folkmeme | December-January 2024-2025 Test Drive Meme

Entry tags:

*tdm

December-January 2024-2025 Test Drive Meme

December-January 2024-2025 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 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 One ★ Prompt Two]

Murder on the Folkmore Express . ★

Content Warnings: hysical Entrapment, Fictional Crimes, Forced Engagement

Winter has come to Folkmore in full force, and with it, the desire for most to get to their destinations as fast as possible. The cold is bitter, after all, and nips at bare skin in most of the realm's regions. The public transport system becomes a safe haven for all; a perfect way to take a break in comfortable warmth as both spirits and Star Children alike travel along stretches of land. From the Cat Bus to the trains, to the submarines that lead to Tides, to even the hot air balloons which provide a beautiful sightseeing tour before touching down on Never Fade… There are more than enough public vehicles to board.

And this is exactly where newly arrived Star Children will find themselves: aboard one of the bigger public transportation methods. With a flash of light visible to all, their landing in this new realm is made known to all other passengers.

Something funny is going on, that much becomes clear within several seconds. Perhaps a nearby cat spirit will keel over dramatically in the middle of the train's aisle, pretending to have died. Perhaps a frog spirit will let out a loud croaking wail, proclaiming their precious wedding ring has been stolen just now. Or perhaps a timid little mouse will come up to Star Children, prattling on about how worried they are for their missing spouse. They are all acting, as is evident from their lack of skill in that department. They relish the opportunity to spin their little tales, their characterization often broken by mischievous smiles or hasty snickers into the palm of their paws. Once the stage is set and the story is out into the world, the spirits will look towards the nearest Star Children with clasped hands and hopeful gazes. 'Will you solve the mystery?' they seem to ask. Sometimes they'll even voice the question aloud.

One thing is for certain: Star Children have found themselves in their very own locked room whodunnit setup!

The puzzling scenarios have a wide range of possibilities. Perhaps someone vanished, with the questions being whether they've hidden themselves somewhere in the vehicle and why. Or maybe a mysterious spirit suffers from a sudden bout of amnesia. Who are they, and how did they lose their memories in the first place? Was that person lying on the floor poisoned? If so, how? What makes these mysteries extra difficult to crack is the very magic coursing through Folkmore. That heap of ash under a seat may be evidence, burnt to a crisp with fire magic. The 'dead' body may have been moved from the original crime scene through teleportation. Or the missing ring may have been enchanted to return to its original owner, which leads to the shocking reveal that the one reporting the crime was a thief all along. All cases range in difficulty level.

There is a catch. The transport will not stop until the conundrum is brought to a satisfactory conclusion. The train will pass by stations, the Cat Bus will keep sprinting, submarines will circle Tides indefinitely… And the doors will remain locked, with even teleportation powers null and void. Star Children cannot disembark until the mystery is solved. Better work together to find those clues!

New Star Children arrive in one of Folkmore's public transport vehicles.
Spirits will re-enact locked room mysteries for Star Children to solve.
Cases range from murder mysteries to missing persons, to simple theft.
The vehicle will not stop until the mystery is resolved!

The Gift Train . ★

Content Warnings: Potential Information Reveal, Item Alteration

A cheerful ding rings out from each Star Child's Relic. It's a modest grab for their attention, a sign that something lies in wait. Checking out the origin, the recipients will find that they've received a message from Jewelia, one of Thirteen's aspects. It reads as follows: "It is a time for giving and a time for sharing. A time for friendship and a time for caring. Seek out this Star Child, and exchange with them a modest gift. Should you succeed and make the trade, then watch it shift."

What follows is not a name, but a list with facts. For example, a certain Star Child's role, which region they currently live in, what color their hair is, who their best friend is… It's all trivial data which, when put together, should point the seeking Star Child towards one particular individual. That's only the first part of the challenge, of course! Should they take the next step, they must give whoever they hunted down a gift. This can range from a batch of homemade cookies to a knitted sweater, to even a neat rock they found! It doesn't matter how big or small the gift is, whether it was bought or made… The present needs to be exchanged for something else.

As soon as the objects pass hands, they will evolve. They become nicer, or bigger, or tastier. The neat rock now shimmers like it's covered in eternal glitter. The knitted sweater now has a knitted hood to pull up over one's head. The cookies may take on a cutesy shape, or become more filling, with even a single bite enough to sate for a whole evening. The plain knife found in Folkmore becomes an engraved sword. This is the true power of sharing, and of paying good will forward.

Once an exchange is complete, each Star Child’s Relic will ding another time. A new list of facts appears, and they can repeat the process again. They have the option to give a new gift to their next match, or they can re-gift the item they were just given. There's no limitations to how much a single gift can upgrade, though objects will never become enchanted. They simply become nicer.

There's one more twist to this assignment: after three successful gift exchanges, the Relic plays an additional, cheerful little chime. A little victory note, almost. When the Star Child returns to their home afterwards, they'll find a small package waiting for them on their pillow (or whatever's close enough to a bed if they don't have one). Inside is a small item from their home world. It may even be a weapon or magical item. Just another reward for rising to the challenge!

Star Children receive a message on their Relic: a list of facts leading them to another Star Child.
When they find this Star Child and exchange a small gift with them, the gift will evolve into something nicer.
If a Star Child succeeds in three successful exchanges, they will find a small item from home waiting for them in their home, atop their pillow.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Have another eye roll, Natasha, but she is a little amused, too. "Ha, ha, what a clever comment."

"So there are trains and a bus made of a fast cat that can fly. What happens if the cat decides it does not want to be a bus anymore in the middle of a flight, full of people?"

Yes, she is hilarious, even if she only amuses herself. But it's - nice - to have that sense of humor appreciated, even if that appreciation is hidden.

Natasha shrugs. "No idea. It hasn't happened yet. And this place is weird. It seems to be... as much intrinsically a bus as it is a cat. The chances that it will change its mind are likely slim."

"Yes, this place seems very weird, from what you've told me and what little I've seen. Most of the weirdness seems very calculated." Yelena could hardly buy it being some coincidence, that she'd be brought here at this specific time, and so quickly run into her sister.

If it were anyone or anything less, she'd be very angry about that level of interference. Probably the Fox knew that too. "But I guess not harmfully so, so far.

"The fox's stated objective is to maximize potential," so, you know, that's terrifyingly vague, especially when you consider the three categories. "The Trials seem to align with that purpose - the forced dream sharing, the ice cream you eat that makes it so you only tell the truth, the random gift exchanges..."

Thirteen takes 'better together' very literally. But still Natasha can't help take everything with a healthy dose of doubt. What's hiding and why? She's not satisfied with any answer she's found yet.

"...but it can also mean being dropped off in the middle of no where and forced to fight your demons, so."

Natasha shrugs.

What a list. Yelena's expression grows more disturbed as Natasha goes on. Truth ice cream? That is especially cruel, making dessert something that would work against a person. Cruel and unusual.

"Okay. Cool. All of that sounds horrible and like a lot of work. What do you get for it? Anything?"

Natasha scratches the side of her head, "Sometimes you get a really cool vest out of it."

It's only fate that she's not wearing it today, having chosen her backpack instead. The reward from one of her first trials had been Yelena's gift to her.

She drops her hand back and redirects. "Togetherness? More spoons? Sometimes things from home. The fox does attempt to meet out rewards after each Trial."

It's a very basic conditioning tactic, but that doesn't mean it's ineffective.

The penny doesn't quite drop. It might have, but she defaults too quickly to defensiveness. "How cool? Because if you say it was cooler than mine, we may have to fight about it."

Togetherness gets a scoff. Actually, that can be counted for both togetherness and spoons. "Cutlery based currency is so ridiculous, paper is dumb enough but spoons is so odd. Stuff from home sounds nice. Can I get my weapons back, or are they not allowed here at all? That would be very unfair."

Natasha... decides not to clarify. She's been very open about everything so far, but explicitly stating something that translates to: a superpowerful being took a look at everything I might want and chose the reminder of your forgiveness and care

...kind of beyond her.

"You can get your weapons back. You may even be able to summon them, if you earn enough spoons. It's not hard - just talk to people."

The lack of response is noted, but goes unremarked upon, aside from a suspicious glance. Add it to the list of things they aren't talking about on this occasion. It'll have to get shorter eventually, but Yelena doesn't want to think about that now.

"Ah. What a ridiculous form of currency, but fine. I'll have to get that back."

Natasha arches an eyebrow.

"What happened to your spoon?"

Didn't you say you'd been here like, twenty minutes?

More than enough time for her to find (or cause) some trouble.

"Likely nothing has actually happened to it, it just isn't currently here. It's fine, it just needs retrieving. Considerably more boring than the things you were telling me about this place, we can go back to that."

Uh-huh.

"Did you throw it out the window?"

Yeah, that was never going to work.

"No, I did not throw it out the window." Ugh. "Someone else just has possession of it, currently. Temporarily."

Natasha's gaze sharpens and she quickly reassesses Yelena for any hint of being in a fight.

She is also going to. Try. Not to act in such a way that backs her little sister into a corner. But she is very tempted.

"Do you know who has it? Temporarily."

"Don't look at me like that, there is nothing for you to fuss over, and if there were, it would have been from before I got here."

This would be less embarrassing if she had successfully picked a fight, in that initial twenty minutes, but Yelena isn't going to say that out loud. She shrugs.

"Enough to track her down and get it back. We did not exchange names."

...uh-huh.

There's a beat here and Yelena will be able to see Natasha turning over in her mind exactly how much she wants to push this. Nat's not hiding it, but it will be clearer to Yelena than most exactly what this expression means.

What Yelena might not pick up on, however, is that for Natasha this is not about whether or not Yelena can get back her spoon, or what happened... it's about how best to rebuild some trust, it's about the extent to which she is welcome in Yelena's life, and if Yelena really wants to handle it on her own, or if she wants Natasha to fuss a bit. In the end, she's not sure, and decides she needs more information.

In the end, she leans back, "I don't 'fuss,'" which is, on close examination, a very noncommittal answer.

"Until you get it back, we'll use mine. You're probably hungry."

"Yes, you do." Her tone isn't snarky, this time. Instead, although it would be imperceptible to almost everyone, there's a subtle undercurrent of fondness in Yelena's voice. "It is not a bad thing, mostly, it just is not necessary right now."

Actually, she is going to immediately revise that statement.

"Well. If you would like to fuss by feeding me, that I would accept. It has been way too long since I last ate."

Food is a comfort, especially when you grow up uncertain about when you'll next get it.

Anyway, she doesn't fuss. She makes reasonable precautions.

But okay. She doesn't quite roll her eyes, though her posture indicates that she is tempted. Instead, somehow, she ends up smiling a little at Yelena.

"We'll get off at the next stop. The Prancing Pony should be open by now. And I think you'll like the treehouses."

Yelena will have to pick a place to live, and if Natasha could pick anywhere... she would probably choose the treehouses, with the music of the forest a steady thrum. Shockingly, she has not chosen anything for herself, but has remained at the Avengers Compound.

The eye roll would have been funny, and likely returned, and it would have been nice enough. The smile is better, and is easily returned, and that's nicer.

Will this feel more or less real, when they change locations? Probably more, but she still might miss this almost-privacy bubble feeling the train has offered. "Where were you heading before this? Is anyone going to -" think you disappeared, no, that is very loaded. "- worry?"

"There are treehouses?"

"There are treehouses, yes," she smiles a little. She isn't going to spoil it. "And is that your subtle way of asking who else from our world is here?"

This is genuinely the strangest thing that's happened to her since she's been here, but... possibly the most welcome.

Oh. Huh. No, Yelena actually hadn't even considered who else might be here. What did it matter? She had her sister back.

But of course it is not actually that simple. "No, it wasn't, but I suppose I should be curious about that too.

"Mmm." Well, sure, let's see how this goes. "Ultron and Loki are both here. So far, no genocidal attempts have been made. Not even a murder. I am giving them space."

So, you know, monitoring them closely but unobtrusively. A girl's got to have something to do.

"Steve and Clint are both here too."

And, yes, watching how Barton's name hits. She and Clint have had a talk or two about Yelena. But she's not watching with any particular sharpness or attention - she's started carefully observing from the beginning. Nothing is pointed, but she is looking.

"Hm." Well, she isn't over the moon by that list, but she was already thinking that certain conversations she would not be able to avoid for long. This is just confirmation of that, but she is going to keep trying not to think about it as long as she can. Of course the blank face here, with Natasha, will give away things even while it may hide things, but there is nothing she can do about that.

"Boring. What do Avengers get up to when there is nothing to avenge?"

Natasha does note that blank expression, but... she is not in a rush. She's not mad at Yelena for going after Clint; she would be, of course, if her sister had actually killed him. But going after him? No, she's not mad about that. Clint's never been great about speaking up in his own defense, and he'd been... so upset.

Well. It's done now.

Heh. Mildly, on purpose, "Well, Steve opened up an art studio. He's been here the longest of us."

That is also suspicious, but it would be foolish to question it now. Yelena relaxes only somewhat - she can't help it, there will be tension about that until the conversation is had, but that is not enough motivation for her to rush it.

"An art studio? It is difficult to picture him at an easel. How long has he been here, then?"

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