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

[opress]

He slowly lowered himself onto the sled, as if expecting it to creak or even break under his weight. It held and the dogs didn't immediately take off, so he pushed at the blankets so he could slide his legs under them.

"That's rather generous of him," he said suspiciously. This didn't sound like Maul at all. "Where are we going on this... sled?" He wasn't certain of directions, which was why he probably should be directing the dogs.

[faithfulson]

Luke motioned behind them, before he urged the dogs to turn the sled around. It took a bit for the dogs to get their stride, but it didn't take them too long to compensate for Savage's added weight, and they were soon turned around, pointed toward where Luke had motioned to before.

"The School of Thoth," he answered as the dogs slowed a little, anxiously waiting for the order to go again. "There's a hot spring there as well as some good food to help you warm up."

[opress]

Savage leaned forward as he watched the beasts of burden drag the sled into the right direction and then haul it forward to their destination. It seemed to him that they knew where they were going with minimal direction from Luke and none from him.

At least his legs were warming where they were under the blankets. "Is that where you are going to leave me?" He wondered what a School called Thoth taught. As someone with no formal education, he couldn't imagine how schools actually functioned.

[faithfulson]

"If you want me to," Luke replied as the dogs picked up speed, shouting slightly to be heard over the wind. "You can take the train from there to wherever you want to go."

He glanced back, offering Savage a smile. "Though if you rather, I can stay until Maul shows up, assuming he's not already at the school."

[opress]

He leaned over to avoid some of the whipping wind, but his ear was still pointed back at the driver of the sled. If this Luke was giving away information, he would gladly take it so he could settle into this place better and faster. "Where will I have to go?"

He expected this human might actually want to stay to view the reunion between them. That might be interesting, wouldn't it? "Do you want to stay? My brother and I won't hug or anything."

[faithfulson]

Luke smiled again at that, like he knew otherwise. "I wouldn't mind seeing that," he replied. "And you're free to go wherever you want. This world is open to you."

[opress]

"Nightbrothers are not affectionate like humans." No, Maul wasn't affectionate, despite Savage making a few efforts on the matter. He accepted that of his brother and only pushed the letter a few times. That they might have an audience was a suspicious thought for him. "And where do you go in this world?"

[faithfulson]

"I have a home in Gram," Luke answered, pausing a moment to blow into his hands to warm them up a little. "It's a nice little cottage, like other ones in the area. I'm working on setting up a meditation garden in the back yard."

Look, there was no war here; he was going to live his best cottage-core life and he was going to love every moment.

[opress]

"I don't know where that is," he replied simply. He hadn't seen a map of this place yet, but that was fine. He assumed one would be made available or he would walk around exploring this place on his own. How was he to know his potential if he didn't know the lay of the land he had agreed to be stuck in?

"Do you hunt for your food here?"

[faithfulson]

"We don't need to," Luke said, patting the pocket he carried his spoon in. "You should have a spoon and a relic device. The Relic is what allows us to communicate with each other, while the spoon you use to make things that you need become reality."

[opress]

That didn't make him happy to hear; hunting was an excellent way to hone skills. He expected that wasn't the point of being here, and that there would be few battles and even less opportunity to engage in war. He would need to explore other avenues here.

"So I have to make my own food? Can I hunt for it?"

[faithfulson]

Luke paused, seriously considering the question. He did remember Savage liked to hunt; he was pretty sure the Zabrak had been out hunting when they met and squared off against that ghost.

"You know, I haven't tried yet. There's plenty of empty space around; maybe it's worth seeing if there's anything to hunt."

[opress]

He preferred to catch his own food, though he would tolerate rations if he absolutely had to. He would wait to hear from his brother what sort of game was available to chase and catch in a place like this.

"Empty space isn't always best for hunting. I will wait to reunite with my brother first. You will be at the hot springs and warm up?"

[faithfulson]

"Yeah, I think I might take some time to warm up before going out again," he replied, shrugging sheepishly, before explaining, "Not everyone that comes here already has someone here that can come to their rescue. I'm better than trying to find their way through the snow alone."

[opress]

His brother especially had taught him that it was stupid not to take what was being offered, and as much as he didn't want to, it would be foolish to wander on his own until he had met up with Maul. That left him with few options, but this human seemed keen to hang around him at the moment. "I see. I will stay at the springs with you until my brother arrives."

He frowned and shrugged. "I could have found my own way." He wouldn't have enjoyed it, but he considered himself strong enough and independent enough to navigate. This was warmer and faster thus far. "But perhaps you coming isn't the worst case scenario."

[faithfulson]

Luke glanced back, offering him a knowing smile, like he was silently calling him out on being stubborn. He said nothing, however, instead turning his focus back forward, as the school loomed ever larger on the horizon. When they finally arrived, Luke brought the dogs to a stop, reaching over and petting the closest one, before hopping off the sled and turning, offering Savage a hand up.

[opress]

Savage was stubborn, and he did know that. He was not used to having to rely on the kindness of strangers, so this remained a big change for him to endure. However, it did seem that they were coming up on their destination, and he shoved off the blankets when they came to a stop.

He stared at the hand for a long moment and offered his prosthetic one to help him rise. He looked around as if expecting to see Maul swagger over to welcome him, but his brother had not yet arrived it seemed. Fine, he would wait. It was cold.

He looked at the dogs who seemed eager for pets, and he curled a lip as he walked away from them. That was a hard no from him. "You can tell me more about this place then."

[faithfulson]

"I admit, I don't know that much," Luke replied as they started walking toward the hot springs. "I'm still pretty new myself, but I know this school focuses on technology. I've been looking into it to see if I could pick up a few things that I don't already know."

[opress]

"New and still rushed to meet me," he offered, still suspicious about this other him that apparently was so friendly with this Jedi. "Technology like that found in our galaxy?" There were plenty of technological advancements he didn't even try to understand. He could maintain spacefaring ships of certain classes at least.

He followed Luke towards the hot springs, and it seemed stupid to waste an opportunity to be warm. Maul would be here soon, or he would strike out on his own once he wasn't chilled.

[faithfulson]

"I don't think so, but it's still worth checking out, I think," Luke replied. "Some tech around here is older; if it ever needs to be fixed, I rather know more about it before hand."

Once they got to the changing room for the male side of the hot spring, Luke hesitated a moment. He had trusted Savage back on Trench enough that he didn't mind his scars showing, but this was a fresh out of the Galaxy Savage that hadn't seen them before. He forced out a breath, mentally berating himself for being like this, before pulling his shirt off.

[opress]

"I suppose. This place is geared towards us discovering our potential." Now that could be physical, emotional, spiritual and anything in between. He liked considering things as a more literal option. "You are someone that can fix tech?"

The only qualm he had in the change room was that he didn't have a weapon; however, being clothed or naked didn't rectify that problem. He noted Luke taking his clothes off and didn't hesitate to remove his armour and clothing, setting the lot into a neat and tidy pile to retrieve later. He noted the scars that Luke's body held and nodded in appreciation. Scars were battles won and lessons learned.

[faithfulson]

Luke glanced over his shoulder at Savage's question, only to immediately about face as he saw him taking his clothes off. One day he'll get used to how massive the other man was... one day.

"Y-yeah," he replied, his voice wavering slightly before he cleared his throat. "I used to be a farmer before I became a Jedi. I'm used to having to fix things when they break."

He grabbed for a towel once he pulled off the rest of his clothes, wrapping it securely around his waist.

[opress]

He had to duck through most doorways in this place so far. He expected that was going to be the norm, and yet, he wasn't self conscious about his size. It was a body he had been forced to grow used to and quickly in order to be useful. Luke's reaction to him was not unexpected and unsurprising.

He also picked up a towel but made absolutely no effort to put it on. Nope, he tossed it over one massive shoulder and simply walked towards the exit to the hot springs.

"Don't... Jedi recruit young?"

[faithfulson]

He was blushing again; he could tell by how hot his face felt, and he was grateful that Savage was taking point so he couldn't see just how red he was before he even got into the heated water. Luke took a deep breath, held it, counted off to ten before letting it go, and felt... marginally like a mature adult that had his shit together.

"Things are different at my point in the timeline," he explained, his voice soft. "I'm one of the few Jedi that are left, and the only one I know of that willingly calls themselves one."

[opress]

He lumbered out to the hot springs, ducking his head to make it through the door without bumping his horns. He moved spring side, dropping his towel down and stepped off the ledge into the water without hesitation. It was warm - hot even - and he moved to sink into the water to chase away the cold from the forest.

"So the Sith won," he said simply. That was the only explanation. "Jedi weren't welcome on our planet, so I had little exposure to them until was I was an adult." He snorted from his nose. "I killed many of them during the war. There always seemed to be more."

So to think that this was one of the left... he supposed he felt little if maybe disappointed. He thrilled at crossing sabers with some of the Jedi. They all died except Kenobi who was slippery.