wants to touch a heart, but if you know Deerington, you know this heart probably actually belongs to someone, and if you're new? Well, you're gonna figure out how this all works pretty quickly.

Pick up the heart and you'll get a flash of memory. Someone else's most precious moment. It will be burned in your mind and the heart will start to faintly glow as you hold it. Walk with the beating heart in your hands and it will start to change. The closer you get to who the heart belongs to, the stronger the glow will get, and the faster the heart will beat. Eventually, you'll find them— someone who looks empty, soulless, like a walking ghost more than a person. You can save them by putting the heart back where it belongs— you'll have to use some strong force, but slam the organ against their chest, and it will sink right back into place. Your hand will even go a few inches into their chest before you let go and yank yourself free. There's no scar, no hole, no blood. But the life will come back into the person in one fell swoop, like breathing again after almost drowning.

If you choose not to put their heart back in their chest, they will be forced to do whatever you say so long as you are in possession of their heart; however they will get steadily weaker and by the end of a full day, they will die.

Enjoy your Valentine.

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

[pinnedwings]

"Who are they?"

And it's cute that Ritsuka thinks that distance will deter him. Soubi keeps that to himself, content to let Ritsuka guide him back toward the apartments. He's pleased that Ritsuka wants to know where he lives. Soubi thinks he should get another key made.

[in_loveless_memory]

"They're... toys. They took me in. The place I was supposed to live in when I got here was destroyed when a car was thrown through my roof while I was asleep. Needless to say, I needed a new place. They've been really good to me."

[pinnedwings]

Toys? Soubi has questions, but he won't ask them just now. His hand tightens on Ritsuka's as the boy relates the reason why he is living with toys.

"People should be good to you," he says. This does make it an imperative to know where Ritsuka lives, though. Soubi would rather not be separated now that they're together again.

As they near the apartment complex, Soubi retrieves his keys from his coat pocket.

"Ritsuka. What was it like to hold my heart?"

[in_loveless_memory]

"People are surprising here," he mumbled. "A lot of them... they're kind for no reason other than kindness... And aren't morons." An important addendum.

The walk was silent for a bit until Soubi... asked that question.

and he had been so happy for one brief moment.

His tail frizzed out and his eyes slit.

"WHAT KINDA STUPID QUESTION IS THAT YOU PERVERT!"

[pinnedwings]

It's cute: he hadn't even been trying to provoke Ritsuka. Soubi smiles.

"An honest one," he says warmly, resisting the urge to tug Ritsuka's tail. "I couldn't feel anything, but it seemed right that you should have it."

Soubi pulls Ritsuka closer and brushes his fingers along the boy's cheek.

"It's already yours."

[in_loveless_memory]

His tail was swishing wildly, a deep blush coming on his cheeks as Soubi touched him.

He bowed his head and swallowed.

"S-So you keep saying," he mumbled. "But I don't think that's true."

[pinnedwings]

"What should I do to prove it?"

Soubi runs his fingers through Ritsuka's hair, then ruffles it. It feels easy to say. He knows he has given Ritsuka reason to doubt him, he cannot undo that.

[in_loveless_memory]

"You can't... not unless he comes," Ritsuka offered softly, pulling away. "Because you're going to keep saying it and saying it and saying it. But you won't actually have to prove it unless Seimei is here."

He didn't like bringing up Seimei around Soubi, but what other choice did he have? Soubi made his choice clear.

[pinnedwings]

Soubi doesn't look away, but something in his gaze changes. Not quite as hollow as he had been before Ritsuka put his heart back, but glazed over for a moment.

I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to.

He finds himself hoping that Seimei does not suddenly appear in his life again. He would hate to disappoint Ritsuka a second time.

Soubi snaps out of his thoughts and catches Ritsuka's hand. He doesn't want to think about Seimei.

"You said you wanted to see where I live," he says. "Shall we go inside?"

[in_loveless_memory]

"Yeah," he lets Soubi change the subject, used to it. He can't be too mad at him. They're both under Seimei's thumb in different ways. His mouth twitches at an attempt of a smile.

"I can't imagine it's any less sparse than your apartment back home."

[pinnedwings]

"There's more furniture," he agrees. It bothers him and Soubi can't quite put his finger on why. Perhaps because he didn't choose to put it there. But then, it didn't really matter, did it?

He ushers Ritsuka toward the door to the building.

Soubi's apartment is as unadorned as the one back home. He hasn't been here for long, but it's also unlikely much will change in his habitat, unless he decides to get rid of some things.

On a table sits an open pad of heavy watercolor paper and a closed kit of pigments, the only real evidence that someone might live here. He puts his phone and his keys there, too.

[in_loveless_memory]

"That I doubt you'll use," because Soubi barely used anything besides his bed. He was pretty sure he preferred the floor for everything.

He looks around the apartment, his ears perking and bending back as he went.

"Is it a studio like the one back home?"

[pinnedwings]

"A little more divided, but yes."

Soubi gently takes Ritsuka by the shoulders to guide him around a corner, revealing the bed sort of tucked away from the rest of the apartment. Like the rest of the apartment, it's rather minimalist. It suits him. The bed is higher than his, but it's comfortable. He can't complain.

"Do you approve?" he asks, lightly amused.

[in_loveless_memory]

"Why would I need to approve of your apartment?" what a weird question. "It's not like I did or didn't with your actual place back home. Though I guess there's more space if Natsuo and Youji show up."

[pinnedwings]

He drapes his arms around Ritsuka's shoulders, lightly holding the boy against him.

"Because I want you to spend time here."

Soubi doesn't see why he should make a secret of it. At least their position means Ritsuka won't see the face he makes at the mention of Natsuo and Youji. Nuisances. Even if he'd noticed their absence when they left. Even if he'd maybe been fine with them returning.

[in_loveless_memory]

He blushes when Soubi holds him closer and closes his eyes.

"I... would visit even if I hated it, idiot," he whispered, leaning back against the older man.

[pinnedwings]

Soubi tips his head down to nuzzle between Rituska's ears.

"I'll get you a key."

It's right that Ritsuka should have access, whether he's here or not. His arms tighten gently as Ritsuka leans into him.

[in_loveless_memory]

"You're not allowed to steal mine and make a duplicate, am I understood? Buzz-san and Woody-san will have heart attacks if you just show up in their house."

[pinnedwings]

"Yes, I understand."

There's a smile in his voice as he says it. He really needs to find out about these people Ritsuka is living with. Avoiding his mother had been easy. This pair sounds like more of a challenge.

Soubi feels more centered since Ritsuka found him. He doesn't want to lose this feeling again.

[in_loveless_memory]

"Do you?" he frowned.

He was never sure when Soubi said things just to appease him.

"You always say things and then do the opposite."

[pinnedwings]

"I understand, Ritsuka." He tips his head down to press a kiss between Ritsuka's ears. "I won't take your key."

He has not promised not to take anyone else's. Or find other ways to get into the house. But, he won't steal Ritsuka's key. Probably.

[in_loveless_memory]

He closed his eyes and let out a breath.

"Where the hell have you been?"

[pinnedwings]

He brushes his fingers through Ritsuka's dark hair and he doesn't answer right away. It's obvious, isn't he? He's been with Seimei, and details beyond that ceased to matter.

"With Seimei," he answers quietly. He doesn't sound happy, but that never mattered.

[in_loveless_memory]

"There's something I want to ask you... but I don't want to hear the answer I know that will come."

[pinnedwings]

"Ask."

There is every chance that Soubi won't answer at all.