soddersays | FEBRUARY 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

Entry tags:

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Kyle's worn pretty much the same type of clothes since childhood. Barring an incident with crab people.

He sips his drink. "Right. Because mutants. Us lesser creatures have a different frame of reference, sorry. And some of us only go shopping if something breaks."

Fair point. Really fair point.

"You're not lesser, Kyle. At all. And frankly, the only reason my fashion here is what it is happens to be because Deerington gave me a wealth of winter clothing. But given I was only two days out of resurrection back home, being confident about my body is new."

Kyle gives David a speculative look.

"Really bad scars then, huh?" he asks. "I can kinda get that. I've got a few. It stays feels kind of gross to look at, I guess."

Briefly David's finger came up to rest over his chest.

"There should be one here. Where a demon put his hand through my chest and ripped my heart out. Two bullet wounds in my right shoulder, because that's just my luck, and various other sundry scars one picks up when doing heroics and being hunted for your species."

Or adjacent to your species.

Kyle's frown stays put, but he nods.

"That's what you were scared of, before, right? In that other place. Okay, yeah, I can see why."

Kyle gestures at his own body. "I don't even have the superhero excuse for all of mine. So. You feel better, not having them now?"

"Yeah. Belasco. Among other things. It's really not pleasant, to watch your own heart being literally crushed by the hands of a demon."

It had been bad. Even now the nightmares neak up on him every now and then.

But no, he doesn't feel better about it at all.

"My friend recreated me how he thought I'd want to be. Flawless, whole, unharmed. But those pains, those moments of suffering helped build the man I am. And without them I feel... strange."

"Uh, no. I bet not."

Kyle stays quiet a moment, picking at his cinnamon bun. "I think I'd feel weird, too. If that happened to me. Somebody I know, he said to me once that proof of consequences keeps life in better perspective." He looks back up. "It seems more real with scars."

"Your friend isn't wrong at all," David agrees. And in his world, where life is a lot more complicated, he understood that very well.

Consequences also piled up in granite stones.

"And now here you are, having to sit through me talking about my consequences. Not what you were expecting when you found my heart I'm guessing."

"He's really wise." And he misses him, suddenly and fiercely.

Kyle snorts. "Well, no. But I didn't know WHAT to expect when I found a fucking human organ." He smiles a little. "But you're kinda great to listen to, to be perfectly honest. You've got a really soothing voice."

Soothing voice. Yeah, he's heard that before. It earns a low, pleased chuckle.

"So I've been told before. Granted, I've been told I'm a bit of a nag and a mom friend, which I think mostly balances things out."

Can't have a good voice if you're nagging.

"Dude, I'M the nagging mom friend. So you don't have to be, as long as I'm around."

Which it looks like he may be for a while, at this rate. It's a frightening thought. Maybe, what, half an hour ago? He was holding this man's heart, and now it's just... coffee.

What's worst about it is that it feels so familiar. Something terrible happens and they just roll on like nothing happened.

That summarizes life in Deerington. Something horrible happens. You do your best to pick up the pieces and move on. That's just the rule. If you didn't, you were worse off for it.

"And here I thought Jean-Paul was mothering me lately. I'll let him know some young redhead from Colorado who definitely isn't a nudist has taken the job over."

Kyle laughs - it's a high sound, jagged like someone playing fast on a piano with no skill.

"Yeah, whoever that is, you tell him. I'll fucking remind you to eat, and drink water, and bring extra socks in case it rains." He shakes his head.

"And no nudity. Promise."

Yep, still laughing. Kyle is funny. Very funny.

"I always remember to eat, I drink water regularly, I don't bring extra socks. And thank you, I prefer nudity to be a consensual sort of matter."

He finishes his coffee and sets it aside.

"You want another cup?"

"See, the socks are essential." He lets his voice drop into an accent he's clearly familiar wrath: pure Jersey Jewish Mom. "David, you get wet feet you're going to catch your death of cold!"

He grins. "Yeah, I'd love one, honestly. This is a lot nicer than hiding in a dorm room. And you're giving me valuable information."

"Dorm room?" David asks as he stands, taking Kyle's empty cup. "I expect an explanation for that when I get back. And I won't catch my death of cold. Josh would never let that happen."

And when your best friend is biokinetic, you don't have much say in that.

"Sure."

He watches David go back to the counter, one of his legs bouncing up and down rapidly. It's leftover adrenaline, and a little nervousness; Kyle is not very good with social interactions and he's half waiting to offend one of the few people he's met here.

When David returns he stills his leg and takes the cup. "Thanks. And it's a boring explanation: I woke up in a dorm up at the college there. For a hot second I thought I was still home, just maybe blacked out and went to someone else's room."

"I see. Are you intending to take classes at the college here? Might I recommend the computer sciences? I understand the professor for some of the core classes is a bit of a hard ass, but the challenge is very rewarding."

He's good enough to not smirk over relaying comments he's heard made about himself. He's a good teacher, dammit.

"And please, don't be anxious around me."

"Really? I mean, yeah, I would - I like computer sciences, I took a bunch back home. A hardass prof is no problem, just as long as they actually TEACH, you know? Oh! And there's a guy who teaches sign language there! I should definitely take that, I only know like... super basics from Scouts."

He stops, his coffee cup partway to his lips.

"I'm not anxious," he protests. "Why would you say that?"

"If you need a practice partner for sign, I am available," David offers. Because he spent a few minutes around Clint Barton, so of course he can sign.

"I'm sure the professor doesn't have any problems, with teaching. As for the anxious..."

David gestures with a free hand toward Kyle's leg. The one that had been bouncing.

"Good indicator of generalized anxiety."

"Dude, that would be sweet, thanks." One of the constants in Kyle's life is his desire to learn. He might not be good at everything, and he might mess up an awful lot, but he is a man who prizes knowledge very highly.

He looks at his leg, then back at David. "...you saw that," he says, sounding let down in himself. "Oh. I mean. I don't really have anxiety, I mean, I've never been diagnosed or anything. I'm cool." Although he knows perfectly well it's a possibility, especially considering that irritability is a symptom. Kyle is often irritable.

"Alright. I won't mention it again," David promises. He'll worry, like a good mom friend. But he won't mention. Because he's trying not to nag these days.

"So, any questions you have about Deerington? To help you acclimatize?"

"You can mention it, it's just not accurate," Kyle explains. Him? Anxious? Only usually!

He thinks about that as he sips his coffee. "There seems to be a deer theme. Does anybody knows why? Like, 'Hart Mart'? Cute. And I guess there's cats and dogs too, which seems like whoever runs this place sure likes animals better than people."

"Well, beyond the fact that it's called Deerington?"

David sips at his coffee and thinks about how to phrase it.

"Consider deer like a protective totem. It is what marks us as Sleepers, and in some situations, the image of deer can protect us. That's part of what the mark you have is, the one you woke up with. In a way, deer seem to represent us, as a protective force seemingly meant to right this place. Dogs, on the other hand, represent and seem to serve another force here, the Dog Catcher, who seems mostly benevolent towards us."

"Yeah, beyond that, because I assumed the town took the name from the deer, not that the town name attracted them."

He listens, realising that it all sounds totally nuts but believing it anyway. He drums his fingers on the table.

"I wonder if there's a reason it's those animals and not like... I dunno. Cows, or something. If we're supposed to be sleeping - and correct me if I'm talking shit - then that implies like... some kind of dream state. Dreams talk in symbols, right? Like your heart. I touched it and saw something important to you, romantically. So deer... I have no idea what deer mean."

FEBRUARY 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

BEREFT OF HOPE

THE BEATING OF HIS HIDEOUS HEART

Character Arrival

no subject

no subject

no subject

cw: discussions of death and injury, canon-typical x-men violence

cw: discussions of death and injury, canon-typical x-men violence

Re: cw: discussions of death and injury, canon-typical x-men violence

cw: discussions of death and injury, canon-typical x-men violence

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject