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April-May 2024 Test Drive Meme
April-May 2024 TDM
Introduction
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.
🦊 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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[ He said, as a dog is now licking his face. His eye is being licked. Why. Why God, why ]
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[ ... Or he could do it but he's still deflecting. Oops ]
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Fine. I'll give you the short version.
[In this situation, Draxum was actually trying to give Lex more control. Technically, nothing says they have to stick together. So long as they were truthful, whoever confesses first could just leave without helping out their partner.
Draxum figures Lex must be a Legend or Familiar, to not take his shot. Who knows if he'll still want to be honest after he hears Draxum's confession, but that's not his problem.]
There once was a prophecy that foretold the destruction of my people. I argued we had to fight back, lest we be wiped out. No one else agreed.
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Man that never goes well, but he supposes casting doubt on this guy might be defeating the point of the exercise. Lex exhales, and tries to relax into the dogs here as he gives his response, ]
Oh yeah? They doubt this prophecy?
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[He glowers at the steam rising over the hot springs—then reaches up to snag the dog sitting on his shoulders by the collar. This time, the giant dog lets itself be dragged off him easily, barking like this was all a fun game.]
They were right, annoyingly. I only learned that after the fact, of course, but at least I wasn't sitting on my hands waiting for the situation to resolve itself. If I had listened to naysayers, we'd all be dead.
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... Oh, it doesn't need to be the both of them? He experiments with getting free and - well, he can move more, but they're still crowding around him.
... Oh that's what he meant.
Huh. ]
Eeeeeh. If they only disagreed on the enemy at hand, what makes it so everyone else wasn't doing anything?
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So, so. What we're getting at here is that they thought there was one threat and had it sealed, you thought there was a different threat and acted against it. You were wrong, but your actions still helped with what was the real threat in the first place when it was unsealed?
[ Assuming he's reading all this together right. ]
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I meant they buried the story. The prophecy was a closely guarded secret they kept from the public. Even with my high security clearance, I only came across it by chance. And when I brought it to their attention, they forbade me from acting while offering no alternative solutions.
[And until around a decade ago, he still had those clearances, or alternatively access to people who did. If the Council had made a move, he would've known; he would've jumped at the chance to assist.
But they didn't, and it's vexed him ever since.]
Your final conclusion is still ultimately correct, however. Though I identified the wrong threat, the plan I set into motion saved both the yokai of the Hidden City and the humans on the surface twice over.
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[ Yokai. He doesn't know the word, but that must be this guy's people. Surface. humans. ... Huh. So the threat targeted both of them but he had targeted someone else. another yokai? A third party? some humans? It paints this guy in a positive light, but a dedication to a false cause is a dangerous one, particularly on something flimsy like prophecy.
Hazel eyes study the dogs. They've ignoring Draxum by now.
... So that counted, he supposes. They're mostly avoiding him, but at least one stubborn one shifts near him, preventing him from standing up fully. Hmm. ]
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[Draxum's cause is at least over and done with now. Realizing the error of his ways when fighting the Shredder was the catalyst, but the chemical reaction itself was set off in Folkmore. His war against humans is over; Rue made him put the final nail in that coffin.
It doesn't change what he did, of course, but he's admitted the truth of that to few people.
...And now, he could just leave. He kinda wants to—Lex asks too many questions for how little he shares in return—but even though he's not here, Draxum can still somehow feel Casey's judgmental stare from miles away. Fine, fine, he'll do better.]
Your turn. If you want to get out, that is.
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He'll just go back to his initial thing. Be more honest. It's a weird and very embarrassing admittance, but he thinks if he words it in such a distant way there's no way to pin details on him - even if that's not in the spirit of this - he'll be fine. And Draxum doesn't seem the sort of person to care, so... ]
--That half princess I mentioned is the love of my life, and I totally fucked that one up.
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How?
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We had been -- well, not official or anything, but we're known each other, been getting closer, had some physical near-misses. All of that stuff for like five years. I loved her and I totally knew she liked me back. But when she finally returned to her homeland after a long time away - me with her - she found out she'd been engaged while she wasn't there. Political stuff. [ Technically spiritual, but... ] But she's -- I mean, she's great, so of course she was going to just go along with it to help her people. So I decided to confront her about that--
and I pretty much just worded it really badly.
[ this is. an understatement. ]
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So things ended on bad terms. How much of a dumpster fire was it? On a scale of 1 to 10.
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[ Nine sounds about right... right? they have been able to talk again even if it's by way of never talking about this again? ]
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Did you tell her people to go pound sand and cause a political incident?
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[ He laughs at his own joke... ah. ]
No, not quite that. More like... I accidentally insulted her dad, intentionally insulted her childhood friend, and I spoke as to what her feelings obviously were before she could actually express it herself.
[ Which is a very flattering way of saying "spoke for her to her face." ]
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[ Is what Lex says. mostly because that's what you're supposed to say, right? Internally, there is some part of him which believes that he could have made his points better. That he could have managed this better. Could have made Amira see the obvious. But ... that's a side thought. When he thinks about how offended she looked - upset. Sure she was confused too, but he was the one who had nailed a final blow on hurting her. So to that end, it might - not have been worth it to do that. ]
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[That's Draxum's take, selfish as he is. But he's also looking at it in the perspective of the Fox's exercise. This whole stupid confession business is about Star Children not feeling heard. It doesn't matter who was right or wrong, the crux of it was having no one on their side.]
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He wants to defend Amira.
He wants to, but there's... it wouldn't help to do that. his hazel eyes look distorted as he looks up at Draxum - his eyes wide for a moment (and from his Legend status shifting to a very uncertain yellow color) but then narrow to go thoughtful just as quickly. He bites his lip.
And then he finally says, ]
Man.
[ That's... heavy. It's heavy. This whole topic is heavy. He still feels heavy. But at the same time, having someone voice this idea of being on his side when he doesn't feel on his own side in this (something Linda has accused him of before) is a surreal experience. He swallows air in.
... The dogs back off a little. ]
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Draxum says nothing else for now, unaware of the impact he's having, but he sees the dogs backing off. Good. That means they're getting somewhere at least.]
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... Man, I don't want to agree with that, really. But maybe it's better to just agree with that.
[ They had something special. He knows they did. But maybe... she didn't agree? Maybe he was wrong? Or no, maybe she would deny it no matter what. Maybe that's the better way to think of it. ]
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