soddersays | APRIL 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

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APRIL 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to April'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: Ghosts, talk of suicide, drowning, violence, zombie-like humans, blood
Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

THE LADY IN WHITE

Swamps are hardly pleasant place during the day, but at night, they’re even worse. The creeping fog, the full moon, the overall sense of dread... None of it makes you feel comfy cozy and ready to pitch up a tent for the evening. You want to get out of here quickly, but it’s hard to see too far in front of you and it’s easy to end up straying off the path. As if alligators and poisonous snakes weren’t enough to worry about, there’s a chill in the air that is strange for such a ridiculous hot evening.

I’ve been waiting for you...

The voice seems like it comes from all around you but you can’t see anyone near you. You can keep walking or try and search her out, but no matter which direction you go in, you can still hear her voice like she’s standing right behind you.

I’ve missed you. I loved you... She never loved you...

The voice becomes more distressed and you start to feel more of a pull to find her. As you wander through the fog, she’ll start to talk of a past as though it’s yours; a deep love you shared for one another, a romance that was denounced by her family, but you never failed to come to her. She will talk of how she begged her father to understand and begged him not to hurt you. But all the while, you were straying. Eventually, she found out she was pregnant, she tried to tell you, she wanted you to love her and your new family. She begged her father not to shoot you for what you’d done to her, and in the end? You ran off with the new woman who caught your eye. You left her alone. You left her unwed and an expectant mother. She begs you to do her one last favor, to come and meet her by your tree.

Eventually, in the distance, near a large willow tree, you see the image of a woman, shining brightly in the moonlight, her large, flowing dress as white as her skin. It seems like she’s floating over the ground, before you notice she’s not floating; she’s hanging. Her body swings in the breeze, the rope creaking, and finally an anguished, furious shout rings through the air:

I LOVED YOU!

The woman’s body disappears, but the rope stays behind. It turns out you weren’t the only one to explore this voice, looking for the desperate woman in the trees. Another person stands on the other side of the trunk, another Sleeper, someone you can hopefully team up with in this lost wood. You can discuss the grief stricken past of the woman you just heard or maybe together you can work together to get out of this swamp.

As soon as you leave the shadow of the tree, you’ll hear a woman again. Perhaps the same one? Only instead of words, she sobs incoherently. Maybe it’s someone who’s been hurt. Try to leave or go to explore. Either ultimately takes you to the same place...

A FINE NIGHT FOR IT

The lady in white—though perhaps a different one? How many are in this damn swamp?—is crying by the edge of the water. It’s hard to ignore and as you get closer, the crying grows louder. Maybe one of you gets close enough to reach out and touch her. Or maybe you call out to her when you’re in hearing range. No matter what, she eventually looks up to see you, and her face is covered in blood that runs from her eyes instead of tears. Her skin is sagging and wrinkled, rotted like that of a body that has been left too long in the water after drowning...

She lets out a scream before she rushes at you. Luckily, if you have a weapon, magic, or are particularly fast and strong, you can get the best of her easily. She’ll go down with one shot and her body will seem to disappear into the depths of the swampy water around you. There’s just one problem: she wasn’t alone. Her scream has clearly alerted others.

Strange looking people, their pale faces painted with mud and ground powder, come rushing from out of the trees. Their skin has a quality to it that doesn’t seem right, the same sort of rot that the woman had had, but they are definitely alive. And extremely strong, unlike your most recent foe. They carry all sorts of weapons, but they’re all ones you’d expect from people living in the woods: pitch forks, axes, machetes, hatchets... Anything that could stab you or chop you into pieces. They’re also clearly coming for blood. Some will try to tackle you to the ground and get a rope around your wrists and neck to tie you up into the trees and hang you. The Night Folk who roam these swamps want nothing more than to kill the intruders who have come into their territory.

They won’t speak. They grunt and shout at each other, but never say any actual words. The best way to kill them is to cut off their heads, but they’ll also go down if you beat them badly enough. Make sure to double check that they’re really dead though: it’s not uncommon for one to spring back up the moment your back is turned to try and kill you. Work together and maybe you’ll get out of this attack alive.

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

Wu thought Mako had said that Bolin was gone, but-- here he is. Wu smiles in relief, too, that Bolin isn't going to earthbend anything at him. The smile is weak, he's tired, sick, and scared, but it's there.

"Uh, no. I have Fritter," the raccoon in his arms chitters again, and glares at Pabu, her little limbs flailing. "Fritter! No, I can't chase after you again!"

She doesn't exactly settle down, but huffs and twists to climb up Wu's arm.

"We really shouldn't be out here-- wherever here is."

"Fritter, huh," he says with a smile and leans in, finger outstretched for her to sniff. She does but is Not Super Keen about Pabu being close. Pabu is curious but seems offended he wasn't met with graciousness and arches his back.

Uhho, no there isn't time for this.

"Be cool, bud" to Pabu, and he stands back again.

"No idea on that front, I blinked and here I am. I'm thinking.. haunted spirit swamp? Where's Mako? Or Korra?"

Because if Wu is here then Mako can't be far. And if there's a haunted spirit swamp Korra can't be that far away, either, right? Regardless, he's taking it in stride. He's been to all kinds of weird places.

...but this is really spooky and the idea of that ghost woman he definitely didn't cheat on is crawling up his spine again. Eugh, yeah, time to go.

"Fritter," Wu chides her, petting over her head. He wobbles on his feet, really wishing he hadn't left the house. But he and Bolin aren't exactly what you'd call close, so he just bites his lip, looking him over.

"You just... poof? Appeared here? I was chasing Fritter and ended up here. Probably weird Deerington stuff. Uh," Wu shakes his head, trying to clear it. "Mako was helping Korra with more food caches today? I think? I really shouldn't be outside without him, not right now."

Not after everything. Mako's been more of a guard dog than usual after everything with Sam.

But at least Bolin is here. He's strong. He can probably protect them both.

But that leads Wu back around to: "Where were you before here?"

The first question gets sidelined by the second and all the information Wu gives him in between. Because Bo isn't picking up what Wu is laying down and the look on his face says as much.

But that last thing he can answer, itching his cheek as he thinks.

"Home, in Republic City."

Where else would he be?

Wait- oh no. He deflates a little and groans.

The President is not going to be happy when I don't show up for work tomorrow."

"Home," Wu repeats, and understanding dawns over him.

Oh.

He was gone.

Bolin doesn't remember.

He lets out a breath and nods, glancing around the swamp.

"I don't think you have to worry about the President. Ah, let's get out of here, okay? I can fill you in, but not, uh, here," he reaches up to pet Fritter distractedly.

Where are they? It's like Wu's first month, when he got lost in a blizzard, only this is a swamp that appeared in his backyard that he's never seen before.

There and gone and back again, it's a hard reset for everyone except him.

"Yeah, sure," Bolin agrees and picks a direction at random. It look's like a path? It could be a path. Sure. Anything is a path if you make it one.

Wu looks awful, don't think it's escaped him, but he doesn't bring it up right away. That's just plain rude and they've got the swamp to defeat, first.

"What is that little guy?" he asks instead, nodding to Fritter. He's never seen anything like it.

Wu trails after him, glad he doesn't have to do too much thinking. That's a good thing about both Mako and Bolin, he thinks, they're happy to lead, so Wu doesn't have to make more decisions.

"Huh?" Wu blinks, spacing out as he thinks about what Mako's going to say when he sees that Bolin is here. He looks at Fritter, who's glaring daggers at Pabu. "Oh, Fritter? She's a raccoon. This, ah. This world that we're in, it has different animals. No one's heard of a fireferret here, sorry, Pabu."

"Raccoon, huh."

He considers that for a moment before accepting it. Pabu doesn't seem to mind, particularly. He's more concerned with the swamp and how different everything smells.

"That's cool- wait, wait, wait," Bolin stops them and holds a hand up.

"When you say world, what do you mean. Like world world?"

"Um. Yes?" Wu laughs, a little, at that. Definitely a different guy, then. That's hard to process, but Wu tries to go with it, bobbing his head. He stops in front of Bolin with a wavering smile, thinking through how he can explain this.

"Yes. Well, sort of. We're in a dream. A dream of a girl named Sodder, who's from a world called Earth. And on Earth there are animals like raccoons! And horses. And rabbits. A lot of animals that we certainly don't have. A lot of the people here are from Earth too, but a different Earth. And, yes, Earth is made of earth. You can bend it which, ah, you already realized!"

Edited 2021-03-26 21:26 (UTC)

...

"Uhhuh. Uhhuh, uhhuh, okay. I gottcha."

He does not gottcha. but he will endeavor to 1) roll with it and 2) not look like a total idiot right off the bat the one time he's ever been with Wu alone. It feels almost wrong without Mako playing human barrier.

"Dream Earth seems pretty gross, is it all like this?"

And as if to further the point that ghost woman's chilling sobs echo through the air.

But Maybe Deerington takes it easy on them. Wu is freshly back from the dead after all. There's a shape of a woman up ahead but she isn't looking so hot and Bolin doesn't particularly feel like engaging. If they sneak around her maybe they can avoid the zom!billy attack all together.

Wu flinches at the sound, and sways closer to Bolin. He isn't Mako, but he's a good replacement right now when Wu feels very vulnerable, when he is very vulnerable, even less equipped than usual to protect himself.

He shakes his head, looking up at Bolin to ask what they should do.

Softly, barely audible, he says, "usually you have to figure a way out of these things. I, I'm not really in good shape right now. Maybe we, ah," he jerks his head, gesturing to a direction away from the lady.

Say no more, say nooo more. He's on board, nodding and staying very, very quiet as they change direction and work themselves as far away from that particularly haunted bit of swampland.

Bolin glances over his shoulder every so often as they go, making sure nothing is following them but also it very much feels like they're being watched and he is honestly so creeped out.

But he's never backed down from a fight and he won't back down now if it comes to that.

Something to their right cracks, a twig with too much pressure on it. They stop and bristle for a second before starting again.

The noise comes again and Bolin gives a worried little noise, placing a hand on the small of Wu's back as he speeds them up.

"Lets go, let's go, let's go!"

It's too late, though. Weeping woman or not they've drawn attention of two large, corpse bloated swamp walkers.

Of course something would have to happen. Wu doesn't know how much energy he has in him right now, but he takes Bolin's queue, and his push, and starts moving, breaking into a run, his shoes sticking in the soggy ground, Fritter hissing at the walkers behind them.

"Bend at them!" He doesn't have much breath to talk, so he focuses on running after that, his lungs burning, his head swimming.

This was such a bad idea.

"I'm working on it!" Bolin answers, making sure Wu is ahead of him so he can turn back and do exactly that.

Because of course the one time he and Wu are alone together something terrible happens. Of course! Man if anything happens Mako is gonna eat him alive. He can see the headlines now: Earth King Eaten By Swampbillies, local man failed to protect him even though that was his one job because his brother who's actual job it is wasn't there.

Great, just GREAT!

But no, he isn't going to let that happen. The swamp floor is soft and wet and while it's a little greasy to grab with his bending, Bolin pulls their would be attackers down by their feet. Another form and he rips the ground open behind them. A third and he's buried them whole, folded entirely into muddy graves.

Someone in the distance roars and Bolin decides hi isn't gonna hang around to find out who. He turns on his heel and bolts after Wu, who is fairly easy to catch up with.

Behind them, Bolin hears one of those things he buried begin to tear himself out of the mud. The situation looks bleak. Wu doesn't look good at all and oh man they're totally gonna get eaten.

"This isn't gonna work! Stop, I've got an idea. Get on my back."

C'mon, c'mon, quickly!

The sound of bending reassures him, at least a bit. He can't die again, not yet. And he can't let Bolin die either, not when he's so new. Not that he can help much, but he can at least try! He can try not to die. That's how he can help.

When Bolin asks him to get on his back, Wu barely hesitates. It's a good idea, his energy is flagging, and he'll really never say no to the opportunity to be carried. He just wishes it was in better circumstances.

When Bolin ducks down, Wu clambers on his back, Fritter crying out her protest. She and Pabu are at the same level on. Fritter hisses again, scaring Pabu down into Bolin's shirt.

"Fritter, no! We need to get out of here!"

"Ow, Pabu, nails!" Bolin whines at the same time, standing up and hefting Wu with a whump. Good. He's on. Let's go!

Somewhere in the back of Bolin's head it occurs to him that Wu really doesn't weigh that much at all. A thought that has never occurred to him, and why would it, but Wu's been rich his whole life, he should weigh way more than this.

Anyway, it's an advantage right now because it means Bolin can run faster and comes crashing through the reeds and moss and Cypress trees into the scorching hot sun and dry air. The sun is absolutely blinding for a moment and Bolin shifts his grip to shade his eyes.

Looking back, the swamp is gone. They've come out somewhere North of town. To the right is the radio building, Koji Pond and The Grady Hotel. Ahead and to the East but far in the distance is the towering Mt. Rheum.

Bizarre and jarring but at least they're not being chased anymore.

"Whew- Fhh," gasping as he catches his breath and lets Wu down.

"Are we- are we good?"

Wu holds on tight through the ride, and Fritter holds on to him. He doesn't look, but closes his eyes, trying to recoup any of his strength.

But then it's bright. And dry, and hot, and Bolin is letting him down off his back. Wu finds him feels, wavering there.

"I, I think so." Everything looks different now, with the heat and the sand. He shakes his head, trying to clear it. "I have no idea where the swamp went, at least. Ah, I think we're pretty close to my house, here. We should go there, and I'll text Mako. He'll be really excited to see you."

He smiles a little, glancing up at Bolin.

This is really the first time they've been alone together.

It's sort of weird. But at least running for their lives is a good bonding experience.

You know what, though? Given their luck this went pretty well.

Nobody got eaten and Mako isn't gonna murder Bolin for losing Wu and it's all okay! so he's gonna go ahead and call this a win.

"Oh," cheerful. Sounds good to him. He gives a little gesture as if to say lead the way.

"I was there this morning. Your place is huge I was lost in it for aaages before I found Mako."

"Oh!" Wu glances up at him from where he was texting Mako. "Did you wake up there? In the house?" Because that might mean that Bolin is his roommate now. Which really isn't so bad, especially since he doesn't really want Mako to leave.

He sends off the text, tucking his Fluid away in a pocket.

"It is really big. And it's been just me living there, so it's open to anyone who needs it. Everyone has their own housing here, so people haven't really needed it? But, still. Things have been getting worse, recently." Talking about this, about something he knows so well, makes him feel a little more steady, even as his head is spinning.

"Mhm," he nods, falling into step with Wu. Nice and easy which is fine because Wu looks rough and it gives Bolin time to look around as they go.

"I did. In this crazy bedroom and there was a basket with my stuff in the kitchen? Which is where I found Mako and then I was gonna go wash up and then bam!" he slaps! Loudly!

"Swamp!"

Wu laughs at that, even as he shies away from the noise. Everything hurts, his head, his body, his ears. But Bolin doesn't know that. Wu rubs the back of his neck, hot and sticky in the sun.

"That happens. A lot. Bam, a weird cave. Bam! A hotel. Bam," he waves a hand, "a desert."

"Bam!" Bolin agrees for good measure (but mostly because it's fun and he enjoys it).

"So this isn't what it usually looks like around here? Wild. What are we workin with? I'm thinking.." he tries to imagine what the town might look like if it weren't this and gives a wide, sweeping gesture with his finger and thumb in a L.

"lush forests- ooh maybe a river or two? Some parks?"

"Um... yeah, actually," Wu smiles at him, bobbing his head. That's pretty impressive, that Bolin got that from all this sand. "Over there was a pond, but it's all dried up-- I wonder if that means that the scary fish are gone-- and there were a lot more trees."

The walk back to find the highway, which isn't as much a highway as a strip of sand these days, and walk south along it. The heat beats down on them and Wu is feeling worse and worse. The stupid flu. Why'd he have to die and catch this dumb thing?

Because it isn't bad enough to die, you have to die and then suffer. Obviously.

Bolin can't see any of the old landmarks in the world shift but he imagines if a place was going to look nice then it would be filled with those things the way Republic City is. Maybe less spirit wilds but who knows. His imagination is cut short by his growing awareness of just how Not Good Wu is doing.

"Hey... Not to be rude or anything but are you okay?"

"Huh?" Wu blinks at being addressed. He was mostly focused on moving, on not falling over. He shakes his head, which makes him stumble a little, Fritter clinging to his collar to hold on.

The question finally makes it into his mind. He probably wouldn't let on to just anyone (or would he? He's not sure), but this is Bolin. Mako's brother. And even if he doesn't know Bolin very well, he sure knows Mako well, and he knows how much Bolin cares about his brother. This line of logic leads him to admitting: "oh. It, uh, is a long story? I died. And when you die here, you get really sick when you come back."

APRIL 2021 TEST DRIVE MEME

THE LADY IN WHITE

A FINE NIGHT FOR IT

Character Arrival

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