Deer Country Mod (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
reddosmod) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
countryclub2022-07-25 10:37 pm
reddosmod) wrote in countryclub2022-07-25 10:37 pm
Entry tags:
July Test Drive Meme!
JULY 2022 TDM
STANDARD ARRIVAL
rough seas and high winds
of monsters in the water
CODING
Another month, another test drive meme! Our test drive memes are open to anyone interested - regardless of whether or not you join our game!
All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.
Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.
Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.
If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!
IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Colorful paper lanterns shaped like jellyfish lit up and hovering in the air. ]
[Image Two: A person with long hair wearing a crown dedicated with shells and rocks. ]
Prompt Two
[Image One: A GIF of waves breaking roughly out in the middle of the ocean. ]
[Image Two: Strong waves crashing into a lighthouse and rocks. ]
Prompt Three
[Image One: A large Ningen (a sea creature that is half human, half monster, and has no face except for a large slit for a mouth) towering over a deep sea diver. ]
[Image Two: A person standing out on the rocks with their arms out stretched as the tentacles of a large sea monster wave in the air above the ocean. ]
All Test Drive Memes are game canon. Players can choose to keep their TDM threads canon or not. TDM threads can be used for AC and can be used as your writing sample for your application.
Our TDMs serve as a way to build into the actual lore and worldbuilding of Deer Country and we strongly encourage everyone to enjoy and participate! Current players are always welcome to pull prompts from the TDM to reference on the Network or bring into logs as well as tag out to new characters top-leveling on the TDM itself.
Characters will always be able to actively die during TDMs as this is an extremely dangerous world. You can still have this be game canon! Check out how character death in Deer Country works here.
If you have any questions about the TDM, please ask down below!
Prompt One
[Image One: Colorful paper lanterns shaped like jellyfish lit up and hovering in the air. ]
[Image Two: A person with long hair wearing a crown dedicated with shells and rocks. ]
Prompt Two
[Image One: A GIF of waves breaking roughly out in the middle of the ocean. ]
[Image Two: Strong waves crashing into a lighthouse and rocks. ]
Prompt Three
[Image One: A large Ningen (a sea creature that is half human, half monster, and has no face except for a large slit for a mouth) towering over a deep sea diver. ]
[Image Two: A person standing out on the rocks with their arms out stretched as the tentacles of a large sea monster wave in the air above the ocean. ]
WHEN: August
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A
WHERE: The Farther Shores/The Boardwalk
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A
You're one of the lucky ones. Your journey is smooth sailing and you wind up exactly where you're supposed to: on the Farther Shores. You grow out of your squid body without a hitch, either with the help of another Sleeper or one of the Wakers, and you get to discover this new world. All new Sleepers might take some time to find their bearings. It might be tricky to remember how to use your body parts the way you're supposed to. You might stumble around the beach or forget how to talk - but don't worry! It'll come back to you sooner or later.
Hopefully, you've found something to wear, either in your Welcoming Bag or otherwise, and can start familiarizing yourself with your surroundings. Maybe you help some other squids out on the beach. Waking up sucks! You feel for the little guys. And hey, maybe you're hoping one of those squids is a good friend...Stranger things have happened.
SEASONAL DETAILS ON THE BOARDWALK
This month has an entire festival dedicated to Mariana. The people of Trench seem to be quite enamoured with her, despite her often cruel and unpredictable behaviors. The festival has gone all out with decorations. The boardwalk will be lined with lanterns in the shape of various sea creatures, such as jellyfish, dolphins, seahorses, and (of course) squids! These lanterns will be lit every night throughout the month and will burn through the night. They are bright beacons to a month that is otherwise becoming more and more gray and chilly as time passes.
The people of Trench are also decked out for the occasion. Blues and greens are the popular color choices for outfits, and many people will even decorate their hair with pieces from the ocean. Whether it's with full headpieces that are worthy enough for mermaids or just something as simple as weaving shells into a braid, everyone seems to have something on them that ties them to the sea. There are stalls set up to help newcomers (or oldies who just want to have some fun) decorate their hair as well and face paint for those who want to go the extra mile.
The festival comes with all sorts of celebrations that can be partaken in at absolutely no cost. There are food vendors, though they seem to be short on seafood this month. Likely it's due to the rough seas with waves so treacherous that not even the most skilled of sailors seems to be able to get out into them. They'll remark on how difficult is must have been to swim to shore in those awful waves. So instead of fish and shrimp, there are other sea-dedicated dishes: seaweed salad, noodle dishes made with seaweed broth, caramelized chicken in a fish and ginger sauce, etc. There are also ocean themed desserts, such as cupcakes with blue frosting shaped to look like a great wave. There are games such as dunk tanks, dart balloons, ring tosses, and other typical carnival entertainment. If you can think of it, it's probably there. At the end of the night, there's often a fireworks display over the rolling waves.
Hopefully, you've found something to wear, either in your Welcoming Bag or otherwise, and can start familiarizing yourself with your surroundings. Maybe you help some other squids out on the beach. Waking up sucks! You feel for the little guys. And hey, maybe you're hoping one of those squids is a good friend...Stranger things have happened.
This month has an entire festival dedicated to Mariana. The people of Trench seem to be quite enamoured with her, despite her often cruel and unpredictable behaviors. The festival has gone all out with decorations. The boardwalk will be lined with lanterns in the shape of various sea creatures, such as jellyfish, dolphins, seahorses, and (of course) squids! These lanterns will be lit every night throughout the month and will burn through the night. They are bright beacons to a month that is otherwise becoming more and more gray and chilly as time passes.
The people of Trench are also decked out for the occasion. Blues and greens are the popular color choices for outfits, and many people will even decorate their hair with pieces from the ocean. Whether it's with full headpieces that are worthy enough for mermaids or just something as simple as weaving shells into a braid, everyone seems to have something on them that ties them to the sea. There are stalls set up to help newcomers (or oldies who just want to have some fun) decorate their hair as well and face paint for those who want to go the extra mile.
The festival comes with all sorts of celebrations that can be partaken in at absolutely no cost. There are food vendors, though they seem to be short on seafood this month. Likely it's due to the rough seas with waves so treacherous that not even the most skilled of sailors seems to be able to get out into them. They'll remark on how difficult is must have been to swim to shore in those awful waves. So instead of fish and shrimp, there are other sea-dedicated dishes: seaweed salad, noodle dishes made with seaweed broth, caramelized chicken in a fish and ginger sauce, etc. There are also ocean themed desserts, such as cupcakes with blue frosting shaped to look like a great wave. There are games such as dunk tanks, dart balloons, ring tosses, and other typical carnival entertainment. If you can think of it, it's probably there. At the end of the night, there's often a fireworks display over the rolling waves.
WHEN: Last Week of July, First Week of AugustT
WHERE: Beach and Nearby Oceans
CONTENT WARNINGS: Threat of drowning, severe weather phenomena, Environmental hazards, possible death
WHERE: Beach and Nearby Oceans
CONTENT WARNINGS: Threat of drowning, severe weather phenomena, Environmental hazards, possible death
For some reason, Mariana is particularly wrathful even as the month begins. Even leaking into the end of the month of July, the sea begins to foam and rage in ways that are almost impossible to imagine. As you stare out int the beachheads, you may see vast waves and surf that would daunt the most professional of surfers. Water crashes into each other in colossal spouts. Waterspouts can be seen as storms occasionally buffet the coastline and just out into the ocean itself. However, the one thing about this chaotic energy is that it is just that, chaotic. One moment the sea may be calm, and the next it is a roiling, seething force out to destroy everyone.
This is, naturally, dangerous for those who are just hapless squids trying to reach shore. They may find themselves inexorably being flung towards sharp rocks and shoals, threatened with being dashed upon the stone near to the coast, or they may find themselves constantly swirling in eddies and whirlpools to the point of near exhaustion. However, they are not the only ones so threatened. Even those on the coast are in near constant danger of being washed right back out to see by an unexpected wave and sudden rip-tide. There are wood planks and other detritus to grab hold of, but it is very much a battle for one's life out there!
The sea's rage, the locals say, is because Mariana is particularly incensed over something that occurred. They do not know what exactly, but many have said that sleepers have felt a particular brunt of this ire lately. For now, it is a game of survival and a constant battle to bring people in safely.
Notes:
-Any natural weather occurrence is possible in the first week of August and last of July. Seemingly impossible combinations may occur (A waterspout in the middle of the eye of a hurricane, almost anything.
-These threats will be upon anyone who is not far enough inland to enjoy the festivities. The beach is not truly safe and sleepers are hustled inland quickly.
-Death is possible, though sleepers who die in the ocean find themselves returning very quickly as squids for some reason, within 24 hours, only to be threatened again before they eventually find shore.
This is, naturally, dangerous for those who are just hapless squids trying to reach shore. They may find themselves inexorably being flung towards sharp rocks and shoals, threatened with being dashed upon the stone near to the coast, or they may find themselves constantly swirling in eddies and whirlpools to the point of near exhaustion. However, they are not the only ones so threatened. Even those on the coast are in near constant danger of being washed right back out to see by an unexpected wave and sudden rip-tide. There are wood planks and other detritus to grab hold of, but it is very much a battle for one's life out there!
The sea's rage, the locals say, is because Mariana is particularly incensed over something that occurred. They do not know what exactly, but many have said that sleepers have felt a particular brunt of this ire lately. For now, it is a game of survival and a constant battle to bring people in safely.
Notes:
-Any natural weather occurrence is possible in the first week of August and last of July. Seemingly impossible combinations may occur (A waterspout in the middle of the eye of a hurricane, almost anything.
-These threats will be upon anyone who is not far enough inland to enjoy the festivities. The beach is not truly safe and sleepers are hustled inland quickly.
-Death is possible, though sleepers who die in the ocean find themselves returning very quickly as squids for some reason, within 24 hours, only to be threatened again before they eventually find shore.
WHEN: Throughout August
WHERE: The coast and waterways
CONTENT WARNINGS: Monster Horror, Possibly Getting Eaten, Threat of bodily harm, Unnatural Physiology, Existential Dread
WHERE: The coast and waterways
CONTENT WARNINGS: Monster Horror, Possibly Getting Eaten, Threat of bodily harm, Unnatural Physiology, Existential Dread
Something has been dredged up from the deep by the storms that rage. It is said that Mariana not only presides over the oceans, but also the most powerful monsters that dwell within the deep. Some of these, it is believed, may be the remains of Pthumerians whose minds and lives were lost during the hard times before, or the spawn of their mating with things other than humans. Whether these rumors are true, eldritch things have begun to emerge from the depths and darkness, things best left unseen.
Throughout the month of August, it is possible to encounter creatures that can only be described as monsters emerging from the water. With every passing storm, another emerges. Some are as large as small kaiju, while others are closer to human size, and each shares very little in common with the others, save for two particular details. The first of these is that they are all aquatic in nature and bear at least a passing similarity to sea monsters of ancient legend or particularly large and dangerous aquatic animals. Giant cuttlefish, Megalodons, Plesiosaurs, Octopi, Sea Cucumbers, Whales, or any of a number of other sea creatures appear to be their basis. The other similarity, however, is that all are hideously and grotesquely deformed. Tentacles, second rows of teeth, great clawed hands and feet enabling them to walk on dry ground, a thousand eyes all over the hump of a hunchback whale all shooting laser beams in the full moon, almost anything seems to be possible, though the changes are all chtonically horrendous in nature.
These creatures are violent, dangerous, and horrifying to behold. Just looking at them jars the mind and threatens to damage one's psyche while they try to understand what they are seeing. Bones are in seemingly impossible angles, bodies moving in ways that they shouldn't. Just looking at them can cause nausea, vertigo or mental breaks, though the danger does not stop there. They are agents of chaos, seeking to destroy mind or body, on a rampage whenever they reach ground, though they do not delve far into Trench beyond the waterways and beach, almost as if they are prevented by something. When one strays too close, an ominous light glows from the tops of the tallest spires in the city and they are inevitably repelled, but until they are killed or sent back to the deep from whence they came, they remain a threat outside of the city.
Throughout the month of August, it is possible to encounter creatures that can only be described as monsters emerging from the water. With every passing storm, another emerges. Some are as large as small kaiju, while others are closer to human size, and each shares very little in common with the others, save for two particular details. The first of these is that they are all aquatic in nature and bear at least a passing similarity to sea monsters of ancient legend or particularly large and dangerous aquatic animals. Giant cuttlefish, Megalodons, Plesiosaurs, Octopi, Sea Cucumbers, Whales, or any of a number of other sea creatures appear to be their basis. The other similarity, however, is that all are hideously and grotesquely deformed. Tentacles, second rows of teeth, great clawed hands and feet enabling them to walk on dry ground, a thousand eyes all over the hump of a hunchback whale all shooting laser beams in the full moon, almost anything seems to be possible, though the changes are all chtonically horrendous in nature.
These creatures are violent, dangerous, and horrifying to behold. Just looking at them jars the mind and threatens to damage one's psyche while they try to understand what they are seeing. Bones are in seemingly impossible angles, bodies moving in ways that they shouldn't. Just looking at them can cause nausea, vertigo or mental breaks, though the danger does not stop there. They are agents of chaos, seeking to destroy mind or body, on a rampage whenever they reach ground, though they do not delve far into Trench beyond the waterways and beach, almost as if they are prevented by something. When one strays too close, an ominous light glows from the tops of the tallest spires in the city and they are inevitably repelled, but until they are killed or sent back to the deep from whence they came, they remain a threat outside of the city.
no subject
What is she supposed to do about any of those now, when she's finally face to face with her brother? What is she supposed to say or do when even just seeing his dumb face, or hearing him speak, already feels like so much? Sure, he was here for a little bit only a little while ago, but then he disappeared again, and.. and she had truly thought that meant he was gone forever.
Ange sucks in a long, shaky breath, determined to at least not cry. Even if she's digging her nails into the ball she's still holding now for it, because she's on the verge, and it takes a lot to hold back the tears.
".. I'm here," she slowly says. Even her voice is a little shaky, like Ange is trying hard to put up a brave face even now, but she's slowly faltering. "I'm alive."
She doesn't shrug off his hands on her shoulders - perhaps the most clear sign of all that she isn't actually angry with him, as much as she's just dealing with a lot all at once.
"That moment.. It's been years for me since then."
Even though she does vividly remember it. She instantly knows what Battler is talking about, after all. If she'd close her eyes, she could bring herself right back to the sensations of that moment, like it's been burned into her mind.
no subject
He seems genuinely preoccupied by that thought and he has to shake himself to pay more attention to what's going on in front of him. To his sister. Without thinking about it, he draws her in for a tight hug. She's solid and there and present and that's the important part. He hasn't seen her since she was six - and then he did see her and didn't realize it, until it was too late. So he needs to make up for lost time.
"...I've missed you so much. Even if it's only felt like a day or a week to me, I've missed you. And I'm sorry I couldn't come home. That I didn't come home. But - we're here now, alright?"
no subject
It'd be even harder to resist the hug in the light of those words, anyway. It's so dumb, isn't it? It hurt so much when her brother left so soon after showing up here, but now he's suddenly here again, and saying those words, making her emotions completely flip around again into just being so very glad he's here in the first place.
She's so weak. No matter what she does - there's no way she could ever stop being this weak to her family, especially her direct family.
"Yeah, but.."
Her voice is much more quiet now. The more the initial anger has ebbed out of it, the more vulnerable she sounds, probably closer to that six year old girl he knew, even though she's much older than that now.
".. you aren't going to go again, are you..? I've lost you so many times by now.." And only one of those times was on her own terms. .. Her semi-own terms, since it's not like she was asking to be ripped apart. Thanks, Bernkastel.
It's harder to see her face in their current positions, but her voice shakes in that sort of way that betrays the tears are falling this time.
"I don't think I can go through that again.."
no subject
He squeezes her tighter.
"I don't plan on going anywhere," he replies, voice low. And that's the truth, at least. That's all he can promise - his intention. Even if he knows he may betray her again in the future. Even if he doesn't want to.
"I'm here, Ange. I'm here..."
His hand rubs in slow circles on her back and he can feel tears threatening.
"I missed you more than you know."
no subject
It's hard to do anything else in the face of those words. If there's anything Ange knows about her big brother, after all, it's the fact that he's so entirely genuine. He always wears his feelings right there on his sleeve, and she knows that when he's saying this stuff, he means it. It's not just meant to appease her. And even if she didn't know that it's what he's like, then the emotion in his own tone would betray it anyway.
He really did miss her. It's a thought that's a lot to process. Probably more so than it ought to be, given the fact that they're siblings and caring for each other is natural, but Ange has been hurt so much over the twelve years ever since her family left her life that these things always come more as a surprise for her.
A good surprise, though, in this case.
".. I'm sorry, onii-chan.." Her voice shakes, interrupted by sobs as she tries to speak. "I'm sorry that I doubted you.. I-- I really thought you had forgotten all about me.."
Not in this place, necessarily. But dying for Battler's sake, and then reading those other games with Featherine.. It was hard to not feel like he was just not thinking about her at all.
On the other hand, maybe it's just that Ange was assuming too much as she read it all - especially with how much her way of thinking always leans towards the pessimistic and cynical.
"I should've known better.."
no subject
"I should've been a better brother," he continues quietly, "And I wish things hadn't ended up like they did. In a better world, there was more magic to it all. A different ending. But right now I'm here - you're here - and you're safe and that - that matters more to me than anything else."
Another breath in and out.
"...and I'm going to do my best to do all I can for you from now on. Okay?"
no subject
When she glances up at him, her eyes are still a little red from crying, but the tears seem to have succesfully been wiped away for now.
"But.. that doesn't have to just be a one way street. I've been here for a long while now, you know..?" That's why it's been years. She's not sure how much time passed between her death and waking up over at Featherine's place, since it's such a woozy thing, but it feels much shorter than that. But then being pulled over to Deerington, and then moving over here to Trench.. She does know that's been years by now. "I know a lot about this place, so.. I can help you."
Especially since she does remember how overwhelming it can be to suddenly find yourself in another place like this. Though Battler - thankfully - has the luxury of not being even remotely close to being the only person here from their world. He doesn't have to figure it out by himself.
"Especially since it gets really dangerous here often." And she doesn't want anything to happen to him. Ange will be damned if she sees her family die all over again, especially her big brother she thought of so often since his death.
no subject
"And shouldn't that be my line? I'm your big brother, I should be protecting you, right?"
He's teasing; poking a little fine. Because the alternative is to just let himself fall apart a little. There's so much history. There's so much to make up for. And there's a chance, even in a place like this, for them to make up for lost time.
no subject
Ange knows he doesn't just mean it in a joking sort of way, after all. And with the last he saw of her back home having been that moment.. it makes sense, too.
"Actually, I'm 21 now.." The side-effect of spending so much time away from home. It may not be something Ange has celebrated every single year since, but she's at least been counting the years.
It's still said a bit more emotionally vulnerable than the usual deadpan pokerface mask she puts on. It's hard to immediately slip back into that mode when she's seeing her brother again, though she's also trying to keep things a little lighter with what she's saying here.
"So technically that makes me the big sister now, you know."
Only technically though. It's not like Ange could ever think of him as anything other than her big brother.
But it's a good joke in the moment.
no subject
"...that is definitely not allowed. No matter how many years older you are, I am still your older brother and that's final!" His face splits into a grin. He's half-teasing, but there's certainly an element of truth to it. He's dead on Rokkenjima. Will be dead on Rokkenjima. So in a way, Ange's story is the one that will go on - no matter what. He's trapped in amber. Although maybe not as long as he's here, right? Not something he wants to really discuss, at the end of the day.
"So I'm going to keep being your doting bigger brother and make sure you get everything you need! No arguing!"
no subject
But the difference back then had been that she couldn't even tell him who she was. Even though she reunited with her brother, she didn't get to cash in on any of the things she longed for after his death, year after year. Maybe that's why she likes being doted on him by him, even though she usually despises being babied by people. They've got a lot to make up for over the lost years.
".. guess I can't win against 'no arguing.'"
Okay, she totally could.
But Ange is choosing to give in instead. Now she's managed to fully wipe all traces of the tears from a few moments ago off her face, she even manages to smile just a tad as she says it.
"But it does mean that there's a lot we're going to have to catch up on." So much. Even aside from wanting to make sure Battler is equipped with the proper knowledge he needs about this place in order to not die in some dumb way, there's-- "Like.. um."
Ange pauses, uncharacteristically meek. Maybe just a tad, but it's not like Ange is usually ever meek. But telling Battler about this.. it's a lot. But she knows she ought to tell him.
"Like my fiancee."
no subject
"Fiancee?"
His voice rises in a surprised shout.
"Who are they? When are you introducing me? I have to make sure they're a right fit for you-!"
no subject
At least Ange is somewhat merciful here. Or maybe she's still a little softer on the inside thanks to their reunion - rendering her unable to be sarcastic about that last part, not tell him that it's kind of too late for that, even though it's the truth.
She figures that she ought to just provide him with the information before the poor guy explodes on the spot.
"Her name is Ruby! Ruby Rose."
It helps that she doesn't think there's anything about her that Battler of all people would disapprove of. If anything, Ruby's flaws are almost a perfect mirror match of her older brother's own.
"Maybe you've already met her? I mean, she's pretty social, and she's usually out and about.." So Ange wouldn't be surprised if she had already started interacting with some of the newcomers without hesitation. "She's got black hair with reddish tips."
no subject
"Hey - I think I might have met her when those giant squid things were rampaging around. Didn't get much chance to talk, though..."
He rubs his chin.
"...if you love her, all I can do is be supportive and hope for the best for you!"
no subject
Partially since she thinks Ruby and Battler have at least a few personality traits in common, sure, like their way too big hearts and their tendency to act before thinking because of said way too big hearts..
"Ruby is.." Ange's voice trails off.
It's hard to think of what exactly to say when being openly sappy in front of your brother is terrifyingly embarrassing, but..
".. she's the sweetest person I've met in my entire life. There's not a single mean bone in that girl's body. She may seem a little weird in some ways, but it's since the world she comes from is super weird to begin with."
Which says a lot, considering how rapidly their own world escalated into being super weird, huh. And yet Remnant somehow beats even all the witchy catbox shenanigans.
no subject
Just like that. He's accepting. Especially when it comes to his little sister!
no subject
.. just a tiny bit. Maybe.
For now, though, Battler's easy acceptance just feels warm and fuzzy.
"Thanks, onii-chan."
It's said a little softly, but then Ange slowly pulls out of the hug, releasing a breath to try and calm down her emotions. The idea that Battler really did come back and that he's so kind about everything is still a lot, but.. she's got to contain it at least a little bit, or she's just going to look stupidly emotional the entire time.
"I guess we should get you properly into town now then, huh..?" Instead of wandering around here at the boardwalk carnival until he realises he has no idea where to even find a space to sleep.
Good place to wrap?
His hand lingers against her back, as if he wants to tug her back in again. As if he wants to never let her go. He will, though. Eventually. He knows that he has to. That he doesn't have a choice in the matter anymore.
He still loves her so, so much. So much it hurts.