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August-September 2024 Test Drive Meme
August-September 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 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.
🦊 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: 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.
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.
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.
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.
Kimiko Miyashiro | The Boys | Legend
( a ) Kimiko opens her Relic, accepting the little pop-up that offers her a tutorial on how to navigate the device. She's pleased to find it doesn't handle all that differently from her phone back home, and she's quick to open up notes she was instructed to write her list within. That's about all she does quickly though. Kimiko takes her time with writing her list. Nearly each time she adds something to it, she reads over the list two to three times. She doesn't want to forget anything that would be difficult to improvise with what she does remember. Kimiko heaves a small sigh as she contemplates the possibility of including a few items that aren't strictly necessary. The instructions were clear, after all, that she should put down what's going to lend itself to survival. Not things that would necessarily make her feel a little happier or just be a nice creature comfort to have. Looking up from her Relic, Kimiko scans the surrounding area for someone else still working on their list. With a Star Child in sight, she stands up and walks over, waving at them with a small smile.
( b ) The list is done eventually after enough notes are compared and Kimiko is ready to head out to start looking for the supplies. Spotting someone else seemingly at the same point as her, she figures that the list creation as a collaborative exercise was successful, so why shouldn't looking for the things on the lists also be a little easier with someone else? She scurries after the other Star Child, gently tapping them on the arm to get their attention and pause for a moment. Kimiko smiles and holds up a finger before quickly typing out a message on her Relic. She holds it out for the other Star Child to read.
Do you want to team up and look together?
((ooc: feel free to riff and wildcard something else! ))
b
He isn't surprised to be approached, but he is surprised to have his arm touched instead of a greeting.
The reason is soon obvious.
"Yes, we can work together," Quattro says even as he pulls his own relic out so he could type if necessary. "I'm Quattro."
no subject
Kimiko doesn't bother with saying that it's nice to meet him. Not that it's terrible to meet him, but there could be nicer circumstances for them to be meeting under than having to hunt down items for their survival in these unfamiliar woods. She takes her Relic back after he has a chance to read her name to write a follow-up question instead of pleasantries.
Do you have a lot on your list? I tried to make sure I had basics first before adding more.
no subject
"Nice to meet you, Kimiko," Quattro says with a pause to see if he said her name correctly, "Yes. I may have been a little ambitious with my list, but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."
no subject
This isn't what I had in mind when the fox mentioned reaching my potential. Is it always like this?
no subject
"Not everything has been so invasive, and I have enjoyed my apartment in the underwater city."
no subject
Kimiko's eyes widen at hearing he has an apartment underwater. It certainly creates a lot of questions. Can he breathe underwater like the Deep? Or is it something like a submarine where there's an airlock and it all has to be drained before he can go inside? Did he choose to live there or did someone else choose that for him? Kimiko doesn't waste time with typing them all out, instead giving Quattro a meaningful look inviting him to say more about what he means about that.
no subject
"Ah, I apologize. I'm more or less an ordinary human, since even that seems to mean different things depending on where people are from. It's a large city located in the water. There are submarines that take people back and forth from the port. It's a little out of the way, or I might have decided on where to live sooner. I do enjoy the conveniences of city life, and now that I can fly I can get around easily enough. I'm not much of a mind reader, so you'll have to tell me if I missed something."
The comment about mind reading was mostly a joke for himself. A punchline at his own expense that only he would get.
( b )
She nods enthusiastically. "Of course we can! Looking for something special is always so much nicer when it's with someone else, don't you think so? If we work together, I'm sure we'll find everything in no time at all! So, shall we?" Anne gestures towards the woods and looks hopeful.
no subject
My name is Kimiko, by the way. I just got here. What about you?
no subject
"Kimiko? That's a lovely name, I've never heard one like it before, Avonlea is beautiful but small. I recently arrived as well, I was told by a beautiful talking fox that if I followed her, I could reach my true potential," she said in an almost dreamy tone of voice. "How could I possibly resist such an opportunity? Is that what you were told as well?"
no subject
This isn't really what I had in mind when the fox talked about my true potential.
I've never heard of Avonlee(?). Is it in America? There's a lot of really small towns there. I was living in New York City before I came here. Have you heard of it?
no subject
And Anne lifted her chin just a bit, always pleased to talk about Avonlea. "It's spelled a-v-o-n-l-e-a, so you were very close! I couldn't spell it either before I arrived, the only reason I knew I'd gotten it wrong was because the train station had a placard stating the destination. It's in Canada, on Prince Edward Island. The most beautiful place in all of Canada, maybe even in the entire world! And yes, I've heard about New York City, though I don't know if I'd be happy surrounded by so much concrete, though I've heard Central Park is beautiful. Is it? Does it help make up for all of the buildings?"
A
Thirteen liked people forming relationships more than anything else, so Ariadne's mind kept drifting to people's names, rather than objects. She knew it was silly to write out Drizzt or Lorna or Steve. Instead, she supposed, she could think of objects that reminded her of them.
Objects that would also be useful in surviving.
Maybe she was putting too much thought into it? She honestly wasn't sure. Nevertheless, she added a blanket, thinking of an evening with Drizzt, a water bottle, thinking of Lorna's underwater bar, and an axe, remembering the way Steve could split logs.
It felt like a very silly list.
She was distracted when she sensed some movement and looked up to see an unfamiliar woman waving at her. Ariadne smiled and waved back, her fingers rippling shyly. "Are you new?" she asked. She hadn't seen the woman before.
no subject
I was working on my list and wanted to see what other people were putting. I don't want to accidentally forget something basic.
She's also curious if items that aren't inherently linked to survival would be a good idea to put, too, or if that sort of bending the rules would get her in some kind of trouble.
no subject
Well, that was Folkmore. Always slightly to the left of anything Ariadne was used to.
She scanned the message, before turning her own device around so the stranger could see her list. "I've been having trouble finishing mine, considering the fact that there are so many things we don't know," she said. "Like how long we're expected to be out there. Or even which wilderness Thirteen has in mind." She suspected it was the forest, but it would be just like Thirteen to toss them into the middle of Tides.
For a second, Ariadne examined her own list. "I guess most people will be putting in something that has to do with making fire." She grimaced. "I'd rather avoid it, if possible."
no subject
Fire's important though. You need it to be able to cook and stay warm at night. If you don't feel comfortable making the fire, you're welcome to borrow mine if I find what I need for it.
Kimiko smiles a little wider, trying to project a degree of friendliness that she hopes translates to the other woman that the offer is sincere.
no subject
But if she was completely honest with herself...and why wouldn't she be, at this point?...cooking was an excuse.
The real problem was just that she didn't like fire.
"If we're in the forest, it's dangerous," she said. "Fire is so hard to control. And it can run rampant easily. I think I'm worried about us accidentally burning down the trees."
no subject
Even if you kept it really small? Just big enough for what you need?
no subject
She cut herself off.
Ariadne knew she was beginning to sound a little paranoid. And yes, she was paranoid. But there was no need to drag this poor stranger into her nightmares.
She simply didn't do that.
No, Ariadne was a creature of optimism. Sometimes aggressively so. So she offered the stranger a smile and a shrug. "The lucky thing is that it's still awfully warm this time of year. Summer nights. We won't need much to keep warm, I suppose."
( a )
She was so enthused about it that she started playing Tchaikovsky by accident at the absolute top volume, which again was something much louder than her flip phone ever could've matched. It seems as though there's an entire orchestra housed inside the Relic. Is that what they're called?
That's what they're called.
Nina looks up, clearly horrified at what she does and locks eyes with Kimiko. Nina feels herself blush, humiliate, and she stammers out "I'm--I'm sorry, I don't know how to make it stop! Do you know how to do it? I, ah, I'm sorry?" The plea for help was evident in her widened eyes.