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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.
sorry for the delay, impulsively went to a con this weekend!
But that feeling gave way to shock as she saw someone with her own face staring back at her. How was it possible? She'd always been an only child as far as she knew, but mommy had always told her to throw a dart at a map of the United States and there her blood father might be.
She'd heard of cloning, of course, but never thought it would be real.
So Nina lowered herself in what she hoped was a non-threatening gesture and honked despondently. Could a swan look pathetic? Because she certainly did.
No worries!
"Are you all right?" she asked, somewhat pointlessly, since she was pretty sure that swans couldn't talk.
Then again...this was Folkmore.
Cautiously, she moved closer again, still keeping her hands up defensively. She took a quick sniff of the air and immediately picked up on ozone. There was magic present. Not surprising, but it might explain a few things. "Do...do you understand what I'm saying? Honk once if you do."
❤️ (CW: paranoid delusions)
But he'd called her his little princess. A name she'd desperately wanted, even though it had been Beth's. Like her tube of lipstick, little bottle of Chanel no 5, her diamond earrings, and...her nail file had been. And Nina took them all. She tried to give them back, but it was too late for Beth. And likely too late for herself.
At the question, Nina shook her head no and released a little, sad honk.
She settled onto the ground as the girl with her face approached. Maybe this was fitting, since she'd seen Lily and Lily as herself everywhere. But she didn't feel like she was seeing things, not this time.
Nina perked up and honked once as requested. She really had no idea how to be herself again.
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She'd turned them into any number of things before.
"One for yes, two for no," she told the swan. It really was quite lovely. Then again, Ariadne had something of a bias toward anything with black feathers. "At least until we figure all of this out, okay?"
Ariadne realized that was a yes-or-no question, but she barreled onward. "Have you been living in Folkmore for a while now?"
(CW: blood, assault, hallucinations)
Nina nodded at her twin's words, feeling entirely despondent, though at least she was being kind and willing to help.
When asked if she'd been there long, she honked twice. She hoped there was something of herself in her eyes still, but without a mirror (she didn't want to think about mirrors), there was no way to be sure.
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She was good with communication. She thrived off of communication.
With a sympathetic grimace, she reasoned out the next obvious question. "Are you normally a swan?" She was guessing no, but better to check for sure. There were an awful lot of creatures in the multiverse.
Why not sentient swans?
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And Nina...she wasn't sure she ever really thrived. She was the Swan Queen, the achievement of a lifetime, but...looking back, she'd been miserable.
She honked twice and if a swan can have pleading eyes, Nina does.
Really, being a Familiar had been such a shock, so much so that she transformed without meaning to.
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Although, in thinking about Folkmore, it actually was somewhat unsurprising. It didn't happen every day, but it had happened more times than she could count, anyway.
"I see," she said, deeply serious without a drop of condescension. "Well, either this is some kind of trial that Thirteen is putting you through...or you might be what we call a 'Familiar.' They're Star Children who can turn into animals."
She offered the swan a smile. As only Ariadne could. "That's good news, though. Either way. It means it's not permanent. You'll be able to turn back eventually."
(CW: mental illness--hallucinations)
She remembers what she saw and thought during the time of being the Swan Queen. One of the most disturbing things about it was that she lost track of what was real and what was her imagination.
And Nina perked up at the mention of Familiars, nodding her swan's head vigorously. That had to be the explanation. Either that, or her mind had truly ran away from her. She was terrified it was the latter. There's something about realizing one had been seeing things which weren't there that's deeply disturbing.
At the mention of eventually, she cocks her head to one side with a clear question of "when? and how?" in her expression.
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Ariadne tried to ignore the roles as much as she could. They didn't make a lot of sense to her, and she wasn't too big on creating artificial tribalism. They were all in this together. No point in drawing lines between them.
And there was that nagging sensation, too, that she'd somehow been miscast in the whole thing. But she tried not to think about it a lot.
Other times, knowing the roles helped. "Oh, well, that's lucky," she said. "Familiars can often turn back and forth between animals and their natural states at will. I..." She flashed an apologetic smile. "I don't know how, exactly. I think it involves a lot of concentration?"
(CW: mental illness--delusions)
She'd thought the roles were a lot less firmly in place. She hadn't thought it was possible to turn into an actual black swan, that her feathered, winglike arms were the extent of what she could be turned into. It was the shock of landing which caused her transformation.
She thought maybe that everything she'd seen was punishment enough. But there were still so many things which weren't resolved.
The news that Nina could change back was welcomed and concentration? It had taken her so much concentration to be able to dance the two swans. If she concentrated really hard, she might be herself again? So she settled herself down, looked into the eyes of her twin, and concentrated.
Slowly but surely, Nina felt herself...expanding. Expanding into herself, though her arms still had the appearance of black swan wings. She sat there rapidly drawing in and out breath, then looked up. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd have done without you. I'm--I'm Nina."
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No, what caught her off guard was the fact that the woman who appeared in front of her...looked so very much like her. And with her solemn eyes and black feathers...the two of them could have been sisters.
Almost twins, although Nina seemed a bit older.
She stared in surprise for only a second or two, before offering a puzzled smile. "Well met, Nina," she said politely. "And well done."
(CW: mental illness--panic, repression)
She didn't know what to think about her savior looking like herself when she first joined the corps de ballet. Another thing to prickle at the edges of her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. She knew she had to wait to have her breakdown in private, though. What she'd thought happened with Lily was proof enough of that.
Nina sat, looking lost and a little of her fear managed to show itself. She stammered out "Thank you. I'm--do these transformations happen often?"
She was afraid the answer was yes, but it would be nice to have it confirmed.
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Well. She supposed the swan part was more alarming. Sometimes people did look alike.
There would be time to parse that out later.
"From what I understand about Familiars," she said, "you should be able to control when you transform. At least, into whatever particular form you've been gifted. In your case, the swan."
(CW: mental illness--hallucinations)
She looked from one black feathered arm to the other. "I'm--I'm me, but I still have these arms. Why won't they change?" They reminded her far too much of her hallucinations while on stage and she would have thought she was hallucinating again if the other young woman hadn't obviously seen them as well.
"Is that what I am? A Familiar," she asked, sounding dazed. "I--from what I think I understand I was expecting to be a Myth." She wasn't a good person, deep down. She'd done far too many things since she was cast to ever be considered a good person again.
no subject
She reached out, holding her palm over the feathers on Nina's arms. Ariadne wouldn't touch her without permission but she still skimmed the surface. "They're beautiful," she said, fully meaning it. "With practice, you'll figure out how they work. Don't worry about anyone looking at you twice about it, or anything like that. We've all been changed by Thirteen, in some way."
Gods, she hoped that sounded comforting.
(CW: accidental self-deletion implied)
And there was the worry that Lily or Tomas would follow her here. She didn't know what she'd do if they did. Lily was an enigma, one which had fascinated and frightened Nina in equal measures and Tomas...she could still hear him asking what she did over and over again as the lights blinded her.
Nina looks startled at the other young woman's kindness and even more so after being told they were beautiful. "...you think so? Really?" All she'd ever wanted to be was perfect and beauty was part of that. "May I, ah. Ask how you've been changed?" She didn't want to offend, but she felt like she had to know. To know she wasn't alone.
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It was a balance she was still working to achieve.
But Nina had asked. So Ariadne scooted back a few inches, before opening up her own wings.
Like Nina's, they were black, although they came out of her back, rather than along her harms. The way the light caught them, they reflected rainbows, like an oil spill. Even this close, it was hard to tell if they were made of feathers or scales. Kind of both, really. Alastrians were a mutt race, if the Human scientists were to be believed.
And Ariadne had no reason not to believe them. They were much smarter than she was.
"Thirteen gave me wings too," she said.
(CW: mental illness--hallucinations)
She didn't know. She wasn't sure she'd ever know.
And at the sight of Ariadne's wings, Nina's eyes widened.
"How beautiful," she said quietly. "You're...very lucky. That they're both beautiful and--and you can hide them. Is it easier to hide them all the time? It seems very personal, all of these ways we can be changed. It's a little scary." She being scared was her normal, especially in the lead-up to her performance as the Swan Queen.
"What else will she do," Nina asked in a slightly shaky voice.
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There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't miss her original wings, the ones she was born with. But she'd made her choice and it had been the right choice. She'd make the same one again, if she lived her life over.
Nevertheless...flying was quite possibly the second-best feeling in the world.
The first was when Drizzt kissed her.
"She puts us to trials," Ariadne said, folding her wings behind her back, but letting them stay visible for the moment. "Tests of character. And tests of our ability to cooperate with each other."
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It would likely seem a silly request, given everything. But she couldn't see any way to reach her full potential without it, she'd been struggling so long with her performances, trying to find the perfection she'd been aiming for. Lose herself, Tomas had said. And she had, far more than she probably should have.
There wasn't anything she could do about that. Not from here.
Unless Lily and Tomas followed her. She half-dreaded and half-hoped for their arrivals.
"...I don't think that's a good idea. It sounds complicated." Nina wasn't sure she could do complicated again.
no subject
Ariadne has a small fortune, when it came to the Spoons.
A small fortune, and nothing to spend it on. But knowing that she had options was certainly nice. And knowing that it all came from her interactions was even nicer. When it came to friends, she felt absurdly wealthy.
"That's the great secret of Folkmore," she continued. "It's about the people. It's about taking advantage of the unique opportunity we've been given. We have the chance to meet people we were never meant to know. It's like a break in our destiny, the chance to be so much bigger than our lives back in the other worlds." Her passion and pleasure at the notion were both blindingly apparent. Her eyes glowed with excitement as she spoke. "We take care of each other here."
(CW: bullying)
But was it Tomas doing it or her mother? Or herself? The fact that she wasn't certain of the answer was terrifying to her. More than anything, she needed surety. At least until she'd made herself feel comfortable.
There were no friends in the corps de ballet. Everyone was out for the person above them's part and everyone knew it. It kept tensions high which was probably a good thing for performances, they'd all be on their toes, but it also kept competition red hot and friendships few. Lily had tried. Nina was willing to allow the other dancer that much credit, despite how...odd things had gotten between them.
But she didn't sense anything tricky or insincere about Ariadne. Just genuine happiness. If she could find it, could Nina find it here, too?
Nina looked down briefly and gave the other young woman a shaky smile. "I like that. The sound of it, of a break in destiny. Even though I think I'll never be able to forget about it completely."
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That seemed--to Ariadne, at least--to be a key misunderstanding people had about Thirteen. People thought she wanted them to change. Ariadne didn't see it that way, though. She thought Thirteen merely wanted them to be more themselves than ever.
Which, in Ariadne's case, meant being more herself than her life before had ever allowed.
"You don't have to forget anything," she reiterated, firm of voice, but not of touch.
(CW: mental illness--hallucinations)
She was afraid of the notion of change, though. She'd lived, slept, and ate ballet for as long as she could remember. To not do so was a little nerve-wracking. She'd still stay in shape and practiced, however, she couldn't let herself slack on that.
She was afraid she'd stay in that box, though. But could her instincts be trusted? They'd led her so far astray recently to the point where she couldn't often tell what was real and what wasn't anymore. There were things she would've sworn happened but hadn't. And things she didn't remember doing, but did.
Nina raised her eyes to meet Ariadne's. There was more than a bit of apprehension there. "What if I want to?"
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(CW: inappropriately close mother)
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