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folkmore mod ([personal profile] folkie) wrote in [community profile] folkmeme2024-08-13 07:55 am
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August-September 2024 Test Drive Meme

August-September 2024 TDM
Introduction

[ TDM QuestionsJump to CommentsFull Navigation ]

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 a canon item from home, 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 OnePrompt Two]

Scavengers Survive .
Content Warnings: Potential Wilderness Survival, Potential Death

New Star Children arrive in Amrita Academy, the largest school in Folkmore. They might arrive in the medical wing, or they could arrive in areas of the school that don't look like a school at all: forests with animals to hunt or gather, including for their medicinal properties; rocky crags with climbing routes; fields full of growing grains; meadows with sheep covered in soft wool; lakes and rivers with unusual denizens. It's like a miniature of Folkmore all in one school.

A fox with a clipped ear and a few scars greets each Star Child upon arrival. She explains that while things can be summoned with Lore, the best survivors learn to scavenge and to find what they need. New Star Children haven't earned much Lore yet, so that surely applies to them double. In fact, as befits a survival school, there are items that will help Star Children survive hidden all around and immediately outside the school. Star Children are directed to make a list on their Relic of everything they think they need to survive. Once made, the list cannot be changed. They will be more likely to find those items than others (though it will not be impossible).

Race, jog, or stroll around the expansive school in search of these items: clothes, bags, first aid kits, tents, survival supplies, etc. They might be harder to find than expected as they will be miniature and in little cubes aka survival squares (a misnomer). These cubes may be tucked away above, below, beside, or inside something. They also may float against a rock face or in the air among tree branches. The most likely locations are those densest in Lore. The longer Star Children explore, the more they will realize that these cubes are best and most easily obtained by working together. In fact, they will try to dodge and avoid the grip of a Star Child more than ten feet away from any other Star Child. Perhaps that's because two Star Children interacting are creating Lore and a Lore dense location? Once two Star Children touch the cube at the same time, the cube will disappear, and the item inside will grow to full size. Congratulations on being one step closer to survival. Remember to share.

Come mid-September, few cubes will remain inside the school. Star Children will have to check the perimeter of the school to find more survival squares. That task grows exponentially harder as the cubes are in the molasses-thick moat of concentrated Lore surrounding the school. Should anyone dip their spoon in the moat, in the Lorasses if you will, they will find that it tastes sweet, a rich spicy sweetness. Amazing! Less amazing? It is impossible to get past the moat of Lorasses. No matter how strong a swimmer or oarsman, it is impossible to make headway through or atop the Lorasses. Anyone attempting to fly across the moat will find themselves slapped by a giant sticky slappy hand rising like a goliath from the depths with perfect aim. Star Children can find themselves slapped anywhere from the shore to the center of the school. Star Children are free to get creative with ways to dig the survival squares out of the Lorasses, but beware! They'll have difficulty freeing themselves on their own from the sticky substance, should they fall in.

Since Star Children are likely to find themselves in sticky situations quite literally, they may be pleased to know that Amrita Academy has showers available for use. Unfortunately, due to one student's experiment, the shampoo is all made of beer. That's right, beer. It's good for one's hair! Or so the study should demonstrate. Be sure to fill out a feedback card outside the locker rooms.

  • All new Star Children arrive in Amrita Academy.
  • Star Children are greeted by a fox who prompts them to write a list of what they need to survive. These lists cannot be changed once made.
  • Star Children search for tiny cubes with survival supplies, especially ones on their lists.
  • Star Children must work together to catch & open the cubes.
  • Come mid-September, Amrita Academy is surrounded by a Lore-rich molasses moat—Lorasses. Thou shalt not pass.
  • Once the moat arrives, most cubes are in the moat. Shower to get clean afterward with beer for shampoo.
This is Our Get Along Shirt .
Content Warnings: Forced Close Contact, Coerced Behavior

It can be stressful to arrive in a new place among strangers and strange things. It can be even more stressful, sometimes, to be among people one knows. The fact remains that in Folkmore, no one is an island. The Shattered Spoon Shrine is a testament to that. Interact or perish. Those interactions usually don't even have to be positive. An emotionally charged argument generates Lore same as a touching reunion. However, Amrita's iteration has taken charge of Folkmore this month. She values cooperation and connection.

What does this mean for Star Children? It's time to get along.

When Star Children fight—physically, vocally, emotionally—they get stuck together in a magical t-shirt. This plain white t-shirt has 'This is our get along shirt' written on it on both sides, one in each Star Child's handwriting. (If a Star Child does not have handwriting, Thirteen will invent a handwriting she feels best represents them). The shirt works exactly as written on the tin. Until the two Star Children can get along, they will be stuck together in the shirt. Getting along can look a few different ways. It could be working through the reason they were fighting. It could be cooperating to accomplish something else. It could be helping someone else together. It could be large or small. Somehow, Star Children will have to get along to accomplish something.

The shirt will disappear, leaving them standing next to each other, only to reappear duplicated in each of their hands, perfectly sized to fit each individual. Should they so choose, either can be used for a repeat performance, with both of them trapped inside again. While the same condition will apply—they must get along to get out of the shirt—the shirt will now make it easier for them to work it out. Note: only the two people who originally wore the shirt can put it back on. No one else can wear these shirts.

One time only, a Star Child's cooperative escape will have an additional prize: their souvenir t-shirt will be wrapped around an item from either their home universe or their partner's. That's right, getting along can get a Star Child something from another universe.

  • When Star Children get in a fight of any kind, not just physical, they get stuck together in a magical t-shirt.
  • The shirt says “This is our get along shirt” front and back in characters’ own handwriting (or imagined handwriting).
  • As written on the tin, Star Children are stuck until they figure out how to get along
  • When they separate, both partners will get a copy of the t-shirt that fits them. They can choose to get back into said t-shirt together to figure out how to get along easier in the future.
  • One time only, Star Children receive an item from their home universe or their partner’s.
hackerofjustice: (« [wink] power pose)

[personal profile] hackerofjustice 2024-11-24 06:44 am (UTC)(link)
Oh! Well!

[Free stuff is also good! But she'll have to think of something to give back to him anyway. It would be rude if she didn't, after all.]

Yeah. Ren first! He's got all the good stuff anyway.
apuckalypse: (92)

[personal profile] apuckalypse 2024-11-25 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
[He grins, leading the way towards where Ren is assumed to be.]

Coffee, and curry?

[He knows the real good stuff.]
rosae: ( 𝑬𝑫𝑰𝑻𝑬𝑫 𝑩𝒀 𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑨𝑬 ) (Default)

[personal profile] rosae 2024-11-29 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
( Wings. Rose can barely conceptualise exactly the figure that her daughter has fallen in love with — he certainly sounds like something spectacular, ethereal. It's a bit of a daunting mental image, admittedly, but she's not afraid.

...Or if there is anything that might feel like fear, it quickly reshapes itself into something Rose is able to work with, instead. She's no stranger to that feeling. She was never without fear through those worst parts of Silent Hill, or Trench. She was scared for her life. It's just— Sharon's meant more than even her own. She could do anything if it was for her daughter's sake. Do anything, face anything. Or die trying.

So — all right, yes, Sharon's met a guy who's not exactly human and probably doesn't look entirely human, given the wing situation (of course, Rose is aware not-so-deep-down that she's changed in some ways since waking up here too, but.... now's not the time to address the ruffle of white feathers she glimpsed spreading from her own spine). This is fine! Completely fine. She's here no matter what.

She keeps following her daughter's lead, taking in the sights and unable to suppress a soft exhale, eyes widening at how beautiful and charming the scene is.
)

I'm ready. ( She nods seriously, turning her head to look over at the younger woman, squeezing her hand again. ) Though I'm probably a pretty rough sight after all this crying. ( She smiles, she wouldn't change a thing about her reunion with Sharon, reaching up with her free hand to tuck a wayward layer of blonde behind her own ear in some quick attempt to fix herself up a little. )
reloves: (♥ and is in your name)

[personal profile] reloves 2024-11-30 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Of course I won't tell her!

[ Hm. On one hand, the answer did come quickly, which suggests that she might not be lying about it.. But on the other hand, the girl still seems so weirdly excited about all of this, so who's to say what she's really thinking, or what might happen if she spots the princess Mickey is talking about? ]

Nothing is more important to the goddess of love and beauty then matters of the heart!
fogsong: (221)

[personal profile] fogsong 2024-12-02 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Her mother, a rough sight? Sharon takes a moment to truly look at her. Even with damp, reddened eyes, Rose has an ethereal quality about her—like she’s stepped out of one of those dramatic Renaissance paintings of the Virgin Mary. The soft halo of her feathered crown and the grace in her wings only amplify that impression.

It’s as if Rose has absorbed the very holiness Alessa once saw in her. ]


Mom [ Sharon says softly, her voice tinged with affection ] even puffy-eyed, you're beautiful. [ She smiles, her words carrying the weight of admiration. Growing up, Sharon had always wanted to look like her mother—bold, beautiful, and strong. Rose had never been just a housewife or mother to her. She was a hero. ]

And trust me [ she adds, a note of reassurance in her tone ] Mayerling will think it’s sweet. He won’t judge. [ If anything, it would just underscore the depth of Sharon’s bond with her mother.

With a deep breath and a small, nervous smile, Sharon opens the door to the burrow. Mayerling already knows they’re here—of course, he does—but she still calls out with playful enthusiasm. ]
Alright, Mayerling! Time to impress my mom!
whowillmourn: (= hesitant)

[personal profile] whowillmourn 2024-12-03 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ For his part, Mayerling is a touch nervous to meet Rose, the wonderful and impressive mother that raised Sharon from a young age and made such an impression on her character that cannot ever be unmade. He knows he is good enough for Sharon, as Sharon believes it so (and that is all he needs to believe it), but he wants Rose to recognize it in her own right, to meet him, to get to know him, not to be frightened of him, and to approve of him. It is exciting as well, not merely some well of nervous energy but anticipation as well. He can hear their hearts beating from quite a ways away, the Familiar bond between him and Sharon only further emphasizing that he has correctly identified them, so that he's extremely aware of precisely how close they come to the burrow.

The parlor is set up in a casual fashion, so far as vampires are concerned, with tea and a few kinds of scones, cookies, and other treats, so that Rose may find something she likes whatever her preferences. Everything is comfortable, and no one will sit directly across from each other. He stops fussing over it ten seconds before they enter so he's not mid-adjusting the position of a pillow when Sharon opens the door.

To avoid stepping into the shadows, he raises one of his nearly entirely clear wings before him to block the sunlight from the door. People, in his experience, often have negative reactions to the stereotypical vampire coming out of the darkness entrance (a shame, given its wondrous dramatic potential), so he stands in full view, visible behind his wing:

Mayerling wears the starry outfit Sharon gave him for Christmas the year prior, his hair pulled back, and bows deeply to Rose once she appears in the doorway. The bow reveals three other wings on his back, the matching clear wing that glimmers and a set of batlike wings underneath. ]

It is a pleasure and my honor to make your acquaintance, ma'am. [ He cannot help but keep a few formalities. He straightens back up and motions them both inside. ] I have tea and treats prepared, though should you need anything more substantial, that is no trouble at all.
hackerofjustice: (Default)

probs wrapped LMAO

[personal profile] hackerofjustice 2024-12-03 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
[She grins wide.]

The best stuff.

[Let's go, lackey!!]
rosae: (𝟎𝟒𝟓)

[personal profile] rosae 2024-12-08 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
( It's still such a strange thing, in its ways — to be reassured by her daughter now, when not so long ago for Rose, Sharon was so small and sensitive, haunted by some inner turmoil that neither she nor Chris were capable of understanding. And now.... Now, Sharon's offering her words of comfort and reassurance. It's yet another testament to the kind of woman that her daughter's become.

Rose smiles tearfully, but the tears are happy ones, not sad. They're full of love. She nods again, quickly, and clears her throat as she tries to collect herself a bit more.

There's something that had stuck out — Sharon telling her that Mayerling knew they were here — but she hadn't questioned it. Now as she hears Sharon call out for the
man, she can't help wondering about it, the mystery about him simply building.

And then there he is. Rose has to take a moment to almost process the image of the man standing there: a truly ethereal sight, from his attire to the wings, to his features themselves. She blinks widely, a little stunned as he bows to her so politely and speaks so formally — oh, he really is like something from a fantasy, isn't he? There's very much an inhuman quality to this man, though she's not afraid by it. She's known inhuman beings before, in Trench, and— her own daughter is, of course, very much not a typical girl.

No, she isn't afraid of anyone so blatantly not human, but his presence is extremely striking and it does surprise her a bit. But she's dipping her head towards him, offering a smile that's soft, but friendly.
)

Hello! The pleasure's mine — it's so nice to meet you. Sharon's already told me much about you.

( She sends her smile over to Sharon, before her brows are lifting a bit at mention of tea and treats. Such things weren't so easy to acquire back in Trench. )

Tea would be lovely. It feels like so long since I've had any.

( As she steps further into the space, she's looking around it a bit, unable to hide the soft delight that brightens her features a little, before she has to ask, curious. )

You really... knew we were coming?
fogsong: (016)

[personal profile] fogsong 2024-12-13 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ Mayerling’s outfit earns a lopsided grin from her, a flicker of surprise lighting up her face as both brows shoot up in pleasant approval. The grin lingers, soft and genuine, before her expression settles into something quieter—a mix of focus and anticipation. She watches the unfolding exchange with bated breath, so engrossed, so caught up in her excitement and nerves, that most of the words barely register.

Rose's question draws a soft, fleeting laugh from her lips, but she decides to leave it to Mayerling to answer.

She gently guides her mom into the parlor, her hand still clasped in hers, almost entirely unwilling to release her. There’s no danger here, not within the absolute safety of the burrow, but that doesn’t stop the protective instinct from anchoring her beside her mother. Even when everyone finally settles into their seats, she hovers just a little longer, reluctant to stray too far. Before sitting, she snags one of the treats from the table, though she barely takes a bite. It becomes less a snack and more a distraction, nibbled on absentmindedly, her mouth and hands just as tuned in as her ears. ]
whowillmourn: (= hesitant)

[personal profile] whowillmourn 2024-12-13 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Though Mayerling missed Rose's time in Trench, his arrival postdating her departure, he has lived in both Trench and Folkmore (confusingly, at the same time, with the dual memories to match). He appreciates everything in Folkmore all the more for his memories of Trench, though his memories of the Frontier made even Trench an improvement.

He takes the seat left for him and takes a little pride in the way Rose approves of the burrow. It's changed since Sharon arrived and moved in with him, most notably the art studio but in other ways as well, small shifts in the decor to make it reflect both of them. It's their home, not his home. He pours tea and takes the same treat as Sharon, but he neither drinks nor eats yet. ]

Vampiric senses allow me to hear and smell much in my surroundings, and I have come to know the unique heartbeats and typical scents of everyone who lives in Lapine as well as those who regularly visit. I always know when someone approaches our home well before they reach the front door. I recognized Sharon's presence and knew you had to be the person with her.

[ Everyone notices details about their surroundings, and Rose likely could list many things she knows about the home that she hasn't paid great attention to. It's simply part of life. What that is for Mayerling, compared to a human, differs, but it's a difference in scale not experience. There is the chance it will come off creepy to Rose, but at least she knows and can do what she will with the information. It is not as though Mayerling will comment on the minute details of what he can smell on a day-to-day basis. Unless he has good reason to bring something up, it will simply be noted as part of who she is. ]
rosae: (𝟎𝟐𝟐)

[personal profile] rosae 2024-12-20 10:46 pm (UTC)(link)
( Rose drifts to a seat with Sharon, also helping herself to one of the scones, folding it neatly to a napkin before she draws both into her lap. Being here truly is like.. a little dream. That's the difference. Silent Hill, Trench, those places felt like nightmares. In contrast, the little home Sharon and Mayerling have established for themselves feels like a little dream. It reminds her, with a dose of fond warmth, of the cottage she and Sharon had lived in together back in Trench.

Reaching one hand out to take a cup of tea, she stays attentive, brows lifting again at his response. Rather than find it creepy or off-putting, she seems delighted, her smile brightening. That means he can protect Sharon.
)

That's a useful ability to have. I imagine this place must be kept very safe, with you being able to sense things like that.

( She doesn't doubt Sharon's own strength, never, not once, but... as a mother, it helps, immensely, to know that her daughter's partner can keep an eye on her in such an advanced way, as well as who might come up to the home itself. )

Is Folkmore very different from your home world, Mayerling? Has it been difficult for you to adjust, here? I'm sure Sharon's told you about the kinds of places she's been, and this one already seems like a step up. Although it wasn't so bad when we lived back in Ohio, was it?

( She smiles over at Sharon again for the question as she takes a careful sip of tea, fingers wrapped politely, delicately around the cup. There was a time once when she suited things like this very well — little parties, teas. It's still there in her. )
fogsong: (215)

[personal profile] fogsong 2024-12-22 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ I imagine this place must be kept very safe.

The comment earns Rose a slow side glance from Sharon, one brow arching beneath the uneven fluff of her hastily chopped bangs. Oh, don’t think she doesn’t know what you’re getting at, Mom. But even as her eyes shift back, a grin spreads across her face. It’s just Mom being a mom, and God, how she’d missed that.

She breathes through the rush of fresh emotion, leaning instinctively into the Familiar bond she shares with Mayerling to steady herself. His presence, even indirectly, helps her anchor the swirl of feelings that threaten to bubble over. ]


Wasn’t so bad? [ she snorts, her smile incredulous. Ohio holds an irreplaceable spot in her heart. Sure, there were the nightmares and the sleepwalking, but even that couldn’t dull the glow of an otherwise idyllic, damn near perfect childhood. ] I still miss Ohio.

[ Or maybe it’s not the place itself. Maybe it’s the snapshot of a time when life felt unbroken, where everything was perfect in her young eyes—before reality set in and fractured it. The pang that tugs at her chest is easily dismissed, overwhelmed by the warmth of the moment. ]

Though, Folkmore is only a step up because he’s here.

[ Home is where the heart is, right? And her heart, it seems, has spread itself generously—Rose, Mayerling, everyone she’s built this life with. Overwhelming, maybe. But in the best way. ]
whowillmourn: (>:[ claw)

[personal profile] whowillmourn 2024-12-23 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ Mayerling would enjoy seeing what Ohio was like for them, the family life they built together before life got harder. The number of years may be far less than his youth before the fall of vampiric civilization, yet it represents a similar period of time in their lives, his and Sharon's. Even Rose's. Life became something else, a struggle from day to day, constant threat of danger, and always looking over one's shoulder. It lost the safety of knowing the world worked in a peaceable if imperfect manner. So he understands the appeal of Ohio.

He's ever so delighted in Rose's reaction to his abilities, to seeing how he can keep Sharon safe, because he most certainly works to keep her safe no matter her abilities. Delightfully, given it's Folkmore, he can use the information for more than that. He may sense when someone's had a terrible day through a shift in their hormones and offer them help with chores or leave some freshly cooked food for them. Nothing that requires they talk about it, the way Thirteen's trials might. Simply, something to make it a better day. That all keeps Sharon safer as he knows exactly what their neighborhood is like and can sense a major shift or an outsider. Vampires are so used to keeping their own security features. Mayerling may not have all the technology of home, but he can keep her safe. The red string between his finger and Sharon's, one only they can see, help him find her should she not be at home and need help. Their life—and her safety—are his top priorities in Folkmore.

He is, after all, a vampire. ]

The burrow is safe. The glass in the windows is vampire grade, which makes it safe for me to sit here in view of the sun without my wings up, and it also makes them harder to break. Yet another safety feature. Should anything pose a threat, I will know about it quickly and act in accordance with the level of threat.

Folkmore is a peaceful wonderful place, but I have not become complacent.

[ Mayerling balances a teacup with grace, a single finger wrapped around the handle. Where he came from? Like everyone else he has met here, home is not nearly as idyllic as this place. Mayerling is content to live as long as he can away from it to be with Sharon her whole life. He enjoyed seeing what humanity made of itself, but he's some time at home from getting to witness that in his isolation. ]

Vampiric civilization fell, and I lived for thousands of years on the Frontier—a dangerous place for humans and vampires alike. It was an isolated and dangerous existence, spent mostly caring for my family's castle, my carriage, and my horses. I came here, however, from time alone in the City of the Night orbiting the earth. It had long fallen into disrepair, but I kept it going well enough.

[ Mayerling sighs. ] Trench and now Folkmore would be a step up merely for the ability to live in community. The fact that Sharon and I have found each other twice, that we can build a life together here makes this very well a paradise in my opinion.

[ He has his priorities. ]
rosae: (𝟏𝟖𝟗)

[personal profile] rosae 2024-12-28 01:05 am (UTC)(link)
( She'd tried to make Sharon's childhood as perfect as she possibly could, to make sure that her baby wouldn't want for anything. It was a sheltered life, the little girl kept safe — which was why when she began to suffer such horrors, it was such a gutting blow to Rose. The feeling of helplessness, the inability to save Sharon through those episodes as they began to progress, to turn worse and worse, until they were a danger to her life...

But still, when she looks back on Ohio, on the home they used to share there, it's with such fondness. Hearing Sharon speak about her childhood that way makes Rose warm all over again even through her own pangs of nostalgia and loss for her husband and her old home. It means everything to hear that her daughter considers that time in such high regards.

And, as she hears Sharon say that remark about Mayerling, it means everything that her daughter has found such a source of safety and home in another person. It's odd in its ways, admittedly, perhaps something she'll have to get used to — but not bad. She would do anything to keep Sharon safe. Maybe she no longer has to work so hard on her own to do that.
)

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that... It sounds very lonely, ( she remarks softly, somber as she listens to him speak. He's lived for thousands of years.... in such isolation. It immediately makes her think of Alessa, trapped down there in that hospital basement for a few decades. Perhaps it's no wonder that her daughter would be drawn to someone who knows what it is to be alone.

His next words make her pause with a gentle surprise to hear him say that. Then— she smiles again, warmly.
)

I know how you feel. I can't claim to know how the universe works, but.... I think there are people our hearts are meant to be with. And we'll keep finding each other, even after we're separated again.

( She looks back over at the younger woman, reaching one hand to give her knee a soft squeeze. Sorry Sharon, she's going to get gushy in front of your man... but it means something, means everything, to find those loved ones again. )
fogsong: (123)

[personal profile] fogsong 2025-01-03 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sharon watches Mayerling with a warmth that softens her entire expression as he speaks. He knows loneliness. It’s one of the many things about him that captured her attention. Few can truly claim to understand what it feels like to be utterly alone in the world the way they do. For her, it was decades; for him, millennia. Still, Sharon can’t help but recognize that at some point, Alessa’s loneliness was self-inflicted. She didn’t have to stay alone—not after Rose.

A paradise he says, and she can’t help the goofy smile that stretches across her face. As much as she might grumble about Folkmore or Thirteen, she can’t deny it, not when she feels the truth of his words so keenly. Rose’s gentle squeeze on her knee only cements it further.

She takes a deep breath to swallow the lump forming in her throat, fighting back the tears of happiness that threaten to spill. ]
I don’t think I could say it better myself, Mom. [ Her voice wavers slightly, but the sincerity is undeniable. Sharon has never been entirely sure where she stands on fate, but in this moment, she feels like this—this—is exactly where she’s meant to be. These are the people she belongs with. ]

I’d like to think we’d find each other again and again.

[ The words hang in the air, tender and hopeful. Even if it’s only a dream, it’s a comforting one. It settles her, fills her with a quiet sense of hope. If she could, she would thread a string from her heart to each of theirs, tying them together in some unbreakable way, across all worlds and lifetimes.

She knows she’s getting a little gushy, but honestly? The moment calls for it. If there’s ever been a time to let her heart show, it’s now. ]
whowillmourn: (+ wonder)

[personal profile] whowillmourn 2025-01-05 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ These worlds away from their own, places that gather scattered people together, operate differently than those they come from. Mayerling knows from sad experience that in his life in his world, whether on the Frontier or in the City of the Night, he will not reunite with those he's loved because everyone he's cared for is dead and gone, having completed their brief stays in the universe they know as they all are. Compared to the lifespan of humans, vampires appear long lived, even potentially immortal as time does not claim them naturally the way it does man, yet in the lifespan of the universe, vampires and humans alike present a mere blip on the cosmic scale, and vampires one that will end before humans. Even dinosaurs lived across far longer stretches of time than humans and vampires have. He too is a transient guest in the world, his life but a candle briefly illuminating the dark.

Yet Trench, Folkmore, and other worlds that Star Children have been in that operate similarly, they operate somehow like magnets—like calling to like. Mayerling's initial presence may have provided an anchor for Sharon, and Sharon one for Rose. Their yearning reaches beyond the grasp of their own comprehension to bring them together again and again. Whether the means be Thirteen or Mariana or some other cosmic being matters little, when those people's actions carry the weight of people's desires. Not all wishes are granted, but enough, enough that matters, enough that sees the three of them here together today. ]

The loneliness is well worth it when we are able to find love and those we love across universes. We have found each other, and it delights me utterly that you are here, Rose. It saddened me in Trench to learn that I had missed you, yet here we are finally meeting in another universe. It is as you both say. We find each other.

Please, eat and drink. We have time together, today and tomorrow and the days after.
rosae: (𝟐𝟔𝟒)

[personal profile] rosae 2025-01-07 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
( Hearing the emotion in Sharon's voice, Rose smiles again and reaches to squeeze one of her hands this time, the gesture warm and comforting. She's here, she's here now, and Sharon's right — 'I'd like to think we'd find each other again and again.'

Rose believes that, too. She has to. And... it's come true, hasn't it? She remembers when she'd first washed up on the shores of Trench, spending those first few months without her family, without Sharon. Every day was anguish, but she kept looking, kept searching. Back in Silent Hill, too. This time, she woke up and found her daughter again. Each time, she's always found her in the end. She knows she'll keep doing it, no matter how many times. And that thought makes it all easier, makes things feel... okay. For all the loss, and grief, and loneliness they've all felt.... things will be okay, as long as they can find each other.

She watches Mayerling's face as he speaks, her expression softened again, somber, aching, but her heart so warmed by the man's words, too.
)

I'm so glad to finally get to meet you. Thank you, for taking care of Sharon.

( She has to let him know that directly. For all the mysteries of this enigmatic person, all the things she still has to learn about him, Rose is so grateful. Leaving Sharon behind in Trench was one of the hardest things she's ever, ever had to do. But knowing that she had someone to meet, and fall in love with.... that her heart was being taken care of.... It helps soothe Rose's own.

She gives the softest sniffle, gathering herself a little and nodding at his words, taking a little bite of a treat and smiling in approval.
)

It's delicious! I feel so spoiled. ( A gal could get used to this, after having to eat flavourless stews and struggle to find a hot shower back in Trench. Though the cottage she and Sharon shared was.... it was nice. It was really nice. )

So, tell me about how you two first met. What was it like?

( She directs the question to either of them to answer, giving a smile to each. Moms have to know these things! )
fogsong: (274)

[personal profile] fogsong 2025-01-10 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hearing Rose thank Mayerling takes Sharon pleasantly by surprise. Her eyes widen just a fraction as she glances at her fiancé, her smile tightening with a mix of pride and relief. She hadn’t truly been worried, but hearing her mother’s gratitude eases something deep in her chest. It’s so good it’s almost dizzying.

When Rose sniffles, Sharon instinctively reaches out, her cold fingers brushing lightly against her mother’s wrist in a brief, comforting gesture. At the question, she shifts her attention back to Mayerling, thinking back to their first meeting. ]
It was typical Trench bullshit [ she says with a wry grin. ] We ended up in a long, creepy hallway being chased by some thing—everything in me screamed that looking back would be a terrible idea, so I didn’t. [ And she knows when to listen to her gut.

She nudges Mayerling’s foot with hers, playful despite the memory. ]
He got us both into an elevator before we ended up... I don’t know, dead or worse. [ He'd caught her off-guard. She'd been ready to cook him. Leaning closer to Rose, she lowers her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ] I might’ve been kind of an asshole to him. [ High-stress situations tend to bring out her prickly side, okay! ]
whowillmourn: (= snerk)

[personal profile] whowillmourn 2025-01-13 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
You're welcome. [ Mayerling replies softly and quickly. ] It is my honor that she permits me to.

[ Though he would have looked after her well being from a distance, at least her physical well being, even had she not entrusted him with her heart. It is not as though one can stop caring for someone easily or quickly, though he would never have forced her hand as all too many vampires try to do with humans when they become enamored. That isn't love, not true love. It lacks everything that matters in it.

Sharon begins to tell the story, what was his first night in Trench after a day spent in his carriage with D after the dhampir dragged him smoking off the beach. It was an unusual way for most, perhaps, to start a life in a new world. As a vampire, being stuck wherever he happened to be come daylight was simply the norm. It was not like Folkmore where he has a means to go out during the day.

The whisper, no matter how quiet, is easy for Mayerling to hear. He's meant to hear it, as Sharon obviously knows that. Mayerling smiles and shakes his head. ] In my own way, I was presumptuous. First, I picked you up without asking to get us into the elevator. Then, when we were in the air shaft observing those cultists, though I could not have identified them as such at the time, I contacted you mentally. You were well within your rights to establish your boundaries.

[ Her assertiveness, even in the face of danger, to her own person had been attractive. She didn't show any fear of him, and Mayerling also appreciated that. ]

Though I must admit no regrets to prioritizing your life in the first situation. It is not often a vampire faces, albeit metaphorically, something more powerful than himself.