cursedcontent | TEST DRIVE MEME #1

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TEST DRIVE MEME #1

A Blood Offering

You wake up cozy in bed at the Saturn Motel. As you observe the room you may realize that it looks a little dated. Or, perhaps from your point of view the lamp and TV are wildly futuristic. Or, like Goldilocks, it may seem just right: close to the world you just left behind. Either way, you just had a very strange dream (see the arrival scenario) and now you're here. And you're not alone: there's a bed next to yours and someone else is waking up just like you are.

You can chat for a while if you like, but if you try to leave you'll find the door is firmly locked and no amount of kicking, punching, or hitting it with an object will do you any good. Instead, there's a letter on the nightstand which reads:

"Good morning and welcome to your new home!

You may be wondering why you're trapped in this room. Fear not, the door will open easily if you offer a bit of blood. More than a few drops but not enough to be a serious wound. A handprint's worth will do, let's say, and it only needs to come from one of you.

I'll let you sort that out yourselves. See you on the other side.

Sincerely,
The Mayor"

And indeed, a handprint's worth of blood pressed against the door will unlock it and let you out into the world. Do you volunteer your own blood? Do you take it from the other person by force? It's up to you! But there's no food in here, so you better figure it out eventually.

Roller Rink

As a celebration of your new lives here (and an apology for the whole blood offering thing - they were just testing something out, really) the Mayor has invited everyone to the Crazy Eight Roller Rink for a private, after-hours party.

Attendance isn't mandatory, but it is heavily encouraged so that you can meet your fellow Cursed and know who's in on the whole secret. It'll help you down the line at some point if your Curse gets out of control and you need someone to wrangle you.

As a reward, everyone who shows up and completes at least one lap around the roller rink (you must be wearing skates, but you can crawl the lap if you can't get the hang of them) will receive a free walkman with a mystery tape inside. The color, style, and mystery tape your character gets are up to you.

Mallrats

Everyone loves the mall! Right? Right! And this group of newcomers is lucky enough to be here for the White Pines Mall Grand Opening celebration! Feel free to walk around the mall and partake in sales galore, check out the attractions, or just get to know the layout of the place.

The Mayor has given everyone a gift card for $100 that can be used anywhere in the mall as long as they attend the Grand Opening.

They also strongly suggest that you familiarize yourself with the mall and its layout, just in case you ever get stuck there for a while and have to compete with others for food and resources. But that probably won't happen.

Extra Info

The test drive meme and the IC intro log will have the same prompts, and threads between two accepted characters can count as game canon.

The first prompt is flexible: technically you're supposed to be with one other person, but if you want to do larger groups that's fine.

Rooms at the Saturn Motel initially contain two beds for the prompt, but upon leaving and returning characters will find that they all have their own rooms with one bed. If you want a roommate, someone better be ready to sleep on the floor or snuggle up! The room doesn't have to look exactly like the reference image as long as it's not too fancy and suitably dated.

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A Blood Offering

[When Deuce first woke up, he'd assumed it was all just a dream. The result of too many futile late night study sessions fueled by too much tea. Reality had quickly settled in though and the teenager had started to panic at the realization he'd woken up in a strange room.

Deuce doesn't really register his roommate beyond a quick hello unless they're a fellow classmate from NRC. He's too freaked out to really calm down yet, especially once he realizes they can't get out of the room.

He tries to slam himself in the door with a level of aggression and anger that might seem a bit... much, but well that's just him.]

Damn it! What the hell!?

[He hasn't seen the letter yet, which may or may not be a good thing. Instead, he pulls out the pen in his pocket and tries to cast a spell, because surely if he just summons a cauldron, that will take care of everything!

...why is nothing happening? Why have you let him down, cauldron?]

Roller Rink

[Right now, Deuce is regretting all of his life choices. Because it turns out that despite being naturally athletic, he's not exactly coordinated on roller blades. Like at all. After his fifth terrible fall, Deuce has decided that for now, he's going to cling to the wall. He's not given up of course, because a free walkman is a free walkman. Even though they called it something else in his world. But this place seems low tech enough that it's probably better to have one.]

Everyone's making this look so easy...

Mallrats

[Of course Deuce wasn't going to miss out on a hundred dollars worth of gift cards. His Mom had raised him better than that!

What to get is another matter though. Deuce can't decide if he likes the louder fashion of this world or not. Some of it is tacky and some it is... well really cool?
Deuce is getting one of those leather jackets at least because he misses his old riding jacket back home.

But right now, Deuce is taking a break in the food court, because he's just realized that he's free to eat whatever junk food he wants. He'd been training for the VDC for so long that he forgot what something as normal as a hot dog tasted like. He's smiling around every bite right now.

Would it be wrong to spend the rest of his money on food? Probably. But it's very tempting.]

Wildcard
[Feel free to throw your own prompt at me, or modify any of the above. There are plenty of opportunities to meet Deuce in town and he'll be traveling all over the mall. It should also be noted for the canon familiar, that I'll be sticking to JPN terms unless someone would prefer the NA translation.

Feel free to either pm me on this journal, at

kanetsugu or at my discord, Joy#8142.]

[Getting their own skates on that had been the hard part for Wren, hand still bandaged from cutting it to get out of the room. Once on, the rest was easy, and it's on their second lap they slow themselves down a bit next to the struggling guy. He's fallen down how many times and keeps going?

From one stubborn person to another, that's impressive.]

...I don't know about anyone else, but where I'm from this is a pretty common thing to do when you're a kid.

[Said as though teenagers aren't kids, an opinion only a teenager would have.]

I think I went to my first skate party at 8. Easy to learn when you're falling down all the time anyway. Want some pointers?

[For better and worse, determination is one of his greatest strengths.]

I never really went to any of these when I was a kid...

[Maybe once, but it was so long ago that he'd forgotten. Deuce had probably become obsessed with Magic Wheels around that time too, so things like roller blades had gone out the window.]

But yeah, that would be great. Though I warn you, sometimes I'm a really slow learner.

[As in he's really slow sometimes. But if this person wants to help him, Deuce will gladly accept.]

Everyone has to start somewhere.

[And even if skate parties were cheap field trips, there were still kids even poorer than Wren who couldn't go, so yeah. No Judgement there.]

Here, see how I've got my feet? Same distance apart as your shoulders, crouch down a bit for better balance - it's way easier to keep balance while you're moving even a little bit instead of holding still. Skates want to move.

[and yeah, Wren will just recount their own lessons from what they remember when they were second grade, holding an arm out to Deuce whenever he looks wobbly in case he wants a second balance point. If nothing else, Wren figures they can make a lap for him with the lessons alone.]

[Deuce repeats Wren's instructions under his breath as he watches and tries to copy his moves. It takes a few tries but it helps that they seem to be a pretty patient teacher.]

Want to move huh? I see-shit!

[It's not the first time Deuce has felt like he was about to fall and nearly grasped onto to Wren. This time though he lets go right away, because hell, he actually did manage to maintain his balance.]

S-sorry. I think I"m finally getting it, but it's weird feeling.

[Wren might not be more than a couple years older than Deuce but they're very familiar with training others - and moreover, Deuce hasn't failed, thrown a fit at Wren for the failing, and proceeded to stop trying. It doesn't matter if he learns slowly, he's already one of the better people Wren's had to train for anything just because he's clearly making the effort. It's downright pleasant.

Wren also might no longer have their super strength or other heightened abilities - but they still have all that martial arts training and the like. It isn't like they're helpless, so holding on to Deuce while he regains his balance hasn't knocked them over too. Not yet anyway, though there's been a few wobbles.]

It is, isn't it? Not exactly natural movements people do when we don't have wheels strapped to our feet. You're doing really great.

T-thanks. It's easier than learning dance at least. You're a good teacher.

[Honestly, Wren hasn't done anything like try to curse him, yell at him, or call him normie. It's so supportive it's almost a little unsettling.

But he gains the courage to let go and steady himself and this time manages a bit better at staying upright.]

If I can just go in a straight line. Or well mostly straight line, I'll be fine. I'm good at charging ahead.

[Wren's never had to learn to dance, so Deuce is one up on them with that. Sounds like a nightmare, really. At least skating you can do solo.]

Ha, thanks. You're a good student.

[Skate rinks being the shape of extended ovals, Wren points to the next bend that leads into one of the longer of the sides.]

Could try there - just turn a little sooner and cut straight down - if you're sure. Might also hit the barrier.

Girl I knew back home was super into roller derby, she did stuff like that all the time. But she also hit like a brick in a crash.

[So the barrier was he one that felt it more than she did.]

Oh, a crash? I've done that once with my Magic Wheel back home. So I know what that feels like.

[Those are at different levels of extremes, Deuce.

But Deuce nods at the instruction as they approach the bend and takes a deep breath and...

He manages the turn!]

It's work-[He does hit the barrier though and curses for a moment but then becomes elated.]-getting closer!

Magic-? Oh, careful!

[Wren winces a bit when Deuce smacks into the barrier, but that fades when he doesn't seem any worse for wear about it and moreover is still pleased at his progress. That gets a sigh of relief and a thumbs up.]

You're totally learning fast, you've got this.

Thank you! Once I remember something I don't forget! Well... usually.

[It still feels a bit weird, but Wren's right, once you get moving it's easier to keep balance and he thinks he can keep going straight like this.]

And Magic Wheel? It's, uh like a motorcycle I guess, except it has like magic circuits and a magic engine, so it's a million times better!

[Oh don't get him started on this obsession of his. Otherwise, he'll be talking about Magic Wheels~~or Blastcycles~~ all day.]

[Sadly Wren really doesn't know any better, only seeing 'hey here's something a person is interested in, might as well ask about it'.]

My dad had a motorcycle, but we don't have magic versions where I'm from. Uh, unless you count the super advanced tech stuff the - some really tech savvy people have.

[Not their best save, quick, ask about the special interest to cover it.]

- so what's yours like?

That's too bad. There's really nothing quite like them. At all.

[He's starting to get fired up now and he has to force himself to focus on skating a bit, which isn't an easy thing. But because of that, Wren won't get full intense mode.]

They're kind of like... futuristic looking. Or what people here would think looks futuristic. Like I said you can go really fast with them. And the magic makes it go faster. You can also do things like windshielding spells with some of them automatically. Kind of like the sort of spells you use when riding a broom, but it does them for you!

[Do people use broomsticks here? Well, let's not worry about that right now. ]

They won't let me take mine to school though, the jerks. So I just borrow them from the Ignihyde students... That's a dorm where everyone is really good with machines and magictech.

[Wren has not in fact used the broom to fly - but they have flown, so they can imagine how much help a wind shielding magic spell would be. They just wear a motorcycle helmet for that.

Anyway, they like that Deuce is clearly so passionate about something. Hearing people talk about something they really like is a hobby.]

Wait - so you don't get to bring yours but they get to bring theirs? Kinda rude, isn't it? Or do they just make theirs on campus so they're exploiting a loophole?

Yeah, they make theirs because they're doing them for engineering projects. And it'd be hard to bring mine over to because it's an island and it's hard to ship things that big there. They wouldn't let me bring it for the magic mirror because it might wreck the hall of mirrors if something went wrong.

[It probably all sounds insane but that hasn't occurred to Deuce yet, because as said his world has these things normally. Even a non-magical layperson probably knows about some of these things.]

[Wren has already come to understand that they're all from different realities, so the whole 'magic' thing isn't so weird in that sense. And even if Wren doesn't know the specifics... most of Deuce's words can be pieced together for what they mean. They're pretty sure, anyway.]

Ha, yeah, a non-magical motorcycle in a hall of regular mirrors is gonna be dangerous, I'm guessing a magic motorcycle around magic mirrors would be just as bad if not worse. Imagine the mess alone if there's a crash! Do you get cursed or something if they break?

Worse than that: we'd get charged a lot of money and expelled.

[He shuddered as if that was a fate worse than death. Which kind of is to him.]

But it's special because the mirrors are magic artifacts. So it'd be a lot of trouble if they broke. I accidentally broke a chandelier along with some classmates on my first day and that was a big deal. And that doesn't even do anything except look nice. I hate to imagine what would happen with something like the mirror...

[Oh, thank the goddess she is not the only one hugging the wall. It was only a matter a time before she doe-legged her way to another.]

Don't they?! I think it's a spell. The shop keep gave us these silly little shoes, who knows what they've done to the-EEK. [As she gets worked up with her conspiracy theory, one of Bella's legs jerks beneath her and she slides down the wall in an attempt to keep herself standing.]

- it must be! A hazing or, or, or an initiation of some sort to make a mockery of us!!!

But they're not supposed to have magic here, so it can't be?

[At least Deuce doesn't think it's magic, even though it would explain how they got here? Or why can't leave? Or how they took his magic, because you know the last person who did that to him did it using magic?

But when he sees her fall, Deuce tries to catch the girl, only to find himself also getting dragged to the floor. And then remembering that he's not used to talking to girls his age.]

Uh- I-I'm sorry! A-are you alright!?

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TEST DRIVE MEME #1

Deuce Spade | Twisted Wonderland

Roller Rink

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Roller Rink

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