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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.
no subject
Even from just a glance at the other Peter's face, well- he has an inkling they look different in some regard at least. They're the same, but different. It is comforting in a way Peter can't properly articulate.
"Yeah, I'm personally trying to avoid that. It's... not what May or Ben would have wanted exactly, but, I don't think they would want me to give up everything either." Peter doesn't bring up Ben often, but if anyone should know him, even a variation of him, its another Peter Parker.
no subject
"No." Peter agrees quietly, though it's clear there's more he wants to say. It bursts out of him a moment later, unable to keep it in - this was his problem. Always saying too much, or not enough, and never, ever in the right order. "But we Parkers don't always get what we want, do we?"
Oh, this Peter knows about Ben. Knows about anger, about words left unsaid; about watching his uncle bleed out in front of him, feeling his life slip away between useless fingers. He sighs, almost imperceptibly, save the fact that the other Peter likely has just as good hearing as he does. His voice is softer when he speaks again. "Sorry. Just...yeah."
He is sorry. Doesn't make it less true, but he is.
no subject
"Yeah, we usually don't." He agrees before going quiet again, breathing out a little puff of hot air before he speaks again.
"Parker luck means things go really awry, yeah?" Peter muses back with a little snort and shake of his head. He sips at his drink again. He takes his time to sip at it, just taking in the shift in mood between them. Ben is always a heavy subject. Something Peter cautiously steps around. "I'm trying to turn that around a little, where I can anyway."
He dips his head a little, lips pressing into a thin line. "Yeah, I'm sorry- too. Sorry for both of us."
no subject
“When it rains, it pours.” It’s said with no amount of mirth; more a cold, hard fact, at least in his experience. Peter follows his lead, sipping in the silence, trying not to let his itchy antsy-ness show in his body language. He fails, the tension evident in the line of his shoulders, the restlessness in his feet. Ben is a wound gone by, surely, but this pricks at it; he’s unused to someone else knowing just how deep it went. A debt they’ve been repaying all their lives - was it this Peter’s fault, too, the way it was his?
“It’s worth a shot,” Peter shrugs, attempting nonchalance. He’s not sure whether or not he lands it. “But we…will always do what we do. I’m glad you have support, though. That’s nice.”
no subject
"I know the dog bowls are a little weird, but, the food is good." There were weirder gimmicks in New York. Peter sticks his drink to his hand carefully, moving to grab a bowl and hold it out to the other Peter.
Once he's sure the other Peter has the bowl in hand, spoon included, Peter picks up his own. There is still more food coming, since both of them are inherently big eaters by nature. There is some juggling to do with his drink and the food, but he'll figure it out.
Peter hesitates before adding. "If you, need any of that support though, while you're here. I'm here for you."
no subject
Typical Spidey defense mechanism, he's not fooling anybody.
But the food saves them from that minefield, and despite the fact that it's in a dog bowl, it smells good enough for him to start drooling. Even with his cracks about health inspections, Peter clearly has no problem accepting the food with a grateful thank you from his counterpart - what, he's totally eaten worse, and to be fair to the puppers, they really do seem very nice. Even if it's totally weird.
Whatever, it's also hot and he's cold.
"...thank you." The weighted pause is hard to gauge, and Peter's - well, shit, he's honestly not sure what to say. Another version of himself is probably the only person he can't actually brush off, as he's so prone to doing. "I appreciate it."
That's true, at least, even if Peter doesn't know how to accept it.
Not yet, anyway. Someone teach him?He pushes the stew around with his spoon, breaking up a chunk of soft meat. "I don't know that I can stay long, though. My world doesn't have other heroes. It's just me. New York...needs me."no subject
"When you follow Thirteen, a different you breaks away from where you were before. Back home, everything is still going. Here? You have all the time you need. So, New York is still safe." Peter tried not to think about what was going on in his own world. About the uncertainty of what was his fate.
Here and now, he's fine. He has a home, he has a family, he has people.
Maybe this Peter can find that too. A promise of safety and assurance.
"It is... super weird, but, you have a chance to do a lot of stuff here."
no subject
The idea of May, alone, waiting in the kitchen for a nephew that wasn't going to show, is almost enough on its own to freak him out.
"What do you mean?" Is it sad he can't even think of anything he'd want to do? Maybe. Not like he takes a lot of leisure time for himself.
no subject
Damn the stew is still hot. Peter releases a big exhale of hot air after he does swallow it down.
"I haven't, but I have kind of a... complicated thing going on I'm not really going to test." Peter assumes he's dead back home due to a misunderstanding. His time spent in the ADI in a different hub world doesn't help matters any. "I can't prove it, unfortunately, but, some other you is still at home at least keeping things functional." Peter flip flops on how he feels on that. Then again, his life is a mess in comparison.
"Like, hobbies, new jobs, going to school?" He offers back with an awkward shrug, "There are dangerous things here, but not particularly often we have much to do. I patrol, but, mostly because my boyfriend and I both enjoy it."
no subject
How do you know they're evil, Peter? Why do you assume? Probably just his nature.
The explanation the other Peter offers just gets a blank stare at first, which quickly morphs into incredulity, jaw tight. "What, we're just supposed to abandon our lives and learn how to knit?"
It probably doesn't require that harsh of a response, but this Peter Parker's got a thing about responsibility - if he can't get home, that's one thing, but to not even try and just submit to the weird Fox creature? He's momentarily distracted from rising feelings of anxiety and righteousness by the latter half of Peter's statement. "Your boyfriend? You've - got a boyfriend."
Not...necessarily surprising, given Peter's own ambivalence towards his own sexuality - and definitely not a problem, or anything, but just...unexpected? Moreso because for some reason, he hadn't considered the possibility that this Peter didn't have a Gwen. Didn't lose one. Or maybe he did, which is even more mind-boggling - the idea of actually moving on.
He stress-eats to shut himself up, shoveling a spoonful of hot stew into his mouth.
no subject
He opens his mouth than closes it, nodding. More than a little sidelined by well, the other Peter being sidelined. "Yeah, I do." He fiddles with his spoon awkwardly. "For a year, his name is Leo."
no subject
"That's - nice." Peter manages, and the awkward silence hangs for a beat before he apologizes, the words tumbling out in a rush of nervous air. "Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound - I just - I mean that's great, for you. And Leo! Congratulations. I was just surprised, I - "
He huffs out a laugh and forces himself to be honest, because that was truly terribly awkward even for him. Peter's foot kicks idly against the snow that's collected at against the wall of the food stall, unable to keep still. "...I, uh, I lost - my person, and I don't know if you, might have had the same - I just wasn't expecting it, um, the idea that...that there could ever be someone else. Even if you're not me-me. Alternate dimensions or whatever. If that...makes sense."
no subject
He lets the topic drop to the wayside when the other Peter pushes on, trying to battle through the awkward silence both had found themselves in. "Oh- uh, thank you." Neither one of them could be normal for ten seconds apparently.
He opens and closes his mouth teeth clicking together audibly as his heart sinks. This isn't his grief to deal with, but, Peter can understand loss. Both of them know loss intimately by now. "I- I'm, I know this doesn't help, or make things actually better but, I'm sorry." He feels like he's just making noises, not actually helping. "It... does make sense. Losing someone like that is going to keep hurting, for a while. Moving on- probably feels impossible."
no subject
"It is impossible," Peter murmurs, not to be contrary - it's just the truth. Even with several years between Now and Then, it doesn't feel any less true. Time does not, in fact, heal all wounds; they just stop bleeding as frequently as they used to, but they're still there. He wonders if this Peter has a Gwen in his universe at all, and he's not sure which answer would be worse, confirmation or denial - he's not brave enough to ask, just then. Maybe just not strong enough to. "Just - uh, if you're happy, that's good. Hold onto that, if you can. Sorry I'm - all over the place."
no subject
"Thanks, and- no, you're... fine. More than fine. This is kind of the weirdest thing possible that happens to everyone." He offers back.
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"Yeah, I'll say," Peter snorts, but this time its companionable. "This is like...at least four rungs above my paygrade, easy."
no subject
One of the dogs present boofs, pushing another bit of food Peter ordered forward. A bread bowl in a dog bowl with some kind of chowder. Something classically warm
and bullshitted onto the menu because I say so."I'd say 'I hope you're still hungry', but, I kind of assume you are."
no subject
The dogs provide another dish to both of them, a bread bowl within a dog bowl which is...definitely a choice.
"Some things in the universe are constant," Peter agrees, accepting his bowl and hesitating just moment before booping the expectant dog's nose. It nudges him happily, and returns to it's work. Well, alright then. "You ever think about how a bread bowl is just a trojan horse for soup? I mean seriously, part of me wants to bite it from the bottom like a gusher."
no subject
"...A hot gusher sound awful but, it could also be good?" The fact they had no idea what was actually in the bread bowl beyond a soup of some kind made it more enticing. What lay amongst the sour dough bread of mystery?
Could it be gusher'd?
Only time, or spiders could tell.
no subject