April-May 2024 Test Drive Meme

[folkie]

April-May 2024 TDM

Introduction

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This Test Drive meme is open to all.
Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.

All TDMs are game canon and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’

TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.

Playing and interacting with the TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.

Current players are always encouraged to tag new people on the TDM!


🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.

and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.


🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.

Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.

[ Prompt One ★ Prompt Two]

Lost & Found . ★

Content Warnings: Forced Relocation, Forced Sharing, Potential Violence & Harm

New Star Children arrive in Wintermute. Not at the hot springs, the school, or anywhere else near civilization. They arrive in the middle of white, snowy nowhere. The good news is that Wintermute is no longer dark twenty-four seven. There is enough light to avoid crevasses, blocked up wells, and other dangerous features of the landscape. Further, no one is expected to figure out how to get out of there on their own.

Usually Thoth finds the lost travelers in the cold expanse of Wintermute. However, she's busy exploring the multiverse for new and interesting ideas for technology. Not to fret! She hasn't abandoned ye who've entered here. There's a new emergency lost and found network:

The Wandering Dog food carts are now open twenty-four seven! The dogs work in shifts, but the food remains as delicious as ever. When a Star Child gets lost in Wintermute, another Star Child will happen to be buying food from a Wandering Dog somewhere in Folkmore. One such lucky unlucky Star Child gets transported to the School of Thoth. Specifically, to where the mechanical sled dogs hang out. They receive a warm winter coat over whatever they were wearing and another one on hand for whoever they are rescuing. Then it's off across the snow! Don't worry, non-mushing experts, the dogs know what they're doing and lead the sled right to the designated lost Star Child.

The rescuee gets to lay in the sled for the ride back, wrapped up warm and cozy in their new winter coat (it may be spring, but it's always cold in Wintermute). The sled dogs bring Star Children back to the hot springs, so that they can warm up even more. Alternatively, Star Children can explore the Cutting Edge, the School of Thoth, or something else in Wintermute. However, the Star Children cannot part ways or leave Wintermute immediately.

The sled dogs, yes the whole team, will stay with the pair to enforce this. They may surround the pair like a pack, cuddle pile on top of them, or lay around the edges of a hot spring. No matter how long it takes to realize the dogs are doing this and that there's a reason for it, Star Children will eventually find instructions in one of the dogs' collars: Share something that other people have refused to listen to you about. Everyone ought to be listened to.

Only once both Star Children have shared something with each other will the dogs let them part ways and see, perhaps, the rest of Folkmore.

On the walk to Akhlut Station, Star Children will see plain weapons sticking out of the snow: swords, guns, knives. These are simple, non-magical practical weapons. Experienced Star Children may know to suspect such free offerings, but nothing immediately happens upon picking one up. However, once on the train, the train will be attacked by frost spirits. These icy spirits must either be hacked to pieces until they can no longer reform or melted with fire. Innocent passengers who didn't pick up a weapon may be forced to get involved, but the frost spirits will be most focused on those who picked up weapons.

• New Star Children arrive in remote areas of Wintermute.
• Star Children buying food from The Wandering Dog get teleported to the School of Thoth to rescue people with a team of sled dogs.
• Star Children get amazing new winter coats!
• Star Children cannot part ways until they share something others have refused to listen to! The dogs enforce this.
• Simple, non-magical weapons stick out of the snow on the way to the train station.
• Anyone who picks up one of those weapons will see their train get attacked by frost spirits.

No Dumb Ideas . ★

Content Warnings: Potential Forced Participation, Potential Harm

Thoth has been listening to any and all ideas people have had around science in the last few months. Whether they were shower thoughts or a discussion between scientific colleagues or anywhere in between, she's made her list and built every one as an experiment. On a human scale. A human test subject scale. Because every idea has merit. That's right: Thoth believes in you.

Posters saying Thoth Needs You! go up around Folkmore. They offer a reward for participating in an experiment. Simply tear off a piece of paper from the bottom of the poster, and at some point in the future, you're in. Now, there might be a little hiccup here or there. These posters are experimental too! So some Star Children who don't tear off a slip might get pulled into an experiment as well. (Who said Thirteen ought to recruit for her trials? Thoth listened… or she tried.) Oh well, at least it's all in the name of science!

Perhaps Star Children need to sing Baby It's Cold Outside to convince the other to stay (it really will be cold outside). Perhaps they have a choice of spinners, buttons, levers, or other devices to interact with. Perhaps they make their way through a maze. Perhaps they try a new contraption. Perhaps they even recognize their own idea come to life! There's a multitude of new tech to try, and it has not been safety tested.

Nothing will explode. Probably. Maybe. Okay, some experiments are definitely going to have explosions. How about pressing that button anyway and finding out if it's this one?

Once Star Children survive the experiment—and they will, Thoth may be a loose cannon of a scientist, but she's ensured that much—they will emerge from one of the School of Thoth's laboratories. Togo, the grey wolf mascot, waits on the other side with an item for each test subject: an item from home. This may even be a weapon or magical item.

No one is left to the cold to fend for themselves. One of the nearby classrooms has been set up as a first aid center. Dog spirits of all sizes, from the smallest Maltipoo spirit to the largest Great Dane spirit, staff a healing clinic and will treat any injuries Star Children received in the experiments (or already sported). They offer hot lemonade—lemon juice, molasses, and hot water—to everyone to warm their soul. Injured Star Children can find a corner to rest by themselves or company with which to discuss their experiments.

• Thoth has built experiments to bring Star Children’s ideas to life.
• Pick a paper tab off a Thoth Needs You! poster to participate. Or don’t. A mishap may bring Star Children there regardless.
• Do science! Be a human experiment! Maybe experience explosions!
• Togo, the Thoth mascot, will have an item from home for every Star Child who participates.
• Dog spirits man (dog?) a first aid center in a nearby classroom.

Comments

[unrival]

She's in no hurry at all, so she's more than happy to follow Alluka's lead. Even if she was in a rush to get out of this place, there's an obvious benefit to learning how the magic currency of this world works. Plus, learning how to summon things? Also very useful.

"That sounds like a good idea, thank you." She smiles encouragingly. "Does it... come with any money at the start? I can at least pay for us."

In exchange for her help, it's the least she can do.

[tooawesome]

Alluka grins at the new friend she's making. "That's the most wonderful thing about Lore," she says, "You earn it by interacting with people. So even if it doesn't start with any Lore, you've been earning Lore already! If we talk while we go over there and wait in line, I'm sure you'll have enough to buy some food."

Alluka will summon the bottle for her. It's the kind of things friends do for each other. It doesn't matter who spends more Lore because they'll both get Lore just being together. It's a fantastic system if Alluka says so herself.

"Come on. The dogs love it if you pet them and call them good boys."

[unrival]

"That's so simple..." It sounds too good to be true, but they're about to prove that it is, so she's willing to go for it. She follows Alluka over to the food cart, obligingly offering her hand out in greeting to the staff. "Hello, good boys. We're here for some food, please."

They seem very excited, both for pets and the compliment. It seems her new friend was right on the mark.

[tooawesome]

"It is. It's amaaaaazing." Alluka pets the doggos as well for a little bit. There isn't much of a line behind them. So they can take the time. The dogs deserve a little break and pets too.

"We would like two bowls of stew, please, and an extra bowl if that's okay," Alluka orders. She leans in a little. "See that spoon hanging off his collar? You touch your spoon to his, and that transfers the Lore for the stew."

[unrival]

Stew sounds delightful. Amity obliges, tapping her spoon to the collar, and evidently that was enough. The dog barks and gets to work, mysteriously able to serve them up two bowls of stew and an extra bowl for good measure. She accepts her bowl with a gracious, "Thank you."

Okay, okay, enough pets and snacks. She gets out of the way to let the line keep moving, blowing on her stew before taking a sip. "Wow... those dogs really know how to cook."

[tooawesome]

There's no end to the delight that comes with getting food from the Wandering Dog. From start to finish it's a wonderful experience. The first time Alluka ate their food, she ate it as both a dog and a person. To see what it was like. Both were rich in different ways. However, it's a lot less messy to eat it as a person. She can't manage using a spoon to eat stew as a dog.

Alluka grins and leads the way toward somewhere to sit that isn't on snow. "They really do. The goodest boys. It makes me feel warm and loved inside. It's even better to share it with you."

[unrival]

"You're too sweet."

Amity smiles. She's still getting used to being around people who are legitimately nice, rather than the squad of catty mean girls she'd spent the last several years being "friends" with. She's always keeping an eye out for signs of mock-niceness or sarcasm, but she detects none in Alluka. it's truly refreshing.

"My name is Amity, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

[tooawesome]

"I like being sweet."

Alluka smiles. She wants to be friends with everyone. Not everyone is nice. Some people are mean or rude or whatever, but everyone needs friends. As long as people aren't mean to Nanika, when Nanika feels bold enough to be around them, she can be friends with them. People who are mean to Nanika are no friends of hers!

"I'm Alluka. I'm really glad to meet someone else around my age."

Ish? She's not sure how old Amity is. She scoops some snow into the spare bowl and lets it melt while they eat the stew.

[unrival]

"Me too. Makes all of this a little less daunting."

Maybe Alluka is closer to Gus's age. It's a guess, but she looks close enough? Amity isn't especially fussed. A friend is a friend. (She is fourteen, though, if it matters.)

She draws a small magenta circle in the air above the bowl, conjuring a tiny flame she holds over the snow bowl to help it melt as they eat.

[tooawesome]

"You don't have to go through it alone."

Alluka says that with confidence. People were there for her from early on, even if that's partly because she accidentally wound up in Sharon's refrigerator. Even though she came by herself, she hasn't been alone in a long time. It makes Folkmore a great place. Plus a friend! (Alluka is almost fourteen, her birthday is next month, so she's been repeating that age to herself in her head).

She gasps at the flame and grins.

"That's awesome! Big Brother does electricity. He can run really fast. Not that he's here, but back home."

[unrival]

"Oh! You family is able to do magic?"

She's surprised by this, obviously so. The other girl looks human, and humans normally can't do magic without glyphs or staffs as far as she knows. She wonders how he can use electricity.

[tooawesome]

Alluka shakes her head.

"It's not magic. At least, it's not called magic. I don't know the most about it because I can't do it at all, but Big Brother called it nen. He turns his nen into electricity. Big Brother Il manipulates people with needles. I don't know what everyone else does. They do things!"

She shrugs.

"It's okay. I give the best hugs."

[unrival]

"Nen..."

Well, the word means nothing to her, but there's surely a ton of things in the universe that she's never heard of, so she simply nods along. Nen turns into electricity, or... needles? (What?) And Alluka has none but her family does. Interesting!

"Hugs are an important life skill. It's good that you're the best at that."

[tooawesome]

Nen is a biiiiiiiiiiiiiig secret. It isn't in any of the books or somewhere Alluka could have found out more about it on her own. She only knows because Big Brother has it and used the term. She's seen him run really fast and stuff. She's never seen nen itself because she doesn't... do that stuff.

"I wish someone else from my world, anyone with nen, were here to explain it. I'm terible at it, but at least I know it exists! Most people don't!"

She grins at Amity. She will happily prove her hug skills any time.

[unrival]

"It's alright. I'm sure it's not important that I know what it is right away. Power is power, right? It's enough to understand what it can do."

Even if it's just a little sliver of the potential of "nen", she's content. There's enough to learn about this world already.

(And maybe hugs can come later. It's a bit early, she's still quite shy with that sort of thing.)

[tooawesome]

"Oh it's far more important to understand Roles and the abilities you get from them! That affects you very much now. There isn't any nen in Folkmore, so it really isn't that important."

Alluka nods agreement. She pauses and looks over, not sure if it is a sensitive topic for her new friend. "Do you know what Role you are? Have you experienced any of the stuff related to it?"

[unrival]

"I... don't know, to be honest." She looks down at herself, but she's not been able to discern any new features or changes that people talk about. "Maybe I won't know right away. I don't feel any different..."

It's not sensitive, she just doesn't have an answer, so she's mostly confused.

[tooawesome]

"That's okay! Your features might be shy, or maybe they'll come out when you show yourself to be particularly like your role. A lot of things are possible!" Alluka assures the girl. People have all kinds of experiences with their roles. "Plus you're still you. Same amazing you."

Alluka pulls her hair back enough to reveal that amid the large volume of dark hair are floppy dog ears the same color. "I'm a Familiar."

[unrival]

Same amazing her... what a sweet thing to say, especially when they've only just met. Amity feels her cheeks turning pink, genuinely not sure what to say. It's just so nice.

She's grateful for the distraction that is Alluka's ears. "Oh!" She leans in, eyes wide. Animal features aren't uncommon on witches or demons on the Boiling Isles, but she'd thought Alluka was human so she's surprised. "I didn't notice at all. So you can... turn into an animal?"

[tooawesome]

That's Alluka. She genuinely likes almost every person she meets. It's a lot harder to get on her bad side, though it's doable. She even told off Big Brother when he was being mean.

"They blend right in with my hair," Alluka says. Sometimes she forgets her ears are like this, but then she'll flick her ear. It feels different then. "Yes! Most often a dog. Sometimes a panda. And soooometimes something else, though it's harder to do something else. I've been focused on other studies. Only a little time on turning into an animal."

[unrival]

"Hmm." Self-consciously she touches one hand to her ear. Nope, still normal and pointy. Phew... "Do you like being a familiar? Or would you rather be one of the other two? I'm not sure what else to look for..."

She's never seen a panda, but she knows dogs. She goes to school with one. Changing into an animal sounds strange, but there are some spells that would allow it. Other role features... well, she's still learning about all of that.

[tooawesome]

There are all kinds of Role features, though some are more obvious than others. Alluka pays attention to Amity's eyes, to see if they change color. There aren't any obvious wings or horns or tails or anything. Amity seems a little shy, not as shy as Nanika though, so perhaps her Role features are also shy. Something that reflects her.

"I love being a Familiar. Turning into an animal is amazing. Your senses change, and it gives me a new perspective on the world. Plus you can be cute and cuddly," Alluka says. More seriously, "I like helping people, and that seems to be what being a Familiar is all about."

"Legends often have wings or a halo. Myths often have horns or claws or tails. Familiars can have any of that because those can be animal features. There's probably an animal with a halo. There's other things too, but it might be harder to tell if you're stronger or have faster reflexes. You don't need to worry about it! It'll show itself in time."

[unrival]

"If it's not unusual, then... I guess I'll just wait and see what happens." She relaxes a little. It's okay if no changes appear immediately. "I'm good with staying as just normal me for a while. Everything that's happening today is overwhelming enough already!"

She's just arrived in some strange new world, and that's so much. Not having to deal with extra weirdness is just fine by her.

"I bet you're really cute as a dog or a... panda. Whatever that is."

[tooawesome]

"Wait and see is perfectly normal," Alluka confirms with calm and full authority. It's far more important to make friends than to show off fancy new features. Not that there's anything wrong with exploring new features either. This way simply seems better for Amity.

Then she gasps. "You've never seen a panda?!"

Alluka has to fix that! She sets her bowl of stew to the side, takes a deep breath in, exhales slowly, and focuses. It happens quickly. Suddenly there's a juvenile panda where Alluka previously was. She waves one fuzzy paw.

[unrival]

Amity follows suit and sets her bowl aside as well, and it's a good thing she did because as soon as the shift occurs, both hands go right to her cheeks. "Oh... you're so cute...!"

Pandas are adorable, it turns out.